Then, Bianca shared her own work challenges and the deal she made with Zoey.
Sophia chuckled softly on the phone, surprising Bianca. It was the first time she heard Sophia laugh.
“Bianca, truthfully, even before you told me, I had decided to have you as my agent.”
“Really?” Bianca felt a surge of pride. “You don’t think I’m just a nobody in the business?”
“Absolutely not. You’re destined for success in this field with your personality and talent. I see great potential in you. Plus, you’re the only one I trust. I’m relying on your guidance from now on, my agent!”
Sophia’s firm trust in her moved Bianca deeply, and she felt almost tearful.
“Oh, and when you have a chance, could you introduce me to Mr. Lopez?”
Bianca’s heart raced with excitement at Sophia’s interest in meeting Vincent. “Absolutely! I’m available anytime!”
****
At the top floor of the Phoenix Alliance Group, Dave was playing pool, concentrating on his shot.
“Mr. Evans, you’re getting quite skilled at this,” remarked a man standing nearby in a sharp white suit.
Dave glanced up, nodding. “Thanks. It’s been a while.”
The man smiled. “You’ve handed me quite the case, diving right into work as soon as you returned to Edenfield. I haven’t done pro bono work in ages, but I owe you a favor. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have taken it.”
Dave’s expression turned icy as he replied, “As the heir to the Barton Group, aren’t you financially secure enough already?”
Few knew that Reece was set to inherit the Barton family’s fortune, one of the biggest families in town. Since he was small, he was taught to take over, getting the usual schooling for someone in his position. But Reece wasn’t keen on the tough world of business and all its obvious and hidden fights. Against what his family wanted, he went to university to study law and became a lawyer after graduating.
His dad made a deal with him: if Reece’s law career didn’t work out, he’d have to come back and handle the family’s wealth.
But Reece didn’t count on his family’s wealth. He made a name for himself as a top lawyer worldwide and even started his own law firm. That shut his dad up and proved Reece could stand on his own.
“I never relied on the Barton family’s help,” Reece proudly declared, his eyebrows raised. He valued his freedom, wanting to succeed on his own terms without their influence.
“But why do you support Sophia? What’s your connection to her?” Reece asked Dave, intrigued.
Just then, Justin walked into the CEO’s lounge. Hearing Reece’s question, he interjected, “It’s not just about Sophia. He’s assisting someone else.”
Dave frowned slightly, shooting Justin a sideways glance.
Justin fell silent, looking sulky.
“Someone else?” Reece’s eyes widened with surprise. “Dave, do you really have a girlfriend?”
Dave put down the pool cue and walked over to the coffee counter, grabbing a cup of handcrafted coffee. Leaning casually against the counter, he had a distant look in his eyes.
Thinking of a passionate moment with Bianca, a smile spread across his face.
Seeing Dave’s subtle grin and the clear sign of affection, Reece went over to Justin, clearly amazed, and nudged him. “Who’s the lucky lady? Who has won his heart?”
Justin smirked wryly. After getting a serious warning from Dave, he kept his lips sealed.
Meanwhile, Dave watched them with a curious expression. “What do you think women usually like?”
Reece was amazed. It was rare to hear Dave show interest in what women like.
Usually not one to care about such things, Reece found himself intrigued. “Dave, are you thinking of getting a gift for her? Have I met this woman?”
“Is it any of your business?” Dave’s tone became icy as he warned, “Ask another question, and I’ll pull my investment from your law firm immediately!”
Reece felt a shiver down his spine. He had big plans to expand his law firm across the country, and without Dave’s financial support, those plans seemed out of reach.
Recognizing the situation, Reece wisely chose not to ask any more questions. “Women often appreciate luxury items. The more expensive, the more they tend to like them.”
“Luxury items…” Dave mused, knowing that such extravagance might be out of reach in Bianca’s eyes.
He had decided not to reveal his family’s wealth or connections to Bianca until he fully took charge of his family’s business. For now, he wanted to keep her away from any family conflicts.
“Is there something that looks expensive but isn’t really?”
Reece and Justin looked at each other, confused by Dave’s question.
“The only thing I can think of is antiques,” Justin suggested.
Reece chimed in, “It’s not that hard. Usually, a woman measures how much you care about her by the effort and attention you give her. In other words, she wants to feel genuinely appreciated and loved.”
Dave’s expression turned more serious as he absorbed this.
In the afternoon, Bianca went to Vincent’s company.
This time, the receptionist’s attitude was totally different from their last encounter. She stood up, greeted Bianca with a big smile, and asked, “Miss Scott, are you here to see Mr. Lopez?”
“Yes.”
“Please wait a moment.” After a brief call on the office phone, the receptionist told Bianca, “He’s in a meeting at the moment. You can wait in his lounge. We’ll let you know when you can go in to see him.”
“Thank you.”
Given Sophia’s high profile and the media’s interest in her, Bianca’s surprise visit to Vincent’s company would surely get noticed. Knowing this, Bianca had warned Vincent beforehand.
Bianca took the elevator up to Vincent’s lounge. Inside, she saw two familiar faces.
Inside was Zoey, the head of Phoenix Entertainment, and Natalie, the current top actress.
Natalie looked especially lovely that day, wearing a floral dress and a pink sweater, accentuating her graceful appearance.
Seeing her, Bianca couldn’t help but think of Sophia, who had been dubbed the Queen of Elegance when she rose to fame five years ago.
Unlike Sophia’s gentle and pure demeanor, Natalie seemed to exude arrogance.
When Natalie spotted Bianca, she gave her a disdainful look. “Bianca, are you sure you belong here? This is Vincent’s private lounge, and you need his permission to enter. I remember you being stopped by the receptionist last time. How did you manage to get in today?”
“Hey, Natalie, we’re all colleagues here. Let’s not make things awkward,” Zoey intervened, standing up and approaching Bianca with a smile. “Bianca, did you come for the lead role in Mr. Lopez’s movie?”
Bianca looked at her and asked, “Miss Carter, why didn’t you mention that you were trying to get this part for Miss King?”