Chapter 462 The Woman Brought by Mr. Hearst
Last time in the small town of Coastal City, Damian was very interested in discussing carving with the woodcarving shop owner. She thought he was just curious, but unexpectedly, he was actually self-learning?
The owner said that this skill cannot be mastered quickly; it requires long-term practice, repeated carving, and the knife can hurt your hands.
Despite this, the very busy Damian still took up the knife?
Ashley looked at the small human figure, her heartbeat seemed to be deliberately disrupted, and her breathing was as if pressed in a sponge, unable to flow smoothly. She reached out her hand but was too nervous to pick it up.
Who could this little wooden figure be?
Judging by the outline, it was a girl.
Could it be her?
She had this vague expectation in her heart, but nervously denied it.
How could it be? Damian was so busy, would he really spend time making a wood carving for her?
Ashley closed her eyes and shut the drawer.
But curiosity gnawed at her like a thousand insects, and finally, she opened the drawer again, gritted her teeth, and picked up the wooden figure.
Her heart suddenly felt a sharp and intense pain.
Even though she thought it was unlikely to be her, when she saw the girl's bangs, it still hurt so much she couldn't help it.
It wasn't her.
She had wavy long hair with side bangs, not such a girlish straight bang.
Although the facial features were not yet carved, from the hairstyle and the girlish long dress, it was clear that this was definitely not her.
Who was it?
That girl named Selene?
Indeed, a man can never forget his first love; that beautiful figure in his heart is a lifelong bond and attachment.
Looking at it, Ashley felt incredibly sad.
Suddenly, she felt that the things she said in front of Nicole seemed like a big joke.
What love, what affection, it was all her one-sided performance, and she was never the main character.
She put down the wood carving and closed the drawer.
Her nose tingled, and tears were about to come out. Ashley quickly raised her head, not letting the tears flow.
Don't cry! It was not worth it!
If Damian had a heart, it would probably be divided into several pieces, one for his first love, one for Jessica, and other women. How much warmth would be left for her in the end?
So, it was not worth it!
Just took what you need, got the certification, and cleared her parents' grievances.
Finally, love was not something you should pursue!
"Ashley?"
A voice called her back to reality. Ashley looked up from the sofa, already back to normal, without a trace of the heart-piercing pain, "Mr. Hearst is back."
Damian didn't like being called that by her, he took a few long strides over and put his arm around her back, "You're just my temp, no need to be so formal."
"Just do what needs to be done, didn't I remind Victor too?"
Damian sensed something was off with her mood, "Is something wrong?"
"No, what could be wrong? My job is to serve Mr. Hearst well," Ashley took out the organized schedule, "You have a dinner party tonight at seven, there's an hour and a half left, do you need me to prepare anything?"
Damian said, "No need to prepare, it's just a bit far, let's leave early."
It was quite far, in a suburban estate, an hour's drive away.
Ashley nonchalantly shook off his embrace, walked to the side, and casually opened a computer document, "I'll contact the driver to take you. My driving skills aren't great, and it's not safe to drive at night."
If Damian still couldn't sense her bad mood, he would have wasted all those years in the business world. He walked over and stood beside her, "What's really going on?"
Ashley certainly couldn't say she was upset because of the wood carving, "Nothing."
There was a bit of gritted teeth in her tone.
Damian couldn't get an answer, so he had to give up, "Notify the driver to prepare the car, you're coming with me."
Ashley was stunned, "What am I going to do while you talk business with those big shots? I'm just a temp assistant, it's not appropriate."
"Don't you want to meet some useful people? Otherwise, what's the point of your efforts to network at KM? For future dinner parties?"
Sitting in the car, watching the cityscape gradually recede, Ashley pondered, what was Damian thinking?
During the years they were married, he rarely took the initiative to introduce her to people in his circle, almost keeping her hidden at home.
Now...
Damian put down his phone, "What are you thinking about?"
Ashley snapped back to reality and made up an excuse, "Last-minute nerves, I'm worried my clothes aren't formal enough. If I had known, I would have changed into something more formal."
"It's just an ordinary private gathering, no worries."
But when they arrived, Ashley found out it was anything but ordinary!
As soon as they entered, she saw the head of the Urban Construction Bureau, and sitting next to him was a frequent guest on the news channel, people with status in Rochester City, any one of them could control others' fates.
