Chapter 185 Expressing Gratitude and Affection
What should be said as the final words before going to sleep?
After some thought, Ashley chose a safe topic. She proceeded to inform him, "The person we've been tracking seems to have some clues. Before I came here today, Janet sent me a WhatsApp message saying she saw Henry leaving in a hurry, it seemed to be something urgent. She followed him and saw him enter a private club with restricted access. She couldn't get in, but I believe there will be another breakthrough."
In the dim light, Damian's brows remained furrowed, tension easing in some places while rising in others. He hoarsely muttered, "You finally have a breakthrough after all this time."
From the tone, it was not worthy of praise. Instead, it indicated ineffective work and time delay, requiring a reflection on how to work effectively with him as the leader.
Ashley didn't expect to hear any kind words from him and calmly said, "Our current evidence, along with the new suspect, implies a significant amount of follow-up work. However, my injury at this crucial point, will slow down the progress. If Mr. Hearst wants a quick resolution, perhaps you can delegate the defense rights to Mr. Moretti."
Damian sneered, "Do you want to give up with just this little obstacle? Are you boasting about making a career and wanting to restore the Astor Group?"
Ashley clenched her fists tightly, reluctantly admitting that Damian always managed to hit her sore spots accurately, suppressing her effectively.
One downside of being familiar with someone is knowing their vulnerabilities and hitting the mark every time.
If Damian wanted to manipulate her emotionally, he would undoubtedly succeed.
And she, surprisingly, didn't know what Damian's vulnerabilities were.
Enough for tonight. It wasn't suitable to dwell on too many brain-teasing questions. She rebutted, "The doctor said I can resume normal activities in three days, so it shouldn't delay our progress."
Damian turned his face to the side. In the extremely limited light, he still saw the vague bulge of her chest, emitting a faint fragrance. He simply asked, "Is this how you sleep?"
Ashley rested her chin on her hands, uncomfortably responding, "What else can I do? I don't have any other sleeping positions."
Damian frowned. He replied, "I mean, wearing clothes."
Ashley was still dressed as when she arrived, not having removed a single piece, including the tightly fastened bra on top. Sleeping like this all night would definitely compress the milk ducts, causing chest tightness the next day.
She firmly replied, "It's fine."
Damian left her alone.
However, after just over ten minutes, Ashley couldn't bear it and fumbled to undo the back clasp.
Fortunately, the room was pitch black so that he couldn't see anything. Otherwise, Damian would have mocked her even more forcefully.
But she underestimated Damian's night vision. Not to mention such a big movement, even her subtle actions of reaching into her clothes were all seen by him.
She pulled the clothes out from the neckline, tossed them aside, breathed a sigh of relief like a prisoner released, and unknowingly became a unique memory for Damian.
The next day, when Ashley woke up, the spot next to her was already empty. She reached out to feel the residual warmth, but she was unable to determine when Damian had gotten up. The room was still dim, and she had no idea what time it was.
After a while, she heard the door open, and soon a figure walked in.
Damian asked her, "Awake?"
Upon hearing Damian's voice, Ashley inexplicably relaxed. It was strange that she didn't feel irritated by his presence. Could it be that emotions were particularly fragile when injured, leading to indiscriminate choices?
She requested nicely, "Can you help me open the curtains? I can't reach the switch."
Damian easily operated it, letting light into the room. Ashley squinted, seeing him in sportswear with running shoes on his feet, still carrying a fresh scent from outside.
Surprised, she asked, "Did you go for a run?"
He had been persistent on morning runs for many years. When the weather was good, he ran outdoors, and when it was rainy, he ran indoors.
Even when traveling abroad, he never skipped a run.
No wonder he always had tight abs and chest muscles, constantly improving. He looked stylish in a suit and impressive without clothes.
Damian said, "It's necessary to run so as not to end up like you, with a fragile body. Running is indeed essential."
But was it necessary to belittle Ashley like that?
Ashley didn't take the bait. She patiently, "What time is it? Can you bring me my phone?"
