Ch. 621..630

Marrying the Man in the Dark Chapter 621-The Lenoir Family’s Card Lucy used Cherise’s card for the purchase, which was a suitable choice, right?

With Lucy’s card in hand, Cherise took the bill and confidently walked to the back to make the payment.

When Cherise returned after settling the bill, Kareen, who was waiting at the door, appeared visibly surprised.

Could Cherise afford the price of this high-end lipstick?

The woman calmly walked over to Kareen and handed her the lipstick.

“I’ve settled the bill. Didn’t mention that you were in a hurry to leave?” You:

“Then I won’t keep you any longer!” Kareen clenched her teeth and handed over the black card in her hand.

“Lenoir?” Kareen stared at the ‘Lenoir’ imprint on the black card, “This is…” The Lenoir family’s card!?

Kareen’s jaw dropped, and her eyes widened in disbelief.

She examined it closely, and indeed, it was the Lenoir imprint!

Cherise’s slight frown deepened as she addressed Kareen, “Ms. Miles, this card belongs to my friend; please return it.” “I agreed to buy you lipstick, not to give you my friend’s card!” Kareen scoffed and returned the black card to Cherise, “Are you certain this card belongs to your friend and not you?” The woman smirked, “The card is imprinted with Lenoir.” “As far as I know, few people share the Lenoir surname, and even fewer can afford to customize a black card.” “Moreover, your friend doesn’t seem to have any special ties with the Lenoir family.” She shot a piercing gaze and commented, “No wonder you shopped comfortably at luxury stores and bought such expensive lipstick. Are you reconnecting with the Lenoir family?” Lucy frowned deeply. “What are you implying?” “Am I making things up?” Kareen guffawed, “Ms, if I’m not mistaken, you are Lucy, correct?” “My Dame often mentioned you when talking about Cherise.” “Your ex-boyfriend, Belcourt, was Damien’s closest friend, right?” “So, did he change his surname, or are you and your good friend Cherise sharing a husband?

Lucy gritted her teeth, her hands clenched into fists at her sides.

“Lulu.

Cherise took a deep breath, her eyes flaring as she retorted, “What I do for you is none of your concern.” “While you might have issues with me and harbor resentment, involving my friend is going too far.” “If you need an outlet for your frustration, direct it towards me.” She narrowed her eyes at Kareen, and a sneer played on her lips. “You do know my mom transferred all the Miles family assets to me before she passed away, right?” “You might not know, but despite Zachary appearing in the Miles family, he was actually for me.” “I suggest you tread carefully, Kareen. My relationship with the Miles family runs deeper than meets the eye.” “Exercise caution, and we won’t have any conflicts. However, if you persist in reckless behavior, tarnishing my reputation and attempting to slander my friend.” “Then I’m sorry, I will cut off your financial support from the Miles family.” “Don’t doubt it; I can do it.” Kareen was full of icy fury as she looked at Cherise and seethed.

You… It’s been two years since they last met, and Cherise’s tongue had only become sharper.

Historically, when they argued, the verbal sparring wouldn’t end until they had battled it out. for hundreds of rounds.

Marrying the Man in the Dark Chapter 622-Cherise’s Lipstick Purchase Today, Cherise appeared noticeably more composed in both her speech and actions.

She had to find a way to navigate around Kareen.

Kareen scoffed, picked up the lipstick Cherise had given her, strutted in her seven-inch heels, and exited with a flourish.

After Kareen left, Lucy appeared shocked but gave Cherise an enthusiastic thumbs-up.

Three years ago, when she first arrived in Lermille to search for Cherise, she witnessed a heated argument between Cherise and Kareen.

Cherise used to struggle to express herself, often suppressing her frustration during arguments with Kareen.

Now… Cherise was articulate, and Kareen was left speechless.

Cherise gave her friend a thumbs-up, handed Lucy the black card, and said, “I owe it all to your excellent guidance.” She then looked at the card, which Kareen had linked to Damien.

This black card was unmistakably a symbol of the Lenoir family.

And among these business cards, the ‘Lenoir’ black card was the highest tier.

It could even be inferred that only individuals like Damien and Maeve could use it.

The woman waved the card in her hand, looked at Lucy, and asked, “Is this card yours?” Lucy avoided making eye contact with Cherise and chuckled awkwardly. “It’s a card from a friend,” she explained.

“He said he wanted to lend it to me so I could buy some nice clothes.” Cherise didn’t believe a word of it.

