Chapter 172



“Of course,” Darren replied.

They exchanged a few more words before Belinda ended the call and went back inside.

Once in her room, she lay on the bed, closed her eyes, and let sleep take her.

In the dead of night, the buzzing of her phone jerked her awake.

Fumbling in the dark, she grabbed her phone and saw the caller ID. She furrowed her eyebrows slightly. Without a second thought, she swiped to answer the call.

“Hello…”

“Belinda…” Holley’s voice was faint and strained on the other end of the line.

“What’s wrong?” At the sound of her voice, Belinda sat upright, her expression filled with concern.

“I’m really not feeling well right now, Belinda. Could you come over?” Holley’s voice carried a hint of desperation.

“Hang on, I’m on my way.” With that, Belinda ended the call.

She threw off her blankets and switched on her phone’s flashlight, making her way to the walk-in closet.

Suddenly, a click sounded, and the lamp on Lucas’s side of the bed illuminated.

“It’s late; where are you headed?” Lucas asked, his voice low and unexpectedly charming in the stillness of the night.

“My mom’s not feeling well. I need to go see her,” Belinda replied without hesitation.

She then went to the walk-in closet to change.

Lucas’s expression shifted subtly, a flicker of concern crossing his features.

He remained quiet as Belinda walked out after getting changed.

Belinda didn’t pay him any mind and opened the door to leave.

Lucas frowned, feeling a surge of annoyance mixed with worry inside him. He did not understand why he was worried about Belinda right now. She was an independent grown woman, yet he couldn’t help but feel concerned for her.

Despite his conflicted feelings, Lucas got out of bed. He retrieved his phone from the bedside table and dialed a number.

The call connected swiftly.

“Mr. Clark,” the voice on the other end answered promptly.

“Belinda has just left. Keep an eye on her,” Lucas instructed, his tone firm.

“Uh…” There was a brief pause from his assistant, who then asked, “Should we ensure Mrs. Clark’s safety?”

Lucas was silent for a few seconds and then stubbornly replied, “Just track where she goes at this hour. That’s all.” To cut off any further inquiries, Lucas ended the call immediately.

He rationalized to himself that if anything were to happen to Belinda, Harold could be so distressed that it might trigger his asthma. Thus, he convinced himself he was acting out of concern for Harold, not Belinda.

With that justification, Lucas set down the phone, switched off the lamp, and settled back to sleep.

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