Chapter 1 Aren''t You Afraid of Death?

"Um... should I get undressed and hop into bed first, or... help you get undressed first?" Cherise Shaw asked nervously, standing by the bathroom door with just a towel wrapped around her.

It was her wedding night.

The man in the wheelchair, blindfolded with black silk, would be her husband from now on.

This was her first time seeing him in person, and honestly, he was way better looking than in the photos. The guy had sharp features - a strong nose, thick eyebrows, and this tall, lean build that totally matched what Cherise had always pictured as her dream guy. But here''s the thing - he was disabled and blind.

Some people said Damien Lenoir was cursed, that he''d caused his parents to die when he was nine and his older sister when he was thirteen. Not only that, but his three previous fiancées had all died, one after another.

When Cherise first heard those rumors, she was pretty freaked out. But her uncle, Elvis Shaw, promised that the Lenoir family would pay for her grandmother Mary Dawson''s medical treatment. For Grandma Mary''s sake, she was willing to take the risk.

When Damien didn''t respond, Cherise figured he hadn''t heard her, so she asked again.

"Ha! Do you know who I am?" The cold man slowly pulled off the black silk and stared at Cherise with an icy look.

His gaze was so freezing that Cherise automatically shivered, but she quickly told herself not to be scared. He was blind, after all!

Still, she was surprised by how intense his stare felt for someone who supposedly couldn''t see.

Cherise had never met a blind person before, so she wasn''t sure how it worked, but she answered honestly. "I know."

Damien frowned. "Aren''t you afraid of dying?"

He looked way more intimidating and composed without the blindfold.

Cherise''s heart was racing. "No. We owe you everything because you saved Grandma. I''ll keep my promise to give you children and take care of you for life!" She stared right at Damien and declared this firmly, her delicate face completely serious.

Damien studied her silently for a moment before letting out a sarcastic laugh. "Well then. Help me take a bath."

Cherise hesitated for just a second before saying, "Okay."

She hadn''t regretted promising Peter Lenoir - Damien''s grandfather - that she''d marry Damien. It made sense for a wife to bathe her disabled husband.

"I''ll get the bath ready." With that, Cherise headed into the bathroom.

Damien frowned as he watched her disappear. He''d actually had his people investigate her. The woman''s background was as simple as it gets - she came from a poor family in some village and was willing to marry an infamous jinx like him just to pay for her grandmother''s medical bills.

His three previous fiancées had all been socialites from wealthy families in Adania. But they''d been brutally murdered the night before their weddings. Surprisingly, a naive girl like Cherise had made it safely all the way to their wedding night.

Either she was too unimportant for anyone to bother with, or she was playing dumb.

While Damien was lost in thought, the bathroom door opened. He was momentarily stunned when he looked up to see the petite woman walking out of the steamy bathroom.

The water vapor had dampened her long black hair, with a few strands hanging over her collarbones. The towel wrapped around her body was damp and clung to her skin, outlining her curves.

"Just give me a second." Cherise crouched down and pulled her suitcase out from under the bed. Her clothes were neatly arranged inside. She grabbed a white lace nightgown, tore off the price tag, and put it on.

Thinking Damien was blind, she changed right in front of him, but this innocent act looked completely different through Damien''s eyes. Is she testing whether I''m actually blind?

"Okay!" After changing, Cherise walked over to Damien and wheeled him to the bathroom. She helped him inside and started removing his shirt.

Through the thick steam, Damien watched Cherise with narrowed eyes.

Cherise looked focused, her head down. Her clear eyes showed no emotion at all. She was so concentrated, like she was just doing a job.

She removed his watch and shirt, then... When only his underwear was left, Cherise hesitantly pulled her hand back. "Can you... bathe with this on?"

Damien looked at her with a hint of mischief in his eyes. "You can''t get properly clean without taking it off."

"Oh... you''re right." Cherise turned away and reached out her hand.

Damien was startled. Staring coldly at her focused expression, he frowned. Is this woman really that clueless, or is she putting on an act? She doesn''t seem embarrassed at all!

"This way to the tub." Cherise carefully helped Damien into the bathtub as if she hadn''t even noticed his naked body. Still, her cheeks flushed red.

She patted her face to calm down before asking Damien, "You can handle some scrubbing, right?"

"Mm-hmm."

Then Cherise tucked her hair behind her ears and turned around to search through the cabinet. A few moments later, she came back with a bath scrub.

Damien''s eye twitched, surprised that she actually planned to bathe him on their wedding night.

Without asking permission, Cherise started scrubbing his back. "Let me know if it hurts. I''ll be gentler."

Damien stayed quiet as Cherise carefully bathed him. Before marrying Damien, she''d taken care of her old, sick grandmother for years. Mary loved when Cherise bathed her, saying it made her feel comfortable and helped her sleep better. So Cherise figured Damien would enjoy it too.

Crouching beside the tub, she carefully scrubbed every inch of his skin. Even though she was using all her strength, it felt like gentle tickles to Damien. Still, he could sense her effort and sincerity.

It didn''t take long before sweat was beading on Cherise''s forehead.

Frowning, Damien started to wonder if he''d been wrong about her. What kind of schemes could an innocent girl like this possibly have?

"Um... should I wash there too?" After cleaning the rest of his body, Cherise blushed and pointed at his private area.

Damien looked at her with his deep-set eyes. "What do you think?"

Cherise hesitated briefly and mumbled, "Okay... I''ll do it."

Just as she reached out her hand, Damien quickly grabbed her wrist.

Instantly, the atmosphere became tense.

Cherise didn''t realize her action would make Damien uncomfortable. She lifted her head and looked at him innocently. "I can''t wash it if you''re holding my wrist."

Coldness flashed in Damien''s eyes as he snapped, "Get out."