Chapter 371 Heartache, Holding Her Hand
KM has weathered many storms, and Damian has never been afraid.
However, this small lawsuit made him lose focus for the first time during a meeting.
During the recess, Dante called to report progress, and all he heard was good news. In the same way, Ashley was under all the pressure.
He didn't say anything else; hejust told Dante to take it easy.
The result was expected, but after Dante finished speaking, he still felt heartache.
It was obviously unwise to call her at this time, but Damian couldn't analyze the pros and cons, nor could he avoid suspicion. He just wanted to make sure Ashley was okay.
"Mr. Hearst, what a great tactic! Inside and outside cooperation, perfectly seamless, impressive!"
Hearing Ashley's first words, Damian frowned and leaned back in his chair weakly, "I'm at the office. If you have something to say, you can say it in person."
Ashley sneered, "Say what? Congratulations to Mr. Hearst for winning again?"
"Say anything you want to say."
Ashley gripped her phone, the leather case digging into her palm, causing a sharp pain, "I have nothing to say to you."
"I'll be waiting for you at the office to give you an answer."
Damian hung up, leaving Ashley with an enticing bait.
An answer?
What answer would Damian give her?
Hannah saw Ashley's face looking bad and asked with concern, "Ashley, are you okay?"
Ashley gritted her teeth, "Hannah, take a cab back to the law firm. I have something to take care of."
She took the files from Hannah's hand, "Don't worry, I'm fine."
Ashley floored the gas pedal, turning a twenty-minute drive into twelve. She stormed into KM's lobby, didn't report her name, and had no appointment letter. She slipped through the turnstile when an employee swiped their card and took the elevator up.
Damian wanted to talk in person? Fine, let's talk in person!
"Ms. Astor?"
Nancy saw Ashley suddenly appear and walked out from the secretary's desk, surprised.
Ashley, carrying a heavy briefcase, didn't look friendly, "Nancy, I won't hold you accountable for last time, so don't stop me today. Let's call it even."
Nancy was stunned for a moment and then saw Ashley push open Damian's office door, her slender figure disappearing.
What... what is going on?
Damian heard the noise, looked up, and saw the familiar, angry face. He was a bit surprised and even glanced at his watch; it had only been a few minutes since the call.
"New car and you dare to drive so fast? Are you familiar with it?" Aren't you afraid of an accident? Is she crazy?
Ashley smirked, "Mr. Hearst, you don't need to worry about me."
Damian put down his pen and looked at her across the CEO's desk, "I've heard about the court case. I know you're not satisfied with the result."
How was she supposed to respond to that?
Ashley opened her briefcase, spilling out a pile of evidence, "Mr. Hearst, are you really indifferent? To win, you distort the truth and ignore the facts. Don't you feel any guilt?"
Damian maintained his usual posture. He had anticipated her disappointment, but from his position, this lawsuit had to be won. If Quantum Innovations Tech admitted to this, their reputation would plummet, and the hundreds of companies they collaborated with would suffer huge losses.
As an individual, Damian naturally hoped the truth would be fairly treated in court, but as the CEO of KM, he couldn't let Quantum Innovations Tech be affected.
"Quantum Innovations Tech's product pass rate exceeds 99.99%, with three quality checks. There are no carcinogens. All necessary certificates are in place. No one wants to see a cancer diagnosis."
Ashley felt more than discomfort; she felt utterly disheartened. The opponent's power had caused her first defeat in her career.
When she took on this case, she had confidently told Harold she would defend the justice of the law and bravely fight against powerful forces. But facing them in court, she realized how powerless she was.
"You're just making excuses for Quantum Innovations Tech, putting a hypocritical facade over the disregard for fairness," Ashley gave him a bitter smile, "I'm grateful for what you've done for me, including bringing Dorian back. But Mr. Hearst, between personal grievances and legal fairness, I must choose the latter. Otherwise, I'd be betraying my lawyer's license and the legal education I've received over the years."
Damian's throat felt sore, and his eyes suddenly stung, "Victory and defeat are common in the legal profession. As a lawyer, you should get used to it. No one has an undefeated career."
How hurtful. It was his fault, yet he blamed it on the nature of the profession.
Ashley looked around. The spacious office felt particularly empty with just the two of them, "Mr. Hearst, this is your territory. There shouldn't be any surveillance, so I can't do anything to you. Is it so hard to tell the truth? Is it so hard to admit your company developed substandard products? The case is over, the judgment will be in your hands in a few days. What are you still afraid of?"
Every word she said felt like a knife to his heart.
Her world-weary disappointment made Damian's heart ache, but his response remained the same, "Quantum Innovations Tech has no substandard products. What do you want me to admit?"
Ashley was utterly disappointed. There was no point in continuing this topic; Damian would never admit it, "Fine, very well. This is indeed Mr. Hearst's style, leaving no room for others. I won't bother you anymore, Mr. Hearst. Goodbye."
She bent down to gather the scattered papers, but the ventilation system seemed to be against her, blowing a few unbound sheets to his desk.
Ashley gritted her teeth and moved to pick them up, but a slender hand reached them first.
It was the patient's diagnosis, clear as day in black and white.
In his hand, it was so ironic.
Ashley looked mockingly at the paper, "Does Mr. Hearst feel anything? A twenty-nine-year-old young man, the pillar of his family, with a pregnant wife, hoping to settle down in Rochester City and build a beautiful future, only to be devastated by leukemia. The child might not even see his father when born."
Damian handed the document back to her calmly, "Birth, aging, sickness, and death are part of life. The pollution over the years has led to a surge in cancer patients, which is indeed heartbreaking. KM has been committed to creating healthy and eco-friendly products to reduce disease risks."
Still saying these useless platitudes!
Does he have to be so cold and heartless?
Does he have to make a declaration from the victor's standpoint after pushing someone to the brink?
Ashley gripped the A4 paper tightly, almost cutting her skin with its sharp edges, "It's rare for Mr. Hearst to feel heartache. Save it for those who need it."
With that, she turned and left without hesitation. Even staying a second longer, she feared the office air would pollute her hard-won heart!
The outside world said Damian was ruthless. She hadn't understood it so deeply before, but now she did completely.
Damian's skill lay in his ability to appear noble and elegant even when stabbed into someone's heart with a knife, making it hard to associate him with an executioner.
"Ashley!" Damian stood up, walked out from behind his desk, and in a flash, grabbed her wrist.
Ashley was forced to stop, "Mr. Hearst, what else do you have to say?"
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