Chapter 61



At that moment, Belinda elegantly stepped forward, stopping just before Verena, locking eyes with her. Verena stared back at the woman who had transformed so dramatically. She had always been secretly jealous of Belinie’s beauty, and even more so of her connection to someone as influential as Santino. Now, those feelings intensified. She had never thought Belinie and Belinda, the very woman Ryan had ridiculed as overweight and unattractive, were the same person.

To Verena, Belinda had never posed a real threat before. She had never considered Belinda a rival for Lucas’ affection. Even after discovering Belinda was Lucas’ wife, she hadn’t been worried. But now… What transformations had Belinda undergone during her time abroad to return so radiant? She had even become the goddaughter of Santino?

Belinda tilted her head slightly, gazing down at Verena with poised assurance, her voice smooth as she said, “Miss Reed, whether you were once close to Lucas or cherished by him, those days are behind us. I am his wife now. Until our marriage ends, I’d appreciate it if you kept your distance from my husband, alright?”

With that, Belinda didn’t pause for a reply but turned and walked towards Mollie. Initially, Belinda hadn’t intended to meddle in whatever past Verena had with Lucas, especially considering her impending divorce. However, since Ryan and Verena were stirring trouble, she resolved not to pull her punches now!

When Lucas watched Belinda stride away, his mouth twisted into an amused smile.

Belinda joined Mollie in the secluded gathering of elite women. “Mrs. Thomas, it turns out you have been hiding the fact that your goddaughter is the famous Mrs. Clark! Why keep such a secret? Goodness, your family really values privacy!”

“Mrs. Sugden, perhaps you should have gathered the whole story before forming your judgments. We almost thought Mrs. Thomas’ goddaughter was a homewrecker.”

“Yes, Mrs. Sugden! Check your facts next time to avoid such blunders—it’ll save you the embarrassment.”

Tessa’s face nearly crumbled under the weight of her error. She managed a forced smile and said, “Absolutely, I was mistaken this time. I’ll be more careful in the future.”

“Who could have guessed the truth would turn out to be this?” At that moment, Belinda turned to the ladies with a gracious smile and said, “Please, keep this matter amongst ourselves.” Given that Belinda’s marriage to Lucas was nearing its end, there was no need for more people to be privy to this matter.

“You want to keep the matter under wraps? Understood, we won’t tell anyone about this.”

“Certainly, Belinda, you can count on us.”

Belinda expressed her gratitude with a smile, saying, “I really appreciate that; thank you.”

Meanwhile, in a different private suite, the air was charged with tension.

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