Chapter 321



Putting her phone away, Belinda took a moment to compose herself. Then, she returned to the garden and sat back down beside Mollie.

Mollie noticed her bad mood immediately. “Belinda, are you okay? You look a little pale.”

Belinda shook her head gently. “I’m fine,” she said softly.

Leaning into Mollie, she rested her head on her shoulder and nuzzled it affectionately. Her voice carried a rare tone of dependence. “Mollie, thank you and your friends for standing up for me.”

Mollie smiled warmly, brushing a hand against Belinda’s cheek. “We’re friends. If someone bullies you, it’s only right for us to stand up for you.”

Belinda didn’t reply, but her expression was tinged with complicated emotions. Not everyone close to her would do the same. Her thoughts wandered briefly to her father…

Mollie broke the silence. “Oh, Belinda, while you were on the phone, Santino called me. The Williamson family and the Sampson family both reached out—they want to come over and apologize to you in person. What do you think about this?”

Belinda sat up straight, her demeanor indifferent. “There’s no need for that. Their apologies won’t be sincere. I don’t have the energy to sit through their pretense.”

Mollie considered her words for a while before replying, “You’re right. I’ll tell Santino to turn them down.”

Belinda gave a small nod. She had initially planned to have dinner with Darwin in the evening, but he had called her in the afternoon to reschedule due to an urgent matter. So, she stayed for dinner with the Thomas family.

After dinner, Debra and Percy managed to drag Belinda to the Dream Club. Belinda had hesitated to go there at first, but Mollie had encouraged her, saying, “You should go out and have some fun.”

At the club, Debra raised her glass with a grin. “Come on, Belinda, let’s have a drink!”

Belinda picked up her own glass, clinking it lightly with Debra’s before taking a sip. The drinks here were much stronger than she had expected.

Debra set her glass down and leaned in conspiratorially. “Belinda, do you know why Minna has been targeting you?”

Belinda shook her head.

Debra continued, “It’s because of Darwin. She loves him. At the banquet, Darwin came over to talk to you. You two had a drink and chatted with smiles on your faces. That was enough for Minna to see you as an enemy.”

Belinda blinked in shock. She had only met Darwin twice; they were acquaintances at best. The fact that Minna had gone out of her way to target her because of such an insignificant reason was ridiculous.

Belinda took a deep breath. “All of that… it was just because I chatted with Darwin?”

Debra nodded. “Minna’s ruthless. Any woman who so much as exchanges a glance with Darwin ends up on her hit list. The worst case? She even crushed someone’s family business. That’s why most women steer clear of Darwin now.”

Belinda felt a complicated mix of emotions upon hearing that. She hated to admit it, but wasn’t that how she used to be under Kylee’s influence? In hindsight, she really used to be a very annoying person.

Debra shrugged. “That’s Minna for you. She’s dangerous and vindictive. But don’t worry, Belinda. With Uncle Santino and Aunt Mollie in your corner, no one would dare mess with you.”

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