Chapter 303 Midnight Dance
He made it sound so casual, like handling money was no big deal.
Like it was just as easy as going downstairs to grab breakfast, fishing out a few coins from the key box in the foyer.
But this was a massive amount of money, so much that Ashley couldn't even picture how it would look spread out in bills on the floor.
She laughed to herself. If she really had that kind of cash, would she be in this mess?
Forget it. Talking to a guy who never worried about money and saw it as just numbers felt like they were from different planets.
"I get it." She kept it short, worried that saying too much would show her fear and give him more reasons to mock her.
Seeing her downcast look, Damian thought for a moment and asked, "What do you think about the Limehof project?"
Ashley thought it was settled last time, but he still remembered. "I told you before, that's your deal. I'm not getting involved, and I don't have the right to."
Damian said, "If you really don't want to invest, I can hire you as a legal advisor. You've been to Limehof and know the place. You'd handle the legal stuff better than anyone else."
Ashley still refused. "If we're talking about familiarity, Mr. Moretti and his team are more professional. They've been KM Group's legal advisors for over a decade and know everything inside out."
Seeing her refusal, Damian felt a slight headache. "You're great with the Svens. In the future, when it comes to social interactions at Limehof, you'll be more suitable than anyone else. This proposal is purely for work, nothing else. Think about it from a career development perspective; don't miss out easily."
Ashley's fingers curled, her palms hot and sweaty.
Faced with such temptation, she felt her heart race uncontrollably.
What a great opportunity—a legal advisor for a rehab center with a stable and impressive annual salary. Plus, she could use this platform to network. Since the incident at Emerald Lakeside Gardens, where Steven almost harmed her, Ashley had become suspicious of her old connections. To get things done, she needed to meet new people.
Freya was a good entry point, and Esme could also be leveraged.
No!
Ashley quickly dismissed the beautiful fantasy and firmly said, "Thanks for the offer, Mr. Hearst, but I lack the skills and experience to take on the role. I don't want to drag you down."
Rejected again, Damian's face showed no emotion, but inside, he felt a cold rain.
"Every room is available. The things you need are in the cabinet; pick whatever you like." With that, Damian got up and walked to the third floor. He didn't take the elevator but slowed his steps along the winding spiral staircase as if hoping someone would call him to stop.
But no one did. Downstairs, the only sound was the ticking of the clock. If he hadn't heard the door open, he would have thought Ashley had left.
After Damian disappeared at the top of the stairs, Ashley threw herself onto the sofa.
She clutched her chest, her heart pounding wildly, still reeling from the intense moment.
How difficult it was. Every time she refused Damian's temptation, it felt like a smoker facing a cigarette offered right in front of them—pleasure within reach. Yet, she had to refuse, knowing that accepting it would mean endless entanglement.
Was he angry?
That would be good.
Ashley didn't choose much and picked a small bedroom on the first floor.
The small bedroom was probably the only room without an en-suite bathroom, but she was too tired to put the quilt she took from the cabinet back in.
Looking at the hazy silhouette of the garden outside the window, she calmed herself down and went to the guest bathroom on the first floor to wash up.
Damian probably wouldn't come downstairs, but she still locked the door tightly. Standing in front of the sink, Ashley glanced at her pale face in the mirror and gave herself a little pep talk. "Calm down! It's just Damian! He won't eat you, and you did well today. At least Dorian wasn't as tough as you thought. So, Ashley, keep it up. You got this!"
Before she could finish her self-motivation speech, something shiny caught her eye.
It was an earring with a platinum base and a small diamond, sitting in the corner of the vanity. The clasp was loose, like it had been knocked off and forgotten.
This earring, along with the women's slippers in the foyer, probably belonged to the same woman.
Who was it?
Damian's villa, where he rarely stayed, turned out to be a cozy spot for some woman. Of course, a healthy guy with normal needs couldn't possibly endure three years of loneliness.
If it wasn't Trinity, it was probably Jessica.
The earring's design definitely matched Jessica's style—expensive but not flashy, typical of an urban beauty.
How much of what Damian said was true? His words and actions never seemed to match. If he was surrounded by women, why act so distant?
With a slight sneer, Ashley pressed a bar of soap on top of the earring, out of sight, out of mind.
After washing up, she lay on the large bed, feeling a delayed reaction like after drinking. Ashley felt stuck.
The small earring seemed to grow in her mind, pressing down on her, making it hard to breathe.
She thought that by silently cursing Damian, she had seen through him and was free of any attachment. But why did she feel a faint pain?
Lying in bed was too uncomfortable. Ashley irritably scratched her head and opened the bedroom door.
Upstairs.
Damian had canceled tonight's hypnosis session, so he was prepared for a sleepless night.
Lying with his arm under his head, he stared at the shadow of the crystal chandelier. Everything in the room became exceptionally clear after his eyes adjusted to the darkness, almost no different from having the lights on.
Having spent so much time in the dark, he had become increasingly accustomed to it, and his night vision had improved day by day. This skill, however, brought him more trouble.
In his mind, Ashley's silhouette sitting on a rock and gazing into the distance was so clear, as was her gentle figure busy in the kitchen.
In the dark, his phone buzzed.
Instinctively, he thought it was Ashley. He turned over and picked it up, choosing a comfortable position, but the screen showed a message from Jessica.
[Mr. Hearst, can you sleep tonight? If you're really uncomfortable, take a sleeping pill. I left a white bottle in the living room cabinet.]
Relying on medication was the worst thing for treating insomnia. Damian tried to avoid it, but tonight, with a thousand thoughts running through his mind and Ashley lying on the first floor, he felt unbearably restless.
Getting up and putting on his shoes, Damian decided to break his rule.
He stepped on the carpeted stairs, making almost no sound, and descended much faster than he had gone up, soon standing in the living room.
Just as he was about to grab the bottle, he saw a figure wandering in the kitchen.
Damian lowered his hand and watched in the dark.
Ashley hadn't turned on the light, finding a water cup and the water purifier by feel. While waiting for the water to fill, she twisted her waist to stretch, then held the warm water, swaying her head rhythmically in front of the dimly lit floor-to-ceiling window.
Maybe she was thinking of some musical melody. She closed her eyes, extended an arm, and tapped her fingers to the beat, swaying gently.
Her light sleepwear fluttered around her, and her long hair swayed with her movements, like a fairy sneaking in through the window at midnight.
Of course, this was based on clear vision. If one's eyesight was poor, they might mistake her for a ghost.
Damian leaned against the cabinet frame, one leg bent, a slight smile gradually curling on his lips.
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