Her friend thought her clothes were ugly, so he gave her a black card to buy clothes.

Lucy would have gone on a shopping spree by now if she were really like that.

During the shopping trip, Lucy refrained from making any purchases. It wasn’t until Cherise needed help paying for a lipstick that Lucy pulled out her black card.

This card was either given to her by Damien or Maeve.

Under Cherise’s piercing gaze, Lucy didn’t know how to evade, so she had to reluctantly nod and admit. “This card is indeed from the Lenoir family.” “It was given to me by Maeve.” Lucy and Cherise walked side by side out of the mall, and Lucy glanced at Cherise and said casually, “I didn’t expect Maeve to apologize.” Cherise scoffed, “I don’t care if she apologizes.” “She hurt my mom, and I can’t forgive her on behalf of my mom.” Lucy sighed, “What about Damien?” “We’ll deal with that when the time comes.

“And this card…” “Hold onto it for now.” Cherise sighed deeply and put the black card in her wallet, “I’ll return it to him when the timing is right.” “For now, I might need to borrow it.

After spending over three thousand dollars on two lipsticks and with Sera’s tuition due in a few days, she couldn’t repay the money to him so quickly.

If she couldn’t repay the money, she wouldn’t be able to return the card to him.

Damien would surely not pursue her for the over three thousand.

She couldn’t spend his money as freely as before in their current relationship.

After they left the mall, they drove directly back to the hospital.

Cherise had mainly carried the bag with the new lipstick in it.

This lipstick was the latest model of a significant European brand.

The nurse’s station was abuzz when Cherise returned to the hospital with this bag.

“Dr. Shaw bought that lipstick!” “Dr. Shaw doesn’t wear makeup. Why did she buy that expensive lipstick?”

Marrying the Man in the Dark Chapter 623-Has She Lost Her Mind “Dr. Shaw seems rather affluent… The nurses kept discussing it all afternoon.

Martha had just returned from Eirwen’s residence when she overheard the nurses at the station gossiping about Cherise. She frowned and reprimanded them coldly. “What are you chattering about during working hours?” The nurses were startled and immediately scattered.

“Lana,” Martha called out with a frown, “I heard you were discussing Dr. Shaw?” “Yes.” Lana lowered her gaze. “Dr. Shaw purchased a lipstick today that amounts to almost tw thousand…” The office instantly fell into a stunned silence. Martha was taken aback.

Cherise spent almost two thousand on lipstick today?Has she lost her mind?!

“We also found it quite astonishing.” Lana pursed her lips and murmured, “Ms. Lane, as you know, Dr. Shaw has rarely applied makeup since joining our hospital, but she bought such a costly lipstick. Everyone is speculating if something happened to her. She’s either attracted tc someone and wants to cheat on her husband, or… she’s secretly wealthy.” Martha scoffed, a smirk forming on her lips, “You may leave.” Lana exited the office, trembling slightly.

Martha reclined in her chair, sneering. It seemed she had indeed overestimated Cherise.

Martha had always believed the rumors about Cherise, which said she was a humble doctor dedicated to her skills and career.

But Martha felt that Cherise had lied to her by claiming to be the Tanner family’s daughter in the morning while purchasing an exorbitantly priced lipstick in the afternoon.

Did she do it to prove she’s wealthy?!She’s spending beyond her means just to appear rich!

A lipstick that costs two thousand might seem extravagant… but everyone would have at least two thousand in their bank account, right?

It’s so ignorant of her to try and flaunt her wealth in this manner!

But this was advantageous to Martha, too.

She turned on her computer, humming cheerfully while sorting the audio files Eirwen had sent her.

Since Cherise is courting disaster by trying to exonerate Isaac, I can’t ignore her noble intentions, right?

She arranged the audio files and replayed them repeatedly to ensure there were no errors. Then, she sent them to the hospital director and numerous media outlets from an anonymous email account with the subject, ‘A righteous individual exposes a scandal concealed for many years.

Although Jordyn’s previous incident in Cherise’s class hadn’t caused a significant commotion, it did pique some media interest.

With such explicit and astonishing evidence, Martha was confident that this news would soon trend on Twitter. The public would be shocked that an academic prodigy had made someone take the fall for her.

After sending out the emails, Martha twirled joyfully in her office.

