Chapter 13 Who Was the Gift For?
Bianca's stomach tightened the moment she saw him. The image of Terrence alone with Mira earlier flashed uninvited into her mind, and the thought left a bitter taste.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"Nothing," she said flatly, her tone clipped. "No one's upset me."
Her voice carried a trace of distance, a quiet wall sliding into place between them. Without another glance, she walked past him, leaving Terrence standing there, bewildered, unable to read her mood.
By evening, Barry was in Terrence's study, going over work reports. A knock at the door interrupted them.
"Mr. Anderson, are you in there? I've come to change your bandages."
"Come in," Terrence called.
The door opened and Mira stepped inside. Spotting Barry, she put on a look of feigned surprise. "Mr. Myers… I didn't realize you were here. You're still working? I hope I'm not interrupting."
Terrence ignored her small talk. "Why is it you? Where's Bianca?"
For a moment, Mira's smile froze. She realized his question wasn't casual—it was pointed. "Ms. Rodriguez seemed to have something else to do," she said, her tone light but carrying an unspoken message: Bianca's absence meant his eyesight problem wasn't important enough for her to handle personally.
Mira studied his face, but the dark lenses of his sunglasses hid any clue to his thoughts. Still, something in the air felt heavier, as though the room's temperature had dropped.
"You can go," Terrence said.
"Then… perhaps I'll come back after you've finished your work," she offered.
He didn't answer. Mira lingered for a heartbeat before leaving, her reluctance obvious.
Barry, who had worked beside Terrence for years, didn't miss the shift in his boss's mood when Bianca's name came up. "Mr. Anderson, Ms. Rodriguez moved here alone from the Rodriguez family. It's natural for her to be a little sensitive."
Terrence thought back to Bianca's cool, withdrawn expression earlier. She'd clearly had something on her mind. Could it be… jealousy? Was she upset knowing Mira had been the one to come change his bandages?
"I recall you have a girlfriend, don't you?" Terrence asked.
Barry caught on quickly. "Yes, Mr. Anderson. Sometimes I get too busy to spend time with her, so I buy her gifts to make up for it. Oh, and I remember Ms. Rodriguez's university is hosting an event—you could send her a souvenir. She'd be thrilled."
Terrence waved him off. "That's enough for today. Go home early, spend time with your girlfriend. And about that souvenir… arrange for one to be sent to my house."
"Yes, sir," Barry said, nodding.
The next day at noon, Mira came downstairs and noticed an elegant gift box on the coffee table. Her eyes caught the engraving—her school's name and the event organizer etched into the lid.
"Who sent this?" she asked.
One of the household staff replied, "Mr. Anderson had it delivered. Perhaps he wanted to thank you."
Sweetness bloomed in Mira's chest, warm and intoxicating. She picked up the box, holding it like something precious. "I knew it… I still matter to him."
Later, back at campus, she deliberately placed the souvenir on her desk in plain view. A classmate with a sharp eye approached. "Mira, isn't that the limited edition one? I tried to reserve it but couldn't get it."
Mira's lips curved in satisfaction. She lifted the box and gave it a casual shake. "This? I only mentioned to Mr. Anderson that I wanted it. Next morning, I woke up to find it had been sent to me."
"You're lucky," the classmate said, envy clear in her voice.
Another chimed in, "Mira, you're amazing. Mr. Anderson treats you so well. After graduation, are you two…?"
"Oh, come on. Mira's a wealthy socialite—money's the last thing she needs. And honestly, I think she and Mr. Anderson make a pretty good match."
The flattery fed her vanity, and she basked in it.
At the Anderson Group offices, Terrence finished his work and checked the time. By now, the souvenir should have been delivered to Crystal Gardens. Bianca must have received it. He typed out a message.
Terrence: [Did you get the souvenir I sent you?]
Meanwhile, Bianca had just woken from a nap. As always, she reached for her phone first, and Terrence's text lit up her screen.
A souvenir?
So he wasn't as cold as he seemed. He could be thoughtful… in his own quiet way. Smiling faintly, she pressed the phone to her chest, then quickly got ready and went downstairs.
"Where's the souvenir Mr. Anderson sent me?" she asked a housekeeper.
She checked the coffee table but found nothing. Terrence wasn't the type to make empty promises. Something was wrong. She sought out Nia, the maid who had once kept an eye on Mira for her.
"Mr. Anderson said he sent me a gift. Where is it?" Bianca asked.
Nia hesitated, glancing around nervously. "I… saw Mira take something earlier. It might have been the gift."
Bianca's eyes hardened. She went straight to Robert. "Mr. Green, you know about the souvenir Mr. Anderson sent today. If Mira took it, please tell her to return it to me."
Robert's loyalty was firmly with Mira. "Ms. Rodriguez, you have no proof. How can you accuse her of taking it?"
Mira walked in just then, catching the tense exchange. Seeing Robert's scowl, she assumed Bianca was harassing him again. "Uncle, what's going on?"
Bianca turned to her, brows drawn tight. "Where's the souvenir? Hand it over."
Mira's reaction was instant. "That's my gift from Mr. Anderson. You can't just claim it."
"Ms. Rodriguez," she added, her voice trembling with feigned hurt, "I know you don't like me living here. But now you're trying to take something Mr. Anderson gave me? How could you?"
Her tone was all wounded innocence, painting herself as the victim in front of Robert, while Bianca stood there, jaw clenched, fury simmering beneath her calm.