Joshua, as a playboy, had never considered settling down.
As Joshua hesitated, tears filled Ashley’s eyes. “Mr. Reed, I’ve loved you since the day I met you. But if you’re not ready for marriage, I can’t give myself to you like that. Even though I’m an actress, I won’t use my body like some women in the entertainment world! I’m sorry.”
With that, Ashley grabbed her purse and hurried out of the hotel room, tears rolling down her cheeks.
Following Stacey’s advice, Ashley wasn’t sure if it would work. She was scared that Joshua might actually leave her.
Joshua, known for being a playboy and dating flirty women, found himself with a girl who valued her purity. He couldn’t resist her charm.
Moreover, he had looked into Ashley’s family background and discovered that she hailed from a respectable household.
The moment Ashley left the room, she started to walk slower. Just as she hesitated, Joshua’s voice surprised her from behind.
He caught up to her, took her hand, and spoke gently. “I’m sorry, Ashley. It’s all my fault. Please don’t be upset with me. I never thought about marriage, but… maybe we could try dating.”
Joshua always respected women’s decisions. Even though he hadn’t thought about marriage, he was willing to take a chance with Ashley.
Ashley’s eyes filled with tears of joy. She had thought of herself as Joshua’s girlfriend before, but he had never formally asked her out on a date. Now, with his sincere request, it showed he was taking her seriously.
Her mother had taught her how to play hard to get, and it seemed to be working!
It looked like she might soon join the Reed family through marriage.
****
In the evening, Bianca relaxed in the living room. She sat back on the sofa, sipping a drink through a straw, and scrolled through the Internet on her tablet.
Suddenly, a message popped up on her screen. It was from Blake.
“Bianca, I’m coming home!”
Bianca’s eyes lit up, and she almost dropped her straw in shock. She had met Blake online about a year ago when he was overseas. They had never met face-to-face.
Putting down her drink, Bianca hurriedly typed, “When will you be here?”
“Tomorrow morning.”
“So fast!”
Suddenly, Bianca remembered how Blake had helped her deal with Samuel and Mia’s situation earlier. Grateful for his support, she said, “How about I pick you up from the airport tomorrow and we grab lunch together?”
“Really?” Blake replied with an excited emoji. “That would be great! I wondered if you’d be up for it, but I was too nervous to ask.”
Bianca playfully sent him a head-bumping emoji and replied, “No need to be so formal with me.”
After a long day at work, Dave got home late, around nine o’clock. When he walked into the living room, he saw Bianca sitting there, typing on her tablet and giggling mischievously.
Bianca saw Dave come in and greeted him.
Dave walked over to her and picked up the soda she had on the table.
“Well, I have drunk that! How-” Bianca started to say, but before she could finish, Dave lifted his head and downed the soda in one gulp.
Bianca felt embarrassed as her cheeks turned red.
‘Why didn’t he care that I had already taken a sip of that drink?’ she wondered.
Dave gulped down the whole can in one go, then crushed it and threw it away. Suddenly, he realized something and said, “Sorry about that. I was really thirsty and didn’t even notice.”
Then he looked at Bianca, pretending to be casual, and asked, “You seem happy. Who are you chatting with?”
Bianca found herself getting distracted by him and answered honestly, “A friend of mine is coming back from overseas. I said I’d pick him up at the airport tomorrow.”
“Okay.” Dave took off his coat, sat on the couch, grabbed the remote, and turned on the TV. Acting casual, he asked, “Is your friend married, by any chance?”
Bianca replied without thinking, “I don’t think so.”
Dave’s expression changed a bit.
“I’ll come with you tomorrow.”
“What?” Bianca was surprised by his sudden offer.
Dave looked at her. “Remember what happened when you went to see Darien alone? If I come with you, I can make sure you’re safe.”
“Well, last time was just an accident. I’m meeting a friend, so you don’t have to worry.” Bianca smiled uneasily.
But Dave’s eyes sparkled as he said, “You never know. It’s better to be safe than sorry.”
Bianca fell silent. She had a good connection with Blake, and he had been helpful, but they had never met face-to-face. It is smart to be careful when meeting people coming from the Internet.
Dave’s advice made sense.
“Okay,” Bianca agreed.
****
The next morning, Bianca got up early and got ready. She wore comfy sports clothes and put her hair up in a high ponytail, making her look young and cute.
On the other hand, Dave wore his usual black jacket, looking mysterious and cool.
They got a taxi to the airport together.
Bianca was a little nervous about meeting Blake for the first time. She didn’t know what he looked like.
Dave kept an eye on Bianca. He saw her rubbing her hands nervously and standing on tiptoes with excitement, which made him feel uneasy for some reason.
Soon, a handsome man walked up to Bianca.
He wore a casual white shirt with rolled-up sleeves, and his eyes sparkled with charm as he smiled brightly.
“Are you Bianca?” he asked.
“And you must be Tyler?” Bianca replied, her eyes wide with a hint of uncertainty.
“Just call me Blake.” Blake looked into her eyes with his brown ones and said, “You’re just as beautiful as I imagined.”
“Thank you,” Bianca said with a graceful smile, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
Dave stood with his arms crossed, giving the man a sharp, unfriendly look. He seemed hostile.
Blake felt a cold atmosphere and saw the handsome man next to Bianca looking at him coldly.
“Who’s this?” Blake asked, curious.
Bianca suddenly realized she hadn’t introduced Dave and Blake to each other. She smiled and stated, “This is Dave Evans. He’s my…”
But before she could finish, Dave put his arm around her. “I’m her fiance,” he said.
Blake was surprised, almost losing his cool. He stared at the two affectionate couple before, and his eyes widened in disbelief. He asked, “Bianca, when did you get engaged? Why didn’t you tell me?”
Bianca was surprised by Dave’s statement and unsure of how to respond.
She wanted to deny it. After all, she wasn’t really engaged to Dave.
But then, Dave came closer and whispered, “Many people saw us at our engagement party. You can’t deny it.”