Chapter 217: Rachel Qin

"Do you fear me?" This was Duke: when he was tender, one couldn't believe those words would come out of his mouth; when he was cold, one could feel the chill meters away.

"Why should I fear you? What are you going to do? Eat me?" Belinda said and raised her eyebrows carelessly. Duke was overbearing, but he didn't scare her. As time went by, Belinda got to know his temperament and found that he was not difficult as long as you didn't push him too far.

"Honey, it sounds that you want me to 'eat' you. How about coming to my villa tonight?" Instead of his icy face, Duke put on a naughty grin and got closer to Belinda.

"Go away! Who wants to be eaten by you? And who will go to your villa with you? I'm not stupid!" Belinda's sweetness turned into a hot temper. She wouldn't let anybody take advantage of her.

"However, you're not in charge." Duke dismissed Belinda's remarks. Nobody could avoid Duke. He would get what he wanted. "Huh! You think I'm scared? Nobody threatens me." Belinda played with his tie. Her face was full of happiness.

"OK. We'll see." Duke sounded reassured. Absorbed in Belinda's beautiful smiling face, his heart softened.

"You can't be serious!" Belinda got nervous, for she knew very well what he had meant by going to his villa.

"I'm hungry. Let's go and grab a bite." Duke changed the subject, a faint smile lingering at the corners of his mouth.

Belinda checked the time and agreed reluctantly. Her whole morning had been wasted. She didn't know what to do with the files piled up on her desk.

"Duke, I haven't finished reading the files yet and it is because of you, so you have to help me with them after lunch." Duke had spare time to hang around every day while Belinda had to bury herself in work. She envied him. "Do you mean that?" Duke was about to leave when he heard Belinda's words. He stopped.

"Yes. I got dizzy from reading the files. I hope I can read magazines leisurely on the sofa like you do." Belinda was the only child in her family, so she had to take over the family business. She hadn't dreamed of becoming a businesswoman. She just wanted to be gentle and soft, and be loved by someone who she could lean on when she was tired.

"Is your work so tiring?" Duke looked at her and saw the fatigue on her face. He thought, 'Her work load must be heavy, though YS Group is not as big as my company. She is under a lot of pressure.'

"Are you going to help me or not? Cut the bullshit!" Belinda couldn't stand it when someone was dawdling. All she needed was a simple yes or no. It irritated her when Duke responded to her question with more questions.

"What's my pay?" Duke asked mischievously, ignoring her anger.

"Fine, don't help me. If you do, I think I'll kill you." Belinda said to herself, 'He is impossible! All these questions! It's just a small favor. I wouldn't have asked if he hadn't been disturbing me all morning. And now he wants to be paid?'

"Are you really angry? Fine. I'll finish all your work for you. OK?" Duke looked down and smiled. He realized that he had smiled a lot more often than before since he was together with Belinda.

"You're smart enough to do that. I'll give you credit for that. I'm hungry. Let's go and eat. Your treat." Belinda pouted and squinted at Duke like an angry teenage girl instead of a decisive and capable businesswoman.

"Let's go. My treat. You're a miser." Duke held her hand and started to go. Worried that all the employees would know about them, Belinda tried to break free. Yes! Yes! They were a married couple now. Of course they could show up together in public. But there were things people wouldn't understand.

"If you try that again, I'll kiss you." Duke warned her but kept going without shooting a glimpse at her. The employees watched them curiously. Belinda lowered her head and followed him out of the building, cheeks red from blushing.

"Duke, I think you're doing this on purpose." Belinda glared at Duke once they were out of the building. Gossip about this would spread around by tomorrow. Maybe this afternoon. Wherever there were women, there was gossip. Gossip and rumor were like Siamese twins, never separated. Soon enough, Duke and Belinda would become the stars of other people's rumors.

"You said you were hungry. I just wanted to get to the restaurant sooner. Do you want me to 'feed' you in another way?" Duke was another version of Edward. His ballsy words could drive people crazy.

"Ack Birds of a feather flock together! You're a pervert, like Edward." Belinda had thought a cool man like Duke wouldn't use such naughty language like that. But it turned out that he was even worse than Edward.

Duke didn't refute her remarks. He glanced at her and then got in the car with her. He didn't think he was a pervert, just a normal guy. So there was nothing to explain. All men thought about the same thing. He had nothing to hide. They walked into the restaurant hand in hand, as if he had held her hand many times.

They picked a table by the window. A soft voice called Duke before they sat down. "Duke, I can't believe it. It's really you." The voice belonged to an attractive woman. She gazed at Duke excitedly and ignored Belinda.

It's you. When did you get back?" Duke released Belinda's hand and looked at the woman.

"A week ago. How are you?" She responded, looking at Duke. The happiness on the woman's face turned into sadness.

"As you see, I'm great." Duke frowned. A fit of bitterness flitted through his heart. But it didn't hurt as much as it used to. So many years had passed, and so many things had changed.

"I'm sorry, Duke. I never meant to hurt you." The woman acted pitiful. Inside, she thought, 'Did I make the wrong choice? It doesn't matter. I'm back. This man still belongs to me. After all, he loved me so fiercely.'

"I'm sorry, Miss Qin. I don't want to talk about the past. I don't remember anything either." Duke sounded indifferent and distant. The nervousness was gone. He had imagined that it would be painful to see her again, but it wasn't. The truth was, he felt nothing. Time is the best medicine.

When Duke let go of Belinda's hand, sadness engulfed her. She didn't know why and wondered if she had fallen for Duke.

"Duke, I had no choice back then. Now I'm back, for you, because I've always loved you. You feel the same way about me, right?" Rachel Qin bit her lip, about to cry. She was giddy with anticipation.

"Rachel Qin, you think you're that important? Maybe, several years ago, I might trust you. But now I don't. You are no more than a shadow to me."

Duuke got excited. His voice rose a few decibels, and he look grim. His icy eyes were fixed on the pretentious woman in front of him. When you didn't want me, you treated me like a crap; now when you want me again, you come back and tell me you love me. How stupid do you think I am?

Duke it's not what you think. You won't forgive me because I hurt you too deeply, right? Actually, Rachel Qin noticed Belinda, but she had chosen to ignore her. Years ago, Duke was obsessed with Rachel, so Rachel didn't believe he could forget her and fall in love with another woman. She was positive that she could make Duke love her again.