Chapter 614: Ethan is a Money-Making Tool
Jasmine shot Ethan a look and gave a quick nod.
She was sticking with Ethan all night, no matter what went down.
If things got messy, they'd handle it together.
"Ethan, we got this."
Meanwhile, Mark was holed up in the Raymond Group's logistics warehouse, munching on some instant noodles.
"Not bad, these noodles ain't half bad." Raymond strolled over, sniffing the air. "Having a good time hiding out, Mark?"
Mark eyed Raymond suspiciously and said, "I already gave you the evidence, so why are you back?"
"Howard's goons are all over the place looking for you, probably wanting to make you vanish." Raymond replied, "You handed over the evidence way too easily. It makes me wonder what you're up to."
Raymond had already checked the evidence. The video was legit, not tampered with, and the content was enough to nail Howard. But Claire was too slick; she was just a bystander in the video. The angle didn't show her, and her voice wasn't heard.
So, nailing Howard was a piece of cake, but getting Claire was a whole different ball game.
Plus, it had been years, and the evidence was thin. Even if Howard ratted out Claire, it would probably end up with not enough proof.
Mark took another bite of his noodles, not even looking up.
Raymond could tell Mark was still holding something back, but he wasn't spilling.
"If I tell Howard you're here, think you can make it through the night?" Raymond said, his voice low.
Mark glanced at Raymond. "You planning to screw me over?"
Raymond narrowed his eyes. Mark had seemed scared of dying before, but now he looked like he didn't care.
"Screw you over? Just a little strategy. You and your buddies killed someone's mom; don't you think you should pay for that?" Raymond said, signaling his guys to call Howard.
"What do you really want?" Mark frowned, seeing Raymond was dead serious.
"The video you gave me wasn't cut in the middle, but you chopped off the start and end. You're covering for Claire, deleting anything that could nail her," Raymond said, grabbing Mark by the collar. "I'm not Ethan; I won't play nice. If you don't give me the full video, I'll make your life a living hell."
Mark clenched his fists, staying silent for a long time.
"You're a tough nut." Raymond punched Mark in the face. "When things get rough, some couples fall apart. If you really loved Claire, you wouldn't have handed her over to Howard in the first place, right?"
Raymond had dug up that Claire and Mark had known each other since they were kids. They weren't just involved later; it was Mark who introduced Claire to Howard, setting everything in motion.
Mark's protection of Claire wasn't just about love.
There was some other secret between them.
"I don't know what you're talking about." Mark stubbornly refused to talk.
Raymond kicked him and signaled his guys to get rough.
"Let's see which runs out first, your stubbornness or my patience."
At the charity gala, Ethan and Jasmine were surrounded by people trying to chat them up and kiss their butts.
Jasmine found it pretty funny; when Ethan was down and out, these same folks avoided him like the plague.
Some even kicked him while he was down, hoping he'd never get back up.
They'd rather see the world fall apart than see Ethan make a comeback.
The dark side of human nature was on full display with these folks, and now they had the nerve to come and suck up.
Yeah, Ethan owned both the Douglas Group and the Raymond Group, two major powerhouses, enough to shake up the whole business scene.
People could bet tomorrow's headlines would be all about Ethan.
He was always a big deal, even if he had been out of the spotlight for a bit.
Not too far away, Ian was chilling with some partners, grinning.
Looked like he made the right call.
Ethan was definitely someone to team up with, not go against.
If anyone went against him, he'd be a dangerous enemy.
"Ian, you never teamed up with Howard before. Was it 'cause you knew Ethan was running the Raymond Group?" someone asked.
Ian shook his head. "I had my suspicions, but now I'm sure."
Ethan coming clean about his identity meant his deal with Howard was done. Who'd come out on top was still up in the air, 'cause Howard was a wild card too.
"Should we still go after the Everhart Group's investment? Ethan's wife is also working on that new energy project," a partner asked, looking worried.
With Jasmine backed by Ethan, she was a big player in the business world.
Now that Ethan's name was out there, LY's stock would probably skyrocket tomorrow.
Even if not for Jasmine, people would want to work with LY because of the Raymond Group and the Douglas family.
"Why not? The new energy project is big for us too." Ian shook his head. "Fair competition, may the best win."
On the other side, a bunch of people were coming over to drink and chat with Ethan. If it were the old Ethan, he'd have kept a stone face, ignored everyone, and given no one the time of day.
But now, he had to play nice.
Because Jasmine was pinching his thigh under the table.
"You're a grown-up now. Businessmen gotta be smooth; don't piss people off." Jasmine whispered to Ethan. "Plus, with all the media buzz tonight, LY's stock will definitely go up tomorrow. Don't mess up my money-making."
Ethan nodded, wincing. "Alright, I'll listen to you. Just let go first."
Jasmine finally let go, giving Samuel a wink to show she had it under control.
"Making me boost performance. Jasmine, you're ruthless." Ethan teased her.
Jasmine laughed and helped him handle the people coming over to chat and toast.
"Mr. Douglas, I never expected the Raymond Group was yours too. You're really something, a role model for us," said someone who had once bailed on Ethan, now trying to suck up.
Ethan didn't want to deal with him.
But this guy happened to be a big client LY was negotiating with recently.
Samuel coughed, and Jasmine immediately pinched Ethan's thigh under the table.
But she missed the mark.
Ethan was drinking water, and he spat it out, looking at his wife in surprise and helplessness.
Jasmine's ears turned red, like a kid who got caught doing something wrong, quickly pulling her hand back.
Where did she pinch? How did she get it so wrong?
Ethan ignored the guy toasting and whispered in Jasmine's ear, "If you wanna pinch, do it at home."
Jasmine was both embarrassed and mad, glaring at Ethan. "Get up and talk."
Ethan sighed, knowing these people didn't really deserve his time. But for Jasmine's business, he had to play along. "Bobby Ortiz, come on, long time no see, have a seat."
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