He snidely retorted, "Ordering me around?"
Ashley raised her head, looking up at him with a stretched neck. He was shrouded in shadows against the morning sun outside, creating a stark contrast with his cold and indifferent demeanor.
She coyly said, "It's a request. Mr. Hearst, please bring me my bag. My phone is inside. We have a meeting this morning, and disappearing for so long, I'm sure there’s a bunch of messages."
Damian brought the bag over, and Ashley eagerly retrieved her phone. She had barely finished saying thank you when her smile froze on her face—her phone was dead.
She brazenly asked, "Mr. Hearst, do you have a charger?"
Damian smirked, handing her the charger. Luckily, it was compatible, but it was a high-quality one, with fast charging and explosion-proof features. Feeling it in her hands, she remarked, "Thank you."
A simple thank you was met with Damian's even more chilling mockery. He taunted, "Ashley, with your behavior, you'll soon have no friends."
Ashley waited for her phone to boot up. Innocently, questioning him, "What do you mean?"
He said with sarcasm laced in his tone, "We slept together last night, maybe you'll want me to carry you to the bathroom later, and then you'll half-heartedly thank me. Are you trying to distance yourself or bind me?"
Ashley noticed that Damian was different from before. He used to speak very little, often conveying messages with just a glance or avoiding unnecessary words. Lately, he seemed to enjoy talking to her more.
Ashley snidely remarked, "Even with the closest people, it's important to express gratitude and affection appropriately. I think it's a good thing."
Did she just win a round?
It seemed she always remembered to challenge him.
The phone finally turned on, casting a blue light on her face. He wondered how her sleep had been last night; at least, her complexion seemed fine.
Unlike him, who tossed and turned until three in the morning, finding it difficult to sleep with her steady and prolonged breathing.
After showering, Damian made coffee, went to work, and got busy, forgetting about the person lying inside.
Ashley was bombarded with messages explaining why she didn't return to the hotel last night. She listened to the summary of new evidence and discussed tracking with Janet.
During the Zoom video conference, only Ashley didn't turn on her camera.
Mr. Moretti asked, "Where is Ashley?"
Ashley replied, "I have an old friend in M City whom I came to visit. I'll try to return as soon as possible. Contact me anytime for work."
Kevin remarked, "At such a critical moment, Ashley visiting an old friend doesn't seem appropriate, does it?"
Ashley responded, "If Mr. King has friends in M City, he can also take advantage of his rest time to visit. After all, we are not office machines. We can't be on edge all the time. Relaxing appropriately can help us come up with better solutions, don't you think?"
Kevin's expression turned wry in the video, and he chuckled. He sneered, "Ashley, you have a way with words. I can't argue with you."
After the meeting, Ashley faced the same issue from yesterday.
This time, she didn't call out. Instead, she messaged Damian on WhatsApp.
Ashley: [Are you busy? Do you have a moment?]
Damian: [Busy.]
Ashley bit her lip. What should she do? Would he be busy for a long time?
After ten minutes, Ashley couldn't hold back and sent another message.
Ashley: [Are you done? I need to bother you for a moment. I need to use the bathroom.]
After sending the message, she put down her phone as if trying to bury all the awkwardness.
Damian walked briskly towards her, his already tall figure standing even more upright, like a statue to be worshipped in the square.
He gently inquired, "Not feeling better yet?"
Ashley was also puzzled. After resting for a whole night, why couldn't she move yet?
She honestly replied, "Not yet. I'll try putting on another plaster later. If it doesn't work, I'll have the doctor come again."
Damian didn't comment and escorted her to the bathroom before returning to the living room to continue reviewing documents.
After freshening up, Ashley tried to support herself against the wall and door frame, eventually holding her waist. She walked like a pregnant woman with a big belly. To avoid disturbing Damian, she opened the door very gently.
As the door cracked open, she heard Damian on the phone with someone. He said in a commanding tone, "Dig deeper, investigate thoroughly. I want him never to turn the tables."
