Chapter 3 Comatose Jasmine

The air in the conference room was so thick it felt like it could solidify. Jasmine hung her head, two bright red handprints starkly visible on her cheeks. Her body trembled slightly with fear, but for the sake of her child, she had to stay strong.

Karen's eyes were still filled with hatred; clearly, a couple of slaps were far from enough to quell her fury. She stepped forward, raising her hand, evidently ready to further punish this "imposter."

"That's enough."

A steady male voice suddenly broke the tension. Benjamin Wilson—the former head of the Wilson family and Jasmine's adoptive father—stood at the door, his gaze complicated as he took in the scene before him.

Karen's hand froze mid-air, her expression shifting from anger to grievance in an instant. "Honey, why are you here? You don't know the suffering we've endured..."

Benjamin raised his hand to signal her to be quiet. He walked into the conference room, his eyes sweeping over everyone present before finally settling on Jasmine.

"As long as you agree to donate a kidney," Benjamin's voice sounded distant, almost business-like, "five years in prison have been punishment enough. Behave yourself from now on, and the Wilson family won't trouble you anymore."

Jasmine slowly lifted her head, looking at the man who once cherished her like a precious gem. There was a time when he would shield her from the wind and rain, smile proudly at her, and stay up all night when she was sick. Now, in his eyes, she was just someone to be disposed of.

"I understand, Mr. Wilson," Jasmine said softly, her heart filled with bitterness.

Benjamin frowned slightly, seemingly uncomfortable with the formal address, but he didn't correct her. He simply nodded and turned to Daniel, saying, "That's it. Don't go overboard."

Daniel sneered, indifferent. To him, no punishment for Jasmine was too much.

Jasmine felt a wave of dizziness. Five years in prison had left her body extremely weak, and today's events had only added to her stress and fear, causing her heart to beat irregularly.

"Can I leave now?" she asked softly, her voice barely audible.

Evan waved his hand impatiently. "Go, but be back in three days."

Jasmine nodded and turned to walk toward the door. Her steps were unsteady, her vision starting to blur. A strong wave of dizziness hit her, and everything went black.

Just as she was about to reach the door, Jasmine's legs suddenly gave out, and she collapsed heavily to the floor with a dull thud.

"Stop pretending to be pitiful!" Karen's sharp voice echoed in the room.

Evan walked over and nudged Jasmine's body with his foot, but there was no response. He frowned and crouched down to check. "Seems like she really passed out."

Karen scoffed. "Who knows if she's faking? A bucket of cold water will fix it."

Evan stood up, walked to the water cooler in the corner of the room, and filled a large cup with cold water. He returned to Jasmine's side, raising the cup high, ready to pour it on her face.

Just as he was about to pour, a strong hand suddenly grabbed his wrist. Evan looked up in surprise to see that it was Daniel who had stopped him.

"Daniel, feeling sympathetic?" Evan sneered at Daniel, his eyes full of disdain. "Don't forget your status. You're Serena's fiancé now, and Serena's accident was because of you!"

The words hit Daniel like a needle, striking his weak spot precisely. His expression stiffened slightly, his gaze falling on the unconscious Jasmine on the floor, a complex emotion flickering in his eyes.

In the depths of Daniel's memory, there was a different Jasmine—the radiant girl who had once driven him mad with love, his former fiancée. Even though she had committed the "crime" of betrayal and he now hated her deeply, those memories still haunted him like a ghost.

Daniel hesitated for a moment, then slowly released Evan's wrist.

Evan sneered and without hesitation, poured the entire cup of cold water on Jasmine's face.

The icy water streamed down Jasmine's pale face, soaking her hair and collar. Yet, she remained unresponsive, still unconscious.

"Why isn't she waking up?" Karen asked nervously. No matter what, she didn't want Jasmine to be seriously harmed—at least not before the kidney donation.

Daniel crouched down, checking Jasmine's pulse, his brow furrowing deeply. "Her heartbeat is very weak. Call a doctor."

Evan hesitated but eventually turned to call for a doctor.

Karen stood aside, her face a mix of emotions. She hated this "imposter," hated that she had taken her biological daughter's place for over twenty years, enjoying everything that should have belonged to Serena. But at this moment, looking at the wet, pale girl on the floor, a flicker of doubt crossed her mind.

No matter what, she had raised this girl as her own daughter for over twenty years. Even knowing the truth, those years of affection couldn't be completely erased.

But soon, Karen remembered the suffering her biological daughter Serena had endured with the Brown family and the fact that Serena needed a kidney transplant because of the accident, and her heart hardened again.

Jasmine had to pay for everything.

At that moment, Jasmine's eyelids fluttered slightly, as if she was about to wake up. However, her consciousness slipped back into darkness, like sinking into a bottomless ocean.