Chapter 328 Lawyer's Letter, Opposite Side
"Ashley, you really don't have to go this far," Steven stammered, his face turning red with embarrassment as she demanded a public apology. She was making things impossible for him, stripping away his dignity and leaving him no way to face anyone in the future.
This was worse than death for him.
Ashley gave a faint smile, her clear eyes showing no real malice. The dagger in her hand only added to her intimidating presence. "Oh, really? Mr. Rogers feels humiliated?"
Steven's pride was crushed. He glanced nervously at Damian, but Damian just stood there, letting it all happen. "No, that's not what I meant. I just thought... isn't it money you need right now? Your parents are still stuck in Sylvania and can't come back. My assets might not cover all your debts, but they could help in a pinch and repay your father's kindness. What do you say?"
Some money Ashley would go to great lengths to get, but some, even if it was right in front of her, she wouldn't touch.
Even if she took it, using it to ease her situation would always be a bitter pill to swallow. Just thinking about it made her feel sick.
Steven offered her everything he had, but she didn't even glance at it.
With a cold snort, Ashley said, "Mr. Rogers, no matter what you say, I'm not interested. I just want to see you beg and repent!"
She couldn't get over the trauma of almost being sexual assaulted by him. Steven had to suffer the same humiliation completely.
Ashley turned cold. "Let him go."
The two men untied Steven's legs, but he was so weak he could barely stand. "Miss Astor..."
She didn't want to hear another word from Steven or see his pathetic face.
Damian looked at the trembling Steven. "Mr. Rogers, can't do it, or won't?"
Steven didn't dare argue with Damian. His teeth were clenched so hard they might break, and he had to choose between survival and dignity.
With a thud, he fell to his knees.
Ashley turned her back, her chest heaving with anger, her face tense from the emotional strain.
After giving her orders, Ashley tossed the dagger aside. As she walked past Damian, she whispered, "The rest is up to you."
She didn't want to wait around for Steven to finish repenting. She just needed to let out the anger that had been building up inside her.
Damian followed her out of the warehouse. Breathing in the fresh air outside, he said, "I thought you might go soft and let him go."
Ashley admitted she had a moment of weakness, unable to bear seeing an elder suffer so much. But remembering his sinister face and the horrible things he said, she couldn't show him any mercy.
She was done with enduring. "He doesn't deserve forgiveness. If I were more ruthless, I would've cut off his hand right there to make sure he never did those things to women again."
Damian chuckled. "That's not hard to arrange."
He had brought Ashley here to let her vent her anger completely. She had her way of doing things, and he had his own methods of retaliation.
Repentance and admitting mistakes were acts of mercy in the end.
Damian thought, 'Ashley still has a lot to learn. No rush. I have plenty of time and patience to teach her.'
Later, Ashley found out that Steven's company went bankrupt, he was buried in debt, and he lived a life of hiding. His hands were completely crippled in an accident, and his wife and kids left him to start over. He became a universally hated villain.
Leaving the warehouse, Ashley and Damian stood by their cars.
Thinking about the help Damian had given her, Ashley hesitated before getting into her car. "If you have some free time soon, I can go with you to Coastal City again."
Damian shrugged. "We'll see. I've been pretty swamped lately."
Ashley didn't push it, just nodding. "Alright, just let me know when you want to go."
Right then, Damian's phone rang. He glanced at the number and frowned.
"It's okay, take it," Ashley said.
Damian answered, his tone icy. "Speak."
He listened, his face hardening. "What?"
Whatever was said, Ashley noticed Damian glance at her briefly, like it had something to do with her. But he quickly masked it. "Is that true?"
The person on the other end kept talking.
Damian was clearly holding back his anger, his voice getting colder. "Who took it?"
The answer was short.
Damian's patience snapped. "Fix it, or you're out."
He hung up, looking pissed. Ashley didn't pry, but she asked, "Everything okay?"
Damian hesitated, then brushed it off. "I'm fine."
She sensed he had more to say. "You sure? You can tell me."
"Nothing," Damian insisted.
He got into his car, gripping the steering wheel with one hand and pinching the bridge of his nose with the other.
"Speak."
"Mr. Hearst, it's me... The Quantum Innovations Tech issue can't be settled. Infinity Enterprises Group is set on suing us. Sky Balance Law Firm is handling their case, and the legal notice is on my desk."
"Is that true?"
"Yeah... Our tech team reviewed the same batch of products, and the pass rate is 99%. Only a few had flaws, with some harmful substances. We don't have enough data to say if it's enough to cause cancer. Infinity Enterprises Group claims it's our fault their employees got cancer, especially their major shareholder Linda Long, who's been very vocal and harsh."
"Who took it?"
"Sky Balance Law Firm's deputy director Hendrix, and a lawyer named Astor."
Damian was sure the lawyer named Astor was Ashley.
So Ashley knew Quantum Innovations Tech was being sued, which meant she knew who owned it.
Why hadn't she mentioned it or asked him about it all this time?
Professional ethics? Confidentiality agreement?
Probably not.
More importantly, since she knew Quantum Innovations Tech was owned by KM, why did she still take the case? This meant they were on opposite sides.
She and Hendrix took the case, knowing Linda was Hendrix's aunt. Was she trying to use this to mess with him?
Thinking about all this, Damian furrowed his brow deeply. He floored the gas pedal, and the car roared forward.
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