Dave nodded and quickly dialed Zane’s number. “I’ll have Zane take you back. If you’re tired, rest. He’ll stay with you, and I’ll be back soon,” he promised Bianca.
His protective instincts kicked in, and he trusted only his closest friend to keep her safe.
Watching Dave’s cautious actions, Franklin’s eyes narrowed with thought.
A wicked grin slowly spread across his face, revealing a dark intention.
Soon, Zane arrived and escorted Bianca to Dave’s suite.
After exchanging a few words with some guests, Dave left with Franklin, feeling more at ease.
When the lounge door opened, Dave saw Lucas lounging in an armchair, surrounded by tall bodyguards.
At Lucas’s nod, the guards quietly left the room.
Franklin closed the door softly behind them, leaving only Dave and Lucas together.
“Grandpa, how can I help you?” Dave asked, approaching Lucas with sharp eyes.
“Dave, I know your heart is with Bianca, but you can’t forget about Skylar!” Lucas said, turning to Dave with a heavy look in his eyes.
Dave frowned and asked, “What happened to her?”
“She’s locked herself in her room and refuses to see anyone, not even me. I’m worried something terrible might happen to her, which is why I called you here,” Lucas explained.
He sighed deeply, saying, “Dave, I understand you’ve grown and have your own beliefs now. You’re independent. I’ve always treated you like a child and maybe interfered too much. I should have considered your point of view. Now that you’ve found someone you care about, I won’t stand in your way as long as she is good and really loves you. But Skylar saved your life once. Our Evans family owes her a debt that can’t be ignored. What’s happening to her now is partly because of my actions. Given everything, you can’t just ignore her.”
Dave remembered the time he was trapped in the cellar, close to death, and it was Skylar who had shown him a way out and pulled him from despair. He would never forget her kindness.
After a short pause, Dave quietly said, “I understand. I’ll go check on her.”
Seeing Dave agree, Lucas pretended to feel relieved, though a small hint of satisfaction appeared on his lips.
As Dave moved toward the door, he stopped suddenly and turned to face Lucas with a questioning look. “Grandpa, do you really accept Bianca and promise not to harm her?”
Lucas was caught off guard by the question. He quickly tried to hide his calculating expression, replacing it with a warm smile. “Of course. I’ve told you before. As long as Bianca has integrity and really loves you, I fully support your relationship.”
Dave’s lips tightened, but he still felt bothered.
Lucas’s sudden change in attitude seemed too quick, leaving him confused.
But at that moment, he couldn’t find any clear flaws.
Could he have misjudged his grandfather? Maybe he didn’t really dislike ordinary girls after all.
Was it possible that his grandfather wasn’t as cruel and harsh as he thought? Could it be that he had actually seen everything clearly after all these years?
With a furrowed brow and many thoughts running through his head, Dave nodded at Lucas before leaving the lounge.
As soon as the door clicked shut, Lucas’s friendly attitude changed to one of coldness and cruelty.
He snorted in contempt, glaring at the direction Dave had gone.
“I’ll never accept that lowly woman,” Lucas muttered to himself. “Dave, remember, wisdom comes with age. If you want to challenge me, you’ll need more experience. I’ll show you just how deceitful the woman you’ve chosen is. She doesn’t love you and isn’t good enough for you. Soon enough, you’ll be more eager to get rid of her than I am.”
Feeling satisfied, Lucas leaned back in his chair, lifted his tea, and took a slow, contented sip.
****
Bianca and Zane walked in silence down the corridor to Dave’s suite.
Zane kept sneaking glances at Bianca as they walked together.
After a moment of hesitation, he couldn’t stay quiet anymore. “Miss Scott, actually, my boss… I mean, Dave, he didn’t mean to deceive you. Everything he did was to protect you.”
Zane knew better than anyone how much Dave cared for Bianca. He saw the distance growing between them and felt the need to defend his boss.
Bianca didn’t say anything.
Seeing her still expression, Zane rushed to say, “The problems you and your company faced were all solved by my boss. Without him, you…”
Bianca stopped suddenly and turned to face Zane, her lips curling into a slight, cold smile. “Even if he did help me, it doesn’t change the fact that he lied. He could have been honest from the start if he trusted me. We could have faced everything together. But he chose to hide things. Wasn’t that because he was afraid I’d act out of line once I knew who he really was? Maybe cling to him, try to get involved with the Evans Group, or even expose our relationship and make things harder for him?”
Zane was at a loss for words.
Dave never opened up about his true feelings, so Zane couldn’t say for sure if he had the same fears Bianca described.
However, from Dave’s point of view, he likely chose the safest option to avoid potential problems.
By hiding his real identity, he kept her away from the Evans Group’s complications, which he saw as a way of protecting her.
“Miss Scott, I believe…”
Before Zane could finish, Bianca cut him off, raising her voice. “Mr. Miller, as his trusted assistant, your words don’t hold much weight with me.”
Her response left Zane momentarily speechless. He realized how sharp-tongued she was, always leaving him without a reply.
He was just an assistant, and his job was to do his work and follow his boss’s orders. It wasn’t his place to get involved in their personal matters.
With that thought, Zane decided not to say anything more. He nodded politely and said, “Sorry, I’ve said too much.”
They reached the door of the suite. Zane opened it and respectfully told Bianca, “I’ll stay by the door until my boss returns. If you need anything, just let me know.”
Bianca gave him a brief glance, nodded, and entered the suite.
Once inside, Bianca closed the door, leaned back against it, and slowly slid to the floor, sitting down.
The night’s revelations had left her thoughts in chaos. She needed time to sort everything out.
But every time she thought about Dave’s past lies and her own naive trust, she couldn’t calm down.
It felt like he had been playing games with her.