Blake couldn’t help but laugh at her response, unsure if Bianca was genuinely confused or just pretending. He pulled the car to a stop and turned to her. He looked at her seriously, making Bianca nervously cough and look away.
“Bianca, it’s you I’ve fallen for. My feelings for you grew while I was abroad,” he said, his voice serious and unexpected. “I hesitated because you were with someone else, but I’ve come to realize he doesn’t deserve you. He’s not worthy of your trust. One day, he’ll only hurt you.”
He gently placed his hands on her shoulders, turning her to face him. His eyes were full of warmth and sincerity. “Be with me, Bianca. I promise I’ll make you happy.”
Taken aback, Bianca carefully moved his hands away. She looked into his eyes without blinking. “Blake, he’s my boyfriend, and I know him better than anyone else. I won’t let you talk badly about him.”
She sighed softly and added, “I can’t be with you. Aside from being in a committed relationship, have you thought about the fans who ship you and Reese? Do you really want to give that up? And honestly, it just wouldn’t work out between us.”
Blake felt a tightness in his chest, making it hard to breathe. “Do you really think I care about that? Everything I’ve done, from becoming your artist to joining the show, was for you. To be there for you, to support and protect you.”
Bianca was shocked to hear him say this for the first time. She had always thought his goal of becoming a singer and choosing her as his agent was just about following his dream.
Noticing her silence, Blake pushed further. “And when you pushed that story about me and Reese, linking us together without asking me, did you think about how I would feel? Did you think about how it would affect Reese and me?”
Bianca was caught off guard, bit her lip, and answered, “That was the production team’s idea.”
“But you went along with it, didn’t you?” Blake continued. “You even shared personal stories online to make it look like we were close. You say you value your privacy, but for the show, you made an exception, didn’t you?”
Bianca then realized that Blake referred to her decision when she addressed their rumored relationship during an interview.
“The producers and I agreed on it,” she explained. “Linking you with Reese would get more attention and increase your visibility. Once the show ends, we’ll figure out how to separate you two.”
Blake responded sharply, “So you’re saying all of this was for my benefit, with no hidden motives? Or was it your plan to pair me with Reese, hoping to push me away? You don’t want me around, so you just passed me off to her without even asking me? What do I mean to you, Bianca?”
When Blake finished speaking, the usually calm guy couldn’t hide his anger.
He took deep breaths, staring at Bianca as if searching for answers in her eyes.
Even though Blake’s words were harsh, Bianca couldn’t deny they were true. She tried to respond but found herself silent instead.
After what felt like forever, Bianca finally talked, her voice hoarse. “I’m sorry, Blake. This was my mistake. I didn’t consider how you felt.”
Blake’s tone softened as he looked into her eyes. “Bianca, I’m sorry too. I didn’t mean to be so harsh. I just really hoped… you’d think about me a little more.”
With a bittersweet smile, Bianca said, “I’ll stay out of your issues with Reese from now on. As your agent, I’ll focus on my duties. But as your client, I hope you’ll think about the company and your future before making any quick decisions.”
Blake stayed quiet, then slowly started the car.
The drive to Bianca’s apartment was filled with silence.
Meanwhile, in an office high in a skyscraper in Mubluosia, Michael sat back on a couch, legs crossed, relaxing.
Next to him, a man with an unreadable expression was on the phone, a glass of wine in his hand.
“Boss, your grandpa changed the engagement celebration to a simple gathering, and Skylar left early,” Zane reported politely. “The reporters you set up showed up and asked the questions as planned. Miss Larson just dodged their questions and left.”
A satisfied grin spread across the man’s face as he listened to the update, and then he ended the call.
Having spent the whole day by Dave’s side, Michael was fully aware of what had been going on. With a light chuckle, Michael teased, “Dave, don’t you think you’re taking this a little too far? Embarrassing that woman like that. It’s pretty harsh, don’t you think?”
Dave shot Michael a cold look and said, “If you’re so worried about her, why don’t you marry her and spoil her yourself? I can have it arranged with my grandpa tomorrow.”
Michael quickly shook his head and waved his hands in protest. “No, no, I didn’t mean that. Okay?”
Only then did Dave ease up, though his expression remained intense.
With a hint of concern, Michael asked, “Aren’t you worried this might upset your grandpa? What’s your plan for explaining all this when we get back?”
Dave looked at him, calm and seemingly unaffected. “The engagement was a lie from the start. If she had just cooperated, none of this would have happened.”
Despite everything, Dave felt an odd sense of trust toward Skylar because she had once saved him. That trust had led him to agree to a fake engagement with her, pressured by his grandfather, to secure shares in the Evans Group.
However, his sources had reported that Skylar had gone to see Bianca at her workplace and even took her to choose a ring for the engagement.
Dave quickly realized that the ring Skylar had chosen was the same one Bianca had shown interest in.
Skylar’s actions-getting close to Bianca and secretly buying the ring she liked-made Dave question what she was really up to.
He remembered how Skylar had told Bianca about the red diamond, making him look suspicious. This made Dave think that Skylar wasn’t as innocent as she appeared.
So, he decided to change his approach and just let things play out, hoping to figure out what Skylar was really planning.
Before the party, Dave got a list of the guests and secretly placed his informants among them. He also made a quick trip to Mubluosia that night, making sure to stay out of sight, especially from his grandpa, who was known for his sharp tracking skills.
When Bianca entered the banquet hall, Dave started to understand Skylar’s plan.
He had his people following Bianca, tracking every conversation and interaction she had throughout the night.