Chapter 127
Chapter 129
Jason was too shocked to process what was happening. His mouth opened, but no words came out as he turned pale under the weight of the situation. Jasmine’s sharp eyes scanned the room, her voice cutting through the tense air.
“Does anyone here still fear the Drakes more than the Kingstons? she asked, her words slow and deliberate, carrying a chilling undertone.
“Speak now. So I could teach you p>
The crowd remained silent, stunned into submission.
Jasmine tilted her head, her cold smile sending a shiver through everyone. “Did you think the Kingston family has been kind for so long because we lack claws? Think again p>
Jason’s smartwatch buzzed loudly, snapping him out of his daze.
Fumbling, he turned it on, only to hear a panicked voice on the other end.
“Husband! What’s happening to us p>
“What? What do you mean?” Jason stammered, confusion clouding his face.
“Our bank accounts are frozen! The stocks are plummeting! Lenders are demanding payments, and the police are at our doorstep-something about the boys being involved in criminal activity p>
“What?!” Jason’s voice cracked, his mind spiraling into chaos. “That’s impossible!” Reality crashed down on him like a tidal wave.
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He had chosen to align with Jasper Drake, believing Jasmine Kingston incapable of leading with her late father Alfred’s ruthlessness.
He thought siding with the Drakes would secure his place in the city’s hierarchy.
But now, the truth was undeniable: Jasmine Kingston wasn’t just capable-she was far more powerful and unforgiving than her father ever was.
Across the room, whispers spread like wildfire.
The people in attendance began to realize that Kingston, not Drake, was the true ruler of Vancouver.
Harlan Drake had only ever been a pretender, wielding intimidation, while Jasmine carried the iron will of a monarch
“Miss Kingston! Please, help me!” Jason dropped to his knees, his whole body trembling as he begged.
Jasmine’s cold gaze didn’t waver.
“Guards,” she said calmly, “drag this man out p>
As the guards moved toward Jason, she turned her attention back to the crowd.
Her voice softened, but the menace behind it was unmistakable. “And to anyone who has chosen to side with the Drakes, let me make myself clear-leave this hall, and I will personally ensure that your companies are bankrupt within five minutes p>
The words hung in the air like a death sentence.
The hall grew eerily quiet. No one dared to move. Some who had already planned to leave froze, their steps faltering as they exchanged panicked glances.
They clearly didn’t want to become the second Jason.
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Chapter 129
Jasmine’s smile widened slightly, a predator savoring its prey.
Go ahead,” she added sweetly. “Try me p>
No one budged. The weight of her words crushed any remaining defiance.
Jason was dragged out of the hall, kicking and screaming for forgiveness.
His cries faded into the background as Jasmine dismissed him with the indifference of a queen swatting away an insect. She didn’t even bother to glance in his direction.
The realization settled over the room like a heavy fog: between the Drakes and the Kingstons, there had never been a choice. The Kingstons were the real monsters, and Jasmine was the most dangerous of them all.
Midnight pressed down on Vancouver General like a lead blanket, the rain driving against the windows in a merciless, staccato beat.
Antiseptic stung every breath, mixing uneasily with the copper scent of blood. The hush that swallowed the halls felt alive, ready to lash out at any moment.
Jasper emerged from surgery on a gurney, his lower half obscured beneath thick, bloodied bandages.
Sweat glistened on his ashen face; each shallow breath rasped in his chest.
Around him surged a gathering of grim-faced men, led by Harlan Drake, a broad- shouldered giant with a jagged scar cutting across his cheek and a serpent coiling around his neck in ink. In Vancouver’s dark underbelly, Harlan was king.
“Doctor,” Harlan growled, voice grating like boots on gravel, “what’s the verdict on my boy p>
The doctor’s Adam’s apple bobbed. “His life is… out of immediate danger, but the injury to his genitals-” He swallowed hard, eyes flicking to Jasper’s pale form. “It was completely severed. Even if we attempt reattachment, full function is unlikely p>
Silence fell like a hammer.
Rage twisted Harlan’s features, his eyes feral. He took one menacing step toward the doctor.
“Severed?” The word spat from his mouth, echoing along the sterile corridor.
“We did what we could,” the doctor managed, voice trembling at the edges. “The damage was catastrophic. Just keeping him alive was p>
“Preserving his life?” Harlan roared, seizing the doctor by the collar with a fist that trembled from the force of his fury.
“He’s broken! My son-my heir-crippled on your watch. You fix this, or God help you, I’ll p>
“Sir, there’s nothing more-
Harlan flung the doctor aside in disgust, his breathing ragged.
The overhead lights hummed, and for an instant, everyone froze beneath the force of his wrath.
In that pause, only Jasper’s labored breaths and the drumbeat of rain persisted.
Then Harlan spun on his bodyguards, his voice a low, venomous hiss. “How? Why?” He towered over them, each word faced with menace. “Who did this at the Kingston banquet p>
One of them, Hanks, dared to speak, though his voice trembled. “Sir, we-we don’t know exactly who attacked him. It happened so fast p>
A thunderclap of a slap silenced Hanks.
Chapter 129
The crack reverberated off tile walls.
Hatlan’s gaze swept the group, and he struck each man who flinched before him. Shame and terror mingled in their lowered
ryes.
“You worthless cowards,” Harlan snarled, the muscles in his neck corded tight. “I gave you a simple job: protect my son, the Kingstons, embarrass them. Now look what’s happened! You’ve brought me disgrace p>
rattle
His voice dipped, cold as a blade’s edge. “Gather more men. Hunt down whoever laid hands on Jasper. Kingstons be damned- no one crosses me and walks away.
I want that filth at my feet, dead or alive. If the Kingstons try to shield hirn, we’ll tear down every last one of them p>
Fear slammed through the hallway like a shockwave. The
angsters stumbled
into motion, phones out, voices hushed, eyes wild.
They scattered into the storm-ravaged night, their footsteps echoing with
esperation.
Harlan stood alone, thunder rolling overhead like the earth itself was growling in sympathy.
Lightning flashed against the hospital doors, revealing the wild fury in his eyes. Vengeance simmered within him, feeding on the storm’s fury.
Tomorrow would come drenched in blood, and there was no going back now.
Yet, he’d forgotten an age-old warning: “Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves p>
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