Chapter 551 The Confidence Ethan Can Give Jasmine
Claire left, and Annabelle snorted with hatred. She had taken the bait and planned to find the documents without telling Howard.
With the Harper family gone, those documents clearly became a treasure in many people's eyes. They wanted to avoid being discovered, eliminate future troubles, and gain leverage over others to control them forever.
Greed had magnified these people's desires infinitely.
Jasmine and Samuel were seated together, finding themselves towards the back, as LY was a fledgling enterprise.
Ethan and Brandon had arrived together, and, as a high-ranking executive at Raymond, Ethan naturally took a seat at the front.
Jasmine, in her more modest position, was surrounded by the eager faces of young professionals from newer companies.
A few girls gazed longingly at Ethan, a figure once so high above them that they could scarcely imagine any contact.
"That's Ethan; he's so handsome!"
"So in love with him, even though he's no longer the president of the Douglas Group. I heard he's quite a big shot at Raymond. Shall we give it a try?"
"Ethan," Deborah, who was seated up front, greeted him warmly, waving in his direction.
The girls sighed in defeat. "Looks like he has a girlfriend."
"And she's sitting so close to the front, definitely a big shot. That seat looks like it belongs to the Hawthorne Group... the heiress of the Hawthorne Group?"
"Ethan's out of our league, even in his so-called 'downfall.' "
Ethan stood by Jasmine, lingering.
Brandon dared not meet Jasmine's gaze, all thanks to the image Ethan had made for him.
Brandon cleared his throat and quickly left.
The girls watched Ethan in excitement. "Look, he's standing right next to us."
Ethan stood still, unwavering.
Deborah approached, beaming. "Ethan, I've been telling the president of Stellar Innovations Inc. all about you; he thinks highly of you. Come, let's go meet him."
Everyone looked on with envy and thought they were a couple.
But Ethan simply glanced dispassionately at Deborah. "I'm busy."
Deborah paused, looking a bit sheepish. "Ethan, what exactly are you busy with?"
Ethan glanced at his watch. "I'm waiting for someone."
Deborah reached out, affectionately attempting to slip her arm through his. "Why don't we go meet Mr. Hill first?"
Sitting not too far from Ethan, Jasmine glared at Deborah, thinking, 'She is doing it on purpose.'
"You're not going to say anything?" Samuel asked, his tone unremarkable.
Jasmine bit her lip; this was something she couldn't let go.
Deborah was on a mission to stake a claim on both the Hawthorne Group and Ethan.
Before Jasmine could storm over, Liam burst into the room.
"Mr. Douglas, the milkshake you ordered is here."
Everyone was taken aback, thinking, 'Is Ethan fond of milkshake or is he just spoiling his girlfriend?'
"Is she from the Hawthorne Group? She's so lucky."
Everyone looked enviously at Deborah.
Deborah, equally surprised, reached out, thinking that if she made the first move, Ethan couldn't very well refuse her face. "Ethan, is this for me?"
"You're reading too much into it." Ethan walked past her, ignoring her outstretched hand.
He moved straight to Jasmine's side and nodded towards Samuel. "You go up front."
Samuel grinned; this was exactly what he had been hoping for.
Knowing that the front row was filled with business titans, sitting there would allow him to meet more people, which would be beneficial for LY.
When he was sitting next to Jasmine, Ethan's earlier tension seemed to melt away, replaced by a gentle demeanor. "You rushed out this morning so quickly, you didn't even have time for milk."
Jasmine cast a provocative glance at Deborah, huffing before taking a satisfying sip of her half-sweet milkshake. It was a thoughtful touch.
Ethan smiled quietly, settling comfortably beside Jasmine, ignoring the curious stares from around them.
Even though Ethan was supposed to be seated at the front with Raymond Group, he had chosen to stay back.
"Mr. Douglas, what's this about," someone bravely asked.
"This is my wife," Ethan answered effortlessly.
Everyone was stunned. The rumors were true—Ethan was married!
Jasmine blushed slightly but responded with an easy nod. "Yes, that's right."
"And…" A girl glanced between Jasmine and the visibly displeased Deborah. "Who is she?"
"She wants to be the mistress," Jasmine interjected smoothly.
The atmosphere behind them fell silent in shock. All eyes turned between Jasmine and Ethan.
Deborah shot Ethan an angry look, expecting him to clarify. Instead, Ethan's gaze remained soft, as if he was endorsing Jasmine's words.
Embarrassed, Deborah huffed and turned on her heel, storming off.
"That's just awful—she's always trying to claim what isn't hers," Jasmine muttered, now openly complaining to Ethan.
Ethan nodded, his affection clear. "Indeed."
Jasmine smiled, happily sipping her milkshake, savoring the sweetness of the half-sugar.
"Ethan, come outside," Howard's stern voice broke the moment as he approached, clearly expecting Ethan to follow him out.
Without waiting for a reply, Howard turned and left.
Ethan remained seated, unmoving.
Jasmine couldn't help but smirk, reaching over to tug on Ethan's sleeve. "Isn't it a bit rude not to go?"
Ethan smirked coldly. "Who is he? I don't know him."
Jasmine held Ethan's wrist. "Exactly, you don't know him."
Outside the door, Howard waited impatiently, clearly feeling the awkwardness of the situation. After a while, he had one of his vice presidents call Ethan out. "Get him out here. If he won't give you respect, you don't need to show him any. He's out of the Douglas family; he's nothing."
The vice president in question was Branson, who had been previously kicked out of the Douglas Group by Ethan and Jasmine. Branson had harbored a grudge against them and saw this as his chance to strike back.
Approaching Ethan, Branson wore a mocking smile. "Ethan, your father's waiting for you outside."
Ethan didn't even look up, treating Branson's presence with the disdain it deserved.
"Ethan, you're nothing now. Without the Douglas family, you're just another guy trying to work for someone else and begging for favor. You really think you'll be treated like royalty at Raymond? The president there won't hand you any shares," Branson sneered, reveling in the humiliation.
He was making sure everyone saw how he was putting Ethan in his place.
"I don't know what status I have at Raymond, but it's clear you're just a lapdog at the Douglas family, barking all the time," Ethan replied coldly, giving Branson a steely look.
"Ethan! You're crossing the line. Helping Raymond take down your own family's company? That's no different from letting outsiders devour your own. You're a fool if you think you'll succeed anywhere," Branson retorted, his face flushed with anger.
"Who says Raymond is an outsider?" Ethan smirked. "And who says I'm attacking the Douglas family? The Douglas Group is my mother's and my grandfather's legacy. Howard is just a figurehead. It's mine to do with as I please. You have no right to speak here!" Ethan's presence was commanding, his words heavy with authority.
"You!" Branson's fingers trembled with rage. "Just wait. The president of Raymond won't back you up. Today, you're going to be the target!"
Howard had already contacted Raymond's president, Brandon, seeking a private discussion. He thought to himself, 'There are no permanent enemies, only shifting interests. If I offer Brandon enough, he'll drop Ethan in a heartbeat. Today, Ethan will learn what happens when he crosses me!'
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