Chapter 266: Secretary Astor
Damian strutted ahead, head high, while Ashley trailed behind.
They were headed to the sportswear section, packed with all the casual athletic brands.
Damian didn’t bother explaining, just grabbed a few sets of the season’s sportswear and shot a look back at Ashley, who was still frowning. “Want me to pick for you?”
Ashley asked, “Are we really meeting him dressed in these?”
Damian replied, “Sven’s playing golf this morning and hitting up Fisherman’s Wharf for a swim in the afternoon.”
So, did that mean they needed swimsuits, too?
Ashley didn’t waste much time, grabbed two sets of sportswear and a pair of lightweight sneakers, then hit up the outdoor goods store next door for some golf attire and a cap.
It had been ages since she last played golf, and she wasn’t sure how many strokes she could manage. Hopefully, she wouldn’t drag Damian down.
After swiping the card, Damian glanced at the paper bags on the ground. “Pick them up.”
Ashley wrinkled her nose. “Me?”
Damian put away his card and said, “You're a secretary. Mark my word.”
Yesterday she asked Damian in what capacity she’d meet Sven, and Damian said, “Secretary.”
Fine, a secretary was better than a girlfriend.
Ashley reluctantly picked up the dozen or so paper bags, not expecting them to be so heavy. Worse yet, Damian kept striding ahead without slowing down for her.
Ashley had no choice but to carry the bags, panting as she hurried to catch up.
While she was fuming, she didn’t notice Damian’s lips curling up.
Before putting on the new clothes, everything was rushed to the dry cleaners. Even the shoes got a thorough clean inside and out.
Ashley pouted, “Is this really necessary?”
Damian sat in the car waiting for the dry cleaning to be done, casually handling documents on his phone. “Do you know what’s inside a clothing factory?”
“Machines, workers,” Ashley replied.
Damian looked at her, teasing, “And then?”
Ashley said, “Don’t underestimate the workers. They wear masks and gloves while making clothes. The safety and hygiene standards in domestic factories are pretty high now.”
Damian said, “Didn’t you see that this brand’s sportswear is made in Southeast Asia?”
She wasn’t familiar with the situation in Southeast Asia, and after he mentioned it, she also felt that dry cleaning was necessary.
During this time, Damian’s phone rang. Coincidentally, Ashley saw the caller ID: Bryan.
Thinking of Bryan’s face, Ashley instinctively shrank back.
Damian didn’t avoid her and answered the call directly in the car. “Dad?”
“Where are you?” Bryan asked.
“Outdoors,” Damian replied.
“I asked where exactly?” Bryan pressed.
Damian frowned, “What’s up?”
Bryan impatiently said, “Is the Christian matter related to you?”
Damian looked far into the distance at the streets of Limehof. Not far away, a sign outside a seaside inn read, [I’m waiting for you at Limehof.]
“Depends on how you look at it,” Damian said.
“Don’t dodge the question. Did you send someone to do it?” Bryan asked.
“No,” Damian said.
“Why did the hotel’s surveillance equipment break down at that exact time? And you say it wasn’t your doing?” Bryan asked.
Ashley didn’t dare breathe, afraid Bryan would find out she was with Damian. If that happened, it wouldn’t just get her in trouble but also her parents.
Damian also realized that Ashley was deliberately holding her breath, taking in less air than she was letting out. She might suffocate herself. “Surveillance equipment malfunctioned, which means the hotel didn’t do its job properly and failed to maintain the equipment.”
"Don't think you can fool me with such childish tricks. I'm telling you, framing Christian will only make your grandfather give up on Trinity completely. There are so many well-bred girls in the country; can you tarnish all of them?" Bryan said.
Damian's brow furrowed like he was trying to plow a field with his mind. "Anything else, Dad?"
Bryan sternly said, "Stay away from Ashley!"
The call ended.
The last sentence hit Ashley's ears like a ton of bricks.
Damian put down his phone, acting like nothing happened. "Did you hear that?"
Hearing her name mentioned in such a harsh tone made Ashley feel awkward. "Yeah, I heard it. He’s got a point. Mr. Hearst should stay away from me."
Damian chuckled, "How many rich girls are there in the country? Have you counted?"
"What?" Ashley said, confused.
What kind of question was that?
Damian self-deprecatingly said, "Looks like I have a lot of work to do."
The sportswear didn’t hide Ashley’s great figure. The simple design highlighted her curves, making her look both strong and gentle, and her measurements enviable.
Damian’s eyes turned cold. "Change into another set."
Ashley mimicked his frown. "What’s wrong with this one?"
"Everything," Damian said.
Ashley didn’t get it. This outfit was comfy, the size was just right, and it fit well for squatting and jumping. "Oh."
So, when she came out in the second set, Damian’s expression was even worse. "Change back."
Seriously?
Was he messing with her?
Ashley angrily went to change clothes while Damian pinched his brow. It wasn’t the clothes; the problem was her.
After two rounds of this, Ashley was a bit emotional and snapped, "Why aren’t we driving?"
Damian tossed the car keys into her hand. "The boss drives, and the secretary sits? Does that make sense?"
Of course, she was a secretary.
Ashley unceremoniously got into the driver’s seat, turned the key, and started the car!
The black Rolls-Royce sped out of the parking lot, hitting eighty miles per hour, recklessly charging down the main road.
Damian sat in the passenger seat, unfazed by her madness, occasionally reminding her, "The speed limit here is sixty."
Ashley bit her lip. "It’s not my car. Whatever."
Damian laughed, "Right, it’s not my car, either."
Ashley suddenly remembered that several of Damian’s cars were under Thomas’s name. She quickly slowed down.
Damian propped his head with one hand. "Why slow down?"
Ashley sniffed, "I prefer driving like this."
Damian, caught off guard, let a smile slip, like the sea breeze and warm sun outside the window, bright but not blinding.
Arriving at the golf course, Ashley and Damian took a shuttle inside.
The air at the seaside city’s golf course was particularly humid, not dry or hot, and it massaged the face.
Damian leisurely put on white gloves. "Can you play?"
Ashley, lacking confidence, said, "Not bad."
Damian glanced at her. "How many holes?"
Ashley stammered, "I-I don’t know."
Damian said, "Just pretend to be a beginner."
Ashley thought, 'No need to pretend. I'm downright rookie.'
After the shuttle stopped, Damian reminded, "Miss. Secretary, the stuff."
Ashley pursed her lips, picking up the water cup, hat, phone, towel, and other personal items from the car.
Damian strode ahead, full of vigor. "Mr. Bergstrom, long time."
