?<strong>Chapter 704:</strong>


    Belinda answered firmly, “Absolutely, there’s nothing more to it.”


    “Too bad. I was beginning to think there might be something more going on between you and Darwin,” Johnson teased.


    “You’re overthinking it,” Belinda replied with a small eye roll. “Alright, I’m hanging up now.”


    She ended the call and began walking toward her office. However, as she took her first step, she noticed a man standing not far ahead. Belinda paused for a moment. After a brief hesitation, she moved toward the man and asked, “What brings you here?”


    Lucas’s expression darkened as he confronted Belinda, his voice tense. “What’s going on between you and Darwin?”


    Belinda’s face betrayed a flicker of annoyance. “Why do you feel the need to ask me that?”


    After a brief hesitation, Lucas replied, “Considering I am your ex-husband and now pursuing you, I need to know.”


    “Darwin and I are just friends. The photos you’ve seen are misleading—they only look that way because of the angle. There’s nothing more to exin.” Belinda turned to walk away, eager to end the conversation.


    But Lucas gripped her wrist to stop her. “Even if you see him as just a friend, are you sure he feels the same way about you?”


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    Belinda’s irritation was clear as she said sharply, “Let go of my wrist. This is a hospital, not the ce for unnecessary drama.” She had no intention of bing the center of attention again.


    “Let’s take this somewhere more private,” Lucas suggested, releasing her wrist.


    Belinda paused, gave a reluctant nod, and started walking again. She knew that if she didn’t agree, Lucas wouldn’t leave. Arguing with him in a public space would only harm her reputation.


    After reaching a quiet corner, Lucas said, “Belinda, could you please maintain some distance from Darwin?”


    His tone carried both resignation and a hint of pleading. He wanted tomand her to avoid Darwin but knew that being too forceful would only backfire, pushing Belinda to shut him down entirely.


    He recognized that he no longer yed a significant role in her life. His feelings of jealousy and frustration, though difficult to suppress, gave him no right to dictate her choices. He felt he had no choice but to plead with her.


    Belinda remained calm as she replied, “Darwin is a friend of mine. He hasn’t done anything wrong or mistreated me. There’s no reason for me to stay away from him.”


    Frustration was evident on Lucas’s face. “It bothers me how close you two are! I understand those photos were taken at a certain angle, but they wouldn’t look so intimate if there wasn’t already a level of closeness between you two!”


    Seeing Lucas’s growing agitation, Belinda felt a slight tug in her heart. She exined gently, “I stumbled and nearly fell. Darwin was simply helping me regain my bnce at that time.”


    Her rification seemed to ease Lucas’s expression slightly. He knew Belinda was trying to exin the situation to him. It gave him a small sense of relief. He knew that nothing romantic was happening between Belinda and Darwin, and he trusted her honesty.


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