Chapter 4 You''re Going to Be Late

The man''s ice-cold tone turned the dining room atmosphere frigid.

*Thud!*

June dropped to her knees, eyes red-rimmed. "I... I shouldn''t have said that to Mrs. Lenoir."

Damien''s usual gentle nature didn''t mean he never got angry. When he was truly pissed, nobody could handle it.

"But I didn''t mean any harm, Mr. Lenoir! I just thought Mrs. Lenoir might get tired if she made breakfast herself..."

Damien smiled, his gaze sliding to June.

"So that''s how you justify sabotaging a newlywed wife''s attempt to make breakfast for her husband?"

Dead silence filled the room. Damien''s words hit June and Frances like a slap. Even Cherise stared wide-eyed.

*Is Damien actually defending me right now?!*

June was shaking. "No, I didn''t mean... We didn''t throw away Mrs. Lenoir''s food. Frances and I ate it."

His smile turned arctic. "Seems like you think you run this house, not me."

*Thud!*

Frances immediately dropped to her knees. June crawled toward Cherise. "Mrs. Lenoir, please forgive me. I honestly thought since you just got here, you might feel like we weren''t taking care of you properly. That''s why I didn''t want you cooking..."

June was old enough to be Cherise''s mother.

Cherise couldn''t just watch her beg like that. She pressed her lips together and spoke stiffly. "H... Hubby, June was trying to help me... If you want to eat, I''ll just make..."

She turned toward the kitchen. As she passed Damien, he grabbed her hand and pulled her onto his lap. His distinctive minty scent was intoxicatingly masculine. Cherise''s face went bright red.

He placed a hand on her slim waist.

"What did you call me just now?"

Her face got even redder. "Hubby."

"What did you make for your hubby?"

"Grilled cheese sandwiches, hot chocolate, hash browns, and some..."

Watching her flushed face, he smiled and kissed her forehead. "Make some for me tomorrow, okay?"

She bit her lip. "Tomorrow''s breakfast..."

He set her back on her feet. "Eat up. You''re gonna be late."

She snapped back to reality and looked at the clock. Almost eight!

Her class started at eight-thirty.

She wolfed down some food and rushed upstairs to change and grab her bag. When she came back down, June was gone while Frances was still kneeling. The man with the black cloth over his eyes was calmly sipping milk.

He must have heard her footsteps. "I''ve arranged for the driver to pick you up. Don''t stay out too late."

Her face was still crimson. "Thank you."

...

"Mr. Lenoir, I told June everything you wanted me to. She should be reporting exactly what I said."

Frances spoke slowly after Cherise left.

"You can get up now."

Damien shifted to get comfortable and leaned back in his wheelchair. "There''s something I don''t quite get. You and June both came here on the old man''s orders. June took my uncle''s offer. Why didn''t you?"

Her face went white. *Thud!* She dropped to the floor again.

"You have another job, don''t you?"

He wiped his mouth with a napkin gracefully.

"I won''t do anything to you for now. Since Old Mr. Lenoir told you to watch me, you should report exactly what you saw. I was furious and got rid of June to protect Cherise."

Frances understood. "You don''t need to worry, Mr. Lenoir!"

*Thank you, Mr. Kolson!*

Carrying her bag, Cherise got out of the car a couple streets from Adania University and jogged toward campus. Youthful energy radiated from the sunlight catching her bouncing ponytail.

Once she disappeared from view, the driver made a call.

"Mr. Lenoir, Mrs. Lenoir had me stop two streets from the university."

The man''s voice was low. "What did she say?"

"She said the car was too fancy. She doesn''t want anyone knowing she married a rich guy."

"I see. Do as she says."

Cherise slipped into the classroom just minutes before class started, breathing hard.

Lucy stared at her, jaw dropped. "You''re actually here for class?!"

Cherise wiped sweat from her forehead. "Thank God I made it!" She was wearing her usual white shirt and faded jeans, hair in a ponytail, face completely makeup-free.

Nothing about her screamed "married."

Cherise pulled out her textbook and notes. "We''ll probably finish that theorem from last class, right?"

Lucy''s expression looked like she''d seen a ghost.

*If I''m not wrong, Cherise''s hot, blind husband is already twenty-six. A twenty-six-year-old who''s never touched a woman should be an absolute animal when he gets married!*

But there wasn''t a single mark on Cherise''s neck.

Her voice sounded normal. She wasn''t in so much pain she could barely walk. She was even calmly organizing her notes before class.

Lucy''s mind was racing. *Could it be that Cherise''s husband isn''t just blind, but also... physically challenged? Even if she took the lead?*

*What about Cherise''s sex life?*

Lucy''s heart ached. She couldn''t leave Cherise struggling with this alone.

Panicking, she texted her cousin who specialized in men''s health. "Is there medicine for guys who can''t perform?"

He replied instantly. "What''s the situation? Premature? Small? Or can''t get it up at all?"

Lucy glanced at Cherise. She was taking notes, completely absorbed in the lecture. *Whatever. She won''t tell me anyway.*

Lucy typed back: "All of the above. I''ll come by after class to pick up medicine."

*Cherry, this is the best I can do to help you.*

When class ended, Lucy complained about stomach cramps and begged Cherise to come with her to her cousin''s hospital.

Seeing how uncomfortable Lucy seemed, Cherise agreed since she had nothing else to do anyway.

They went to the men''s health department. For some reason, Lucy started chatting about random family stuff with her cousin. Thinking it was inappropriate to eavesdrop, Cherise sat on a hallway bench reading her novel.

She was absorbed in a story that was still being updated. The CEO male lead and female lead had been enemies for years but finally got married.

"Cherise?"

She was reading the part where the couple was about to spend their first night together when a man''s voice suddenly interrupted her. Cherise was already nervous reading such a steamy scene in public. When she suddenly heard her name, her grip loosened.

*Thud!* Her phone hit the floor.

A large hand picked it up and handed it to her. "Thank..."

Blushing, she looked up but froze when she saw the man''s face.

Ian Phillips.

The gorgeous man in the white coat was her longtime high school crush. Ian.

*Thud!* The phone fell to the floor again.