Chapter 34 Drive Her Away
"For Mr. Anderson's sake?" Bianca's laugh was cold, sharp enough to slice through the air. Her hand came up without hesitation.
The crack of her palm meeting skin echoed across the room. Mira staggered back two steps, clutching her cheek, wide-eyed. "You… you dare hit me?"
"If I'm going to hit you, I'll do it now. No need to wait for a special occasion." Bianca's gaze was icy, her tone laced with open contempt. "You opened your employer's letter without permission. You spread lies. You tried to frame me. Which one of those isn't reason enough?
"Mira, have you forgotten who you are? Or do you just think I'm too easy to push around?"
"Mr. Anderson!" Mira's voice broke into a pitiful wail as she dropped to her knees at Terrence's feet. "You see, Ms. Rodriguez was exposed and now she's lashing out at me. I was only telling the truth… defending you."
Terrence looked down at her, his expression unreadable behind the shadow of his gaze. No words came.
Bianca turned to him, her voice steady. "Terrence, I have no knowledge of this necklace or this letter. I blocked that man long ago. The contents are nonsense. If I still had feelings for him, would I be here pretending otherwise? If you don't believe me, check the sender's details right now. Or I can call Samuel in front of you and settle it."
Terrence's silence stretched.
Mira saw it as hesitation, her tears flowing harder. "Mr. Anderson, please… you have to stand up for me."
His voice came at last, slow and deliberate. "Mira."
She froze mid-sob, hope flashing in her eyes.
"Opening private correspondence. Spreading falsehoods. Insulting your betters." Each word landed like a blow. "It seems I've been too lenient with you. You've forgotten your place."
Mira's face twisted. "Mr. Anderson…?"
Robert, already sweating under the tension, stepped forward. Without warning, his hand whipped across Mira's face. The slap was brutal, sending her sprawling to the floor.
"You fool," Robert barked, his voice hard but his eyes betraying panic. "Who gave you the courage to slander Ms. Rodriguez? Get down and apologize to Mr. Anderson and Ms. Rodriguez."
This was his way of saving her—by making her submit before she could dig herself deeper.
Mira lay stunned, hair tangled, dignity shattered. Robert hauled her up before she could protest, his voice low and urgent. "Leave. Now."
He dragged her away, ignoring her glare of pure resentment.
Terrence's gaze followed them, cold and calculating. He didn't issue a final judgment. Mira was a pawn in plain sight. The real danger lay elsewhere.
Around them, the rest of the staff kept their heads down, as if even the sound of a breath might shatter the brittle air.
Terrence moved toward Bianca, each step deliberate, the gravity of his presence pressing against her until instinct pulled her backward.
That single retreat cut him more sharply than he'd imagined—like a blade finding a place he hadn't known was exposed.
Maybe her nearness—the warmth in her voice, the fleeting moments they'd shared—had never been about him at all. Maybe it was only her way of surviving the weight of her own remorse. The thought slid into his mind like a shadow and refused to leave.
If he opened the door, let her walk free from this gilded cage… would she breathe easier? Would she escape the slow, gnawing ruin that had claimed his mother, Dione Saunders, after she left Marcus Anderson—only to find herself devoured by the bitterness she thought she'd outrun?
"You should pack your things."
Bianca blinked, sure she'd misheard. "What?"
He turned away from her. "Bianca," he repeated, voice flat as stone, "pack your things. Leave Crystal Gardens."
The words hit her like a blade to the chest. "What?"
She stared at his back, unable to process it. He was sending her away?
Because of Mira's flimsy setup? Because of a letter she had never seen before today?
The injustice surged inside her, choking her. She couldn't just walk out without a fight.
"Terrence!" She rushed after him, reaching for his arm. He sidestepped, letting her hand fall uselessly in the air.
In the study, Bianca's voice trembled. Her eyes reddened instantly. "You really don't believe me?"
"That letter… I don't know where it came from. I haven't had anything to do with Samuel for a long time. I—"
Terrence moved to his desk, sliding a thick folder toward her. "Look." His voice was hoarse.
A chill coiled around her spine. She opened the folder with shaking hands.
Inside were records—photos, notes—of her and Samuel's past. Every moment cataloged.
Her heart sank, heavy and unyielding. "You've been investigating me?" Her voice broke. "Since I moved in here? Or before?"
The feelings she thought had been mutual suddenly felt like a cruel joke she'd told herself.
"Should I not have?" His laugh was short, edged with bitterness. "Bianca, tell me—how does love that's been burning for years vanish in a matter of days, only to turn toward a man you once couldn't stand to be near?"
Her throat tightened, breath catching in a way that made her chest ache. She blinked hard, willing back the tears.
He studied her pale face, his own eyes shadowed with a pain he didn't bother to hide. This was where it ended. Better to let her go before she saw him as something uglier than he already felt.
"Enough." He drew in a slow breath, forcing steadiness into his voice. "I don't force anyone to stay. Go."
The words struck deep, sharp enough to steal her breath.
She didn't rage. She didn't storm out. Instead, she crossed the space between them with measured steps, slid her arms around his narrow waist, and pressed her cheek against the rigid wall of his chest.
"I'm not leaving." Her voice trembled, thick with tears. "Terrence… you idiot."
He stiffened under her touch, but she only held tighter.
Her tears soaked into the fabric between them. "You've dug up so much, yet you couldn't find the truth—that my heart has no room for anyone but you."
She lifted her head, eyes blurred with emotion. "What will it take for you to believe me?
"I used to like Samuel. I don't anymore. Why can't you trust me, just once? Do you need me to rip my heart out and show you before you'll believe? I'm not lying. I love you. From the moment I decided to stay, there's been only you."
Her words tumbled out in a rush. Then, reckless, she rose onto her toes and pressed her lips to his.
The kiss was salt and desperation, her inexperience showing in the way she moved against him—clumsy, but desperate to pour her conviction into the contact.
Terrence's hands clamped down on her shoulders, the grip almost painful. It took every shred of his will not to yield.
He shoved her back, hard enough to make her stumble. She caught herself after two steps, breath sharp in her throat.
His eyes had gone cold again, distant, the depths unreadable.
"Bianca."
"Don't use this… it's meaningless."
Meaningless? The word hit like a blade. Her pride stripped bare, her heart laid open—and it was meaningless to him?
The dam inside her broke. Tears spilled down her cheeks, unstoppable.
She looked at him through the blur, a bitter smile curling her lips. "Fine. I'll go. As you wish. You'll never see me again.
"Let's pretend I never loved you."
She spun on her heel, vision swimming, but her back straight as steel.