?Chapter 1683:


    When Harold heard Belinda’s words, there was a fleeting odd look on his face before he masked it, but Belinda caught it instantly. Her eyes flickered for a moment, and doubt began to stir in her mind. If Faye were truly Lucas’ niece by blood, Harold wouldn’t have had that look. He might have sighed, rolled his eyes, or even let out a weary chuckle. And yet, Harold’s reaction hinted at something more tangled beneath the surface—Faye’s identity, perhaps, wasn’t as simple as it appeared.


    By now, Harold’s expression had slipped back into its usual calm, the earlier flicker of emotion buried beneath aposed fa?ade. “You see,” he exined, “Faye spent years living here when she was young. She and Lucas are close in age, so naturally, they were inseparable—always running about, ying, andughing. She followed him like a shadow.”


    A faint smile ghosted across his lips. “That bond never really faded. Even now, as adults, she clings to him with the same devotion she had as a child. The problem is that she hasn’t realized that things are different now. To her, nothing’s changed. But Lucas, well, he’s a man now. He has a girlfriend. And Faye hasn’t yet realized that there are boundaries she should no longer cross.”


    Harold met Belinda’s gaze with a quiet sigh, a trace of resignation softening his expression. “Belinda,” he said gently, “I’ll speak with Faye soon about this. She needs to understand where the lines are.”


    His words echoed what Lucas had once told Belinda. Perhaps they both believed that Faye’s behavior was simply due to her past attachment to Lucas.


    But Belinda wasn’t so easily convinced. There were things men failed to notice. Her woman’s intuition, sharp and instinctive like a built-in radar whenever a rival in love appeared, told her that Faye’s feelings for Lucas were anything but innocent.


    Still, she believed there was no point pressing the matter with Harold. So, Belinda curved her lips into a faint smile. “Maybe I’ve been overthinking it,” she said lightly, “always imagining Faye might feel something more for Lucas.”


    She gave a soft chuckle and nced away, feigning casualness. “Now that I say it aloud, it does sound ridiculous. I mean… she’s his niece, after all. What kind of woman would have romantic feelings for her uncle, right?”


    She looked at Harold, waiting for his reply.


    Harold’s expression hardened for a fleeting moment before warmth returned to his features, and he offered another smile. “It’s not that you’re being petty—it’s simply that you care so much about Lucas.”


    He deliberately sidestepped the question Belinda had thrown his way. This evasion alone spoke volumes about hidden truths. While Belinda couldn’t im absolute certainty about any blood ties between Faye and Lucas, she felt convinced that there was something more to Faye’s identity.


    “Belinda, tell me how things have been between you and Lucas recently. Has he been showing you the kindness you deserve?” Harold’s voice cut through her contemtion, skillfully steering their conversation toward safer waters.


    The moment Lucas entered the conversation, tenderness bloomed across Belinda’s features. She smiled as she responded, “Everything between us is good. He’s been nothing but kind to me.”


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    .<fn812d> For original chapters go to find[?]ovel</fn812d>