Chapter 335



Drawing in a steadying breath to compose himself, Ryan walked away. He had to inform Verena of what had transpired. It was clear that Belinda and Lucas were growing closer, and that couldn’t be allowed. He and Verena needed to devise a strategy to ruin Lucas’ relationship with Belinda.

Lucas’ marriage to Belinda had to end soon.

Later in the afternoon, Belinda’s phone rang with a call from Debra.

“Belinda, how are you? Did you recover from last night?” Debra’s voice carried a note of concern.

“I’m doing fine now,” Belinda answered calmly.

“Glad to hear that,” Debra replied with a relieved sigh. “I feel awful about last night. That wine happens to be a favorite of mine, but it’s pretty potent. I completely forgot to remind you of that, and you ended up intoxicated.”

Belinda’s brow furrowed as a glint flickered in her gaze. She felt something was off.

After a moment’s pause, she said, “It’s odd. I’ve always been able to handle alcohol well, but last night… I got drunk so fast. Debra, do you have any idea why?”

On the other end of the line, Debra’s expression shifted briefly before she quickly regained her composure and replied, “Really? But last night, it seemed like your tolerance wasn’t so great!” She paused for a moment before quickly adding, as if struck by an idea, “Oh, I understand now! You must have been feeling low, and that made the alcohol hit you harder last night! I usually handle alcohol well, too, but after my breakup, I drank to numb the pain and ended up intoxicated in no time!”

Her tone remained steady, and she sounded completely unfazed.

Belinda narrowed her eyes, lost in thought. Whether Debra was being honest or incredibly skilled at lying was impossible to discern. With only Debra’s voice to go on and unable to see her expression, Belinda found it difficult to tell if there was anything amiss.

Waiting for the lab results seemed the wisest course of action for her.

“Perhaps you’re right,” Belinda answered, her tone even.

Debra continued to express concern for Belinda for a while before the call finally came to an end. Once her workday ended, Belinda made her way to Vera Villas. Kenia had phoned her earlier, extending a dinner invitation. Belinda believed this was an ideal opportunity for her to ask Sarai about something.

Only Kenia and Sarai were home, as Holley had stepped out on an errand. The moment Sarai spotted Belinda, she beamed and exclaimed, “You’re here, Belinda! We’re in for a feast this time—Kenia is cooking for us today!” Belinda gave a subtle nod, remaining silent. Her gaze lingered on Sarai, growing more intense. Just then, Kenia emerged from the kitchen, carrying a dish. “Wash your hands; dinner is ready,” she said with a smile.

Belinda washed her hands and then seated herself at the dining table. As Sarai was about to say something to Belinda, her eyes fell on the unmistakable marks on Belinda’s neck. Her eyes widened in surprise, and she blurted, “Belinda, are those hickeys on your neck?”

Kenia, hearing this, also turned to look at Belinda’s neck, her expression a bit puzzled. Kenia, having experienced a lot, immediately recognized the marks and understood how they had come to be. The realization left Kenia with a somewhat conflicted expression.

Before Belinda could say anything, Sarai asked again, “Did Mr. Clark give you those? You and Mr. Clark… Did you two…” Sarai couldn’t bring herself to finish the sentence, perhaps instinctively rejecting the idea in her heart.

Belinda let out a soft laugh, her eyes narrowing as she said, “You seem awfully concerned about my relationship with Lucas, Sarai.”

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