Chapter 305 What to Do If You're Blocked Outside the Door?
The next day, Ashley totally overslept.
When she finally opened her eyes, she expected to be blinded by sunlight, but the blackout curtains made it feel like it was still the middle of the night.
Wait, curtains? Did she even close those last night?
She couldn't remember.
Her last clear memory was chatting with Damian. He mentioned he had a way to get dirt on Robert, but in return, she had to go with him to Coastal City to see some top-notch doctor.
His reasoning, "I'm super busy and don't want to waste a trip. I'll respect the doctor, but if he refuses to help, I can't promise things won't get messy."
Ashley agreed.
At that moment, she couldn't think of a reason to say no.
Even now, fully awake and thinking straight, she still didn't see any flaws in Damian's plan.
Was he just that good, or was she too naive to catch any red flags?
Learning from last night's experience, Ashley threw on some freshly laundered clothes from the dryer before heading out. As she cracked the door open, the smell of food hit her. "Did you make breakfast?"
Damian was chilling in the dining room, eyes glued to his tablet, still in his pajamas. He looked relaxed, matching the serene view outside the window.
He was a weird guy; all business and ice-cold at the office, but at home, he was laid-back and almost elegant.
Without looking up, Damian said, "Does it look like I did?"
Ashley glanced around and realized she was overthinking it. The trash had packaging from Emerald Lakeside Gardens, so it was obviously delivered.
After freshening up, Ashley sat down, her face clean and glowing from a good night's sleep. "Aren't you going to work today?"
Damian finally looked up from his tablet, his eyes lingering on her face for a second. "I am working."
Alright then.
Ashley grabbed a fork, not waiting for him. "OK, keep going."
She snagged a piece of bread and, just before taking a bite, remembered something. "Did you kick down the door of the private room that day?"
Damian finished an email, set his tablet aside, and picked up a fork. "From the way you say it, sounds like I owe for it. Want me to contact the manufacturer for you?"
Ashley was baffled by his logic. "Sure, you contact them, and I'll pay you back."
Damian smirked, taking a bite of his side dish. "You're quick to pay for a door, but what about your lifesaver?"
"Do you still want pancakes?" Ashley shot back.
Damian was momentarily stunned.
Seeing his reaction, Ashley laughed. "I don't have much else to repay you with. When we see the doctor, I'll make sure he gives you a thorough check-up and gets you fixed up ASAP."
Damian said, "When are we going? I'm free today."
"What?" Ashley said, caught off guard.
How could he just decide to go like that?
"What's the problem? Do we need to pick a special day to see the doctor? The sooner, the better. I'd love a good night's sleep tonight," Damian said.
Fair point.
"I still have work. Robert's case is at a critical point. I need to gather evidence and talk to the court. Brown won't be sitting idle," Ashley said.
Damian shrugged, "Isn't it just one piece of evidence? I'll help you find it."
Ashley bit her fork, staring at him across the table. The morning light highlighted his healthy, clear skin, showing no signs of chronic insomnia. "Coastal City is far."
Would he just floor it and speed off like last time?
Plus, his arm was broken, so he couldn't drive. Did he expect her to drive? Driving from Rochester City to Coastal City would be a nightmare.
Damian said, "It's just a two-hour flight. Is that far?"
Ashley breathed a sigh of relief. "Alright, let's go early, get the medicine, and you can see if it works."
If all went well, they could be back tonight without much delay.
Damian added, "Coastal City has a lot of mountains."
"Yeah, Coastal City is surrounded by the sea on one side and mountains on the other three. Foggy Mountain is there, and I've heard the sunrise is amazing, like Stonepeak Mountain. What do you want?" Ashley asked.
Damian didn't respond.
Ashley's phone rang.
As expected, it was Hendrix.
Ashley wiped her fingers. "I'll take this call."
She stepped outside, making sure she was far enough that Damian couldn't hear, even if he had super hearing. "Mr. Long, good morning."
Hendrix, clearly annoyed, said, "Ashley, you're quite something. Not showing up at the firm and not reporting to me. Are you planning to skip work?"
Ashley held the phone away a bit, thinking Hendrix must be cranky from being bedridden. His temper was awful, and his words were sharp. "I was just about to call you. I'm taking a day off today."
"Really?" His lowered voice showed just how bad his mood was.
Ashley explained, "Robert's case needs evidence. I got a solid lead, so I'm rushing to get more favorable evidence before Brown does."
But after she explained, Hendrix got even more upset. "Come back! I have something to say about the evidence collection!"
Ashley said, "I know what you're worried about. Don't stress, I'm 100% confident. Let's leave it at that. I'll call you when I get the results. Mr. Long, eat more nutritious food to help your bones heal."
"Hello? Ashley?" Hendrix said.
Putting down the phone, Ashley exhaled.
Ever since Hendrix almost kissed her in front of the hospital bed, she couldn't face him calmly anymore.
Damian watched her phone call through the floor-to-ceiling window, his brows furrowed the whole time.
Talking for so long, who was it?
She came out of Hendrix's house last night. Could it be Hendrix calling?
So attentive early in the morning, how diligent!
After doing something for the first time, it became much easier and more natural the next time.
For example, now, Ashley, with just a small shoulder bag, was sitting on Damian's private jet, embarking on a long journey.
And Damian, despite his broken arm, was leaning back in a spacious chair, resting with his eyes closed.
Ashley didn't dare contact her parents' doctor, fearing he might slip up and let her parents know.
Instead, she directly contacted Martin Collins, but no one answered.
Martin was born into a family of doctors and was already well-known. After a mishap, his whole family moved from Rivershore City to Coastal City. Martin remained famous but had a very eccentric temperament. If he didn't want to see a patient, no matter how powerful or wealthy they were, he would still refuse them.
And he managed to live peacefully into his eighties, seemingly backed by a powerful force. None of the patients he turned away dared to provoke him.
Ashley couldn't guarantee she could persuade him. She worried the whole way about what they would do if they were turned away.
Damian was decisive. If he insisted on making things difficult for Martin, how would she resolve the conflict?
Ashley worried all the way until they smoothly arrived at Coastal City Airport.
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