Chapter 722



He thought about the idea of Belinda being with another man. If it were him, he wouldn’t just stand by and let it happen. No way. If that day ever came, he would fight tooth and nail to break them apart and win Belinda back.

He couldn’t wrap his head around Johnson’s passivity. It just didn’t sit right with him.

Belinda crossed her arms and said, “Listen, Catherine and Leland are happy together. The guy’s decent. If you send someone to scare Leland off and Catherine gets wind of it, what do you think will happen? What should Johnson do then? And what will Catherine think of Johnson if she finds out? Given their dynamic, she’ll pull away from him faster than you think. That’s just asking for trouble.”

Johnson, who had been quiet until now, let out a resigned sigh. “Do you think I haven’t tried that? I already threatened Leland, but the guy didn’t back down. Instead, he told Cathy everything. It took me forever to get Cathy to stop doubting me.”

Everyone in the room fell silent.

The real issue wasn’t Leland. It was Johnson’s tangled relationship with Catherine.

They were siblings in the eyes of the world, even if not by blood. To outsiders, they were family. And Catherine? If she ever found out Johnson had feelings for her, she would definitely run as far away from him as possible.

That was a risk Johnson couldn’t afford to take. So, he kept his emotions in check, taking one careful step at a time.

He could only confess when Catherine’s feelings aligned with his. Until then, patience was his only option.

Lucas leaned back in his seat, arms crossed, saying nothing.

“Anyway—” Vincent started to speak, but his words were cut short by the door swinging open.

A man and a woman strolled in.

“Wow, really? You guys are having a gathering without us again? Not cool,” Ryan exclaimed, his voice laced with mock indignation as he scanned the room. The atmosphere shifted immediately, tension filling the air as Ryan and Verena entered.

Vincent raised an eyebrow. “What are you doing here?”

Ryan grinned. “Verena wanted to grab some drinks here, so I tagged along. I casually asked the waiter if you guys were around and found out that you were here. I heard there was quite a crowd tonight, so we figured we’d join in on the fun.”

He paused, his grin turning mischievous. “You’re not planning to kick us out, are you?”

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