Chapter 254 Too Many Expressions Lead to Wrinkles
How the hell did she end up biting Damian's arm?
Ashley clung to the leather sofa cushion like it was a lifeline, her fingers almost tearing into it. "No, I'm good."
Damian frowned, wiped the blood around the wound, saw the glass shards inside, and used tweezers to yank out a piece and drop it into a glass container.
Those blood-stained glass shards were a real eyesore.
Cold sweat broke out on Ashley's forehead, and her nose was all damp and sticky. No wonder it hurt like hell; those shards had really dug in.
She asked, "Done yet?"
Damian didn't sugarcoat it. "Don't move; not done."
Ashley took a few sharp breaths from the pain, closed her eyes, and said, "Just get it over with, Mr. Hearst."
Damian had pulled bullets out of people before. He wasn't a doctor, but he had nerves of steel. Even with bloody wounds, his hands wouldn't shake.
But this time, his emotions were messing with him. His right hand wasn't cooperating. "I'm calling a doctor."
Ashley shook her head. "Aren't you supposed to be good at this? Just keep going. I can take it."
More people meant more trouble. Who knew what might slip out and cause her problems?
She'd made a big splash today, and a lot of eyes were on her. She had to protect her hard-earned rep.
Damian sighed, grabbed a pillow, and shoved it into Ashley's arms. "Stop gripping, you'll hurt your fingers."
The pillow was soft and wouldn't hurt her hands.
Ashley hugged the pillow, buried her face in it, and her fingers dug into the soft down filling. Her voice was muffled. "Okay."
She was like an ostrich burying its head in the sand, thinking if she couldn't see it, it wasn't happening.
This scene amused Damian, making him feel a bit helpless.
After pulling out the last of the glass, Damian gently patted Ashley's head, her face still hidden as she leaned forward. "All clear now, but there might be a scar."
"Huh?" Ashley raised her head, her eyes, wet with tears from the pain, shining with a tragic light. "A scar? Are you serious?"
Like many women, she cared a lot about her looks. Who'd want an ugly scar, especially on her calf, such a hard spot to hide? Would she be stuck wearing long skirts and pants that covered her ankles from now on?
Damian tried to ignore her fair legs, but his gaze kept drifting upward uncontrollably. She'd never worn such a short skirt before; her legs were always covered. Seeing them in the surveillance today had surprised him. Now, seeing them so clearly in front of him, he was even more captivated.
He yearned to touch, to explore, to imagine all sorts of tantalizing scenarios.
"The glass shards went too deep, damaging the dermis. It's hard to fix."
Ashley pursed her lips. "With today's advanced techniques, it shouldn't be that bad. People can fix their faces after disfigurement, let alone a leg."
She wasn't an expert, but she had some common sense.
Damian frowned, clearly annoyed at her doubt. "Are you questioning me?"
"You're not a doctor, after all," Ashley wasn't ready to accept this.
Damian said, "It's not hopeless to remove the scar. I'll find a doctor for you."
Ashley was half-convinced, feeling that Damian had ulterior motives. "Which doctor? I'll find one myself."
Damian packed up the stuff, piling it carelessly on the table. "Fine, find one yourself."
Damian left the mess on the table and walked to the suite.
Ashley was frustrated. His mood changed so fast. Had she pissed him off?
Then the phone rang.
"Mr. Ross? How's it going?"
Sean said, "The doctor checked, no injuries. How about you? Does the wound still hurt?"
Ashley didn't dare spill the beans about what went down and lied smoothly. "All good here. I'll be home later."
Sean said, "Driving with an injury's a pain. I'll send a driver."
"No need, someone's already coming to get me. Thanks a ton for tonight. If it weren't for your quick thinking, I might've been messed up."
If those glass shards had hit her face, the pain and damage would've been unimaginable.
The more Ashley thought about it, the more freaked out she got, breaking out in a cold sweat.
Sean reassured her, "Even if it weren't me, someone else would've stepped in. I just happened to be there. Glad you're okay. Get home and rest up. Sleep helps with healing."
Ashley smiled lightly. Talking to Sean made her feel inexplicably comfortable and secure. "I will. I'll treat you to dinner another day to thank you in person."
Sean said, "Sure, I'll be waiting for your message."
After hanging up, the doctor couldn't help but say, "Mr. Ross, your arm's ligament is strained. You can't drive. You need at least half a month of rest and should avoid lifting heavy objects."
Sean tried to lift his arm, but the pain forced him to lower it. "Thanks, Doc."
Victor hurriedly walked into the VIP room, looking concerned. "Mr. Ross, sorry I'm late. We'll thoroughly investigate tonight's incident and give you a satisfactory explanation."
Sean slipped into his suit jacket, the tailored fabric accentuating his tall frame, and offered a subtle smile, hard to read. "The cause of the accident should be investigated, but luckily, no serious injuries. Mr. Victor Hearst, you're too kind."
Victor asked about his condition, and after hearing from the doctor, apologized again. "Mr. Ross, please give us a chance to make it up to you. I'll personally treat you to dinner another day."
Sean said, "Mr. Victor Hearst, as you can see, I can't even lift a fork with my arm. Dinner can wait."
Victor laughed, "Whenever you're available, Mr. Ross, I'll be ready."
Sean nodded. "Mr. Victor Hearst, you have many matters to attend to. I won't keep you."
Victor got the hint and didn't push it. He patted Sean's left shoulder. "I do have a busy day today. We'll arrange it another day."
Before leaving, he reminded the doctor to take good care of Sean.
Jack then handed him a business card, politely saying, "If you need anything, Mr. Ross, feel free to contact me. I won't disturb your rest any longer."
After they left, Sean gently shook his head.
Moments later, his assistant, Nikolai Volkov, walked into the meeting room. "Mr. Ross, how are you?"
Sean said, "I need a few days of rest."
Nikolai whispered, "Mr. Victor Hearst is being so attentive. Does he want to win you over?"
Sean handed the business card to Nikolai. "Hard to tell if he's a friend or foe. Victor's been stuck in the VP position for years. He probably wants to move up."
Nikolai didn't dare to speculate further and nodded. "So, what's your plan? Ignore it or play along?"
Sean said, "It's their internal matter. It has nothing to do with us. No need to get involved."
When Damian returned to the living room after his call, he saw that Ashley had neatly arranged the scattered items in the medical kit.
She was sitting on the sofa, scrolling through her phone.
Her expressions shifted constantly - frowning, then relaxing, chin resting on her hand, sighing, clicking her tongue.
Someone who didn't know might think she was practicing acting.
Damian joked, "Too many expressions can cause wrinkles."
Ashley flipped her phone over and placed it on her leg. "You're just in time. I got some fresh gossip for you."
Damian adjusted his trousers and sat on the sofa opposite her. "Gossip?"
