After the call ended, Leonel, arms crossed, looked at his mother with a knowing expression. “So, has Bianca agreed to come over today?”
Madison’s grin was sly. “When have I ever not gotten what I want?” she said confidently.
“And how do you plan to do that?” Leonel asked.
Madison smirked. “Sometimes you need to step back to move forward. First, we need to break up Bianca and her boyfriend. Then Blake will have his chance.”
Leonel raised an eyebrow, skeptical, before heading off to his research institute.
That evening, after finishing work, Bianca left the office. She had already told Dave she would be visiting her mother and asked him not to wait up for her.
As Bianca was about to hail a taxi, Blake walked up behind her.
“Bianc, are you heading home? It’s on my way. Let me give you a lift,” he offered with a casual tone and a slight smile.
Normally, Bianca might have accepted, but given everything that had happened recently, she kept her distance.
“No, that’s okay, Blake. I’m going to my mom’s place, and it’s not on your way.”
Blake’s usually bright eyes seemed a bit dim. He hesitated before speaking. “Bianc, I only learned about the engagement yesterday, too. Don’t feel pressured. My parents are gone, and I’m on my own. We don’t have to go through with it if you don’t want to.”
Hearing Blake’s words, Bianca felt a wave of sympathy for him.
“Thanks, Blake. For me, marriage is about love between two people. I already have a boyfriend, and you… You see me as a friend, right? So, it’s clear we’re not meant to be together, isn’t it?”
As she spoke, Blake’s hands tightened into fists.
“What if…” Blake paused, trying to sound casual as he looked at Bianca. “I mean, if you weren’t dating anyone and I didn’t have a girlfriend, could there be a chance for us to…?”
“No,” Bianca replied firmly, without hesitation. She wasn’t sure if Blake’s question was just a casual thought or if he had deeper feelings tied to their engagement.
Bianca was determined not to give Blake any false hope. Her heart was fully committed to Dave, leaving no space for anyone else.
Blake relaxed his hands and gave Bianca a teasing smile. “You turned me down so quickly. Am I not charming enough?”
His playful comment made Bianca feel more comfortable. “Blake, you’re handsome, easy-going, and talented. I’m sure many girls would be interested in you.”
Blake murmured quietly, “But it doesn’t matter if you’re not one of them…”
“What did you say?” Bianca asked, tilting her head, trying to hear him better.
Blake quickly smiled with a genuine, boyish grin. “Oh, nothing. Since we’re going in different directions, I’ll head off now.”
“Okay.”
After saying goodbye to Blake, Bianca caught a taxi and headed to her mother’s place.
She knocked on the door when she arrived at the fancy apartment building where Madison lived.
Madison welcomed her with a warm smile, took her hand, and led her inside. Bianca looked around at the stylish and elegant decor.
“Mom, did you rent this place?” Bianca asked.
“I just bought it,” Madison casually said as if she were talking about buying groceries.
But a stylish apartment like this in the city center must have been expensive.
Bianca felt the gap between their lives more sharply now.
Madison led Bianca to the dining table, which was full of Bianca’s favorite dishes from childhood.
It felt surreal to Bianca as if she had traveled back in time over a decade.
“Is my brother here?” Bianca asked, starting to feel more at ease.
While serving her food, Madison said, “He mentioned he’d be working late tonight and might come home later.”
Bianca knew his work at the research institute kept him busy.
As they chatted, Bianca shared stories from her past few years, including Peter’s marriage and Stacey’s actions.
But she avoided mentioning anything about Dave.
When Madison heard this, her anger flared. “Peter must have felt so trapped with me that he ended up marrying a servant. How pathetic! He helps the woman who cheated on him and neglects his own daughter. What is wrong with him? You’ve been through so much. Now that I’m back, I’ll fix things. Just wait and see how I handle that awful woman!”
Feeling her mother’s support was a comforting change for Bianca.
“By the way,” Madison shifted the topic, “how did you meet your boyfriend?”
Bianca’s heart raced. She was hesitant to mention her one-night stand with Dave, especially since it was part of a scheme by Stacey and Haris. She knew it would upset her mother and ruin Dave’s reputation.
After a moment’s thought and a bite of her meal, Bianca decided to start by explaining how she hired Dave as a pretend boyfriend for the engagement party.
Bianca realized it was pointless to keep it a secret since Stacey and Peter already knew.
Madison’s expression grew serious. “So, he’s just an opportunist?” she asked.
“Mom, it’s not like that. At the time, he was just helping me out. And since then, he’s been really supportive. We share a rented apartment, but he never asks for rent. He covers all our living expenses. I…”
Bianca was explaining Dave when Madison interrupted, looking closely at her. “Bianc, are you saying you’re living together with him?”
Bianca paused her meal, biting her lower lip.
Madison, who always seemed to know her daughter well, saw Bianca’s reaction and realized her suspicion was right.
Putting her fork down, Madison sat up straight and said, “Bianc, you should move in with me.”
Bianca was surprised and stared at her mother in shock.
Before Bianca could respond, Madison continued.
“You’re living with a man without being married. If people find out, it could look bad,” Madison said firmly.
“Mom, he’s my boyfriend.”
“That’s not enough,” Madison insisted, her voice rising. Then she softened her tone. “I wasn’t there for you before, and your dad didn’t help, so you had to leave. Someone took advantage of that. But now I’m here. You belong with me. Pack your things today. I’ll send a car for you tomorrow.”
Madison was worried that Bianca had ended up with someone who was only after her money, just as Peter had deceived her.
Madison was determined to keep her daughter from following the same troubled path she had. She wanted to end Bianca’s current relationship and would do whatever it took to keep them apart.
Seeing Bianca’s reluctance, Madison noticed her unhappiness with the plan.
With a gentler tone, Madison asked, “What’s wrong? I’m asking you to stay with me for a few days, and you’re hesitating? Just because you have a boyfriend now, you don’t want to be around your mother?”