Chapter 201: Embarrassed to the Point of Hiding Under the Table
Ashley spent the whole night figuring out how to bail Fred out.
In Eirondia, bail conditions were tough: high amounts, complicated procedures, and tons of requirements.
Even if Fred got medical parole, he couldn't leave Eirondia or go back to his home country. Eurostan was off-limits too.
Her cousins were in Eurostan, so no one could take care of him here.
All these problems made Ashley's head pound.
At six in the morning, Ashley's phone rang.
She answered, "Harold, why are you still up?"
Harold yawned, "Just finished up. It's dawn there, right? Did I wake you?"
Ashley rubbed her eyes, knowing she looked rough. "I haven't slept all night. My eyes are killing me from reading documents. So, if you have good news, spill it."
"Are you nuts? The case is over. Don't stay up all night. The KM Group folks are back home, and the law firm is waiting to celebrate your win. When are you coming back?"
Ashley sighed, "I can't come back right now."
Harold coughed, "I heard... it's your uncle..."
Ashley gave a bitter smile. "Bad news travels fast, huh? Seems like everyone knows."
"The KM Group is totally screwing you over, knowing it's about your uncle and still assigning you this case. You've had it rough, haven't you?"
Comfort was useless to Ashley. "Harold, I'm trying to bail out my uncle. If you know anyone who can help, let me know. I'm lost in Eirondia."
Harold got it. She wasn't coming back because she had to clean up the mess.
It was tough, being set up and still having to fix everything quietly.
Harold said, "I have a classmate in City M. I'll connect you two. But Ashley, this won't be easy."
Ashley nodded. "I'm ready for it. Also, could you lend me some money?"
Harold guessed what she needed and agreed, "Is three million dollars enough?"
Three million was the most Harold could offer. He refused to take over the family business or use his parents' money. Even though he earned well as a lawyer, his expenses were high, and he was generous, leaving him with little savings.
Ashley nodded. "Okay."
The ten million from the KM Group hadn't arrived yet, but combined, it should be enough.
Harold didn't waste any time and immediately contacted his classmate, setting up a meeting.
At nine in the morning, Ashley arrived early at the café.
To her surprise, Harold's classmate was about the same age as Harold, around six feet tall, wearing rimless glasses. He seemed to have just finished work, dressed in a black three-piece suit with a meticulously tied tie, carrying a briefcase.
The moment he walked in, Ashley felt he looked familiar but couldn't recall where she had seen him.
"Hello, I'm Hubert Diaz. Harold has mentioned you many times. I didn't expect you to be so beautiful."
Ashley stood up and extended her hand. "Hello, Mr. Diaz. I'm sorry to bother you. I should have visited you earlier, but I have an urgent matter and had to contact you last minute. I hope you don't mind."
Hubert shook her hand and sat down opposite her. "Have we met before? I did my undergrad and master's at the School of Politics and Law in Rochester City. Maybe we've crossed paths."
Ashley suddenly remembered, "Did you do a case analysis in a public lecture about five years ago, in a professor's class?"
She often attended public lectures at the School of Politics and Law, meeting many seasoned lawyers and excellent professors. There were so many people that her memory was a bit jumbled.
"The girl who asked about the pregnant woman in class, was that you?"
Back then, she was young and bold, always asking questions. When Hubert mentioned that in some countries, once convicted, you couldn't apply for parole, she stood up and asked loudly, "If a prisoner didn't know she was pregnant before going to jail and is due to give birth in a few months, can't she get parole? She can't spend her postpartum recovery in prison, right?"
Hubert had replied, "Good question, but some countries don't care. They usually return to work the day after giving birth."
The class had burst into laughter, and Ashley had shrunk in embarrassment.
The memory was vivid, and Ashley felt a bit awkward. "I don't really remember."
Hubert smiled, protecting her dignity, and didn't press the issue. "Harold said you want to apply for parole for someone serving a sentence?"
Ashley nodded. "Yes, my uncle."
She handed over the case file. "All the information is here. Please take a look, Mr. Diaz."
Hubert picked up the top copy of the judgment. "I did my PhD at the same school as you. Just call me Hubert, like Harold does."
This made things feel more personal. Ashley felt incredibly fortunate, like a ray of light in the gloom. "Okay, Hubert."
Meanwhile, Trinity had saved Damian's face in front of the elders, but he hadn't thanked her. It was like he had vanished from her life.
"Mom, what should I do? Just wait? With his personality, he won't contact me first." Trinity hugged a pillow, anxious and scared, regretting her overly generous behavior on Lindwell Avenue that night.
Pamela brought a glass of milk from the kitchen, coaxing her daughter to drink something first. "If he doesn't contact you, you contact him. Damian is proud and self-centered. Expecting him to bow first is impossible. So, sweetheart, you need to find a suitable reason to ask him out."
Trinity pushed the milk away, her heart heavy with worry. "I've thought of all kinds of reasons, but I can't come up with anything else."
Pamela continued, "Silly goose. Your wound just healed; it might relapse or have aftereffects. You got hurt for him; he can't just ignore that, can he?"
Trinity was enlightened by her mother. "Mom, you're so thoughtful! I'll call him right now and go for a check-up tomorrow."
Pamela held her daughter's hand. "What's the rush? Drink the milk first, take care of your skin, get a beauty sleep tonight, and do a spa before going to the hospital tomorrow. My daughter is so beautiful; Damian couldn't not like you, unless he's blind."
Trinity hugged her mother and kissed her, then picked up the milk and drank it.
These days, Damian's insomnia had worsened. Even sleeping pills couldn't help him sleep. Returning home, he was surrounded by Ashley's presence. Going to the house where Ashley had lived, it was filled with her scent, making it suffocating.
The cheap furniture she bought, though not assembled by her or used by her, made Damian feel her presence in every corner when he closed his eyes.
His imagination made his nerves even more frayed.
In his frustration, Damian asked Hayden to go drinking at Blue Star.
Hayden was reluctant to drink. Pushing open the private room door, he saw Damian smoking heavily. Hayden squinted and grinned, "You look like you're in a bad mood. Who's upset you this time?"
Damian, with his legs crossed on the table, lazily lifted his eyes. "If you keep talking like that, I'll chop your mouth into pieces next time!"
