Chapter 92: You are the strongest woman
"Let's not eat till your brother arrives?" Jazmine Harrison coughed drily. The main purpose of today's dinner was to greet Elias Crowne. But somehow she felt like... it was turning into yet another date. "I remembered how much he loved to come to Uncle Wei's place."
"He'll be here soon." Sebastian Crowne smiled brightly.
Jazmine Harrison still remembered how cold he was when she first met him. Six years ago, he was also cold. But slowly, in her company, his personality had changed.
"I have always wanted to ask you. Six years ago, what had prompted you to take care of me? Back then when... I..." Jazmine Harrison looked into his eyes. He could have just let his servants take care of her if he had saved her purely due to human compassion. But he had taken care of her himself, provided her with his company for the next whole month, and had slowly healed her wounds. No matter what way one looked at that, it was not normal treatment.
"I could see my past in you," Sebastian Crowne said, his eyes soft.
"Did you ever have your heart broken before?" For some reason, Jazmine Harrison felt a tinge of dissatisfaction thinking about that. Did he ever love someone before her, and had she broken his heart?
Sebastian Crowne laughed, possibly noticing her jealousy. "It's not like that. I was just pushed to the end of despair once. Back then, I didn't have anyone to look after me. So when I saw you like that, I saw myself in you. I had an urge to look after you myself." Sebastian Crowne let his cold face relax. Only in front of this woman would he show his deepest vulnerabilities. "Seven years ago, my father was diagnosed with liver failure."
"I was the eldest in the family, so the responsibility of taking care of him fell on my shoulders. I had to console my mother and look after Elias. All the time, I couldn't act weak in front of anyone. I had to maintain a strong demeanor so that others would get their strength from me. While I provided others with a shoulder to lean on and cry, I didn't have anyone. They said I was cold... that I didn't feel. But in reality, I felt it to an extent far greater than others. I feared that my family might break. People were waiting to see an opening in me so they could make a move. After my father fell, if I hadn't changed into the person I am, they could have succeeded."
Jazmine Harrison felt the strings of her heart being pulled. She felt a strong feeling of admiration and respect for the man in front of her. Jazmine Harrison realized why Elias Crowne respected his brother so much. He was truly someone to be looked up to—a perfect role model.
"How could you see yourself in me? Unlike you, I gave up entirely. I was not nearly as strong as you were," Jazmine Harrison said softly.
"You think so?" Sebastian Crowne smiled at her. "You are the strongest woman I've ever met. I had my mother and brother by my side. But what did you have? Nothing. Your mother had already left. Your family hated you. You had grown up in such adverse circumstances. Yet you persisted for so long. It didn't weaken your character. You turned all the misfortunes into your strength. In fact, it was your strength that made me fall for you."