Marrying the Man in the Dark

“Damien is quite a catch, isn’t he? He was the heir to the Lenoir empire, with seemingly endless wealth and power at his disposal. If I were in your sister’s shoes, I wouldn’t let such an opportunity slip away either. Marriage certainly seems like the most logical course of action, wouldn’t you agree?”

Cherise’s eyes sparkled with amusement, but her smile sent a chilling vibe, causing Ursula to instinctively recoil.

Ursula stammered, her face turning crimson, and retorted, “You… what nonsense is this?! Weena is not the woman you claim her to be; she’s definitely not some gold-digging opportunist! When she rescued Damien, she had no knowledge of his wealth or position. If it weren’t for his public plea to find the girl who saved him, she would have never sought any recognition or compensation!”

Ursula paused before declaring indignantly, her voice filled with righteous anger, “And who are you to accuse my sister with such audacity? Three years ago, Damien was trapped in a fire. My sister, Weena, bravely risked her own life to save him. Her feet were severely burned in the process, and she still struggles to walk today. This is a debt Damien undeniably owes her!”

defense mechanism honed to deflect criticism towards her sister. However, this time, its impact on Cherise was far more profound than intended. While Cherise was aware that Rowena had saved Damien, she

held a flicker of affection for Damien. She had entrusted Zachary with keeping her informed about his life. From his reports, Cherise understood that the only major incident involving Damien was the fire three years ago. Yet, the one who pulled him from the flames was not Rowena but

rescued from the flames, only to become a painful reminder

unaware of the potential danger. It was

for years, for in the eyes of the world, Damien was her enemy. But only Cherise knew

away in the hidden corners of her study lay a metal scrapbook, its weathered surface

Cherise would reach for it. It

deeper connection than she had ever acknowledged. He took pleasure in exploring Shaw Village, her hometown, flipping through her photo albums and diaries, trying to etch every smile and moment of hers in his mind and heart. And she, in turn, found