Chapter 185: Showing Weakness to Achieve Goals
"Who sent the message? Is it about Hayden?" Eli's voice was full of anxiety as he watched Bianca's face after she read the message.
Bianca nodded, meeting the hopeful gazes of the Johnson family. "There might be some leads. Mom, Dad, don't worry. For Hayden's sake, I'll do everything I can."
She didn’t explain who the message was from, leaving the Johnsons hanging with her vague words.
Cleo stopped crying, her face lighting up with excitement. "Really? That's wonderful. Bianca, you're always so dedicated. Unlike Emily, who was such a letdown."
The others echoed her sentiments.
Chase, however, hadn't come to the hospital to see her.
Bianca didn’t mind; Chase wasn’t of much use to her anymore anyway.
But she did feel some resentment towards Chase. Why did he have a problem with her? If he had to blame someone, it should be Emily.
If Emily hadn't insisted on making her apologize publicly and instead provided evidence to clear his name, none of this would have happened.
Bianca then found an excuse, saying she needed to rest, and asked the Johnson family to leave.
As soon as they were gone, she immediately dialed Kade's number.
"Mr. Smith, you gave me Mr. Green's preferences and contact info. Is that really Mr. Green's contact?"
Bianca, being cautious, didn't add the contact right away. She didn’t want to risk annoying Knox, who would likely see her as just another woman trying to get close to him. But she wanted to be special.
"The contact I gave you is someone who can provide you with Knox's real-time schedule. Isn't that better than the uncertain and constantly changing schedules you have now?" Kade was in a good mood, a cigar in hand, a thin smile on his lips, his tone light.
Even over the phone, Bianca could sense it.
Suppressing her doubts, she probed, "Mr. Smith, you always think of everything. By the way, since I'm carrying James' child, your grandchild, could you arrange for James to come back and see me when I give birth?"
Kade paused his cigar smoking and then laughed, "I'll do my best!"
Of course, that was only if she actually gave birth to the child.
Bianca was cunning enough to try and hide her miscarriage. Did she plan to get a fake baby from somewhere else to pass off as a Smith? She had some nerve!
But he wasn't worried. When the time came, a simple paternity test would expose the truth.
Bianca, sensing Kade's pause, knew he had something to do with her miscarriage. She just didn't know if James was involved.
The Smith family had dared to scheme against her. They all deserved to die!
Feeling a rush of emotion, Bianca found it hard to breathe, her head spinning.
"Thank you, Mr. Smith. I'm hanging up now."
Bianca leaned back on her bed, trying to calm down, her voice weak over the phone.
Kade, hearing her frail voice, was even more convinced by his informant's report that she had indeed lost the baby.
Unaware of this, Bianca ended the call with Kade and contacted the number he had given her.
"Hello, who's this?" The voice on the other end was gruff and intimidating.
Bianca frowned, thinking the person sounded like trouble. But she wasn't scared. Trouble was good. It might make it easier for her to get what she wanted.
"Hi, Mr. Smith referred me. I need your help tracking someone's movements. Can you do that?"
She wasn't sure if she meant to say it that way or if it just slipped out.
The person on the other end breathed heavily. "Miss, you shouldn't doubt a man's skills. I might just have to prove it to you if you do."
Clearly flirting.
Bianca imagined the man on the other end, probably ugly and menacing, but easy to manipulate with her fragile and pitiful demeanor.
"Sir, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you. I can tell from your voice that you're very capable. Please don't be mad. I'm already in such a tough spot, trying to rely on myself, and now I've gone and offended you. I'm really sorry..."
She played the part, her voice trembling and soft.
Kade had already briefed the man about her. He was willing to help for a favor in return, knowing he could make some money. He hadn't expected such a delicate girl.
"Don't cry. I wasn't really mad. I'm not that petty. You need my help, right? Let's get to business."
Xavier's voice softened, as if afraid to scare her.
Bianca wiped away non-existent tears, a triumphant smile on her lips. She had him hooked.
"Sir, my brother is in trouble. I need to ask Knox for help. I need to know his schedule for the next two days. Can you find that out?"
She laid out her request. Tracking Knox was no easy task. He was known for his security measures. It would take someone with special skills to track him without being detected. Xavier had those skills, making it easier for him.
"I can take the job, but it won't be cheap. You know the risks of tracking someone like Knox."
"Money is no issue. Name your price. Once it's done, I'll pay you."
Bianca agreed easily, not planning to pay out of her own pocket. She would get the money from the Johnson family. Compared to the ransom, this would be a small price for them. She might even ask for more. Emily wanted 20% of the Johnson Group's shares. Bianca wasn't that greedy.
"Two hundred thousand dollars."
"Deal. Give me his schedule for the next day, and I'll pay you fifty thousand upfront."
She didn't want to spend more than necessary. Fifty thousand was manageable. After a pause, Xavier agreed.
Just as he was about to hang up, Bianca stopped him. "Wait, I have another request. It's simple and involves an ordinary person. Can you help?"
Xavier, curious, agreed. "Tell me. If it's simple, no charge. If it's hard, the price stands."
Bianca thought Emily had no background and Daniel was probably just playing with her, not caring about her safety.
"No problem. I need to know about Emily. I'll send you her photo on WhatsApp. She was at the hospital today. Can you find out why and who she saw?"
"Sure."
They reached an agreement, while Emily remained clueless. She had just arrived home. As she got out of the car, she saw Daniel approaching her house.
"Daniel, you're home early?"
"Yeah, it's been slow the past couple of days." Daniel replied warmly, quickly closing the distance between them. His brows furrowed with concern. "You smell like disinfectant. Were you at the hospital? Are you okay?"