Chapter 581 Truth about Ethan
Jasmine didn't overthink it and hopped into the car with the kids.
That dude strutted into the hotel, glanced back at Jasmine and Ethan getting in the car, and smirked.
In the car, Ethan turned to Jasmine and said softly, "So, the Raymond Group is not just Brandon's. We started it together. With the Douglas Group and Howard in the mix, I wanted to be ready, so I kicked off the Raymond Group. Since I couldn't be the face, I let Brandon take the spotlight."
Ethan spilled it all in one go, feeling a weight lift off his shoulders.
Jasmine sighed and hugged Ethan, looking pained. "I knew it. Someone as greedy as Brandon couldn't have taken the Raymond Group this far. It's not your fault. You probably didn't see Brandon being such a snake, using your need for secrecy to steal the win and boot you out."
Jasmine felt for Ethan, not knowing how much betrayal he'd faced.
If her best friend did that to her, how tough would that be?
"Huh?" Ethan was puzzled. "No, that's not it."
"You don't need to explain. Brandon's true colors are clear. He only cares about money, not feelings. It's scary," Jasmine said softly.
Ethan chuckled. "It's really not like that. This was all a front by Brandon and me. I still have full control of the Raymond Group. With all the uncertainties and my selfish wish to keep you close and make you stronger, I didn't tell you."
Ethan didn't dare admit he wanted Jasmine to feel sorry for him, protect him, and keep him in her heart and mind.
Jasmine processed Ethan's words and realized he'd been lying all along!
"You lied to me again?" Jasmine was a bit pissed.
Ethan scratched his nose. "A white lie, I swear."
Jasmine glared at Ethan. "What else are you hiding from me?"
"I swear, nothing else." Ethan thought hard. There shouldn't be anything else, right?
He thought, 'Connor's stuff doesn't count, right? That's Connor hiding it from Jasmine, not me. I know nothing about it.'
"Ethan, have you ever been poor?" Jasmine's voice was sharp.
Ethan felt a bit scared.
"What about the house we live in?" Jasmine asked, shocked.
The air in the car was thick, and the driver wisely raised the partition, signaling they could argue but leave him out of it.
Ethan hurried to explain, but their kids in the back chimed in.
"Dad, how could you lie to Mom?"
"Dad, that's too much. If it were us, we wouldn't lie to Mom. You must not love Mom enough to do this."
"Yeah, Daddy, this hurts Mommy's feelings more than not taking us to the amusement park."
Justin nodded in agreement.
Ethan snapped. "You two zip it! One more word, and no amusement park for a year."
Justin and Joe clamped their mouths shut and sat back quietly.
Ethan looked at Jasmine guiltily and reached for her hand, but she shook it off, her eyes red with anger.
Ethan nervously explained, "Jasmine, I swear, I didn't mean to hide it from you. The Raymond Group situation is messy, and Howard..."
Ethan trailed off. Howard could strike anytime, and he feared Jasmine wouldn't handle it if something happened to him.
He'd also thought about Connor's idea to back off from Jasmine, let her stand on her own two feet, show her she could start her own biz, run a company, have her own crew, and totally crush it without him.
Jasmine wiped her tears and looked down, staying quiet.
Ethan tried to hug her, but she shoved him away.
Ethan took a deep breath, clueless on how to explain.
Should he tell her he could kick the bucket any moment?
But then Jasmine reached out her hand to him.
Ethan was confused.
"Liar! Pay me back," Jasmine snapped.
Ethan had no clue what she meant.
"I busted my butt paying rent, fixing the toilet, covering utilities, and property fees. That house was yours all along. The Raymond Group developed the community, and the property management is yours too." Jasmine felt more and more upset, realizing she'd been paying rent and utilities to Ethan for almost a year.
She felt totally played.
Ethan looked at her and laughed, pulling her into his arms. "Everything I have is yours. I'll make it up to you, including myself."
Jasmine huffed, pushing him away and whispering, "The kids are here."
Ethan glanced back to see Justin and Joe covering each other's eyes.
"Mommy, we can't see anything. You can kiss Daddy."
Jasmine glared at Ethan. These kids knew too much.
"I swear, I didn't teach them this. It must be Edgar," Ethan said, feeling wronged.
"Rent, property fees, utilities, and the cost of fixing the toilet, pay it all back!"
"I will, a hundred times over." Ethan nodded quickly.
"Hmph."
"Can you forgive Brandon now?" Ethan asked cautiously.
"No." Jasmine shook her head.
"Why?" Ethan asked, feeling wronged.
"Because he hid it from me with you. Neither of you can be forgiven." Jasmine sniffled.
"What will it take for you to forgive us?" Ethan coaxed.
"Have the Raymond Group's project department sign a ten-year comprehensive cooperation project with LY, and maybe I'll forgive him for the money," Jasmine said with the demeanor of a negotiator.
Ethan laughed. What was better than money? More money.
On the highway, Richard anxiously checked the time while driving back as Betty, on a voice call with him, constantly reminded him to drive carefully and not rush.
"I'm fine, really. If I hear your GPS alerting you about speeding again, don't bother coming back," Betty said through gritted teeth.
Richard smiled and slowed down to 70 mph.
"That's better." Betty laughed. "Drive slower."
Richard checked the rearview mirror. He wanted to change lanes, but his military training made him alert. He noticed a car had been tailing him since he got on the highway.
Could it be a coincidence, following him all this way?
"What's wrong?" Betty asked, sensing something.
"There's a car behind me that seems to have been following me the whole way," Richard said seriously.
"Give me the license plate number," Betty said, sitting up straight and asking Richard for the plate number.
"XYZ789, black Dodge."
On the other end, Betty was silent. After about three minutes, she spoke seriously, "It's a cloned plate. XYZ789 is registered to an old Bentley, not a black Dodge. Be careful; that car can cause a lot of damage."
Richard quickly turned the steering wheel and exited the highway at the next ramp before the other car could react.
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