Chapter 90 Jasmine Wanted Ethan to Marry Her
"Oh, Ethan is here too."
Outside the ward, Carmen, dressed in a luxurious dress, carrying a million-dollar bag, walked in arrogantly.
When she saw Ethan, Carmen's expression turned ugly. "Howard, your eldest son is here too."
Howard's expression also looked grim.
After entering the ward, he first glanced at Ethan, then at Jasmine lying on the bed.
Jasmine felt nervous and sat up.
Instinctively, Ethan stepped forward, standing by Jasmine's bedside and blocking Carmen with a large, imposing presence.
"Ethan, why are you protecting this woman?" Carmen's voice was sharp. "Do you know who she is? She's your brother's former fiancée, that deceitful woman from the Wilson family."
"Even after marrying into the Douglas family for so many years, you still haven't shed the inherent vulgarity and lack of manners in your speech," Ethan warned Carmen with a cold gaze.
Carmen was currently wary of Ethan and didn't dare to vent directly, so she clenched her hands and turned to hug Howard's arm. "Howard, just look..."
Jasmine leaned back against the bed, tightly clasping her hands while stealing a glance at Ethan.
He was really tall, which gave her a sense of security.
It gave her the illusion that as long as Ethan was there, nothing would happen to her.
He wouldn't let anyone lay a finger on her.
"Ethan, do you know that your brother was taken by the police?" Howard looked at Ethan, furrowing his brow deeply.
"I was there," Ethan leaned against the bed and lazily crossed his long legs. "Henry reported it to the police."
Jasmine didn't say anything; she knew that Ethan was the one who actually called the police.
He was quite good at shifting blame.
"Henry?" Carmen was seething with anger. She knew very well that it was Ethan who had called the police, but without evidence, she couldn't refute him.
"Miss Jasmine, my son was a bit impulsive. How would you like to resolve this matter? Do you want money, or something else?" Howard's gaze fell on Jasmine.
Carmen's face turned dark with anger.
Was Ethan trying to shirk responsibility?
"Ethan, if it wasn't you who called the police, then why are you here? You stood by and watched Henry report your brother to the police without doing anything about it?"
Ethan couldn't be bothered to deal with Carmen.
Ethan ignoring her only added to her anger. Carmen was on the verge of losing her temper. "Howard, just look at Ethan. He's clearly doing this on purpose. Daniel is in custody; it's damaging Stellar Enterprises' reputation. The company's shares will definitely be affected. Sibling discord and family strife are definitely not conducive to the company's development. Why is Ethan so irresponsible?"
Jasmine looked shocked at Carmen; this woman was completely shameless.
She subconsciously looked at Ethan. She knew that Ethan's mother passed away when he was seventeen. Carmen became a part of the Douglas family in the latter half of that year.
Ethan was not yet an adult at that time, and he must have suffered a lot in that family.
Even though her own life was in shambles, Jasmine couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for the seventeen-year-old Ethan.
"Isn't it Daniel's lack of manners, disregard for the law, and audacity to commit physical harm that brings shame to the Douglas family? Ethan lightly tilted his head, his defined jawline clear and poised, exuding a lazy but commanding presence.
He was being sarcastic, mocking Carmen's absurdity.
"Father, things like this start when you’re a child and only get worse in adulthood. If left uncontrolled, trouble will come sooner or later." Ethan was hinting to Howard that Carmen hadn't raised her son properly.
"Ethan, please leave." Howard took a deep breath, rubbing his temples with his hand.
Jasmine nervously looked at Ethan. She didn’t want to be alone with them.
She was afraid that Ethan would actually leave.
"Howard, he just wants to ruin his brother. They're blood brothers; why push things this far?" Seeing that Ethan showed no intention of leaving, Carmen began to cry. "Ethan never liked Daniel from a young age; he was always bullying his little brother, and now, he's framing him as an adult."
"Ethan, is that what you're thinking?" Howard furrowed his brow, heavily implying that he was to blame.
Ethan sneered. Did she need to put on this act when it was clear that she would put the blame on him from the start.
"Just like you, the Brown family came to me to settle privately and drop the charges. I refused." Jasmine clenched her hands, mustering the courage to speak.
Both Howard and Carmen's gazes fell on Jasmine's face at the same time.
That sentence left Ethan unscathed; he furrowed his brow but said nothing.
"Daniel physically assaulted me with a bodyguard, this is an undeniable fact," Jasmine took a deep breath. "Ms. Carmen, after so many years in the Douglas family, how did you raise a son who disregards the law?"
Carmen's face darkened as she stepped forward to confront Jasmine. "You little wretch! How dare you speak when you've spent five years in prison yourself!"
Before Ethan could intervene, Jasmine had already raised her hand and firmly grasped Carmen's wrist.
She looked so fragile. Her wrist was now soaked in blood through the bandage due to the force she exerted.
She stared at Carmen. Her voice was trembling and hoarse, yet her eyes were unyielding. "Are you envious of me, Ms. Carmen? Do you want your son to end up in prison too? Illegal detention, unlawful restriction of personal freedom, violation of human rights, instructing the bodyguard to commit crimes, intentional harm, and causing disability. He’d face three years or more."
Carmen looked at Jasmine in shock, then turned to Howard. "Howard, is she trying to extort us?"
Howard's eyes darkened as he looked at Ethan, his voice slightly betraying his guilt. "Ethan, are you the reason she refuses to drop the charges and settle? Did you pay her?"
Ethan glanced at Jasmine and smiled.
In order to protect her, he didn't let Jasmine speak, knowing she was timid.
He never expected her to protect him.
"Three million," Jasmine spoke before Ethan.
Ethan leaned back, looking meaningfully at Jasmine.
Jasmine's cleverness lay in knowing her own worth.
"You think you can earn three million just by cutting yourself a few times? You're dreaming," Carmen said angrily.
"Just because you gave birth to a son and a daughter for the Douglas family doesn't mean you have the right to break up Mr. Howard and his ex-wife’s marriage. It doesn’t give you the right to fight for the empire built by Mr. Douglas Sr. Between the two of us, who is dreaming bigger?" Jasmine tightly gripped the blanket.
She had to save herself.
She couldn’t just hide behind Ethan out of fear and be passively protected by him. How long could he protect her?
She had to find a way to bind herself to Ethan, to become a mutually beneficial entity.
Both could use each other to their advantage.
Only then could she protect herself and ensure that Ethan would always protect her.
Ethan raised the corner of his mouth, realizing she wasn't a rabbit too timid to fight back.
She might not talk much usually, but when she did, she was sharp.
"Jasmine, are you asking for trouble?" Carmen was clearly provoked.
"I'll add another two million," Howard said coldly, interrupting Carmen's curses.
Jasmine shook her head at Howard. "Five years ago, I was framed and extorted by you all to go to prison. I don't want your money."
Howard frowned, scrutinizing Jasmine. "Then what do you want?"
Jasmine's palms were sweating as she slowly loosened her fingers and looked up at Ethan. "I want Ethan to marry me."
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