Chapter 226



Lucas’ expression changed instantly upon hearing that. Ryan turned his gaze to Verena, lying unconscious on the hospital bed, and continued, his voice heavy with resignation, “She’s self-harming again, Lucas. After all these years, I thought she’d moved past it, that her depression had healed. But I was wrong…”

Lucas’ brows furrowed, his face hardening with concern.

Ryan’s tone grew sharper. “Lucas, don’t you think you’ve been growing distant from her lately? You know how sensitive she is. She could feel even the slightest indifference and the smallest hint of distance immediately.”

After a pause, he continued, “And it’s not just indifference. You’ve been paying more and more attention to Belinda recently. You may not realize it, but your behavior is breaking Verena’s heart. How do you expect her to cope with that?”

Ryan stepped closer to Lucas, his frustration evident. “Verena’s greatest wish is to be with you—to become your wife. She has waited for you all these years, waiting for your divorce, waiting for you to marry her. But what has she gotten in return? A version of you that’s more distant and more invested in someone else. How could she not feel crushed? Lucas, I need to ask you outright: are you really going to divorce Belinda? Will you still marry Verena after that?”

The weight of the question lingered in the air, but Lucas didn’t respond right away. Instead, he furrowed his brows deeply, his expression growing unreadable.

After a long silence, Lucas finally spoke up, his voice low and firm. “Go home, Ryan. I’ll stay with Verena tonight.”

Ryan’s chest tightened at Lucas’ refusal to answer. A spark of anxiety and anger flared within him. Could it be that Lucas had really developed feelings for Belinda?

Clenching his fists, Ryan tried hard to contain his emotions. He couldn’t even tell if his anger was for Verena’s sake or his own. Knowing he wouldn’t get a straight answer from Lucas, Ryan eventually let out a sigh and turned to leave.

gαℓησν𝒆ℓs․com has your next chapter But after a few steps, he stopped and turned back. He met Lucas’ eyes, his tone laced with warning. “You promised Verena that you’d marry her. I hope you won’t go back on that promise. She has waited for you for too long and sacrificed too much. If you break her heart… I don’t know if she will be able to bear it.”

Without waiting for a reply, Ryan turned and walked out of the room.

The silence that followed was deafening. Lucas stood motionless for a moment, staring at the door Ryan had just exited. Then, slowly, he walked over to Verena’s bedside and sat down. He looked at her pale, fragile face. He could feel his concern for her—the kind one might feel for a close friend or someone in need, but nothing more.

Ryan’s words echoed in his mind. Verena’s self-harm, her anguish, her years of waiting—all of it weighed heavily on him. He had made a promise to her, and he knew he would have to honor it.

But deep down, he also recognized the unsettling truth: his feelings had started to shift. Recently, his thoughts had been drawn to Belinda more often than they should. She was invading his mind in ways that made him question himself.

This couldn’t continue. He and Belinda were bound to divorce soon, and he would need to marry Verena afterward. Starting now, Lucas resolved, he would put distance between himself and Belinda. He couldn’t let her disrupt his thoughts or stir his emotions any further. He needed to set everything back on track.

Just then, Lucas’ phone rang. He glanced at the screen, his sharp eyes narrowing as he saw the caller ID. It was Belinda calling him.

After a moment, Lucas swiped to answer the call. “Hello.”

“Lucas, it’s so late. Why haven’t you returned? Are you still at work?” Belinda’s voice, as melodic as ever, echoed through the phone and reached Lucas’ ears.

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