After that, Gabriel smiled and left.
Bianca looked at the card and saw it was a keycard for the Emperor Hotel, the fanciest hotel in Edenfield, owned by the Phoenix Alliance Group. Gabriel had gone all out for her.
Bianca snorted and put the card in her bag before going into the restaurant.
At that moment, a sleek silver-gray limited edition Bugatti pulled up to the curb, catching everyone’s attention. In the back seat, Dave looked at Bianca through the window with a cold stare…
Bianca pushed open the restaurant’s carved wooden door to the private dining room.
In the corner, Sophia sat with slightly messy, pale blonde hair falling over her shoulders. She wore a simple yellow dress with long sleeves, and big sunglasses hid most of her face.
She looked different from the Sophia Bianca knew.
Bianca pulled out the chair opposite Sophia and sat down.
Sophia kept her head down, but when she saw someone sitting across from her, she glanced up briefly before looking down again.
Even though she was unsure, Bianca reached out and said, “Nice to meet you, Ms. Sophia Johnson. I’m Bianca Scott, the executive agent at Phoenix Entertainment.”
Sophia’s thin, pale fingers wrapped around the glass on the table. She hesitantly brought it to her lips and took a small sip of water.
“H-hello.”
Bianca noticed Sophia seemed scared, especially now that they were alone. What could be making her so afraid?
“I’m here because director Vincent Lopez has an offer for you. He wants you to be the lead actress in his next movie. What do you think?”
Sophia’s fingers shook as she held the glass. With her big sunglasses hiding her face, Bianca couldn’t see her expression.
“My husband… He already said no, so…”
“That’s your husband’s opinion. I’m here today to hear what you think.”
“I…” Sophia’s voice shook as she took a sip of water and said softly, “My husband’s answer is the same as mine.”
Bianca looked closely at Sophia, studying her. Suddenly, her eyes landed on the sturdy leather handbag beside Sophia on the table.
Changing the subject, Bianca said, “Your bag looks nice and practical. Can I take a look? I’ve been thinking of getting one like it.”
Sophia glanced at the bag, then nodded after a moment of hesitation.
Bianca reached for Sophia’s bag and felt around, exploring every part of it. Suddenly, her fingers found a small bump on the back. She stopped and carefully investigated the firm object.
Then, Bianca took out a notebook from her own bag, quickly wrote something on a page, and slid it over to Sophia. Meanwhile, she kept talking casually, hiding her true intentions.
“Where did you buy this bag? I might want to get one too.”
Sophia glanced at the notebook. Inside, it said, “There’s a bug in your bag. Should we talk this way to make sure no one listens to us?”
Sophia gently pushed down her oversized sunglasses with her pale fingers, revealing dim, numb eyes.
“It’s a gift from my husband,” she said.
As a former Best Actress, Sophia was skilled at hiding her feelings. Even though she was surprised, she sounded calm.
“Mr. Lee is very generous. If I’m not mistaken, this bag is a custom version of a famous brand, worth at least a million.”
Bianca took back the notebook and wrote, “I’ll get rid of this notebook later. Can you tell me what’s going on? Why was Gabriel watching you?”
Since encountering Gabriel and meeting Sophia, Bianca felt uneasy. Sophia seemed timid and cautious, which didn’t match the behavior of a wealthy woman.
Sophia’s extreme caution and reluctance, like someone trapped, made Bianca more suspicious.
Bianca became more convinced of her theory as she put the pieces together, especially finding the micro bug.
Sophia had been watched by Gabriel. She had lost her freedom and independence.
Looking at Bianca, Sophia was impressed by her sharp insight. Despite her young age, Bianca was incredibly perceptive.
Sophia looked at Bianca differently.
She took off her sunglasses and put them on the table, showing her striking face.
But the confidence she used to have in front of cameras was gone, replaced by the hardships life had brought her.
Even her beauty seemed less bright in the sadness around her, making Bianca feel sorry for her.
Bianca wanted to understand the difficult experiences that weighed on Sophia’s heart.
Sophia stopped flinching. She sat up straight, holding the pen, and wrote in the notebook, “Bianca, right? You’re amazing. You’re the first person in years who has truly understood me.”
She pushed the notebook to Bianca with a smile and said, “Miss Scott, you have great taste. This bag was a special gift from my husband on our anniversary. He wanted me to carry it whenever I went out as a symbol of his love for me.”
“Mr. Lee really cares about you. I’m envious.”
Bianca read the notebook and then wrote another question. “Why do you say that?”
A hint of sadness filled Sophia’s eyes as she quickly wrote, “Since marrying Gabriel, he’s watched me constantly, wanting to control me. He took my phone and cut me off from everyone. I couldn’t take it anymore. I tried to leave with my child, but he knew everything. He was furious and-”
Sophia rolled up her sleeves, revealing shocking bruises that made Bianca gasp in shock.
The once-famous actress stood before her, bearing signs of abuse. Bianca silently asked, “Did he hurt you?”
Sophia nodded subtly. Her pale face turned red, tears filling her eyes.
“It’s been five years since he started controlling and hurting me,” Sophia wrote.
Anger boiled inside Bianca as she squeezed her fists, unable to control her feelings.
“Why did you marry him?” she wrote, pushing the notebook to Sophia.
Sophia pulled down her sleeves to hide the bruises, her lips trembling with unspoken pain.
Seeing Sophia’s distress, Bianca took the room card Gabriel gave her and put it on the table.
“This is his condition for me to see you.”
In a haze, Sophia understood what the room card meant.
Tears streamed down her face, but her acting skills allowed her to talk to Bianca as if nothing had happened.
After Gabriel left, he checked the app that was connected to the bug. At first, Bianca’s request to talk to Sophia alone worried him. But after listening to their conversation, he felt relieved. It was just two women talking casually, nothing unusual.
He realized he had overestimated Bianca. She was just a new agent, probably trying to impress the famous actress. But little did she know Sophia was completely under his control, too scared to disobey him.
Gabriel turned off the app and texted Bianca, “Are you done talking? I’m eager to see you.”