Chapter 11 Mr. Kolson's Assistance

Bathed in the moonlight, Damien's smile took on a soft, seductive quality. Cherise's lips tightened, her face drained of color. "I... I was trying to protect you..." Drawing a deep breath, she admitted, "Perhaps I overstepped my boundaries..." "He was so powerful, wielding a knife. I couldn't prevent him from harming you." Her voice faltered as she lowered her gaze, "I... I could only intercept the knife for you." Her words sent a tremor through Damien's heart. "You only have one life. If Tristan were to repeat his actions, would you again shield me with your body?" Exhausted, she nodded, then, as if a realization struck her, she shook her head, "No, when I become stronger, so strong that no one would dare to threaten you, then I'll be able to protect you." Under the moonlight, Damien studied her for a long moment, "Alright, I'll await the day you become stronger." With her back still bleeding and overwhelmed by the night's events, she soon succumbed to sleep in Damien's arms. In the moonlight, Cherise's innocent and tranquil face stirred something within Damien, but he knew he must remain composed. Damien found himself unable to tear his gaze away from her, even through the black silk cloth covering his eyes. Unaware, his gaze softened considerably. Moments later, a car pulled up in front of Damien. The door swung open, and Mr. Kolson, the driver, hurried out, apologizing, "I'm late. My apologies, Mr. Lenoir." "It's alright." He responded with a cold chuckle. "She's injured. Once we return, please arrange for a female doctor to tend to her wound." Mr. Kolson was somewhat taken aback. He noticed dark patches on Cherise's body, evidently where blood from her wound had soaked through. Mr. Kolson started the car. As the car gently swayed, Cherise hovered in a state of semi-consciousness, drifting between sleep and wakefulness. She faintly heard someone speaking softly. "Mr. Lenoir, we have arrived." "Alright." "Mr. Lenoir...you..." Later, Cherise felt as though she was floating, as if someone had lifted her. Then, she found herself nestled in a warm, comforting embrace. A cool, minty masculine scent filled her nostrils, causing a wave of dizziness. It seemed to be Damien's fragrance enveloping her. She dreamt she was in a man's tender embrace. He placed her on a soft bed. Moreover, he gently brushed her hair and murmured, "Silly girl." His voice was deep, and Cherise thought it must be her newlywed husband speaking. However, she remembered her husband was disabled and couldn't possibly have carried her back to the bedroom. Cherise awoke the following morning. The sunlight was blinding. Cherise yawned, instinctively trying to stretch her body, but this movement tugged at the wound on her back. "Ouch! It hurts, it hurts so much." Cherise frowned and tried hard to recall the events of the previous night. Her memory stopped at the moment she and Damien were at the Mo family mansion, waiting for someone to pick them up. She remembered the dream from last night. No… That's impossible. Damien couldn't have carried me back to the bedroom. It must've been Mr. Kolson. "Are you awake?" A gruff male voice sounded. Cherise was taken aback. Despite the pain, she immediately turned around and looked toward the source of the voice. Coincidentally, she found herself staring straight into Damien's eyes. She blushed and instinctively looked away. Isn't Damien blind? Why does his gaze seem so sharp and focused? However, she remembered Damien was blind and wondered why she blushed and felt nervous. Thus, she smiled and said, "You're awake." "Mm." Unbeknownst to Cherise, Damien could see her every gesture. He smiled and stood up with the help of a crutch. "I didn't sleep well last night." Cherise frowned and asked, "Why?" He responded with a hint of amusement in his eyes, "Because of your back wound, I was worried that lying down might cause it to bleed again." Cherise was speechless. She cleared her throat awkwardly and changed the subject. "How did I get here last night?" He headed to the bathroom without turning back. "Mr. Kolson carried you, and I had the maid change you." Cherise was speechless again. Cherise felt a pang of disappointment. It seemed she had had a vivid dream, reflecting her subconscious desire for her husband to be physically able and normal. "I'm sorry for the trouble," she apologized. "You still have a wound on your back. It's best to rest at home today," he responded. "It's okay, I feel much better after sleeping. Besides, I don't want to fall behind on my coursework." "As you wish." With that, he entered the bathroom and closed the door. Cherise watched the closed bathroom door for a moment. Then she got up and changed out of her blood-stained nightgown into a pair of clean, washed jeans and a white T-shirt. She had just finished dressing when her phone rang. It was a call from Lucy. Lucy sounded anxious on the phone. "Cherry, you must come here now! "Today at school, the king of runner-ups has been spreading rumors about you being kept by an older man and being a mistress! Also, he even had some of his men attack several classmates who defended you!" Cherise's vision blurred for a moment. "What!" she exclaimed in disbelief. Why would someone spread such false rumors about her? She hadn't provoked anyone, had she? "You must get here immediately!" Cherise hung up and rushed out of the room. Meanwhile, Damien sat on a couch, sipping tea as he listened to Mr. Kolson read the news. He frowned when he saw Cherise running. "Why are you in such a hurry?" "I need to go to school immediately. Something happened!" Cherise hurried to the doorway and changed her shoes. "Can you have Mr. Kolson drive me there? It's urgent." I won't be able to hail a taxi at this hour! "Go," Damien ordered indifferently. Mr. Kolson put down the newspaper and followed Cherise out of the house. "Mr. Lenoir." Mr. Hampson, the butler, waited for Cherise to leave before approaching Damien. "I received news from Lenoir Residence. Someone has gone to Mrs. Lenoir's school to cause trouble under Tristan's orders." Damien sneered, "Prepare a car for me." "Are you going to Mrs. Lenoir's school?" "Yes." "But…" Mr. Hampson wanted to say something but stopped. He hesitated before saying, "Mr. Lenoir, with our current plan, we are not ready to confront Tristan directly." Damien removed his blindfold and gave him a cold glance. "Cherise is still useful to us. We can't let Raymond's people harm her."