Chapter 240 About Mrs. Hearst
"Got it." Ashley picked up on all the unspoken rules without Damian having to explain.
No need to follow the usual steps with someone like Alexander; he wasn't worth it.
Damian looked into her clear eyes and understood what Hayden meant about Ashley changing. The serenity and wisdom now present in her gaze were a stark departure from her previous demeanor.
"Keep an eye on your colleague," Damian advised. "Make sure she doesn't mess up. If you see this as a chance to deal with a competitor, that's up to you."
Ashley nodded. "I know what to do."
The tension between them eased as they talked. Damian glanced around the room. "Get some rest."
"Good night," Ashley said, getting up to see him out, with no intention of anything intimate happening between them.
Left outside the door, Damian smiled bitterly. He really knew how to complicate things for himself.
After a half-hour cold shower, Damian lay in bed, tossing and turning.
He took a sleeping pill and finally fell asleep in the latter half of the night.
The next day, Damian slept in and missed his meeting with Ashley. "Is she gone?" he murmured.
The guest room door opened, and all traces of Ashley were gone. The bed was tidy, and her faint fragrance had dissipated.
Damian slouched against the door, feeling a chilling sense of loss.
The ringing phone interrupted his thoughts. "Mr. Damian Hearst, Mr. Anthony Hearst has been hospitalized."
Damian snapped out of it, his voice rising. "What happened?"
Anthony's attending physician said, "Mr. Anthony Hearst's condition has always been unstable. Medication helps, but any change in mood can trigger an episode. Luckily, the maid got him to the hospital in time."
Damian replied, "I'm on my way."
Victor and Nathan were already in the hospital hallway when Damian arrived.
Nathan had lost a chess game to Damian at the Clearwater Bay Club yesterday and told his brother Victor about it. Now, the three of them met, each with their own thoughts.
Nathan greeted him, "Damian, you're here."
Damian nodded, acting like nothing happened last night. "How's Grandpa ?"
Victor walked past Nathan and faced Damian. "The doctor said he's out of danger but needs to rest. We shouldn't disturb him. Let's wait for more news."
Damian asked, "Do you know about Grandpa's condition?"
Nathan glanced at Victor. "The doctor said it's memory deterioration."
Damian said, "He can't be stressed. Don't bother him with trivial matters."
Victor looked worried. "He was fine when we left yesterday. How did he suddenly fall ill? Who visited Grandpa?"
Nathan shook his head, then remembered the maid Joyce who came with the ambulance. "I'll go ask Joyce."
Damian said, "Stay here. I'll check."
Joyce was still nervous, her face pale. Seeing Damian approach, she seemed to calm down a bit, rubbing her hands and smiling wryly. "Mr. Hearst, you're finally here. Is Mr. Anthony Hearst okay?"
Damian said, "Don't be nervous. Have a seat."
Joyce froze, staring blankly at the imposing Damian. "No need, I'll just stand."
Damian's tone wasn't harsh, nor was his voice loud, but it was enough to make her follow his instruction. Damian repeated, "Sit down."
"Okay." Joyce sat down trembling, showing great respect for the Damian she feared most.
Damian sat in a single chair not far from her, with a coffee table between them. He crossed his legs and rested his hands on his knees. "Tell me everything Mr. Anthony Hearst did and everyone he saw. Don't leave anything out."
Joyce recalled carefully, "Last night during dinner, Mr. Anthony Hearst received a phone call. He seemed very happy. Later, he mentioned craving pasta, so I made some for him. He ate it all, which is rare. I haven't seen him with such a good appetite in a long time. I waited until he fell asleep before leaving his room."
'A call that made him happy? Who could it be?' Damian pondered as he asked, "And today?"
Joyce said cautiously, "Today, Mr. Anthony Hearst received another call..."
"From whom?"
Joyce shook her head. "I don't know. I just heard Mr. Anthony Hearst get very angry and yell at the person, saying something about watching that woman and not letting her get close..." She looked at Damian. "Not letting her get close to you."
Damian seemed to understand. Maybe Anthony had sent someone to the Imperial Residence and saw Ashley leaving. The sight of Ashley leaving his house early in the morning stirred a sense of unease within Anthony.
Seeing his serious expression, Joyce asked softly, "Mr. Damian Hearst, are you okay?"
Damian snapped out of it. "You used to have a good relationship with Ashley."
Joyce felt Damian was always cold and indifferent to Ashley, so she spoke even more cautiously, "Mrs. Hearst used to come with you to see Mr. Anthony Hearst. She was always alone, looking lonely in the yard. I couldn't help but talk to her a bit."
"She was always alone, looking lonely in the yard," this was a scene Damian had never noticed.
Or maybe he had never cared about what Ashley did when she visited Mr. Anthony Hearst.
Imagining that scene made Damian's throat tighten. "What did she say to you?" he inquired.
Joyce sighed, "Mrs. Hearst asked me what Mr. Anthony Hearst liked, his habits, and taboos. Then she would bring things he liked when she came again, but..."
She didn't continue, but Damian understood.
But the gifts Ashley brought were all thrown away by Anthony.
Joyce said, "I secretly picked up those gifts, served the food bought by Mrs. Hearst to Mr. Anthony Hearst, and discreetly placed the other gifts where he could easily find them. Mr. Anthony Hearst thought I had bought them and didn't ask much."
Damian smiled faintly. "Thank you."
Joyce stood up, moved. "Um, no, it's what I should do."
Damian gestured for her to sit down. "Did she ask about me?"
Joyce smiled. "Yes. She asked about you the most—your childhood stories, things you liked, what you usually did, and your favorite foods. Mrs. Hearst even took notes on her phone, like a student preparing for an exam."
