Chapter 269 One More Word and I'll Get You Out
Ashley didn't think her words would flip Sven's switch right away. She just wanted to drop a little nugget and let him mull it over.
The match wrapped up with Damian snagging the win, and before they knew it, it was chow time.
Sven stretched and yawned, "Man, I'm getting old. Can't keep up with you young guns."
Ashley skipped the small talk and went straight for what she wanted, "Mr. Bergstrom, maybe catch a quick nap before eating. Sleeping right after a meal messes with your digestion."
With their earlier coffee chat in mind, Sven trusted her a bit more, "Good call. I'll grab a nap first. Make yourselves at home."
Ashley mainly said this to get Sven out of their hair. If they hung out too long, Hendrix might spill the beans.
Once Sven and his assistant bounced, Hendrix grumbled, "You think Sven's dumb? He won't check? A quick Google search of Ashley's name will spill everything. Don't forget the buzz she stirred up recently."
Damian shot back, "You think Sven's as short-sighted as you?"
Some things were better left unsaid, even if everyone knew.
Hendrix sneered, "Mr. Hearst, Ashley's got a boyfriend. Why are you still hanging on? No matter what you threaten her with, let me be clear: if Ashley gets hurt, I'll break your leg!"
Damian's eyes went icy. "Since you know she has a boyfriend, why are you so persistent? Planning to be her backup?"
"None of your business! I'm her boss!" Hendrix snapped.
Damian scoffed, "Boss? Try it. See if she picks you or me."
Hendrix grabbed Ashley's wrist, "Don't be scared of him. Let's go."
But Ashley couldn't leave. She'd promised Damian to repay a favor. If she bailed with Hendrix, she'd be breaking her word. Plus, with Damian's vengeful personality, any slight would be repaid a hundredfold.
"Hendrix, I'm sorry. I'll explain later," Ashley said.
Hendrix looked at his hand in disbelief, "Ashley, can't you see he's playing you? He's just into your looks. You already have a boyfriend. Don't juggle two guys!"
Hendrix could accept Ashley's boyfriend being anyone but Damian.
Ashley, worried Hendrix might start a brawl, stepped in to mediate, "Hendrix, are you here for a business deal with Sven?"
Hendrix's head buzzed, losing focus on the deal, "Yeah."
Ashley nodded, "Since we're all here for the same thing, from now on..."
Hendrix cut her off, glaring at Damian's annoyingly chill face, "Wait. You want that island too, don't you?"
Ashley facepalmed.
Hendrix had the same goal as them!
Hendrix laughed, "There's only one piece of meat, and two hungry wolves. Let's see who gets it."
Ashley didn't know what Hendrix's secret weapon was. In terms of clout, KM was a bit better than the Long family, but the sanatorium involved the medical industry, and the Long family owned private hospitals, giving them more pull.
It was hard to call who'd win.
More importantly, it was uncertain if Sven even wanted to sell.
Damian said calmly, "I'll invite Hendrix to the groundbreaking ceremony to shovel some dirt. Don't worry."
Hendrix cursed, "The more you brag, the harder you fall. You think you can get the old fox to sell just because of KM Group's name? Why didn't you succeed before? Bringing a female secretary won't change that."
Damian replied, "We'll see."
Ashley, stuck in the middle, was at a loss, "I'm starving. Can we just eat?"
Picking a place for lunch turned into another showdown, almost leading to a brawl. Ashley had to raise her voice, "I just want pasta. If you want sushi, go get sushi. If you want French, go get French. Let's split up."
In the end, the two ridiculously handsome and high-status guys ended up at a street-side pasta joint with Ashley.
Ashley hid her face behind the menu. If she had known they'd tag along, she wouldn't have picked this place.
Now, they were like zoo exhibits, drawing stares from everyone passing by.
Hendrix didn't care, even nodding at the gawkers.
Ashley was mortified. "Or, we could go somewhere else..."
Before she could finish, she saw Damian head to the cashier. After a quick chat, the two-story restaurant was cleared out.
One minute it was buzzing, the next it was dead silent.
Damian sat back down like nothing happened.
To have a quiet lunch, he rented out the whole place. It might seem wasteful, but could Mr. Hearst's mood be bought with money?
Hendrix sneered, "How selfish of you!."
Damian shot back, "One more word, and I'll get you out."
Hendrix slammed his hand on the table, "Watch your mouth."
Damian said, "It's my restaurant. I say I don't want rude customers. Got a problem?"
Ashley's eyes widened, "Yours?"
He didn't just rent it; he bought the place.
Damian, unfazed, said, "Since I'll be doing business in Limehof, I'll be coming here often."
Hendrix's jaw dropped. "Damn!"
The meal left some feeling pumped, some indifferent, and some with indigestion.
After lunch, Damian said, "Let's head back to the hotel."
He completely ignored Hendrix.
Ashley, worried Hendrix might blow a fuse, tried to calm him, "Hendirx, you probably need to meet with your team to discuss the plan, right?"
Hendrix was concerned, "You and him..."
"We're not staying in the same room," Ashley said.
That was good enough. Hendrix thought back and felt the meal wasn't so bad after all.
But back at the hotel, Ashley was shocked again.
Her room was still available, but Damian's had been canceled!
Damian stood outside her door, "Key?"
Ashley licked her lips. "Mr. Hearst, please get another room."
Damian glanced at his watch. "I have a video conference in half an hour. Do you want me to get a room now?"
"You don't just want to have a meeting in my room, do you?" Ashley said.
"You're right." He admitted it!
Ashley said seriously, "Mr. Hearst, I only promised to repay a favor."
Damian frowned, "If you keep like this, you won't need to repay the favor. Just pay me back. The estimated revenue for this project exceeds fifty billion."
Ashley, frustrated, swiped her card to let him in, thinking she could get another room later.
Damian entered and immediately took off his sports jacket; the sudden reveal of his sculpted back was striking.
Did he just strip down? What was going on?
"What are you doing!" Ashley said.
Damian tossed his clothes into the trash, "I skipped my shower after workout to have lunch with you."
He turned around, his eight-pack abs boldly displayed, very intimidating.
Ashley's voice softened, "Wait, your clothes aren't in my room. Get them first, then shower."
Damian seemed to be reminded, nodding cooperatively, "The clothes are in the car. Miss Secretary, please."
