Chapter 275 Mastery
This whole mess had got everyone’s blood pressure through the roof; anyone with a weak heart might’ve just passed out right there.
Ashley, still rattled, felt her heart pounding like crazy. "You really that sure of yourself? One slip-up and Hendrix could be dead, and you’d be looking at a manslaughter charge. This ain’t a game."
She was blown away by Damian’s skills but even more ticked off that he treated life like a game. Hendrix’s stunts were one thing, but Damian jumping in?
Damian casually tossed the dagger into the fruit bowl, acting like the life-and-death drama from a minute ago was no big deal. He was as chill as ever. "Hendrix isn’t scared of dying, so why should I be? Besides, I trust myself." He even hit a target the size of a grape with his eyes closed once.
As for Hendrix’s skills, after today’s little test, Damian was at least ninety percent sure. Hendrix wasn’t afraid of embarassing himself.
Ashley had no clue about Damian’s crazy feats and blurted out, "Don’t tell me you’ve been in the military, like those special forces guys in the movies."
Damian shrugged. "Something like that, but not exactly."
Ashley wasn’t buying it!
After all, they were married; how could she not have noticed anything?
Esme’s voice was shaky, her knees weak as she clung to Hendrix’s arm, her eyes still shiny with unshed tears. "Are you okay?"
Hendrix rubbed his neck. "I’m fine."
If this showdown was a secret battle to see who’d claim the island land, Damian was the clear winner. But Sven was in business, not a death match.
Still, some impressions would stick forever.
At least everyone there knew Damian was not to be messed with. He was more ruthless, decisive, extreme, and capable than the rumors about Mr. Hearst.
Sven chuckled, "Mr. Hearst’s skills are impressive! But today’s supposed to be a relaxing party; This show isn’t exactly relaxing. How about we switch to a simpler game?"
Freya had the servants set up fishing rods. "Ladies and gents, let’s see what kind of fish we’ll have for dinner tonight."
Next to the fishing rods were glass tables with wine, fruits, and cigars. Lying on chairs, fishing, enjoying the view, and sipping wine—now that was a relaxing party.
Ashley thanked her, "Thanks, Mrs. Bergstrom, for setting everything up so nicely."
Freya discreetly checked Ashley out. "No trouble at all, as long as you all have fun."
Esme stuck close to Hendrix, the two sitting side by side, their lounge chairs almost touching. "Hendrix, what did Damian do before? How does he know all this stuff?"
Hendrix set the fishing rod on the stand, leaned back, and stared at the dark blue night sky over the sea like he was counting stars. "I don’t care what he did before."
Esme was worried. "You two are competitors. Insufficient information puts you at a disadvantage."
Hendrix glanced over at Damian and sneered. "No matter how tough he is, he’s still human. One bullet can take him out."
Esme shushed him, reminding him to keep it down. "My dad hasn’t decided what to do with that land yet. Alexander’s got a lot of influence, too. Damian’s show today was a power move. Right now, you’ve got the least chance."
Hendrix scoffed. "A piece of land isn’t worth my life."
But going home and explaining to his dad would be tough, and he couldn’t just let it go.
"I can ask Dad to consider you," Esme offered.
"Don’t. Even if I get it, I won’t feel good about it," Hendrix said.
"You just don't wanna owe me a favor, huh?" Esme said.
Hendrix shut his eyes, not wanting to get into it. He only wanted to owe one person a favor, but that person wasn’t exactly lining up to help him.
Meanwhile...
Ashley wasn’t into fishing and whispered, "Mr. Hearst, Sven and Alexander have a tangled mess of interests. This land’s probably gonna end up with Alexander. By showing off today, aren’t you just making Sven more suspicious of you?"
Damian watched the fishing float, soaking in the sound of waves hitting the boat. The faint scent of the sea mixed with Ashley's light floral perfume was oddly calming today. "I can’t be sure Sven will pick me, but it definitely won’t be Alexander."
"Why?" Ashley asked.
Damian gave a sly smile.
Soon enough, Ashley would see where his confidence came from.
Just as everyone had caught a fish and the chef headed to the kitchen to cook, the vibe was perfect, but Alexander’s face suddenly changed.
Ten minutes earlier...
Hendrix had gone to the restroom and bumped into Alexander, who had just finished. "Mr. Smith, I need to ask you about someone."
Alexander wiped his hands, his face cold. "Who’s Hendrix curious about?"
They were both on edge, ready to snap, but a thin layer of civility kept things cool, for now. "Mr. Smith, you’ve got a trusted aide named Robert, right?" Hendrix said.
Alexander narrowed his eyes, his tone full of warning. "You know him?"
"Not really. I have standards for friends. At the very least, they gotta be human, right?" Hendrix said.
Alexander’s face darkened even more. "Watch your mouth, Hendrix."
"Robert’s going through a divorce. His wife came to our law firm, and the attorney handling the case is one of my top guys. In a lawsuit, you gotta know everything about your opponent, including their family background. Guess what? I found out he’s got a large sum of unexplained funds linked to you, Mr. Smith."
Alexander was skeptical. He was always careful enough to tie up all the loose ends. Hendrix was clearly trying to shake him down. "Hendrix, you need proof to back up your claims. Don’t make baseless accusations."
Hendrix grinned. "Proof? Oh, I’ve got it."
After making a bold statement today, he didn’t think Alexander would sleep well. As for the proof, he’d find it.
At that moment, Alexander’s phone rang.
Hendrix took his sweet time fixing his hair and clothes in the mirror. "Mr. Smith, better answer your phone."
Alexander gritted his teeth, his jaw muscles bulging. "What is it?" On the other end was his trusted assistant, who he’d told not to bother him tonight unless it was about securing the land from Sven.
"Boss, our contact in Southeast Asia has been arrested," the assistant said.
Alexander was stunned. "Who did it?"
"The attackers were quick and aggressive; we couldn’t see clearly," the assistant said.
Alexander lowered his voice as he scurried out. "Was it the cops?"
"Probably not. Looked more like a rival," the assistant replied.
"Shit! Find out who it was. If we can’t rescue him, silence him for good. He knows too much to fall into their hands," Alexander said.
"Yes, boss," the assistant replied.
Hanging up, Alexander felt as deflated as a popped balloon.
Hendrix, now looking smug, whistled as he walked out. "Oh, Mr. Smith, still here? Let’s go fishing."
Alexander clenched his fists, his suspicions now laser-focused on Hendrix.
Hendrix had been poking at him all day. Could it be that he had planned this, thinking he could control him?
If that were the case, Hendrix wouldn’t leave this boat alive!
