All they saw was Dave holding Bianca, who appeared to be fast asleep. Nothing more.
The crowd was puzzled.
Why had Lucas called them so early in the morning?
Lucas’s face turned to one of shock as he searched the room for any sign of Zane. All he found was an open window, with the sea breeze blowing the curtains.
Dave also noticed the open window. His face lost its color, and his dark eyes showed a flicker of fear.
“What in God’s name is going on here?” Lucas shouted at Franklin, blaming him for the confusion.
Franklin, just as confused, had no answers.
He was sure Zane hadn’t left the room last night. How could he have disappeared? His eyes flicked to the open window. A cold thought crossed his mind.
Could Zane have… jumped into the sea?
When Franklin realized what might have happened, he rushed to the window. His heart raced as he leaned out, looking into the distance.
The sea stretched out before him, calm and still.
If anyone had jumped, they would have disappeared into the endless water below.
Dave’s hand curled into a fist. His eyes burned with anger as he stared at Lucas.
“Now that the truth is clear, you can leave.”
Lucas’s heart shook when he saw the intense hatred in Dave’s eyes.
Dave’s presence was disturbing, reminding Lucas of the time he escaped from the asylum years ago.
There was a cold, dangerous energy wrapping him that made Lucas shiver.
Lucas had planned to use this moment to convince Dave to give up on Bianca for good.
But now, with Zane gone and no clue about what happened between him and Bianca, she had once again slipped away from their grasp.
Frustration ate at Lucas as he ground his teeth in annoyance.
He had never felt so defeated. Despite all his efforts to get rid of Bianca, she always managed to escape them.
Embarrassed, he cleared his throat and spoke carefully, “Dave, I misunderstood. All I wanted was what’s best for you. Let her have breakfast when she wakes up.”
He then gave a subtle signal to Franklin, who was standing by the window.
Franklin understood and walked to the door. He looked outside and saw a crowd of guests. With a quick wave, he told them, “Please leave. Let’s not disturb Miss Scott.”
“Why is she still in bed? Why hasn’t she gotten up with so many people here?”
“It’s so late already. Doesn’t she know how to act properly?”
“Shh, keep quiet. Don’t let Dave hear you.”
The guests whispered to each other as they left the room.
Once they were gone, Dave gently placed Bianca back onto the bed, pulling the blanket around her.
Her deep sleep made him suspicious. He wondered if she had been drugged.
He walked to the open window, pulled the curtain back, and looked out with a cold expression.
As he slowly closed his eyes, a look of pain crossed his face.
Dave strongly suspected that Zane had jumped out of the window to protect Bianca’s reputation.
He had always sensed his grandfather’s disapproval of Bianca.
Now, it seemed like the whole situation was planned to create this exact moment. If she and his trusted aide had been found together, it would have made him furious enough to give up on her.
It would also remove Zane, giving his grandfather more control over him.
It was a smart move, achieving two goals at once.
But his grandfather missed one important thing.
Zane would rather die than betray him.
With Zane still alive, he could be used against Bianca.
But now, with him gone, there would be no way to prove what happened the night before.
Zane had done all of this for Dave’s sake.
Dave had once saved Zane, and in return, Zane had sworn a lifetime of loyalty, a vow he had always kept.
Dave’s eyes fluttered as he tried to hold back the pain. His lips grew pale.
Zane wasn’t just an aide; he was his most trusted confidant, someone Dave fully depended on.
His absence left a deep emptiness, as Dave had grown used to having him by his side.
Losing Zane felt like a sharp pain in his soul, filling him with intense heartache.
The anger building inside him was overwhelming.
Struggling to control it, Dave punched the window frame with all his strength, his fist bleeding from the impact.
Dave’s eyes snapped open, filled with determination. He wouldn’t let Zane’s sacrifice go to waste. Whoever was behind this would pay!
Meanwhile, Bianca slowly opened her eyes and saw an unfamiliar ceiling.
She was confused, trying to figure out where she was.
Hadn’t she been with Dave at home? Or was this just another one of her dreams?
She turned her head and saw the space beside her was empty. Her attention was quickly drawn to the figure standing by the window.
“Dave,” she called out without thinking.
At the soft sound, Dave quickly turned around. His eyes brightened with a touch of joy when he saw she was awake.
“Bainc!” He hurried to her side and sat down. “You’re finally awake.”
Bianca looked at him, confusion in her eyes as she started to remember things. She looked around and recognized the surroundings as the Costa Grace, the fancy ship where the Evans Group’s big event had been held. Tears filled her eyes.
That meant this was real!
“Bainc, what’s wrong?” Dave asked quickly, noticing her worried look. “Do you remember what happened last night?”
Bianca couldn’t understand why he was asking. Her memory was foggy.
The only thing she remembered was returning to her room, drinking a bottle of red wine, and then passing out.
After that, she had a dream.
Thinking about that dream made her feel a deep sadness.
She looked at Dave and shook her head. “I just remember drinking wine. Everything else… It’s all a blur.”
The blanket slipped off as she tried to sit up, exposing her skin.
She gasped and quickly pulled the quilt back over herself, glaring at Dave. “Hey! What happened last night? Did… Did you take advantage of me?”
Dave was taken aback by Bianca’s reaction. He smirked as he saw the panic in her eyes and said, “Did you forget how you act when you’re drunk? Could it be that you’re the one who started this, seducing me?”
Bianca froze, memories of the past flooding back. She remembered how, in the past, she had behaved inappropriately toward him while drunk.
She knew her behavior got worse when she drank.
But usually, she remembered at least some parts of it.