“No,” Dave replied, leaning back on the sofa and focusing on his phone, his tone indifferent.
Leonel studied Dave and asked, “So why does he seem to favor you?”
Dave replied, “He’s actually being considerate towards Bianca.”
“But why is that?” Leonel asked.
Dave, casually scrolling through his phone, said, “The whole Stacey incident was a major mistake for them. They almost convicted the wrong person and let the real criminal go. They probably don’t want Bianca to make this public because it would damage the station’s reputation. As a professor, Mr. Lopez, don’t you think that’s obvious?”
Leonel was left speechless.
Dave’s comment subtly hinted that while Leonel might excel in academia, he seemed out of touch with real-world issues.
As Leonel observed Dave’s profile, he had to admit that Dave’s good looks were part of why Bianca was so captivated by him.
Bianca had even broken off an arranged engagement their mother had set up to be with Dave.
Their mother had claimed that Dave was just a pretty face and couldn’t truly make Bianca happy.
With their parents absent, Leonel felt it was his responsibility to step into his sister’s personal life and fulfill their mother’s wishes.
“Tell me, how much money would it take for you to leave my sister?” Leonel asked arrogantly, lounging comfortably with crossed legs.
Dave looked up from his phone and met Leonel’s eyes. “What’s your offer?”
Leonel snorted, convinced that Dave was a greedy man.
“If you agree to end things with Bianca, I can offer you this much,” Leonel said, holding up two fingers.
“Two million dollars, huh?” Dave replied with a smile.
Leonel looked down on Dave with disdain, thinking Dave was clearly impressed.
In Leonel’s view, someone like Dave had probably never seen such a large sum of money and would jump at the chance to take it and leave Bianca without hesitation.
Madison and Bianca had once argued because of this man, and Leonel believed they should have gotten rid of him sooner.
After all, money was a big deal, especially for those struggling in society.
Leonel was feeling quite self-satisfied when he suddenly heard Dave chuckling. The laugh was filled with mockery and disdain.
“What are you laughing at?” Leonel asked, frowning as he looked at Dave.
Dave covered his mouth with his right fist, struggling to hold back his laughter.
“I find it amusing that you think your sister’s relationship is worth just two million dollars. What if I offered you double that to end your brother-sister relationship with Bianca? Would you agree?”
“How dare you!” Leonel was visibly upset. He glared at Dave and said, “You can’t put a price on my relationship with Bianca. You don’t have that kind of money. Even if you did, a hundred million dollars wouldn’t make me agree.”
Dave smiled slightly and replied, “Well, that’s exactly how I feel too.”
Leonel was momentarily taken aback, then realized he had been skillfully manipulated by Dave’s words.
As he thought about it, Leonel saw Dave in a different manner.
Leonel suspected that Dave’s interest wasn’t just about the money. He might be aiming for the whole business empire connected to Bianca’s family.
Leonel reminded himself to be cautious with Dave. With their mother in a coma, as Bianca’s oldest brother, it was his responsibility to make sure Bianca married Blake, as their mother wished.
In the interrogation room, Bianca sat calmly facing Stacey.
Stacey’s eyes were filled with anger when she saw Bianca, and she clenched her fists tightly.
“Did you come here just to mock me?” Stacey growled, her hatred for Bianca still burning strong.
Bianca looked at Stacey with a questioning expression. “Stacey, that boy was only three years old, and you’ve been a mother. How could you be so heartless as to end his life?”
She was talking about Marisa’s child.
Stacey laughed cynically. “Don’t act like you care. I told you before that boy was beyond saving. He had an incurable illness. I was just ending his suffering.”
“But you promised Marisa you would protect him. She gave her life for that promise. Don’t you feel any remorse? How can you value a human life so little?”
Bianca’s eyes were sharp as she stared at Stacey, who now seemed like a demon to her.
Stacey laughed bitterly. “Bianca, you don’t know anything. You’ve always had a privileged life as a Scott. How could you understand my struggles? For the rich, the world is a playground, but for the poor, it’s a living hell. Our lives mean nothing. Without money or status, we’re easily crushed. Feel guilty? Why should I? Life was so unfair to me, and that’s why Marisa took her own life. She knew her child had no future and couldn’t face it. I just helped her along.”
Bianca watched Stacey, who was now laughing hysterically.
Stacey’s actions made her seem both pitiable and despicable.
“Did you even think about it when you asked Marisa to set that fire, the one that hurt my mother?”
Stacey’s eyes turned cold as she smirked. “It wasn’t me who harmed Madison. It was you and Petter. You both forced me to do that.”
Bianca scoffed, feeling foolish for hoping to see any remorse from Stacey.
She held onto a slim chance that Stacey might show a hint of regret.
“Stacey, you’re really hopeless. If our family hadn’t taken you and Ashley in, you wouldn’t be where you are now. Not only are you ungrateful, but you’ve also plotted to steal from my family and tried to harm my mother and me. Even a dog shows loyalty to those who care for it. You’re worse than a dog.”
After saying this, Bianca’s eyes grew cold. She turned and began walking toward the door of the interrogation room.
Then she heard Stacey yelling after her, “Bianca, you only won because you are connected with the wealthy and powerful man. What right do you have to be proud of? Without that man’s help, you’d be nothing and can be easily crushed under my feet. My only mistake was choosing to be with Petter.”
Bianca frowned and turned back to Stacey. “What did you just say?”
‘What was Stacey talking about? Which “man”?’
Bianca frowned, confused, and stared at Stacey.
Stacey’s face twisted into a mocking smile. But before she could say more, a police officer stepped in.
“Time’s up.”
The officer pulled Stacey to her feet as he spoke and pushed her out to the back door.
Seeing this, Bianca sighed and left the interrogation room.
Bianca, Dave, and Leonel walked out of the police station together. Bianca said to Dave, “I’m going to the hospital. You don’t need to come with me.”
“Okay, be safe,” Dave replied with a nod.
“Bianc, I’ll go with you,” Leonel said eagerly.