Chapter 180 Lover
Ashley thought hard, unable to figure out where she had offended this young master. It seemed like he was targeting her with his every sentence, picking on her faults all the time. Whether he stayed or left had nothing to do with her.
Ashley responded, "Mr. Hearst's decision to stay wherever he wants seems to be beyond anyone's interference."
After she finished speaking, Damian's expression did not improve but rather grew darker. His jaw tightened as if he could kick someone out at any moment to vent his anger.
For six years, Damian had always been an emotionally stable and mature gentleman who never showed his emotions. Being in the role of the CEO, he had to manage many subordinates skillfully so no one could see his true feelings, especially not her.
But recently, Ashley was surprised to find that she could actually sense Damian's anger.
Was it because she had a stronger intuition, or had Damian stopped deliberately hiding it?
Damian indifferently said, "From your words, it seems that you are confident in your work abilities and able to withstand any form of supervision and investigation. Good!"
The last word was emphasized, his tone heavier, his face no longer showing displeasure but giving a sense of an impending winter.
Ashley said, "When I took on this case, I promised to be diligent and responsible. Perhaps some areas do not completely satisfy Mr. Hearst, but I can promise with confidence that I tried my best."
Damian sarcastically replied, "How do I measure your dedication? Do you have a scale that can weigh that?"
The contempt in his tone treated Ashley's sincerity as worthless.
Ashley lost her appetite, put down her utensils, and said, "If Mr. Hearst is dissatisfied with me in any way, please let me know, and I will try to correct it."
The implication was, 'don't insinuate, I can't guess your true intentions.'
Damian took out a napkin and wiped his fingers. He snidely remarked, "With your intelligence, you should be able to figure it out."
Ashley was speechless.
Curtis's eyes moved back and forth between the two of them as they spoke. His head swayed like a pendulum, and in the end, he couldn't figure out what was going on. He asked in a daze, "Are you guys arguing? Why are you arguing?"
He regretted not learning the foreign language properly.
Ashley replied to him in the local language, "We are discussing work. After we finish, I will leave. Have a good time."
When Ashley mentioned leaving, Curtis stood up anxiously. If it weren't for Damian's gaze, he would have grabbed Ashley's arm. "Ashley, can I have your contact information?" he requested.
Damian's cold lips twitched slightly. Leaning back in his chair, he looked like a king, disdainfully watching the farce unfold before his eyes, the kind of arrogance that saw through everything without explicitly stating it, naturally making everyone feel uncomfortable.
One of the protagonists of the farce was Ashley, who was about to leave.
Curtis's eager eyes easily revealed his intentions. Perhaps the Eirondia way of thinking was more straightforward, without so many twists and pretentiousness. He wore his heart on his sleeve, which translated to one sentence - I'm interested in you.
If Ashley gave him a chance, it would be equivalent to flirting with another man in front of Damian, confirming his previous accusations.
Ashley sternly replied, "Sir, I am a lawyer. Contact outside of work is not convenient."
Curtis pulled out his WhatsApp. He insisted, "I want to contact you for a lawsuit. I have some legal issues I need help with. Let's exchange WhatsApp contacts."
He held out his phone eagerly, ready to scan the code, with stars twinkling in his eyes.
Any man is attentive and enthusiastic when it comes to prey, regardless of borders.
Ashley sighed inwardly.
Damian remained expressionless, saying nothing.
Ashley took out her phone and displayed the QR code. She reminded him, "I am currently helping Mr. Hearst with a lawsuit. I can only provide legal advice, not take on your case. Please understand."
After successfully getting the WhatsApp contact, Curtis didn't think much about it. He smiled, showing creases on his face.
He politely replied, "OK! I won't disturb you for no reason. If Ashley needs my help, just let me know. I am quite familiar with Eirondia."
Ashley politely smiled back and remarked, "Thank you. It's clear that you are a true gentleman."
This compliment made Curtis blush.
After their exchange, Damian spoke coldly, "Expanding business to Eirondia. You really deserve your name."
He spoke ambiguously, blurring the meaning of "business" with a mocking tone, more of a certain kind of irony.
Ashley said, "Mr. Hearst, you flatter me. I will take my leave now."
A voice asked, "So soon?"
A woman carrying freshly baked pastries came from the kitchen. She was around fifty years old, wearing a loose linen dress and her hair tied back in a low ponytail. Her face, without makeup, only had eyebrows drawn long and thin.
Ashley took a small step back, guessing that she might be the landlady, and nodded in greeting.
She politely greeted her, "Hello."
The landlady placed the pastries on the table. Seeing that there was still a lot of untouched food, she asked Damian with some disappointment, "Not to your taste?"
Her tone was very natural as if she were very familiar with Damian.
Ashley felt suspicious.
Most of Damian's hostility dissipated, but his tone remained cold and hard. He aloofly replied, "Haven't tasted his cooking in a year, and it has deteriorated significantly."
The landlady wasn't angry at all. Instead, she smiled and said, "I think it's your mood that's bad. Nothing tastes good when you're in a bad mood. Try the red velvet cake roll I made."
Ashley carefully observed their interaction, surprised that Damian could be polite to someone and even more shocked that he would ever eat desserts!
How could he make an exception and take a bite?
Probably not satisfied with the taste, he frowned and commented, "You've also regressed. There's too much cream, at least an ounce more."
The landlady pursed her lips, very patient and very generous. She said to Damian, "I won't say anything to you."
Then, she picked up the plate and presented it to Ashley, and said, "This young lady. Try some."
Ashley didn't refuse either, picking up a small piece. The cake roll was very delicious, sweet but not cloying, with the perfect balance of sugar and cream. She was quite picky about sweets but found nothing inappropriate, praising, "It's delicious! Your baking skills are Michelin-level."
The landlady happily looked at Damian. She said teasingly, "Look, there's always someone who appreciates me. How long will the young lady be staying in M City? You can come often, and I'll make it for you."
In such an exquisite establishment, serving elegant and refined cuisine, at Damian's accepted standard, Ashley dared not to disturb them often.
She said politely, "I'm here on a business trip in M City, quite busy with work and short on time. If I have the chance, I'll definitely come and try your desserts. The food here is also very delicious, I really like it."
The landlady subtly scrutinized Ashley from head to toe. After a brief exchange, she was almost certain, smiling as she snidely remarked, "It's still this young lady's words that are comforting to hear. Teach him later so he doesn't make people uncomfortable as soon as he opens his mouth."
Ashley quickly said, "He is my boss. I dare not."
The landlady looked surprised. She questioned, "Aren't you lovers?"
