Chapter 2080 An Unexpected Run-in

The room felt hot and stuffy. Inside his hotel room, Damian paced back and forth as if he were walking on embers. He was in a five star hotel, but it felt more and more like a prison as the seconds went.

That call from earlier. He did not know who the man was. He gritted his teeth, struggling to keep his focus and recall the conversation. This was no time to be tripping over his own feet with anxiety.

"I suggest you think about it thoroughly. It's now or never. Your hesitation will cost you dearly," he said over the phone. "If her ex-husband comes back into the picture, it won't be good for you. They might rekindle old flames and marry again. When that happens, it's all over."

His words rang inside Damian's head like persistent echoes long after. Not once did he have a moment's rest from its merciless intrusion.

His anxiety fed on these voices like a hungry beast. Damian was visibly unnerved. Sheryl was the only woman he wanted in the world, and he would do anything and everything if he could have her.

However, he was well aware that he was teetering on unstable ground. At this point, he knew what Sheryl's answer would be if he asked her to marry him, and it was not the answer he wanted. Not once had she shown interest, and now here was Charles again, lingering like a ghost from her past.

To make matters worse, he did not know who this Rob person was, nor his intentions in offering his help. It would be too much of a risk to trust him. If Sheryl was harmed in any way because of his rash decisions, Damian would never forgive himself.

He was not that stupid. Good Samaritans had long disappeared from this world, and their place was taken by opportunists, waiting for their chance to pounce and turn the tables in their own favor. There would always be a catch. No way was this stranger doing him this big a favor for nothing.

Damian paused in his pacing and contemplated Rob's persona. Finding out who he was, was the top priority for now. He wouldn't be able to put his mind at ease until he figured out what this mysterious man was plotting.

Taking out his phone, he dialed a number, impatience gnawing at his already anxious nerves. Finally, the call was received.

"Duke, it's me, Damian. Can you come over now?" he said in haste.

"Now? Are you kidding me? It's time for dinner. Can't I at least eat first?" Duke replied, sounding fatigued.

For the past few days, he had been running around, carrying out Damian's orders. He had been working nonstop to get him what he wanted, and his patience was wearing thin with yet another of his demands.

"Why don't you come here and join me for dinner, then?" Damian proposed. "Remember that Western-style restaurant next to my hotel? Let's have our dinner there. They have the best steak in town. It'll be my treat."

Duke instantly perked up at his offer. Damian really knew how to make people follow him. "Alright," he replied, laughing. "I'll be there in 10 minutes. Get a table and wait for me," he said, and then hung up.

On the other side of the city, Isla raised her head from the pile of documents on her desk and looked at them disdainfully. Her neck and shoulders were complaining from the whole day of work. It was time to call it a day.

Before leaving her office, she called Phoebe, planning to drop by the hospital and check on Sheryl before going home, but they spotted Josef the moment they stepped out of the elevator.

"W

ght. I get it. I'll feed you until you can't stand anymore. Waiter?" Damian raised a graceful hand, and a waiter appeared to serve them immediately.

"What can I do for you, sir? Ready to order?" the waiter asked with a professional smile.

"Take care of the order, Duke. I need to use the men's room. You can get anything you want. Don't even look at the prices. I'll be pissed off if you try to save for me!" After that, Damian stood up and left the table.

Grinning, Duke browsed the menu and ran through it carefully, keeping his spirit high.

On his way to the men's room, Damian ran into someone as he turned a corner. Raising his head, he was ready to apologize, but a familiar voice reached his ears before he could utter a word.

"Damian Li? Is that you?" Phoebe exclaimed, also surprised. Nothing is too strange in this world, such as running into an acquaintance unexpectedly in a fancy restaurant.

"Yes, that would be me. But may I ask who you are again? Miss…" His voice trailed off as he wore a regretful expression. He knew he had met her before, but he couldn't recall her name.

Phoebe hurriedly explained, "I'm Phoebe, Ms. Xia's assistant. We met in Cloud Advertising Company."

'No way!' Damian screamed in his mind.

His eyes bore into Phoebe, but he was still unable to find any concrete memory of her face. It should have been easy to remember a pretty face like hers. And since she was Sheryl's assistant, he was determined to be even more attentive.

"Oh, I remember now," he lied. "It's nice to see you again, Phoebe. Are you having dinner here too?" He gave her a friendly smile as if he was talking to someone he was very familiar with.

Nodding her head, Phoebe returned it. It was the first time she saw Damian in private, and at such a close distance. He was even more handsome up close. He definitely had the air of an artist about him–aloof and distant. Objectively, he was very attractive. Not that she was interested. She already had Josef. But she could see how a lot of women would probably be his admirers.

"Yes, I'm with my boyfriend. You must be having dinner, too, right?" Phoebe stretched her neck to look behind Damian as she spoke. The restaurant was popular among lovers. Curiosity filled her about who Damian's companion would be.