Chapter 193 Wanting to Wipe Away her Tears
The man held a glass of red wine, his hairstyle really standing out.
He stood with his back to the window, chatting with someone, looking totally calm and at ease.
Ashley said, "Hand over those photos you took secretly."
Janet pulled out a few shots of a back view, ranging from close-ups to distant ones. "Here you go."
Ashley held the binoculars, her eyes glued to the photos. Judging by the body shape and overall vibe, it was definitely the same person.
When she first saw the photos, Ashley didn't think much of it. But now, seeing the actual person, a wave of dread washed over her, like someone was squeezing her throat, making it hard to breathe.
Ashley was stunned for a long time before she spoke, "Are you sure it's him?"
Janet didn't get the confusion in her eyes and explained, "In the days we've been surveilling him, Henry has only met with this one person mysteriously. And every time they meet, they're super cautious, picking really secretive spots. If there's a mastermind behind this, it's gotta be him."
Ashley tightened her grip on the photos, crumpling the paper and distorting the man's image.
How could it be...
Could it be a coincidence?
Janet was startled by her increasingly pale face and asked softly, "Ashley, are you okay?"
Ashley propped her elbow on the car window to steady herself. Her throat was dry, and she could barely breathe. After a while, she said, "Wait for me in the car."
Janet said worriedly, "Ashley..."
Ashley gestured for her to be quiet, got out of the car alone, and walked to a secluded spot under the trees. Her steps were heavy, each one feeling like a thousand-pound weight was pressing on her feet.
Ashley didn't even think it was him, so she didn't recognize the familiar back.
Ashley pressed her forehead hard, trying to control her emotions. Her mind kept replaying the photos and memories.
Even if they hadn't seen each other for years, she shouldn't have failed to recognize him.
Especially since they had just had coffee together a few days ago.
She should have suspected him earlier.
Fred lived in Eurostan. Why did he come to Eirondia at this particular time? And why City M?
Why did Fred say those ambiguous things when they met?
Ashley piecied together the chaotic clues, and the person's identity became clear.
The person Damian really wanted to accuse was Uncle Fred.
Ashley's legs went weak, and she slowly crouched down to the ground.
Her mind was a tangled web of chaotic thoughts, clouding her reason and blurring her vision.
Did Damian know? With his methods, it should be easy to find the real culprit.
When Damian said on the phone that he would dig deep and make sure that person could never recover, he was referring to Fred, wasn't he?
Ashley took out her phone, wanting to ask Damian if he had arranged this on purpose, if he had known who it was from the start, and deliberately involved her, using a million dollars as bait to watch her take the hook.
Now, he was using her as a weapon against her own family.
Ashley let out a silent, bitter laugh. She felt utterly foolish. This was all a game of revenge, and she had naively thanked him for his generosity!
How stupid! She was really foolish!
The phone in her hand suddenly rang.
Ashley trembled all over, her anger making her heart race. She was on the verge of collapse. The number on the screen was undoubtedly the final blow.
Damian hadn't shown up these past few days; was he afraid of being exposed?
Now that she had just discovered the clue, so he couldn't wait to watch the show?
Ashley wiped her stinging eyes, took a deep breath, and answered the call, "Mr. Hearst."
Damian asked, "Where are you?"
Ashley coldly looked at the villa, which was filled with joy and warmth, a stark contrast to the darkness she was in. "You knew all along, didn't you?"
Damian didn't respond.
Ashley mocked, "With your resources, it’s easy to find the real mastermind. If you wanted, you could dig up everyone associated with him. So, you knew all along it was my uncle."
She sneered, "Then you pretended not to know, extending an olive branch to lure me in. What kind of show do you want to see? Family betrayal? A lawyer torn between justice and family?"
She sighed slowly, "My uncle was once the CFO of Astor Group. If Astor Group really embezzled funds from KM Group, then it must have been handled by Fred. You want revenge, to make him pay the price."
Ashley laughed bitterly, tears streaming down. "What could be more interesting than family betrayal? If I send my uncle to prison, I'll have to live with guilt and self-reproach for the rest of my life, always bearing the burden of my conscience. If I bend the law to acquit him, I'll be a lawyer who disregards justice, unable to hold my head up, and might have to leave the profession in disgrace. Well played, Mr. Hearst."
He had meticulously set up a dead-end, where every choice was wrong.
No one could hurt her heart more than he could!
Thousands of miles away in Rochester City, Damian sat in his office, in front of a high-definition computer screen showing a video from City M.
There was a silent celebration taking place in Henry's villa.
Across the street, by the woods, Ashley held the phone, trembling and crouching on the ground like a fragile doll.
Damian's heart was being torn apart, the pain almost numbing. "Ashley, listen to me."
Ashley slowly looked up at the villa. "Mr. Hearst, we are just in an employment relationship."
As she looked up, the camera caught her eyes filled with cold pain and endless sorrow, all of which pierced into Damian's vision.
Damian had never felt such deep regret and self-reproach.
He shouldn't have let Ashley take this case!
At that time, Ashley was determined to stay away from him, and they would part ways as soon as the contract ended.
There was no other way to keep her around except to continue working together. At that time, Damian hadn't realized that the feeling of wanting someone to stay by his side was love, and the ready-made lawsuit in City M was the perfect excuse.
So he offered a high price to tempt her, and sure enough, she agreed.
Later, as he dug deeper, he discovered that Fred was also involved and was the mastermind.
Damian hesitated then, but still let the situation spiral out of control.
He had the chance to stop it, but he didn't, so today's situation was his doing.
Damian couldn't bear to look at her expression, objectively analyzing, "Your uncle colluded with Henry to embezzle KM Group's funds. The evidence is conclusive, and you know this very well. From a legal standpoint, he bears unavoidable responsibility. No matter who takes on this case as a proxy, he is guilty this time."
He wanted to reach through the screen and wipe away her tears.
His fingers trembled, almost touching the screen before pulling back.
Ashley sniffled, she lifted her head to keep the tears from blurring her vision too quickly. But it hurt too much, her heart hurt too much. Every breath felt like stepping on broken glass. "Mr. Hearst..."
Damian's Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed. "Go ahead."
