She hesitated for a moment before answering.
“Stacey, it looks like you’re having a good time. Have you forgotten about me?” Haris’s voice, slick and rough, came through the phone.
Moving to the balcony for privacy, Stacey whispered into the phone, “Make it quick.”
Haris didn’t waste any time. “I’m out of money. Can you send me some?”
Ever since Bianca exposed Haris’s behavior at the engagement party, rumors about his involvement with many women had spread throughout the company. No one knew who was spreading them, but it led to him losing his job.
Since then, he had been struggling to find work, using up his savings.
Now, running low on funds, he turned to Stacey for help.
Haris knew he had power over Stacey, so he wasn’t worried about running out of money.
Stacey felt a lump in her throat. She knew what Haris was after. But Peter kept a close eye on her, so she couldn’t secretly send him any money.
“It’s not that I don’t want to help, but Peter suspects the baby I’m carrying isn’t his. He’s watching me closely. I can’t send money without him noticing. So…”
“Stacey Scott! I don’t care about your situation with Peter. You need to figure out how to get me the money, or else… you know the consequences.”
Stacey was taken aback by Haris’s coldness. Once he claimed to love her, now he showed no concern for her.
Men were unreliable.
Stacey bit her lip and said through gritted teeth, “The company’s finances have been tight lately. We don’t have much money. But…”
A wicked glint appeared in Stacey’s eyes. “You could try contacting Bianca. She inherited a lot of money from her mother. It’s not a small sum.”
“Bianca? Would she really give me money?”
Stacey’s lips formed a cunning smile. “She’s currently with the guy from the engagement party. They’re close. He probably doesn’t know about her one-night stand. Use that to cause trouble, and she’ll pay you to keep quiet.”
There was silence on the other end before Haris chuckled. “Stacey, you’re ruthless. Alright, I’ll ask her for money tomorrow.”
Stacey hung up, her eyes now glinting with malice. A wicked smile played on her lips.
Haris’s help with Bianca was a relief. It meant Stacey didn’t have to deal with it herself.
****
The next morning, sunlight streamed through Bianca’s window, waking her up. She had dark circles under her eyes from lack of sleep.
She couldn’t stop thinking about everything that happened the night before. It wasn’t until early morning that she finally fell asleep.
Luckily, it was the weekend, so she could sleep in.
When Bianca got up, she grabbed her phone to check the news. The headlines were still about Sophia and Gabriel, but there was a new update.
“Gabriel Lee’s company is being investigated for not paying taxes.”
“Last night, The Phoenix Alliance Group said they’re ending all connections with Gabriel Lee’s company.”
“Other companies are doing the same, cutting ties with Gabriel Lee’s company.”
People were searching online for more information about Gabriel and his company’s supposed crimes.
Bianca scrolled through the news that had come out since the night before.
Everything was moving so quickly.
Gabriel’s downfall happened faster than she expected.
Entrepreneurs like Gabriel would normally have a strong PR team to handle scandals. But it seemed like his team had disappeared overnight. Instead of stopping the scandal, they let more bad stories come out.
Everything was going too smoothly. Bianca couldn’t shake the feeling that someone important was helping her secretly. She couldn’t think of anyone with that much power. Maybe they were connected to Sophia somehow.
Sophia was a famous actress, so she probably had powerful people supporting her.
But despite all this, something didn’t feel right to Bianca.
Last night, all the talk about Ashley disappeared, like it was erased. Her face was blurred beyond recognition if there was any news about her.
People online tried to figure out who was involved, but there was no proof.
Bianca wanted to damage Ashley’s reputation and ruin her chances with the Reed family by turning public opinion against her.
But now, it seemed like everyone had forgotten about the incident.
Could Joshua have helped Ashley secretly?
But then, Joshua had broken up with Ashley at the equestrian club that day. It was all so confusing.
While Bianca was lost in thought, her phone rang. It was the police asking for her help with an investigation.
She was prepared for this. Bianca quickly freshened up, put on some casual clothes, and went to the station.
There, Gabriel accused Bianca, but she stood her ground. She told the police that Gabriel was the one who had harassed her. She admitted to messaging him to meet at the hotel, but she explained it was just a trick and that she had never actually gone there.
The police couldn’t find any proof that she was at the hotel, so they cleared her of any suspicion.
As Bianca left the station, her phone rang. It was Sophia with exciting news.
“Bianca, guess what? Mr. Barton, the famous lawyer, reached out on Twitter. He’s offering to represent me for free!”
“Mr. Barton?” Bianca thought quickly. Suddenly, her eyes lit up. “You mean Reece Barton, the lawyer who hardly ever loses?”
“Yes, that’s him!”
Bianca was amazed. “Isn’t he the one who usually charges a lot of money, so most people can’t afford him? And he’s helping you for free? That’s amazing!”
“I was also surprised. I offered to pay, but he refused.”
“Do you think he’s a fan of yours?” Bianca had considered this possibility.
“Maybe, I’m not sure. You know, Gabriel’s been controlling my finances for so long, I haven’t saved much,” she confided, worried about affording a good lawyer. Famous lawyers charged a lot, after all.
Suddenly, Reece reached out to her!
With a relieved sigh, Bianca said, “I was worried Gabriel would hire a top lawyer to get him a lighter sentence. But now, with Reece on our side, we can definitely put him behind bars for years!”
“Yeah, it’s a relief. Without you, I’d still be under his control. Thank you from the bottom of my heart,” Sophia expressed her gratitude to Bianca warmly and sincerely.
Bianca offered a smile filled with relief. “Don’t mention it, Sophia. A jerk like him deserves what’s coming. I just did what anyone should. Plus, it’s been easier because your fans are rooting for you, waiting for your comeback.”
“I’ve decided I’m going back to showbiz. I won’t let my fans down again,” Sophia declared firmly.
“That’s the spirit!” Bianca was thrilled for Sophia, but she suddenly remembered something important she had to share. “There’s something I need to tell you… The truth is… I didn’t just help you for your sake.”