She's Too Busy Winning to Watch Him Cry novel Chapter 178

Knowing Jasmine was heading to a local university to attend her boyfriend's guest lecture, her grandmother added, "Go on, then. You young people should get out and network. Take some photos for me while you're there. I want to see this brilliant young man who captured your heart in his element on stage. And again, don't forget to thank him properly for gifting you all that startup capital."

"I will, Grandma."

Jasmine ended the call. Tabitha immediately swooped in. "What did your grandmother say?"

"She told me to make sure I thank Rowan. She thinks he's a man I can truly rely on."

Tabitha was well aware of Rowan's stellar qualities. "Your grandmother just worries about you so much!"

Jasmine smiled and nodded.

But Tabitha wasn't about to drop the subject. "She said to thank him properly. How exactly do you plan on doing that?"

Jasmine drew a blank. Rowan already owned everything money could buy.

"I'll figure something out..." she said, grabbing her purse to leave.

Tabitha quickly caught her arm, realizing her daughter was entirely missing the point. "Oh, honey. A proper 'thank you' doesn't always involve words."

"After a romantic candlelight dinner, wouldn't you want to burn off those calories? You share some sweet intimacy, let the tension build, and then nature takes its course..."

Jasmine instantly caught her mother's drift. The tips of her ears burned a bright crimson. She kept her voice low, choosing her words carefully. "Mom, women who give themselves over too easily usually end up taken for granted. Not that I think Rowan is that kind of man, but... I have my own timeline for this."

"Besides, I seriously doubt that's what Grandma meant! Anyway, I've got to run!"

Jasmine had always believed her deep-seated poise and rationality were the cornerstones of her upbringing and self-respect.

That clarity kept her grounded. She refused to lose her pride to love or compromise her dignity for a relationship.

She and Lyra were two completely different species.

She would never throw herself at a man and sacrifice her identity like Lyra had. That kind of desperation only invited contempt and humiliation in the end.

Caspian blinked, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm not totally sure... but when videos of my brother getting swarmed by fans went viral today, Jasmine was caught in the frame sitting in the front row. I heard her follower count blew up right after."

Lyra glanced at the screen of his phone. Back in college, Rowan had already earned a reputation as an absolute heartthrob. Now, his allure had clearly reached a fever pitch.

"Why are you so obsessed with getting followers all of a sudden, anyway?" Caspian asked.

Lyra slid his phone back across the table. "It's leverage."

In her past life, Liam had sent her a frantic SOS message. She had rushed to the location he pinned, only to take a brutal blow to the back of the head the second she walked through the door. Right before she blacked out, she had caught a glimpse of a cruel, heavily wrinkled face.

By the time she regained consciousness, Jasmine had already plastered scandalous, compromising photos of her all over social media.

Back then, she had zero social presence. No one cared to listen to her defense.

"This time, I'm not letting that old hag get away with it."