Shattered Trust
Her hands trembled as she handed the phone back to him. Anger and betrayal surged through her, making it hard to breathe.
The memory of Jenny crouched by her car, tampering with the brakes, played over and over in her mind like a nightmare she couldn’t escape.
“You okay?” Ethan’s voice broke through the fog of her thoughts. He stood near the window, arms crossed, watching her carefully.
“Okay?” Jasmine repeated, letting out a bitter laugh. “My sister tried to kill me, and my fiancé was probably in on it. Does that sound like something you’d be okay with?”
Ethan tilted his head, considering her words. “Fair point. But you’re here, alive, and that’s what matters. We’ll figure out the rest.”
Jasmine leaned back against the pillows, exhaling deeply. “You keep saying ‘we.’ Why are you even helping me? You don’t even know me.”
He shrugged, his lips curving into a small smile. “Let’s just say I have a soft spot for people who’ve been wronged. And you? You’ve been wronged in the worst way.”
She gave him a skeptical look. “That’s it? A soft spot?”
Ethan smirked. “Well, that and I was bored. Your drama is way more interesting than my usual day.”
Despite herself, Jasmine chuckled. It felt good to laugh, even if it was fleeting.
Her gaze drifted back to the phone in Ethan’s hand. “I can’t believe Jenny… I mean, we’ve had our issues, but this? And Drey…” Her voice cracked, the weight of her realization hitting her all over again.
Ethan’s smile faded. He walked over to the bed and pulled up a chair. “Tell me about them. Jenny and Drey. What’s their deal?”
Jasmine sighed, running a hand through her hair. “Jenny’s my half-sister. We’ve never been close. She’s always resented me because my mom started the company. When Mom passed away, Dad remarried her mom, and suddenly, Jenny acted like she deserved everything that was meant for me.”
“And Drey?” Ethan asked, leaning forward slightly.
Her expression hardened. “Drey was supposed to be the one person I could trust. We’ve been engaged for almost a year. He knew about the will—about the condition that I have to be married to inherit the company. But he never made me feel like it was about that… until now.”
Ethan nodded thoughtfully. “And now you think he’s working with Jenny to take it all?”
Jasmine looked away, blinking back tears. “I don’t just think it. I know it. That video… it proves it.”
Silence settled between them for a moment before Ethan spoke again. “So, what’s the plan?”
“The plan?” Jasmine repeated, turning to him with wide eyes.
“Yeah,” he said, leaning back in his chair. “You can’t just sit here forever. You’ve got to decide how to handle this.”
She hesitated, her mind racing. “I don’t even know where to start. What do you do when the people you trust most betray you like this?”
“Step one,” Ethan said, ticking it off on his fingers, “you figure out everything they’ve done. Step two, you decide what kind of revenge you’re comfortable with. Step three, you execute.”
Jasmine raised an eyebrow. “You make it sound so simple.”
“Simple doesn’t mean easy,” Ethan said with a shrug. “But hey, you’ve got me now. I’ll help.”
“Why do you care?” she asked again, her voice softer this time.
He looked at her for a long moment before answering. “Let’s just say I’ve dealt with my share of betrayals. I know how much it sucks to feel like you’re all alone.”
The sincerity in his voice caught her off guard, and for the first time, she wondered what secrets Ethan was hiding behind his easy going demeanor.
“Thank you,” she said quietly.
“Don’t thank me yet,” he replied, pulling out his phone. “I’ve already called a private investigator to dig into Jenny and Drey. If they’re hiding something—and let’s face it, they probably are—we’ll find it.”
Jasmine blinked. “You did what?”
Ethan grinned. “I’m a man of action. No point in waiting around when we can get answers.”
She stared at him, a mix of gratitude and disbelief washing over her. “You barely know me, and you’re already going to these lengths?”
“What can I say?” he said with a wink. “I’m a sucker for a good underdog story.”
Jasmine shook her head, a small smile tugging at her lips. “You’re something else, Ethan Walker.”
“Yeah, I get that a lot,” he said, standing up and stretching. “Now, you should get some rest. I’ll let you know as soon as I hear from the investigator.”
As he turned to leave, Jasmine called out, “Ethan?”
He paused, looking back at her.
“Will you marry me?”
