Lady Warrior's Warth on Divorce Day novel Chapter 168

Beneath the Ruins of Yesterday’s Love 168

Chapter 168

Jasmine’s face went white, her eyes full of panic as she stared at Zoya. “What are you blabbering about? I don’t even smoke! How could the border fire have anything to do with me? I was there putting out the flames. I saved a lot of lives!”

Nicolas glared at Zoya, his expression thunderous. “Zoya, you keep going after Jasmine again and again. You even got her kicked out of Cloud Airlines. Isn’t that enough?”

Zoya scoffed while giving Nicolas a mocking look, “Why dare you accuse me of going after her? She lost her job because she had done many misdeeds.”

Nicolas argued, “What misdeeds did Jasmine do? So what if she didn’t save her colleague years ago? She was terrified. Who wouldn’t be in a moment like that? Didn’t she help put out the fire and rescue others during that disaster?”

Zoya shot back, “So it’s fine that she hides the truth, soaks up everyone’s praise, and gets called a hero? That’s not even all she’s covering up.

“She started that fire. She’s the one at fault, but she just keeps living it up like she’s some big hero. It’s honestly laughable!”

“Jasmine said she doesn’t even smoke. How could she be the one to throw away the cigarette butt that started the fire?” Nicolas argued.

“She doesn’t smoke?” Zoya scoffed, tossing a handful of photos right in Nicolas’s face. “Here’s Jasmine smoking before the fire started. She’s been a smoker for years!”

Nicolas stood frozen, picking up the photos and staring at Jasmine in each shot, cigarette pinched between her fingers, blowing out smoke like she’d done it a thousand times.

He’d never seen her like that before. For all these years, he was sure Jasmine didn’t smoke, but judging by the way she handled that cigarette, she was clearly no rookie.

Jasmine’s face went pale the moment she saw the photos. She stammered, “These pictures aren’t real. They must be photoshopped. That’s it, they are photoshopped!”

“Whether those pictures are photoshopped or not, we’ll see when they get tested,” Zoya said coldly.

Nicolas frowned, looking torn. “Even if Jasmine smokes, that doesn’t mean she started that fire by tossing a cigarette butt. At the time, the official report said it was the co–pilot’s cigarette that caused it.”

Zoya replied, her voice sharp, “They only blamed the co–pilot because he was already dead. If he had been alive, there was no way he’d have to carry that kind of disgrace.”

Nicolas said, “What proof do you even have? You haven’t got a single solid piece of evidence…”

Before he could finish, Zoya tossed some more photos right onto the table in front of him. They were snapshots she’d grabbed from the repaired video, showing Jasmine lighting up and flicking a cigarette butt

away.

Chapter 108

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Zoya said coldly. “These photos show Jasmine smoking at the spot where the fire started. Ten minutes after she threw away that cigarette butt, the fire started. Are you still claiming that it had nothing to do with her?”

Nicolas picked up the photos. He couldn’t really see the face of the person in the photos, but the outline made it obvious that it was Jasmine.

After all, Nicolas knew Jasmine’s every feature by heart.

Jasmine’s whole body shuddered when she saw herself in Zoya’s photos. She thought, ‘Why does Zoya have these pictures?

‘When were these even taken? Who could have taken them?‘

“Zoya, you’re just throwing baseless accusations at me! All you’ve got are a few blurry photos. You really think that’s enough to smear my name?” Jasmine yelled, her voice trembling with fury.

Zoya snapped, “Whether it’s you or not, let the cops and the judge figure that out. But right now, I’m here to settle the score for me, and for my brother!”

“What?” Jasmine didn’t even have time to react before Zoya closed the distance, raised her fist, and hit Jasmine hard in the face.

Jasmine was knocked back. If Nicolas didn’t catch her in time, she would have hit the ground hard.

She pressed a hand to her stinging cheek, glaring at Zoya. “What gives you the right to hit me?”

“What gives me the right?” Zoya snarled, teeth grinding as she yanked Jasmine by the collar.

She said, “My brother vanished five years ago because of that fire you started. The fire started because you didn’t bother with your damn cigarette. Tell me, does that give me the right to slap you?”

Jasmine just froze, stunned into silence.

The color drained from Nicolas’s face. He suddenly remembered that Zoya had mentioned her brother disappeared at the border five years ago.

He never imagined it was all tied to that border fire from back then.

Nicolas’s thoughts went into overdrive, ‘If Jasmine really had something to do with that fire…

For a split second, Nicolas couldn’t even let himself imagine what the consequences might be.

Jasmine stubbornly refused to admit. “This is malicious slander. You really think some blurry photos are enough to accuse me of starting a fire?

“Hit me all you want. I’m going to sue you for assault. I’ll make sure you end up in jail!”

“Bring it on. Sue me all you want!” Zoya spat, her knuckles cracking as her fists tightened.

Just thinking that Jasmine’s action led to her brother’s disappearance and the potential dangers he might be in, Zoya became even more pissed.

What made Zoya mad was how Jasmine didn’t look guilty at all. She didn’t show even the tiniest bit of regret. Even now, she wouldn’t admit to her mistake.

Zoya threw another punch at Jasmine.

Jasmine couldn’t avoid it in time. The blow landed hard on her shoulder, leaving her face deathly pale from the pain.

Just as Zoya’s fist was about to fall again, Nicolas charged forward and grabbed her wrist. “How can you just hit her like that? Besides, those photos don’t prove anything. There’s no way to prove Jasmine started the fire by smoking!”

Zoya radiated cold fury, her eyes icy as she stared Nicolas down. “Let go!”

“I’m not letting go. I…” Before he could get another word out, Zoya slammed a kick right into Nicolas’s chest, sending him sprawling onto the floor.

Nicolas crashed to the ground, agony tearing through his chest.

Zoya stalked toward Jasmine, each step deliberate and menacing.

Jasmine’s face drained of all color as she stumbled backward, desperate to escape, but Wren’s bodyguards closed in, trapping her with nowhere left to run.

Jasmine stammered, her voice shaking with panic, “Zoya, please, don’t do anything reckless. You were in the military, right? How can you resort to violence like this? Aren’t you afraid of damaging the reputation of soldiers?”

Zoya burst out laughing, her eyes streaked with tears. “Because I used to be a soldier, I’ve always held myself

back.

“Otherwise, Jasmine, do you really think you could keep acting up like this in front of me? But I’m not just a former soldier. I’m also my brother’s sister!”

Zoya hated Jasmine for making her brother disappear, and hated her even more for showing zero remorse.

Just as Zoya was about to hit Jasmine again, Nicolas rushed over and blocked her path.