Just then, Lucy entered with some documents for Matha to sign and saw Martha’s plump figure dancing… It was quite a spectacle to witness. Lucy cleared her throat. “Ms. Lane…” The middle-aged woman finally snapped back to reality and turned to look at the door.

Martha was initially beaming, but her expression instantly soured when she saw Lucy. “Do you have a reason to be here?” Lucy rolled her eyes. Would I come to chat with you if I don’t have a reason to be here, old woman?!

Marrying the Man in the Dark Chapter 624-It’s Too Late Despite Lucy’s inner thoughts, she maintained a faint smile. “Of course I do.” The woman laid the document in her hands on the desk. “Ms. Lane, I need your signature on this document so I can submit these expenses to the finance department for reimbursement.” Martha glanced at Lucy coldly. “There’s no rush. Review it, fill in any missing details, and come back to me in two days.” “Ms. Lane, here’s the thing.” Lucy pouted but responded respectfully, “I’ve organized it meticulously and need your signature here. If anything is missing, I’ll bring it to your attention next time. Could you please sign this for me first?” “What if there’s no next time?” Martha stared at Lucy coldly, her smile turning malicious. “Perhaps this is your final reimbursement application in our hospital… Lucy was taken aback. She gazed at Martha in shock, taking a moment to come to her senses. However, she feigned ignorance on the surface. “Why is that? Are you planning to dismiss Ms. Lane?” me, “Perhaps.” Martha sneered but refrained from further comment.

Lucy is Cherise’s closest friend and secured a position at Lermille Hospital through Cherise’s influence.

Now that Cherise will be in hot water, it’s hard for Lucy to remain unscathed.

When Cherise gets ousted, perhaps Lucy will also be implicated and have to leave… Upon seeing that the older woman remained unmoved, Lucy smirked. She picked up the documents on the desk and held them to her chest. “You’re right, Ms. Lane. I’ll review it again. Perhaps I won’t need your signature next time. I should hope our new deputy hospital director will be friendlier.” Lucy’s words caused Martha to raise her brows abruptly. Martha glared at Lucy icily. “What did you just say?!” “Perhaps you’re on the verge of being dismissed too.” The atmosphere in the office suddenly grew tense.

Martha’s eyes widened, and she glared fiercely at Lucy. “What did you say?!” “We’re in the same boat.” Lucy continued smiling at Martha. “Ms. Lane, didn’t you just insinuate that I would be dismissed? If you can make such jokes with me, why can’t I do the same with you? We should be treated equally. I believe that no one enjoys being the butt of a cruel joke, including you.” “I’ll inform Dr. Keeples that you didn’t approve.” Lucy continued smiling and held the documents close. “He told me to look for you to expedite the approval of this document for reimbursement because it involves his personal funds.” She yawned lightly and had just walked away when she heard Martha’s somewhat resentful voice from behind, “Come back. I’ll approve it!” “It’s too late.” Lucy yawned again. “I’ll go look for Mrs. Keeples.” Lermille Hospital had a hospital director and two deputy directors. One was Martha, and the other was Mrs. Keeples, Dr. Keeples’ wife.

Anything related to Dr. Keeples’ personal funds was usually approved by Martha, as it could potentially cause conflicts if Mrs. Keeples were to sign off on it. But now, Lucy was determined to get Mrs. Keeples’ approval instead.

If Dr. Keeples wanted to hold someone accountable, all blame could be pointed to Martha!

“You’re ruthless!” Martha clenched her fists tightly as she watched Lucy leave determinedly.

Marrying the Man in the Dark Chapter 625-Is It Costly?

Since Lucy chooses to be so foolish… she can leave with Cherise!

After all, if Cherise leaves, Isaac will never be the top doctor here with Lucy around.

When Cherise went to pick Soren and Serafina up from kindergarten, she saw a familiar face at the gate. It was Zachary.

At that moment, Zachary was seated on a bench at the entrance, meticulously plucking off strawberry seeds and feeding the little girl beside him. Serafina’s rosy lips smacked as she munched on the strawberries. On his other side, Soren was controlling a small toy helicopter that buzzed overhead with a remote control.

Upon seeing Cherise, Zachary rose to his feet and greeted her with a warm smile.

“Mommy, come here!” Soren called out to her excitedly, “Look! This is a remote-control helicopter Uncle Zach got for me. Isn’t it awesome?

Cherise stared blankly at the toy helicopter hovering in the sky.

The stylish, beautifully designed, first-rate toy helicopter seemed to be made of alloy. With one glance, Cherise knew it was expensive.

