Chapter 181 Depicting Lip Shapes
Before Damian could speak, Ashley clarified first, "You've misunderstood. We are just partners. I am his attorney, with no other connection."
Kathy Nelson looked at her again with some regret, giving her high praises in her heart. She said regrettably, "I see."
Ashley made up her mind to leave. If she stayed longer, she didn't know what clues this shrewd landlady might pick up. She hurriedly bid farewell, "Mr. Hearst, Curtis, I have something to attend to. I won't disturb your meal. I'll be in touch."
Curtis caught up. He offered, "I'll walk you out!"
As they left the restaurant one after another, Kathy shrugged her shoulders and cleared the baking tray. She helplessly said, "Well, I should go in and help, too."
Damian lightly parted his thin lips, saying, "Leave the cake."
Kathy looked at him, bewildered. She asked, "Didn't you say it was too sweet for you?"
Damian looked at the piece of cake that Ashley had taken a bite of, recalling her subtle lip movements when tasting it. He cooly replied, "Consider it a favor."
Kathy's mouth fell open in surprise. Her husband wasn't around, so she couldn't express her shock. Could she really expect Damian to do her a favor in this lifetime?
Her hard work today was truly worth it.
Kathy excitedly asked, "If you like it, I'll make more. Will you come tomorrow?"
Damian replied, "Not sure."
After some thought, Kathy cautiously said, "The girl who left is quite nice."
Damian didn't deny it. Instead, he slowly savored the dessert, tracing a circle with his fork along where Ashley had touched as if depicting a woman's lip shape. He curiously asked, "How so? You only met her for ten minutes."
Drawing from her own experiences, Kathy remarked, "Judging people is mostly about the first impression. She's a smart and calm girl. I won't dwell on her appearance; anyone with eyes can see that. This kind of temperament, even in the entertainment industry, very few can match."
Damian, savoring his dessert, casually asked, "What do you think?"
Drawing back to three years ago, when Kathy first met Damian on Eirondia Street, she had almost been beaten to death by a group of thugs. If it weren't for him, she wouldn't have the happy life she has now.
The restaurant Kathy and her Eirondia husband ran was also supported by Damian.
They were indebted to him for saving her life and helping her start anew; she could never forget it.
She remembered Damian didn't seem well at all back then. Despite his noble appearance, his demeanor wasn't like that of an ordinary gentleman. He was aloof and taciturn.
Through a series of coincidences, she gradually learned that Damian was wounded by love, although he never directly addressed it and seemed particularly averse to women.
Later, through subtle inquiries, she confirmed her suspicions. People who had been hurt in love wouldn't easily venture into it again. Seeing him still alone to this day saddened Kathy.
After careful consideration, she spoke, "In fact, there are many things you can let go of. Don't dwell on the past. Look forward, and don't miss the sunrise because of the falling stars of regret."
Damian paused his actions, his dark, unfathomable eyes like rocks, flickering flames within. He stubbornly remarked, "There's nothing to regret."
"You're smart, but even the smartest can be confused in matters of love. That man named Curtis is very attentive to your lawyer. Women are easily swayed," Kathy said and stopped there, not saying more, because Damian had his own ideas, and others couldn't influence him.
Damian responded with silence.
His thoughts drifted back to many years ago, then he closed his eyes, recalled the memories, and opened them to see Curtis returning.
Probably due to the pleasant conversation with Ashley, Curtis’s eyes filled with smiles. "Damian, where are we going?" he nonchalantly inquired.
Damian wiped his hands coolly and looked at him coldly. He replied with indifference, "Where are 'we' going? I'm going alone."
Ashley took a taxi back to the hotel and sat on a bench downstairs, lost in thought.
Every time she met Damian, she needed time to process her emotions, which was never easy.
"Ashley? What are you doing here?" Cheryl asked, surprised. She was feeling bored in the hotel, came downstairs for some fresh air, and saw Ashley lost in thought.
"Stargazing," Ashley replied.
Cheryl looked up at the stars; not many were visible. She approached with a curious and somewhat nosy attitude, sitting beside her. She probed, "Ashley, are you feeling down?"
"The case didn't progress as expected. It's abnormal to feel good," Ashley responded.
Cheryl nodded. Indeed, everyone was at a loss now, unsure how to proceed. As the main person in charge, the pressure was even greater, especially with Mr. Moretti and others waiting to see how things unfolded.
Suddenly, she felt a pang of sympathy for Ashley.
At that moment, her phone rang, and it was Mr. Moretti.
Cheryl stepped aside to answer, respectfully saying, "Mr. Moretti..."
Mr. Moretti sounded urgent. He frantically informed, "Mr. Hearst is in M City. He left without his assistant. Quickly book the best hotel in M City for him. Quick!"
A sudden visit from Damian? Was he dissatisfied with their work and coming to question them?
Cheryl responded swiftly, "Alright, I'll check right away!"
Cheryl didn't dare delay for a second. She picked up her phone, searched the web, sorted by star rating and category, and selected the most luxurious and expensive hotel to make a reservation.
The hotel staff requested a passport number, leaving Cheryl at a loss. She had come down in a hurry and didn't have her passport. "Ashley, do you have your passport? Mr. Moretti asked me to book a hotel for Mr. Hearst and it needs a passport number."
