Chapter 277 Bearing This Kindness
Ashley took a step back and said, "Since Mr. Smith's unavailable, how 'bout we chat another day? No gentleman would take advantage of someone when they're down."
Damian kept fishing, chill as ever, reeling in a fish now and then. If he felt like it, he'd keep the fish he caught; or, he'd just toss it back to the sea.
He was in the thick of it but acted like he was just a bystander.
Sven was worried about Alexander's sudden bounce. With Alexander's business empire, a quick exit like that had to mean some serious stuff was going down.
If Alexander hit a snag now, their deal might go up in smoke. "What's Freya think?" Sven asked.
Sven had worked hard to clean up his act, and now he had to watch his rep in everything. Freya, who'd been hustling from the start, didn't want to lose all they'd worked for.
Freya questioned, "Why talk shop now? Total buzzkill. We haven't even had dinner yet; can't go starving, right?"
"Right, right! Look at me. Such a terrible host. Let's eat first!" Sven boomed.
No one really cared about the taste of the dinner.
Ashley was just eating to fill up.
She felt Alexander's sudden exit had Damian's fingerprints all over it.
While strolling on the deck after dinner, Ashley couldn't hold it in anymore. "Mr. Hearst, is Alexander in trouble?"
Damian saw Ashley's shawl flapping in the wind, her thin frame swaying in the sea breeze. He said, annoyed, "You cold or something?"
"I wanna help you impress Sven. Spill about Alexander, and I'll head back." Ashley said. She was braving the cold to help him, and Damian didn't know whether to be mad or not. He took off his coat and draped it over her shoulders. "If you get sick, how can you help me? Put this on."
Ashley felt a surge of warmth surging through her, his body heat transferring to her, as comforting as the silk suit he wore. "Thanks."
Damian was irked by her gratitude. "Alexander's issue ain't important."
"Of course, it is. We're here to snag some land. We finally got a shot; we can't let Alexander mess it up. You must've noticed if Alexander hadn't bailed, Sven would've picked him." Ashley said.
"He ain't coming back. Next time you see Alexander, it'll be in court or behind bars." Damian said.
A bright joy flashed across Ashley's face. "For real?"
The warm, soft light on the deck lit up the area, especially her cheeks. Damian coughed lightly and looked away. "Alexander left in a hurry 'cause his business got wrecked."
Ashley whispered, "Domestic or abroad?"
"Abroad," Damian said.
What a coincidence! She and Hendrix had planned to gather dirt on Alexander, and now his operation had been taken down.
"Was it really you?" Ashley asked.
Damian said, "Bad guys get what's coming to 'em. I ain't trying to play world police."
Ashley, having seen so many cases, didn't buy it. If all injustices were left to fate, how many people would die with injustice? "Why don't you just admit it was you?"
Damian said, "What's the point?"
Ashley thought for a moment. "From Mark's case to our run-in with Patrick in Watercloud Village, we slowly uncovered Alexander's secrets. Then you had people tail him. It's not a shock if you took the next step."
These reasons didn't seem enough for the high-and-mighty Damian to waste his precious time.
Damian doubted Ashley's smarts, which seemed to come and go. "From Mark... hmm!"
His words seemed to clear a blockage in Ashley's mind.
Wasn't his trip to Watercloud Village all for her? The whole thing played out like a deck of tarot cards; he jumped in solo, and everything else just spiraled from there.
Ashley knew it but didn't want to admit it. Admitting it meant she had to acknowledge the favor and repay it. "I saw on the news that the road in Watercloud Village got fixed up, Mark's mom's house got a makeover, and it's packed with new furniture. The whole village thinks Thomas was the generous benefactor."
Damian had seen the news a few days ago but hadn't brought it up, bothered by all the public chatter.
Damian said, "Wanna visit again?"
"Better not. I don't wanna mess with the old lady's life," Ashley said. Plus, she didn't want to see that awkward veggie cellar again.
Hendrix came out and saw them leaning against the deck, chatting. He shouted, "Mr. Hearst, working your secretary overtime at night? You paying her extra?"
To Damian, Hendrix's voice was just an annoying buzz. "Hendrix, aren't you with Miss Bergstrom? Run out of moves and got dumped?"
With no outsiders around, Hendrix dropped the act. "Mr. Hearst, you've done so many shady things, always trying to score with pretty girls. And don't get me started with your show of acting all wholely committed and your fake secretary acting crap."
They clashed as soon as they met, and Ashley feared they'd start throwing punches. "We're on Sven's turf. Can you both chill a bit?"
Hendrix was ticked off by the sight of Damian's coat on her. "You're a law Ph.D, yet you're letting him use and fool you? You short on cash or just scared of trouble?"
Ashley was tired of explaining. "I'm cold, and Mr. Hearst helped me stay warm. It's that simple. As for the secretary gig, there's a reason for it. There's no shady deal like you think. Also, even though you're my boss, you have no right to meddle in my personal life. If this is friendly concern, thanks. Otherwise, save it."
Hendrix felt frustrated and angry, with a dozen emotions churning inside him, ready to explode!
If Ashley wanted a powerful backer, why not him? Why Damian?
Just as he was fuming, Esme's cheerful voice broke the tension. "Everyone's out here enjoying the view? No wonder it's so quiet inside."
Ashley was relieved that Esme arrived in time and greeted her with a smile. "Miss Bergstrom, you're not resting either?"
"The boat's a bit rocky, and I can't sleep. I was thinking of playing cards with you all—just the four of us—but I couldn't find anyone," Esme said.
It was Ashley's first time meeting Esme, and Esme impressed her as smart and cautious, inheriting Freya's looks and Sven's brains. Her fondness for Hendrix was almost beaming from her face, and she might really manage to win him over in the future.
Seeing Esme's thin clothing, Ashley hinted to Hendrix, "Miss Bergstrom, are you cold? I didn't feel chilly inside, so I didn't wear a coat. Don't catch a cold out here."
Esme rubbed her arms, shivering. "The wind on the deck is strong. Look at my arms, covered in goosebumps."
Hendrix stared coldly at the sea, pretending to be deaf, which set Esme on fire that clearly burnt on her face.
Just because she liked Hendrix didn't mean she would lower herself to be a brainless follower, unconditionally tolerating his temper.
As a woman, Ashley could see Esme's thoughts and broke the awkwardness. "Didn't you want to play cards? Let's go back. Just the four of us. I'm not very good and don't have as much money as you big bosses, so please go easy on me."
Esme took the hint and said, "Sure, I'll get things ready. Wait. Look! What's that?"
Her smile hadn't fully formed when terror replaced it. Her eyes bulged as she stared at the dark sea.