Cherise furrowed her brows and quickly approached Zachary. She looked at him gratefully. “I’ve told you there’s no need to buy him such costly toys…” “Is it costly?” Zachary responded with a faint smile, “I managed to get a good deal on this toy helicopter. It’s only one thousand eight hundred.” Cherise was taken aback when she heard the figure. She smiled, somewhat embarrassed. “You found out?” The lipstick Cherise had purchased for Kareen with her own money at the makeup store earlier also cost one thousand eight hundred.

Showing up at the kindergarten and buying a toy for Soren that cost the same as the lipstick clearly indicated that Zachary knew about the afternoon’s events.

Zachary nodded indifferently. /’Kareen has always caused problems. I’ve reprimanded her.” “It’s just in her nature.” Cherise shook her head, looking slightly embarrassed. “Given her personality, I’m not surprised she would do something like that.” “As for you.” The man sat on the bench and continued to meticulously scrape away strawberry seeds for Serafina before gently placing them in her tiny hand. “Despite your constant disagreements and arguments with her, why would you buy her lipstick out of spite?” Cherise pursed her lips. “Because she’s your sister…” It was mainly because she had been too slow to respond today.

Kareen had abruptly changed the topic as they spoke and wanted Cherise to buy her lipstick. Cherise had felt cornered.

“Care to sit and chat for a bit?” Zachary moved aside for Cherise, gesturing for her to sit beside him.

Cherise pursed her lips. She scanned the deserted kindergarten, ensured no one was watching, and cautiously sat beside him.

“Other than telling me about your encounter at the makeup store this afternoon, Kareen also mentioned something else…” Cherise gazed at the golden sun slowly setting in the distance, feeling a pang of guilt. She had a hunch… about what he was going to say.

“How long has Damien been in Lermille?” Cherise pursed her lips, “Not… not very long.” For some reason, she felt guilty when Zachary calmly inquired about Damien, as if she was cheating on Zachary. But she clearly didn’t have that kind of relationship with Zachary or Damien… Taking a deep breath, the woman attempted to compose herself. “Do you recall the day I had a thirteen-hour surgery and asked you to pick up the kids?”

Marrying the Man in the Dark Chapter 626-A Solitary Life Zachary nodded.

“The patient I performed surgery on that day… was Damien’s sister.” Zachary nodded again. “Was that how you got involved with him again?” “I wouldn’t exactly describe it as getting involved.” Cherise sighed lightly. “But it does seem like he wants to reconcile with me.” She continued narrating her recent encounters with Damien to Zachary. Naturally, she omitted the part about a certain… incident with Damien that had transpired in the hospital staff dormitory… “It appears he still harbors feelings for you.” Zachary looked at sunset on the horizon before turning to look at Soren, playing with the remote-controlled toy helicopter on the grass before him. “Sometimes I find myself envying Damien.” “The person he loves also reciprocates his feelings. He has a family and a woman who loves him wholeheartedly.” His dark eyes were as clear as ever, but there was a hint of anguish that Cherise couldn’t quite explain or comprehend.

Upon looking at his side profile, she felt an odd sense of guilt. “You’ll find someone like that eventually.” “Me?” After a moment, Zachary turned to look at her and chuckled at himself. “You don’t need to console me.” “As for me…” He glanced at Cherise indifferently, a flicker of exasperation in his eyes. “I’m afraid I’ll live a solitary life.” Serafina blinked as she was eating strawberries at the side. “Mommy, what does that mean?” Cherise was taken aback and was unsure how to explain it to the little girl. But Zachary reached out and gently tousled the child’s hair. “Living a solitary life… means that nobody likes Uncle Zach.” “How can that be?” Serafina’s eyes instantly widened in surprise. “You’re so kind, Uncle Zach. Many people like you! I really like you, Uncle Zach!” Zachary was amused by the little girl’s innocent response. “How much do you like me?” “I really like you! I like you a lot!” “Do you like me more than strawberries?” The little girl pursed her lips, pondering for a moment. “I like you as much as I like eating strawberries!” “Greedy girl.” The man shook his head, “You’ve inherited your mom’s love of food. How about this? I’ll visit your house tomorrow and bring you lots of strawberries, okay?” “Okay!” The little girl extended her hand to the man. “Pinky promise!” “Alright!” Cherise watched Zachary patiently coaxing the little girl as they sat on the bench and felt a warmth in her heart.

