Chapter 2

When Melanie heard Derrick's words, the slight bit of embarrassment that she had been feeling abruptly vanished. "Perverted and lustful look? Just how narcissistic can he be?" she thought in annoyance. It had taken her a lot of effort to get him erect last night. She had even wondered if he had some sort of dysfunction. Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, she said, "Mr. Quinton, I've seen my fair share of men's private parts. Your small fencing stick is no different to me than a cucumber." A mocking sneer appeared on Derrick's face. "I bet your ex-husband divorced you precisely because you've seen your fair share of men's private parts." Melanie pursed her lips tightly. Not wanting to continue arguing with him, she took a step forward and said, "Let me take your pants off." Derrick instantly stiffened as a wave of embarrassment and awkwardness suffused him. He turned his head to the side, his cheeks pinking, but he still spotted the fair column of her neck from the corner of his eye. Probably due to her own embarrassment, her cheeks were also lightly flushed red. This gave her skin a rosy and tender appearance that didn't fit someone of her age. He thought, "Do all women in their 30s have such good skin? Plus, there's a faint jasmine scent around her, which smells really nice. That doesn't seem like a scent a mother should have." Derrick abruptly jerked in surprise, realizing that he was actually allowing his thoughts to wander while staring at a woman older than him. He snarked, "As the saying goes, there's no such thing as an ugly woman, only a lazy one. You really should put more effort into your appearance." "I'm used to this," Melanie answered indifferently. Following that, she lifted his body before pointedly turning her head away, not letting her eyes linger on him. When Derrick noticed the blank expression on her face, he suddenly found her rather boring. "You should step outside first. I'll call you when I'm done." Relieved, Melanie swiftly left the bathroom but waited right outside the door. Soon, she heard Derrick calling for her. She opened the door and entered the bathroom to find him still seated on the toilet bowl. So, she carried him to the wheelchair once again. Despite still feeling uncomfortable with her princess carry, there was nothing Derrick could do but endure. Once Melanie had placed him back on the bed, she returned to her own room, which was right next door to his. She had left her phone on the table earlier. Checking it now, she saw that she had received many messages, most of them from her daughter, Louisa York. Her expression immediately softened, and she made a direct video call to Louisa. The young girl was bald and hooked up to a drip, her face contorted in pain. However, the moment she saw Melanie, her lips split into a grin as she called out sweetly, "Mommy, I've missed you so much! When are you coming to the hospital to visit me?" Since Melanie had to be Derrick's caretaker, she had no choice but to hire another caretaker for Louisa. This way, Louisa would at least have someone close by to take care of her and play with her every day. Melanie brushed her fingers against the image on her phone screen, imagining that she was actually touching her daughter's face. Her heart melted at Louisa's words, even as her eyes reddened. "I'll visit you this weekend. Just hold on for two more days, okay?" If Melanie had any other option, she wouldn't have wanted to be there either. One downside to being a live-in caretaker was that she had no freedom. Unfortunately, she couldn't refuse the high salary. Melanie started to sing to Louisa, but she had barely sung a few lines when a furious roar came from the man next door. "Even nails on a chalkboard sound better than your singing! Shut up!" Melanie pressed her lips into a thin line. When Louisa heard Derrick's mean words, she pouted and grumbled, "Mommy, your employer sure has bad taste. You clearly have a great singing voice!" "You're the best, Louisa." In her mind, Melanie added, "Unlike a certain someone, who not only has a sharp tongue and an arrogant attitude, but also likes to get physical." After Louisa's caretaker returned, Melanie gave her a few instructions before finally ending the video call. Next, she needed to help Jemima Hill, the housekeeper, cook breakfast. Derrick was incredibly picky when it came to his food. He refused to eat fish with the bones still in them or shrimp that hadn't been peeled. He would only eat onions if they were cooked and wouldn't eat cucumbers unless they were raw. He also disliked peppers in any form, unless they were pickled. Any sort of mushroom at all was also a no-go. In fact, he was so