Chapter 263: Swallowing Pride to Apologize
Hayden heard Christian's scream, and it made his skin crawl. He stuttered, "D-Damian, isn't that a bit too much?"
Damian chuckled quietly.
That grin was something Hayden would never forget.
A guy in love was seriously dangerous! No way he'd use Ashley as a shield again; blind dates were way better than risking his neck.
As they left the hospital, Ashley hustled to keep up with Damian's breakneck pace. "Mr. Hearst."
Was he trying to break the sound barrier or something?
"Ashley, do you make a habit of pretending to be someone else's girlfriend? One Harold isn't enough, and now you're pretending to be with your ex's buddy." Damian had been stewing over this. Saying it out loud, he knew it might sting, but he wanted to set her straight and stop her from being a pawn in other people's blind dates.
Ashley thought, 'Do you think I enjoy this? When have I ever had a choice?'
But really, did she need to explain herself to Damian?
"Hayden won't dare next time. And Harold, knowing who you are, wouldn't have the guts to drag me into his mess again. So, Mr. Hearst, you can chill." Ashley said.
Damian snorted, "Are those the only two guys around you? I remember you having a pretty big social circle."
That sour tone was really grating. Ashley stopped and said seriously, "Do you have to be so harsh?"
Damian was so mad he almost took out Christian, and she called him harsh. "Let me ask you, who messed with the hotel's surveillance?"
Ashley went silent.
Damian's lips curled into a cold smile, his eyes boring into her. "This is the second time your cousin's bailed you out. Getting gutsy, huh? Messing with Christian? Not even dodging the cameras, just waiting to get caught?"
Ashley bit her lip. How did he know everything? "So, you cleaned up the surveillance?"
Christian said the hotel's footage was missing; it wasn't a fluke after all.
Damian's smile didn't reach his eyes. "Yep, that was me."
Ashley was speechless. After a few moments, she said, "Why did you help me?"
Why?
Damian was fuming. Wasn't it obvious? Did she really need to ask?
Seeing his murderous look, Ashley added, "Forget it. I'll keep it in mind, Mr. Hearst. I owe you one."
"You wanna repay me? How about now?" Damian said.
The online drama was giving Ulysses a massive headache.
His son was hurt and in the hospital, but he had to give the Hearst family an explanation.
Grabbing his phone, Ulysses clenched his fist and pounded the sofa armrest, wanting to drag his son up and beat him again.
With a heavy heart, he dialed Bryan's number. Even before hearing the voice, Ulysses had already put on such a solemn face that no one could look him in the eye.
Over the years, the Hearst family's position in Rochester City was rock solid. Even without direct competition, eager netizens often ranked the wealthy, and Universal Group had long been second to KM, making them look second-rate.
Plus, his rebellious son grew up with Damian and had a tight bond, often being compared.
Didn't he know his own son's level? How could he stack up to Damian?
It would've been fine if nothing happened, but this embarrassing mess made Ulysses feel utterly humiliated, his back slumping with a sense of worthlessness.
When the call connected, Ulysses forced a smile and said, "Bryan, hey, you busy?"
Bryan could guess why Ulysses was calling and responded with a chuckle, "You old coot, what made you think of calling me?"
Ulysses, a straight shooter from his military days, didn't like beating around the bush. Bryan was also quick-tempered, which was why they'd been tight for years.
Ulysses got right to it, "You saw the news, right? My useless son pulled some disgraceful stunt, which embarrassed me to even talk to you."
Bryan had already heard about it, but since Trinity and the Hearst family no longer had a marriage arrangement, he wasn't too riled up. Plus, he knew about Christian's flirtatious ways and was pretty chill about young folks' impulsive actions. "You're making it a big deal. The kids had a few drinks. Can we take it seriously?"
He gave Ulysses a big out, and Ulysses took it, speaking very politely, "Exactly! I told him to show his face at the party, but he got totally wasted. That brat ended up in the hospital, and he won't dare mess around for about half a year."
"Oh, come on! Why bother? Over a woman." Bryan said.
"That's not acceptable. After all... speaking of which, it's probably a good thing Damian didn't marry the girl from the Bezos family. A girl like that is really not proper." Ulysses said.
Bryan laughed, "Inexperience leads to poor judgment. It's good to see things clearly."
Ulysses laughed, "Hear. Hear."
After a few more pleasantries, they hung up.
Bryan sneered, "Christian's mess isn't necessarily a bad thing. Seems Dad was a bit hasty in choosing Trinity for Damian."
Nicole pondered, "Trinity's reputation is ruined, but we can't keep delaying our son's marriage, can we? As long as Ashley stays in Rochester City, I can't be at ease. Our son clearly still has feelings for her."
Bryan picked up the coffee cup on the table and inhaled the aroma. "A few days ago, Ashley was accused of attempted murder. Why has it gone quiet?"
Nicole, wrapped in a shawl, had a bracelet on her wrist that gleamed white, contrasting with the sharpness in her eyes. "To suppress such big news quietly, who else but our good son could do it?"
Bryan, losing interest in the coffee, put down the cup and said angrily, "Foolish! He's forgotten what it's like to struggle, too comfortable in his own little world, ignoring the pain he's been through."
Nicole smiled faintly, hinting, "They say like father, like son. Isn't our son's flirtatious nature inherited from his good father?"
Bryan's face darkened, "How long has it been, and you're still holding a grudge?"
Nicole's expression was indifferent. She knew what kind of man her husband was when they got married. Even so, she chose to marry for the sake of the family business. From the moment she walked into the Hearst family, she was fully prepared. As long as Mrs. Hearst's position was hers, she could ignore any rumors.
Love had never lingered in her life, and she didn't care.
And her good husband didn't disappoint her, with countless romantic debts in his youth.
Fortunately, their son had high standards and didn't fall in love with every girl he met.
Otherwise, if there was a drama of a brother falling in love with his half-sister, the Hearst family would be in chaos.
Nicole was a bit tired, yawned, and smiled, "I don't blame you, so don't blame our son. After all, he didn't get to choose his father."
