Chapter 180



At the Thomas family’s residence, Belinda woke up to find it was already past seven in the evening. Feeling much more revitalized after her rest, she headed downstairs. She noticed that both Santino and Darren had returned home.

“Hello, Santino, Mollie, Darren,” Belinda greeted them, stifling a yawn.

“What kept you up last night?” Mollie asked curiously.

Belinda explained, “My mom had a high fever last night, so I stayed up late all night to make sure she was okay.”

“I see.” Mollie nodded, not saying anything more.

During dinner, Santino suddenly turned to Belinda. “Belinda, is Albin Barnett your aunt’s husband?”

Caught off guard by the question, Belinda hesitated for a moment before replying, “Yes, he is. Why do you ask?”

Santino explained, “He was at my company today, introduced himself as your aunt’s husband, and expressed interest in collaborating with me.”

Belinda’s frustration was palpable as she heard that. She couldn’t help but roll her eyes. She was astonished by Albin’s audacity to use her name to approach Santino.

Before Belinda could respond, Santino inquired further, “Belinda, does your aunt’s family treat you well?”

Laughing at the question, Belinda teased, “Why do you ask? If they always treat me well, will you agree to collaborate with them?”

gⱯlnσν𝓮ℓs․cøm is packed with great reads “Of course,” Santino responded without hesitation. His earnest reply surprised Belinda for a moment.

After a while, she smiled, touched by his words. She probed further, “And does Albin’s company meet your criteria for a collaboration?”

Santino admitted, “Honestly, his company falls short of our standards, but it’s manageable. If his family is good to you, I see no harm in giving him a chance.”

Belinda laughed and stated clearly, “Then you shouldn’t even consider it, Santino. Just turn him down directly!”

“Hmm?” Santino gave her a puzzled look.

Darren understood what Belinda meant and said, “What Belinda is saying is that her relationship with Albin’s family is strained, so there’s no need for you to agree to collaborate with the Barnett family because of her.”

Santino turned to Belinda. “Is that so?”

“Yes,” Belinda confirmed with a nod, her face set in a resolute expression.

In truth, her ties with the Barnett family were more than strained—they had a bad relationship. Previously, the Barnett family had always treated her with disdain and communicated with her only in harsh tones.

Darren smiled faintly, his voice steady as he explained, “It’s quite apparent. If the relationship between Belinda and the Barnett family were indeed good, Albin wouldn’t have needed to approach you in person using Belinda’s name. Belinda would have been the one introducing him to you.”

Darren had also seen Belinda roll her eyes with a displeased look earlier when she had heard Santino mention Albin’s visit.

Santino paused to consider this and, finding the logic sound, nodded in agreement. “In that case, I’ll instruct my assistant to formally decline their proposal tomorrow.”

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