Chapter 339



That evening, Ryan left the club with Belina by his side.

At the Clark family’s residence, the instant Belinda saw Lucas, her thoughts drifted to certain undeniably intimate moments from the night before. For a brief second, she found herself unsure of how to meet his gaze.

Lucas broke the silence first. His thin lips barely moved as he spoke in a deep, gravelly tone. “Belinda, about last night…”

Cutting him off mid-sentence, Belinda said, “We were both drunk last night…” Her lashes quivered briefly as she continued, her voice steady yet soft. “Besides, it happened by mutual consent. Surely, it doesn’t mean much to you, right, Mr. Clark?”

At her words, Lucas’ expression turned stormy, as if a fire of frustration had been ignited in his chest. His gaze locked onto Belinda’s, unwavering, scrutinizing her face as if searching for a hidden answer.

After a taut pause, he let out a sharp, icy laugh and nodded coolly. “That is exactly what I was going to say. It’s a relief you also think that way. I was concerned you’d use this as leverage to cling to me.”

Belinda’s gaze faltered momentarily, and she let out a faint sigh of relief inwardly. Thank goodness that she hadn’t allowed herself to take the matter too seriously or nurture any foolish hopes.

Yet… a subtle twinge of disappointment tugged at her heart.

Drawing in a steadying breath, Belinda lifted her eyes to meet Lucas’. Her voice was calm as she said, “Don’t worry. I won’t.”

Lucas’ hand at his side curled into a tight fist, his icy stare hardening further. Wordlessly, he turned on his heel and exited the room.

That night, Lucas avoided the bedroom entirely, burying himself in work in the study until morning. Belinda, too, spent a sleepless night and arrived at work the next morning with dark circles under her eyes.

At noon, in a secluded alley, Mollie strolled alone through the desolate alley when a man abruptly emerged from a side street, a knife gleaming in his hand. Brandishing the knife, he said in a menacing tone, “Stop right there! Hand over all your cash and valuables right now!”

Startled, Mollie recoiled instinctively, stepping back. “Stay back! Please, don’t come any closer! I’ll give you all the money I have now,” she said, her voice quivering, her face drained of color. Mollie’s trembling hands fumbled with her bag, her fingers struggling to unzip it as she prepared to hand over her money.

“What on earth are you doing?” A sharp, commanding voice suddenly echoed through the narrow alley, cutting through the tension like a blade.

In an instant, a figure darted into the alley. The woman moved swiftly, stepping in front of Mollie, her stance protective and unyielding.

“Kylee?” Mollie gasped, her voice tinged with shock. She was genuinely surprised as she recognized the woman now shielding her with unwavering determination.

“Mrs. Thomas, are you okay?” Kylee asked, sparing a quick glance back at Mollie, her face etched with concern.

“I—I am fine,” Mollie stammered, her head nodding slightly as if to reassure herself as much as Kylee.

The thug let out a derisive laugh, his eyes gleaming with malice. “Another one? Even better! Both of you, hand over all your money now!”

At that moment, Kylee spread her arms wide, an unshakable shield in front of Mollie. Her fierce glare pinned the thug, radiating defiance like a mother hen guarding her brood.

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