She was really determined to end things with him for good.
Was her choice to stop their fake engagement related to that man’s coming back?
“Can you please release me now?” Bianca’s hands were sweaty, but she tried to act calm.
“I can let you go, but first, I need to ask you something.”
Before Bianca could reply, Dave quickly held her waist and lifted her chin with his hand, making her look up.
His eyes showed strong feelings, and then he leaned in and kissed her softly on the lips.
Bianca trembled, feeling dizzy. The fresh smell of cedar coming from Dave was captivating.
She couldn’t resist the kiss and ended up responding to him.
They were kissing openly on the street!
After a while, Bianca gathered herself. She pushed against Dave’s chest, trying to break free, but he didn’t move. His hand held her back firmly as he kept kissing her passionately.
Bianca’s strength faded slowly. She felt herself giving in again, her cheeks turning red. Just as she was about to give up resisting, Dave stopped kissing her.
The gentle sunlight softened his intense gaze, making it look loving.
Looking into her eyes, he asked in a husky voice, “You feel something for me too, right? So why did you try to push me away? Have you ever done this with the man we saw today?”
Bianca’s eyes showed shock and anger. She pushed Dave hard.
“What do you mean?” She looked at him, completely surprised. “Do you really think I’m that kind of woman?”
Dave didn’t say anything.
He wasn’t sure.
If she wasn’t that kind of woman, why did she come into his room that night and have an intimate moment with him?
Dave’s silence hit Bianca like a sudden splash of icy water.
Her heart hurt, and she clenched her fists.
She realized he always saw her like that, and she felt foolish for hiding the truth about that night from him.
Her heart sank, feeling empty.
Without saying anything else, Bianca turned and quickly walked away into the crowd.
Watching Bianca disappear, Dave pressed his lips together tightly. He felt a strange unease he’d never felt before. He always prided himself on staying calm, but he couldn’t control himself around her.
He couldn’t keep going like this.
He had to know why she came to his room that night.
He was determined to find out, no matter what it took!
****
After lunch, Ashley and Olivia went shopping all afternoon, and it was late at night when they finally split up.
When Ashley got home, she told Stacey and Peter what she heard earlier.
“Mom, Dad, Bianca’s really sneaky. She almost tricked all of us!”
Hearing this, Stacey’s eyes narrowed deeply.
“Peter, we spent a lot on Bianca’s engagement party, but it turns out she used the money to entertain a guy. She even had him pretend to be rich to ruin the party! If she keeps being stubborn, she’ll waste all the money her mom left her! The company’s finances are already tight. I’m afraid one day you might have to fix the mess she’s making with your own money.”
Stacey kept ranting about Bianca to Peter.
Peter paced angrily back and forth.
Peter stopped and said, “I’ll talk to Bianca tomorrow and get the money back. I can’t let her waste it like this!”
“Peter, let’s not rush. I’ll go with you tomorrow. We should talk to Bianca first. She’s your daughter. She’ll listen to you,” Stacey said, pretending to be kind and thoughtful.
Peter felt relieved. “You’re right. Thanks for understanding.”
Stacey leaned against him, pretending to be obedient, but her eyes had a mischievous look.
****
After saying goodbye to Ashley, Olivia walked home, happily humming a song. Suddenly, someone grabbed her and pulled her into a car.
When she opened her eyes, she found herself lying on the cold floor with a blindfold on.
The air smelled like tobacco.
Dave sat on a couch in a fancy hotel room, staring at Olivia on the floor.
When Zane understood Dave’s gesture, he nodded and approached Olivia.
As Olivia heard the footsteps getting closer, she felt scared, struggling to breathe.
“Who… Who are you?! Why did you bring me here?”
“Don’t worry. I won’t hurt you if you do as I say,” the man said in a rough voice.
“What… What do you want me to do?” Olivia asked, sounding panicked.
“I need to know about Bianca Scott’s meeting with a man at the Grand Horizon Hotel on June 2nd and how Ashley Scott is involved,” the man said.
Olivia defended herself when she heard Ashley’s name.
“I only met Ashley a few days ago. I don’t know much about her!”
“Okay. Then I’ll give you a million dollars as a token of gratitude if you find out the truth!”
After hearing this, Olivia fell silent.
As a struggling actress, earning that much money would take her years. Plus, her grandmother was sick and needed money for surgery urgently.
If not for that, she wouldn’t have tried so hard to get close to Ashley to access resources.
“Will you really give me the money?”
“Of course.”
“Why should I believe you?”
With a mocking smile, the man sneered, “Do you think you have a choice here? I brought you here without anyone noticing, and I can make you disappear just as easily.”
Olivia trembled with fear.
“Okay. I… I promise.”
As soon as she said that, she felt someone put something in her arms. She reached out and found a bundle of cash!
“These are your payments. Remember, don’t tell anyone about this. If you do, not only you but your whole family will disappear. You have a grandmother, right?”
Hearing this, Olivia collapsed to the floor, her hands shaking uncontrollably.
“I won’t tell anyone, even if it means risking my life!”
After she spoke, she felt dizzy and passed out.
Throughout the whole scene, Dave stays silent, watching with cold eyes and a cigarette in his mouth.
Shortly after, Dave’s men took Olivia away.
When she woke up the next day, Olivia found herself in her bed.
The events of the night before seemed like a dream, but when she sat up, bundles of cash fell from her.
She couldn’t move, realizing it wasn’t a dream. It hit her hard, recalling what really happened the night before.
****
When Bianca got home, Dave wasn’t there.
She planned to leave in a few days, but then Dave sent her a message as if he knew she was thinking about leaving.
He said he was busy and wouldn’t be back soon. He also said it wasn’t safe for her to be alone and suggested she stay.