Meanwhile, Skylar came out of the dressing room in her nightgown. She shot a furious look at Dave, who was sitting on the sofa reading a magazine.
She thought about how she could win him over.
She purposely lowered the neckline of her nightgown and walked over to him, taking his arm.
“Dave, it’s getting late. We should go to sleep.”
She pressed her chest against his arm, rubbing it suggestively a few times.
But Dave immediately pushed her away, sending her to the other side of the sofa.
“Skylar, I have always treated you with respect. Don’t make me lose that respect for you tonight,” Dave said sharply.
Skylar bit her lip. Men had always pursued her, but she had never been so bold with a man before. Yet, in front of Dave, she had thrown aside all her dignity, only to be rejected time and time again.
“Dave, there’s just one thing I need to ask you.” Skylar’s eyes filled with tears as she looked at him, and her eyes drifted away. “Do you honestly have no affection for me at all?”
Dave’s eyes were completely emotionless as he looked at her. He answered without hesitation.
“Not even a little bit.”
Skylar felt as if his words had cut her deeply. She let out a bitter laugh. “What about Bianca, then? How much do you care about her?”
Dave looked at her coldly. He answered firmly, “I am in love with her.”
Skylar couldn’t hold it in anymore. She started laughing uncontrollably, each laugh full of bitterness.
“Fine, you say you love her. But because of me, marriage will never happen with her. I should be happy about this, right?”
Skylar laughed wildly.
Dave looked coldly at Skylar, who was nearly out of control. He never imagined the girl who had once saved him from despair would become like this.
A simple act of gratitude had turned into a weapon for blackmail.
It was ridiculous!
He glanced at his watch and saw it was already midnight. He wondered if Bianca had gone to bed and if she would be upset that he hadn’t returned.
Given the situation, he decided to explain everything to her in the morning.
Skylar noticed Dave’s indifference. She realized that any more actions would only make him disgusted.
She turned away, stormed into her room, and slammed the door.
Dave looked up, finally allowing himself to relax as he sank into the sofa.
Meanwhile, in the lavish suite where Lucas was staying, the butler Franklin entered with a respectful air to report. “It’s done.”
“Well done!” Lucas put down the magazine he was reading and removed his glasses, and his eyes sparkled with joy.
“Yes. Zane entered Bianca’s room and didn’t come out. The combination of hallucinogens and aphrodisiac smoke is too much to resist,” Franklin said with a wicked grin.
Lucas, arms crossed over his chest, leaned back into the sofa, clearly pleased. “How will Dave react tomorrow when he finds his trusted aide and the woman he loves in bed together?”
Lucas couldn’t help but laugh loudly at the thought.
Franklin chuckled along, adding, “It will crush him!”
“Exactly! I want Dave to give up on her. As the future head of the Evans Group, he can’t marry a woman who had an affair with his subordinate. We’ll create a huge scene and let everyone see it tomorrow. Dave cares about his reputation; he might kill her on the spot!”
He continued, “As for Zane, I’ve never liked him. He must have known about Dave and that woman but never told me. He’s useless! We’ll get rid of him and put our own people close to Dave to watch him.”
Lucas’s eyes narrowed, and his stare turned sharp with clever plans and schemes.
Although anger bubbled inside him, Lucas knew he couldn’t easily get rid of Dave. Dave was the best choice to lead the Evans Group.
Lucas believed Dave was just temporarily distracted by Bianca’s charm. He wanted Dave to see the truth about her.
Then, he would realize that Skylar was the perfect match-someone kind and moral.
“By the way, how’s Skylar doing?” Lucas asked casually, his attention shifting back to the current situation.
“Dave spent the night in his room,” Franklin replied.
Lucas’s mood lifted, and a smile spread across his face. “It seems Skylar hasn’t let me down. To handle men, one must use some strategy to keep them captured. Being too naive won’t work; even if she marries Dave, she could easily be taken advantage of.”
“You’re absolutely right. After tonight, your worries should be gone.”
“Good! That’s just wonderful!” Lucas felt relieved and said to Franklin, “I can’t wait to see the drama tomorrow!”
The night’s events continued until nearly dawn. The cruise ship finally became calm as the sun rose over the sea.
But it was only the calm before the storm.
Dave slowly opened his eyes. He had worked on company matters until midnight and somehow fell asleep on the sofa.
Used to waking up early, he noticed his sleep was never deep unless Bianca was beside him.
As he sat up, his thoughts immediately went to Bianca.
The soft sunlight filtered through the curtains, casting a peaceful glow over the room.
Thinking he had kept his promise to Skylar, he knew it was time to go back to Bianca.
He stood up from the sofa, stretched his tired body, and stepped into the corridor.
The ship was large, and Dave’s luxurious suite was far from Skylar’s room.
On his way, he tried calling Zane for an update on the previous night, but the call went unanswered.
His brows furrowed deeply.
Zane was always reliable and always reachable, day or night. The silence was unusual, and it raised alarm bells in Dave’s mind.
Had something gone wrong?
He quickened his pace, urgency pushing him toward the luxury suite.
When he arrived, he found Zane was gone.
The silence from his phone only made Dave feel more uncomfortable.
A knot of worry tightened in his chest.
The door’s security system recognized his fingerprint and let him in without delay.
He rushed into the room, but the silence felt unsettling.
A wine bottle and a spilled glass disrupted the otherwise neat living room. The sofa, with cushions out of place, showed signs of a restless night.
His eyes then moved to the closed bedroom door, a feeling of suspicion and dread growing inside him.