Chapter 208 Private Jet
Damian slid into the chair next to Ashley and said, "Keep talking."
His natural posture left Ashley and Hubert momentarily stunned.
From a guy's perspective, Damian's striking feature was his aggressively handsome face, followed by his classy but unbranded outfit. The multi-million-dollar watch on his wrist made Hubert's eyes widen a bit.
Even in elite legal circles, Hubert had never met someone with such a commanding presence.
Hubert forced a smile. "And who might this be?"
Ashley had just mentioned her friend wasn't in Eirondia, and now Damian had thrown a wrench in the works. How was she supposed to explain this?
"He is..." Ashley stammered.
Damian leaned closer to Ashley, his deep eyes softening. His lips brushed her ear, his breath warm. "What do you want to drink? Coffee? Or something else?"
Half of Ashley's face went numb, the skin where his breath touched tingling. "Anything's fine."
She hadn't planned to stay long and was just holding a free glass of water.
Damian smirked, "How about milk? It's too late for coffee; it might mess with your sleep. Sound good?"
He was so close that only Ashley's left ear could hear him. With one hand on the back of her chair and half his body leaning over, it looked like an intimate whisper to anyone else.
Hubert's face instantly fell, and he gripped his water glass tightly.
Damian casually sat back, called the waiter, and ordered drinks. Then he pulled out his phone. "What were you asking earlier?"
Hubert forced a smile. "Nothing."
It was obvious. If he still couldn't see it, he'd be a fool, and that would be even more embarrassing.
Ashley shot Damian a look. What was he trying to do by making others misunderstand?
Then she asked, "Hubert, are you adjusting well to Eirondia?"
Hubert replied, "It's okay. The pace is slower, more comfortable than Sylvania."
Since Hubert was Harold's friend, Ashley tried to keep the conversation going. "Have you immigrated? Or just working here for a bit before heading back?"
Hubert glanced at Damian. He was looking at his phone, seemingly uninterested, but his presence overshadowed everything, making everyone else seem like background noise.
"My parents are still back home. I'll consider returning based on their wishes. I'm an only child, after all." said Hubert.
Talking about mundane family stuff in front of Damian made Hubert feel inferior, like a peasant next to a king.
Hubert felt extremely uncomfortable.
The milk arrived, and Damian placed a cup in front of Ashley. He tested the temperature with the back of his hand and warned, "Careful, it's a bit hot."
Ashley blinked and stayed silent.
Damian smiled. "Want me to blow on it for you?"
Ashley quickly moved the cup away. "No need, it's not that hot."
Hubert's face had turned pale.
If they stayed any longer, she worried Hubert might have a breakdown. So she gave him an out. "Do you have any other plans, Hubert?"
Hubert had pushed aside work to meet Ashley, hoping for some uninterrupted time with her. But now it seemed pointless. "Yeah, I have a case going to trial soon. I need to review the materials. Let's keep in touch by phone."
Ashley felt relieved. "Then I won't take up any more of your time, Hubert. Let's stay in touch."
After Hubert left, Ashley put down her milk and glared at Damian. "What are you trying to do? Make people misunderstand?"
Damian closed his email and locked his screen. "Don't want misunderstandings? Why didn't you explain? Did I stop you?"
Yeah, she could have explained. Just saying "he's my friend or my client" would have sufficed.
By letting Damian's actions speak, she subconsciously wanted to shut down Hubert's intentions and avoid future hassle.
She admitted she used Damian as an easy excuse to fend off other guys.
Ashley pressed on, "Answer my question directly, Mr. Hearst. Why make Hubert so uncomfortable? You don't even know him."
Damian took a sip of milk, frowned, clearly not liking it. "Did I do anything? Hubert saw me as competition. Sadly, from looks to wealth, he felt inferior. Men are naturally competitive. He just lost badly."
Ashley frowned. "He's Harold's friend. We'll run into him again. What if he tells Harold? How do I explain?"
Hubert didn't know Damian's identity, but he'd remember his face. A detailed description would make it hard to hide.
Damian shrugged. "A grown man gossiping? You should distance yourself from him."
Ashley shot back, "Mr. Hearst, you don't need to worry about social niceties. I have to make a living. Connections matter."
Damian raised an eyebrow. "Don't think knowing someone adds to your network. Can't you see his intentions? Or do you want something with him? Am I ruining your plans?"
Ashley felt she couldn't communicate with Damian. Frustrated, she took a big gulp of hot milk.
"Ah!"
The milk was too hot, and she choked, burning her tongue. She grabbed her water glass and drank several gulps to ease the pain.
Damian handed her some tissues. "I warned you, but you didn't listen."
Embarrassed and angry, Ashley wiped her mouth and crumpled the tissues. "Shall we go?"
Damian straightened his clothes, stood up gracefully, and walked with a light step. "Let's go back to the hotel and pack. We're flying back this afternoon."
In the afternoon, Ashley boarded Damian's private jet.
The luxurious flight had only the crew and the two of them as passengers.
The spacious cabin had sofas, seats, a bathroom, a bar, board games, and bookshelves. Twenty hours on the plane wouldn't be boring.
But sitting next to Damian, time seemed to drag for Ashley.
Damian was busy with work, reviewing documents for over two hours before starting a video conference.
Ashley flipped through magazines and novels, trying to avoid interacting with Damian.
The plane flew smoothly, surrounded by clouds. The platinum light filled the cabin, making Damian's face look even more enchanting.
Realizing she had been staring, Ashley quickly looked down at her book.
Damian's voice suddenly drifted over. "Is it good?"
Ashley thought he was asking about the novel. "It's pretty good."
She held a novel, Kazuo Ishiguro's "Never Let Me Go", which had rich imagination and a thought-provoking plot.
Damian leaned over, took the book from her hands, and placed it back on the shelf. "If it's good, take a good look. This kind of opportunity doesn't come every day."
Ashley was confused for a second, then got it. She smiled wryly, "Mr. Hearst, you have the right to be narcissistic, but I'm not that keen on staring at handsome guys. Please give me back my book; I haven't finished it yet."
Damian sat next to her, adjusted his seat to recline, and then pressed the button on Ashley's seat, forcing her to recline as well.
Ashley leaned forward, not wanting to create the illusion of sharing a bed with Damian. "What are you doing?"
Damian pressed her head down, forcing her onto the reclined seat, and held her head in place. "I'll read it to you."
