“That’s why you stopped me when my mother’s apartment was on fire, isn’t it?” Bianca asked softly, remembering that moment.
Dave nodded, his chest tightening at the memory. “That fire reminded me of the car accident, of how my parents died. I couldn’t stand the thought of you facing the same fate,” he said softly.
Bianca suddenly understood. Dave had been carrying this heavy burden all along.
It explained why he stopped her that day and why he couldn’t follow her into the flames. He had been battling deep fears and trauma, an invisible wall he couldn’t break through.
“Have you ever thought…” Bianca looked up, meeting his deep, troubled eyes. Her voice was soft but steady. “Maybe your father didn’t abandon you. Maybe he believed there was still hope. He didn’t want you to lose your mom. He just… wanted to protect you both. That’s why he went back. Just like I did that day, holding on to even the smallest chance to save my family.”
Her words stopped Dave in his tracks. He had never thought of it that way.
At the time, everyone had warned them to stay away from the car, afraid it would explode. They were told to wait for help.
Later, people said his father had sacrificed himself out of love, choosing to save his wife even if it meant leaving Dave behind.
That belief was something Dave had believed until now.
Reflecting on that moment, Dave remembered being consumed by tears and desperate cries for his mother.
As his father made the fateful decision and looked back at him, he saw his father’s lips move as if saying something. But through his own sobs, he couldn’t hear a single word.
Those words remained a mystery, lost in the chaos of that terrible day.
A sharp pain suddenly shot through Dave’s head, so intense it felt like it might split open.
“I don’t know… I really don’t know…” Dave muttered, gripping the railing tightly.
Bianca’s words had triggered something deep inside him, disturbing his usually calm and firm heart.
His chest ached, and he felt lost, unsure of what to think or feel.
“What happened after that?” Bianca asked softly in a genuine concern. She could tell Dave’s story was far from over.
Struggling to stay composed, Dave spoke slowly and carefully. “After my grandpa learned about the accident and my parents’ deaths, he was devastated. He fell seriously ill. While he was bedridden, I stayed by my parents’ tombstones. Forensic experts had carefully recovered their remains from the wreckage. But during my grandpa’s illness, my uncles tricked me and locked me in the basement for ten days. My aunt was there too during that time.”
“Your aunt?” Bianca asked, her voice filled with disbelief. “Wasn’t she always so kind to you? Why didn’t she help you?”
Bianca had heard Dave mention it before but still couldn’t believe it.
How could his uncles be so heartless as to plan their nephew’s death in such a cruel way? Knowing Rachel was involved only added to her confusion.
“She did it for her husband,” Dave said with a bitter edge in his voice.
“I overheard Uncle Rupert threatening her. He told her he’d destroy Brady Lawson’s company if she helped me or said anything. At the time, Brady hadn’t taken over the Lawson Group yet, but his own company was thriving because of the Evans Group. Uncle Rupert had full control of the Evans Group while my grandpa was ill, and he could have crushed Brady’s company without any effort.”
“So, for her husband, she… gave up on you?” Bianca said softly, her heart aching as the words came out.
Dave gave a bitter smile. “Yes, I’m always the one left behind. My dad chose my mom. My aunt chose her husband. And you…” He paused, his eyes fixed on the moonlit horizon. “You chose Blake, didn’t you?”
“I…” Bianca wanted to deny it, but the words wouldn’t come. She still didn’t fully trust Dave.
Dave didn’t push her for an answer. He continued looking at the moonlight, and in a low voice her said, “She left and didn’t come back for a long time. I don’t hate her. I understand and respect her choice, but… once a rift forms, it’s hard to repair. Since then, I’ve only given her the respect she deserves, nothing more.”
“You said the girl next door found and saved you,” Bianca said softly.
Dave nodded. “Yes, that girl was Skylar.”
Bianca’s eyes widened in shock.
When Skylar had claimed to save Dave’s life, Bianca hadn’t given it much thought.
But now, hearing Dave confirm it, she couldn’t help but gasp.
Skylar was his savior. The kindness Skylar had shown Dave was far greater than anything Blake had done for Bianca.
A wave of obligation swept over her, mixed with bitterness and grief.
Even so, Bianca needed to know the full truth.
Dave could see she was putting the pieces together. She was sharp, after all.
“Since she saved my life,” he said calmly, “I promised her I’d grant her one wish. Anything, as long as it’s moral and legal.”
Bianca’s heart sank as everything was pieced together.
Skylar’s outburst and her strong opposition to the marriage are all tied back to Dave’s promise.
She clenched her fists tightly.
“When I got home after being rescued,” Dave said, his voice filled with restrained anger, “I found out my mom’s ashes… were poured into the sewer.”
“Who would do something like that?” Bianca gasped, horrified.
Respect for the dead was sacred. To desecrate someone’s ashes was beyond cruel.
“It was Rupert,” Dave said coldly. “He blamed my mom for ruining my dad’s life. My dad was supposed to inherit the Evans Group, but my mom came from a humble background. The gap between them caused a scandal. Still, my dad chose her. He loved her more than the Evans Group and was ready to give up everything to be with her.”
Dave stared into Bianca’s eyes, and she felt herself drawn into the intensity of his stares.
“After my dad’s death, my grandpa’s anger shifted to my mom,” Dave added, his voice was firm but filled with pain. “Rupert took it upon himself to destroy her ashes. He said it was to appease my grandpa, but it was really a move to gain favor and climb the ranks. When I found out from the servants, I collapsed. In a blind rage, I threw anything I could find at Rupert, screaming for him to give my mom’s ashes back. I even lunged at him, trying to bite him as hard as I could. I wanted to tear him apart.”
Dave paused for a moment, his jaw tightening. “But that outburst gave him the perfect excuse. He had me sent to a mental hospital, saying I had psychological issues. I faced the darkest, most hopeless moments of my life in that place. There were even times I thought about taking my own life…”