Madison was lost in her thoughts until Blake’s voice pulled her back to reality. She realized he was still there.
Straightening up, Madison said, “I’m sorry, Blake. I acted too quickly. What I said is true. I should have told you sooner.”
Madison then realized she had oversimplified things.
She had high hopes for Blake, who was adopted by Vincent and came from a respectable background. She believed that once Bianca met him, she would be impressed.
Madison hadn’t expected that Bianca already had a boyfriend she was deeply in love with, which made her curious about this mysterious partner.
“Ms. Lopez, you’ve known my mother for many years. Can you tell me why she passed away?” Blake asked, eager to learn more about his mother, feeling overwhelmed by the situation.
Madison stayed silent while Ruby’s eyes filled with tears.
Before she jumped from the building, Everleigh wrote a farewell letter, asking those left behind to protect the reasons for her death and her complicated relationship with Brady, keeping them from Blake.
She wished for her child to live a happy, strong, and healthy life.
Everleigh didn’t want her son to be burdened by her death or hold any resentment towards his father. It was a choice she made on her own.
As a result, Madison, Ruby, and Paige never told Blake the true cause of Everleigh’s death, only suggesting it was an unfortunate accident.
After a long silence, Madison finally said, “Blake, all you need to know is that your mother’s greatest wish was for you to be happy.”
Blake felt a weight in his heart. Why did everyone keep silent about his mother?
Would he find happiness living in ignorance forever?
Blake longed for the truth.
He stood up and said softly, “Ms. Garcia, Ms. Lopez, Leonel, I just remembered I have something else to do. I need to head out now.”
Blake put on a polite smile, turned, and left the room.
“Blake!” Madison called after him.
Blake paused for a moment.
From behind, Madison’s voice reached him, “What do you think about the engagement with Bianc? Do you have feelings for her?”
Blake kept his lips tightly pressed together and didn’t look back. He said quietly, “Bianc and I are just friends. I respect her choices.”
He then opened the balcony door and walked out.
Madison stumbled back, clearly shaken.
Leonel came over to help her. He sighed and said, “Mom, you’re rushing things. It looks like they’re not really into each other right now. I’m worried that their engagement…”
“Leonel, I trust my instincts,” Madison said, turning to face her son. “I’m sure Blake has feelings for Bianc. As for Bianc, I’ll work on changing her mind slowly.”
Ruby stood up and gently shook her head. “We shouldn’t interfere in their relationship.”
“No, I can’t accept that!” Madison’s voice raised, showing a rare burst of emotion in front of Ruby. She was visibly trembling.
“I promised Everleigh I would fulfill her last wish.”
Tears began to stream down Madison’s face. Leonel was shocked, having never seen his mother so vulnerable before.
She always seemed composed and sharp with everyone else.
With her hands covering her face, Madison cried. “The day before Everleigh took that leap, she told me that her greatest wish was to see the two kids get married. She also said…”
Her mind raced back to when Bianca and Blake were just infants two decades ago.
Holding her daughter, Madison, who had visited Everleigh. When the two babies first met, they reached for each other’s hands and laughed.
“Madison, look at how much they like each other. They’ll make a perfect pair as they grow up.”
“Madison, I wish they could grow up overnight. I’d love to see their wedding and become grandparents. We’ll be the best mother-in-law.”
“Madison, please take good care of them and keep them safe.”
“I hope he finds happiness, too, from my side.”
These memories pierced Madison’s heart deeply.
“If I had known she was thinking about suicide that day, could we have stopped it? Would she still be living a good life now?”
For all those years, Madison had always felt regret for her friend.
Ruby moved closer and hugged Madison, offering comfort. “You can’t blame yourself. She chose to give up. When someone has decided to give up on themselves, no amount of persuasion can change their will to live.”
With her fists clenched, Madison leaned into Ruby’s embrace and vowed, “I will fulfill Everleigh’s last wish. It’s my promise to her.”
Meanwhile, Blake sped down the city road, gripping the steering wheel tightly.
The conversation between Madison and Bianca weighed heavily on his mind.
Suddenly, he slammed on the brakes and stopped the car. Resting his head against the steering wheel, he was overwhelmed with emotion.
Blake had been prepared to let go of Bianca, but then her mother revealed that it was his mother’s final wish for him to marry Bianca.
He had feelings for Bianca, but she didn’t return them!
His thoughts were a chaotic mess, and he felt lost, unsure of what to do.
‘What was the true story behind his mother’s death?’
‘Why had everyone kept it a secret? Why was it shrouded in mystery?’
Blake felt like he was caught in a tangled mess, trapped and confused, with no way out.
****
Bianca left the restaurant and returned home, deep in thought.
As she opened the door and was about to turn on the light, strong arms wrapped around her from behind.
“Why are you home so late?”
“Mr. Evans?” Bianca called out softly in the dark.
“It’s me,” he replied in a low voice. He moved closer, aiming to kiss her earlobe, but Bianca pulled away from his embrace.
She turned on the light, revealing the room.
Seeing the striking figure before her, Bianca’s eyes welled up with tears.
Dave frowned, cupping Bianca’s face. “Have you been crying? What’s wrong?”
Bianca bit her lip and shook her head. Then she closed her eyes, buried her face in Dave’s chest, and held him tightly.
Dave found this a bit overwhelming but held her gently.
He murmured softly, “What’s troubling you?”
“Just hold me tight!” Bianca said, snuggling closer.
Dave tightened his embrace in response.
“Even tighter!”
Dave tightened his hold, wrapping her up more securely.
They shared a long, silent hug before Bianca pulled away. Her eyes were now filled with tears.
Bianca stood on tiptoes as they locked eyes, wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him gently.
At that moment, his restrained longing and desire surged up, unable to be held back any longer.
Driven by intense passion, Dave acted on impulse. He grabbed Bianca’s waist, pressed her against the cabinet, and took control of the kiss.