[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":10},["ShallowReactive",2],{"viewer-data-260322E1C3D0-279":3},{"id":4,"number":5,"name":6,"content":7,"isLocked":8,"price":9,"hasRead":8},279,65,"Chapter 65: Kneading the Ache Away","\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Remi Crawford finally felt the brain fog lift as she woke up. She stretched lazily, only to freeze mid-motion.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Ow!\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Why did her back feel so stiff and agonizingly sore? She slowly lowered her arms, desperately trying to retrace the events of last night. All she could recall was Damian Spencer giving her a bath, and then… a total blackout. Did that absolute jerk pull some sneaky, predatory business while she was wasted?\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">With a dark look, she glared at the man sleeping soundly beside her and gave him a sharp kick.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Damian’s eyes fluttered open, blinking slowly against the morning light. In that disoriented state, he looked almost… sweet. Remi stared, completely distracted, her irritation vanishing as she lost her train of thought.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Sleep for a bit longer,\" Damian mumbled, pulling her back into his arms while he was still half-asleep.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The familiar throb of pain returned to her back, snapping Remi back to reality. It was time for a reckoning.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Damian, what exactly did you do last night?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Hmm?\" A low, gravelly hum escaped his throat.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Remi squeezed her eyes shut, refusing to let his voice bewitch her again. She mustered her most menacing, stern tone. \"You! Did you do anything to me last night?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Damian looked completely bewildered. \"Remi, you’re the one who asked me to help you bathe, remember?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"I’m not talking about that!\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">He looked even more confused. \"Then what are you talking about?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Why am I so sore?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">He let out a low chuckle, his hand moving to rhythmically knead her aching lower back. \"Honey, you were dancing like a maniac for half the night. That’s just lactic acid buildup.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Oh… heh. Right. I thought you…\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Damian applied a bit more pressure, a playful punishment. \"You little ingrate. I’m out here playing servant, and you’re busy trying to frame me.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"That feels good… yeah, right there. Keep going on the shoulder blades, they’re killing me!\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Remi’s heartless attempt to dodge the awkward topic earned a smirk. Damian leaned down and pressed a lingering, heavy kiss to her waist. Remi’s mind exploded in a shower of sparks; a delicious tingle surged up her spine, making her shiver uncontrollably.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Oh, look at that! I’ve discovered a new continent,\" Damian teased, his fingertips tracing light, wicked patterns along her back.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Forget the soreness—Remi scrambled out of bed and scurried into the bathroom, hiding from the dangerous man. She stared at her crimson reflection in the mirror. \"That is so unfair. It’s lethal. He’s a total male siren.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">She sighed, reaching back to massage her own waist, but she lacked the skill to hit the right spots. It looked like she needed to start hitting the gym.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Damian followed her in, his expression softening as he saw her wince. \"Fine, I’ll stop teasing. Go lie down. I’ll work out the knots, and you’ll be pain-free in no time.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">She knew his hands were magic—precise pressure points, perfect rhythm. She caved. \"You're done playing around?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"I promise. Now go.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Remi crawled back onto the bed, skeptical but desperate for relief. As his warm hands pressed into her muscles, the tension began to melt away. Her brows smoothed out, and she let out a satisfied sigh.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Knock, knock.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Remi, are you two awake?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Her mother’s voice rang out from the doorway. Remi, feeling utterly languid, yelled back, \"We’re up! Come in, it’s not locked.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Remi… oh!\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Alicia Crawford walked in and stopped dead, her eyes wide with shock. Her future son-in-law was giving her daughter a massage?\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Damian didn't even flinch. He looked at Alicia with a calm, earnest expression. \"Remi played a bit too hard last night, and she’s quite sore today. I’m just helping her loosen up.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Alicia was speechless. She couldn't find a single word to defend her daughter's lack of decorum. This girl was already a handful, and now she was making this man wait on her hand and foot? She was going to scare him off!\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Since you're planning on heading back to the Capital this afternoon, I just wanted to let you know… well, carry on then.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Remi watched her mother retreat, looking like she’d just walked in on something scandalous. \"We weren't doing anything,\" she muttered, \"Why does she look like she just saw a crime?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Deciding to avoid further misunderstanding, she got up. \"Let’s go downstairs. I don't want my mom letting her imagination run wild.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Damian ruffled her hair, laughing. He wasn't about to tell her that her mother wasn't worried about the \"scandal\"—she was just annoyed by her daughter's laziness.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Mom,\" Remi called out.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Alicia took one look at the couple, saw the way Damian hovered protectively behind Remi, and shot her daughter a glare. \"Remi, can you show a little self-restraint? Drinking so much in front of Damian—what if you’d made a total fool of yourself?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Remi rubbed her nose awkwardly. Could she tell her mother that she’d made a fool of herself the very first time they met?\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Mrs. Crawford,\" Damian stepped in, his voice elegant and poised. \"I prefer Remi just as she is.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Both women looked up at the staircase. Damian stood there, radiating that natural, high-society grace. Alicia couldn't help it; he was the perfect son-in-law.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">He walked over to Remi and looked Alicia in the eye, his tone serious and sincere. \"Remi is innocent, brave, and radiates sunshine. She’s the finest woman I’ve ever met. She doesn't need to change a single thing. I love her exactly as she is.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Remi felt her eyes sting, a sweet warmth blooming in her chest. How lucky was she to find someone who saw her, understood her, and loved her unconditionally?\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Alicia nodded, finally satisfied. \"Good boy. With you saying that, I can rest easy.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">When they left that afternoon, the weight of the goodbye settled in. Even someone as free-spirited as Remi felt a pang of sadness.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Mom, Dad, take care of yourselves. Don't worry about me. I’ll be back the second I have time. It’s only a two-hour flight, after all,\" Remi said, fighting back tears.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"We know, we know. And you—don’t push yourself too hard. Don't put too much pressure on yourself,\" her mother replied.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Alright, alright! Stop dawdling or they'll be driving through the night,\" her father grumbled, though the redness in his eyes gave him away.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Go on then! Drive safely.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Goodbye, Mom. Goodbye, Dad.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">As the car pulled away, Remi looked in the rearview mirror to see her mother sobbing into her father's shoulder. Her own composure shattered, and the tears began to stream down her face.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Damian pulled her close, his brow furrowed with concern as he handed her a tissue. \"Don't cry, my sweet Remi.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"I'm fine… just a minute,\" she sniffled.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Once she’d let it all out, her mood lightened, and soon she was chatting away again. The drive back didn't feel tedious at all; for Damian, who had arrived feeling stressed and drained, the journey back was entirely different. With a little magpie chirping away beside him, that 310-mile drive felt like a breeze.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">By the time they reached the city at 7:00 PM, the streets were packed with endless traffic. The Capital was back to its frantic, high-pressure pace. Everyone was desperate to carve out their own tiny piece of this concrete jungle.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Remi looked through the window at the glittering, sleepless city and took a deep breath. \"Back to where the dream begins.\"\u003C/p>",false,0,1774272913771]