?<strong>Chapter 171:</strong>


    Belinda met his stare evenly, her voice firm. “And what if I don’t do that?”


    Lucas’s gaze intensified, his sharp eyes narrowing. His expression turned cold in an instant.


    Belinda suddenly smiled. “Mr. rk, you’re frequently seen with Verena. Didn’t you ignore my requests to distance yourself from her? If you cannot do that yourself, why do you think you have the right to ask me to do that? Isn’t that a bit hypocritical?”


    Lucas’s expression grew dark, and he remained silent, his stare piercing.


    After a brief pause, an idea seemed to strike Belinda. She arched an eyebrow provocatively. “Or could it be that seeing me with another man bothers you, Mr. rk? Does it make you jealous? Or angry?”


    Lucas’s brows knitted together, a sh of annoyance betraying his usual stoicism as if Belinda’s words had struck a nerve. Yet, he maintained his poise on the surface, his emotions unreadable.


    Momentster, his eyes glinted with sarcasm. “Feel free to mingle as you wish; just ensure you don’t tarnish the rk family’s reputation or cause me embarrassment,” he said icily.


    With those sharp words, he brushed past Belinda and made his way to the bathroom.


    Belinda remained still, her emotionsplicated. She wasn’t taken aback by Lucas’s words, yet it still made her feel a bit hurt.


    A few secondster, she exhaled deeply and headed to another bathroom for a shower.


    After showering, Belinda stepped out onto the balcony to call Darren.


    “Home already?” Darren’s voice, deep and charming, greeted Belinda as the call connected.


    “Yeah,” Belinda responded.


    After a pause, she continued, “Darren, I’m sorry for today’s drama.”


    Darren’sugh came through light and easy. “What are you apologizing for? You didn’t cause it.”


    “Still, I was the one who brought those two people along,” Belinda said, feeling resigned.


    Darren’s voice wasforting. “You can’t control what others do.”


    After a brief silence, he inquired, “Does your cousin have feelings for me?”


    It was clear to anyone at that time that Lillie had feelings for Darren.


    “Yeah,” Belinda admitted, a trace of embarrassment in her voice.


    Darren chuckled, hisughter tinged with a hint of scorn.


    Belinda quickly reassured him, “But don’t worry. I’ve made it clear to her that she shouldn’t bother you. If she uses me as an excuse to try to get close to you again, tell me right away.”


    “I will,” Darren replied.


    After a moment, he continued, “And even if she attempts anything, I won’t let her get close to me.”


    “That’s reassuring,” Belinda replied, her voice brightening with a smile.


    Then, she said, “Could you please tell Santino and Mollie that work has kept me tied up recently? I’ll make time to see them as soon as I can.”


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