Chapter 174 Exciting Insomnia
"What are you thinking? I didn't delay the departure time just for you," Damian said. That cut off Ashley's words, along with most of her thoughts, leaving her feeling empty. "That's good, I thought Mr. Hearst delayed the team's schedule to take care of my sleep, then I would feel guilty."
"You've slept for so long. You should be well-rested." After blurting out those words, Damian frowned in annoyance.
They returned late yesterday, and Ashley spent over half an hour on a video call. It was past one when she went to bed, and even though she slept until nine, there was still a hint of fatigue in her eyes. Despite her light makeup and careful concealment around her eyes, she was still found out. "It's fine. Maybe it's just an adjustment issue. Luckily, we're heading to M City today."
Damian felt like his words stuck in his throat. He hesitated for a moment and said, "If you can't adjust in Dreamvale, going to M City won't make it better. It's only a distance of three hundred miles."
Holding the breakfast he had prepared, even though she hadn't taken a bite yet, she still had to save his face. However, Damian's harsh words stripped away any sense of gratitude from Ashley. "Do you have something else to do, Mr. Hearst? If not, I'll go inside to eat. Food getting cold affects its taste, which would be a waste of your kindness."
Damian's lips parted as if to say something, but his tone changed when he spoke. "It seems like the meal is more important to you than your boss."
Ashley thought, 'Neither you nor the food are important. You might as well take it back.' But with their farewell approaching, there was no need to create unnecessary tension. "I will cherish what you've given me, Mr. Hearst. If I can't finish it, I'll continue to enjoy it on the road."
As the door closed, Damian stood in front of the red door, loosening his tie in frustration.
Last night at the hotel, he had a video conference with domestic executives, which lasted until past two in the morning. Unable to sleep after lying down, his insomnia, which had plagued him for years, was something he had grown accustomed to. However, recently, his contemplative time had been occupied by thoughts of Ashley, a face that lingered in his mind whenever he closed his eyes.
He was frustrated by his lack of control and irritated by the weightlessness of not being able to grasp everything in his hand. Struggling through the night, he got up at six o'clock. After dealing with emails, Damian even called the hotel kitchen to prepare a light and nutritious meal, which he delivered to Ashley.
Concerned that her early rising might affect her rest, he deliberately assigned Mr. Moretti a task, delaying their departure until the afternoon. Everything seemed natural on the surface, but he knew that all this "naturalness" was meticulously arranged by him.
And now, the woman he had taken great care of didn't seem to appreciate it, which only served to anger him. Who was he even thinking about so much for?
In his annoyance, the door of the room next to Damian's opened, and Cheryl’s face turned pale with nervousness as she saw Damian standing outside Ashley's door. She wanted to retreat and pretend she hadn't seen him, but mustering up courage, she smiled nervously. "Hello, Mr. Hearst."
Damian paid her no mind, nodding coldly without a word in response.
Cheryl awkwardly withdrew, unsure whether to ask, 'Are you looking for Ashley?'
Damian seemed particularly focused on the case in M City, despite having dealt with many lawsuits on KM Road before, most of which were handled by Mr. Moretti. Cheryl had never seen Damian so concerned.
Damian replied coldly, "Nothing."
With that, he walked towards the elevator with his long legs as if he were passing by with no particular destination.
Cheryl glanced at the closed door and then back at Damian's retreating figure. Perhaps she was overthinking, or maybe it was her suspicious nature cultivated from working in legal affairs, but she couldn't shake the feeling that Damian was in a bad mood, as if he were angry with someone.
God, who dared to make Damian angry?
At noon, everyone gathered for a meal at the hotel, and the atmosphere was light and pleasant. Ashley gradually mastered the art of conversing with these people, handling it with ease.
At one o'clock in the afternoon, a business car took them to M City.
Until their departure, she hadn't seen Damian.
On the way, Kevin mentioned, "Mr. Hearst is truly a man of great affairs. His schedule is packed. I went to deliver some documents to him in the morning, but he was in a meeting. Before lunch, he went to inspect the site with Dreamvale's partners. He didn't even bring an assistant with him. His coat from yesterday, soaked in rain, is still hanging on the rack."
Ashley closed her eyes, not responding.
Cheryl smiled and replied, "Mr. King , you are really considerate. But Mr. Hearst brought his girlfriend along, who takes care of his daily matters."
Ashley turned her face to the window. The scenery passed by. The slate blue sky had wiped away the gloom of the previous night, as if the drizzle had never happened. The coat she wore to shield herself from the wind and rain seemed like a beautiful illusion, much like the impression Damian gave her. Sometimes close, sometimes alienating. It was elusive.
Fortunately, this trip to M City would mark the end of her relationship with Damian.
Everyone arrived safely in M City and checked into a hotel near the KM Road branch.
Upon arriving in this small town, Ashley's first impression was the fresh red brick houses. Different from the upscale grays of Dreamvale, the buildings in M City were humble and welcoming, exuding a warm and cozy feeling after the rain, erasing the gloom.
KM Road had chosen to establish a branch in M City mainly for its industrial status, and the business school of the world-renowned Taramila University injected a lot of fresh blood into it.
As for whether Manchester United had any credit for this, it was not clear.
In Ashley's memory, Damian wasn't much of a football fan.
Cheryl took Ashley's arm and asked admiringly, "Ashley, you seem to be very familiar with Eirondia."
Glancing at the arm looped with hers, Ashley didn't refuse or get too close. "I've been to the most popular tourist cities, but this is my first time in M City. I heard China Town and Castlefield Urban Heritage Park are worth visiting."
Cheryl looked dreamy. "Actually, when Mr. Moretti said we were coming to Eirondia for a case, I was ecstatic. It's the first time I've traveled to such a distant country. The night before departure, I was so excited that I couldn't sleep. You seem so calm, as if you've been everywhere and seen everything. You give off a vibe like you've seen the world!"
Ashley had visited many countries, traveling with her parents when she was young, jet-setting around the world with her older brother as she grew up, and joining study tours with classmates during college. Almost every holiday was spent overseas.
Her father always said that girls should see the world to broaden their horizons.
Her father nurtured her horizons, so her standards were high. After circling the globe, the only man who caught her eye was Damian.
With a self-deprecating smile, Ashley said, "I like flipping through travel magazines in my spare time. After seeing so much, it feels like I've been there myself."
Cheryl responded thoughtfully, thinking to herself that she also looked at maps often but didn't have the same insight.
After the meeting that evening, Ashley received a call from Hendrix.
Knowing that Damian couldn't suddenly appear on the other end, she cautiously scanned the room. "Hendrix, any instructions?"
Hendrix sounded tense. "Something has happened."
