Chapter 11

Zelda's face flushed with embarrassment. Although she was married to Damian, she felt like a complete novice in this area. She stammered, "N-No, that's not what I meant…" She quickly tried to explain, "I have some knowledge of medicine and know that long-term strain isn't good for you. This supplement can be somewhat useful if taken regularly." Damian's previously stern expression turned into a scowl. His grip on the steering wheel tightened, his knuckles white with the effort. The car sped up and came to a halt in front of a villa perched on a hillside. As soon as the car stopped, Damian leaned in. His tall frame towered over Zelda, his handsome face looming larger in her view. Zelda's breath caught in her throat from the nervousness. "What's wrong? Are you worried about my abilities?" Damian's voice was low and menacing. Their faces were so close that Zelda could feel his warm breath against her ear. Her ears turned red with embarrassment. She stuttered, "No… I didn't mean it like that. I-If you don't want to take it, that's fine." She looked up and met Damian's dark, intense gaze. His eyes were as dark and deep as ink, inscrutable and dense. Damian moved even closer, their noses almost touching. Zelda could barely form words. She had never been this close to a man before. "I-I…" Just as she was about to speak, she heard a soft click—Damian had unfastened her seatbelt. "Let's go. My grandma is inside," Damian said. He straightened up and smoothly returned to his seat. Zelda was slow to react. She then realized she had been played. Damian was already outside, retrieving some boxes from the back. She touched her flushed cheeks and quickly followed him out of the car. Before her was a quaint three-story villa. The villa appeared modest in size, but the property was quite expansive. In front, there was a small garden with someone tending to it. Zelda was surprised by the size and speculated that the property must be quite valuable, even though it wasn't in the city center. Damian took her hand, and Zelda came back to her senses. His hand was broad and warm, filled with a reassuring strength. Seeing Zelda standing there in a daze, Damian pulled her gently and explained, "I told my grandma that we're in a passionate relationship." With that, Damian pulled Zelda a little closer. She cleared her throat and said, "I understand, and I'll behave appropriately." Damian nodded and led her inside. The gardener, Noah Coleman, was a plump man in his 40s. With a friendly smile on his face, he greeted them respectfully, "Mr. Munoz, you're back. Mrs. Munoz Senior is waiting for you inside." Damian acknowledged the greeting with a nod and didn't say anything more. Zelda was puzzled. Although Damian was a male escort, he seemed to be living quite luxuriously. Before they even entered the house, Zelda couldn't hold back her questions. "Aren't you a male escort? Why do you live here? And you even have household staff?" Damian didn't explain his background. Instead, he simply said, "Didn't you say I'm a top male escort? Is it so surprising that I'm rich?" Zelda realized she had underestimated the earnings in this industry. Given the circumstances, Damian must be earning a fortune. Recalling the times he had been seen coming and going from the Crescent Hotel, it was clear that the sugar mommy who was supporting him was definitely wealthy. When a sugar mommy was pleased, giving away houses and cars was nothing unusual, especially since Damian was such a handsome guy. "I didn't realize your industry was so lucrative," Zelda said slowly after some thought. "I guess I underestimated it." Damian raised an eyebrow in amusement. "So, are you interested in joining the industry?" Zelda quickly shook her head. "No, no… I'm not suited for it." Damian advised, "Just don't say too much when we're with my grandma later." Zelda nodded in understanding. After all, while Damian's profession might seem glamorous on the surface, it wasn't exactly something that sounded good when discussed openly. "I understand." As they walked in, Astrid approached them. "Damian, you're back. Is this my granddaughter-in-law?" Astrid's eyes brightened when she saw Zelda. Following the voice, Zelda looked at Astrid, who was dressed in a dark-colored robe. Despite her white hair, she had a kind demeanor. She seemed a bit frail, and her face looked slightly tired. "Yes, her name is Zelda Cantrell. We just got married recently," Damian said. He then placed the items he was carrying on the table. "These are the gifts she brought." Astrid smiled even more warmly and scrutinized Zelda closely. Her voice was filled with emotion as she said, "Previously, I thought you were just saying things to make me happy over the phone. I had someone check with the courthouse today, and I'm relieved to see she's indeed a good woman. No wonder you like her." Astrid said as she guided Zelda to a couch nearby. "Zelda, Damian has always been a bit aloof and doesn't really know how to comfort people. You might find yourself feeling left out at times. If you ever feel upset, you can always come to me, and I'll support you." Astrid was pleased with Zelda. She was elegant and beautiful, with clear, innocent eyes. In her younger years, she had led the Munoz family and encountered a wide variety of people in the business world. She could almost read someone's character at a glance. Zelda lowered her gaze slightly, offering a gentle smile. "Damian has been very kind to me. I'm sure he won't mistreat me. You don't need to worry, Grandma." Hearing Zelda call her "Grandma" made Astrid's face light up with joy. She waved her hand and said, "I didn't think Damian would finally come to his senses. Zelda, why don't you stay here for a few days and keep me company?" Zelda hesitated for a moment. If she stayed overnight, the Cantrells would surely cause trouble for her. Although Harlan had been transferred to another hospital and the Cantrells had no leverage over her, she was worried that any problems could still cause trouble for Damian. Noticing Zelda's hesitation, Astrid didn't press her. She simply said, "I won't be staying in Phoypolis for long. Damian has been under my care since he was little. I just want to know you better. But if you have other concerns, I won't force you." As she spoke, Astrid removed a bracelet from her waist and handed it to Zelda. "This bracelet was meant to be given to you by Damian's mother, but since she's not here, I'll give it to you. From now on, you're part of the Munoz family. We'll be your support." Zelda sniffed, feeling unexpectedly touched. Despite Damian being just an unremarkable male escort with no power or influence, Astrid's words brought a sense of warmth to her heart. Since her grandfather's illness, no one had genuinely cared for her. As Astrid finished speaking, her expression suddenly changed. She bent over and began to cough violently, covering her mouth with her hand.