Natalie’s face lit up with delight at Skylar’s compliment. Having someone as respected as Skylar admire her acting talent gave her a real boost of confidence. She laughed openly, letting her guard down without even noticing.
Skylar skillfully guided the conversation through various topics related to films and TV shows, eventually leading it to the day’s events and, finally, Reese.
“I didn’t expect the new agency to cultivate such incredible talent. They shouldn’t be underestimated,” Skylar said with a casual sigh, knowing exactly where the conversation was heading.
Natalie’s smile quickly faded as expected, and she snapped, “You mean those two talents Bianca brought in? It’s just pure luck, nothing more.”
Skylar didn’t miss a beat. “So, Ms. King, you know Bianca well? She seems very hardworking. And that red diamond necklace she wears-quite valuable. If her boyfriend gave it to her, she’s certainly doing well in both love and her career.”
“You’re overthinking it. Let me make it simple for you-Bianca is just pathetic!” Natalie spat out, her voice laced with disdain.
Skylar’s curiosity grew even stronger. She leaned in and asked quickly, “What do you mean by that?”
Natalie motioned for her to come closer and whispered, “Bianca’s secretly involved with someone from a wealthy family.”
“What?” Skylar’s mind raced as the pieces started to come together. Could she be right in her suspicions? Was Dave going against his grandfather’s wishes by secretly seeing someone?
“Bianca has no idea,” Natalie sneered, with a hint of satisfaction in her voice. “She thinks her boyfriend is just some regular, hardworking guy. She’s been totally fooled and hasn’t figured it out yet.”
Skylar’s suspicion deepened. “You know who her boyfriend really is?”
“I’ve heard he’s the heir to the Evans family. Rich, young, and more attractive than any celebrity,” Natalie said, her cheeks flushing slightly as she talked about Dave.
Skylar felt a tightness in her chest. The young, handsome, and wealthy Evans heir? Dave was the only one that fits that description.
‘Could it really be him?’
Skylar’s hands tightened into fists, but she forced a strained smile. “So, she has such a powerful boyfriend and still works hard. That’s impressive.”
“I told you, Bianca’s a fool,” Natalie said, clearly pleased with herself. “She doesn’t know who her boyfriend really is, or maybe he’s keeping it from her on purpose. He’s probably just playing with her and doesn’t mean a thing!”
“Is that so…” Skylar murmured, deep in thought.
‘Had Dave really hidden his true identity from Bianca? Was he just messing with her?’
Despite these doubts, the idea of Dave being with someone else made Skylar’s heart ache. She wanted him all to herself.
Skylar forced herself to stay calm. How could Bianca even think of competing with her for his attention? She was supposed to be his fiancee. Determined, Skylar vowed to get Bianca out of the way for good.
Later that day, Bianca booked a table at a fancy restaurant and even pre-ordered a cake to celebrate with Blake and Reese.
Since the restaurant was quite far away, they drove there. Blake took the wheel. As Reese reached for the back door, Bianca gently stopped her. “You get motion sickness, remember? It’s better if you sit in the front to avoid feeling dizzy.”
“I…” Reese hesitated at first, but Bianca gave her a quick wink, and she realized what was happening. Was Bianca trying to avoid sitting too close to Blake?
Catching on, Reese turned to Blake and asked, “Is it okay if I sit up front with you?”
Blake responded without much enthusiasm, “Sure.”
As soon as they were in the car, Bianca quickly pulled the curtain that divided the front and back seats, giving Blake and Reese their own private space.
Her plan was to create more chances for them to connect, hoping Blake would start to notice Reese’s charm and maybe even develop feelings for her.
Leaning back in her seat, Bianca said casually, “I’m feeling a bit sleepy. I’ll take a nap. You two go ahead and chat; don’t mind me.”
Blake remained quiet, while Reese softly replied, “Okay.”
In the tight space of the sedan, Reese couldn’t help but notice how easily she could observe Blake’s features.
As he focused on driving, she took the opportunity to study him more closely.
Blake had an undeniable charm. His eyebrows were bold, his long eyelashes resting softly against his eyelids, giving his eyes a gentler look. His face was strong and well-defined, with sharp, attractive features. His lips, now free of any makeup from the show, looked a little pale.
At this close distance, Reese could even see the faintest trace of fuzz on his skin.
She was utterly captivated.
Suddenly, a voice broke through her thoughts, “Have you seen enough?”
Reese snapped back to reality and realized Blake was now looking directly at her.
‘Oh no! How embarrassing!’
She quickly looked away, her cheeks flushing as she stammered, “I’m really, really sorry.”
Blake seemed a bit surprised by her reaction. His brows furrowed slightly as he asked calmly, “Is everything okay? Do I make you nervous?”
Reese quickly shook her head. “No, not at all.”
Silence fell between them again.
Blake kept his attention on the road, following the GPS directions. Still flustered from her earlier embarrassment, Reese did her best to stay silent.
The only sound breaking the quiet was the voice of the navigation system.
Trying to ease the tension, Reese cleared her throat and gathered the courage to speak. “Blake, your singing today was really impressive.”
“Thank you,” Blake replied, his voice polite but distant, as if he were talking to someone he barely knew.
And that was the truth, wasn’t it? They didn’t really know much about each other.
Reese felt a little pang of disappointment but managed to smile. Trying to keep the conversation going, she asked, “The song was about one-sided love. Blake, is there someone special in your life?”
An awkward silence lingered for a while.
Realizing she might have overstepped, Reese quickly said, “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be nosy. If you don’t want to talk about it, we can just forget it.”
Blake stayed quiet.
Just as Reese started to regret asking and prepared for him to ignore her, he talked softly, “Yes, there is someone.”
“What?” Reese looked over at him in surprise.
“I’m serious. There’s someone I love deeply, but she doesn’t feel the same,” Blake said, his voice tinged with sadness, like a cold winter breeze that sent a chill through Reese. “She chose someone else.”
Reese went quiet. So, Blake had strong feelings for someone. But who could it be?