Chapter 32 Witness
Bianca lifted her chin with deliberate confidence, looping her arm through his and letting her voice soften into something almost playful. "You're my future husband… so why shouldn't I lean on your name? Or are you telling me you won't stand by me?"
Terrence's eyes flickered with the faintest trace of amusement. It was gone almost as soon as it appeared. He said nothing, but his hand came up, ruffling her hair in a slow, deliberate motion—a silent acknowledgment.
With Terrence's tacit approval, Glenn moved quickly. By the next day, Bianca was placed inside the Rodriguez Group.
Just as she had predicted, the position was a dead end. No real projects, no responsibility—just stacks of outdated files to sort and the occasional errand to print documents for the department head.
Her coworkers were sharp enough to read between the lines. They saw she was the daughter of the Rodriguez family, yet clearly sidelined, tucked into a meaningless role. Polite on the surface, they kept their distance, their whispers trailing behind her in the corridors.
Bianca didn't care.
She had never expected Glenn to give her real power. Joining the Rodriguez Group was only step one.
She went about the trivial tasks with a detached grace, all the while mapping the company's internal structure, quietly collecting names and connections.
Near the end of the day, Glenn called.
"Bianca, come home tonight. Your stepmother made your favorite dishes." His voice was neutral, almost flat.
Bianca arched a brow. "Fine. I'll come after work."
She wanted to see exactly what game they were playing.
Before leaving, she sent Terrence a quick message.
By the time she arrived at the Rodriguez Mansion, the table was already set. Everyone was there, the air thick with a manufactured warmth, even inquiries about her first day at work.
Bianca sat through it in cool silence, watching them act.
Halfway through the meal, Blair set down her utensils and coughed lightly, her expression faintly fragile.
Thea leaned forward instantly, voice dripping concern. "Blair, are you feeling unwell again? The doctor said you need rest, no stress."
Blair nodded, delicate as porcelain, her gaze flicking toward Bianca with a hesitation that was anything but accidental.
Glenn noticed. He placed his glass down, turning to Bianca with a tone meant to sound reasonable. "Bianca, Blair's health isn't improving. The doctor recommended she move somewhere peaceful."
He paused, then added, "Crystal Gardens has clean air, a perfect environment for recovery. I was thinking… maybe she could stay there for a while. You two could look after each other."
Bianca's lips curved into a cold smile. Exactly as she expected.
She set her utensils down, dabbed her mouth with her napkin, each movement precise. When she looked up, her eyes were icy.
"No."
Glenn's face darkened. "Bianca, she's your sister."
Bianca's laugh was sharp. "Crystal Gardens belongs to Terrence, not the Rodriguez family's guest wing. Without Terrence's permission, I can't—and won't—bring anyone there. I'm sure you understand that."
Blair's eyes reddened, tears gathering as she looked at Glenn. Her voice trembled, carefully pitched to sound wounded. "Dad, don't put Bianca in a difficult position. Her status has changed—she's the future lady of the Anderson family. I shouldn't impose. I know I'm not worthy."
The words were a perfect mix of submission and accusation, implying Bianca had turned her back on family the moment she had Terrence.
Glenn's temper flared. His palm slammed against the table. "Bianca, do you even see me as your father? I'm asking you to let Blair stay for a few days to recover, and you hide behind Terrence to refuse me? Do you really think marrying into the Anderson family means you can forget your own blood?"
Unmoved, Bianca pulled out her phone and dialed Terrence.
The call connected after a few rings, but it was Barry's voice that answered, polite and controlled. "Ms. Rodriguez, Mr. Anderson is in a meeting. If you tell me what you need, I'll pass it along."
Bianca switched to speakerphone. "Barry, my father wants Blair to stay temporarily at Crystal Gardens for health reasons. Please ask Terrence if he agrees."
There was a pause. Then Barry replied, "Ms. Rodriguez, there's no need to ask. Mr. Anderson's instructions are clear—Crystal Gardens does not host outside guests, especially…"
He hesitated, a faint edge slipping into his voice. "Especially Ms. Ember. Mr. Anderson has expressed strong distaste for her repeated, unsolicited advances. He hopes Ms. Ember will respect herself and stop entertaining such ideas."
Glenn's eyes widened, snapping toward Blair as if the ground had just shifted beneath him.
The color drained from Blair's face until she was ghost-pale. Her lips parted, trembling, but no sound emerged. Then her gaze lost focus, her body slackening before she crumpled out of the chair and hit the floor with a dull thud.
"Blair! Blair!" Thea's voice cracked as she dropped to her knees beside her.
The room erupted into chaos—chairs scraping, voices overlapping, someone knocking over a glass.
Bianca stood apart from it all, her expression unreadable. Without a word, she lowered the phone and ended the call.
They eased Blair onto the sofa. Someone shook her shoulders, another fetched a glass of water. Only after a splash hit her face did she stir, blinking as if surfacing from deep water. Tears welled instantly, spilling hot down her cheeks.
"Bianca… how could you—how could you accuse me of something I never did? You just hate me, so you put Barry up to it, just to ruin my name. Dad, you have to stand up for me!"
Thea jumped in immediately. "Bianca, you think that just because you've secured Mr. Anderson, you can crush your sister? Drive her to ruin?"
Glenn's face was a storm, torn between Blair's tearful plea and Bianca's cold detachment. His choice was obvious.
He turned on Bianca. "Do you have anything to say for yourself?"
Blair hesitated, then spoke again, voice trembling but loud enough to cut through the tension. "Bianca, before your engagement, you planned to run away with Mr. Samuel Anderson. You even wrote him love letters. If Mr. Terrence Anderson hadn't come to arrange the marriage, you—"
Glenn's fury ignited. "Bianca, you've disgraced the Rodriguez family!"
Bianca's tone was pure disdain. "A letter proves nothing. Who can say I was truly going to run away?"
"There's a witness!" Blair's voice sharpened. "The driver, Knox. He saw you tell him to prepare the car to go to the airport."
Glenn barked for Knox to be brought in.
The driver arrived quickly. Under Glenn's glare and Blair's subtle cues, Knox dropped his gaze, mumbling, "Yes… that night, Ms. Rodriguez told me to get the car ready… to meet Mr. Anderson at the airport."
"Anything else to say?" Glenn's hand lifted, ready to strike.
Bianca's eyes snapped to Knox, cold enough to make him flinch. "Knox, are you certain I told you that myself?"
His gaze darted away, guilt flickering in his expression.
Bianca's voice cut through the room, sharp and relentless. "If you're so sure, then let's see your phone. Show everyone exactly who messaged you that night to prepare the car."
Knox's face drained of color. His hand instinctively covered his pocket.
Bianca reached in, pulling the phone free before he could react.
He made a half-hearted grab for it, but froze under her glare.
With practiced efficiency, she unlocked it, scrolling straight to the messages. One in particular caught her eye.
She held the screen up to Glenn. "Read it carefully. The sender isn't me, Glenn—it's your precious daughter Blair."
Blair's number was plain on the display.
The evidence was irrefutable.
Glenn stared at the message, his anger collapsing into stunned disbelief. His mouth opened, but no words came.
"I've treated you well, Bianca, but how could you frame Blair like this?" Thea's voice was shrill as she lost control, her hand swinging toward Bianca's face.