Chapter 18 My Fiancée
"You… you're lying! There's no surveillance footage!" Thea's voice cracked, panic slipping through the cracks in her composure.
Bianca's lips curved in a faint, dangerous smile. "Is there or isn't there? We can find out in seconds. And since the banquet hall has that massive screen… why not use it?"
"Enough!" Lyanna's voice cut through the air like a blade. Her cane struck the polished floor with a sharp crack, her expression so cold it seemed to drain the warmth from the room. "Do you want to drag us into even deeper disgrace?"
Her eyes swept over Thea and Blair with merciless precision before locking on Glenn. "Look at the fine wife you chose… and the daughter she raised. Do you realize the humiliation they've brought to the Rodriguez family? You can't even tolerate one child under this roof. What will people say when they hear of it?"
Lyanna had always known about Thea's petty schemes, but she'd never bothered to expose them.
Tonight, Bianca had ripped the mask away in front of everyone. It irritated Lyanna, but what truly enraged her was Thea's sloppy, underhanded behavior—dragging the Rodriguez name, and Lyanna herself, into public shame.
And if Bianca's mention of surveillance proved true… if there was something truly damning recorded… the Rodriguez family would become the city's favorite scandal.
Glenn's jaw tightened under his mother's rebuke. His pride stung, he lowered his hand without a word.
Bianca's gaze shifted to Lyanna, whose face had hardened into something dangerously unreadable.
With a graceful bend of her knees, Bianca presented a second ornate gift box she had been holding all along. "Grandmother, I wish you a happy birthday. This is my gift to you—a token of my respect. I hope you'll like it. And… I apologize for disrupting your celebration earlier. That was my fault."
In one move, she had struck at Thea and still managed to appear impeccably respectful before the family matriarch. No one could fault her.
Lyanna accepted the gift with a cool nod. "You've been thoughtful."
Bianca's voice softened, but her words carried a raw edge. "Grandmother, I never wanted things to escalate like this. I just… I don't want to be treated unfairly anymore."
Her gaze held steady. "I am the Rodriguez bloodline. There are certain principles I hope you'll defend for me."
Lyanna's lips thinned. She understood Bianca's intent instantly. Petty squabbles among the younger generation could be ignored, but in front of so many witnesses, she had to take a stand. No one could leave here thinking the Rodriguez family mistreated Bianca, or that Thea and Blair held unchecked power.
Her eyes swept over Blair and Thea. "No outsider gets to bully a granddaughter of the Rodriguez family. If you can't treat her equally, then perhaps you're not suited to be the lady of this house."
Blair and Thea's faces drained of color. Years of careful maneuvering undone by a few sharp sentences, all in front of a room full of guests.
Blair's jealousy burned so hot she could barely breathe.
Bianca's lips curved into a polite smile, her tone dripping with composure. "Thank you for standing up for me, Grandmother."
From the edge of the crowd, Cindy stepped forward, her voice sharp with indignation. "Ms. Rodriguez, this whole scene… you didn't orchestrate it yourself, did you? Trying to ruin Mrs. Lyanna Rodriguez's birthday?
"And Blair and Mrs. Thea Rodriguez are both good people. They'd never be the type to resent your happiness. You shouldn't throw baseless accusations around."
Bianca's gaze flicked toward her, recalling the name—Cindy Carroll.
Cindy was a fringe figure in the city's social circles. Her family had only come into money in recent years, and Blair loved surrounding herself with such people, believing that the more connections she gathered, the more resources she could secure.
But Blair's flaw was obvious—her terrible judgment.
Bianca opened her mouth to reply, but a deep, commanding voice sliced through the tension. "My fiancée doesn't need to resort to cheap tricks. If anyone here has a problem with Bianca… you can bring it to me."
Heads turned toward the grand entrance.
Terrence strode in, dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit. His striking features were set in a mask of control, but the sheer weight of his presence pressed down on the room like a storm front. People instinctively straightened, some avoiding his gaze entirely.
Even Bianca froze for a moment.
"Mr. Anderson… you came? I thought you had meetings at the company tonight."
Terrence took her hand, his fingers threading through hers, his eyes sweeping the crowd. "I was afraid someone might try to hurt you."
Behind her sunglasses, Cindy felt the chill in his voice and instinctively shrank back.
Someone in the crowd gasped. "Mr. Anderson… head of the Anderson family! Did he just say he's engaged to Ms. Rodriguez?"
The shift in the room was instant. Eyes on Bianca changed—calculating, cautious, suddenly respectful.
Even Cindy's expression faltered. She shot Blair a look of reproach. Why hadn't Blair told her Bianca was connected to Terrence… and not just connected, but engaged? By taking Blair's side earlier, she had just insulted the most powerful man in Sovereign City.
The Carroll family could never stand against the Andersons. If Terrence wanted to erase them from the city, it would take him no effort at all.
Cindy's voice trembled. "Ms. Rodriguez… I didn't realize you and Mr. Anderson were engaged. I'm sorry. I was talking nonsense earlier. Please don't take it to heart."
Funny how quickly people became saints when their interests were at stake.
Several nobles began nudging their children toward Bianca, eager to forge ties. Bianca found it laughable and ignored them all.
Blair's envy was a live wire under her skin. She had dressed to perfection tonight, but the spotlight belonged entirely to Bianca—and in a way Blair had never imagined.
Something had gone terribly wrong.
Bianca turned to Terrence, a genuine smile breaking through for the first time. "I didn't expect you to come… but thank you."
Her eyes caught a familiar face in the crowd, lighting up with recognition. "Wait for me. I need to say hello to someone."
She slipped her hand from his and hurried toward a middle-aged man—Alton Bridges.
Terrence glanced down at his empty hand, the warmth of her palm still lingering.
"Mr. Bridges!" Bianca's voice was bright with surprise. In her past life, Alton had been her mentor. She hadn't expected to see him here.
Alton turned, eyebrows lifting. "Ms. Rodriguez?"
She extended her hand. "I heard you're working on a new research project. I'm very interested. I majored in the same field at university, but I never had the chance to put my knowledge into practice."
Her eyes were earnest—no hint of social climbing, only genuine curiosity.
"I didn't know you had an interest in this," Alton said, intrigued.
They fell into an animated discussion. Bianca subtly offered insights that hinted at solutions to the technical bottlenecks he was facing. Alton's enthusiasm grew with every exchange.
Across the room, Terrence's mood soured. This foolish woman had just left him standing there to talk shop with someone else… moments after thanking him for saving her from humiliation.
Blair seized the opportunity, stepping closer to Terrence. Her voice dripped with false concern. "What's going on with Bianca? She doesn't even know Mr. Bridges. Why go out of her way to approach him?"
She pressed on, each word another spark to the blaze, "Mr. Anderson, she's being inconsiderate. You came all this way to be with her, and she's ignoring you. Don't take it personally."