Chapter 343 Challenge
Ashley inwardly despised herself. How could just watching Sean drink water make her feel embarrassed? "Yeah, I didn't exercise much before."
Sean screwed the cap back on the unfinished bottle of mineral water and waved his racket. "Did you teach Hannah how to play?"
Ashley felt a bit awkward. "I'm not as good as she is."
Sean laughed. His post-exercise facial features were more pronounced than usual, and the healthy flush from sweating made him look even more vibrant, almost several years younger.
"Have you rested enough? Let me train you a bit. If you don't use the correct posture, you could injure your knees over time. Once the meniscus is damaged, it's almost irreversible," Sean said.
Ashley wasn't very attentive to exercise and didn't know the details to watch out for. Hearing this, she felt uncertain. "Is it that serious?"
Sean smiled helplessly. "Do you think I'm trying to scare you?"
"That's not what I meant," Ashley said.
For the next while, Hannah returned to the rest area, and Ashley took the court.
After being personally coached by Sean, Hannah was in a great mood, seeing everything through an admiration lens.
Even the mixed doubles players on the court seemed to be enveloped in a dreamy aura.
Ashley didn't have great arm strength or coordination, but she had a good figure, great poise, and graceful movements. Standing next to the swift and powerful Sean, they surprisingly looked harmonious and well-matched.
Well-matched?
After this word popped into her head, Hannah's eyes lit up.
Why hadn't she noticed this earlier? Both Ashley and Sean were people she liked. If they could be together, she'd be thrilled!
The more she thought about it, the more excited she got. Hannah couldn't contain her excitement and took out her phone to snap some photos.
Ashley jumping—beautiful!
Ashley was swinging the racket—beautiful!
Ashley was flipping her ponytail—beautiful!
Sean's long legs—handsome!
Sean's smile—handsome!
Sean helped Ashley correct her posture—these interactions were so sweet!
After saving the photos, Hannah cupped her hands around her mouth like a megaphone. "Go Ashley! Go, idol!"
Sean hit a ball and looked a bit surprised. "Idol? Is she talking about me?"
Ashley, her face covered in sweat, her cheeks pink and glistening, her eyes clear and bright like a lake, said, "Yeah, she really admires you and is deeply captivated by your charm."
Sean shook his head with a helpless smile. "Hannah is quite interesting."
"She's not just interesting; she's also smart, loyal, and humble. Despite her young age, she's very capable," Ashley said.
"To receive such high praise from you, she must be exceptional. Having a trusted assistant is crucial for a lawyer." Sean waved to Hannah, giving her an encouraging smile like a mentor to a protégé.
He received a big smile in return.
Such a cute girl.
Ashley, panting and gradually losing stamina, said, "I thought you'd warn me to be cautious of her. After all, lawyers fear teaching their assistants too well."
Sean paused, waiting for her to catch her breath. "You're not that kind of person. You'd definitely teach her everything you know. If I really said that, you'd probably give me a negative score in your mind."
Ashley smiled, her expression softening naturally. "Mr. Ross, you must be good at winning cases because you understand human nature so well. You can tell what people are thinking just by listening to them, which is why you're unbeatable."
Sean explained helplessly, "Aren't you overestimating me? If I were that good, would I have lost to you?"
Ashley chuckled. "I was just lucky."
"No, you have a unique charm. What you stand for is your strongest armor, and it can take you anywhere you want to go," Sean said.
Ashley sighed. "I hope so."
Sometimes, armor could also be vulnerable, not always invincible.
Not far away
Hayden wasn't on duty today and decided to pick up his long-neglected racket to get some exercise. Shortly after entering the gym, he spotted a familiar figure.
His first reaction was that it couldn't be Ashley because he remembered Ashley had nothing to do with sports.
After walking closer, he stepped back in doubt, confirmed again and again, and finally recognized it was Ashley!
So, who was the man next to her? He looked familiar.
"Isn't that Sean? Did he get a girlfriend?" A friend of Hayden's recognized Sean and casually said, patting Hayden on the shoulder.
Hayden shook off his friend's hand. "I have something to do. You guys go ahead; I'll join you later."
Sean and Ashley playing together meant they were close. Competing in court was one thing, but meeting privately?
Could they be developing a relationship beyond friendship?
"Hey, Mr. Ross!" Hayden said.
Sean helped Ashley correct her knee posture while she was jumping. "Don't let your knees cave in or splay out. Keep them slightly bent, right... don't go past your toes..."
He placed his hand in front of her knee to help her find the right position. They were very close, one standing and one bending over, looking like an intimate couple to an outsider.
Hearing someone call out, Sean straightened up and saw Hayden in sportswear across the net. He raised his hand in greeting. "Mr. Moretti."
Hayden walked in, patting his racket in his palm. His tone was unfriendly, and he smiled strangely. "Mr. Ross and Ms. Astor are friends in private?"
Sean didn't know his relationship with Ashley, but from his tone, they at least knew each other. "We've interacted a few times. I admire Ms. Astor's personality."
He left it at that, not saying more or over-explaining.
This perfect sense of propriety always made Ashley feel a sense of admiration.
Hayden couldn't find fault with it, but he still felt uneasy. He raised an eyebrow. "Really? I also admire Ms. Astor's personality. After all, she's a beauty!"
Sean sensed the underlying hostility in his words and instinctively stood in front of Ashley. "Mr. Moretti, are you alone?"
"Yeah, what a coincidence! Looks like I've got myself an opponent in Mr. Ross." Hayden said.
It was a clear challenge.
Sean said, "Shall we?"
The two men officially started their match.
One was full of energy, every move aggressive, aiming to defeat the other completely, with each shot seemingly with the intent to destroy the world.
The other was steady and solid but with great force, fast and accurate, almost zero mistakes.
Sean's steadiness seemed to permeate every aspect of his being as if he was born without the attributes of panic or losing composure.
Hannah was dumbfounded. "Oh my God, are they playing tennis or fighting?"
Ashley said, "You could see it that way."
Hannah leaned forward, her eyes darting left and right. "Who is that guy? He's so intense. Is he trying to beat up my idol?"
Ashley wasn't sure. "Hayden Moretti, an orthopedic doctor at Evergreen Valley Hospital & Wellness Center. He knows Sean."
"So what if he's an orthopedic doctor? Don't be such a bully! He's clearly giving Sean a hard time. No way, I have to do something for Sean!" Hannah said.
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