Chapter 7 Imprisoned
The tension in the room had reached a breaking point. Glenn's jaw tightened, his voice clipped with irritation. "Someone, take Bianca back to her room. She needs rest."
Bianca rose without a word, her spine straight but her steps slow, as if each one was measured. Two servants shadowed her up the sweeping staircase to the second floor. The moment she stepped inside, the door clicked shut behind her… and then came the unmistakable sound of a lock turning from the outside.
She exhaled sharply, leaning her back against the cold wood. Of course. The same old tactic.
Crossing the room, she pulled back the edge of the curtain. From her vantage point, she had a clear view of the Rodriguez Mansion's grand front gates. A pair of additional guards stood rigid at their posts, rifles slung over their shoulders. Breaking out would be impossible without drawing attention.
She needed to reach Terrence. Somehow.
Meanwhile, at Crystal Gardens.
Terrence had just returned from the office. The house was too quiet, the kind of silence that instantly set his teeth on edge. "Where is she?" His voice carried down the marble hall.
Robert, his butler, stepped forward, bowing slightly. "Mr. Anderson, Ms. Rodriguez requested the driver to take her back to the Rodriguez Mansion early this morning. She has not returned."
The Rodriguez Mansion. Terrence's lips pressed into a thin line, a flicker of coldness hardening his eyes. So soon… Bianca was already trying to escape this place. Or was she simply trying to escape him?
The phone in his pocket began to buzz insistently. He pulled it out, and his gaze darkened when he saw the caller ID. Bianca.
Perfect. He wanted to hear her explanation.
He tapped the answer button. Silence met him.
Back at the Rodriguez Mansion, Bianca stood rigid, glaring at Thea and Blair. Her fingers clenched around her phone like a lifeline. "Enough. You won't let me leave, and now you're meddling in my business. Believe me, I'll tell my father right now."
Thea and Blair exchanged a glance. Thea's lips curled into a faint smile. "Bianca, that's not fair. I'm helping you. How can you call it meddling?"
Blair's eyes narrowed. She spotted the glow of Bianca's phone screen. Suspicion sharpened her tone. "Who are you calling?"
Bianca ended the call in one swift motion, her expression icy. "Get out. This is my room."
Blair took a step forward, but Thea caught her arm, giving a subtle shake of her head. This was the kind of petty squabbling that could be brushed aside, but if they pushed too far, Terrence would be impossible to placate… and Glenn wouldn't approve either.
Thea knew Glenn's plans were far from complete. Cornering Bianca now would be a mistake. "Then rest, Bianca."
Once outside, Blair muttered under her breath, "She's reporting to someone. What if it's Terrence?"
"Enough," Thea replied briskly. "A man like Terrence wouldn't waste his attention on her. Stop imagining things."
Thea glanced toward the servant stationed at Bianca's door. "She said she wants to rest. Don't bring her any food."
'Let's see how long her defiance lasts when she's hungry for three or four days,' she thought.
Back at Crystal Gardens, Terrence stared at his phone's black screen for a long moment before speaking. "Prepare the car. We're going to the Rodriguez Mansion."
The Rodriguez Mansion.
A sleek, black, limited-edition sports car rolled to a stop in front of the estate. Terrence stepped out without hesitation, his stride cutting across the manicured drive. He pushed through the front doors without so much as a knock.
On the sofa, Glenn, Thea, and Blair were chatting idly. The atmosphere shifted the instant they looked up and saw him.
Glenn rose immediately, his smile tight. "Mr. Anderson, what a surprise. You should have called ahead. I've already eaten dinner—I'm afraid I can't offer you much in the way of hospitality."
Terrence's gaze swept the opulent space, but the one person he wanted to see was nowhere in sight. "Where's Bianca?"
Thea and Blair exchanged another uneasy look. "Mr. Anderson," Thea began, "Bianca has already gone to bed. Is there something urgent?"
"I'm afraid it's my fault," she added with a practiced sigh. "She was homesick and wanted to stay here for a while. She'll come back in a few days."
"Asleep?" Terrence's lips curved into a cold half-smile, cutting her lie short. "Wake her."
He crossed the room and sank into the main sofa, long legs folding lazily, but the weight of his presence filled the space. He looked like the true master of the mansion.
"I need to speak to her. Now."
Glenn, still needing Terrence's favor, didn't dare refuse. He shot Thea a look. "Well? Go get her."
Thea hesitated, then made her way upstairs.
Moments later, Bianca followed Thea down the grand staircase. The instant she saw Terrence, a flash of vulnerability crossed her eyes—quick, almost hidden—before she stepped forward and linked her arm through his without hesitation.
"Mr. Anderson." Her voice carried a faint catch, just enough to betray emotion.
Terrence's hand twitched where it rested at his side, but he didn't pull away. Behind his sunglasses, his gaze lingered on the faint redness at the corners of her eyes. The icy edge in his demeanor softened… just barely.
Glenn seized the moment. "Bianca, Mr. Anderson came here especially to see you. Surely it's important. You return home without saying a word to him?"
Bianca ignored Glenn's attempt at civility. Her eyes flicked to his wrist, and her breath caught. That watch… She knew it instantly. It was her mother's—Daphne Morgan's—most treasured possession, a piece Bianca had designed herself. Daphne had worn it almost every day until her death.
It was a relic. And now Glenn was wearing it like a threat.
Her nails dug into her palm. She lifted her chin, meeting Terrence's gaze. "Mr. Anderson, my mother's belongings… they're still here at the Rodriguez Mansion." Her voice dropped to a quiet plea. "I want them back."
She turned toward Glenn. "Father, I only want my mother's things."
Glenn's smile faltered. Under Terrence's silent scrutiny, it felt as though the air in the room had grown heavier.
He forced a chuckle. "Bianca, what a thing to say. I've kept them safe for you. I only thought the timing wasn't right to hand them over."
His eyes slid to Terrence, his tone shifting to cautious diplomacy. "Mr. Anderson, you can see how sentimental she is. Speaking of which… the Rodriguez Group has a promising project in the works. I've been hoping for a chance to collaborate with the Anderson Group, but the right opportunity hasn't come along."
He added, "If we could secure a partnership, her mother's belongings would be returned to her immediately. It would be proper… and I'd feel more comfortable. Wouldn't you agree?"
Terrence's gaze remained fixed on Glenn. The silence was so deep you could hear the tick of the antique clock. Finally, his voice broke through, low and even. "Fine."
Bianca's head snapped up, disbelief flickering in her eyes.
Glenn's relief was immediate. "Excellent. Mr. Anderson, rest assured—once Bianca marries into your family, her mother's things will be returned exactly as they are. Having you as her fiancé is a blessing for the Rodriguez family."
Bianca's stomach twisted at his words, the taste in her mouth sour and bitter.
Blair, watching from the sidelines, felt jealousy burn through her. Why did Bianca always get Terrence's attention?
She couldn't hold back. "Bianca, you're using Mr. Terrence Anderson to get your mother's belongings back, but we all know you came here to meet with Mr. Samuel Anderson! And now you're pretending in front of Mr. Terrence Anderson… what do you take him for?"
The air around Terrence shifted instantly, the brief softness gone. His presence sharpened into something cold and dangerous, the kind of pressure that made every breath feel heavier.