Chapter 197

Chapter 197:
He was lost in thought for a moment. He had not anticipated that Belinda had been harboring a secret first love all this time.
Holley caught the change in his demeanor and froze, realizing too late that perhaps she shouldn’t have brought up this particular story in front of Lucas. She quickly added, her tone turning lighter, “But after that, she never mentioned that boy again. I think she probably forgot all about him. Besides, the person she loves the most is you, Mr. Clark.”
Lucas responded with a faint scoff, his lips curling slightly, but he didn’t say a word.
Holley’s lips parted as if she wanted to say something more, but she hesitated, thinking better of it.
Silence hung in the air between her and Lucas.
At the Wright family estate, the door swung open to reveal Madonna, her appearance utterly disheveled. Her hair was in disarray, her clothes rumpled, and the faint aroma of coffee clung to her.
Baker’s eyes widened in shock. “Madonna, what happened to you?” he asked.
Lillie stepped forward quickly, her brows furrowed in concern. “Mom, why do you smell like coffee now? What on earth happened?”
Madonna let out a cold laugh, sinking onto the sofa with a dramatic huff. She shot a sharp, sideways glance at Baker, her tone laced with sarcasm. “Why don’t you ask your Uncle Baker’s daughter about that?”
Baker blinked, confused. “Kylee did something to you?” he asked.
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But Lillie’s eyes narrowed as realization dawned. “It’s Belinda, isn’t it?”
Madonna’s face contorted with fury as she clenched her teeth. “Of course, it’s Belinda! She is just as insufferable as her mother, the homewrecker!”
At the insult, Baker’s frown deepened, a shadow crossing his face.
Madonna continued, her voice sharp and tinged with indignation. “Holley went crying to Belinda, saying I bullied her.”
After that, Belinda invited me out, poured a cup of coffee on my face, and then had the audacity to threaten me! She demanded I apologize to her mother. Otherwise, she said I would face severe consequences!”
“What?” Lillie’s voice rose, a mix of anger and disbelief spilling into her tone. “That is outrageous! Belinda has gone way too far! You are her aunt—how dare she treat you like this?”
Baker stayed silent, his expression dark and clouded with conflicting emotions. On one hand, he couldn’t deny that Belinda’s actions were excessive. Disrespecting her aunt in such a way wasn’t appropriate. But on the other hand, he understood her motivation. Belinda was standing up for her mother—how could he fault her for that?
“Baker, don’t you have anything to say?” Madonna demanded, her sharp tone cutting through the tense silence as she turned to him with an accusatory glare.
“What do you want me to say?” Baker said.
Madonna spoke up, her righteous indignation flaring. “Your daughter treated me like this. Shouldn’t you discipline her and make her kneel and apologize to me?”
Baker’s gaze remained steady, and after a tense pause, he replied firmly, “If you apologize to Holley, I’ll have Belinda apologize to you.”
Madonna shot to her feet, her eyes wide with fury and disbelief. “What did you just say? Baker, you are actually siding with that homewrecker over your own sister? How could you do this to me? And have you ever thought about what your wife would think?”
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