Chapter 467



At noon, inside The Harlequin Eats…

“Johnson, what happened to your face?” Belinda couldn’t help but ask as she noticed the bruise on Johnson’s left cheek. Her voice was filled with shock.

“Belinda! This is the second time I’ve been punched because of you!” Johnson shot her a glare, his eyes filled with grievance.

Belinda was briefly caught off guard by his words, but then, a realization seemed to dawn on her. Hesitantly, she asked, “Was it Lucas who hit you?”

“Who else could it be? Last night…” Johnson began, recounting the entire ordeal, including Lucas’ misunderstanding about him being with Belinda.

After hearing the whole story, Belinda’s eyes narrowed, and her brows furrowed deeply. “So, because Lucas overheard our conversation that night, he assumed I had agreed to be with you?” she asked.

“Exactly!” Johnson confirmed with a firm nod.

Belinda’s expression became a mix of confusion, frustration, and disbelief. She didn’t know what to say. She couldn’t decide if this was more absurd or disheartening. It was clear Lucas didn’t understand her at all. If he had, he would never have assumed she would agree to be with Johnson. It was obvious to everyone— the person she cared for had always been Lucas.

How could she ever have considered being with anyone else, especially when she had still been married to Lucas at that time? Was that what he thought of her? Did he honestly believe she was a fickle woman?

The thought pierced Belinda’s heart, filling it with a sharp, painful ache.

A bitter ache filled Belinda’s chest. Johnson didn’t need words to understand what she was feeling; her expression revealed everything that was on her mind.

With a brief press of his lips, he spoke gently to comfort her. “Those caught up in the situation often lose sight of the bigger picture. One moment, Lucas hears me say I plan to confess my feelings to you, and the next, he hears you agree. That’s why he got the wrong idea.”

Belinda offered only a faint, half-hearted smile. She remained silent, but the disappointment she felt toward Lucas grew deeper. The one fortunate thing was that she and Lucas were already divorced.

Johnson continued, “Lucas truly cares about you. If he didn’t, he wouldn’t have gotten so angry last night when he saw me kiss Cathy. He was furious because he believed I was cheating on you and hurting you.”

At these words, Belinda’s eyes flickered for a moment.

“By the way, don’t you think you owe me some compensation for the emotional distress? Look at my poor, handsome face—it’s been completely ruined by Lucas! And it’s all your fault!” Johnson quickly shifted the subject, attempting to distract Belinda.

Sure enough, Belinda couldn’t help but chuckle at his words. She shot him a playful, disdainful look. “Who told you to say such nonsense in front of Lucas, anyway? None of this would have happened if you hadn’t claimed you had feelings for me,” she said.

Johnson puffed out his chest in mock indignation. “Listen here, Belinda! Let’s get one thing straight—I did it all for your sake! How can you turn against me and blame me for everything now?” he said.

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