Chapter 1032



“I can’t say I expected it, either,” Johnson said, shaking his head in awe.

Belinda lowered her gaze, pressing her lips together as the memories resurfaced. “You’re not the only ones. At that moment, I was shocked and scared.”

Even now, just thinking about it sent a chill down her spine.

Bethany’s expression grew firm. “Well, after what he did, I fully approve of you two being together now.”

Johnson’s tone turned serious as he looked at Belinda. “Now, do you finally believe it? Lucas truly loves you. There’s no need to question his feelings for you.”

“I know…” Belinda nodded softly. “The moment he took that knife for me, I stopped questioning his feelings. I know he loves me.” Her voice was steady, and her eyes reflected the warmth and certainty she felt.

Johnson exhaled and said, “You’ve been cooped up at home, out of the loop. There’s a lot you don’t know. Jennifer was running her mouth about you, and Lucas overheard it. He didn’t let it slide. He went straight for her family’s company. It got so bad that her father, Sanford, had no choice but to drag Jennifer to the Clark estate, begging for mercy.” After a pause, he continued, “Lucas gave them an ultimatum: if they wanted to save their business, Jennifer had to keep her mouth shut for good. So, Sanford made sure of it. He took a pair of scissors and cut out Jennifer’s tongue. Then he sent her overseas. After that incident, no one in the social circle dared to say anything against you again.”

Belinda was stunned. She had been completely unaware of any of this.

Johnson gave her a moment to absorb the information before continuing. “Then there’s the Happer family, one of the four most powerful families in Soling. After Lucas dealt with Kylee, her grandfather, Galen, personally dragged her to the Clark estate the next day, confronting Lucas. The Happers and Clarks have always maintained a strong alliance, but this time, Harold refused to back down. He didn’t give Galen any room to negotiate—shut him down completely.”

His voice turned grave. “Galen, unwilling to let the matter go, had set his sights on retaliating against the Triumph Consortium. But before he could act, his own sons intervened. Even though Galen had handed over the company to them, his word has always been law in the Happer family. But this time, neither of his sons obeyed him. Because it’s obvious to everyone who is at fault!”

The moment Johnson mentioned the Happers, a name surfaced in Belinda’s mind—Carola.

A heavy feeling settled in Belinda’s chest as she recalled Carola’s words from that day.

Bethany, noticing Belinda’s demeanor, frowned. “Belinda? What is it? You suddenly look upset.”

Belinda shook her head, offering a faint smile. “It’s nothing. I just suddenly thought of something unpleasant.”

Bethany frowned. “Now that I think about it, this whole situation is bizarre. Who was really behind Kylee’s kidnapping? Has Lucas found any leads?”

“Not yet,” Belinda admitted, summarizing what had been uncovered so far.

Bethany’s expression turned serious. “Could it be Verena?” Belinda had thought the same before. She shook her head. “Lucas had Verena thoroughly investigated, and there wasn’t anything suspicious.”

Johnson, who had been quietly contemplating, finally spoke. “I doubt Verena had anything to do with it. If she truly had the capability to pull something like this off, planning it so meticulously that even Lucas’ people couldn’t find a single clue, then Harold wouldn’t have been able to keep her locked up for three years before, let alone push her into such a deep depression.”

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