Chapter 286 Discovering the Secret
Hendrix's breath was all up in her space, his lips almost brushing hers. Ashley, feeling the unwanted closeness, finally raised her hand and gave him a weak slap.
She hadn't eaten much in two days, so the slap was more of a tap, but it got the message across to Hendrix.
Hendrix chewed and swallowed the pastry in his mouth, then grabbed another piece. "If you don't want me feeding you, then eat by yourself. You're lying here, can't move your head, and have no strength. If I wanted to force you, you wouldn't stand a chance."
Ashley gritted her teeth in anger, but she knew her situation well enough to ditch the idea of gambling her dignity with him. She opened her mouth and bit down, rolling her eyes. "Happy now?"
She was in a foul mood, didn't want to talk, eat, or deal with anyone. What was wrong about that?
Couldn't they just leave her alone?
Seeing her finally eat, Hendrix still had that mischievous grin, but he felt relieved inside. "Why didn't you hold out a bit longer? I really want to know what your sharp tongue tastes like when kissed. Sweet? Or spicy? I bet it's spicy, like you, little pepper."
Ashley swallowed the food without tasting it and said coldly, "Hendrix, if you think you have too many legs, I can help you lose one!"
Hendrix sighed, "You ungrateful woman. As your superior, I came to see you despite my injuries. Can't you say something nice?"
Ashley had no intention of joking and stared coldly at the ceiling.
Seeing her silence, Hendrix found his topic. "How many times have you been in love?"
Ashley didn't answer. She didn't think this was the right time for gossip.
Hendrix kept going, talking to himself. "As far as I know, you had a relationship in college and another one now. At least two. What do you like to do when you're in love? Don't tell me the cliché stuff like watching movies and shopping."
Ashley still didn't speak. One of the topics she hated most right now was love.
So many people get married every year, but so little found true love.
Her heart, which had finally stopped hurting so much, started aching again.
"Are you okay? What's the tears about." Hendrix saw the tears in the corner of Ashley's eyes and panicked a bit.
Ashley roughly wiped away the uncontrollable tears and snapped, "If you really want to chat, let's talk about Robert's divorce case. Let me be clear: this case was assigned to both Lynn and me from the start. Just because I can't go back temporarily doesn't mean she should handle it alone."
Hendrix felt frustrated and wanted to flick her forehead. "You're still thinking about the case at a time like this?"
"Yes, don't talk to me about love. I only want to focus on my career." Ashley said.
Her eyes were determined, and Hendrix didn't dare to joke anymore. "Alright, Lynn is indeed following up closely. She's done a lot while you're away."
"Gathering evidence?" Ashley said.
"Yes, she's still looking for evidence of Robert's affair. Since Alexander's incident, Robert has spent most of his time dealing with the aftermath, so he obviously hasn't had time to meet other women. She hasn't found any solid evidence yet." Hendrix said.
Ashley smirked, laughing at her misfortune, still managing to find some convenience. "Let her keep looking."
Hendrix said, "If Lynn gives you a hard time, let me know. I'll have her leave the firm."
Ashley shot back, "Lynn? Seriously, you think I need to run to you about her?"
Hendrix laughed. This was the Ashley he found most adorable. "You know something?"
"About her?" Ashley asked.
"Yeah," Hendrix said.
Ashley didn't want to badmouth anyone, especially since Lynn and Hendrix had already split. Why dig up old dirt? "Still got feelings for her?"
Hendrix gave a bitter smile at her jab. "Alright, let's change the topic."
That day, Hendrix hung out in Ashley's hospital room for most of the day, making sure she ate plenty.
He ignored calls from his parents the whole time.
When he finally stepped out, he heard that the patient on the top floor had been transferred by helicopter to Rochester City.
Hendrix was taken aback.
Why didn't Damian tell Ashley he was heading back to Rochester City?
What had gone down between them?
After calling his parents to assure them he was fine, Hendrix made another call. "Daxton, what’s up?"
Daxton was surprised by the call. "Hendrix? Where’ve you been hiding? It’s been ages!"
Hendrix chuckled. "I'm here now, aren’t I?"
Daxton cut to the chase. "What’s up?"
Hendrix said, "How much do you know about Damian? Not the stuff you can find online."
"Oh! Mr. Hearst? Plenty, both public and private. What do you wanna know?" Daxton asked.
"His love life," Hendrix said.
Daxton nearly choked on his drink. "What? You wanna gossip about his love life? Thinking of switching careers to journalism?"
"Look into his marriage history," Hendrix said.
Daxton sighed, feeling the weight. "That's against the rules, man. Don’t make it tough for a small-time cop like me. I don’t have a rich family like you. I live off my paycheck."
"Cut the crap. If anything happens, I’ve got your back," Hendrix said.
Daxton thought for a moment. "Alright, I’ll see what I can do. This stays between us."
"Don’t worry," Hendrix said.
Hendrix went back to the hospital room, the waiting time feeling like torture. The chair felt like it was covered in nails, making him squirm.
Over an hour later, his phone rang. It was Daxton.
"How’d it go?" Hendrix asked, his voice trembling.
Daxton’s words came out in a stammer, "Man, I was really shocked. Took me a few minutes to process."
"Spit it out!" Hendrix said.
"Damian was married six years ago," Daxton said.
Hendrix gripped the phone tightly, forcing himself to ask, "To whom?"
"Ashley," Daxton said.
Hendrix was frozen, feeling like his brain was exploding, all his nerves on fire, leaving him numb. "Ashley?"
It couldn’t be a coincidence. It had to be the Ashley lying in the hospital bed.
Six years ago, Ashley was still in college, and her boyfriend at the time was Damian?
In his anger, he had never gone to Rochester City University to see Ashley again, missing the chance to dig into Damian. If he had persisted, he might have kicked Damian out from the start.
Why was he so emotional when he was young? Why couldn’t he stay calm?
"Do you know Ashley? Who is she? Hey? Hendrix? You still there?" Daxton asked.
Hendrix’s voice was hoarse. "I’m here."
Daxton said, "The records show they divorced three years ago."
