Once their conversation ended, Bianca felt dizzy and soon lay down to rest. She quickly drifted off to sleep, still recovering.
Meanwhile, in Blake’s ward, the atmosphere grew tense after Bianca and Reese left. Vincent, standing firm, confronted his wife in a serious tone. “Were those words intentional? What are you trying to do? Are you trying to make Bianca feel guilty by keeping her tied to Blake? Isn’t that selfish?”
Paige’s frustration flared, and she raised her voice. “Am I being selfish? All I want is for someone to take good care of Blake in the future. How is that wrong?”
“We all want the best for him, but why should it be Bianca who has to sacrifice?” Vincent replied, turning away with a heavy sigh. “Is it fair to ask another daughter to give up her life for our son?”
“Honestly, Bianca feels connected to Blake’s accident,” Paige argued. “Blake loves her. What’s so wrong with them being together? Besides, Bianca herself said she feels she owes him. As long as she’s not married, Blake still has a chance,” she added with more confidence.
“If she breaks up with her boyfriend, I’ll do everything I can to bring her and Blake together. She’s the only one I trust to care for him.”
Vincent shook his head, not agreeing with his wife. “Forcing a relationship rarely works. Don’t you remember what happened with Everleigh? It’s a dangerous path.”
Paige was adamant. “I’m doing this to protect Blake from the same fate as his mother! And who says love can’t grow? There are plenty of examples to prove it! You might not feel the same way because Blake isn’t your biological son, but I love him like my own. I won’t stand by and watch him suffer.”
“You’re too stubborn!” Vincent’s frustration was clear, but seeing he couldn’t change Paige’s mind, he sighed and fell silent.
***
After leaving Brandon’s place, Diana knew Reese was with Bianca, so she rushed back to the company to handle urgent business.
Diana was overwhelmed by the flood of termination notices from various companies. The negotiation attempt the night before had failed, and Brandon’s interruption had only made things worse. Those companies sent termination contracts the next day, demanding to end their agreements.
Diana rubbed her aching forehead, feeling the weight of the challenges pressing down on her. She wondered who they had upset so early in their company’s life to cause so many problems.
Could Orion Entertainment be behind this?
How had they managed to convince so many companies to turn against them? Then, there was Phoenix Entertainment, a much bigger company than Orion, but Diana quickly pushed the thought aside. Justin from Phoenix Alliance Group had once helped Bianca…
Lost in her thoughts, Diana was brought back to reality by a commotion outside, followed by loud, excited screams from the crowd.
“Is that Brandon Foster? Could it really be him? Oh my God! It’s actually Brandon!”
“Wow, he’s so handsome! How can someone look like that? He’s even better looking than the most popular celebrities!”
“You have to take a photo of me with Brandon!”
“I’m going to brag about this! To think I’m this close to the nation’s heartthrob singer! This is such a moment for me!”
“And once you’re done, take one of me too! Is my makeup okay? I need to get his autograph. I’m such a huge fan!”
As the office buzzed with excitement and the mention of a name Diana recognized, she quickly opened her door to see what was going on. And there he was, making her eyelids twitch in disbelief.
Brandon had arrived, wearing sunglasses and trying to blend in but still standing out in the crowd of employees wanting autographs and photos. When he caught Diana’s sharp look, he glanced her way and raised an eyebrow.
Realizing the chaos his presence was causing but too late to shut the door, Diana watched as he walked through the crowd toward her. He stopped, took off his sunglasses, and gave her a cool, impassive look.
With curious eyes watching them, Diana knew she had to remain professional despite being frustrated. She forced a smile, gritted her teeth, and greeted him.
“Mr. Foster, what brings you here today? Bianca isn’t here right now, but I’m happy to listen and pass on any message you have for her.”
Brandon’s lips curled into a slight smile as he spoke calmly. “No, I came specifically to speak with you about some personal matters.”
Diana’s polite smile faltered, and her expression turned serious. Noticing the curious glances from her employees, she kept her composure. With a wave of her hand, she motioned for Brandon to enter her office.
Brandon gave her a brief look, then stepped inside. As the door closed behind them, the quiet buzz from the office, which had been filled with anticipation, quickly turned into hushed whispers.
“What’s going on between them?”
“He said it’s about personal matters? I’m really curious about what that means.”
“Diana’s something else, huh? She’s always so quiet, but now she’s caught the attention of a famous singer. Imagine that. And with Brandon’s influence, maybe the company has a chance to recover.”
“Juliet, what are you up to?”
Juliet, a female employee, was sneaking closer to Diana’s office, putting a finger to her lips to hush her coworkers. “Shh! I’m trying to hear what they’re talking about!”
Once the door shut, Brandon moved closer to Diana, pinning her against the wall and showing his anger. “Diana, have you lost your mind? What were you thinking, doing that to me?”
Diana met his intense stare, aware of his frustration with her actions but still surprised by how directly he confronted her.
She noticed a rustling at the door, likely from people trying to listen in.
Diana grabbed Brandon’s tie and pulled him closer, speaking quietly. “Sorry, but I say what’s on my mind. Is throwing a tantrum really necessary? Did I upset you? My apologies.”
“Still being arrogant, huh?” Brandon’s voice was low and tense. “So, you slept with me and then brushed me off? You seemed eager last night. Have you forgotten? And now you say I’m bad in bed?”
Diana kept her composure, though her face flushed slightly. “I was drunk. I couldn’t help it.”
She crossed her arms, taking a more serious stance.
“Let’s move on. Forget about last night. No hard feelings.”
Brandon, surprised, could only manage a confused, “What?”
“I have work to do. Unless there’s something official, I’d appreciate it if you left.” Diana looked directly into his eyes.
Brandon smirked, remembering the previous night with a hint of bitterness. “Are you going to meet another man? Here’s an offer. I’ll outbid them. Just spend time with me.”