MasukDaniel feared Ethan, as did everyone in the Douglas family - in fact, all of San Francisco feared him.
"Take them to the back," Daniel whispered, instructing the nanny to escort Jasmine to the servants' quarters, anxious that Ethan might become enraged. Ethan was a man particular about cleanliness; he'd moved out upon adulthood and rarely returned home. His presence today was a rarity indeed. "Little troublemaker," the nanny muttered bitterly after Ethan had left the balcony, and with a boot to his body, she knocked Justin to the floor. Jasmine clutched her child in a panic, hugging him tightly to her chest as her voice choked with emotion. "We don't belong here; we need to get back home!" No sooner had she spoken than she attempted to leave with Justin in her arms. Justin was just a kid; how could Daniel inflict such violence on him? "Jasmine, you better face reality," Daniel said, grabbing a fistful of her hair and yanking her back. Justin didn't cry when the nanny knocked him to the ground; he was tough. But after seeing Daniel bully his mom, he couldn't hold back the tears. "Let go of my mom!" "Daniel...I've already agreed to donate my kidney; what more do you want?" Jasmine sobbed as she desperately pleaded with him. Couldn't he just let her go? "Jasmine, if it wasn't for you and your mother conspiring to steal Serena's life, she wouldn't be battling severe depression, and she wouldn't have nearly died in that car accident!" Daniel despised Jasmine. Jasmine's gaze fell helplessly; the harm was done, and she could do nothing to change that. "I didn't... Daniel, why won't you believe me? I didn't conspire with the Averys; I knew nothing." Serena claimed that her years with the Avery family were torturous. They concocted lies about Richard, her supposed brother, who had molested her from a young age, leaving deep, traumatic scars and severe depression. Everyone believed Serena, not Jasmine and Richard; after all, they were the children of the instigators. Richard recounted how their family tried their hardest to make amends with Serena. Feeling guilty, their mother gave up her children's only chance at education to Serena. She worked night and day to provide a good life for Serena. At sixteen, Richard dropped out of school to provide for his sister, hoping to improve her life. After a heated argument with his overly biased-mother, the truth came out inadvertently. Overhearing this, Serena fled to the Wilson family, slandering Jasmine, accusing her and the Averys of collusion and plotting the whole scheme. It was only then that Jasmine discovered she wasn't the birth daughter of the Wilsons. "Looks like five years behind bars didn't make you reflect at all," Daniel said, pushing Jasmine away as disgust mounted in his eyes. "Don't touch my mom." Justin wanted to protect his mom, but he knew he was too small to stand a chance against Daniel. "Dad!" Out of nowhere, Justin cried out 'Dad!' and hurled himself towards the man who had just appeared at the door. The expression on Ethan's face went stone-cold in an instant. The nanny and Daniel looked at Ethan in panic. Casual Date is just a click away! Sign up & start meeting women in your area today. Everyone in the Douglas family knew about Ethan's severe obsession with cleanliness. He detested anything unfamiliar coming near him, especially people. And there was this kid, covered in dirt, his clothes a mess, daring to... Everyone, including Jasmine, inhaled sharply in shock. Jasmine's voice trembled as she looked at Ethan, anxious and at a loss for words. "I'm so... Mr. Douglas, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..." Ethan, the man who dominated the business sector in San Francisco, was the only one who could save her. She had met Ethan once during a family banquet at the Douglas estate when her wedding was arranged with the family. He was the pillar of the Douglas family, untouchable and unapproachable. Rumors in the business world painted Ethan as ruthless and fierce; those who crossed him never had a pleasant end. But Ethan didn't shove Justin away. Instead, he simply looked down at the boy. This little one was savvy. He knew who held the power in the house, clinging to the strong at such a young age, with depths of cunning. "How old are you?" Ethan's voice was deep, a tone that would have sent most kids into tears. But not Justin. "I'm five." Justin's voice was clear as crystal. Ethan's gaze shifted to Jasmine, who seemed on the verge of falling to her knees, his brows furrowing slightly. The Wilson family heiress... it had been almost six years since he'd seen her last. Their last encounter had been at the Douglas family banquet as well. Back then, Jasmine was the pride and joy of the Wilson family, her smile imbued with naivety and foolishness. Years had not been kind, and now she looked like a shell of her former self, a twisted shadow of the person she once was. "Mr. Douglas, I'm sorry..." Jasmine tried to pull Justin away. Her thoughts were jumbled as she struggled to find a way to spark Ethan's interest. But Justin clung to Ethan, refusing to let go. "Daddy." Jasmine was terrified; her eyes were red and trembling incessantly, much like a frightened little rabbit too scared to fight back. "Justin, he's not your father... How about Mom takes you to find your daddy, okay?" Ethan tried to withdraw his leg, but the little guy was clinging on tight. His gaze shifted back to Jasmine, suddenly realizing that the faint scent emanating from her was strikingly familiar.Boston lacked San Francisco's finesse but exuded an extra touch of decadence.In the city's neon blur, the strange disconnect nearly drowned Jasmine.Curled up in the corner, she shivered fiercely.Boston was not San Francisco. There, even without a true winter, the cold cut deep. Here, the winter was real.Snow swirled at night, with passersby hustling through the flurries.Leaning against the glass of a storefront window, Jasmine watched the heavy snowfall.She'd loved snowy days as a child because San Francisco never had them. Her longing to see snow was that much stronger."Jasmine, this year I will take you to see the snow in Philadelphia."She remembered the winter before her ruse was exposed. Her brother, Evan, had arranged everything - whisking her away straight from school to give her a wondrous surprise.As a child, Evan's love was unquestionable, giving his sister every bit of protection a brother could. It had felt so deserved back then, now it seemed like a debt to repay.