When she closed her eyes, she could still recall the promise Zachary had made at her mother’s hospital bed. “Don’t worry, Aunt Charisa. I’ll take care of Cherise and her baby. I’ll stay with them until she finds true love again.” At the time, Charisa had held Zachary’s hand with a pained expression. “Zachary, I don’t want you to treat Cherise as your younger sister…” “Aunt Charisa, I understand, but… let’s not force anything on her, alright?” That day, Cherise stood outside the door and heard Zachary repeatedly persuade Charisa not to pressure or stress her… She was very moved but also felt distressed for him. She was so saddened that… she almost burst in impulsively to tell him to consider his own needs instead.

She would feel less guilty if he acted like a jerk and tried to control her by restricting her freedom.

Marrying the Man in the Dark Chapter 627-Cherise’s Reckless Purchase Cherise and Zachary talked on the lawn in front of the kindergarten for a long time.

Their conversation was so lengthy that Serafina had managed to eat an entire plate of strawberries and was now frolicking around the lawn with Soren. Their laughter echoed as they played with the remote-controlled toy helicopter.

“Mommy, I’m hungry!” As dusk began to settle, Serafina’s energy finally depleted. She ran towards Cherise while blinking pitifully. “Mommy, I want to go home and eat pierogis!” “You should head home.” Zachary looked down at his expensive steel watch. “It’s getting late, and the kids have school tomorrow.” “And we haven’t eaten yet!” Serafina chimed in with a pleading expression.

Cherise gave her a knowing look. “Didn’t you just devour a whole plate of strawberries from Uncle Zach? Are you hungry already?” Serafina pouted. “Eating fruit isn’t enough. It’s not filling!” “You have a bottomless stomach!” Soren teased his sister mercilessly. “Why am I full?” “Because you’re a dummy!” “You’re the dummy!” “You are!” “You’re not a dummy. You’re a little glutton!” “You’re the glutton!” “You are!” “Boo-hoo! Mommy! Ren is bullying me!” Cherise was dumbstruck. She sighed in resignation and carried Serafina.

She waited for Zachary and Soren to pack the remote-controlled toy helicopter and stow it in the car before settling Serafina in the back seat. “Let’s go home and eat pierogis!” “Okay!” The little girl’s eyes curved in delight as she beamed.

On the drive home from the kindergarten, Serafina sat in the back seat. She counted on her fingers the different types of pierogis she wanted and how many she wanted to eat.

Soren also sat in the back seat and rummaged through the lipstick bag left on the back seat. He took out the receipt and counted the zeros on it.

One, two… One thousand eight hundred?!

He stared in disbelief at the beautifully packaged little box. This lipstick cost one thousand eight hundred!

When did Mommy become so reckless!?

“Don’t touch my things!” Cherise frowned and reminded him sternly.

“Mommy, it’s so expensive.” Soren nodded. He didn’t put the lipstick down but sighed lightly. “Why did you buy this?” Cherise flattened her lips. “I didn’t really want to buy it either.” It was necessary bait. However, it was too complicated to explain to a child.

The woman cleared her throat. “I want to learn how to apply makeup properly, so I bought this lipstick to practice and see if I can master it.” “Return it tomorrow.” The boy sighed lightly. “Ms. Cherise Shaw, you should be realistic about your abilities and know your limitations. You won’t be able to master how to do makeup. Give up.

Cherise was dumbfounded. She cleared her throat. “Soren, you should have faith in me!” Soren rolled his eyes. “Ms. Cherise Shaw, do you have faith in yourself?” Cherise was stunned. Fair enough.

She rarely wore makeup over the years because of her lack of skill. She initially thought it was due to her hand injury, which hindered her makeup application.

After her hand recovered fully, she realized… her injury wasn’t the problem. She was the problem.

As the mother and son teased each other, the car pulled up to their apartment building.

Cherise opened the car door while juggling a handful of items. As she entered the building with the two boisterous children, a shadowy figure slipped behind them.

Marrying the Man in the Dark Chapter 628-How Do You Know?

The sky was dark, and the hallway lights were dim. Cherise was oblivious to the person trailing behind her.

‘Ding.’ The elevator doors slid open. Soren and Serafina entered the elevator first, and Cherise followed suit. After that, the figure stealthily trailing them also stepped in.

The elevator was brightly lit, and Cherise instinctively glanced at the man.

