Chapter 771



Ryan’s face turned pale with fury at Bethany’s words, his chest heaving violently as he struggled to contain his anger. “Who could have foreseen that something like this would occur?”

“If you hadn’t come, this mishap wouldn’t have taken place!” Bethany shot back.

“You…” Ryan was at a loss for words, his frustration boiling over.

“That’s enough, Bethany,” Johnson interjected at the opportune moment, his voice calm yet authoritative. “What’s done is done—arguing about it won’t change anything. Fortunately, Belinda is fine. We came here to unwind, so let’s not allow this to spoil our spirits. Come on, let’s go and enjoy the hot springs.”

Bethany shot a frosty glare at Ryan and Verena, snorted in disdain, and then grasped Belinda and Catherine by the hands with a sense of urgency. “Let’s go.”

The three of them proceeded ahead, with Johnson and Lucas trailing closely behind.

Lucas didn’t spare Verena even a glance as he walked away.

Verena stared at Lucas blankly as he walked away, his back turned to her, without looking back even once. Her heart felt as though it was being torn apart.

Reflecting on the look Lucas had just given her—a look filled with hostility and disappointment—Verena found it even more unbearable. She couldn’t accept that Lucas had regarded her with such animosity all because of Belinda.

Vincent sighed softly as he looked at Verena and Ryan, his expression one of resignation. “Verena just fell into the water and was choked quite badly. Ryan, you should take her back to the hotel room to rest.” This was a polite way of suggesting they leave.

Given the recent events, the others were clearly displeased with Verena and Ryan’s presence, their discomfort palpable. It would be wise for Verena and Ryan to maintain their distance for the time being.

Ryan understood Vincent’s implication. Although his expression darkened with frustration, he nodded after a moment of contemplation, recognizing the wisdom in Vincent’s words.

“Let’s go, Verena,” Ryan said gently yet firmly. With that statement, he extended his hand to help Verena to her feet.

Verena didn’t utter a word; she let Ryan lead her away, her spirit deflated.

Inside the room, Verena continued to cry, her tears cascading down her cheeks like an unstoppable river.

Sitting beside Verena on the edge of the bed, Ryan sighed heavily—his voice laden with resignation as he tried to console her. “Why did you do that? I warned you not to employ tricks like this to test Lucas, yet you chose to disregard my advice.”

In fact, the entire act of being chased by a bee had been orchestrated by Verena.

Verena had chosen a fragrance that irresistibly attracted bees to her, a calculated move. When their group had finally arrived at the perfect location, Ryan had unleashed the bee he had meticulously prepared beforehand. This had caused the bee to fly straight toward Verena.

In her desperate bid to escape, Verena had “accidentally” collided with Belinda, and together, they had tumbled into the hot spring nearby. Verena’s ultimate objective was to observe whom Lucas would save first in such a critical moment.

If Lucas chose to rescue her, it would undoubtedly deepen Belinda’s disappointment in him. This was the perfect opportunity to create a rift between them.

Verena had been utterly convinced that Lucas would save her. After all, in the past, whenever she found herself in even the slightest peril, Lucas would abandon everything and rush to her side without hesitation. Thus, she had firmly believed this occasion would be no different! He would undoubtedly choose to save her!

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