?Chapter 1626:


    Silence then draped over them.


    Lucas and Belinda drove Faye back to the family residence. Only after watching Faye walk into the house and close the door did Lucas start the car and drive away.


    On the way back, while waiting at a red light, Lucas took Belinda’s hand, kissed it softly, and held it close. In a gentle voice, he asked, “Are you tired?”


    Belinda nodded her head, a faint smile tugging at her lips. “I am alright. Not too worn out.”


    “If you’re feeling sleepy, you can catch a quick nap,” he said. “I’ll wake you when we get home.”


    “No need for that,” Belinda replied, her smile widening.


    The two of them chatted casually until they arrived home.


    As they stepped into the quiet of their bedroom, Lucas brushed a hand along Belinda’s arm. “You head to bed. I’m stepping out to the balcony to call Georgie. Won’t be long.”


    Belinda nodded, exhaustion creeping into her bones. “Alright.” She soon settled into bed.


    Lucas stepped out onto the balcony, closing the door behind him, and dialed Georgie’s number.


    “You’re home?” Georgie asked.


    “Yeah,” Lucas said, his tone t.


    Georgie did not waste a breath. “What is going on with Faye? Don’t tell me it’s nothing—I know my girl. She wouldn’t hit a bar and drink herself senseless for no reason. She must be feeling hurt or upset—something must have happened to make her want to drink.”


    Her voice then softened slightly. “She’s your niece. How could you not look out for her? How could you let someone upset her like that—”


    “No one upset her,” Lucas said, cutting her off. “I just asked her to move back to the family residence.”<fncfbd> The rightful source is find·novel</fncfbd>


    Faye had been living under Belinda’s roof for weeks now, and Georgie knew every detail of the arrangement.


    When Georgie learned what Lucas had said, her voice exploded through the phone in sheer disbelief. “What? You actually sent Faye back home? Lucas! Don’t you realize how cruel that is?”


    Her words were sharp, each syble dripping with righteous anger. “Exin this to me—how exactly was Faye causing problems for you and Belinda? What possible reason could you have for asking her to move back?”


    Lucas’ response floated back withposure. “She kept barging into our evenings, night after night, destroying any chance Belinda and I had for intimate moments together. So I asked her to move back. Do you see an issue with that?”


    His tone had shifted by the final sentence, carrying a cold edge.


    Georgie found herself momentarily speechless on the other end of the line. She had braced herself for many exnations, but never something like this.


    The silence stretched between them for a while before she rallied to Faye’s defense. “Faye must have been wrestling with something truly important to interrupt your evenings like that. She would never have bothered you without good reason.”


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