Chapter 82 I'll Stay with You
In a record amount of time, Ashley had managed to convince herself to put aside her pride, proposing a mutually beneficial arrangement to Damian. However, when she emerged, the only sight that greeted her was Damian's car roaring to life, executing an aggressive circle at the peak before speeding down the hill.The speed was too much.Damian's professional-level driving skills were undeniable. The entire scene unfolded in a blink of an eye, leaving Ashley no chance to intervene.Frantically, Ashley grabbed her phone and dialed his number. There was no answer. She called again and again, seven, eight times, but still, there was no response. Defeated and frustrated, Ashley sank down onto the grass, torn between laughter and tears.How could she have forgotten? When Damian was ruthless, not even his closest kin were spared. What chance did she stand against him? If he had extended an olive branch, she should have accepted it gratefully.Ungrateful!The ongoing festivities around her failed to spark any other thought in Ashley's mind, just one pressing question: What now? Was there any way to fix this?Glancing around, she spotted Christian's car keys left on a table. Without hesitation, she grabbed them and was on the move. Christian was, for lack of a better word, preoccupied, so she didn't bother saying goodbye. She drove off in his Ferrari, racing down the hill in a hurry.The sports car's roaring engine didn't disturb the lovey-dovey couples, but it did wake up Stephen. His tent was set far enough away to avoid the cacophony, and when the Ferrari shot by, exploding sound across the stillness, he wondered—who would take a Ferrari out in the middle of the night?He popped his head out of the tent and made it to the BBQ pit, only to be dissuaded by the chorus of shouts that resembled a shouting match. Frowning, he returned to his tent. He really should have curbed that pesky curiosity.Meanwhile, Damian sped all the way, blitzing down empty highways and interstates. An hour later, the Mercedes slid into the underground garage of his complex. Like the wind, he alighted from the car and took the elevator up.Irritated, he peeled off his workout gear and walked naked into the bathroom—the still cityscape sprawled beyond the 270-degree floor-to-ceiling windows, an abyss tucked in the universe's corner. The cold water streamed down his back, drenching every inch of his skin.The night was chilly, and the cold shower jolted his senses back to normal levels. He sure knew how to make things hard for himself. From the moment he let Ashley take over the KM Road project, he knew he was being reckless. Now here he was, internally restless, physically stifled, reliant on a freaking cold shower to force some sense into him.Forty minutes later, Damian, wrapped in a bath towel, returned to the bedroom, flicking on the window blinds. The ink-black sky pressed down like a heavy cloth threatening to envelop him. He lit a cigarette, furiously smoking one after another.Eventually, his phone rang again. Damian glanced at the screen, which displayed three clear words, then turned away, ignoring it. The ringing persisted. Clutching his cigarette with an unfriendly tone, Damian grumbled, "What do you want to say?"Ashley drove into the neighborhood, lost and unsure of which building or floor Damian lived on. "I called you, but you didn't answer. I've come back now, but I don't know where you live. Can we talk in person?"Damian was taken aback. "What kind of sincerity is Ashley showing? A face-to-face isn't what I'm looking for."Ashley stood in the parking garage, the biting wind piercing through her, chilling her to the bone. "Don't you have that thing at your place?""What thing?" Damian asked curtly."Last time, I saw it in your car. The little box you stuffed in the tent today."Back then, she felt bitter. Damian was willing to go to such lengths for another woman but not for her, not even slightly. And now, she was asking to use something he bought for enjoyment with another woman, for that same intimacy with her.Damian caught on, "What do you want to say, Ashley? Be straightforward. I don't have all night to decipher your subtleties."He understood but insisted she say it outright. What was the difference between that and a slap in the face?Taking a deep breath, Ashley let out the words that she had held inside: "I'll sleep with you; do as you please.""You've changed your mind so quickly?""It was my mistake to think too highly of myself—to assume I was still the big shot from the Astor Group, the young Mrs. Hearst. Your reaction reminded me that it's all over. I have nothing now and can only hope for your patronage."Her rehearsed lines were fluent but devoid of emotion.Damian sneered and rattled off his apartment number. The call ended. Ashley located the directory in the garage and made her way toward his tower.Halfway there, her phone rang. It was an international call from the States. Ashley's heart skipped a beat as she slid to answer, "Mom?"It had been a long while since she'd received a call from her mother; the last was two months ago. After that, her mother's depression worsened, leading to hospitalization, and communication ceased.Her father and elder brother were busy making ends meet. Besides, they didn't want to disturb her life abroad, so they chose to reduce their contacts deliberately, each opting to keep their concerns silent and within.The overseas connection wasn't clear, and the garage's reception was poor, but upon hearing her mother's familiar, gentle utterance of "Ashley," tears inevitably escaped her eyes.
For all, a mother embodies both a sanctuary and a vulnerability; it is often in their comforting presence that a child, having stumbled, feels secure enough to shed tears.Such was the case for Ashley, whose pent-up grief came crashing down at the mere utterance of her mother's endearing nickname.With a struggle to steady her voice, Ashley managed to force a smile through her tears and inquired, "Mom, have you been discharged? Are you feeling any better?" On the other end of the phone, Damian's mother responded in a gentle whisper, "I've just finished with the discharge paperwork and wanted to call you immediately. Sweetheart, have you been missing your mom since you've been back in the States for so long?"Ashley instinctively shook her head, then remembered her mother couldn't see her, and verbalized, "Of course, I miss you, Mom. It's just…I've been overwhelmed. Between handling cases and court appearances, my days are filled to the brim."After exchanging a few of the usual mother-daughter concerns, the voice of Damian's mother took on a serious tone. "Ashley, have you encountered him again in Rochester City?"The 'him' in question was Damian.The subject was unavoidable—him.Ashley wished to deny it, but her mother continued, "You've always been headstrong, and perhaps I indulged you too much, allowing you to have your way. After all the harsh lessons, it's time for you to mature. Can you promise me you won't see him again?"Ashley wanted to nod, but her head felt as if it was encased in concrete.Recognizing her daughter's stubbornness on this issue, Damian's mother persisted, "You were adamant about marrying Damian, and I couldn't dissuade you. But I refuse to stand by and watch you walk back into that fire. You claimed you returned to Rochester City for your career, and we didn't obstruct you. People need to progress. But, Ashley, you must promise me there will be no further contact with him."Ashley's gaze fell on the elevator button. With a simple press, she would be transported directly to Damian's apartment.After tonight..."Mom...""The Astor Group may have collapsed, but your dad and I remain. We'll always love and protect you, and no one can belittle my precious daughter! Even if we're down to our last penny, being together as a family is what truly matters. Your dad and I have discussed it, and we want you back before the year's end. We're never going back."Ashley was taken aback. "What happened?"
