Bianca didn’t know what to say.
Bianca bit her lip and gave Dave a stern look before turning to Blake with a forced smile.
“Well, it’s a long story. But let’s grab lunch first. We can talk more at the restaurant!”
Blake nodded reluctantly.
Bianca had chosen a fancy restaurant for the occasion since it was her treat. However, the atmosphere among the three of them was incredibly awkward.
Blake couldn’t help stealing glances at Bianca, feeling both admiration and sadness in his heart. He had heard about her through his contacts overseas. Her intelligence, kindness, and sometimes mischievousness had won him over.
He had wanted to tell her how he felt, but now she seemed to be engaged.
Her fiance was a man who seemed more charming and handsome than him, making Blake feel really disheartened.
Dave sat calmly by the window, noticing every longing look Blake gave Bianca.
Bianca tried to ignore the awkwardness and talked with Blake.
“How long will you be here this time?” she asked.
“I’ve finished my master’s degree. I’m staying here for good,” Blake replied.
“Wow, that’s great!”
Bianca was happy to have another friend in the city, but she didn’t realize Dave misunderstood her smile and looked sad.
While they were eating, Blake went to the restroom.
Bianca took the chance to talk to Dave. She looked at him with a bit of frustration and said, “Mr. Evans, could you please stop saying you’re my fiance?”
“Why?” he asked.
“Because it might make people think we’re in a different kind of relationship.”
Bianca didn’t want Dave to joke about being engaged anymore.
She was afraid that if he kept it up, she might start to believe it herself and think they were really engaged.
Bianca didn’t want to be fooled by a fake romance.
But Dave didn’t understand what she meant. He scoffed and said sarcastically, “Are you afraid he’ll misinterpret things between us?”
Bianca could tell he was being sarcastic.
Bianca frowned, feeling helpless. “Mr. Evans, I hired you to pretend to be my boyfriend to ruin my engagement party. I had no choice but to ask you to pretend to be my fiance then. You even rented an expensive watch and a fancy car to help me keep up the charade, and I appreciate it. But that’s all in the past now. We’re just friends, right?”
Bianca didn’t want their relationship to be unclear or confusing.
She wanted a clear answer.
“Back then, you felt like you had no other choice,” Dave said, running his fingers along the coffee cup as he thought about Bianca’s words.
She had no other choice during the engagement party, but what about that night at the hotel?
‘What made you do it then?’ he wondered silently.
Since they had already slept together, how could they just be friends?
Just as the tension grew thick, an unpleasant voice interrupted them.
“Bravo…Bravo. I thought you were good at this, getting a rich guy like him to be your boyfriend. But it seems he’s just a pretty face, and yet he’s still poor!” Ashley sneered, standing by the table with her hand covering her mouth.
Ashley and her friend, Olivia Bates, came to the restaurant for lunch. By chance, they sat at a table behind Bianca, allowing Ashley to overhear their conversation. When she realized that the man with Bianca wasn’t as powerful as she had thought, she couldn’t resist mocking Bianca.
Ashley took a closer look at Dave. She had never seen such a handsome man before. People often said that power and wealth were the best attire for men, but this man, in a simple black jacket, had a noble and refined aura that caught Ashley’s attention.
If she hadn’t been chasing after Joshua and if this man had been richer, Ashley would have tried to win him over from Bianca without hesitation.
But Dave seemed like an ordinary man, and Ashley, focused on marrying into the Reed family, needed to uphold her image of purity and loyalty. Even though she was attracted to Dave, she couldn’t show it.
This only made Ashley more jealous of Bianca. Since she couldn’t have Dave, she was determined to make sure Bianca couldn’t either.
“Bianca, are you that desperate? Why would you pay a guy to pretend to be your boyfriend? I happen to know quite a few wealthy young men. How about I set you up with one? But given your reputation for being casual with men, I’m worried they won’t take you seriously.”
Ashley had heard from her mother that Bianca had lost her virginity a while ago. Now, she couldn’t wait to expose this scandal to Dave.
“Sir, you might not know, but my sister has already…”
“Ashley Scott! Don’t talk rubbish!”
Bianca slammed her hand on the table and stood up suddenly. She hadn’t expected Ashley to bring it up in front of Dave.
This was Bianca’s secret vulnerability, something she kept hidden deep inside. She worried that Dave would think less of her if he ever discovered it.
As she thought about this, Bianca’s complexion turned pale.
When Dave heard Ashley’s words, his eyes narrowed slightly.
He remembered the night he and Bianca had been together intimately. It was obvious that it was her first time.
Following that incident, he had his associates watch over Bianca but didn’t see her getting too close to other men. So, the night Ashley brought up was when he had been with Bianca.
“What? Are you ashamed of your actions but can’t stand others mentioning it? You have no right to act innocent!” Ashley’s confidence grew as she noticed Dave’s interest. She looked at Bianca with scorn.
“It was because of your-”
Bianca couldn’t control her trembling and almost revealed what had happened that day.
If it hadn’t been for Stacey’s scheme, how could she have considered giving her first time to a stranger?
They might have taken something important from her, but they also tried to shame her for it.
How could they treat her so badly?
But Bianca stopped herself. Admitting what happened would also mean telling everyone she spent a night with a man. They might not believe she didn’t agree to it.
What would Dave think of her then? Bianca didn’t want him to see her like that.
She straightened up and took a deep breath to calm herself.
“Ashley Scott, no matter what, I’m not like your mother. She cheated on her husband with a younger man and is now expecting his child.”
“Bianca, how dare you!” Ashley scoffed in response.
“Just like a mother, like a daughter, they say. Are you really any different? You pretend to be pure, but behind closed doors, you’re nothing but shameless!”