Chapter 53 Refusing to Break Off the Engagement and Switch Partners
"It's all because of Emily. She wasn't happy that my friend mentioned her on the campus forum and made the school punish my friend," Bianca bit her lip, looking hesitant, and finally said it with difficulty.
Aiden almost reacted like Eli, ready to throw something in frustration. But he noticed there were others around, so he held back.
"If I had known she'd be like this, I wouldn't have brought her back in the first place," Eli said regretfully, blurting it out.
Realizing James was still there, he cautiously added, "James, I owe you an apology. If you want to call off the engagement with Emily because of how she is now, I wouldn't blame you."
Bianca panicked upon hearing this. She looked at Eli with anxious, pleading eyes. Aiden opened his mouth, wanting to say something as well.
Eli understood the impact of losing James as a son-in-law on the Johnson Group. He glanced at Aiden and Bianca, signaling them to stay silent, and continued, "Or, we could change the engagement. Honestly, Bianca is much better than Emily in every way, and you know that better than anyone, James."
"Dad, that's not right. Emily already has issues with me. If she finds out, she'll hate me even more!" Bianca said, though her eyes betrayed a hint of shyness.
Eli saw Bianca's demeanor and knew she was interested. His eyes gleamed with satisfaction, thinking that Bianca marrying James would be better. Emily was too much trouble, but Bianca was considerate and would be a great asset to the Johnson family if she married into the Smith family.
"Bianca, you're too considerate of Emily, but she doesn't appreciate it. You're helping her clean up her mess. She has no right to hate you!" Eli comforted her.
Bianca shyly glanced at James, still hesitating, "But, but..."
"Do you want to or not?" Eli pressed.
"Dad, don't ask me. I'll follow whatever you and Mom decide!" Bianca's face turned bright red as she said this and then ran upstairs in embarrassment.
"That Bianca..." Eli pretended to scold, but his eyes were full of affection. He then turned to James, "James, what do you think of Bianca?"
James had always taken care of Bianca, even scolding Emily for her a few times. He should like Bianca, right? After all, Bianca was outstanding and kind, anyone would prefer her.
"Mr. Johnson, my threat to break off the engagement with Emily was just to scare her. We've known each other since we were kids. If she can change, I can forgive her this time," James said after some thought.
Eli's expression stiffened at this unexpected rejection. But he quickly recovered and smiled, "James, you're so loyal. It's Emily who doesn't know how to cherish you. I'll talk to her again. If she doesn't change, we'll discuss it further."
"Alright," James nodded.
Upstairs, Bianca hadn't gone back to her room but was secretly eavesdropping at the corner. Hearing James's refusal, her eyes flashed with resentment. Why was Emily so lucky? Even now, James still had feelings for her. Bianca was determined to get what she wanted. If she couldn't have it, she'd destroy it.
"Mr. Johnson, I'll be leaving now," James said coolly.
Eli immediately called out, "Bianca, come down and see James off."
"Mr. Johnson, there’s no nee—" James started to say, but Bianca hurried downstairs, cutting him off.
"Okay! I'm coming."
Bianca led James to the door. At the entrance, James turned to her. "You can head back now."
"James, don’t worry about what my dad said. I really hope Emily can change and appreciate you. But she might not listen since she thinks she has Mr. Smith backing her now."
"The medical competition is in three days. I’m gonna win it. That way, I can get close to Mr. Smith, treat him, and have a chance to talk to him so he won't believe Emily's lies about you."
"Bianca, you’re so kind!" James looked at Bianca with deep emotion, feeling his resolve to stay with Emily waver.
Bianca shyly lowered her eyes. "I’m just happy to help you, James. Will you come to cheer me on?"
"Of course!"
Hearing his confirmation, Bianca’s eyes sparkled with a smile. James couldn’t help but reach out and pat her head. "It’s windy. You should go back inside."
He then got into his car. Bianca watched him leave until he was out of sight before going back inside.
Inside, Aiden was still talking to Eli.
"Dad, Emily went too far this time. My AI project is at a critical stage, and because of her..."
Aiden valued his career the most, and now it was being affected, which made him unusually emotional.
Eli valued Aiden highly, and Aiden had never disappointed him. Now that Aiden’s important project was at stake, Eli naturally took it seriously.
"Don’t worry. She can’t avoid me forever. I’ll go to the school myself, make her retract the charges against Bianca’s friend, and drag her to the Reyes Villa to apologize."
Eli’s eyes flashed with anger as he spoke.
Aiden felt reassured by Eli’s promise but remembered something else. "I saw on the news that Mr. Smith had an accident. A girl saved him at the scene. I asked an expert, and her skills were impressive. If we find her and recruit her, could we possibly gain Mr. Smith’s favor?"
Eli understood Aiden’s point.
"That girl might already be under Mr. Smith’s protection, but it’s worth a try. However, we can’t rely solely on that. Bianca mentioned that if she does well in the medical competition, she could be chosen to care for Mr. Smith."
"Do you think Bianca can do it?" Aiden asked, slightly worried.
"Aiden, don’t worry. My teacher said there’s nothing more to teach me. This is a rookie competition, and I have a good chance," Bianca said confidently as she entered, having overheard the conversation.
As long as Emily wasn’t around to interfere, she was confident.
Eli and Aiden praised and encouraged her.
Privately, Aiden continued his search for the girl who saved Daniel at the accident scene.
York, on the other hand, quickly reported this to Daniel.
Daniel was listening to a report from a tall, strong man. The man, who had appeared simple and honest in front of Emily, now looked sharp and respectful.
"Mr. Smith, Ms. Johnson is no ordinary person. When I rushed upstairs after hearing the commotion, she had already dealt with all the thugs, including Dean and Uriah, in just a few minutes."
An ordinary person couldn’t have done that.
"Mr. Smith, do you think she approached you with an ulterior motive?" the tall man asked, concerned.