“You gave the medication to Reese. If you hadn’t, none of this would have happened. And how can you be sure your medication is safe? Maybe the issue was with what you provided!” Stacey shot back, her eyes blazing.
Bianca smirked, unaffected by Stacey’s attempt to guilt her.
“The quality of my medication isn’t for you to judge. That’s for the FDA to decide.”
“Bianca, can you really be so heartless? Do you want to push us to the limit?” Stacey’s tears had stopped, and she glared at Bianca with resentment, showing her true feelings.
“Stacey, how many times do I have to tell you? Bad actions only lead to self-destruction.” Bianca remained firm, looking at Stacey coldly. “If you really care about Ashley, help her become a better person when she gets out. Make sure she doesn’t hurt anyone else.”
Stacey’s hands formed tight fists, her nails digging into her skin. She gritted her teeth and muttered, “You’ll regret this.”
Bianca had nothing more to say. She turned to the receptionist and instructed, “Please escort this guest out.”
Stacey didn’t leave. Instead, she hid in a shadowy corner and waited until dark. Quietly, she followed Bianca and discovered where she lived.
It was an upscale apartment complex.
“Bianca, if you’re set on ruining Ashley, don’t blame me for what comes next,” Stacey whispered to herself, watching Bianca enter the luxurious building, her fists still clenched in the shadows.
Meanwhile, Reese’s condition was improving. Most of her tubes had been removed, and she could get out of bed and move around a bit.
The doctors said she would need some time to fully recover even after leaving the hospital.
Bianca agreed without hesitation. Reese was gradually feeling better, and Bianca arranged for a caregiver to look after her.
Blake returned to work, and once his intensive training was over, Bianca planned to have him participate in a major talent show.
The employee involved in the medication switch had been arrested. Ashley’s case caused a stir online, but the public decided to wait for a formal verdict before jumping to conclusions. As time went on, the buzz about the incident faded.
Everything seemed to return to normal.
Stacey didn’t cause any more trouble, and Bianca’s company continued to thrive.
One day, Bianca took a break from less urgent tasks to visit the largest church in the city.
With Dave’s birthday coming up, she had bought a high-quality rosewood bracelet with her own money. She visited the church for a month, holding the bracelet in her hands as she prayed.
Her prayers were for Dave.
She planned to give him this special gift on his birthday, hoping it would bring him safety and happiness.
Bianca kept the gift a secret from Dave, wanting to surprise him on his special day.
Lately, Dave has been really busy with work, so he and Bianca haven’t seen each other much. But when they do meet, their feelings for each other are intense, and they share passionate kisses every time.
Things seemed to be getting better. Bianca’s mom, Madison, was starting to warm up to Dave. Bianca planned to convince her mom to let her move back into Dave’s apartment for his birthday.
One evening, after a refreshing shower, Bianca, with her wet hair still damp, walked into the living room where Madison was sitting on the sofa, reading a magazine. Bianca went over and gave her mom a gentle massage on her temples.
During her stay at Madison’s place, Bianca felt the comfort of family again. They decided to avoid talking about past conflicts.
Bianca thought about the future and realized she still had a lot of days ahead to mend her relationship with her mom. Even if she married Dave someday, she planned to visit her mother regularly and make things right.
Bianca let herself imagine what the future might hold.
“Bianc, is something bothering you?” Madison’s gentle voice pulled Bianca out of her thoughts.
Bianca cleared her throat and said softly, “Mom, Dave’s birthday is coming up. Can I go back to celebrate with him?”
Madison paused for a moment, then turned to Bianca with a smile and asked, “What if I said no?”
“Mom, I’m not a kid anymore. I don’t have to do everything you say!” Bianca said, pressing her lips together, clearly unhappy.
Madison chuckled. “Well then, why ask me at all?”
“Because you’re my mom, and I really value your opinion,” Bianca replied.
Madison shook her head with a resigned smile. “Okay, but I still want to know more about him before I fully approve. I’m not a heartless mother. Since it’s his birthday, I’ll make an exception.”
“Thank you!” Bianca hugged Madison and gave her a kiss on the cheek.
Their relationship got stronger each day.
Madison hugged Bianca and smiled warmly.
Over the past few days, the people Madison had hired to investigate Dave hadn’t found anything useful. She had a strong feeling that he was someone special. At the recent banquet, Dave had impressed the influential guests with just a few words. Madison knew that these high-profile people had met many people and could judge character well.
So, who was Dave, really? What was he hiding?
Madison was eager to find out for the sake of her daughter’s happiness. She even used connections from LM Group, hoping answers would come soon.
On Dave’s birthday, Bianca finished her work early and handed off the remaining tasks to Diana.
When Bianca left her office, she called Dave.
“Are you still at work?”
“No, I took the day off today,” Dave answered with his usual charm.
“Really? Where are you now?”
“I’m at St. Paul’s Church.”
Bianca was a bit surprised. Dave had never been to a church before, so why had he taken the day off to go to one?
But she decided not to press the issue. Instead, she looked at the rosewood bracelet in her bag and smiled. “I have some good news for you. I’ll be back tonight!”
“Okay.” Dave’s response was calm, not quite as excited as she had hoped.
Bianca felt a bit disappointed but said softly, “I’ll see you tonight, then.”
After the call, Dave sat alone in the empty church. It wasn’t Sunday, so there were only a few people around.
He stared at the large cross at the front, his deep, unyielding eyes reflecting a sadness that seemed unshakable.
Today is the anniversary of his parents’ death.
Dave vividly remembered the day his parents died. They had gone out together, laughing and chatting happily.
But on the highway, the car suddenly lost control, crashed into the guardrail, and flipped over, smoke pouring out from the front of the engine.