Chapter 411 Rain, Holding People Back
Damian, who had no interest in joining the conversation, seemed to be forcibly dragged into the topic. "You work just to make money? If you wanted to make money, would you stay in that small hospital?"
Hayden slapped his thigh in realization. "My vision was too narrow! Ashley upholds social justice, just like how I became a doctor to save lives and heal the wounded. So Ashley, what case have you taken on now?"
This guy, not a great actor but loved to show off. If Amelia were here, she'd definitely shut him down.
"No case at the moment, just working on some expansion plans."
Theo seemed thoughtful. "Isn't there a partner at your firm named Lucien?"
"He's one of our leaders. Do you know him?"
"I met him once at the law school. He's Evelina's teacher. From what Evelina says, he's very strict but his teaching quality is quite good. Mr. Hearst met him too when we went together last time."
Ashley knew Evelina had returned to the country to study law at a local university. She had wondered if Evelina would take Lucien's class, and it turned out they really did become teacher and student.
Damian said, "I was just passing by to pick up Evelina. Didn't notice which one was Lucien, but that girl chattered all the way home."
With Evelina's lively personality and a few years of overseas influence, she probably couldn't stand Lucien's style. They must have had plenty of clashes in and out of class.
But that must be quite interesting.
Theo added, "Yeah, Evelina mentioned she wanted to get some materials from you. Did she ever reach out?"
Ashley hadn't been in touch with Evelina recently and didn't know. "She probably doesn't need it urgently, or she would have called me. What materials?"
Damian said, "A few books. I saw them on your bookshelf last time. I can take them to her."
So, naturally, after the meeting, Damian got into Ashley's car.
Ashley's driving skills had improved significantly, and she drove smoothly on the main road.
Damian sat in the passenger seat, his eyes glued to his phone, reading a dense French document filled with technical terms. Ashley, who had only learned basic conversational French, couldn't understand most of it.
At the entrance to the community, Ashley thought of telling him to wait downstairs while she fetched the books, but Damian had already stepped out. "Drank too much water, need to use your bathroom."
The reason was perfectly reasonable, and Ashley couldn't refuse. "No problem, come on up."
Upon entering, Ashley, who had developed the habit of changing shoes, realized Damian was still at the entrance.
"You can just come in."
There were no new men's slippers at home, and he definitely wouldn't want to wear used ones.
Damian looked at the cleaned living room and frowned. "If it gets dirty, you'll have to clean it again."
"No worries, it's a small place, easy to clean."
After using the bathroom, Damian went to the bookshelf. He seemed to have trouble finding the books.
Ashley thought it would only take a few minutes and stood there waiting. But as she waited, she noticed Damian had already picked up a book and started reading. "Why don't you call Evelina and ask?"
Without looking up, Damian said, "I remember the contents. You go do your thing; I'll be quick."
This "quick" turned into half an hour.
The once clear sky was suddenly covered by thick clouds, and the room darkened, signaling an impending storm.
"Looks like it's going to rain."
As she spoke, a jagged bolt of lightning streaked across the sky, terrifyingly swirling in the clouds before disappearing.
Ashley jumped in fright and hurried to close the window.
Damian found three books, and as if on cue, the rain outside began to pour down furiously.
Summer rainstorms come with a vengeance, accompanied by thunder and lightning!
The thunder roared across the sky, as if trying to tear a hole in it.
Damian frowned. "Weather forecasts are getting less accurate."
"Yeah, the forecast didn't mention rain."
Ashley was frustrated, wondering how she could send Damian off in such heavy rain. She couldn't think of a suitable reason.
Resigned, she accepted reality. "Have a seat. I'll get some fruit from the kitchen. We only had tea earlier, nothing to eat."
"Okay."
Damian sat down and picked up a book from the coffee table.
It was a criminal law casebook that Ashley often read, analyzing various trial records.
As he flipped through it, Damian noticed a simple drawing in the margin of one page.
It was the back of a man, sketched with a few strokes. The man had thick hair, wore a suit, with his left hand in his pocket and his right hand holding a book, exuding an intellectual aura.
This back view naturally reminded him of Sean.
What did it mean to secretly draw a man's back in a book?
Admiration?
A crush?
Whatever the reason, it made Damian furious.
The thought that the person might be Sean made him even more enraged.
Thomas had said she looked very happy playing with Sean's daughter at the mall. If she didn't have feelings for Sean, would she be that happy?
He restrained himself, held back, trying not to provoke her, not to make her resist. But what about her? She was thinking about someone else.
What was the point of his careful efforts then?
He irritably put down the book and, with a tone full of anger, asked Ashley, "Do you like Sean?"
Ashley was taken aback by his question. Thinking of the chance encounter at the mall, she guessed Thomas might have said something and explained, "Sean is a top professional in our field. I admire him, but as for liking... not really."
At least not the kind of liking he was implying.
Admiration? That was putting it mildly.
She thought about him so much that she drew little figures in her book, and that wasn't liking?
"Even if you do like him, I advise you to give up."
Ashley was hurt by his fierce and ruthless gaze. His eyes were filled with deep, undeniable disdain, as if she was coveting something that didn't belong to her.
Damian said coldly, "Sean's family background is all about status. Even if he marries someone not of equal standing, she must have a clean background. And you, what do you have? Parents hiding abroad with unshakable criminal records, and you, a divorced woman thrown out of her home. Do you think Sean would marry you? Even if he wanted to, could your background withstand scrutiny?"
He was so angry, so frustrated, that he said such cruel words.
He wanted to completely crush her hopes, to cut off all her unrealistic dreams in one go.
But he forgot how much these words, like a deadly weapon, would hurt Ashley, how heartlessly they would wound her.
Ashley's eyes turned red, blood vessels quickly filling her pupils. Her hand holding the fruit plate tightened, almost breaking the porcelain.
When the heartache reached a certain point, it became numb, unable to feel the bleeding collapse, leaving only a blank numbness and exhaustion.
Through the physiological tears, she looked at Damian, who sat on the sofa like a judge pronouncing her fate. Her heart endured the torture of a branding iron, crumbling inch by inch.
So, in his eyes, she was still that unclean woman, worthless, unworthy of happiness.
With her last bit of strength, she asked, word by word, "Is that how you really feel?"