âWhat transpired back then was my faultâ¦â Maeveâs face contorted with shame as she confessed. âI canât forgive myself if my actions continue to affect you and Cheriseâ¦
âItâs alright,â Damien murmured wearily, closing his eyes and slumping onto the sofa. âHer thoughts are utterly poisoned by Sebastian. Even if you explain, it wonât make a difference.â
âWhat should we do then?â Maeveâs anxiety was palpable. She paced back and forth in the living room.
âWhy did you go up and argue with her again? Sheâs already harboring misconceptions about you.
Arenât you thinking clearly?â
âThereâs no alternative. Weâll have to apologize to Cherise later.â Damien admitted with a helpless smile. âRight now, she sees me as an adversary. Even if I treat her kindly, sheâll perceive it as deception. Itâs better to provoke her and position myself against her. Sheâll take better care of herself despite her animosity towards me.â
As Damien finished speaking, Frances hurried down the stairs, excitement evident in her voice. âMr.
Lenoir, Mrs. Lenoir has eaten! She even asked for seconds!â
It seems she was truly famished, Damien remarked with a faint smile. Prepare more delicacies tailored to her preferences.â
âAlright!â Frances nodded eagerly. She had just turned away before she hesitated as if remembering something. âMr. Lenoir, Mrs. Lenoir⦠was just⦠cursing you.â
âItâs a positive sign that she has the energy to curse me, Damien remarked, a slightly amused smile on his lips. âLet her vent.â
âI believe the priority now is to expedite the investigation on Jacobâs end,â Maeve interjected, her lips pressed into a thin line as she glanced at Damien. âCheriseâs hostility towards you is concerning. Sheâs bound to get into trouble sooner or later.â
Damien nodded confidently. âI have a plan to address it.â
As night descended, Cherise paced her room restlessly after eating. Opening the door, she found two bodyguards stationed outside. Peering out the window, Cherise spotted another pair stationed below.
Frustration mounting, she reached for her phone, only to discover that the internet had been disconnected. Cherise felt a sense of helplessness wash over her. It appeared Damien was resolute-in confining her.
Taking a deep breath, she urged herself to remain calm as she reclined on the bed. Damienâs expectation for her to yield loomed, but she couldnât bring herself to comply. She refused to believe that Damien could confine her indefinitely or surveil her every move for the rest of her days.
With a sigh, she closed her eyes, attempting to quell the fluctuating emotions that had plagued her throughout the day. Exhaustion weighed heavily upon her, exacerbated by the dayâs events and the hearty dinner she had consumed. Succumbing to weariness, she yawned, allowing herself to sink into the softness of the mattress, unknowingly drifting into slumber.
In her dreams, she sensed the door creaking open slowly. Someone settled on the edge of her bed, the overwhelming drowsiness and fatigue proved insurmountable.
âI havenât quite figured out how to articulate it to you, the manâs deep yet polished voice filtered through her daze as he gently ran his fingers through her hair. âForgive my unkindness earlier.â
âIâll make every effort to assist in jogging your memory, he continued, shifting into a more comfortable position beside her. His voice, smooth and refined, enveloped her in its charm. âLetâs start from the very beginning, from the day we first crossed paths.â
âOur initial encounter was on our wedding day. Absurd, isnât it?â He paused briefly, a hint of wryness coloring his words. âMy parents perished in a car accident when I was eight, and my sister abandoned.
me after a fire when I turned thirteen. With Uncle Raymondâs family lurking eagerly, I had no recourse but to feign disability, confined to a wheelchair while also pretending to be blind.â