Chapter 27 Frost Between Us
"Let go!" Bianca snapped, wrenching her wrist free from Samuel's grip. Her eyes were sharp enough to cut. "Touch me again, and I won't mind making sure that hand never lifts again."
Samuel froze, startled by the ice in her gaze. He stepped back instinctively, then forced himself forward, masking the hesitation. "Bianca, can't we talk? Just talk, without all this hostility?"
"There is nothing between us worth discussing." Her voice was cold, clipped. "And in case you haven't noticed, this is the ladies' restroom area. If you don't leave right now, I won't hesitate to have security escort you out."
She turned on her heel, but Samuel trailed after her like a shadow, following her all the way to the end of the hallway.
Bianca stopped abruptly, pivoting to face him. Frost had settled in her eyes. "Samuel, my patience is limited. Keep this up, and I won't mind letting Terrence deal with you personally. You remember his methods, don't you?"
Samuel's jaw tightened. Hearing her speak Terrence's name so easily, so possessively, stirred something ugly in him. He hated being beneath another man. But he had a problem, and the only person who could help him was Bianca.
"Bianca, are you really this heartless? For the sake of what we had—"
"What we had?" Bianca laughed, the sound brittle, cutting.
In another life, she'd been blinded by Samuel's charm, running errands for him, prying into Terrence's business, even stealing confidential documents to push Samuel's pathetic company into the top hundred.
Looking back now, she realized she hadn't been doing the work of a decent human being… and Samuel hadn't been one either.
She stepped in closer, her presence sharp enough to make him flinch. "I'll say it one last time. Leave."
Her finality stripped away his pretense. His voice hardened, carrying a thin thread of threat. "Bianca, don't forget—you came to me first."
"So what?" Her brow arched, lips curling into a mockery of a smile. "Then I must have been blind, mistaking glass for diamonds. Now I see clearly—you aren't even fit to carry Terrence's shoes."
Samuel's face tightened, his hand clenching into a fist at his side.
What the hell had happened to this woman? Once, she had loved him so desperately she would have done anything…
"But…" Bianca's voice shifted, her lips curling again.
Samuel's hope flickered, thinking she was about to soften. "But what?"
She looked him over from head to toe, then clicked her tongue twice and shook her head. "But you could take this chance to sell your company. Get yourself some cash, and the problem disappears."
The mask on his face cracked.
"Bianca, you really won't help me?" His voice was low, edged with frustration.
"I told you—you're dreaming."
She turned and strode away, not willing to give him another chance to latch onto her.
On the drive back, silence filled the car. Bianca could feel the tension like a storm cloud hanging over them. Finally, she ventured, "Terrence, I can't help but feel you're not exactly in a good mood."
Terrence's head tilted slightly, his sunglasses hiding his eyes, but his voice was cool. "Bianca, do you think I'm easy to fool?"
Her heartbeat stumbled. She met the shadowed gaze behind the lenses. "Terrence, I don't understand what you mean."
"You don't?" His hand shot out, gripping her chin with enough force to make her wince. "Flirting with an ex right under my nose… Bianca, who gave you that kind of courage?"
Her breath caught. He knew.
She was forced to look up at him, but she refused to look away. "I didn't! Samuel was harassing me, I—"
"Harassing?" Terrence's laugh was short, dangerous. His breath brushed her ear, carrying a heat that felt like warning. "From where I stood, you looked like you were enjoying the conversation. If I'd been a minute later, would you have rekindled the flame?"
"That's not true!" Bianca's voice rose, anger and desperation tangled together. She reached for his arm, but he shoved her hand away.
"Terrence, don't you believe me?"
Terrence's jaw tightened. Believe her? How could he? She'd sworn she would cut Samuel out of her life, yet here she was, spending time with him when Terrence's back was turned. Was this her idea of trust?
"I gave you a chance, Bianca." His tone was glacial. "If you can't bring yourself to end it, I won't mind doing it for you."
Her stomach knotted. "What do you mean?"
She grabbed his sleeve, her fingertips pale from the pressure. "I haven't… I never went to him. I swear on my life—if I'm the kind of woman who plays both sides, may I be struck down where I stand—"
"Enough!" His voice cracked through hers, sharp, almost panicked.
The car rolled to a stop. The driver hesitated before saying quietly, "Mr. Anderson, we're home."
Bianca stared at the closed front door, her mind already turning.
Samuel.
She pulled out her phone and dialed his number.
Samuel's eyes lit up when he saw her name. He'd been nursing his resentment after her earlier words, but this call felt like a victory. "Hello, Bianca. Changed your mind?"
Her laugh was cold. "Tomorrow. Noon. Westside Mall Café. We talk face-to-face."
She hung up before he could answer.
Samuel stared at the phone for a moment, then smiled. He didn't think twice—he was certain she was coming to discuss the funding he needed. In his mind, the crisis was already fading, replaced by visions of easy living.
That night, Bianca changed into her nightclothes, glanced at the empty space beside her, and let out a quiet, humorless sigh.
The next day, she dressed with care but kept her look understated. Sleep had been elusive; the frost between her and Terrence had left her restless.
As soon as she stepped into the café, Samuel waved her over with a grin. "Bianca, over here!"
She walked to his table without expression, sitting opposite him.
Across the room, Blair raised her phone, angling it toward them. The shutter clicked in rapid succession.
"Bianca, let's see you explain your way out of this," Blair murmured to herself as she lowered the phone, her eyes glittering with malice.