The word “friends” from Bianca sparked Blake’s anger. He didn’t want to be just her friend; he refused to accept that.
Before, he respected her choices, thinking he could step back and wish her well, offering comfort when she needed it as a friend.
But now he realized he was completely wrong. He couldn’t just watch her get hurt.
He should be the one to make her happy.
If Bianca stayed with him, he would protect her from any pain. He wanted to prioritize her happiness for the rest of his life, making her the happiest woman in the world.
This time, it wasn’t for himself but for her. He would never give up on her again.
Blake frowned, gripping Bianca’s wrist and pulling her close. Leaning down, he pressed his lips against hers in a gentle yet passionate kiss.
Just then, Dave came around the corner outside the store. He had already arranged for Skylar to leave and was heading back to explain everything to Bianca. But as he got closer, he saw Blake leaning in to kiss her.
It felt like a shock to Dave. Normally calm, he was stunned and couldn’t believe what he was seeing.
Bianca was equally shocked by Blake’s sudden move. As she realized what was happening, she shook with disbelief and struggled to push him away.
But out of the corner of his eye, Blake noticed Dave standing outside the door, and a smile appeared on his face.
Blake held Bianca’s wrist tightly, pulling her into his arms. With his strength, he easily overpowered her, leaving her no choice but to endure it.
From a distance, Dave watched as Bianca seemed lost in a kiss with Blake. Overcome with anger, he slammed his fist into the wall, blood starting to flow from his hand.
He felt the urge to confront Bianca, but remembering his recent actions with Skylar, he doubted if he had the right to do it.
His fists tightened in anger, and his eyes burned with fury. After a moment, he turned and walked away.
Blake’s expression darkened as he saw Dave leave, and then he let go of Bianca.
In truth, Blake had barely touched Bianca’s lips and mostly avoided contact. Sensing her resistance, he consciously held back from pushing for a deeper kiss.
As soon as Blake loosened his grip, Bianca pushed him away forcefully and quickly wiped her lips with the back of her hand, glaring at him in anger.
Noticing the red mark on her wrist from his hold, Blake felt a pang of guilt. He moved closer, but Bianca stepped back.
“Bianca…” His voice was heavy with regret as he saw the fear in her eyes. “I’m sorry. I just… I was so angry. I was worried you’d be hurt by that guy. I really am sorry. I acted without thinking.”
Bianca tried to calm down, looking up at him. Her heart softened as she saw how helpless and regretful he was, even though she felt trapped at that moment.
Maybe he still respected her enough not to cross the line.
Blake’s behavior today changed everything for Bianca. She had thought they could be friends, but now that felt impossible.
“Blake, I need to be alone to think. That’s all for today. I’m leaving.” She looked down, overwhelmed with emotions, and quickly turned to walk away.
Blake stood frozen.
He clenched his fists, confused about why he felt inadequate compared to Dave. Why did Bianca accept Dave but not him? What made her push him away?
He couldn’t accept it. The feelings he had suppressed were boiling over, becoming stronger and more uncontrollable, like a volcano ready to erupt.
Once Blake made up his mind, he was ready to do whatever it took. He wanted Bianca to leave Dave and choose him instead.
With that in mind, Blake pulled out his phone and made a call.
Leonel had been focused on his work at the institute, running final tests for a new drug over the past two days. When his phone rang, he thought about ignoring it, but when he saw Blake’s name, he paused and decided to hand off his tasks to his assistant.
Stepping out of the lab, Leonel answered the call.
“Hello, Blake. What’s going on?”
“Leonel, there’s something I’ve been thinking about for a while. I need to talk to you about Bianca…”
Leonel’s expression turned serious, sensing that the conversation was important.
The early autumn breeze felt refreshing as Bianca stepped out of the mall.
She bit her lip and took out her phone to call Dave.
Meanwhile, Zane was driving Dave to his office. He noticed that his boss looked troubled and angry.
Zane stayed silent, worried that anything he said might make Dave even more upset.
Suddenly, a unique ringtone broke the silence in the car.
Zane recognized the ringtone as one of Dave’s priority contacts, probably Bianca.
He glanced at Dave in the rearview mirror and was surprised to see him sitting there, seemingly unaware of the ringing phone.
The ringtone stopped, and silence filled the car again.
But soon, the phone rang again. Dave continued to stare out the window, ignoring it.
“Mr. Evans, have you and Miss Scott had another fight?” Zane finally asked, surprising himself with his boldness.
Only then did Dave look back; his eyes were sharp. “What does it have to do with you? If you say one more word, don’t bother coming in tomorrow.”
Zane fell silent, feeling restless.
“Speak up.” Dave frowned, looking at Zane as if he were searching for an answer. “What does a woman do when she sees her boyfriend with another woman?”
Zane glanced at Dave in the rearview mirror, too scared to say anything.
“Do you want to get fired?” Dave’s expression darkened further at Zane’s silence.
In a low voice, Zane mumbled, “But you told me to stay silent…”
Dave let out a heavy sigh, feeling helpless. “Go ahead, I’m listening now.”
Zane chuckled and said earnestly, “I’m not sure what to say about this situation. But think about it-if I were in her shoes, I’d definitely retaliate.”
“Retaliate?” Dave raised his eyebrows, curious. “How would you do that?”
“I’d find someone better than him just to make him mad.”
At that moment, Dave’s expression turned serious. Zane felt Dave’s intense stares at him, sending shivers down his spine.
But Zane was just speaking his mind. Dave wasn’t the type to worry about these things. Why would he be upset?