“Miss Scott, Miss Johnson, wrap yourselves in these shawls. Be careful of the cold. I’ll take you home,” Wyatt said, handing them dry shawls.
Sophia pulled away from the embrace and took the shawl.
Bianca, however, froze when she saw Wyatt.
He was the same man who had once pretended to be the CEO of Phoenix Alliance Group.
“It’s you-” she murmured, stunned.
Wyatt smiled knowingly. “Long time no see.” He could tell she had recognized him.
Realizing she hadn’t thanked him yet, Bianca quickly said, “If it weren’t for you, I might not have made it. Thank you. May I know your name?”
Wyatt gave a polite smile. “You’re welcome, Miss Scott. Please, call me Wyatt.”
“Why are you here?” she asked.
“I’m here on Mr. Evans’s orders. He sent me,” Wyatt replied.
Bianca’s heart pounded.
How did Dave know where she was?
Despite the danger, Wyatt had risked his life for her as Dave’s subordinate. The thought bothered Bianca.
“Why did you come to save me?” she asked, her voice filled with curiosity.
Wyatt gave a faint smile. “It’s my duty. You are the person Mr. Evans values most. He has repeatedly entrusted me with your safety.”
Bianca felt an unexpected warmth at his words.
“It seems Mr. Evans thinks highly of you, Bianc,” Sophia whispered softly.
Bianca was torn by a whirlwind of emotions.
Biting her lip, she voiced her doubt. “Wyatt works for him, so of course, he’d defend him. But Dave has deceived me before.”
Wyatt started to speak but stopped himself, remembering Dave’s distaste for gossip.
“Miss Scott, Miss Johnson, may I drive you home?” he offered instead.
They quickly left with him.
As they traveled, a sudden thought struck Bianca.
Where was Michael?
He had been with her earlier, but now, he was nowhere in sight.
She scanned her surroundings, but he had vanished.
“Where is Mr. Hayes?” Bianca asked, confused.
Sophia had noticed his absence too. A mix of disappointment and sadness flickered in her eyes. “I don’t know when he left,” she whispered.
Bianca frowned. “What a strange man.” Michael had been frantic when Sophia was missing, yet he disappeared without a word.
She glanced at Sophia, who looked downcast.
Bianca made a silent decision-at the next opportunity, she would find out exactly what had happened last night.
After getting into the car, Sophia stole a glance at Bianca. Ever since Wyatt mentioned Dave, she had been deep in thought.
Work had kept Sophia busy lately, leaving little time to catch up with Bianca. She couldn’t shake the feeling that something had happened between Bianca and Dave-something that led to their sudden breakup.
Curious, she turned to Wyatt, who sat in the front passenger seat. Hoping to get some answers, she asked, “Wyatt, when did you start working for Mr. Evans?”
Wyatt paused, his expression shifting.
“Almost twenty years ago,” he said, sounding emotional.
Sophia’s eyes widened. “He can’t be more than thirty, right?”
Wyatt gave a gentle smile. “You’re right. But even at ten, he was extraordinary.”
Bianca, who had been staring at her hands, suddenly looked up.
She remembered what Dave had told her-his past, the things that happened when he was ten. The man before her matched the one Dave had mentioned from the mental hospital.
“You… you weren’t the one who helped him escape from…” she murmured, half to herself.
Wyatt turned slightly, his usually calm eyes flickering with surprise.
To his knowledge, Dave rarely talked about that asylum. Almost no one knew what he had endured there.
Yet Bianca did.
She wasn’t just anyone to Dave.
Over the years, Wyatt had softened. His once rigid attitude had changed constantly.
He gave a faint smile. “It seems he trusts you. Not many know about this, Miss Scott. Keep it quiet. It took him a long time to get where he is.”
Wyatt had been by Dave’s side for years, witnessing every struggle. To him, Dave wasn’t just an employer-he was like a disciple, even a son at times.
Though he didn’t know the full story between Dave and Bianca, he was certain she had misunderstood something.
“Miss Scott,” he said gently, “Mr. Evans has been through more than most. That’s why he’s cautious. If he lied to you, it was likely to protect you.”
Bianca pinched her fingers, her mind spinning. The horrors of that asylum were real… If Dave had endured all that, then could everything else he said be true too?
“Bianc, I think you might have misunderstood Mr. Evans,” Sophia said gently. She didn’t know the full story, but she had a good impression of Dave. His love for Bianca had always seemed sincere.
Bianca lowered her eyes, staying silent.
Sophia continued, “In a relationship, the one who caused the misunderstanding should clear it up. Maybe talking to Mr. Evans will fix everything.”
Bianca’s fingers curled tighter. “No matter why he lied, it doesn’t change the fact that we can’t be together.”
“But why?” Sophia asked, confused.
Bianca’s lips curled into a bitter smile. “He wrote a statement saying he’d never take me as his wife. He’s the Evans family heir. One day, he’ll marry and have children. If I can’t be his wife, I’d only be his mistress. I won’t accept that.”
Sophia’s eyes widened in shock. “Why would he write something like that?”
“It was a promise,” Bianca said quietly. “To the person who saved his life when he was a child.”
Sophia frowned. “That sounds ridiculous!”
Bianca let out a dry laugh. “Because the person who saved him is his fiancee-Skylar Larson.”
Sophia fell silent, unsure of what to say.
Wyatt, who had been listening, finally said. “Miss Scott, Mr. Evans has actually cut ties with the Evans Group.”
Bianca’s head snapped up. “What do you mean?”
“He doesn’t want to be controlled by the Evans Group anymore. He’s going solo, cutting all ties with them.”
The news of Phoenix Alliance Group separating from the Evans Group would soon send shockwaves through the business world.
Bianca was stunned. Without thinking, she blurted out, “Why?”
Wyatt met her gaze with a knowing smile. “That’s not for me to say. You should ask him yourself.”
Wyatt pulled into Sophia’s apartment complex.
By the time Bianca dropped Sophia off, Elaine was already at kindergarten. With Sophia back at work, the babysitter had taken on full-time hours to help care for her.
At that moment, the babysitter was out running errands, leaving the apartment empty.