Chapter 35 Boss Asked about You
A black Maybach came to a stop in front of the outpatient facility of the hospital. Damian killed the engine and put the car in park.
The outpatient building was darkened for the evening, while the inpatient lights were still ablaze.
Looking up, the top floor housed the private rooms. Ashley was up there somewhere. From the time he received Hayden's call, he figured that her IV must have finished by now.
His hand lingered on the steering wheel, ready to exit the car when he suddenly sneered at himself.
Had he lost his mind?
Ashley was simply getting treated for a fever. Why was he even here? Why had he come at all? To carry on their verbal jousting? To see that ungrateful woman act all innocent and deceptive?
It must have been his recent lack of sleep that was affecting his judgment, making him as irrational as Hayden.
The more Damian thought about it, the more irritable he became. Agitated, he pulled out his cigarettes, cracked the window halfway, and started to puff away, lost in a cloud of smoke.
The hospital was unusually quiet in the evening, with only a few patients strolling in the small garden, their voices hushed.
"Lily, guess who I bumped into during my shift today?" The nurse's excitement pierced the tranquil corridor with uncanny loudness.
Damian frowned, annoyed at the outburst. "Talking loud in the hospital, where's the professionalism?" he thought to himself. "How does Hayden manage this place? What kind of staff are they hiring?"
Nurse Lily, carrying a medicine kit, had just come from the inpatient department, looking quite worn out. "I'm beat. I had a patient today who was being difficult about where to administer the injection, insisting on the arm instead of the usual site. It was so frustrating!"
Her colleague tugged her arm, eager to continue gossiping. "Just listen! I think I saw Dr. Sackler's girlfriend! She's stunningly beautiful and fair-skinned, rich and gorgeous for sure. Even with a fever, she had this fragile beauty. No wonder Dr. Sackler has a good eye for women, and it's no surprise that Dr. Dawson pines for him unnoticed."
Lily, now curious, responded, "Really? Dr. Sackler has a girlfriend? Oh yeah, I remember now. Last time Dr. Sackler went to General Surgery to meet Dr. Lawrence; it was about his girlfriend. Dr. Lawrence even said she's never seen such a beautiful woman."
The nurse nodded enthusiastically. "I heard she's a lawyer. Wow, a doctor and a lawyer, straight out of a romance novel, the perfect protagonists."
Lily was no longer feeling tired, caught up in the excitement. "I want to take a look!"
"I'm going to get her some late-night snacks. I'll text you later."
After exchanging the juicy details, the two nurses headed off in different directions.
Damian flicked the ash from his cigarette, his expression growing even more stern.
Dr. Sackler; a lawyer; General Surgery.
The pieces of information he overheard clicked together in his mind; the subjects of their gossip were Hayden and Ashley.
Opening his car door, half stepping out, he slammed it shut in frustration.
Could Ashley really be so shameless as to not spare even her ex's buddy? Not even bothering to clear up a misunderstanding?
Was she enjoying manipulating people at the hospital, addicted to wielding her privilege, tempting every man who crossed her path?
She deserved whatever came to her.
Stubbing out his cigarette, Damian still felt the burn within.
His phone rang at that moment, and his face was still dark with anger.
"Talk."
Hearing his boss's foul mood, Thomas wanted to hang up and pretend he hadn't called, but he braced himself, "Boss, we've found something. The higher-ups at the Manchester branch have been moving company funds, twenty million pounds in total. I've told them not to spook anyone yet; let's see if this guy has any other tricks up his sleeve."
KM has two branches in the UK, one in London and the other in Manchester. Three years back, the predecessor stepped down due to health issues, and in his stead, the position was filled by a marketing manager from the headquarters. Since Brexit, KM's international operations have taken a hit, resulting in a brief downturn in performance.
Since last year, the branch began to show signs of recovery, but the financial reports were plagued with inconsistencies. Discrepancies in procurement and material loss expenditures, and differences in a few collaborative projects persisted.
Initially, Damian didn't pay much attention. If someone could deliver stable results and hold the fort, he was willing to turn a blind eye; after all, the figures weren't that terrible. However, repeated challenges to his patience were something he wouldn't tolerate indefinitely.
Last month, he sent staff from headquarters to investigate and they finally unearthed the root of the problem.
"Keep a close watch on him, around the clock. I want to know how much this rat has nibbled away at our supplies," Damian instructed.
"Yes, sir. I'll issue the orders as you directed. It shouldn't take much time to completely uproot his influence there," Thomas affirmed.
Hearing the sound of an engine through the phone, Damian asked, "Are you outside?"
"Yes, just puting in some extra hours at the office," replied Thomas.
"Make your way to the hospital," Damian directed.
Thomas tensed up. "Boss, are you alright? What happened?"
"It's Hayden. He said Ashley's in the hospital. Go check on her, see how bad it is."
Without a second question, Thomas acted on the command, speeding down the road.
The hospital Damian mentioned was almost certainly the private hospital owned by the Sackler family. Thomas knew the way well, arriving in less than five minutes.
He quickly found Ashley's room, asked about her condition, and headed upstairs.
A knock on the door was met with a familiar voice, "Come in."
Holding a large bouquet of flowers, Thomas greeted, "Miss Astor."
Ashley's eyes opened wide at the sight of the tall figure inside the door. "Thomas?" she exclaimed in surprise.
Why was he here?
Thomas placed the bouquet in a vase on the table beside the bed and said respectfully, "Heard from Dr. Sackler you were ill, and since I was nearby on business, I thought I'd visit. Feeling better?"
Ashley, too weak to express her annoyance, thought to herself, “Why does Hayden have to blab about everything to everyone?”
Sitting upright in bed, Ashley assured, "It's just a minor cold. I'll be fine after some sleep. No need for you to go out of your way."
Thomas observed her pale complexion and lack of energy. "You can't take a cold lightly. Small issues can worsen if not treated properly."
Ashley found little interest in idle chitchat with someone like Damian's guy, Thomas. Weren't all their conversations just going back to Damian anyway?
"Working late, huh? Hope I'm not keeping you from something important," Ashley said casually.
Thomas shook his head as he swiftly noticed her empty water glass on the nightstand. He filled it and handed it over, "Just a minor personal thing, it's all taken care of. Where's Dr. Sackler?"
"He's been called to surgery. Seems busy. Honestly, I'm fine. You guys don't need to fuss over me. It's late; you should head home too. I'll get some sleep and leave tomorrow."
Having completed his mission, Thomas got the hint to leave, "Alright then, Miss Astor, get some rest. Contact me if you need anything."
As Thomas turned to leave, he deliberately slowed his steps.
Would Miss Astor notice anything off? Could she guess Boss was behind the order?
Yet, as he reached for the doorknob, Ashley hadn't posed any questions.
Was he playing his role too well?
With the appearance of having remembered something important, Thomas turned around. "Oh, and Miss Astor, my boss asked about you a couple of days ago."
Ashley remained nonchalant. They had only dined together the day before. What could there be to ask?
"What about?" she inquired with mild curiosity.
