Chapter 280 I Don't Want You Anymore!
Thomas had a hunch Hendrix wouldn't have anything nice to say. After all those years with Damian, he'd toughened up. A few harsh words was no biggie. "Good thing Hendrix isn't too banged up."
Hendrix shot him a glare that could've been a laser beam, full of venom. "Here to see if your boss's enemy bit the dust? Sorry to burst your bubble. I'm still kicking."
Thomas grinned, "Hendrix, you're reading too much into it. Mr. Hearst didn't even mention you."
Hendrix fumed, "What about him? Is he dead?"
Thomas could tell Hendrix's feelings for Damian were more than just unfriendly—they were pure hate. Couldn't be just business rivalry, right?
If not business, then maybe a woman.
Ashley?
With that thought, Thomas said, "Mr. Hearst is fine. But you, Hendrix, might be rolling around in a wheelchair for a few months. Take care."
Hendrix chuckled, "Don't lose sleep over it."
Thomas kept it polite, "No biggie. If you need anything urgent, hit me up. We're both far from home, I'll help if I can."
Hendrix didn't buy the nice act, but he had no one else. "You? Help me?"
"Within my limits," Thomas replied.
Hendrix didn't stand on ceremony. "Check on Ashley and let me know how she's doing. Don't pretend you don't know her."
"Ashley's been with KM for ages. I respect her hustle," Thomas said.
"Then quit wasting time. Go check and report back," Hendrix snapped.
Thomas glanced at his watch, "You'll have to wait, Hendrix. Got other stuff to handle. Rest up."
Hendrix was so mad he wanted to stomp, but his foot was busted. "Get out!"
Thomas left Hendrix's room and headed downstairs to find Ashley.
Ashley clung to a shred of hope, thinking Damian was tough enough to protect himself and be okay.
But the nurse came back and said, "The man you mentioned is in the VIP room upstairs. Didn't see him, but there are bodyguards everywhere, no visitors allowed. All the medical staff signed confidentiality agreements, so no info's getting out."
Ashley felt like she was drowning, even worse than last night.
With so many people involved, Damian had to be seriously hurt. If word got out, it could crash the stock market, worse than last night.
"Nurse, can you get me a wheelchair? I need to see him," Ashley said.
The nurse hesitated, "Miss, you need 48 hours of observation before getting up. Don't worry. Even if you go, you can't help. Let the doctors handle it. Don't risk your own health. A concussion is serious."
Ashley had to agree, "Can I borrow a phone?"
Her phone was probably still on the boat. Hopefully, it hadn't sunk.
The nurse looked troubled, "Miss, no calls for now."
What?
Was she completely cut off?
What about Hendrix? If he was okay, he should've come by. But he hadn't.
In the afternoon, Ashley overheard the nurses chatting about the natural disaster. "I didn't expect that tsunami to hit so early today. Scared the crap outta me last night!"
"Good thing I shut all the windows tight, or my house would've been blown away. Haven't seen a tsunami that big in years. Still freaked out."
"Hey, do you know who those injured folks were that got brought in last night? The dean himself received them and added extra security. Could it be a celeb?"
"What celeb rolls with that big of an entourage? I bet it's some big-shot official."
"Oh my God!"
Ashley felt her headache getting worse. Could Damian be so messed up he was on death's door?
No way, she had to find a way to see him!
"Ashley." Thomas's voice snapped her back to reality. "Thomas? You're here too?"
"Yeah, came as soon as I heard. How you holding up? Feeling any better?" Thomas asked.
Ashley couldn't care less about herself, "Did you see Mr. Hearst? The nurse said the top floor's locked down with security. Is he seriously hurt?"
Thomas replied, "Mr. Hearst has a broken arm. Other than that, he's good. Doc did surgery, and with proper care, he'll be fine."
Ashley's heart finally settled, "What about Hendrix? Did you see him?"
Asking about Damian first showed he meant more to her. "Hendrix has a broken leg, but he's okay, too."
After such a big disaster, just some broken bones was actually a relief. Ashley sighed, "That's good."
She didn't want to ask about anyone else. "Can you make a call for me? The nurse won't let me use a phone."
Thomas pulled out his phone, "Sure, you remember the number?"
Ashley only remembered Amelia's number.
"Who is this?" Amelia's tone was sharp, probably tired of dealing with gossip reporters.
"Amelia, it's me. Lost my phone. Need to tell you something, but don't freak out," Ashley said.
Amelia perked up her ears with bated breath, "Okay, okay, go ahead."
"Did you see the news? The Limehof tsunami," Ashley said.
"Don't even mention Limehof. Rochester City got hit. Rained all night, wind was so strong it blew away the studio. Scared me to death! Are you in Limehof?" Amelia said.
"Yeah, there was an accident. I'm stuck here for now. If you can't reach me, don't worry. Also, call Harold and let him know I'm fine. By the way, Hendrix is here, too. If Harold doesn't know, tell him," Ashley said assuringly.
Amelia lowered her voice. "Hendrix is there, too? What about that other person? Are they there?"
She emphasized "other."
"Yeah, he's here, too. Can't say much more now. If all goes well, we'll be back in a few days," Ashley said soothingly.
Amelia, afraid she'd hang up, quickly said, "Wait, where are you? I'll come see you tomorrow."
"Don't come. I'll contact you," Ashley said.
"You and that person are together. Don't do anything stupid, okay? Keep your head straight, and don't go soft! Even if he's dying, don't go soft! If you do something dumb, I'm done with you!" Amelia said.
Luckily, Thomas didn't know who "that person" was, or Ashley would be too embarrassed. "Alright, alright, I have to hang up!"
