"Well, if you don't mind it, then let's not bother going to another place. Let's go inside, finish the meal quickly and then go back home," suggested Duke as he reached out for both of their hands. He guided them to walk-in to the restaurant before them and it seemed that his idea was already fixed.
Meanwhile, Leena took a quick look at Belinda. She felt relieved when she saw that Belinda was doing alright. She was actually worried that Belinda might be unhappy about this arrangement.
"Okay, take a seat!" The first thing that Duke did upon reaching their table was to pull a chair for Belinda. He wasn't saying anything and yet his actions spoke louder than words. He was very considerate to his pregnant wife and it was evident that Belinda had his full attention.
"Aren't we going to the private room?" asked Leena as she looked around. She was trying to check where Rachel sat.
"We'll stay here. The air is fresher here than in the private rooms. It's not good for an expectant mother." Obviously, Duke already made a research about the do's and don'ts for pregnant women. He was an excited father-to-be and he honestly had high expectations for his unborn child.
"Yes, you are right. I almost forget it." Leena stuck her tongue out and then sat down. She saw Rachel who was sitting nearby upon raising her head. The thought that Rachel was just close made Leena look at Duke nervously. She was wondering if the woman would come to their table to disturb them. Seriously, it was a disgrace that Rachel's heart wasn't as beautiful as her face.
"What's wrong with you, Leena? Why do you suddenly look strange?" Although Duke cared about his wife and baby, he would not just simply ignore his beloved sister. Thus, he noticed the slight changes on Leena easily.
"Oh! Nothing. My leg just hit the desk. It hurts a bit," said Leena with an awkward smile as she discreetly peeked at where Rachel was sitting from time to time.
"Be careful. Don't be careless all the time!" reprimanded Duke. He didn't really mean to blame her. What he actually wanted was for Leena to be more careful. He scanned through the menu and then passed it to Belinda. He was about to choose their meal but thought that it was better if Belinda could do it herself, just in case she wouldn't like his choice.
"Duke, it's been a long time! I didn't expect to see you here today. What a coincidence!" Rachel threw a defiant look at Belinda. She really didn't anticipate to see these two women again after their encounter earlier. She just came back to this country. It was ironic how her smile went brighter when she thought about the bad things that happened to her in this country before.
In the past, Rachel wanted to get close to Duke and dated him because she wanted to take advantage of him. She never liked the man on the first place. Frankly, she did not feel much pain when she realized that she wouldn't have him. The only regret that she had was that she wasn't able to find out that Duke was the heir of Leng Group. She didn't intend to play any tricks to win Duke back as that was next to impossible. However, she couldn't help but walk to them when she saw Belinda and Duke getting along so well. She knew that she wouldn't be able to fight with them as she was not strong enough.
"Try me! Please go away if you don't want to be looked down to or threatened. We are enjoying our time here," warned Duke in a cold tone. That was his personality. He wouldn't want to waste his effort on people he disliked. Thus, he easily turned cold.
"You..." Rachel was suddenly speechless and bit her lips. She had planned to show off before Belinda. She didn't expect herself to fail though. Although she wanted to vent her anger, she was scared of Duke's warning. She wasn't sure about Duke's capabilities yet as there was FX International Group behind him. Duke might have limits by himself but with Edward in the picture, that was another case. Edward was more powerful and his control was vast. Rachel decided not to be too aggressive. She would not want anything bad to happen to her after all.
On the other hand, Belinda was listening to Duke and Rachel's conversation secretly although she was talking with Leena. She pretended not to care about it because she didn't want to appear rude before Rachel. She wanted her to know how unaffected she was with them talking before her. Seconds more and Rachel stomped her feet and walked out of that place angrily. Now that made Belinda smile triumphantly. She was very satisfied with Duke's indifferent and aloof attitude towards Rachel.
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