Jordan frowned and glanced at Daniel. "Why is Jasmine here?"
"Seems like my brother-in-law is pretty concerned about her," Daniel said in a low voice, closing in on Jordan with a heavy stare. "I remember that dinner party; you were there too—disappeared halfway through. Who did you meet? Whose kid is Jasmine's anyway... It couldn't be yours, could it?"
Over the years, Daniel couldn't shake his obsession with uncovering the identity of the man who had been with Jasmine. After digging into several suspects, Jordan always came out on top, with both opportunity and motive.
Back then, as the heir to the Wilson family fortune, Jasmine had her fair share of admirers.
And to Jordan, she was the one that got away—the eternal object of his unrequited affections.
To many, she was the pure, white jasmine—a flawless vision.
But, unfortunately, they never saw the real Jasmine for what she was—cunning, deceptive, sordid, and base.
Jasmine's gaze snapped up to Jordan in a panic. Was he the man from that night?
Daniel wouldn't throw around accusations against his brother-in-law without evidence, especially not with Lisa present. He must have investigated thoroughly.
And Jordan—Jordan offered no explanation.
Wide-eyed, Justin looked intently at Jordan. "Are you my dad?"
Jordan glanced at Justin, then back at Jasmine. If he admitted to it, could there be a chance for love between them?
"Jasmine..." Jordan reached out to help her up.
But Jasmine flinched away; her eyes wide with terror.
Was it really Jordan that night?
"I knew it was you!" Taking Jordan's silence as confirmation, Daniel lunged and punched him square in the face. "You dare treat my sister like this! A low-life like Jasmine bearing your child—what a joke..."
Daniel was losing it.
With cold eyes, Jordan retorted, "When you badmouth Jasmine, why not think about your own sister and the real story behind her kid's paternity? She knows the truth better than anyone."
Lisa looked hatefully at Jasmine, avoiding eye contact as her anger rose.
Clutching Justin tightly, Jasmine's breathing grew erratic.
Was Jordan the man from that night?
Tears burned in Jasmine's eyes, and she looked down as they began to fall.
Five years ago, when she was dragged into court by the Wilsons and the Douglases, not a soul dared to stand up for her.
Not even Jordan.
To Jasmine, Jordan and Tom's crew were all the same—villains to the core.
"Why the sudden rush to divorce me? I see now, you knew all along that tramp Jasmine was out of prison." Lisa's laugh was edged with scorn.
With a swift motion, she slapped Jasmine across the face, eyes ablaze with fury as she confronted Jordan. "Let me tell you something, Jordan. Even if we divorce, I won't let you have an easy time with her."
Jordan furrowed his brows, stepping protectively in front of Jasmine. "I'm taking her with me. Lay another hand on her, and see what happens."
"This little bastard is really your son..." Lisa, becoming unhinged, grabbed Jordan's collar and yelled, "Haven't I been good to you? When the Taylor family was in trouble, it was my dad who helped out. And this is how you repay me?!"
Jordan's face was a mask of gravity, and he remained silent.
Jasmine's cheek throbbed with the sting of the slap, her skin flushed and swollen.
"Mom... does it hurt?" Justin asked through his tears.
Jasmine shook her head; she was used to it by now.
Daniel looked at Jasmine with disgust. "You think you can just take her away? Go ahead and try."
"Daniel! Hitting a woman? What kind of man are you?" Jordan grabbed Daniel by the collar, full of contempt.
"Enough! Everyone inside, now!" Howard roared as Jordan and Daniel looked ready to come to blows over Jasmine.
"Father..." Daniel quickly lowered his head and walked over with Lisa.
"Jordan, come inside," Howard said with a meaningful glance, his gaze lingering on Jasmine. "As for that woman, take her home. She doesn't belong in the Douglas family."
"Father..." Daniel wanted to keep Jasmine where he could watch her.
After all, he only felt secure when she was under his eye.
But he didn't dare contradict Howard's command. While shooting Jasmine a threatening glare, Daniel signaled for the assistant to escort her away.
"Jordan, I heard you're adamant about divorcing Lisa?" Howard asked.
Jordan stayed quiet.
"What did Lisa do wrong?" Howard pressed.
Jordan looked down. "It's not her... It's on me."
"Dad! He's been with that whore Jasmine for ages, and that bastard child she had, that's Jordan's!" Lisa was convinced of the child's paternity.
Jordan's behavior seemed like a silent admission of guilt.
"Shut it!" Howard silenced Lisa with a stern command.
Lisa, full of grievance, didn't dare say more and obediently clamped her mouth shut.
"Jordan, marriage is not child's play," Howard reminded him calmly, offering an out. "The Taylor family's been tight on funds lately. Your dad came to me just yesterday. Go on home and talk it over with your folks. You're an adult; you should understand that acting rashly isn't an option."
Jordan's brow furrowed and his fingers slowly clenched into fists.
For years, the Douglas family had been leveraging their business dealings to pressure the Taylors.
"As for Jasmine and that child—how you handle them is your choice, but it better not tarnish the reputations of the Douglas or Taylor families, got it?" Howard cautioned. "Show me what you're capable of. Your handling of Jasmine and the child will be a testament to your abilities."
Howard was throwing down the gauntlet; he wanted Jordan to personally deal with Jasmine before he would assist the Taylor family through this crisis.