Chapter 761 The Highlight of the Evening
“Mmmhmm!” Cherise turned towards him, a playful smile lighting up her eyes. “You know, the highlight of the night wasn’t just about bonding with my colleagues, but…”
She trailed off, her gaze meeting Damien’s playful eyes.
He offered a knowing smile, one hand on the wheel guiding them homeward and the other resting comfortably. “So, what’s the real highlight, then?”
Cherise bit her lip slightly, then finally finished her thought, “Knowing you’ve always cared for me. That’s the true joy.
Despite considering themselves practically an old married couple, Cherise’s cheeks flushed as she confessed these words in his presence.
Damien chuckled and continued driving. “My dear, you know what? You haven’t changed a bit.”
His Cherry was still the same sweet girl who saw the beauty and happiness in the simplest things.
Still immersed in the excitement from the previous night, Cherise arrived at the lab the next day to prepare for her trip to Ziphon. To her surprise, instead of envy, her colleagues showered her with questions about the trip, eager to know when she’d be back.
“Hey Cherise, when will you be back?”
“Mann..! I’m so jealous you get to go to Ziphon! Heard Ziphon is famous for its minerals! Don’t bother with souvenirs; just bring an Aetherionite back will do. We’re dying to see them!”
Their enthusiasm made it feel like they’d known Cherise forever. She then headed to Mr. Carlos’s office to formally request her leave.
“Cherise,” Mr. Carlos sighed with regret, “there’s been a snag. Your paper has been rejected.”
Cherise’s eyes widened. “Rejected?”
“Yes,” Mr. Carlos sighed again, “it seems it happened overnight. I was… unwell last night and missed the notification until this morning. They sent the rejection email right after our banquet ended.”
“And the editor claimed they didn’t even have time to read it, but they simply didn’t like the theme, so they rejected it outright.”
Mr. Carlos looked helpless. “Hey, do you want me to try submitting it to another journal for you?”
“No need,” Cherise smiled rea*suringly at Mr. Carlos, “let it go. I didn’t intend to publish it in a prestigious journal anyway; it’s no big deal.”
She recalled Damien mentioning his connections at SumTimes on their way to the New World Restaurant the previous night.
So… did he pull some strings overnight? But she’d been with him all night. When did he even find the
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time?
A warm feeling blossomed in her chest. Despite being even more tired than she had been the previous day, Damien had still carried her from the car to bed and tucked her in. And then, even after she fell asleep, he… reached out to his friend about her paper?
Filled with gratitude, Cherise returned to Lenoir Manor with her materials, only to find Soren and Serafina standing at the door, their expressions a mix of concern and sadness.
“Mommy, is Uncle Zac hurt?” Serafina sniffled, her eyes welling up. “I’m so worried about Uncle Zac!”
Soren sniffled, too, trying to put on a brave face. “Mommy, Mr. Lenoir said he’d take you to drop Uncle Zac home. Sera and I have decided to stay back, and I already called Grandpa, and he’s flying in today to pick us up.”
Then, he looked up at Cherise with a pleading expression. “Mommy, we hardly ever spend time apart, so don’t be away too long!”
