Chapter 356 The Conditions for Reconciliation
Dorian's neck veins bulged, the tangled blood vessels almost bursting through his skin. He gritted his teeth and said, "Damian!"
Damian replied coldly, "Do you think your family can stay safe just by hiding overseas? Can a woman like Ashley really establish herself in Rochester City?"
Dorian's eyes were bloodshot as he squeezed out a sentence through clenched teeth, "Don't you dare touch her!"
"The people who chased after the Astor Group for debts back then aren't all dead."
The room fell into a dead silence.
The long enough silence and the prolonged contemplation calmed Dorian's raging anger. Scenes of his family being besieged and countless people kicking them when they were down flashed through his mind.
Compared to them, even... even Damian's actions today could be considered mild.
After a long while, Dorian sat back down, his voice no longer carrying a murderous edge, "Is someone giving her a hard time?"
"That's right."
Dorian's tightly clenched hand finally loosened a bit, and he closed his eyes helplessly, "Silly girl."
He knew it; that fool only reported the good news and not the bad.
Damian said, "Besides handing her over to me, can you think of another way to protect her?"
On one side were his parents' lives, and on the other, Ashley's happiness.
Both were equally precious, and losing either would be excruciatingly painful.
Dorian's breathing was labored with pain. He had anticipated the first layer of challenges upon returning to the country but hadn't expected Damian to target Ashley.
[Besides handing her over to me, can you think of another way to protect her?]
Only Damian could make such a forceful demand sound so righteous.
"Dorian?"
Ashley finally saw Dorian return and ran up to grab his arm, carefully inspecting him to see if Damian had hit him.
Dorian ruffled her hair and smiled, "I'm fine, we just had a simple chat."
"What did you talk about?"
Dorian's throat tightened, "That money... don't ask about anything else."
She understood the boundaries; she had asked many times before without getting an answer, so she knew she shouldn't pry, "Let's go have breakfast!"
Ashley chattered for a long time at dinner last night, but breakfast was unusually quiet. Dorian was deep in thought, and she obediently remained silent.
"Dorian, I took the day off today to stay with you and see you off at the airport tonight."
Dorian said, "Let's go for a walk outside later."
The siblings slowed their pace in unison, strolling through a scenic area with mountains and water. Bodyguards disguised as tourists were not far away.
So they spoke in low voices.
After walking for over twenty minutes, Dorian said, "Yesterday, you asked if I had any suitable men to introduce to you."
Ashley stopped kicking a small stone, "Did you find someone so quickly?"
"No, because no one can compare to Damian, and no one can outmatch him."
Ashley sighed, "Just say what you want to say. You've been holding it in all morning."
Just as Dorian was familiar with her habits, she also knew Dorian's character. If he had something to say but couldn't, he wouldn't be this uncomfortable.
Seeing that she was mentally prepared, Dorian didn't dodge anymore, "If you want to establish yourself in Rochester City and not be harmed by our creditors, the only one who can offer protection is Damian."
"You mean, you want me to be his mistress?"
That harsh word stung Dorian's ears, "That's not what I mean. I hope you can be safe in the country."
"So that's Damian's idea?"
Dorian said, "I don't want you to compromise yourself. I think it's too hard and dangerous for you to be alone in the country. If Damian is willing to offer you protection, you might consider it. But if he humiliates you, don't force yourself."
Ashley didn't know how the usually straightforward Dorian managed to say this despite his conscience, but she could imagine that Damian must have pressured him. He had no choice but to nod.
"I understand."
Dorian opened his mouth, feeling a bitter taste rising in his throat.
Ashley shrugged with a smile, "Actually, Dorian, I still have feelings for him. The main reason I don't want to be too involved with him is fear. But now I have nothing, so he can't hurt me. Besides, we've even been married, so it's no big deal!"
Dorian's fist clenched tightly, "Ashley, I will find a way to change all this, and then you can come live with us in Evercrest City."
"Is Evercrest City really that safe? Didn't you get brought back by him anyway?"
Dorian was speechless.
Ashley said, "Dorian, do you think there's a possibility that after losing me, Damian suddenly realizes how great I am, falls in love with me, and wants to win me back? Afraid I won't accept him, he goes through you to get to me? If that's the case, I can still play hard to get!"
Dorian rubbed his forehead, not knowing where Ashley got such fantasies, "If he really did that, would you accept him?"
"Well, it depends on his sincerity. If he kneels in front of me, begging me to take him back, and then prepares a grand wedding to let the whole world know I'm his wife, writes half of his assets under my name, and makes it official so that no matter what happens, those things are mine, and most importantly, his parents can no longer be mean to me, they have to love, respect, and cherish me, then I might consider it!"
Dorian listened and couldn't help but laugh at her naive dreaming, "Kneel down and beg you?"
"What's so funny? Don't you believe in my charm?"
Dorian couldn't help but laugh, "I do. Our Ashley is unparalleled, outshining everyone."
Castle rooftop garden.
Damian sat on a lounge chair, wearing sunglasses, enjoying a sunbath.
Thomas stood by, refilling his half-empty cup of tea, "Mr. Hearst, Mr. Astor and Mrs. Hearst are still walking."
Damian's smooth lips showed no emotion, "Okay."
Thomas added, "It seems Mr. Victor Hearst has started to take action."
They had deliberately leaked information, which had reached Victor through the head of security, and Victor apparently believed it.
Damian sneered, "So impatient."
Thomas also thought Victor was too hasty. With such a personality, he still wanted to compete with Damian for power, overestimating himself, "He met with Edward last night and talked late into the night. Whether Edward believes him and what actions he will take will be clear in the next couple of days."
Damian took a sip of water, enjoying the fresh air, "What about Limehof?"
"The island's land use rights have been transferred to your name. To show his sincerity, Sven also gave you Limehof's largest casino and a seaside villa."
In the past, Damian might have scoffed and had someone bring Sven over to ask if he was being stingy.
But today, he didn't want to bother, "Alright, as long as he doesn't seek death, leave him be for now."
Thomas nodded, understanding that this meant the matter was settled and Sven was free.
Thomas said, "There's one more thing that's a bit strange."
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