Chapter 103

Dominic entered the bedroom just as Evelyn was straightening the sheets.

His gaze darkened when he saw her preparing the foldable bed. Without a word, he tossed a tube of ointment onto the mattress.

Evelyn paused mid-motion, her eyes catching on the medication. The label read "For infant and toddler mosquito bites."

Reginald Blackwood adjusted his reading glasses and peered at his grandson. "How did you know Evelyn got mosquito bites?"

Dominic remained silent.

"You should apply that quickly in case they're venomous..." Reginald Sinclair began recounting to everyone present. "When my poor granddaughter was little, she got bitten by a forest mosquito on her eyelid. The swelling was terrible - it got infected and inflamed. If her father hadn't returned home to take her to the city for treatment, she might have lost that eye."

"It wasn't that serious." Evelyn interrupted, uncomfortable with her grandfather sharing personal stories.

Dominic stood near his king-sized bed with his back to both grandfathers and Evelyn.

The master bedroom spanned nearly 70 square meters. His bed occupied the innermost corner while Reginald Sinclair's temporary bed sat beneath the platform where a dark sofa used to be.

Evelyn had no choice but to sleep on the foldable single bed to care for her grandfather. After making it up, she noticed only a thin, scratchy blanket was provided.

Being in the Blackwood residence, she didn't dare rearrange things. The rough fabric would have to do for one night - hopefully her grandfather would recover enough to leave tomorrow.

"Dominic! Where are your manners? Get Evelyn a proper blanket from the closet immediately!" Reginald Blackwood scolded.

Evelyn looked up. "That's not necessary, Grandfather Blackwood. This is fine."

Truthfully, the thin blanket had fallen from Dominic's bed earlier - the same one she'd used to cover his lower body...

As Evelyn insisted it was fine, Dominic strode toward the walk-in closet with his long legs.

When she'd retrieved the blanket earlier, she'd needed a chair. He simply reached up effortlessly with one hand.

Soon, a soft new blanket covered the foldable bed.

"Finish making the bed later. Apply the ointment first." Reginald Blackwood observed the awkward tension between the young pair.

Evelyn took the ointment and headed for the bathroom to avoid further discomfort around Dominic.

Passing him, she murmured a quiet "thank you" without meeting his eyes.

Once the bathroom door closed, both grandfathers fixed their gazes on the tall, imposing Dominic.

Reginald Blackwood approached anxiously, hands clasped behind his back. "Must you always wear that icy expression? Is this how you treat your future wife? At this rate, you'll die a bachelor!"

"Don't blame Dominic entirely," Reginald Sinclair interjected. "Evelyn shares some responsibility too." He'd noticed his granddaughter maintaining careful distance from Dominic since their arrival.

"Go help her with the ointment. Those bites look painful." Reginald Blackwood hissed through clenched teeth, his frustration mounting.

When the bathroom door opened, Evelyn was applying ointment to her shoulder. Dominic entered silently, closing the door behind him.

Evelyn hastily pulled her shirt up to cover herself. Flustered, she avoided his gaze. "If you need the bathroom, I'll leave."

As she moved to pass him, Dominic caught her arm effortlessly.

Compared to his muscular frame, Evelyn seemed petite and fragile. Suddenly trapped between his body and the marble sink, she glared up angrily. "What are you doing?"

Dominic ignored her question. Instead, he squeezed ointment onto his fingertip and scanned her skin for bite marks.

"I can do it myself." Evelyn reached for the tube.

Dominic held it just out of reach, his dark eyes locking onto hers until she relented with a small sigh.

Her pale skin made the angry red bites stand out starkly. As the cool ointment soothed the itch, Evelyn focused on steadying her traitorously racing heartbeat.

Finding two more bites on her shoulders, Dominic didn't hesitate to slide her shirt aside.

Evelyn stiffened.

"Stop squirming. Would you prefer I restrain you?" His cold gaze met her startled one.

Evelyn glanced nervously at the door. "If Grandfather told you to help, you can pretend. I can manage."

She tried again for the ointment.

"How did mosquitoes bite you through clothing?" His eyes lingered on her skin. For five long years, he'd believed only he'd marked that porcelain skin.

The realization sparked unexpected jealousy.

Evelyn found the bites already feeling better. "You've never been bitten? Mosquitoes bite through fabric all the time."

"Never," Dominic stated matter-of-factly.

Evelyn blinked.

Perhaps his icy demeanor repelled even insects.

After treating all visible bites, Evelyn quickly adjusted her clothing, leaving only her neck and arms exposed.

"Your legs?" Dominic's gaze dropped to her form-fitting work skirt.

She shrank back instinctively.

"I'll handle my legs." She made another grab for the ointment.

Dominic held firm.

Their eyes met - her wary ones locked with his unreadable dark gaze.

While she'd accepted his help with hard-to-reach spots, applying ointment to her legs was something she could easily manage alone.