Abuse

The basin of water didn't wake Jasmine; it only caused her to spike a high fever.

"What the hell happened here? We need to act fast!" Shouted the doctor, who was just making rounds when he noticed Jasmine's pallid complexion and bluish lips. "Get her to the ER, now!"

Frozen in place, Daniel's fingers tingled with both shock and anger as he grabbed onto Evan's collar. "I thought you said she was faking it?"

Evan, clearly panicked, shook off Daniel's grip. "How was I supposed to know? She's quite the actress. Ever heard of The Boy Who Cried Wolf?"

"Don't worry, she's not going to die," Karen said confidently, her heels clicking on the floor, exuding the air of a wealthy matriarch. "Doctor, she agreed to donate a kidney to our Serena. While you're at it, check if her kidney's a match, would you?"

The doctor frowned. "Let's focus on the emergency at hand."

"Dr. Ryan, remember your father and Benjamin are good friends. I'd rather not spell everything out," Karen insinuated, hinting for the doctor to prioritize the transplant since there was consent and all the paperwork would be handled. Any complications wouldn't fall heavily on the doctor or the hospital.

Jasmine was whisked away by the emergency team. Dr. Ryan stood up, straightened his white coat, and gave Daniel and Evan a glance. "Mrs. Olivia, I am a physician. My duty is to treat and save patients. As for anything else, that's beyond my purview."

Evan, visibly irritated, started to retort but was stopped by Karen.

"What's the rush? We'll just have your father give his father a call. Doctors have their pride; some matters shouldn't be discussed so openly." Karen turned to Daniel. "Remember, Daniel, Serena is your fiancée. It's your responsibility to take care of her."

Daniel nodded. "Aunt Karen, I will."

...

In the ER.

"Jasmine, you have to hold on, just hold on. I am right outside; don't be afraid of anything; I'm here for you."

"Jasmine, I won't leave you behind."

Under the harsh glare of the fluorescent lights, Jasmine's consciousness wavered unsteadily.

Five years ago, her child came into this world prematurely amid a life-threatening hemorrhage.

No one seemed to care whether she lived or died. Ironically, the brother who had been a constant source of comfort outside her hospital room wasn't Evan, as one might expect, but Richard, the sibling she'd never met before - her biological brother of over two decades.

"Dr. Ryan, take a look at the patient. She's malnourished, covered in old scars, and has fresh wounds... Should we call the cops?" The nurse asked anxiously in the exam room.

The woman appeared to have suffered from long-term abuse.

"No need," Dr. William Ryan furrowed his brow, dismissing the idea.

He was aware of the faux heiress of the Wilson family, whose scandal had shocked San Francisco five years prior. Jasmine was likely fresh out of prison, so her malnourishment was hardly surprising.

"Where's the patient's family?" William glanced up, observing Daniel leaning nonchalantly by the smokers' area entrance with a cigarette in hand.

"She doesn't have any family here," Daniel said with solemnity.

"The patient is weak, with bradycardia that might stem from her extended malnutrition; she's certainly not a viable candidate for kidney donation," William stated, ignoring Daniel's presence and delivering his verdict.

"William, right?" Daniel flicked his cigarette butt as his cold gaze settled on the doctor. "She agreed to the donation. As a doctor, don't overstep your bounds."

William snapped the file shut; his aura not ceding an inch to Daniel, perhaps even more commanding. "You've got two choices: take her home, ensure she's well-fed and her weight is back to normal before you come back for an assessment, or pick a suitable match from the volunteer list I provided and proceed with the transplant as soon as possible."

Daniel's brow creased in irritation. "I choose the first option."

With that, Daniel walked away.

"Dr. Ryan, does this woman have a grudge against them? Why insist on her kidney?" The nurse murmured, puzzled.

William said nothing and merely shook his head.

He had no interest in meddling in the longstanding feud between the Douglas and Wilson families.

...

In the hospital room, Jasmine leaned back against the pillows, an IV drip feeding into her vein. Once the doctors had all cleared out, seizing the moment of solitude, she quickly removed the IV and clambered out the restroom window.

She knew the Wilson family and Daniel would never let her be; she had to find a way to save herself.

For her son, born against all odds five years prior, she had to survive.

Even though she was clueless about who the boy's biological father was, her child was innocent.

Jasmine never blamed the child, nor did she ever harbor any resentment.

All she knew was that the child was her legacy; the only reason she managed to survive those grueling five years behind bars.

Bolting from the hospital, Jasmine dialed a number from a phone booth.

"You finally decided to call?" The man's voice was deep and carried across the line. "I've told you, if you want to make it out here, there's only one way - by working with me. Without my protection, you wouldn't have lasted a day in prison."

"I promised to get close to Ethan..." Jasmine's voice wavered. "But I... I'm not sure he'll even take an interest in someone like me."

Who was Ethan? The crown jewel of the Douglas family, a business prodigy at the pinnacle of the corporate food chain.

He was out of Jasmine's league.

"Don't worry, Daniel won't let you off the hook easily. You'll have plenty of chances to approach Ethan. Just make sure you're ready when they come."