Chapter 104



“The person he loves?” Kane’s lips curved into a sly smile. “That would be Verena, wouldn’t it?”

The man nodded. “Exactly. A few years ago, Lucas clashed with your father over Verena on numerous occasions.”

But in recent years… He has spoken of her less frequently.”

Kane said nothing, though the smile in his eyes deepened. If Lucas’ heart still belonged to Verena, then, as his elder brother, he would naturally do what he could to help him.

After asking a few more questions, Kane dismissed the man.

Once alone, he took out his phone and sent a brief text message. “The original plan is on hold. I have a new plan now.”

When Lucas returned to the bedroom, Belinda was sitting at the desk, her attention fixed on a book. When she noticed him enter, she looked up and asked, “Are you really okay with your brother coming back?”

Lucas moved deeper into the room, his voice low and raspy as he uttered two simple words, “Of course.”

Belinda stood up and approached him, her brows knitting slightly. “Your brother returned out of the blue and even offered to stay in Owathe instead of pursuing opportunities abroad. You gave him a position in a subsidiary, and he accepted without hesitation. Doesn’t that strike you as odd? He clearly has an ulterior motive for coming back, and it’s likely directed at you. Yet, you just agreed to it?”

Lucas met her gaze without a hint of alarm. Instead, a faint, playful smile tugged at his lips. “Are you worried about me?”

His words caught Belinda off guard.

She was worried about him?

Maybe she was. After all, she had witnessed the brutal rivalry between Lucas and Kane years ago and remembered the toll it had taken on Lucas.

Lucas had poured time, energy, and strategy into defeating his brother. Kane was cunning and ruthless; he had no regard for family bonds. She also hadn’t forgotten the two assassination attempts Lucas had survived during that time. Though the mastermind was never found, she and Lucas both believed that Kane had been behind it.

Belinda lowered her eyes, her voice calm. “I’m just curious.”

“Curious, huh?” Lucas chuckled softly, his disbelief evident. His eyes flickered with something unreadable. “Of course, I know he has an agenda. But I’m also curious about it. It’s been three years—I want to see what new tricks he thinks he can play on me now.”

Belinda said nothing, her earlier worry ebbing away. Lucas wasn’t the same man he had been three years ago. Since he had allowed Kane to return, it meant he had already calculated the risks and laid his plans.

Raising her eyes to meet Lucas’, Belinda shifted the subject. “One more thing—does your dad already know what happened that night at the Wright family estate?”

She had intended to ask this yesterday, but Lucas hadn’t come home until late, long after she had fallen asleep.

“Yes,” Lucas answered, his tone neutral. “Your dad went straight to mine, dragging Kylee along to complain.”

Belinda sighed inwardly. She had suspected as much. Harold had clearly caught wind of something; otherwise, he wouldn’t have said those things to her. What surprised her, however, was Baker bringing Kylee to Harold’s house to stir up trouble for her. What a “wonderful” father Baker was!

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