Blake believed that when the moment came, Bianca would come to him for comfort, knowing how deeply he loved her.
Reese listened, feeling her heart drop.
Was Blake so focused on waiting for Bianca that he couldn’t think about anyone else?
Blake saw how downcast Reese looked. Even though it hurt him to upset her, he knew he needed to be honest to prevent any misunderstandings.
“And, Reese, even if Bianca weren’t in the picture, even if I didn’t have feelings for anyone else, I wouldn’t be with you. We just don’t fit together. Do you understand?”
His words felt a bit harsh, and it took Reese a long time to understand what he had said.
But it would have been much crueler to give her false hope.
Waiting for something that would never happen was the most painful thing of all.
“It’s not about you. You’re a great person. Don’t be too hard on yourself. You’ll find someone who’s a much better match for you than I could ever be.”
Reese understood everything he meant by those words.
Slowly, her grip on his cuff loosened, and a sad smile appeared on her face.
There was no point in chasing after a connection that was never meant to be.
Blake walked away without looking back, leaving Reese to let her tears fall freely.
Her earlier confession had been brave, fueled by alcohol. Now, sober and alone, she was overwhelmed by sadness.
In the dark, Reese allowed her feelings to take over, crying in the cramped, crowded space of the basement.
Bianca got home late. The drive had helped clear her head a bit, and she walked wearily into the bathroom for a quick shower.
After her shower, with her hair dried, Bianca casually checked her phone and noticed a message from Dave. She felt a warm flutter in her heart at the thought of him thinking of her.
Just as she replied to his message, a video call request came through. Bianca answered right away.
Across the screen, Dave sat at his desk, bright lights illuminating the piles of paperwork around him.
Lately, he often called her on video as if trying to make up for their limited time together.
“Are you still working this late?” Bianca asked worriedly, glancing at the clock and noticing it was past midnight.
Dave replied, “There’s been a lot happening at the company lately. Did you just get back?”
“Yeah, the event went well today, so we all went out to celebrate afterward.”
“With Blake?” Dave asked, flipping through the documents in his hands without looking up, his voice barely above a whisper.
Bianca quickly explained, “There’s nothing happening between us. He and Reese were just contestants. After the celebration, I suggested Blake drive Reese home because I think they have a connection.”
“Why are you so eager to play matchmaker?” Dave asked.
She smiled gently and replied, “I don’t want my boyfriend to get jealous, so I need to help Blake find a girlfriend quickly!”
Dave felt touched by her words. He looked at her, wishing he could hold her right now.
But she seemed unaware of his feelings. Checking her watch, she said, “I’m not ready for bed yet. I have things to do. Can we keep the video chat going?”
He raised an eyebrow and grinned. “Sounds good to me.”
Bianca’s smile made it feel like they were really connected. But then, Dave’s expression changed; he looked serious and fell quiet.
As their conversation paused, Bianca started scrolling through the news of the day.
Suddenly, she saw a notification. It was a friend request from Skylar.
She was surprised that Skylar was still awake.
Skylar messaged her, “You finally accepted my friend request!”
Bianca replied with a sorry emoji, explaining that she hadn’t been on her phone.
Skylar responded, “No problem! I’m sending you a link. Check it out when you can.”
Even though Bianca wasn’t really interested in the topic, she clicked on the link out of boredom.
It took her to a website for a jewelry auction.
The main page showed a stunning diamond that immediately caught Bianca’s attention.
To her surprise, this red diamond was just like the one on her necklace.
Even the description, “you are the very essence of my heart,” reminded her of what Dave had once told her.
The coincidence made her heart race, bringing a mix of excitement and doubt.
As she reached the last page of the website, Bianca gasped at the outrageous price tag for the diamond. It was worth one billion dollars!
Bianca’s gaze shifted to Dave, who appeared on her phone’s screen. He was focused on reading documents, looking more like a powerful CEO than just an assistant. Dressed in a sharp black suit, he radiated authority; his brow furrowed as if he were dealing with a tough problem.
Feeling her stare, Dave suddenly looked up and asked, “Are you sleepy?”
Trying to stay composed, Bianca nodded slightly. “A bit.”
He replied, “Go to sleep. I’ll hang up later.”
She was curious, and she asked, “When will you be done with your work?” She couldn’t help but notice the large stack of documents still waiting for him.
Dave said casually, “Don’t worry about it. I don’t need to get through all of these. They’re just minor details.”
But the truth was, these documents were important for property development.
As she watched him work tirelessly at 1 AM, Bianca hesitated for a moment but chose to remain silent.
The distraction helped her forget about the incident with the necklace.
Eventually, feeling completely exhausted, she drifted off to sleep.
In the garden of Evans Manor, Lucas relaxed in an armchair while Skylar prepared tea.
She handed him a cup with both hands, saying politely, “Mr. Evans, please try this. I’ve been practicing making tea based on your advice.”
Lucas took a sip and smiled. “This is good. You’ve really improved. It’s so kind of you to work on your tea-making skills for me, Skylar.”
“I enjoy it,” she replied. “My feelings for you are just as strong as Dave’s. After all…” Skylar hesitated and stopped mid-sentence.
Lucas, sensing what she meant, reassured her, “You’re a wonderful person. You and Dave make a great couple. Don’t worry, I’ll talk to him about marrying you.”
“Mr. Evans…” Skylar looked shy, but inside, she felt happy.
“What have you been up to lately? You’ve been leaving early and coming back late,” Lucas asked her, trying to make small talk. “You seem to have lost a bit of weight again.”