“What did you just say?” Carl asked in disbelief.Just moments ago, Jasmine had been fighting off Manuel. And now, suddenly, she was holding Carl back, stopping him from striking the man down. Her grip on Carl’s arm tightened. She was terrified—not just for herself, but for him. If Carl hurt Manuel further, whoever stood behind that spoiled bastard would surely come after him. Unlike her, Carl didn’t have a powerful name to shield him.“Just stop it now, Carl.” Jasmine drew a deep breath, her voice trembling. “T-Thank you for helping me. But you don’t need to take this any further. Let’s just… apologize to Mr. Smith.”Carl’s jaw dropped. “Do you even hear yourself, Jasmine? He tried to rape you in front of everyone—and you want me to apologize to him instead?”Frustration welled up in Jasmine’s chest. “You don’t understand, Carl. Mr. Smith isn’t just some ordinary man! We need to end this here—before it gets worse!”Carl let out a bitter laugh, shaking his head at her words. He had s