?Chapter 1721:


    “Okay,” she replied softly, letting the silence settle as she held him.


    After Lucas hugged Belinda for a while, the nausea gnawing at him began to fade.


    He then loosened his hold, took her hand, and guided her to the sofa. Sitting down with her, he said quietly, “Tonight, I was at the Dream Club, drinking with Johnson, Vincent, and Faye.”


    Belinda’s brow creased slightly at the mention of Faye, but she stayed quiet, waiting for him to continue.


    Lucas’ expression grew shadowed as he spoke.


    “I was drinking all night, and Vincent and Johnson kept chatting with Faye about our history. They were essentially trying to make it clear to her how strong our bond is and how deeply I care for you.”


    Belinda caught on immediately. They had gone to that gathering with the deliberate purpose of testing Faye.


    “And then? How did Faye react?” Belinda asked, her voice tinged with curiosity.


    Lucas replied in a low voice, “Her reaction was a bit odd. It was like she wasn’t prepared to hear how much I love you, and she seemed unsettled, almost unable to process it. Later, Johnson made an excuse about an emergency and left. I yed up being drunk, and when Vincent was supposed to drive me home, he suddenly imed a work issue hade up and left. Faye offered to drive me back herself. The nearly two-hour drive felt normal until…”


    Lucas paused, drawing a heavy breath, his face twisting with aplex mix of emotions.


    Belinda’s demeanor shifted, her eyes narrowing with concern. “What did Faye do?” she asked, her voice tight.


    “She touched me!” Lucas squeezed out the words between clenched teeth, each syble filled with fury.


    “What?” Belinda shot up from the couch, her face flushing with outrage. “That audacious woman! Where did she touch you?”<fn2c16> This content belongs to find·novel</fn2c16>


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    Lucas gently took Belinda’s hand, guiding her to sit back down. “My face,” he said quietly.


    Belinda’s eyes sharpened, her lips pressing into a thin line. She stood again, striding toward the bathroom.


    Momentster, she returned, clutching a towel.


    Standing in front of Lucas, she asked, “Which side? Left or right?”


    Lucas gestured to his left cheek. “Left.”


    With tender care, Belinda wiped his left cheek, her movements soft.


    After a moment, she set the towel aside, cradled his face in her hands, and leaned in, pressing gentle kisses across his left cheek.


    When she finally stopped, a satisfied smile curved her lips. “There. It’s all marked as mine now.”


    Lucas managed a faint smile, though a weight still lingered in his chest. He drew Belinda back to the couch and said, “I acted drunk and let her drive me home to see what she would do, to test if she would cross a boundary. I never imagined… Now, I can’t pretend to think Faye sees me as just family.” His voice cracked with emotion.


    This was something he couldn’t bring himself to ept.


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