Chapter 128 Everyone Has A Different Side!
"Deputy Director Stone, you can compete with whomever you want. There's no need to involve me in." Ashley said as she twisted his wrist, trying to push him away.
Hendrix exerted his strength and remained unmoved. "What's your relationship with Damian Hearst? Judging from your reaction, it doesn't seem like a romantic one. Is he interested in you and wants to possess you?" he questioned.
After his question, Ashley could at least confirm that Hendrix didn't know about her past with Damian, which was a good thing.
Ashley raised her head and smiled as she asked, "In what capacity is Deputy Director Stone concerned about my personal life?"
Hendrix's smile widened as if he had received a long-awaited gift. "What capacity do you want me to use? Or you can give me a new identity, like a boyfriend," he suggested.
Some people really deserved to be slapped!
Ashley held her bag in front of her, and the image of her sleeping with Damian in the car last night somehow came to mind. Her cheeks suddenly turned red. "Deputy Director Stone..."
Then, the elevator doors opened.
Along with the light, people were waiting for the elevator, including Riley Monroe.
Riley saw Hendrix, as well as Ashley, leaning against him, and his eyes suddenly widened. "Deputy Director Stone... Ashley?"
Hendrix ignored him and casually let go of Ashley, adjusting his tie. "Have you had dinner?" he asked.
Riley was amazed and almost dropped his jaw. How could they become so close so quickly? What did Ashley do?
Ashley combed her hair and felt that it was necessary to explain. "Riley, if it's convenient, please buy Deputy Director Stone a bottle of eye drops. I noticed that there was something in his eyes earlier, possibly an inflammation."
After speaking, Ashley walked away with a light and carefree demeanor, not looking like she had done anything wrong.
Riley was a step behind. "Deputy Director Stone, are your eyes all right?"
Hendrix glanced at Ashley's retreating figure and smiled, patting his eyes. "Indeed, they're inflamed," he remarked.
Ashley took a detour and went to a quiet little shop to have lunch, hoping to avoid running into Hendrix again. Luckily, he was smart enough not to follow her.
While eating, Ashley received a message from the KM Road legal department, asking when she would be available to discuss the details of the case in person.
Ashley checked her schedule and saw that she had a free slot in the afternoon, so she asked if that worked for the other party. After receiving a positive response, Ashley contacted Harold.
"Senior, I'm going to the KM Road's legal department this afternoon," Ashley informed.
"All right, this is currently the biggest case and the most urgent matter. Go to KM Road only... But Ashley, what exactly happened last night?" Harold asked.
Ashley lightly stirred the soup with her spoon, pursed her lips, and said, "I ran into an acquaintance with an urgent matter."
"So urgent, is it related to your father?" Ashley instinctively asked, "Yes."
Harold never asked too much about the matters at Astor Group, he just touched on them briefly, then asked, "Do you have plans for the weekend, Ashley?" Although it was difficult, he still had to struggle a bit.
Ashley replied, "I have nothing on Saturday, but I invited Amelia to see a play on Sunday."
"Why not come to my house for dinner on Saturday? My mom will cook seafood, and you would like it."
Upon hearing the tone of his voice, Ashley detected something amiss. "Your mom?" she questioned.
"My mom found out about what happened last time, and then...she thought we were dating and wants to meet her future daughter-in-law..." Harold said, awkwardly.
"Spurtt!" Ashley sprayed out her soup, asking, "What did you say?"
"Acting! It's all acting! Have a meal, and then I'll tell her that we're not suitable for each other and break up. Thanks for helping me lie, Ashley!" Harold said.
If she had known earlier, she would have firmly declined to accept the proposal to lie. Lies were like snowballs; they would only become bigger and bigger.
KM Road, in the CEO's office.
Damian didn't get a wink of sleep last night. After finishing the meeting, he took a nap during lunch break and woke up to Thomas reporting his work.
The afternoon schedule was packed, with only twenty minutes of rest in between.
Thomas reminded, "CEO, Emperial Avenue invites you to a banquet tonight, starting at 7:30 p.m. Don't forget."
Opening the exquisite invitation, Damian saw Emperial Avenue Group's annual celebration ceremony. He almost forgot about this matter. When he went to The Bezos family for a banquet last time, he was invited to attend the group's celebration. At that time, he didn't expect such a big change in just a few days.
His long fingers caressed the card and said, "Arrange the gift."
Thomas asked, "Based on what criteria?"
From a business-to-business standpoint, Emperial Avenue Group could be classified as a top-tier company, so the gift should be prepared accordingly. From a personal perspective, the chairman of Emperial Avenue is likely to be the CEO's father-in-law, so the gift should be especially thoughtful.
After a moment's thought, Damian thought that it was not his style to give up halfway when he hadn't obtained what he wanted yet. "I like elegant things. Pick a calligraphy piece," he instructed.
Thomas replied, "All right, I'll go choose."
Damian took a sip of coffee, and asked, "Any progress with the legal department?"
Thomas's spirits immediately lifted, answering, "Yes, they had a meeting with Ashley this afternoon in the legal department's conference room."
Damian concealed his lips behind the coffee cup and said, "Understood, go ahead. Wait, go to the mall and buy a box of tarts later."
Thomas remained calm and said, "Yes, CEO!"
Ashley's frequent visits to KM Road Group became a common occurrence. The front desk no longer repeatedly confirmed her visiting time but let her through after a few questions. Ashley took the elevator to the legal department and made her way to the meeting room.
Mr. Moretti, the head of the legal department, was the first to stand up and greet her, saying, "Ashley, please come this way."
Ashley knew some of the people in the KM Road legal department, as they had helped draft her divorce agreement with Damian.
Just like Mr. Moretti, the legendary lawyer, any case he worked on would surely put significant pressure on the opposing party. She had experienced it firsthand!
But today, everyone pretended not to know each other.
Ashley nodded and sat at the seat with her nameplate, thinking that KM Road truly lived up to its reputation as a rigorous and meticulous corporation. Even a meeting was held so formally.
"Mr. Moretti, this is the lawsuit proposal I have drafted. Please let me know where it needs revision." Ashley said.
Mr. Moretti opened the folder and smiled, saying, "Ashley, you've worked hard. It must have taken several sleepless nights to come up with such a thick proposal." No one could tell that this person had ill intentions.
Ashley smiled slightly, and said, "It's my duty."
The documents were reviewed for a long time, and any issues that arose were promptly raised and addressed, which took about three hours.
Mr. Moretti looked at his watch and said, "How about taking a break for a while and grabbing something to eat?"
Ashley had no objections. After talking for so long, her throat was sore, and her thoughts were a bit slow. "Sure, I'll make the necessary revisions to the content we discussed first," she remarked.
Then, someone pushed open the door of the meeting room.
Mr. Moretti suddenly stood up from his seat and asked, "CEO? What can I do for you?"