“Wow, are you just getting home too, Mr. Handsome?” Serafina’s innocent voice echoed within the elevator.

Damien smiled faintly in response. He crouched down to meet Serafina’s eye level. “How were the strawberries?” Cherise was flabbergasted.

Under the bright elevator light, Cherise could clearly see that Serafina was spotless. Serafina hadn’t been stained by any strawberries. The little girl had just played on the lawn and smelled only of grass.

How can Damien possibly know that Serafina had just eaten strawberries? Unless… A sense of foreboding slowly crept into Cherise’s heart… “Mr. Handsome, how do you know I ate strawberries?” Serafina looked at Damien with a radiant smile. Her cheeks were flushed. “I just played with Ren!” “Let me guess, did you play with a toy helicopter?” Serafina’s eyes widened as she gazed at Damien. After a moment, the little girl clapped her chubby hands. “You’re so smart, Mr. Handsome. You know everything!” Damien responded with a faint smile, “Did you enjoy playing with the toy helicopter?” “It was so much fun! Uncle Zach bought it for us!” “Is Uncle Zach nice to you?” “Yes, he is. He’s very nice.” The little girl scratched her head in confusion and continued, “But Uncle Zach said no one likes him. He seems very sad.” Damien responded with an aloof smile and tousled the little girl’s hair. “He… deserves it.” Cherise was dumbstruck. Even if she were utterly clueless, she understood what had transpired. The woman’s brows wrinkled fiercely. “Did you follow me?” “I wasn’t interested in you.” The man patted Serafina’s head. He stood up and looked at Cherise indifferently. “I just wanted to see them when they got off school.” “The kids have grown so much, but I’ve never picked them up from school. Who knew… another man would beat me to it.” Cherise pursed her lips as her heart constricted slightly. “He came to see me today for a reason!” “That’s right!” Serafina chimed in. “Uncle Zach came to give us presents today! By the way, Mommy bought a very expensive lipstick today!” After Serafina spoke, Soren leaned back in the corner with his arms crossed and said nonchalantly, “Maybe Mommy bought that lipstick because she wants to dress up to impress Uncle Zach.” Cherise was dumbfounded. When did I ever imply that the lipstick was for Zachary!?

Serafina might have misunderstood, but Soren is so sensible. How can he misconstrue my intentions?!

The woman subconsciously turned to look at the boy in the corner.

He flashed her a mischievous smile and spoke in a low voice, “Mommy really values Uncle Zach.” Cherise was flabbergasted. Why do I suddenly feel a chill in the elevator?

“Mr. Handsome, why do you look so unhappy?” After a prolonged silence, Serafina’s innocent. voice echoed in the elevator. “Mr. Handsome, are you troubled because you have too many admirers like Mommy?”

Marrying the Man in the Dark Chapter 629-Let’s Eat Together Cherise was dumbstruck.

Damien raised his brows indifferently, and his gaze swept past Cherise mischievously. He crouched down to address Serafina gently. “Indeed. A bad woman gave my phone number to another woman interested in me, so I’m quite troubled now.” Serafina blinked and tilted her head as she studied Damien briefly. “Oh, I understand! Mommy also felt troubled when she used to get late-night calls from people asking her out. It’s the same, right?!” Damien offered a faint smile. “Exactly.” “That woman is so nasty!” Serafina’s tiny hands clenched into fists. “Don’t be upset, Mr. Handsome. I’ll treat you to pierogis, okay?” “Sure. I adore pierogis.” “Then, it’s settled!” Having said that, the little girl gazed up at Cherise pleadingly. “Mommy…” Cherise put her hand on her forehead. What can I do after she’s already invited him?

I can’t really refuse her in front of Damien, right?

“Let’s eat together.” The woman shook her head in frustration. “It’s just an extra set of utensils.” “Yay!” Serafina clapped her hands in excitement. “Mommy has agreed! You can come have dinner with us, Mr. Handsome!” “Ren, you must take a picture of me and Mr. Handsome later and send it to our kindergarten teacher so she knows I can also date a handsome man!” Cherise was flabbergasted. Sera is only five years old! Why is she thinking of such a thing?!

Just as Cherise planned to give Serafina a proper talking to at night, the elevator doors. opened.

Soren was the first to leave the elevator. He took out his keys from his pocket nonchalantly and unlocked the door. Cherise ushered Serafina inside.

Damien had exited the elevator and was about to enter Cherise’s apartment when Soren stopped him.