Ashley furrowed her brows. How could she use her passport to book a hotel for Damian? And why would Damian's hotel booking, end up with Cheryl?
Ashley stated, annoyed, "Go ask Mr. Hearst himself for the passport number. He's the one checking in, so it needs to be in his name."
Cheryl wasn't just confused this time; she was on the verge of tears. She desperately pleaded, "Ashley, it would be better if you let me crash into the David statue and die. Even if I had a hundred times more courage, I wouldn't dare. Just occupy a spot with your passport number. It's peak tourist season now, and it's hard to book hotels. Ashley, please, save my life. Otherwise, Mr. Moretti will have my head when he finds out."
Ashley remained firm. She instructed, "Go upstairs and get it. These few minutes won't make a difference."
Cheryl tried to persuade her, "It's just a passport number, it won't have any impact on you. Foreigners are lenient about check-ins, and the CEO won't find out. Our check-in process is also casual!"
Unable to resist her persistence, Ashley pulled out her passport.
Cheryl was quick and not only used Ashley's passport but also left Ashley's phone number as a contact.
With a stern face, Ashley said, "Cheryl, you're quite bold."
Cheryl clasped her hands together, looking pitiful. She said in a cowardly tone. "I don't have Mr. Hearst's number, and I'm afraid of him."
If she had to offend either Ashley or Mr. Hearst, she would definitely choose the former. At least she wouldn't die.
Receiving the hotel check-in message from Mr. Moretti, Damian arrived at the hotel with a serious expression.
They were quite efficient. Instead of booking him a suite in the hotel where the lawyers stayed, they sent him to a holiday hotel several kilometers away.
What were they afraid of? Afraid he might inspect their work?
He had VIP memberships at several major hotels in M City, except for this one where he had a bad experience once and never came.
Damian took out his passport and waited at the VIP check-in counter.
After verifying his details, the staff apologized, "Sir, is it you who will be checking in?"
Damian gave her an icy stare that could freeze the air, uttering a colder word, "Yes."
The staff trembled, feeling chilled by the unfriendly guest before her. "I'm sorry, sir, but the passport number on the reservation doesn't match yours. Is this your phone number?"
With just one glance, Damian recognized it as Ashley's number.
He curtly replied, "No."
The staff thought 'Are you trying to check in under false pretenses?' But Damian's demeanor made her change her words. "Is the person reserved for you? Is she your wife? If your wife hasn't arrived yet? You can wait for her, and once she's here, we can proceed with the check-in after verification."
Damian slid his finger across his forehead. He impatiently said, "Wait."
He walked to the panoramic view platform in the lobby, his back to the Baroque-style sculptures and paintings, becoming a gothic dark lord on his own.
He called Ashley and said, "Ashley, you have ten minutes to come to the holiday hotel."
He hung up before she could respond.
Regardless of Ashley's excuses, the misunderstanding today needed an explanation.
Given the current situation, it was easy to infer that Mr. Moretti had passed the hotel booking task to Ashley. But did she not know his passport number, or did she forget his phone number?
The information was all hers. What was her intention?
If it was to create an opportunity to meet, then her methods were too flawed.
Upon receiving the call, Ashley knew there must have been an issue with the hotel booking. She took a taxi to the luxurious holiday hotel, where colorful lights radiated everywhere but failed to brighten her inner gloom.
She felt like she was plagued by bad luck recently. Did she have to clash with Damian twice in one day?
Wasn't God satisfied with her troubles yet?
Entering the lobby, she easily spotted Damian sitting on the sofa, resembling a mafia boss. His prominent features exuded beauty but, more so, fierceness.
Ashley's heart sank. She helplessly asked, "Mr. Hearst, how can I assist you?"
Damian wanted to reprimand her but couldn't speak immediately.
Ashley, with wet hair and shoulders damp with water droplets, was wearing loose home clothes that revealed a hint of her skin tone. She was accompanied by loose pants and high heels without socks, and she was carrying the same bag she had during the day.
"You dare to go out like this?" Damian's tone was disapproving when he spoke to her.
Unable to tolerate his tone, Ashley coldly retorted, "Mr. Hearst only gave me ten minutes. I certainly couldn't put on full makeup after taking a shower. If Mr. Hearst isn't satisfied with my appearance, I can go back and freshen up before returning."
Furrowing his brows, Damian asked, "Do you have your passport?"
She simply replied, "Yes."
Ashley accompanied Damian to the front desk, where the staff asked cautiously, "Are you two a couple?"
Ashley shot a glance, wondering what Damian had told them.
"Yes," she replied, choosing to take a temporary loss to avoid any misunderstandings. She even took Damian's arm and smiled.
Damian's gaze swept over her arm, and the ice in his eyes began to melt.
Fortunately, the procedures went smoothly. After receiving the room key and handing it to Damian, Ashley said, "Everything's fine now. Mr. Hearst, go up and rest early."
Damian grabbed her wrist and led her to the VIP elevator, pulling her inside as soon as the doors opened. He snidely remarked, "You just pretended to be my wife, and now you're going out like this. You have no shame, but I don't want to be embarrassed."
