Marrying the Man in the Dark

You’re home, Cherise greeted Damien as he entered.

Her eyes, still carrying traces of sleepiness but unable to hide their innate clarity and brightness, as she fixed them on him. “Did you eat?”

“I grabbed a light bite at the office,” Damien replied, gently tucking her in with a thin blanket. I’ve told you not to wait up for me.”

“It’s already past ten,” he remarked, noting the lateness of the hour.

*If I hadn’t come back tonight, were you planning to sleep at the dining table?” Damien queried a hint of amusement in his tone.

Feeling a twinge of embarrassment, Cherise hesitated before admitting, “I have something to discuss with you.

Furrowing his brow, Damien inquired, “Why didn’t you call me if it was urgent?”

“I thought it would be better to talk in person,” Cherise explained as she rose from the bed.

Damien sighed in exasperation. “If it couldn’t wait, you could have asked me to come home earlier.

Cherise’s lips formed a slight pout, her voice tinged with hesitation. “I was concerned that… I might disturb your work if you were busy.”

After expressing her thoughts, she looked up at him with a gentle smile, her eyes reflecting. innocence and clarity. “I don’t mind waiting a bit longer. I have ample time.”

peered down at the petite figure seated on

the lampshade illuminated her pure and fair visage, accentuating her ethereal beauty.

stirred

hesitation and cradled her in his arms?

girl,” he murmured

his embrace so tight that

voice barely

said in a deep voice,

placed her

you want to talk

perched on the edge of the bed, his gaze steady as he regarded her. “What’s on

of the research institute where 1 used to work,” Cherise explained, retrieving a voice recorder from the

its importance, and Yolanda arranged for him to pass it to you through me before she left Adania,” she added.

recorder, his brow furrowing in concern. “Yolanda gave

her lips pursing.

you must listen with me. “He specifically instructed that I

of helplessness. “You stayed up