Chapter 177



“Look who’s here, our busy bee.”

With a weary smile, Belinda replied, “This busy bee needs to catch up on some sleep after staying up all night yesterday.”

Mollie immediately adopted a more serious demeanor. “Then let’s cut the chatter. You should head up to your room and rest now.”

“Okay,” Belinda said, nodding appreciatively as she went upstairs to rest.

At The Harlequin Eats, Johnson and Lucas were having a meal together. Johnson turned to Lucas with a knowing smile and said, “This isn’t just a casual lunch, is it, Lucas?”

Lucas smirked slightly, his voice low and gravelly as he spoke. “Actually, there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you.”

He set his fork down, meeting Johnson’s gaze squarely, and asked, “Is there more than just friendship between you and Belinda?”

Johnson mustered a small, shy smile. “Well… How should I put this…”

Seeing Johnson like this, Lucas felt a sudden, inexplicable jolt in his heart. Johnson’s reaction suggested that…

Lucas waited for Johnson to continue in silence, his gaze fixed intently on him.

Johnson took a few more seconds before continuing, “Let’s just say that Belinda and I are merely very good friends. For now, anyway.”

“For now?” Lucas echoed, each word hanging heavily in the air between them.

Johnson nodded. “Yes, for now. After all, no one can tell what the future holds, right?”

The meaning he implied with his tone was unmistakable.

Lucas’s eyes darkened slightly, but before he could say anything, Johnson spoke again.

“By the way, Lucas, when are you planning to divorce Belinda?”

“Why do you ask?” Lucas countered smoothly.

“I’m just a little concerned about you two,” Johnson said, his smile deepening. “Both of you are close friends that I cherish deeply. It goes without saying that I care about your relationship.”

Lucas’s gaze sharpened. “Is that all?”

Johnson raised his chin and met Lucas’s eyes. They stared at each other for a while before Johnson relented with a sigh, saying, “All right, I’ll admit it.”

He cleared his throat, his expression turning earnest. “I won’t keep it from you any longer, Lucas. Over the years, I’ve come to realize that I’ve developed feelings for Belinda.”

Lucas’s eyes widened ever so slightly as he heard that. His expression turned dark in an instant. A flash of frustration flickered in his deep eyes for a second. His suspicions were correct all along. Johnson indeed had feelings for Belinda!

Damn it!

Lucas wasn’t sure exactly why, but the confirmation only brought forth a surge of rage within him. What was worse, he felt something akin to worry at the back of his mind. If Johnson liked Belinda, then what about Belinda? Did she have feelings for Johnson, too?

In the silence that followed, Johnson noted the somber expression on Lucas’s face and pressed his lips into a thin line. After a while, he said, “I know it is not right to covet a friend’s partner. I also know that having feelings for your wife is not appropriate. But we can’t exactly control our feelings for someone, can we? Besides, we both know that you have never had feelings for Belinda. She never held any place in your heart. Weren’t you the one to propose a divorce the moment you found Verena? What I’m trying to say is… me liking Belinda isn’t entirely unforgivable, right? What do you think?”

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