Chapter 205 Matching Outfits
No matter how harsh Damian was about Fred's case, Ashley couldn't ignore that he saved her life today. She said sincerely, "Thanks. If it weren't for you, I might be dead."
She turned away, not letting Damian touch her face, and grabbed some tissues to wipe herself off.
Damian wasn't thrilled by her gratitude; the word "thanks" grated on him. It felt like a cold winter river freezing his insides. "Who was that woman who ran away? Do you know her?"
Ashley didn't want to discuss it. Family issues shouldn't be aired publicly. But even if she stayed quiet, Damian would find out. "My uncle's daughter, Paula. She's two years older than me. After my uncle was imprisoned, she and my cousin came over from Eurostan."
With that clear explanation, she hoped Damian wouldn't feel the need to dig further.
Damian despised her uncle so much that if he knew more about their family in Eurostan, he might retaliate even more, making their lives unbearable.
Damian asked, "What are you afraid of? Worried I'll send people to Eurostan to deal with them? Ashley, do I look that idle to you?"
Ashley clutched the used tissue, thinking, 'If you weren't idle, would you have flown to City M?'
She said calmly, "Mr. Hearst, you have big projects worth billions. No need to waste time on small fry. My uncle's family didn't know about his actions, and he's already paid the price. Can we let this go?"
She was speaking on behalf of her uncle, hoping Damian would show some humanity and let it go.
Whether or not Damian had anything to do with the problems at Adam's restaurant, Ashley's biggest wish was to never have anything to do with the Hearst family again.
Damian found her words grating. He leaned back in the driver's seat, looking out at the night through the windshield. "Are you trying to apply for his bail?"
Ashley's fingers tightened one by one.
She mused, 'What did Damian want? Was he still monitoring my every move?'
"Mr. Hearst..." Ashley looked at his profile, emotions churning. She didn't want him to see through her, but it felt like she was a piece of transparent glass, unable to hide any secrets. "My uncle is old and has a bad heart. He can't survive two and a half years in prison. I'm applying for bail just to get him better medical conditions. His resources have been completely cut off by you, and Henry has been sentenced to prison. They can no longer harm KM Group's interests. What else are you worried about?"
Absolute power was when one word from the other party could determine someone's fate, while those at the bottom found it extravagant to secure a place to rest for the rest of their lives.
Damian felt a nameless fire burning up to his throat. He gripped the steering wheel irritably. "Ashley, what do you mean?"
Ashley turned her head to look ahead, avoiding his gaze. "Mr. Hearst, you are known for your hatred of evil and intolerance of any wrongdoing."
Damian laughed out of anger. "Fine."
He said no more, started the engine, and sped all the way to the hotel.
It was still the same Holiday Inn they stayed at last time. Damian stopped the car. "Come with me."
Ashley bit her back teeth. "I'll go back to my hotel. I don't want to disturb your rest."
Damian suppressed his anger. "If you want to go back, fine. Give me the clothes."
Ashley raised her head, looking incredulously at his serious face. "I can't give you the clothes right now. I'll return them after they're washed."
Damian insisted, "Either take them off now or come upstairs with me. Ashley, you're right. I can't tolerate any wrongdoing."
Ashley's clothes underneath were torn to shreds. Without this outfit, she'd be completely exposed.
She had no choice but to follow Damian's steps.
Maybe it was a coincidence, or maybe it was intentional, but Damian had booked the same suite as last time.
The setup was identical, as if no other guests had stayed in between.
Ashley had the illusion that Damian had reserved this room.
That was indeed the case.
Damian changed out of his slippers, tossed his dirty shoes in the trash, and grabbed another pair from the shoe cabinet, throwing them at Ashley's feet. "Put these on."
Ashley hesitated.
Damian went to the liquor cabinet, picked up a bottle of whiskey, then switched to water. "You want to bail out Fred? Without my permission, you won't get the paperwork done."
Ashley felt a deep, numbing sorrow.
After changing her shoes, she stood under the living room chandelier. "What do you want, Mr. Hearst?"
She thought, 'What would it take for you to let my uncle go?'
Damian, holding a glass in one hand and the other in his pocket, leaned lazily against the liquor cabinet. He looked like a prince, hiding his coldness from an hour ago.
He looked down at her and said slowly, "I do whatever I want."
Ashley, clutching her bag strap under the oversized coat, felt Damian had ulterior motives. "Mr. Hearst, as you can see, I look no better than a homeless person right now."
"If a homeless person had your face, they wouldn't go hungry." Damian retorted.
His compliment felt ironic in this context.
In the silence, Ashley felt uncomfortable under his gaze. She thought for a moment and proposed a deal. "Ten million. If you let my uncle go, I won't take a penny of the lawsuit fee. KM Group has already gotten its justice. My uncle is ruined and can't return to Rochester City even if he's released. Will that satisfy you?"
Damian felt his head swell, his temples throbbing. He wondered, 'Why was it so hard for her to say something nice?'
Damian didn't dwell on her words and said, "Go take a shower."
Ashley's heart sank. She had shown her utmost sincerity. Why was Damian still insistent?
Ashley refused, "Mr. Hearst, I'm not feeling well."
Damian asked urgently, "Where are you feeling unwell? Is your injury acting up again?"
Indeed, that was a good excuse.
She replied, "Yes, before you arrived, they hit me pretty hard. It hurt my back."
Damian cursed inside and said, "Get yourself cleaned up. I'll call a doctor."
"No need. I want to rest." Ashley responded.
Damian insisted on calling a doctor. "You still need a check-up."
In the bathroom, Ashley took off her coat and saw her torn clothes. She angrily thought about going back to kick them again.
Standing under the shower, she washed herself repeatedly, scrubbing the skin touched by those men until it was almost raw.
If Damian hadn't knocked on the door, she would have scrubbed a few more times.
Wrapped in a bathrobe, Ashley came out with her face flushed from the steam, her despondency gone, revealing her stunning beauty once again.
Damian was momentarily dazed, then cleared his throat. "Go inside and change your clothes."
He didn't want the doctor to see Ashley like this. Not even a female doctor.
Ashley was in a dilemma. "What clothes? Do you have women's clothing?"
She had come empty-handed. How could she have clothes to change into?
"In the bedroom," Damian said.
Entering the bedroom, Ashley saw a row of neatly arranged women's clothes, the same ones Damian had someone send over last time, kept in their original state.
He couldn't have the power of foresight, right? So why did he keep the clothes?
And did he reserve this room just to keep the clothes handy?
With these questions in mind, Ashley changed into a loose loungewear set, made of pure cotton, not form-fitting, not showing her figure, lazy yet comfortable.
When she came out, she saw that Damian had also showered and changed, his hair half-dry, naturally fluffy, without any styling, looking very homely and gentle.
Ashley was startled by her own thoughts. Was her brain malfunctioning, associating Damian with gentleness?
Coincidentally, without prior discussion, they had both changed into matching loungewear, looking like a couple at first glance.
Ashley felt a bit awkward.
Damian looked at her playfully. "Nice choice. Did you wear it to please me?"
