Chapter 81
Chapter 81: Kristopher crossed his arms and sneered, his gaze cold, as he confronted Darren. “Calling the boss of a partner company by their first name? Is that the kind of behavior your company promotes?”’ Startled from his worry about Belinda, Darren lowered his gaze, adopting a more submissive stance. “Mr. Cox, there’s an urgent matter I need to attend to, and I apologize if I’ve stepped out of line.”’ He attempted to step past Kristopher to continue downstairs, but Kristopher blocked him again. “What’s this urgent matter? Does it involve Belinda?”’ At the mention of Belinda’s name, Darren involuntarily held his breath. After a short pause, he managed a strained smile. “Mr. Cox, surely you’re joking. I haven’t been in contact with Belinda for years. Though we’ve reconnected recently, we’re hardly close. Why would she reach out to me so late at night?”’ Kristopher’s expression softened slightly with Darren’s explanation. “True. To her, I’m the only one.”’ Darren’s complexion grew paler. He forced an awkward smile. “Mr. Cox, was there anything else you needed? If not, I really should be on my way.”’ Kristopher finally pulled his hand back, his expression one of satisfaction. “If you end up talking to Belinda, tell her to quit the games, like those silent phone calls. They’re tiresome.”’ With those words, he brushed past Darren and ascended the stairs. Darren paused to collect himself before exiting the restaurant with purposeful strides. As he drove towards Belinda’s residence, Darren’s mind was a whirlwind of confusion, echoing with Kristopher’s words. It seemed Kristopher suggested Belinda had indeed tried to contact him but had remained silent during the call. where stories thrive This indicated that, in her moment of crisis, Belinda had reached out to Kristopher. Yet, he had dismissed her silent plea for help as a mere annoyance. Clutching the steering wheel tightly, Darren’s concern deepened. He arrived quickly at Belinda’s rented apartment, where he used a spare key to enter. The scene that met his eyes stopped him in his tracks. Belinda lay on the floor, small and fragile. Her face was ashen, stark against the pale wall behind her, her body possibly soaked from a cold sweat or a spilled tea. The sight clenched Darren’s heart painfully, as if it were being squeezed by an unseen hand. He surged forward and gathered Belinda in his arms. “Hang on, Belinda. I’m getting you to the hospital right now!”’ Elsewhere, the private room at the restaurant buzzed with energy. Maggie and Helen, along with a few other girls, playfully teased Cathy and Kristopher. With a shy smile, Cathy edged closer to Kristopher. “Stop it, you guys. You’re making me turn red”¦”’ Kristopher, remaining seated, managed a smile in response to the teasing but scowled at his phone. His phone screen showed a WhatsApp conversation with Belinda. Their last exchange had been the morning she miscarried, over two weeks ago. Without realizing it, the woman who used to bombard him with dozens, even hundreds, of messages every day hadn’t sent him a single message in over two weeks. After a prolonged hesitation, Kristopher tapped out a single word into the chat, “Boring.”’ Belinda used to reply instantly to any message from him, no matter when. But now, his message seemed to disappear into the void. As the group departed the restaurant close to eleven that night, there was still no word from Belinda. On the drive home, Kristopher stared at the message he had sent two hours before, feeling a hollow ache inside….