Rebirth: Revenge of the abandoned heirress-Chapter 82: Something unexpected

When Jazmine Harrison called him "President Crowne," a long silence fell over the room. A silence so heavy, it seemed as though time itself had stopped. They both stared at each other—a lion and a tigress, locked in an unrelenting battle of wills.

Neither of them blinked. Neither of them backed down.

In the end, it was Sebastian Crowne who broke the standoff with a quiet chuckle, striding over to the bar to pour himself a glass of champagne. He took his time, pouring a second glass before walking toward Jazmine.

"How long have you known?" he asked, offering her the drink.

Jazmine accepted the glass with a poised grace. "Actually, I've been suspicious ever since I heard your voice on the phone," she admitted, swirling the champagne lightly. "I would have been a fool not to put the pieces together by now."

Sebastian smirked. "But what exactly gave me away? I'm very interested to know."

She took a slow sip before responding. "Your involvement in my poisoning incident, for one. And then your sudden appearance at the hospital right after... that already raised a red flag. Then there was our phone call, where your voice sounded far too familiar. And let's not forget—the only person who knew I was heading to your office was you. Yet somehow, you were the one who just 'happened' to find me." She let her gaze drift over him knowingly.

"Sunset Square Apartments are President Crowne's personal residence. Then there was your convenient appearance at the hotel at the same time as President Crowne. Your unrestricted access to any room you wanted..." Jazmine let out a small, mirthless chuckle. "I would have to be an idiot not to realize the truth by then."

She placed her glass down, her eyes never leaving his. "If you were actually trying to hide your identity from me, then you did a very poor job. Instead, you brought me to your own restaurant, where the staff treated us as if I was part of the Crowne family." She arched a brow at him. "That is not very much like you. You could have done a better job keeping up the act. You disappoint me, President Crowne."

Sebastian's smirk widened, amusement dancing in his gaze. "Actually, I never intended to hide my identity from you," he admitted, swirling the champagne in his glass. "All those times you assumed I was being careless? I was actually giving you hints."

Jazmine let out a quiet laugh. "Oh? So is that why you attended the fashion show? Was that another way to try and tip me off?"

"Exactly."

Jazmine sighed and leaned back slightly. "Too bad. I never got the chance to see you." Her lips curled into a smirk. "If you truly didn't mind me knowing, you could have just told me."

Sebastian lifted his glass to his lips and took a long sip. Though he outwardly exuded calm and control, he was anything but calm inside.

It took another full drink before he managed to steady himself.

Jazmine's voice softened slightly. "Now that we both know who you are, why don't you clarify something for me?"

Sebastian remained silent.

She studied him closely. "The help I received from the shadows... the rise of Qin Jua Construction Company's shares—that was your doing, wasn't it?"

Sebastian said nothing, but the corner of his lips twitched slightly, betraying his amusement.

Jazmine took that as confirmation. "And Rolf... he's your man, isn't he?"

Sebastian finally chuckled. "Your intelligence truly does live up to your reputation."

Jazmine's sharp gaze didn't waver. "Then tell me—what was our connection in the past?"

Her confidence wavered slightly, her voice carrying a rare note of vulnerability.

Sebastian's fingers tightened around his glass. This was the question he had dreaded the most.

Jazmine noticed the subtle change in his grip. "If you don't want to tell me, that's alright," she said gently.

"No." Sebastian's voice was firm. He set his glass down and took a step toward her. "You'll know today... what you were to me."

Before she could react, he grabbed her arm and led her out of the room.

Outside

Amelia had been lingering near the hallway, her ears sharp and her curiosity stronger than ever.

But what she saw next made her freeze.

Jazmine Harrison—being pulled away by a man.

And not just any man.

Sebastian Crowne!

Her eyes widened in shock. "No way..."

Heart racing, she turned and shoved Frank awake.

"Frank! Wake up! WAKE UP!"

"Ah—what? What happened?" Frank groggily lifted his head, blinking in confusion. He had just fallen asleep on the table. It was no surprise—after drinking all night with some old friends from Hong Kong, plus their insanely busy schedule today, exhaustion had finally caught up to him.

"Get up! You wouldn't believe what I just saw!" Amelia whispered urgently.

Frank groaned, rubbing his temples. "If I wouldn't believe it, then why tell me?"

Amelia glared at him.

Frank let out a deep sigh. "Alright, alright. Just tell me."

Amelia grabbed his arm and dragged him toward the elevator. "There's no time to explain. We need to follow them!"

Frank groaned. "Amelia, I just woke up, I'm barely processing anything. Where are we going?"

Amelia's voice was urgent. "Jazmine was dining with President Crowne! The famous, terrifying, ultra-powerful President Crowne!"

Frank's sleepiness vanished instantly.

"You're kidding."

"Do I look like I'm kidding?!"

Frank's breath hitched. "Wait, wait, hold on—did you say he was dragging her out?"

"Yes! Rather forcefully! I'm worried for her safety." Amelia's voice was laced with real panic. "Jazmine is gorgeous, it's undeniable. What if he's taken a liking to her? What if he's forcing her into something?!"

Frank hesitated. "Calm down first. We need to think of a plan."

"THERE'S NO TIME!" Amelia practically shoved him into the car. "If we lose them now, it won't matter if we call for help from Beijing. He could take her anywhere, and we'd have no way to find her!"

"Amelia, breathe! I met President Crowne once at the fashion show—he didn't seem like that type of man."

Amelia shot him a glare. "What do you know?! I've encountered more men like him than you have."

Frank didn't argue. Amelia worked in the entertainment industry, where powerful men often abused their status. Her concerns weren't unfounded.

"We need to follow them. Just in case." Amelia was already pressing on the gas. "If he dares lay a hand on Jazmine, I'll personally strangle him to death."

They followed the car, trailing it all the way to Sunset Square Apartments.

Once there, they climbed out and quietly tailed them to the top floor.

The elevator doors opened to the rooftop terrace.

And what they saw next was something they never expected.

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