Chapter 1589
She leaned in and brushed a soft kiss against his lips.
“You look exhausted. Go take a shower and get some rest early tonight.” With a light nudge, she sent him toward the bathroom.
“Alright,” Lucas said and disappeared into the bathroom.
Once he was gone, Belinda reached for her phone and stepped out onto the balcony.
She adjusted the lounge chair so it faced the interior of the room, then sank into it, ensuring that no one could approach her from behind without her noticing.
After all, there was an outsider under her roof now.
She then dialed Bethany’s number. The call connected almost immediately.
“I was waiting for you to call,” Bethany said without preamble. “Now tell me—what’s your plan? Why on earth did you let Faye stay with you?”
Belinda’s voice was calm, tinged with irony. “Do you honestly believe she wants to stay in my place to take care of me?”
“Absolutely not,” Bethany replied bluntly.
A soft, mirthless chuckle escaped Belinda. “Neither do I. That’s why I said yes. I want to see what she’s really after. Is it Lucas she’s after? Or… something else entirely?”
There was a pause on the line before she continued, her voice calm but edged with steel, “I don’t trust her. But having her close makes it easier for me to keep an eye on her.”
Bethany sighed on the other end of the line. “Doesn’t this situation make you uncomfortable?”
Belinda’s lips curved in a knowing smile. “A little, maybe. But don’t worry. If it ever becomes too much, I won’t hesitate to ask her to leave.”
Bethany replied, “Alright. If you’ve thought it through, I’ll let you do your thing.”
“Just be careful.”
“Okay,” Belinda said softly.
After ending the call, Belinda returned to the bedroom, her gaze drifting toward the bathroom.
She sat on the edge of the bed, her thoughts heavy.
She hadn’t told Lucas the real reason she’d allowed Faye to stay here. She didn’t know how to explain her suspicions about Faye to Lucas without sounding paranoid, especially since Faye was his niece.
Without proof, she didn’t want to burden him with unfounded doubts. It would only make him worried.
After all, for now, these were nothing more than suspicions.
When Lucas finally emerged from the bathroom, Belinda took her turn to shower.
She was cautious as she showered, avoiding aggravating the wound on her forehead and the scratches left by the forest’s thorny branches.
After her shower, Lucas helped apply ointment to the cuts on her face, neck, and ankles with quiet tenderness.
When everything was done, they finally settled into bed to sleep.