The district chief of the industrial park was not very noticeable here, only able to accompany with a smile and light cigarettes, acting as a companion.
Ashley had no mental preparation and just barged into a world that was originally far removed from her own.
Thinking of her father's identity, Ashley felt infinitely guilty and her hands involuntarily clenched.
No wonder the meeting was set in a remote suburban estate; the identities of these people couldn't be casually exposed.
Damian noticed the change in her expression out of the corner of his eye and extended his arm, "Hold onto me."
Ashley, feeling nervous, obediently held onto his arm, getting closer, almost leaning against him, and heard him say, "These few aren't even the top players, and you're already this scared?"
His accustomed tone made her seem so petty.
"I've never met people like this."
"There will be plenty of opportunities in the future."
Ashley looked up at his profile illuminated by the moonlight, and for some reason, her heart trembled violently.
She had seen the world, yet she felt like Cinderella who had accidentally entered the palace today. He, as the prince, protected her bewilderment and helplessness. As long as she stood by his side, it seemed like even if the sky fell, she would be safe and sound.
What surprised her even more was that the so-called ordinary gathering was really just simple chatting, eating, drinking, and tea tasting, without mentioning any work-related issues.
No one specifically asked about her identity, and no one forced her to drink.
On the contrary, they were quite polite to her, several times asking what dishes and tea she liked.
But the brilliance of these people was also here; they never spoke directly, a glance, a small gesture, a hint, was enough.
They were a community of interests, restraining each other, using each other, and guarding against each other.
In their laughter, everything could be destroyed.
After a few rounds of drinks, someone with a low tolerance might have gotten tipsy and loosened up, laughing and saying, "Mr. Hearst's lady companion hasn't had a drink all night!"
Saying this, he wobbled and clinked his glass with Ashley's, "It's the first time I've seen Mr. Hearst bring a girl to dinner, I toast to you."
Ashley was extremely terrified; this was a government official, how could she not drink?
Uneasily picking up her glass, Ashley stood up and smiled, "Then... how about I toast to you!"
Before she could finish, Damian, holding a cigarette, looked over coolly, "She's allergic to alcohol."
When Damian spoke, usually no one dared to persuade further, but today the atmosphere was relaxed, and everyone was not too restrained. Someone laughed and said, "The beauty is allergic to alcohol, is Mr. Hearst also allergic?"
Ashley looked at Damian's face.
In the large resort hall, almost everyone was smoking, making it smoky, but only around him, the smoke created a unique beauty, his young appearance matching the surroundings so well, like white clouds emerging from a mountain.
Damian flicked his cigarette, the ash falling, then picked up a glass with his long fingers, "I'll drink for her."
With that, he downed it in one go.
It was over fifty degrees of whiskey, and he didn't even frown!
"Did I see that right? Our Mr. Hearst actually drank for someone? Now I'm curious, who is this..." The person pointed from Damian to Ashley, the ambiguity in his eyes was unmistakable.
"I..." Ashley wanted to say she was an assistant.
Damian said, "If you see her in the future, please take care of her."
He didn't say who she was or what their relationship was, but this sentence was more straightforward than any explanation and enough for the people present to understand the essence.
Sure enough, the official sat back down with an embarrassed smile, half-sober from the drink.
Luckily, he hadn't gone too far just now, or he might have been at the end of his position!
The dinner ended quickly, and the crowd dispersed.
In the quiet estate, you could hear the chirping of insects.
The birds' calls made the mountains even more serene, and the refreshing summer breeze blew over from the estate's plantation, carrying the lingering scent of grass.
Damian and Ashley walked one after the other on the cobblestone path, with lotus leaves emerging from the ponds on both sides, spreading over the water surface, and summer lotuses stretching their slender necks, holding up oval buds.
Such beautiful scenery made people feel at ease and couldn't help but think of wonderful things.
"Why aren't you talking?" Damian had one hand in his pocket, his arm naturally swinging beside her, but Ashley no longer held onto him.
Ashley was quite realistic.
Ashley was still a bit unsettled, "Why did you bring me to meet them? These people's identities are too far from mine."
"Don't you want to meet them?"
The tone clearly implied, next time I won't bring you.
"It's not that, I just think that connections aren't about how many people you know, but how many people remember you."
Damian stopped, looking down at her eyes illuminated by the moonlight, "Being with me, you're afraid they won't remember you? Even if they don't remember the first time, after three or five times, who would dare?"
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