Lucas stared at him, confused. What was his grandson trying to say? Was Dave implying that he would hate him if he hurt Bianca? Did Dave know that what happened the previous night was his doing?
Lucas could never forget how Dave had looked at him so coldly. He had never been afraid of anyone, but when Dave gave him that look, he felt a hint of fear.
Dave was very much like him, and he knew that trying to force Dave to do anything would only lead to failure.
Recently, Evans Group had taken a heavy blow. Lucas didn’t want things to get any worse.
Since Dave was the most capable future leader of the company, he would do nothing against him as long as Dave stayed obedient.
As for Bianca, Lucas couldn’t promise to leave her alone unless Dave really and fully let her go.
“Okay, but you need to understand that everything I did was for your own good,” Lucas told Dave. “As long as you cooperate, I won’t do anything that shouldn’t be done. Since you have nothing more to do with Bianca, your marriage should happen soon.”
Lucas glanced at Skylar as he spoke.
Skylar couldn’t help but smile shyly, clearly overjoyed.
Dave looked at both Skylar and Lucas before speaking in a cold tone. “The next thing I want to say is…”
Dave stood up and looked down at the two people sitting across from him. He dropped a share certificate onto the table in front of them.
“I’ll be quitting Evans Group,” he said.
“What?! What are you talking about?”
Both Lucas and Skylar’s eyes widened in shock. They couldn’t believe what they were hearing. Had they misunderstood?
“I’ll take Phoenix Alliance Group out of Evans Group,” Dave continued. “From now on, Phoenix Alliance Group will have nothing to do with Evans Group. I’m no longer the next leader of Evans Group. I’m now the president of Phoenix Alliance Group.”
“Dave, have you lost your mind?” Skylar shouted, standing up in shock. She couldn’t understand why he would make such a crazy decision.
“Is it because of that woman?” Lucas growled, his face turned red out of rage.
“No, it’s because of me,” Dave replied calmly. “For the past few years, I’ve lived for Evans Group, for you, and for my late parents, but I’ve never lived for myself. Now, I want to live for me.”
“How is staying in Evans Group not living for yourself?” Lucas asked, confused. “Has that woman cast a spell on you? Did you make this decision because of her?”
Lucas stood up angrily from the sofa. He had considered many possibilities, but he never imagined, not even in his wildest dreams, that Dave would leave Evans Group.
How could this be? No way!
If Bianca had such a strong influence on Dave, then he would never let him stay with her!
“Grandpa! Listen! Let me make this clear again. I have nothing to do with Bianca. Why bring her into this? Or are you just looking for someone to blame to satisfy your need for control?” Dave’s voice grew firm, showing his authority.
Lucas was left speechless. He stared at Dave in shock, unable to believe what he heard. At that moment, he suddenly felt the weight of his years.
“Dave… you… I did everything for your sake…” Lucas finally spoke in a hoarse voice after a long pause.
Dave chuckled. “Grandpa, if you really cared about me, you wouldn’t have ignored my parents’ death, let Rupert scatter my mother’s ashes, or let him send me to that asylum. It’s your fault I’m like this. Under your control, I can’t even protect the people I care about!”
Lucas was stunned. He couldn’t understand what he had done wrong.
The struggles between wealthy families were always harsh.
All Lucas wanted was for Dave to succeed.
What had gone wrong?
Lucas had never felt so betrayed. If Dave wanted to go his own way, he needed to understand that without the Evans family’s support, he was nothing.
Lucas narrowed his eyes, giving Dave a sharp look, and said slowly. “If you make a deal with me, I’ll let you leave the Evans Group.”
“What kind of deal?” Dave asked seriously.
Lucas smiled. “I’ll give you three years. If you don’t succeed, you come back, marry Skylar, and take over the Evans Group.”
Dave responded coldly, “Grandpa, I’m just informing you, not negotiating.”
“If you agree to this deal, I’ll leave Bianca alone. But if you don’t… Well, I can’t promise there won’t be consequences for others.” Lucas looked directly into Dave’s eyes as if he had found his weakness.
Dave’s face stiffened, and his fists tightened slightly.
“Unless you’re sure you can keep Bianca safe from me.” Lucas dropped the act and threatened him.
Dave didn’t have that kind of confidence. If he had, he wouldn’t have hidden his identity to be with Bianca, keeping it a secret for so long.
He could only try his best to protect her, but deep down, he was scared he might not succeed.
Since Dave stepped off the cruise ship, he had made sure his men kept a close eye on Bianca, worried something bad might happen to her again.
But there were always things that were missed. Bianca would only truly be safe if his grandpa was ready to let her go.
With this in mind, Dave answered without hesitation, “Okay, I promise you.”
Hearing that, Lucas’s lips twitched slightly.
The Evans Group could deal with anyone. He was sure Dave would face difficulties once he left and would eventually return.
When Dave came back, things could go back to normal.
After Dave left, Skylar knelt before Lucas. “Are you really going to let Dave leave the Evans Group so easily? If he succeeds, he might never come back.”
“Don’t worry,” Lucas said with a smile. “I won’t let him succeed, no matter what.”
Skylar felt a little relieved hearing this. “Are you really going to let Bianca go?” she asked.
“Since I promised Dave, I’ll stick to it,” Lucas replied.
He now understood that Dave wasn’t as easy to deceive as before. He had grown up, become more mature, and was less likely to be tricked like a child.
“Skylar, I can only help you so much. If you want to win his heart, you’ll have to do it on your own.”
Lucas stood up from the sofa, exhausted. “I’m tired. Help me back to my room to rest.”
“Sure thing. Lean on me,” Skylar said, gently supporting Lucas’s arm.
But Skylar’s eyes revealed her reluctance and bitterness.
Even though Lucas was ready to let Bianca go, she wasn’t.
She saw Bianca as a growing threat that would eventually cause trouble.