“Don’t think you can rest easy just because you’ve won over Sera!” The boy leaned against the door with his arms crossed and glared at Damien. “You can’t win over my mommy that easily!” Damien smiled indifferently. He crouched down as his gaze lightly swept over the tiny face identical to his. “You seem to be very hostile towards me.” “I’m not hostile. I just don’t like you.” The boy glanced at Cherise, who was helping Serafina remove her coat. “Mommy, I have something to discuss with him. I’ll be right back!” Having said that, Soren closed the door, turned around, and walked to Damien’s house. “Open the door. Let’s talk inside.” He was acting like an adult.

Damien smiled lightly and opened the door. Soren walked in seriously with his little backpack.

The boy sat on the sofa, “Mr. Lenoir, do you know how my mommy has been living for the past five years?” Damien frowned slightly. He sat opposite Soren, reached out to pour a glass of water for the boy, and placed it on the coffee table. “I want to know how she’s been for the past few years.” Since reuniting, Cherise had never mentioned anything about the past. He didn’t know… how she had lived for the past five years.

“My mommy raised both of us alone. She’s really had a tough time.” Soren sighed, slightly distressed. “She played the roles of both parents and raised us. She was exhausted when we first came to Lermille and had to take care of me and Sera while dealing with work at the hospital.” “I often saw her crying at night while holding a picture. In that picture…

Marrying the Man in the Dark Chapter 630-I Won’t Let Her Get Hurt Again The little boy pursed his lips. “My mom is dressed in a pink bunny costume in that photograph, and you’re standing beside her. She looks so radiant when she smiles, but I’ve never seen her smile like that.” Damien was taken aback and fell silent.

He did recall the photograph Soren was referring to. It was taken after Cherise had performed a dance for Mr. Tanner the first time he brought her to the Tanner family.

Even though five years had passed… he still remembered that moment vividly. It was his most joyful and carefree memories with Cherise. But… they never experienced such blissful moments again.

The intricate relationships and complex ties between the Tanner, Miles, and Lenoir families made it impossible to sustain the relationship they had fought for… His eyes were filled with anguish.

“Mr. Lenoir.” Soren looked up, “I understand you might still have feelings for my mommy, and you may want Serafina and me to call you ‘dad.”” “But Mr. Lenoir, even though I’m young and unaware of what transpired back then, I’ve overheard Uncle Zach and Mommy discussing…” “Uncle Zach mentioned that you abandoned my mommy of your own accord back then, right?” Damien looked up somewhat incredulously at Soren. Perhaps he never expected a five-year- old child to discuss the past with him so logically and rationally.

But upon reflection, he felt relieved. After all, Soren was his son.

Back then, the nine-year-old Damien could discern his Uncle Raymond’s schemes from his parents’ car accident, so it wasn’t surprising that the five-year-old Soren could articulate such thoughts.

Upon seeing Damien silent, Soren frowned. “Mr. Lenoir. You abandoned my mommy back then, right?” Damien furrowed his brows and nodded. “Yes.” “So why do you wish to win my mom back now?” Soren looked at him. A rare, mature expression flickered across his innocent face. “I want Mommy to be happy, and I hope she can smile like she used to.” “But…” The little boy looked at Damien earnestly and stubbornly. “You abandoned my mommy five years ago, Mr. Lenoir. What will happen in the future? I don’t want her to be hurt again.” Damien’s deep voice was slightly hoarse. “I won’t let her get hurt again.” “How can you be sure of that?” Soren pursed his lips, “Mr. Lenoir, I know my mom still has feelings for you. She’s actually very sentimental. If you treat her well, she’ll forgive you soon.” “But… until you and Mommy get married, Serafina and I won’t call you ‘dad.”” With that, the boy picked up his bag and turned to leave.

Damien narrowed his eyes. This little boy was indeed like him. The man sighed, “Do you believe marriage is an affirmation of love?” Soren paused and didn’t say anything.

The man behind him chuckled lightly. “Since you believe so, don’t regret what you’ve said.” If Damien remembered correctly, he never signed the divorce agreement.

“Ren! Mr. Handsome! Come help!” Just as Soren and Damien were about to continue their conversation, a childish voice rang outside the door. “Mommy is so busy by herself!” The little girl, shorter than the doorknob, stood outside the door in a pink outfit and knocked on the door as hard as she could. “You two need to come and help! If you don’t help, you’re not real men!”