fussy about it that there was even a whopping ten-page document listing his dietary preferences. When Melanie had seen the document on her first day, she was utterly dumbfounded. Louisa was just as picky when it came to her food, so there was no denying that she took after her father. … After breakfast was over, Renard Lindt, the butler, entered while coughing. He weakly said, "Mr. Quinton, I'm having a mild fever, so I would like to take the day off." Recalling Melanie's words earlier that morning, Derrick glanced at her briefly before nodding in agreement. "When are you coming back?" "I'll return once my fever breaks." Once Renard had left, from the corner of his eye, Derrick could see Melanie shooting him a look that said, "See, I wasn't lying!" He snorted, his lips curling into a cold sneer. "It looks like your excuse to take advantage of me was validated." Melanie guiltily bowed her head. In a way, he wasn't wrong. However, when night came around, Derrick, who was a clean freak, needed to be wiped down. According to Jemima, this was a daily task that Renard usually handled. Yet, Renard had called earlier that afternoon to tell them that he couldn't make it back as he was still on an IV drip, so the task now fell on the two women. Melanie and Jemima stood in front of Derrick, exchanging glances. Jemima was the first to speak. "Mel, how about you do it?" Melanie jerked in surprise. "Me?" "Her?" Derrick said coldly, "I've heard that women in their 30s are like starving wolves looking for fresh meat. I'm scared that she won't be able to resist my tender, young body." Left speechless, Melanie only pressed her lips together, agreeing with him sarcastically in her head. Out loud, she said, "Jemima, maybe you should do it instead. You've been working for Mr. Quinton the longest, so you definitely know him much better than I do." Jemima hurriedly waved her hands. "Oh, no, no, that won't do! I'm already in my 40s, and women in their 40s are even more like starving wolves. I'm even more worried that I won't be able to resist his tender, young body." Melanie had to struggle to hold back her laughter, though her shoulders still shook visibly. When she raised her head, she immediately caught sight of the sour expression on Derrick's face. Acutely sensing that the atmosphere had turned somewhat strange and awkward, Jemima blushed and added, "I'm just a cook, so if you want me to wield a knife, you've got the right person. However, I really don't know how to wipe someone down. Besides, my husband would be incredibly jealous if I touched another man's body, so I'll be taking my leave first." Derrick's dark mood seemed to suffuse the air with a tenseness that was almost suffocating. Tucking a lock of hair behind her ear, Melanie leveled an exasperated look at Derrick. "It looks like I'll have to be the one to do it, Mr. Quinton." "It looks like you'll get to have your way with me. Lucky you," Derrick retorted. Melanie had to remind herself that he was her employer, so she had to tolerate his behaviour. Subsequently, she filled a basin with warm water. After battling with herself, she took a breath and reached out to unbutton Derrick's shirt. With that, his toned body was revealed in all its glory. Tanned skin was stretched taut across the sculpted muscles of his chest and abdomen, which rippled slightly with each breath he took. Despite being bedridden for months now, he was still in great shape. She was reminded of her ex-husband, Raymond Sawyer. At the thought of that man, a sharp pang of pain came from her heart. The agony was so much that she was momentarily breathless. Sucking in a deep breath, she shut her eyes briefly. When she opened them again, they were perfectly calm. She wet a washcloth and began to wipe Derrick down. Not daring to let her eyes wander, she instead turned her gaze to the television as her hand moved clumsily over his body. The television was tuned into the financial news channel, which was currently broadcasting an interview with Gothville's newest rising star. "From today on, Eternity Group is officially renamed Duleon Group, in memory of my late wife and daughter." A reporter asked, "Mr. Sawyer, is there a reason for using the name 'Duleon'?" A wistful look entered the interviewee's eyes as he replied, "Because my wife and I first got together at Duleon University." The man was dressed in an immaculate suit, his grief-stricken expression in his eyes making him appear broken and evoking pity from the crowd. However, the moment he spoke, a shiver went through Melanie's body, and she subconsciously increased the force she was exerting. Raymond Sawyer! That was a name that had tormented her deeply in the past year.