Chapter158 Borrow Damian for You
The exposed skin on the arm touched the warmth of the palm; after the tension, it was cramped and awkward. Ashley twisted her arm, freeing herself from his protection.
Damian's loss was only imperceptible for a moment, and then, with furrowed brows, he asked, "Aren't you afraid? Go over there and wait."
Afraid, of course, she was scared, but Ashley wanted to see for herself how to eliminate those annoying little things. After all, Damian wouldn't be helping to kill cockroaches every day. If they reappeared, she would have to deal with them herself, right?
"I'm fine; at least they don't bite people."
Seeing her tense up after pursing her lips, Damian guessed her thoughts. While bending down to search for the target, he said, "Move back to life, and you won't have this kind of trouble again."
Ashley didn't respond to him, her throat dry as she urged, "Hurry up and look; they should still be in the house, probably hiding in a corner."
"Aren't you brave? If even I'm not afraid, would you be afraid of a little bug?"
Damian held a mop in one hand, bending down to search for the target. The simple bathroom, which was a few square meters, was a stark contrast to his usual elegance, but it didn't diminish his charm. Ashley avoided meeting his gaze in the mirror. "At least you don't look as repugnant as a cockroach. They live in dark and damp corners, too filthy."
Damian couldn't help but mock himself, "Are you indirectly complimenting me?"
Stepping back a few steps, Ashley knew it wasn't wise to learn how to catch cockroaches from Damian. "Thank you for your hard work. I'll leave it to you to ensure Evelina can sleep well tonight."
Evelina stayed in the living room, feeling uncomfortable everywhere. She always felt there were bugs behind the sofa, under the carpet, and even more in the kitchen. For a young lady who grew up in luxury, her cleanliness was no less than Damian's.
Her idea of staying overnight and chatting with Ashley gradually faded.
Damian asked, "Damian, did you handle it? Did you kill them?"
Damian turned to look at Ashley walking away, took off his suit, and changed into comfortable home clothes. This was the real Ashley, not the rigid one.
Ashley answered for him, "Not found yet; they probably hid and are hard to find."
Evelina rubbed against Ashley, "Ashley, why are you living here? Didn't Damian prepare a house for you?"
When the agency recommended this place, it was described as magnificent, but in Evelina's eyes, it was an uninhabitable shack. Ashley gently patted her back, "We're divorced; there's no connection between us anymore. His help is out of kindness, not obligation. He doesn't have the duty to arrange my food, clothing, shelter, and transportation."
Evelina, however, spoke forthrightly: "He's not short of money. What's wrong with buying you a house? Besides, he doesn't have to pay out of his own pocket. There are so many properties under KM Road. Just pick one you like, or can I give you one?"
In the eyes of the descendants of The Hearst family, the houses and cars that common people worked hard for their whole lives were just a sentence. Ashley couldn't help but feel the unbridgeable gap between the rich and the poor. "You're still in school; you haven't earned your own money. The gifts you receive are still from your family. If you really want to give, wait until you're financially independent."
One aspect Evelina admired about Ashley was her straightforwardness. If it were anyone else, they would probably say, "Oh, the gift is too expensive; I can't accept it." But Ashley would say, "The gift isn't given with enough sincerity; I don't want it."
Pursing her lips, Evelina confirmed that her brother wouldn't come over and whispered, "Ashley, we went to my grandpa's house this afternoon. He scolded Damian."
Ashley was already indifferent to Anthony's temper, always ready to criticize and scold people at the drop of a hat, "Really? Why?"
Upon Ashley's inquiry, Evelina opened up, "It's all because of Trinity. My grandpa wants them to set a date for their engagement as soon as possible and then prepare for the wedding. He's so anxious, as if Damian can't find a bride. I don't know how Trinity brainwashed Grandpa or what benefits the Imperial Avenue groups offered our corporation, but Grandpa is set on his granddaughter-in-law. Damian argued with Grandpa, saying that marriage is a big deal and can't be rushed. He still needs to evaluate Trinity to avoid any accidents."
Evelina realized she had misspoken and gave an awkward smile.
Ashley chuckled, "To avoid making the same mistake, being duped out of money and love?"
Evelina held her hand, long, thin, and fair, rubbing it with envy, "No matter what, in my heart, you're always the sister-in-law. You're a thousand times better than Trinity."
Ashley was grateful that Evelina cared so much about her feelings and spoke softly, "If you want to find me in the future, just come over yourself."
Don't bring anyone else.
Evelina looked towards the bathroom, "Don't you want to see Damian? Yes, he has a bad temper, but he's handsome!! He has a good figure and presence! Because of him, I can't find any man outside attractive."
She amused Ashley, "He is attractive; I'm just not worthy."
After a moment of silence, Evelina whispered another piece of news, "Damian said that our uncle and aunt are coming back next month. Hmm, you probably won't have a chance to interact with them, right?"
Ashley's heart felt as if it had been pierced by a knife: "Probably not. I might not see them."
Evelina puffed her cheeks and stopped talking.
She had witnessed her aunt humiliating Ashley in public, completely trampling her dignity underfoot. The image of a wicked woman was firmly established.
From childhood to adulthood, she felt that her aunt, who was born into a prestigious family, was quite reasonable. But the things she did to Ashley were no different from a shrew in the marketplace.
As they were talking, Damian returned empty-handed. His clothes were still neat and clean, except for a strand of hair hanging down, fluttering above his left eye, inexplicably bewitching, "I couldn't find it; I'm going downstairs to buy some insecticide."
Evelina complained in a whiny tone, "Damian, how could you not even deal with a tiny cockroach? How is Ashley, a girl, supposed to live here?"
With a single glance from Damian, she didn't dare to make a sound anymore, shrinking her head and hiding behind Ashley's arm.
"I can go buy it myself. Evelina, go back with your brother. You can come over to play another day when there are no cockroaches at home."
Evelina didn't insist anymore. She picked up her bag and headed out. Ashley, won't you be scared? Should I lend you, Damian?"
Ashley glanced at Damian, who was like a high-ranking official's kin, and laughed, "You better take him with you; I can't afford to borrow him."
Damian's thin lips parted slightly. He swallowed what he wanted to say and voiced, "Evelina, go downstairs and wait for me for a while."
Evelina winked at Ashley and obediently went to press the elevator.
Evelina disappeared at the elevator entrance. Damian looked down at Ashley, blocking the door and not letting him in, and with a playful smile, he said, "Text me?"
