Soon after he left, Bianca came out of her room, following her usual routine of leaving and returning on time. Stacey assumed Bianca worked at her agency every day.
As Bianca was leaving, she told Stacey, “I’ll be working with the group tonight and won’t be back. It’ll just be you and my dad for dinner. Don’t worry about making anything for me.”
Stacey nodded and said, “Got it.”
Before leaving, Bianca looked back at Stacey with concern. “You’ve been having trouble sleeping. Make sure to get some rest tonight.”
Stacey forced a smile, feeling a bit relieved at the thought of having a quieter night with Bianca gone.
Instead of going to the company, Bianca headed to the cafe where she had been spending her time over the past two days.
While sipping her coffee, Bianca finished her plans on the computer.
Her phone rang, and seeing it was Dave calling, she felt a pang of worry. She answered the call, hiding her emotions, and greeted him softly.
“Bianc, how’s everything going back there?” Dave’s voice, with its magnetic tone, made Bianca’s nose twitch slightly.
Maybe everything would be settled by tonight.
“I’m fine,” Bianca replied, her calm tone convincing even Dave.
“Bianc, I met a priest at the church today. You won’t believe what he told me.”
Dave’s tone was mysterious, arousing Bianca’s curiosity.
“What did he say?”
Dave chuckled softly and said, “He said you’d get what you want after today.”
Bianca’s heart raced at the thought of tonight. She forced a smile and replied, “Really? I hope so, too.”
“If something good really happens, I’ll pick you up tomorrow to celebrate,” Dave said cheerfully. Bianca, maintaining her casual manner, replied, “Okay.”
After the call ended, Dave leaned back in his leather chair, reflecting on a recent report from his subordinate: Stacey, Bianca’s stepmother, was the real culprit behind the arson case. They just needed to find Marisa’s child to pin the blame on Stacey.
Dave’s team was far more capable than law enforcement. Each member was a highly trained specialist, part of Dave’s elite guard, skilled in covert operations, and able to handle any difficult task for him.
Their expertise kept Dave in a strong position in the competitive business world, giving him leverage over many of his rivals.
With the child’s location confirmed, Dave’s men prepared to retrieve the child that very night.
It would be a surprise for Bianca, as Dave had arranged it himself.
Unfortunately, Bianca had no idea about these developments.
As evening fell, Bianca shut her laptop and left the quiet cafe.
She called Petter and found out he had a dinner party that night.
“Dad, could you come to the hospital to visit Mom after the party?” Bianca asked.
Petter realized he hadn’t visited Madison at the hospital yet. Wanting to make his daughter happy, he replied, “Sure, I’ll go there after the party.”
When Bianca arrived at the hospital, she found her mother had been moved to a regular bed and was stable. Leonel had been taking care of her during this time.
Worried about Leonel, Bianca urged him to go home and rest, promising she would wait for Petter at the hospital.
As she gently wiped Madison’s face with a towel, Bianca leaned in and whispered softly to her mother.
“Mom, I need to say something I’ve been too stubborn to express. I’m sorry for the harsh things I said when I was younger. I’ve always regretted it. When I saw you again, I was so happy and wanted to apologize and beg you never to leave me. But even then, I still argued with you.”
Her voice trembled as she continued, “I know you did everything for me, but I can make my own decisions now. You don’t have to worry about me anymore. Let me repay you for everything you’ve done. I used to think we had all the time in the world to make up for lost time. But I didn’t expect…”
Overwhelmed with emotion, tears streamed down Bianca’s face, landing softly on the back of Madison’s hand.
“Mom, I know you might try to talk me out of it, but I have to do this. I’d feel guilty for the rest of my life if I don’t find justice for you. I don’t want to live with that regret. I’ve already regretted it once, and I don’t want to do it again. Please forgive me for being so stubborn,” Bianca whispered, her voice shaking.
Looking at her mother’s peaceful face, Bianca saw a single tear slowly sliding down from the corner of Madison’s eye.
Startled, she gently shook her mother’s shoulder. “Mom, can you hear me? Wake up!”
Despite her efforts and calls, Madison did not respond.
The tear appeared to have been an illusion.
Feeling a mix of sadness and relief, Bianca slumped back in her chair with a bittersweet smile.
At nine o’clock, a knock sounded at the door.
Bianca opened it to find Petter standing outside.
“Dad,” she greeted him quietly.
Petter walked slowly to Madison’s bed, where she lay peacefully.
Feeling a mix of emotions, he sat on the edge of the bed and gently patted Madison’s hand. “Madison, I’m here to see you. How did you end up like this?”
Bianca glanced at her father and then back at her mother.
Taking a deep breath, she asked, “Dad, can you stay with Mom tonight?”
Petter looked at Bianca but didn’t say anything.
In a soft, resonant voice, Bianca said, “Mom never forgot you after the divorce. She always felt that things might have been different if she had been more gentle in the past. It’s her deep regret that she divorced you.”
Petter’s face showed a mix of emotions as he listened.
He looked back at Madison and sighed deeply.
Bianca couldn’t tell what her father was thinking, but she felt it was important to share these words to keep him stay.
“Dad, the doctor said it might help Mom if a loved one talks to her. It could aid her recovery. So, I was thinking…”
“Okay, I’ll stay with her tonight,” Petter agreed, his eyes filled with sadness. Despite his lingering selfishness, he couldn’t bear to see the woman he once loved in such a fragile state.
“Thank you, Dad,” Bianca said softly. “I have some work to do tonight. Please take care of Mom for me.”
“Go on with your work. I’ll be here,” Petter assured her with a nod.
After Bianca closed the ward door, her warm smile faded, replaced by a cold look.
Checking her watch, Stacey saw it was ten o’clock in the evening.
Since Petter was unable to make it back for dinner, Stacey ate alone at home and then settled on the sofa to watch TV.