Chapter 652



She winced, her eyes misting with unshed tears. “I wasn’t trying to upset you. I just wanted to feel close to you one last time. I told myself that if I did this, it’d feel like I’ve kissed you, and maybe I could finally move on.”

Lucas’ frown deepened, irritation etched across his face. Without responding, he turned on his heel and walked away.

As Lucas left, Verena’s lips curled into a faint smile. Belinda must have seen them. She would think they had kissed.

The truth didn’t matter. What mattered was what Belinda believed.

When Lucas returned to the private room, his expression was unreadable.

Belinda was chatting with Harold, completely ignoring Lucas, which didn’t surprise him.

After dinner, Lucas offered to drive Belinda home.

“No need. I can drive myself,” Belinda replied, her tone cold.

Turning to Harold, she said, “Harold, I’ll leave now. Make sure you get some rest.”

Harold nodded. “Alright. Drive safely.”

“Okay.” Without sparing Lucas a glance, Belinda left.

Lucas watched her leave, his brows furrowed. Something about Belinda’s demeanor felt off, but he couldn’t quite place it.

On her drive home, Belinda sped through the streets, the windows open, the night air whipping through her hair. She welcomed the chaos of the wind, hoping it might drown out her tangled thoughts.

But the memory of what she had seen earlier replayed relentlessly in her mind, triggering a dull ache in her heart.

The more she tried to block it out, the more vivid the scene became.

Frustration boiled within Belinda, refusing to subside even the next day. She threw herself into work, but every quiet moment brought her spiraling thoughts.

By evening, unable to sit with her emotions any longer, she called Bethany and Johnson, asking them to meet her for drinks at the Dream Club.

Belinda nursed her third glass of whiskey, her face flushed from both the alcohol and the turmoil in her heart. Bethany and Johnson exchanged concerned glances.

When Belinda reached for her fourth glass, Bethany quickly stopped her.

“Alright, you’ve had enough. If you want to drink, fine. But first, you have to tell us why you want to drink like this,” Bethany said.

Johnson leaned forward, nodding in agreement. “Yeah, spill it. What happened?”

Belinda offered a weak smile. “Oh, it’s nothing. I just felt the urge for a drink.”

Johnson eyed her skeptically. “Don’t lie to us. We know you too well. Clearly, something happened. Is it something to do with Lucas?”

When Lucas’ name came up, Belinda experienced a deep, suffocating heaviness in her chest.

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