?<strong>Chapter 373:</strong>


    Harold paused for a moment, looking intently at Belinda, his tone growing more earnest. “Even if he decides he wants to marry Verena… I won’t stand in his way. Do you understand?”


    In reality, Harold’s statement was a tactic intended to frighten Belinda.


    He hoped it would prompt her to reconsider the divorce and give her rtionship with Lucas another chance.


    Belinda’s expression shifted when she heard Harold’s words. She had been ready to say, “Yes, I’ve thought it through.” But suddenly, her voice faltered, and she struggled to speak. Noticing Belinda’s silence, Harold knew his words had struck a chord. He pressed his lips together for a moment and said, “Regarding your decision to attend my birthday tomorrow as a close friend of the Thomas family, I agree. Since you prefer not to reveal your identity just yet, I’ll respect your wishes and keep it a secret.”


    Belinda exhaled softly in relief upon hearing that. She nodded gently at Harold. “Thank you, Harold.”


    Harold let out a sigh. “Let’s just take a walk together.”


    “Okay,” Belinda replied.


    At the Grand ins General Hospital, in the VIP ward, Verena was on the phone, with Ryan standing guard at the door.


    “Hello.”


    As soon as the call connected, Verena raised her voice in anger. “What kind of people did you hire? Didn’t you assure me nothing would happen to me? Then why was I stripped naked? Exin that!”


    Discussing the incident filled Verena with fury. She could barely contain her anger when those vile men had stripped her. Yet, she had had to control her emotions at that time. Showing any inappropriate reaction could lead to suspicionster. So, she had endured and yed along, acting like she might really get assaulted. The memory of those repulsive, intrusive hands on her body lingered unpleasantly in her mind.


    On the other end of the line, the person responded to Verena’s heated words with a soft chuckle.


    “Don’t you think that by doing that, the effect will be better? That way, Lucas will feel even more guilty toward you, and you can take the opportunity to act as if you were repulsed by all men, except for him. Doesn’t that achieve two goals at once for you?” the person on the other end of the line said.


    Verena was momentarily speechless upon hearing this. She had to admit—this person understood her well. Indeed, she had been ying along with the situation, and so far, the n seemed to be effective.


    But…


    “But having those men do that to me, how will Lucas view me? Now that he knows other men have seen my body, aren’t you concerned he’ll reject me out of disdain?” Verena’s voice carried a mix of anger and concern.


    The person on the other end scoffed lightly, responding casually, “He won’t. He’ll only feel more guilty, knowing all this happened to you because of him. Besides, a man who truly cares about you will be pained and sympathetic because of what you’ve endured. A man who doesn’t care about you won’t be affected, no matter what you have suffered.”


    Verena bit her lip, silently acknowledging the logic in the person’s words. After a moment, she asked, “And Bradly, there won’t be any issues tracing back to him, right?”


    The person replied in a firm tone, “Don’t worry; there won’t be any issues. Just remember, in this kidnapping scenario, he is the mastermind.”


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