Evan's complexion shifted, and he rose abruptly. "Ethan?"Ethan had previously meddled in Jasmine's affairs. What was he trying to do now? Was he aiding Jasmine?Jasmine really did have a way about her. How did she manage to get Ethan to lend her a hand?How low had he sunk to accept such a disgrace of a woman?Fingers curling into fists, Evan's expression turned dark as he left the living room."Get in touch with Daniel-I'm heading to the Douglas family's home!"To bring Jasmine back!On the bus to Boston, Jasmine was curled up in a corner, nibbling on a chicken sausage.She had fare-evaded, fearing the Wilsons and Douglases might track her down using her ID.Her stop was coming up soon.It was likely she'd have to remain in hiding from now on.Stepping off at the station, Jasmine munched on a bag of potato chips while searching for a payphone to call Richard."Bro...""Jasmine, where did you go?" Richard's voice was laced with anxiety."Bro, don't worry about me; I'm fine. Just give
Jasmine... doesn't know either?" Liam pondered how chaotic one's personal life must be not to know the identity of their child's father."It's all thanks to you, isn't it? How this child came to be, why Jasmine ended up in a stranger's bed - your families, the Douglases and the Wilsons, should know better. To ruin a woman, you've stopped at nothing, and now you have the nerve to ask about the child's father," Richard spat in anger."Mr. Richard, you're gravely mistaken about Mr. Douglas. Our family has done nothing to you and would never stoop to such actions," Liam retorted defensively on behalf of Ethan."And you expect me to believe that even if Jasmine was set up to have Justin, she wouldn't know who the man was?" Liam asked, disbelieving.Richard couldn't be bothered to explain any further and turned to find Justin.At that moment, Ethan emerged, cradling Justin in his arms.Richard walked over and took Justin from Ethan. "Thank you for today, Mr. Douglas. I will repay you. Just
Ethan offered no explanation and just shot Liam a look. "Find her."His gaze fell on Justin's bruised cheek, darkening his expression. "Who hit you?" Justin hung his head in silence."Mr. Douglas, what a scene aren't you the ones who trample others beneath your feet?" Richard mocked with a sneer.Justin looked up at Ethan, his eyes bloodshot.Suddenly, his nose felt warm, and a fresh trickle of blood began to flow. Frightened, Justin raised a hand to his nose and turned away, crouching down, not wanting to alarm Ethan."Justin." Richard dropped the stick he was holding and rushed to wipe Justin's nose with a tissue, but his injured hand was clumsy, and he accidentally smeared blood all over him.Liam was about to step in to help when Ethan beat him to it, taking over with the tissue."Let's get to the hospital," Ethan said, his frown deepening as he saw Justin's nosebleed not letting up, speaking with a sense of urgency in his voice."Give me back my nephew," Richard said, eyeing Etha
Stellar Enterprises."Mr. Douglas, the earnings for this quarter-"Ethan was in the midst of a meeting when his phone suddenly rang.The conference room fell silent, deathly so.A collective anxiety swept through the attendees, wondering who had the audacity to not only forget to put their phone on silent but even bring it into an internal meeting...While everyone nervously exchanged glances, Ethan pulled out his own phone.A collective sigh of relief followed.Ethan's brow furrowed as he glanced at the unfamiliar number-only a few knew his personal cell."Hello?"On the other end of the line, a tear-choked voice pleaded, "Daddy, come save me, please..."It was Justin, sobbing and begging for help.In the unnerving quiet of the room, everyone stared in shock at Ethan.Since when did Mr. Douglas have a kid? Was he secretly married?Ethan felt a tightness in his chest as he heard the crying on the phone; he stood up abruptly.With a gesture for the Vice President to continue the meetin
Richard's struggle was frenzied. "Come at me if you dare, you son of a bitch!"The bandages on Jasmine's ear were soaked with fresh blood; it seemed she might truly go deaf in her left ear.Collapsed on the ground, Jasmine tried to crawl towards Justin, who was still wiping away blood, his face etched with terror."Richard, that bitch almost got my sister killed yesterday, and managed to draw Ethan into her mess. She's got some nerve," spat Evan, before his boot landed brutally on Jasmine's stomach, as if infuriated by her newfound protection."Jasmine, you're getting more and more capable, aren't you? What tricks did you use to seduce Ethan?" Evan yanked Jasmine's hair again, forcing her to look. "Watch closely."After speaking, Evan signaled to the bodyguard to move against Richard. "Which hand of yours touched my sister inappropriately, huh? I want your sister to watch closely as I cripple you."Richard struggled, but his right hand was pinned to the ground.He learned maintenance







