Chapter 1759:
After her departure, Mitchell found himself compelled to voice his concern, saying, “Were we too hard on her?”
Nolan snorted and said coldly, “When measured against the severity of her actions, our response barely scratches the surface of appropriate consequences!”
Leah directed her gaze toward Mitchell. “Mitchell, I recognize that you and Kylee share a close bond, but this situation carries serious weight. You cannot afford to let sentimentality cloud your judgment now. You need to be on the same side as us. This incident requires Kylee to face severe consequences. Not a single person in this family should maintain contact with her throughout this punishment period; is that clear?”
Mitchell’s brow furrowed as reluctance tugged at his resolve, but after wrestling with his thoughts, he offered a resigned nod. “I understand.”
At Belinda’s place, Lucas positioned himself beside Belinda, his arm encircling her shoulders in a protective embrace. He spoke with tender concern, “How are you holding up?”
Belinda turned toward Lucas, her lashes fluttering lightly before a soft smile spread across her lips. “Why do you ask? Don’t I seem perfectly fine?”
Lucas, his voice low and filled with warmth, replied gently, “I can feel it—you seem a little downhearted.”
Belinda let out a light laugh. She couldn’t help but admire how attuned he was to her mood.
She pressed her lips together for a moment, lowering her eyes. “It’s nothing, really. It’s just… when I saw the Happer family today, a wave of old memories came rushing back—foolish things I once did.”
As the words left her, she lifted her gaze to meet his. “Lucas, do you know… there was a time I genuinely wished I could belong to that family? I can’t even explain it properly. From the very first moment I met the Happers, there was this odd sense of familiarity, like I’d known them before. I liked them—all of them.”
After a pause, she continued, “But over time, reality came knocking again and again, each time louder than the last. It reminded me cruelly that someone like me—an illegitimate child—should never dream of being accepted by a family like that. I don’t know what possessed me to think otherwise. How could I have believed in such a daydream? Looking back, I realize I wasn’t just naive back then; I was downright foolish.”
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A faint, self-mocking chuckle slipped from her lips.
Lucas’ chest tightened when he saw her like this. Without a word, he gently pulled her into his embrace. There was no need for questions—her past with the Happer family was clearly deep and tangled. From the look in her eyes, it was clear she wasn’t ready to unravel those knots just yet. So, he chose not to press her.
Curled up in Lucas’ arms, Belinda offered a small, reassuring smile. “Don’t worry. It’s all in the past. I let it go long ago. Seeing them again today just brought up some feelings I thought were long buried.”
She exhaled softly. “I’ll be fine soon.” She tightened her arms around him.
Lucas’ voice was a quiet murmur. “Eat something, then get some rest. You have a night shift today.”
“Alright,” she answered.
