Chapter 246 Getting Beaten
Harold's punch left everyone stunned.
Trinity clamped her hand over her mouth to stifle a scream.
Amelia's heart raced with fear. 'Oh my God, Harold's done for,' she thought.
However,Harold didn't care about the consequences. He locked eyes with Damian, his gaze fierce. "This is for Ashley!" he shouted, voice shaking with anger. "I know you're powerful. You could kill me by tomorrow. But I have to stand up for her, no matter the cost!"
Ashley's eyes filled with tears, her doubts melting away.
Harold knew Damian's power but still defended her. It was reckless, maybe even foolish, but it moved her deeply. His actions showed his loyalty.
In that moment, Ashley felt protected and proud, like she was being shielded by family.
She stepped between the two men, looked them in the eye, and said firmly, "Mr. Hearst, Harold was defending me. If you're angry, take it out on me. Please, let him go."
Damian's face was cold and sorrowful. He was the one who got hit, yet she immediately pleaded for another man.
Did he mean nothing to her?
Gripping Harold's collar, Damian didn't let go. Instead, he spoke in a hoarse voice. "How many lives do you have? Didn't you think before standing up for someone?"
Though Harold was shorter and restrained, he stood his ground. Staring back at Damian, he declared, "I've already thrown the punch. Do what you want with me. Leave her out of this."
He was ready to face the consequences, unafraid of Damian, even if it meant dying.
Christian was shocked, thinking, 'You're dead meat!'
A teammate as dumb as a rock, destined to drag Ashley down with him.
Since knowing Damian, Christian had never seen anyone who offended him live to see the next day.
Christian laughed mockingly. "What? Does he have feelings for you? You're quite popular, huh, Ashley? Even after the divorce, people still stand up for you. This guy's willing to risk it all for you."
"None of your business! Shut up," Ashley snapped, not wanting Christian to stir things up.
But Christian wanted chaos. The best outcome would be for Damian to completely despise her and never look at her again. "Why panic? A public assault case? KM Group's legal team will show you small-time lawyers what real professionalism looks like."
His gloating smile ignited Amelia's anger. She couldn't hold back anymore. If Harold could stand up to Damian for Ashley, she would defend Harold. "Mr. Young, you're just a troublemaker! Is Mr. Hearst your dad or your grandpa? Mind your own business!"
Christian's face darkened, and he cursed, "Fuck, it's not your place to lecture me."
Amelia sneered, hoping to divert Christian's attention and stop him from inciting Damian. "Christian, we still have some unresolved issues. Let's clear them up today!"
Christian, fuming, got distracted by Amelia's taunts.
Meanwhile, Ashley grabbed Damian's arm. "Let him go. No need for a street fight."
Damian, pride wounded, redirected his anger at her. "So, you're apologizing for him?"
"Let me handle this, and I'll give you the answer you want," Ashley said. She knew Damian wouldn't go too hard on her, but if Harold was targeted, his family and company would suffer.
Harold thought Damian wouldn't show Ashley any mercy.
To outsiders, Ashley seemed to have it all, but Harold knew she wasn't happy. If she were, she wouldn't have moved from the spacious Imperial Residence to a cramped one-bedroom apartment.
Damian was ruthless. Ashley probably got nothing from the divorce; otherwise, she wouldn't be in this mess.
Harold said firmly, "Ashley, stay out of this. It's between him and me. This is a man's issue, and I don't need a woman to fix it. You might be afraid of him, but I'm not."
Ashley panicked, fearing Harold's stubbornness would make things worse. "Harold, Mr. Hearst and I were married for three years. I believe he won't make things difficult for me. There are some things you don't understand. I'll explain later. Don't worry, it'll be fine."
When Harold met her, he only knew her family was forced to move to Sylvania due to bankruptcy. He never imagined her past was so dramatic.
Damian sneered, "Trying to play the hero, huh? If you're so loyal, I'll grant your wish."
He couldn't stand seeing Ashley worry about another man. That look of concern should be reserved solely for him.
Ashley grabbed Damian's hand to stop him from breaking Harold's neck. Even if he killed Harold, it would likely be ruled as excessive self-defense, and he wouldn't face any real punishment. "Mr. Hearst, can we talk privately?"
Damian finally let go, shoving Harold a few steps away.
Harold adjusted his collar, the feeling of suffocation lingering. Damian's grip was ruthless. If Ashley hadn't intervened, he might have been saying goodbye to the world.
Ashley, fearing Damian might go back and kick him, quickly pulled him into an empty room and closed the door.
Only when it was quiet did she realize she was still holding Damian's hand.
She awkwardly let go and put her hand behind her back. "Mr. Hearst, Harold was shocked to hear you were my ex-husband. He didn't mean to disrespect you," she said sincerely.
The sting on Damian's face hadn't faded, but Ashley's gentle touch cooled his anger. "You want me to forgive him?" he asked.
There was a bruise from the punch just above his lip, marring his handsome face.
Ashley felt a bit of pity, but Harold's life was more important. "Yes, it was wrong of him to hit you, but there were reasons. I hope you can forgive him."
Damian showed a mocking expression. "I took a punch for nothing, and now you want me to forgive him?"
