?<strong>Chapter 66:</strong>


    Belinda responded with unwavering confidence, “Why can’t I? Isn’t Miss Reed unwell? Perfect. I’ll go see for myself what’s so urgent that she needs someone else’s husband at this hour.”


    Lucas looked at her, a hint of amusement flickering in his eyes as he raised an eyebrow and chuckled. “You’re jealous, aren’t you?”


    Belinda’s expression remained impassive. Jealous? Hardly. She wasn’t jealous. She was simply determined to disrupt Verena’s schemes. Earlier that day, she had explicitly warned Verena to keep her distance from Lucas, but now, under the cover of night, Verena was summoning him. If that wasn’t a deliberate taunt, then what was?


    Belinda’s smile turned cold as she replied, “Think whatever you want.”


    “Either way, I’m apanying you tonight.”


    Belinda paused, her gaze sharpening with a hint of warning. “And if you refuse, I’ll just tell your father about this in the morning.”


    Lucas’s expression darkened at her words, and he let out a derisiveugh. “Impressive, Belinda. You’ve resorted to threats now.”


    Turning on her heel, Belinda walked toward the door, calling back over her shoulder, “Let’s not keep Miss Reed waiting, Mr. rk.”


    Watching her retreating figure, Lucas scoffed softly but chose not toment further.


    An hourter, the sleek form of Lucas’s blue Bentley Continental came to a stop in front of Verena’s residence. Together, Lucas and Belinda stepped out of the car and ascended the stairs to the door. Lucas rapped firmly on it.


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    When the door swung open, Verena’s face lit up at the sight of Lucas. “Lucas!” she eximed, her eyes sparkling with excitement.


    Just as she stepped forward to greet him, her smile faltered abruptly as Belinda emerged from behind Lucas. Her body froze, her expression momentarily clouded with shock.


    After an awkward pause, Verena regained herposure, forcing a smile. “Mrs. rk, to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?”


    Belinda blinked, her longshes fluttering as she offered a sweet smile. “Miss Reed, I heard you weren’t feeling well, so I thought I’de along to check on you. After all, it might raise a few eyebrows if word got out that a married man was visiting your home alone sote at night, don’t you think?”


    She paused briefly, her tone smooth andposed, then continued, “As Lucas’s wife, I just wanted to ensure there are no misunderstandings. It’s only considerate of me, wouldn’t you agree?”


    Verena’s face tensed, her voice catching in her throat as she struggled to form a response. Thest thing she had expected was for Belinda to apany Lucas tonight.


    Internally, Verena couldn’t deny that she had intended to provoke Belinda by summoning Lucas at such ate hour, hoping to assert her importance in his life. Yet the fact that Lucas had brought Belinda along felt like a deliberate affront, a subtle yet cutting rebuke to her ns.


    In that moment, a flush of humiliation swept over Verena, as if she had been physically struck. The presence of Belinda, poised and unshaken, only deepened the sting.


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