Chapter 129 Unlawful Action
Ashley was making edits to the draft when she sensed a dark shadow passing by. Without looking up, she had already recognized Damian's unique scent.
"CEO."
"CEO."
Several lawyers stood up and respectfully greeted Damian. Their nerves relaxed a little but tensed again with his presence.
Ashley also put down her pen and stood up straight, greeting, "Hello."
Damian's gaze swept across the room, pausing slightly longer when he passed by Ashley. Finally, he asked Mr. Moretti, "How's the progress?"
Mr. Moretti had worked on KM Road for over ten years and had been involved in this kind of lawsuit before. With Ashley's exceptional abilities, the process went smoothly.
He honestly said, "There are currently no other issues. Ashley's documents need some minor revisions, but they will be ready for use."
Damian nodded and said, "Have a seat."
With his approval, the group felt at ease sitting down, but no one dared speak casually, fearing they might say something wrong and offend the boss.
Damian sat in the empty seat next to Ashley. Due to their proximity, he reached out, took the document, and flipped through it.
Multiple revisions were made to it, and the handwriting was neat. The English parts were densely printed, and she made lines and circles on blank spaces to make corrections. The paper was filled with marks.
Damian's rigid face slowly started to relax. "Well done," he said.
It was unclear whether he was speaking to Ashley or everyone. Everyone responded by saying it wasn't a big deal, except Ashley remained silent.
Damian closed the document and placed it back, accidentally brushing against Ashley's arm. A sense of ambiguity appeared between them. He had an unclear emotion in his eyes and expression. "Ashley, what do you think about the work arrangement on KM Road? Are you adapting well?" he inquired.
Yesterday, they were sleeping in the same carriage, and today, they switched to the role of collaborators. It was quite exciting.
Ashley's fingers went numb. She quickly retracts her arm and places it on her lap with her back straight. She said, "KM Road is a mature and large corporation. The collaboration is pleasant, very good."
Damian caught a glimpse of her hand on her leg. The cuff of her sleeve was rolled up, revealing a bandage. Naturally, he reached down under the table and held her hand. "Ashley, this is your third collaboration with KM Road. I trust your abilities," he expressed.
Ashley's pupils dilated, her eyes showing a hint of fear. She also tried to free her hand, saying, "Thank you for your praise, Mr. Hearst. I'm sure you have many things to attend to. After we reach a consensus here, we will provide you with the final version and not take up any more of your time."
Damian didn't respond and turned his head and gestured as he said, "Bring it in."
Thomas carried a gift box, and the two secretaries brought in refreshments. Everyone organized the food and drinks in an orderly manner.
Each person had their portion, except when the egg tart was opened, the entire box was placed in front of Ashley. Thomas specifically said, "Ashley, well done. Have some more."
Is it Egg tarts?
They were Ashley's favorite, but she hadn't bought them in a long time. The shop was too far away, it required crossing half the city, and the business was always booming, with a queue of over half an hour each time. She didn't have the patience for it.
Feeling happy, she asked in a low voice, "Did you buy them?"
Thomas looked over at Damian and said, "He did."
Ashley's smile slowly faded from her face, and she said a word emotionlessly.
Mr. Moretti felt extremely honored. Since working with Damian, overtime had become the norm, but he had never experienced such good treatment before. It was no surprise that the CEO's actions today were for Ashley.
Mr. Moretti could sense the deeper meaning behind this, and the others were not fools either. They all smiled and thanked the CEO, saying, "Thank you for your praise, CEO. The one who worked the hardest today was Ashley. She wrote the document and put a lot of effort into it."
"Ashley is meticulous in her work, and she is a role model for us to learn from!" one remarked.
"Although Ashley is young, she thinks deeply and has a unique perspective," another added.
Ashley didn't feel happy. On the contrary, she felt immense pressure. These people were truly observant and had noticed Damian's attitude. They immediately began praising her.
Ashley responded, "Compared to all of you, I am still a novice. I am grateful that all seniors don't look down on my poor skills and are willing to guide me."
Damian calmly listened to their false compliments. Then he demanded, "Leave on time today, and whatever is unfinished can be continued tomorrow."
Once again, Mr. Moretti was shocked by the CEO's words. They didn't have to work overtime to finish such a big project and were allowed to continue the next day. Looking at the interaction between the CEO and Ashley, did it mean that the two of them were going to get back together? No, that couldn't be right. After everything that had happened, was it still possible for them to reconcile?
Ashley tugged at her arm, but she couldn't break free. Her ears grew hot as she said, "Damian Hearst..."
Damian picked up an egg tart and placed it on Ashley's dessert plate. "This is the most famous pastry in Rochester City. It is handmade by a master pastry chef. Give it a try, Ashley," he stated.
One hand was still held by him, Ashley wanted to poke him with her pen!
Mr. Moretti exclaimed, "It's hard to buy these egg tarts! Last time, I lined up for over an hour, and when I finally got to the front, the boss said they were sold out. What a pity."
Damian remained expressionless, but only Ashley knew that when he turned to look at her, there was a hint of mockery in his eyes. He asked, "Ashley?"
Unable to resist, Ashley picked up the pastry that he had touched and took a bite. It was crispy and sweet, with a delicate almond flavor that instantly pleased her taste buds. She couldn't help but want to eat more.
She wanted to give Damian a stern face, but with her favorite thing in her mouth, her eyes naturally sparkled, and her cheeks were filled with a satisfied glow.
Damian caressed the back of her hand, feeling the smooth skin addictively. "If Ashley likes it, take this box back and enjoy it slowly," he suggested.
Ashley coughed and quickly pushed the box away. "Everyone can have some. Taste it. Egg tarts are indeed delicious, but I've been trying to lose weight recently and can't eat too many sweets. I can't eat anymore," she insisted.
Damian saw through her lie but didn't expose her. "Let Thomas take you all out for dinner tonight. What does Ashley like to eat?" he asked.
Ashley thought to herself, 'What are you trying to do? Why are we acting so intimately in front of so many people? Aren't you afraid that others won't know about our inappropriate relationship?'
Ashley pulled her hand back with force, finally rescuing it from being peeled off. She smiled distantly and calmly, saying, "You are all my seniors. I don't want to miss any learning opportunities. Unfortunately, I have other plans tonight and can't have dinner with everyone. I look forward to next time."
Thomas stood by, watching with a silly smile on his face, barely able to hold it in. The others couldn't see the CEO and Ashley's little actions, but he saw it all. This sweet feeling is so captivating.
Damian wanted to ask Ashley further. He politely inquired, "Is that so? Does Ashley have plans? A date?"
