Brady nodded with a smile. “My bad. Hope you take good care of him. He’s a great guy.”
After giving Blake a quick look, Brady turned and walked away.
Blake watched him until he was out of sight. Then, he turned back to Bianca and was surprised to find her staring at him with a skeptical, squinty look.
“Why are you giving me that look?” Blake asked, feeling a bit embarrassed.
Bianca clicked her tongue and looked into his eyes. “Blake, you’re amazing. The big boss was totally into you just now.”
“Guess… I’m just that good, huh?” Blake replied with a playful tone, leaning slightly toward her. Even if he could make everyone else fall for him, the only person he really cared about was someone he could never have.
Blake gave a sly grin, full of self-mocking humor, and casually walked out after Bianca.
As they made their way through the front door, Bianca overheard some gossip.
“That woman really tried to win over the Phoenix Alliance Group’s CEO, only to be humiliated like that. What a shame.”
“Yeah, I’ve never even heard of Skylar Larson. Why did Lucas Evans pick her as his granddaughter-in-law? It would’ve been better if he’d told his grandson to marry someone from an elite family.”
Bianca froze in surprise upon hearing that.
Was Skylar really engaged to the CEO of Phoenix Alliance Group?
Bianca couldn’t shake the image of the CEO of Phoenix Alliance Group-fierce and intimidating. She swallowed hard, unsure if she should congratulate Skylar or feel sorry for her.
Then, it hit her. Skylar was Dave’s cousin. The CEO of Phoenix Alliance Group was also a Evans. Skylar was about to marry him, but if that was the case, who exactly was Dave? What was his connection to the Phoenix Alliance Group?
****
When Skylar returned to Lucas’s house, a sprinkler in the yard unexpectedly went off, soaking her clothes and causing her to trip. Already upset, this only made her angrier. Losing her composure, she shouted, “Who’s responsible for this? Can’t you see?”
The household staff were stunned. They had never seen Skylar lose her temper before. She was usually calm and graceful, always the picture of elegance.
But now, drenched and disheveled, standing on the lawn with a furious look on her face, she seemed ready to lash out.
Skylar quickly stormed to her room, slamming the door behind her. She preferred to be alone, not wanting anyone to see her in such a mess.
Alone in her room, Skylar couldn’t stop shaking. The events of the evening drowned her, making her want to break something in frustration. But she held back, knowing it wasn’t the right time or place. Overcome with anger, her stomach churned, and she rushed to the bathroom, vomiting into the toilet.
Looking at her reflection in the mirror, her eyes were bloodshot, and her face was pale, making her look like a ghost in her white dress.
Skylar couldn’t understand why Dave was treating her like this. Hadn’t she saved his life before? Didn’t their past matter to him? They had everything planned, talked it through, and it was his idea to team up. How could he leave her hanging like that, without warning, leaving her embarrassed?
It almost felt like he did it on purpose.
Then, a sudden thought struck her. She narrowed her eyes, wondering if Bianca had ignored her instructions and told Dave about their engagement plans. Was it possible that Dave and Bianca had teamed up to ruin her plans and humiliate her in front of everyone?
Thinking back to Bianca’s behavior at the event, Skylar now felt everything fall into place. That was why Bianca hadn’t been affected by her at all. ‘That darn Bianca!’
Skylar was furious and confused, unable to figure out the sneaky tactics Bianca must have used to turn Dave against her. For Bianca, Dave had even gone as far as defying his grandfather and giving up his shares in the Evans Group. Was he really willing to give up his position as the heir just for her? Did Bianca mean that much to him?
Skylar couldn’t help but compare herself to Bianca, wondering what she was missing. What was it that Bianca had that she didn’t?
The anger inside her grew stronger, and she blamed everything on Bianca.
Clenching her fists, Skylar silently promised herself that Dave would one day beg for her hand in marriage. She swore she would return every humiliation she suffered today to Bianca, ensuring she paid for it. And more than that, Skylar vowed to ruin Bianca’s life, leaving her rejected and alone, cut off from everyone.
****
After Brady left, Blake and Bianca decided to head home as well.
Blake offered to drive Bianca back when they reached the gate, and she gladly accepted.
Once he made sure she was comfortable in the car and the door was securely closed, Blake started the engine. He noticed Bianca, clearly exhausted, leaning back and gently rubbing her temples.
With his usual kindness, Blake draped his jacket over her shoulders and said softly, “If you’re tired, go ahead and rest. I’ll wake you up when we get to your place.”
Bianca was beyond tired. A long day of work and the evening’s events had drained her. After everything that had happened, all she wanted was to sleep.
Bianca quietly thanked him, but sleep didn’t come easily. When she closed her eyes, her senses seemed to sharpen instead, and the strange events of the evening kept replaying in her mind, leaving her restless and unable to relax.
Unable to sleep, Bianca’s thoughts turned to a recent conversation about Blake and Reese. Feeling curious, she turned to Blake and asked, “Blake, has something been going on between you and Reese? You two seem distant lately.”
Blake answered honestly, saying, “Reese told me she likes me, but I don’t have feelings for her.”
Bianca’s heart skipped a beat when she heard about Reese’s confession, and she was even more surprised by Blake’s clear rejection of her.
“Why would you reject her?” she asked, feeling a little shocked. “Reese is such a great person. I thought you two would be perfect together.”
As Blake drove, he said calmly, interrupting her words. “Because my heart belongs to someone else. I can’t just ignore my feelings for someone else.”
He paused and then glanced at her. “And the person I care about is sitting right here beside me.”
His words left Bianca speechless. Her heart raced as she playfully teased him, “Blake, you’re not taking all those engagement jokes from our families seriously, are you? Those were just jokes. Your mom would want you to follow your heart. She’d be happy for you.”