Dave lowered his face, and a soft chuckle escaped as he recalled his first meeting with Bianca and their special moments together.
When he raised his face again, his eyes showed a deep affection.
“When love is involved, status doesn’t matter. To me, Bianc is one of a kind, irreplaceable.” He looked at Madison sincerely, showing the truth of his feelings.
Madison felt moved by his words, but she stayed skeptical. “If you love her, why did you deceive her? Did you ever think about how hurt she would be when the truth came out?”
Dave fell silent, knowing that any explanation would sound like an excuse. He didn’t need everyone’s approval, just Bianca’s.
“I made a mistake towards Bianca, and I’ll do whatever it takes to make it right,” he said firmly.
Madison’s anger flared after hearing his response.
“Mr. Evans, you don’t need to make it up to her. The best thing you can do is leave her alone from now on. Bianc is simple and innocent. She can’t handle the problems of your wealthy family. Since you two have already broken up, just let her go.”
Madison’s voice was calm but sharp as she looked at Dave.
“Also, Bianc has been engaged to Blake for a while now. He’s her fiance, and they’re getting married.”
Dave’s eyes narrowed. “She’s engaged to Blake?”
Madison nodded. “Didn’t she tell you? You should have known that. Now that you do, I hope you’ll let them be together.”
Dave’s hands tightened.
So, Bianca and Blake were engaged, and she hadn’t bothered to tell him.
So much for honesty.
Then, it hit him. Bianca had her own secrets. Her relationship with Blake wasn’t as simple as she had made it seem.
Maybe she never planned to marry him and had always intended to be with someone else.
“Even if you love Bianc, can you really marry her?” Madison asked, looking directly into his eyes. She knew how tough life in high society could be.
Wealthy families had strict standards for who their sons married. They’d never accept someone outside their circle.
Dave stayed silent, and his hands were still clenched. He had promised Skylar in writing that he would never marry Bianca. He couldn’t answer Madison.
Seeing his silence, Madison became more certain that Dave had no intention of marrying Bianca. She scoffed, “You and Bianc are from different worlds. Your wife will be someone from high society. I’m sorry, but my daughter doesn’t fit that picture. If there’s nothing else, I’m tired and need to rest.”
Madison closed her eyes, signaling the end of the conversation. She didn’t want to upset Dave, so she spoke politely, hoping he’d understand and stay away from Bianca.
“I came here today to talk about something else,” Dave said, his heart feeling tight. He changed the subject suddenly.
Madison opened her eyes, confused. “What is it?”
Dave’s voice became more serious. “It’s about Cherish.”
****
After leaving the hospital room, Bianca couldn’t find Leonel anywhere.
She realized that meeting him would only make things awkward, so she walked around the hospital grounds alone, thinking about how to explain Dave to him.
She wandered aimlessly.
When she walked into the garden, a familiar figure blocked her path.
Bianca looked up, shocked to see Skylar. Her mouth fell open in surprise.
“I’m here for you,” Skylar said, dropping all act.
“What are you doing here?” Bianca asked carefully, eyeing her cautiously.
“Let’s find a quiet place to talk, just you and me,” Skylar said with a shrug, guiding Bianca to a secluded area in the garden.
She then turned to face her.
“Miss Larson, if this isn’t important, I have a lot to do and can’t waste time,” Bianca said, her voice showing irritation.
Skylar raised an eyebrow and grinned. “Dave wasn’t with you last night, was he?”
Bianca’s frown deepened. “How do you know?”
“Well, of course, I know,” Skylar laughed. “Because he was with me last night.”
Bianca felt like an arrow had struck her heart. She tried to stay calm, but her eyes betrayed her as they shook.
Skylar enjoyed watching her reaction. Seeing Bianca silent made her feel even more pleased. “You can guess what might have happened between him and me, right?”
Bianca gritted her teeth, holding back the pain. “What do you want to tell me?”
Skylar laughed. “Bianca, do you really think you’ve won? Look at this.”
She pulled out a piece of paper from her bag and unfolded it in front of Bianca.
It said, “I, Dave Evans, promise Skylar Larson that I will stay with her tonight and that I will never marry Bianca Scott in this lifetime.”
Bianca’s mask shattered when she saw Dave’s handwriting. He had said he was working last night, but instead, he was with Skylar.
They had spent the night together, and he never promised to marry her.
Had all his declarations of love been lies? If he preferred Skylar, why had he chosen her in front of his grandfather?
Bianca dug her nails into her palms, trying to use the physical pain to numb the emotional ache. She couldn’t understand why Dave had done this.
She looked up at Skylar, trying to appear unaffected, though her heart was breaking.
“You’re wrong. I never tried to compete with you. Everything was Dave’s choice. It has nothing to do with me. If there’s nothing else, I’ll leave.”
“Bianca!” Skylar called after her. “Dave will marry me one day! You wouldn’t have been fooled for so long if you could win him over. Without my help, you’d still be blind to his true nature. How could a man who really loves you deceive you for so long?”
Skylar’s words hit hard, making Bianca feel like her heart was bleeding. She suddenly realized that all the love she had believed in was just a fragile illusion, easily broken.
She started to believe Skylar was right.
If Dave really loved her, how could he keep lying? If she hadn’t found out the truth, would he have kept deceiving her forever? The thought left Bianca struggling to breathe, unable to speak.
Skylar’s voice softened, sounding almost sincere. “Bianca, I’m sorry for how I’ve acted, but I had no choice. His grandfather chose me to be his future wife. To prepare for this, I spent years abroad, improving myself. Marrying him has been my goal in life. I even gave up who I was to become part of high society. When I came back, I found out you were involved. My anger over that is why I… But last night, Dave reminded me that he hasn’t forgotten me. I saved him once, and because he still values that, he couldn’t resist being with me.”