Chapter 1142



The moment she agreed, Darwin’s entire demeanor brightened. Relief and joy flickered across his face.

“Then… Can I call you Belinda from now on?” he asked.

After a brief silence, Darwin said, “Always calling you Ms. Wright feels too formal.”

“Alright, you can call me Belinda from now on,” Belinda responded.

Darwin smiled. “Okay.”

He couldn’t help but think to himself—at least something good came out of this. Slowly but surely, he was breaking down the wall between Belinda and him.

Gaining her trust again was already a step in the right direction.

Still, there was one thing he absolutely couldn’t let slip—his feelings for her.

If she found out about that, she’d only distance herself from him.

That was the last thing he wanted.

For now, playing the role of a friend was the smartest move.

He would take his time and win her over little by little.

Darwin was confident.

He was absolutely certain that there was no way he would lose to Lucas.

Belinda didn’t linger in Darwin’s hospital room for long.

The moment she stepped out of the hospital, she got into her car and drove off, heading straight to her next stop.

Bethany had invited both her and Johnson for dinner.

By the time Belinda arrived at the private dining room, Bethany and Johnson were already waiting for her there.

As they ate, the conversation naturally shifted to the previous night’s kidnapping.

Bethany was the first to vent her frustration. “I always thought Rhys preferred to keep a low profile. He acted like everything was his daughter’s fault, so I assumed he was at least reasonable. But now? Turns out he’s no different from her! All that remorse, all that so-called good behavior—it was all an act! He waited until everyone had let their guard down and then struck when we least expected it!”

Johnson’s expression darkened. “If Rhys hadn’t been so eager to hurt Darwin and personally called him over, we never would’ve suspected he was the mastermind behind the kidnapping. Who knows how long it would’ve taken Lucas to uncover the truth? You have no idea how calculating Rhys is. He carries a device that scrambles signals wherever he goes. Because of that, all the security footage showing his movements is nothing but static—completely useless.”

Bethany exhaled sharply. “Honestly, we owe Darwin a lot this time, Belinda. If he hadn’t managed to make that call in time, who knows how much longer it would’ve taken Lucas to track you down? Without him, you might’ve suffered more than just a few minor injuries.”

Belinda pressed her lips together and nodded. “Yeah, you’re right. I have Darwin to thank for making it out unscathed this time.”

Bethany suddenly gave her a curious look. “By the way… Do you think Darwin has feelings for you?”

Belinda immediately shook her head. “No. Darwin only got involved because the whole mess with Minna and Rhys started because of him. I was just caught in the crossfire. Besides, we’re friends. He told me he couldn’t stand by and let me get hurt because of him.”

She then rolled her eyes at Bethany. “And let’s be real… I’m not that charming. It’s not like every guy I meet is going to fall for me.”

Bethany and Johnson exchanged a glance.

It was obvious they didn’t quite believe that. To them, Darwin’s actions seemed to go beyond mere responsibility or guilt.

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