Chapter 218: It's Mary

"Um, obviously, you two want to catch up on things, and I won't disturb you. I'm leaving." Belinda then felt a slight twinge of sadness in her nose. She didn't want to hear their conversation and be ignored anymore.

Where are you going?" Duke grasped Belinda's arm quickly, looking flurried. 'Damn! How did I neglect Belinda?' he thought.

"I'm hungry, I'm going somewhere to eat. You two carry on. Don't mind me." Belinda smiled magnanimously. She had just asked him whether he had ever loved someone deeply, and now his beloved one turned up. Studying the expression painted on Duke's face, Belinda didn't believe for a moment that Rachel Qin was just a casual passer-by in his life. He might still have feelings for her.

Belinda, what's that supposed to mean?" Duke's face quickly turned solemn. He glared at Belinda, and thought, 'How could she push me to another woman so generously?'

"It means that you two seem to have a lot to catch up. I'm excusing myself so that you can say whatever you want to say." Belinda sneered, and thought, 'He let go of my hand when he saw the woman. Apparently, he didn't want her to know that we're together. So as he wishes, I leave. They can do whatever they want.'

"I have nothing to say to her. Let's go to another place, " he said. Duke then dragged Belinda out of the restaurant without looking again at Rachel Qin. The two women hadn't even been introduced to each other.

"Duke, Duke, ..." Rachel ran up to them, and thought, 'Who is that woman? She can't be his wife, because according to my inquiries, Duke isn't married. That means I still have a chance to win him over!'

"Won't you wait for her?" asked Belinda. She looked back at Rachel Qin and then glimpsed at Duke, who was furious. 'Does he really have to run away from her like this?' she wondered.

Shut up, woman! Don't anger me!" Duke turned to glare at her, and wondered, 'Is she actually so generous, or is it because she doesn't care about me at all? What kind of woman would push her own husband to someone else?'

"It wasn't me who angered you, as far as I can see, " she said. Belinda provoked him even further. Duke was irritated the moment he saw the woman, and had flared up because the woman had laid bare his mind with one single penetrating remark. 'Does he still love her?' she thought.

"If this is what you really want, then that's what you'll get!" Duke then pulled Belinda into his arms, and wildly pressed his cold thin lips onto hers.

Rachel Qin was shocked when she saw the kissing couple. She stopped walking, and thought that Duke had never kissed her like that before in public. 'Is he acting, or does he really love her?'

She turned around and staggered away, with her heart torn into pieces. 'Have I really lost him after all? Oh, but how deeply he used to love me!' She turned and looked again at the couple who were still affectionately kissing. Resentment flooded into her heart, and she thought, 'Duke, as long as you are not married, I still have a chance at you. You belong to me! You can only love me!'

"She's gone. Let's cut the act, " said Belinda. Belinda pushed him away. In fact, she had been moved, but when she spoke to him, her words sounded so irritating that he wanted to punch her straight in the face.

"Woman, do you have to talk to me like this? Are you jealous?" Duke's rage then turned into a smile.

"Jealous? I can be angry, happy, or sad, but sorry, not jealous. You're overthinking things." Belinda ran to the roadside and hailed a cab, and then got inside it and left without even looking back once.

"Shit!" swore Duke ruefully. 'That woman is quick. What is she thinking? Is she mad at me? But Rachel Qin and I are over. Today we met by chance.

And what is Rachel Qin really up to anyway?' He had begged her to stay with him years ago, but she left anyway. Now she was back, and told him that he was the one she truly loved. That was bullshit! Had the other man mistreated her? Was this the reason why she came back? But how could they ever go back to how they were after everything that had happened between them? 'Rachel Qin, are you too naive, or do you just believe that I can't live without you?'

Duke took out his phone and then dialed a number. Even when he was basking in the sunshine he still looked icy.

A deep voice answered, "Hi, Duke, what's up?" The rustling of files came from the other end of the line. It seemed that some paper work was being done.

"Have you had lunch? Come and let's have a drink, " said Duke as he walked towards his car. His slender figure and icy air drew much attention around him.

"Drink? It's only midday! Did you have a fight with Belinda?" Edward handed the signed files to Anna, who had been kept waiting, and then gestured her to leave.

"Are you coming or not?" asked Duke again. He got in his car and shut the door furiously. Edward winced, and wondered, 'What's wrong with this guy? Did he and Belinda really have a fight?' "I'm coming. The same old place?"

Yes. Come as fast as you can. I'll wait for you there." Duke hung up and dialed Belinda's number, and as he had expected, she hung up on him. He sneered, and then drove away. After Duke's phone call, Edward went on with the files. He was always late. The others had gotten used to it.

Edward didn't leave his office until the last page was done. He then grabbed his phone and his car keys and was good to go. No sooner had he walked out of his office than his phone rang. He checked the number while he was walking, frowned at it, but answered it anyway.

"Hello, " said Edward. He sounded indifferent. "Edward, it's Mary. Are you free tonight?" Mary was lying in bed, reading a fashion magazine.

Hi, Miss Mary! I'm sorry that I have such a full schedule these days. Anna manages my agenda. You can contact her to arrange an appointment." Edward had lost his interest in seeing the other members of the Ouyang Family since he had already read the file the day before.

"Okay. Edward, I'll call you some other time then. Promise you won't turn me down again!" Mary was rejected again, and she felt frustrated, and thought, 'Am I not attractive at all to him?'

"Okay, I won't. Goodbye." Edward hung up quickly, and a faint sneer turned up on the corners of his mouth. 'They really are ignoring Daisy, ' he thought. Mary had invited him so many times, but hadn't mentioned Daisy's name even once. It seemed that they had disowned her. It was fine with Edward, because his woman didn't need anybody else's concern but his.

The noon sunshine was scorching the land, and heat waves rushed at Edward's face. He stopped at the entrance of the FX International Group to take a deep breath and then walked toward the Maybach Luke had prepared for him. He got in the car as soon as he could, because his skin had already started to sting. Summer was excruciating for him to bear.

The same old place Duke and Edward had mentioned was a western restaurant they often patronized. It was called Tender Whispers, which sounded like a coffee house. With its elegant and fancy decor and exotic atmosphere, it was an ideal place for lovers and people seeking a place to relax. Edward walked in the box and was surprised to see Rain there. Rain is here. And he arrived here even earlier than I did. Has he finished his work yet? He wondered.

You have such a short distance to travel but you're still late. Isn't it obvious that you did it on purpose? Asked Rain. He had never known how to restrain his provocative personality, and that was why he was often bullied by Edward.

Why are you here? Have you finished your work? Edward glance at Rain and sat down. He knew that Rain couldn't stay long in his office, so he hadn't expected him to finish reading all of the development plans. He asked Rain to take all the pressure for him in a huff.