Chapter 305 Safety Check-in Call
“Thanks,” Mandy said with a smile. She sat down on the neatly made bed Cherise had prepared, her pink lips pursing slightly as Cherise gently applied ointment to her ankle.
This field trip was Mandy’s way of taking a breather. Before this, Mandy’s take on Cherise was heavily influenced by what others had told her. They described Cherise as a rustic, rigid who had a penchant for wealth and prioritized it over everything else.
While observing Cherise right now, Mandy struggled to match her with the image painted by others. Cherise was kind, loving, gentle, and radiant, completely at odds with the harsh, ruthless portrayal by others.
Mandy closed her eyes and sighed. She was starting to like Cherise. Who could blame Damien for falling for her?
“Tired, huh?” Cherise asked, taking in Mandy’s drained appearance and the constant sighs. She glanced in the direction of the distant villa.
“Looks like they won’t be back anytime soon,” Cherise said with a touch of reluctance, realizing that Mandy shouldn’t be left alone in that unfamiliar, sprawling house. With a deep breath, she pulled back the covers. “if you’re exhausted, you can rest here for a bit.”
“I’ll head outside to make a quick call. When they return, I’ll wake you up and take you
back.”
Mandy considered it for a moment. “Alright.”
Cherise nodded, settling Mandy in before exiting the room.
“Cherise.”
Mandy called just as Cherise turned away. Cherise furrowed her brow and turned back to her. “What is it?”
“I…” Mandy bit her lips, took a deep breath, and summoned the courage to smile at Cherise. “I actually don’t have any hard feelings toward you.”
Cherise was puzzled by Mandy’s sudden remark. She offered a reassuring smile. “Well… I’ll catch with you later.”
up
With that, Cherise slipped her phone into her pocket and walked away.
It was already eight o’clock. She’d promised Damien a safety check-in call at seven o’clock and was now a full hour late. She worried about how he would react.
Cherise leaned against the wall in the yard and discreetly retrieved her phone to dial Damien’s number.
On her left, the villa rented by the Photography Association stood in shadow. To her right, the villa reportedly rented by a local tycoon gleamed with light.
On the latter’s balcony, Damien sat in a chair. He glanced at Cherise standing in the moonlight and then at his phone with a faint smile.
“You’ve finally decided to get in touch, huh?”
“Honey, I’m really sorry,” Cherise immediately made peace with the man. “I didn’t mean to forget to check in with you…”
In fact, Cherise had planned to head back from the barbecue before it hit seven o’clock. But with Rodney holding Lucy back and the whole situation with Mandy, she wound up being an hour late.
Damien’s reply carried a faint smile, “No worries, love. How’s Sequoia treating you?”
“It’s alright,” Cherise replied with a casual shrug. “nothing like my hometown, though.”
“Did you drink?”
“No, I didn’t. I didn’t want to risk Rodney trying anything with Lulu. I needed to stay sober just in case.”
Cherise’s innocent tone brightened Damien’s mood. “So, are you keeping her company right now?”
