Chapter 51 The Bastard Strikes Again
The moment Ashley stormed out of the office, Damian was so irritated he wanted to throw her out of the building.
He considered himself patient and tolerant with Ashley. In the past, the Astor family had taken so much money from him, and the once father-in-law and brother-in-law had leveraged his reputation to secure loans and resources. At the sight of Ashley, he should have tortured her to pay for her father's debts.
Time and again, he wondered if he'd been hexed, watching Ashley court disaster without taking the harsh measures he felt she deserved. She was tough and never showed any sign of backing down, a woman who... infuriated him to no end.
"Some people spend all their energy on just trying to live a decent life!"
"You don't have a clue what I've been through, what my parents have endured. Have you ever shown any concern for me? Asked about my past? Have you even the slightest interest in understanding me?"
Damian rubbed his temples, surprisingly moved by her words.
Perhaps, he could look into Ashley’s past, to get a handle on where she’s been these last three years and find out what brought on that prickly temper of hers!
Her driver's license.
Recalling that Ashley's license was still in his car, which hadn't yet been taken to the dealership for a service evaluation, Damian stood up and opened the door.
“He told me he missed me after three years apart...none could compare to me. He longed for me by day and even more at night. Sure, he might not be the most... capable... A pity I'm not interested in him at all.”
The temperature seemed to plummet, and an icy chill descended around Damian.
Standing at the threshold like a figure carved from ice, he saw Ashley stained with coffee and spoke out coldly, "What happened to you? Couldn't find your mouth with your coffee?"
Certainly, he must've overheard.
Ashley fished a tissue from her bag and began dabbing at the stains on her clothing, "I have every reason to suspect Trinity might be showing early signs of some diseases; she can't even hold a coffee cup steady. It wouldn't hurt for Mr. Hearst to take her to the hospital for a checkup, just to be safe."
Since collaboration was off the table, she might as well not let herself be bullied after losing money.
Trinity's complexion turned a sickly green, but she held back her fury in Damian's presence, tears brimming as she said with a mix of hurt and restraint, "Damian, look at her."
"Was it you who spilled it?" Damian’s frosty presence was enough to make teeth chatter.
Thinking Damian was angry, Trinity quickly justified, "Ashley was bad-mouthing you so horribly, so I lost my temper wanting to teach her a lesson. It's fine if she doesn't like me, but her words were so foul, I can't even repeat them."
Damian cut in, "Ashley, apologize for your words."
He was giving her a chance to show she still had some integrity left. As a lawyer, slandering others and malicious gossip were not only unethical but also illegal.
Ashley’s heart felt as though it had been punctured by numerous holes, the wind whistling through, leaving her cold all over. Damian's scolding was a warning, an apology was secondary; it was mainly to make a stand, showing his support for Trinity.
Ashley took a deep breath, "Trinity, what exactly did I say that was so foul?"
Trinity wanted to tear her apart but repeating those words would mean embarrassing Damian publicly. Did Ashley take her for a fool?
"Let's forget it, Damian," Trinity conceded, "I think Ashley was just speaking in anger. You wouldn't hold it against someone for talking nonsense, right?"
She cleverly chose a way out, appearing forgiving while preserving the man's dignity.
Damian responded, "It's generous of you."
That was quite the compliment, and Trinity couldn't help but beam with pleasure. "I guess people’s upbringing and environment are different," she responded with a veiled jab at Ashley.
Ashley decided to rise above it all. Petty attacks based on insecurities were beneath her.
It's true what they say, love is blind; Damian couldn't see any fault in Trinity.
Unable to stomach their lovey-dovey act any longer, Ashley interjected, "Since Trinity isn’t pressing charges, I won't hold you lovebirds up any longer."
Damian's gaze followed her to the elevator, a whirlwind of anger and sympathy in his eyes so intense that even he couldn't fully grasp it.
Trinity gently tugged at his fingers, picking up on his conflicted expression. Could it be that Damian still harbored feelings for Ashley?
The thought sparked a sense of worry in Trinity.
As the elevator descended and Ashley stepped out into the scorching sun, her tears no longer needed to be held back, quickly dampening her cheeks.
She was still sick, her head pounding, her body aching from head to toe.
Losing the case, disparaged by Damian, and mocked by Trinity, Ashley had armored herself in layers of defense, yet couldn't shield her desolate vulnerability.
Her cellphone rang and she quickly wiped away her tears to answer.
"Amelia," she managed, her voice cracking immediately.
Thank heavens it wasn't her mother on the other end; the worry would have only compounded from across the seas.
After wrapping up her morning shoot, Amelia had been thinking about Ashley who had rushed out to KM without finishing her breakfast. With no word for hours, she called as soon as she left the studio. Sure enough, something was up.
Hearing Ashley's sobs, Amelia felt even worse, "What's wrong, Ashley? Did Damian mistreat you?"
"Where are you?" said Ashley, in a mess and unable to hail a cab from the roadside.
"Just tell me where you are, and I'll come to find you," Amelia insisted.
"I'm at KM Tower," Ashley replied.
"I’ll be right there. Find somewhere cool to sit for a bit," Amelia said, racing to her destination.
It only took Amelia a rush of speeding moments to arrive and find Ashley sitting dejectedly on a bench, looking utterly defeated.
It was now clear to Amelia that whenever Ashley got involved with Damian, joy was destined to be absent. Why was it that she always went to him with high hopes, only to end up sobbing into her arms?
The guy was toxic!
"What despicable thing has he done this time? What happened to your clothes? Damn it, did he spill coffee on you?" Amelia fumed.
Ashley shook her head, "Trinity did."
"Trinity?" Amelia repeated, trying to put the pieces together.
Ashley guessed she might not be familiar with the name and briefly explained, "You know, the heiress from the Bezos Family, Damian's latest flame. She's not from our world."
The Bezos Family was famous, and its high-rise was a downtown landmark. Just walking down that street was a statement in itself.
Amelia was upset with herself. Those wealthy ladies had friends who matched their status, while she could only cheer on her dear friend from the sidelines. If only her dad were some CEO, a chairman, or even a high-ranking official!
"Who cares who she is? Anyone who hurts my bestie will pay, no matter how far I have to go. Where's that vixen at? I'm going to teach her a lesson."
Ashley couldn't help but laugh, "At Damian's office. You really want to go?"
"Of course, I'll go! I used to be scared, afraid to stand up for you. Not anymore. I'm fearless now. If it comes down to it, we'll call Harold. Doesn't he have connections everywhere? If playing it straight doesn't work, we'll get them one way or another."
