Chapter 131 I'm Pursuing You
Hendrix Stone came uninvited, naturally pushing open the office door. When he entered and saw Damian Hearst in front of him, he didn't pay much attention to him. Instead, he looked past him and saw the seemingly fragile Ashley beside him.
"Why didn't you answer the phone?" he asked.
There was no blaming tone but more concern. The imposing exterior didn't match the person he was at that moment.
The assistant choked on her words and anxiously looked toward Damian Hearst. She couldn't stop the visitor, and he forcibly entered the CEO's office. It was a grave offense!
Damian Hearst nodded at her, and the assistant hurriedly left.
Even the most clueless person could sense that something was off. If they didn't leave quickly, they would be reprimanded.
Ashley took advantage of the opportunity to leave Damian Hearst's presence, picked up her bag from the chair, and walked closer to Hendrix Stone.
"I was discussing the details of the document with Damian Hearst. My phone was in silent mode, and I couldn't hear it. Is there something urgent, Deputy Director Stone?" she inquired.
Hendrix Stone wasn't blind or foolish. He noticed the faint blush on the corner of Ashley's lips, which was not caused by accidentally scratching herself while drinking water.
"You left too quickly during lunch before I finished talking. Are you free now?" Hendrix asked.
Ashley replied, "I just finished my work, getting ready to leave."
Hendrix Stone nodded and finally had the chance to look at Damian Hearst, who emitted an air of gunpowder.
"Damian Hearst, I'm taking my employee with me so as not to disturb your work. Goodbye," Hendrix said.
Damian Hearst ran his finger over his lips, purposely glancing at the faint traces that belonged to him and Ashley.
"Miss Astor, 7 o'clock, don't be late," he reminded.
Ashley's head buzzed. Everything seemed amplified twofold. Couldn't he say it clearly? It seemed like they had a secret appointment or something.
Ashley replied, "Okay, Damian Hearst. The KM Road legal department is filled with industry elites. I'll learn from them seriously tonight."
Luckily, Ashley explained just in time; otherwise, Hendrix Stone would have been furious, looking at Damian Hearst's expression.
"Are you having dinner with them?" Hendrix asked.
Ashley felt extremely awkward being caught between the two of them.
"There are some work matters that need to be discussed over dinner. We have to eat dinner anyway, so it's more time-saving to do it together," she replied.
Hendrix Stone smirked and looked at Damian Hearst's emotionless face, and said, "Damian Hearst intentionally kept my employee. I suspect this dinner has a different meaning. What exactly do you want?"
Ashley didn't understand Hendrix Stone, but she dared to speak to Damian Hearst in this manner, which was rare. This deliberate provocation accumulated old grudges, and it wasn't solely because of her. Could the two sides have a past conflict?
Damian Hearst said, "Hendrix Stone came to my office, saying that she is your employee. Do you think a small law firm is successful? Ashley has the right to choose. She doesn't belong to anyone."
If Ashley had heard these words at a different time, she would have been moved. But thinking about it, he didn't have this attitude last night when he forcefully took her away. Did he forget everything?
Indeed, people are complex creatures.
Hendrix Stone seemed to smirk, and said, "Damian Hearst, it's no wonder. Alive or dead, black or white, it's all yours! All right, let's make it a little more presentable. She's free. Let her make her own choice."
After finishing his sentence, he glanced at his watch, "It's not seven yet. We can talk about the law firm's work first," Hendrix said.
Didn't he say she could make her own choice? All right, let's see how she chooses.
Ashley glanced towards Damian Hearst without saying a word, only to hear him generously say, "Go about your business. I'll contact you later."
That kind of generosity and trust was reminiscent of a husband sending his wife out. She didn't need to choose, and he would support any decision she made. That's what it meant.
But Ashley felt uncomfortable. A layer of goosebumps formed on her arm.
Hendrix Stone went straight to the eye-catching black luxury car in the parking lot.
Hendrix Stone opened the passenger door and gestured, "There are too many people outside, and you probably don't want to be gossiped about by them. So, let's get in and talk."
During rush hour, people were coming and going, and the luxury car was undoubtedly the object of attention, but compared to standing outside, the inside of the car was much more private.
Ashley sighed, got into the car, and got straight to the point, "Deputy Director Stone, there are some things I don't want to repeat. You can see my attitude. I'm not interested in you or Damian Hearst. Don't waste your time."
Hendrix Stone stared at her, barely restraining himself from kissing away the traces of another man on her lips. "Do you mean that I have a chance with you, just like Damian Hearst did? Equal opportunity," he asked.
Ashley said seriously, "Neither of you is my type. If Deputy Director Stone wants to make things difficult for me at work and force me to accept, I will resign."
Hendrix Stone laughed, his arm resting on the steering wheel. His masculine cologne permeated the entire space, giving off a unique feeling. "Ashley, the way you are playing hard to get is unexpectedly charming," he remarked.
Ashley's eyelid twitched heavily, finding it was ridiculous. She asked, "Did Deputy Director Stone use the same trick when having sex with your girlfriend?"
Hendrix Stone didn't want to portray himself as a deeply emotional person. His relationship with Lynn Lloyd was real. Explanations were useless. It would be better to be straightforward.
Hendrix explained, "Lynn Lloyd is not my girlfriend. She got close to me with the purpose of climbing up. I accepted her advances because she had a trace of you on her. I never had feelings for her, and you can understand that I used her. But the exchange of interests between adults is straightforward and ugly."
How could the scumbag act so self-righteously? It was really disgusting!
Although Lynn Lloyd might not have been a modest and virtuous woman, Hendrix Stone was even worse—a pile of garbage.
Ashley sneered, "You don't need to explain these things to me. I'm not interested in you. Is Deputy Director Stone supposed to talk about work? Speak up."
Hendrix Stone maintained his posture without moving, feeling helpless and heartbroken as he vented, "Ashley, haven't you noticed that I'm pursuing you?"
Ashley, who was no longer an eighteen-year-old girl, didn't appreciate it at all.
She replied, "Is this how you pursue women? Then I ask you, please give up."
Seeing that he had no intention of discussing official matters, Ashley opened the car door and left with parting words, "Deputy Director Stone, we will discuss work matters with the lawyer later. Have a good trip."
Turning around, she walked away quickly without looking back, not giving him even the slightest hint of delusion.
Hendrix Stone stared at her as she moved further away, memories drifting farther away. It was precisely this silhouette that he remembered in his heart, like a forever unattainable white moonlight.
Ashley, don't you really remember me?
---
At night, the KM Road legal department dined at a restaurant.
Ashley had some misgivings in her heart, as her last experience here wasn't particularly pleasant.
Entering the private room, Mr. Moretti smiled and said, "Ashley, please have a seat here."
Mr. Moretti held the highest position among them, naturally sitting across from the entrance, but he reached out and invited Ashley to sit in the most prestigious chair. Wasn't this harming her?
Ashley politely declined, choosing a seat on the left side and pulling out the chair.
"Mr. Moretti, you're being too polite. You are the host, and I am the guest. There really isn't any reason for me to take your seat," she remarked.
Mr. King laughed and said, "Ashley, why are you so humble with your relationship with the CEO? Don't just talk about a seat. You can have the entire restaurant if you want!"
