Chapter62Damian Storms In
Just minutes after Ashley's arrival, Damian's car glided into the underground garage. Ascending to his apartment, he swiftly changed his clothes and indulged in a refreshing shower. As he stood by the window, the words that Christian had uttered earlier that evening echoed relentlessly in his mind, refusing to dissipate.He found himself visualizing Ashley, spending the night weeping at his place, drenched by the relentless rain, and eventually being escorted away by the maid. Bits and pieces of information coalesced in his mind, painting a vivid scene of Ashley kneeling in a puddle, her cries for help falling on deaf ears.The truth was, he hadn't been home that day. Even if he had been, given the resentment he harbored towards Ashley at the time, would he have extended a helping hand? Would he have shown any compassion? He doubted it.Pouring himself a drink, Damian felt the sharp burn of whiskey slide down his throat, doing nothing to soothe his frayed nerves. Instead, it only fanned the flames of his frustration. Despite his usual aversion to time-wasting social media sites, on a whim, Damian decided to check the trending topics online.Amelia, Ashley's sister, was the talk of the town, her name splashed all over the news. Separating truth from fiction in the scandal was a Herculean task, and the comments from users were unanimously vile. No wonder Ashley was livid.With a snap, Damian shut his laptop, changed into casual clothes, and stepped out the door. Driven by an inexplicable urge, he found himself walking straight to Building Eight. Looking up at the lit windows of the penthouse, he laughed at his own absurdity: he must be losing his mind. Indeed, Christian's harsh words had cast a spell on him.His access card, which worked for any building, slid into the slot as naturally as it would when entering his own home.
The elevator ascended slowly, its floor indicators changing in sync with the erratic rhythm of his heart. He couldn't even discern what he was rushing over to say; he just felt an insistent push driving his steps beyond reason’s command.
The last time he'd lost control like this, it was also because of Ashley. Damn it.The elevator doors slid open to reveal a solid wooden door. He hesitated as he was about to ring the bell. He and Ashley barely got along; did he really want to instigate a confrontation in the middle of the night? After standing there for a solid five minutes, Damian decided to call instead, but the call was abruptly disconnected. His tongue pressed against the roof of his mouth; he nearly gave in to the impulse to kick the door down. Fine, Ashley, you think you're so clever!"Open up," he demanded, making it clear that it was his final request before he would resort to using the code.Ashley felt as though she was floating, her head heavier than the rest of her body. It took her an eternity to muster the simple action of opening the door just a crack to see Damian's stern face. She had no intention of inviting him in, leaning against the doorframe, she asked, "Damian, what do I owe the pleasure?"
Her tone was cold, mocking. He'd just humiliated her at the club, and now he was at her door. Was this a joke?Damian was livid, "Let me in."Ashley blocked the door, "Sure, this is your place, but I'm the one living here now. It's my private space, so please, have some respect."Oh, the audacity of her, asking him to respect her privacy? Damian kicked the door, and the reinforced security door bounced, slamming back against the door frame. Ashley closed her eyes and took a deep breath, "Damian...""Shut up. I'm not here for a lesson." Ashley had schooled him in legal matters so much that she had developed quite a knack for it!Turning back to the living room, Ashley faced Damian, who had made himself comfortable as if he owned the place. "Alright, let's hear it then."The house remained as it had always been: basic furniture arrangements, nothing new added, except for a pair of fresh designer heels and some casual sneakers by the entranceway, a testament to her residence. It seemed her life wasn't too hard after all, refusing to lower her standard of living. On the coffee table, there were opened medicine boxes – one for fever, the other an anti-inflammatory. Was she still running a fever?"Sit down," Damian commanded.Ashley's stubbornness flared. "No!""I said, sit down! Living in my house, and you're giving me attitude," Damian scolded her, "You're really pushing your luck, Ashley."She had a lot on her mind: worrying about Amelia's naivete, Christian's underhanded tactics, receiving a breach of contract from KM Road, and the fear of not earning enough to cover her mother's medical bills. But the moment she saw Damian, her anger submerged all her insecurities, and she even contemplated a scorched-earth showdown with him.
"There is a threshold to the extent one can be pushed, Damian. I have nothing left to give. What more do you seek? If my existence is such a burden to you, then finish it. Be swift, do not extend my agony," she dared, feeling as though she had reached her limit. Her parents had been the only reason she had endured this far, but now, having created chaos in her life, she felt more of a liability than a blessing to them. It seemed better to end it all.Raising his gaze, Damian saw the woman confront death with unwavering determination. She closed her eyes, prepared to become yet another soul under his control.He desired to grant her a quick end, but he also yearned to ask her - what was her objective in her relentless pursuit of him? Was it the prestige and status that came with the Hearst family name? How many advantages had she secured for the Astor Group in her capacity as Mrs. Hearst over the past three years? Did he need to retrieve the data and highlight it? His brother had withdrawn two billion from the bank, using KM Road's North City subsidiary as a cover.What part had Ashley played in all this? Underhanded transactions? Secret operations?How dare she challenge him with such audacity?Taking a deep breath, Damian regained his composure before she did, his tone softening slightly, "You're still feverish. Don't faint and hit your head, staining the floor."With tear-filled eyes, Ashley took a seat in the farthest corner, her voice steady, "Will Christian let Amelia off the hook?"Damian's gaze swept across the dining room - barren, without even a fruit bowl on the table.He finally understood what this house lacked - the warmth of everyday life.The kitchen was immaculate, with dishes freshly washed but not put away in the dishwasher. A few wilted salad greens and half a loaf of bread were in the fridge, while the freezer was packed with store-bought pizza rolls and bagel bites. Damian shut the fridge with a bang, "Ashley, how have you not starved to death?"Ashley wanted to snap back, "Is that your idea of manners? Invading and inspecting someone else's kitchen as if it's your own?""You haven't answered my question. What's Christian going to do about Amelia?"Damian frowned, looking like a chef frustrated by the lack of ingredients. "She's made her bed; let her lie in it. He's not my son. It's not my business."The living room was a considerable distance from the kitchen. As Ashley rose to head there, she stood too quickly, and the room began to spin. She barely managed to steady herself on the couch, preventing a fall.Damian's heart missed a beat at the sight of her slender silhouette, appearing as if a breeze could knock her over.She questioned him if he had ever truly known her, if he had any understanding of what her life had been like for the past three years.Had she become so thin from not having enough to eat?What about the money she took with her? Was it all gone?"Since you're here, call Christian. If something happens to Amelia, he and I are going to have a problem."Damian offered no direct response, "Haven't had dinner?"Ashley was taken aback. Did he really enjoy lingering in the kitchen that much?"I'm not hungry.""Well, I am."She didn't care!Leaning against the fridge, preventing him from opening it again, she said, "Our food's not good enough for someone like you, Damian. I can't offer you anything."Damian lifted his hand to rest on the top of the double-door fridge, cornering her with his imposing frame, "Well then, what am I supposed to eat?"
