Chapter 40 Settling Accounts
Jessica's eyes narrowed, fury sparking in her gaze as if she could peel the false sweetness right off Blair's face. She looked ready to tear that mask away with her bare hands.
Bianca didn't flinch. Her voice was cool, almost bored, as if she were addressing a street performer past their prime. "Why exactly should I be paying for your indulgence?"
Her tone sharpened. "Now that you mention it, perhaps it's time you returned the money you 'borrowed' from me in the past… with interest."
Blair's pupils contracted. She stared at Bianca as if she'd just heard a foreign language. "Bianca… what are you talking about? That money—those gifts—you gave them willingly."
"Willingly?" Bianca let out a short, humorless laugh, the sound edged with steel. "When it's based on deception, the law doesn't recognize 'willingly.' Shall I have my lawyer compile the transfer records and every single message? A rough estimate says you've taken no less than five million dollars from me over the years… under every excuse you could invent."
Wendy sucked in a sharp breath, her eyes darting between them. Even she hadn't realized the scale of it.
Kurt Lowe, ever perceptive, caught the shift in the air immediately. Still, his tone remained professional as he held the invoice a little closer. "Ms. Ember, I must ask you to settle today's charges first."
Blair's face flushed and paled in rapid succession, heat and cold battling under her skin. Under Bianca's icy gaze and Kurt's polite insistence, she felt exposed, stripped of every ounce of control.
Bianca's lips curved in a slow, deliberate smile. "Since we're already talking about money, let's settle everything now. We'll call it five million. Transfer it back to my account."
Her voice dropped just enough to make the words cut deeper. "Otherwise, I won't hesitate to take it to court. I'm the wife of the Anderson family's head now. Every account must be clear—wouldn't want the Anderson name dragged through the mud."
Blair's grip on her phone tightened until her knuckles blanched. Her eyes burned with a mix of shock and venom she could no longer hide. Around them, the women who had been pretending not to listen broke into muffled laughter, each sound a needle pricking Blair's pride.
Blair lifted her chin, forcing an air of composure. Her voice rose, brittle but loud enough to try and drown them out. "Mr. Lowe, what exactly are you implying? Are you suggesting I'm the kind of person who doesn't pay her bills?"
"I only said I hadn't gotten around to settling this particular bill today. And I'll have you know, I deposited fifty thousand dollars into my membership account just last week—more than enough to cover this and several future visits. Clearly, there's been a system error. Let's go check."
Her eyes flicked toward Bianca, the message behind them obvious.
For a moment, a few in the room who didn't know the history hesitated, her confident tone planting seeds of doubt.
Wendy jumped in, voice sharp. "Exactly! Blair would never owe money. This has to be a mistake on your part. Check your records before you go throwing accusations around."
Bianca's smile deepened, but it carried a dangerous edge. She turned to Kurt. "Mr. Lowe, if that's the case, then who would trust your spa with their deposits? Please, contact your finance department right now. Let's verify Ms. Ember's account balance and her transaction history… in front of everyone."
Blair's face drained of color. "That's not necessary—" she began, but Kurt was already dialing.
His voice was calm, but the speakerphone made each word public. "Please confirm Ms. Ember's account status—current balance, deposit history, and all charges."
The reply was immediate and merciless. "Ms. Ember's account shows no deposits on record. All previous charges were settled post-service. No prepayment activity."
The room erupted in unrestrained laughter.
"Fifty thousand? She said it like it was true."
"I knew the Rodriguez family wouldn't throw that kind of money around for her."
"She's made herself into a spectacle… utterly shameless."
"Embarrassing doesn't even cover it."
Blair's skin burned, her face shifting from white to crimson. She felt naked, stripped of every scrap of dignity she'd clung to. Her hands trembled, shame coursing through her in hot waves.
Bianca's gaze was steady, her tone a blade sliding between ribs. "Lies have a way of breaking apart… especially when you use them to prop up a pride that's already pathetic."
She leaned in slightly, her voice low enough for only Blair to hear. "What I gave you before was because I was foolish. Now? I won't give you a thing. You don't even have the right to take."
Straightening, Bianca spoke for all to hear. "Blair, you have three days. Five million dollars, plus interest. Every cent in my account. If you miss the deadline, the Anderson Group's legal team will send you a formal letter. And then it won't just be about paying me back."
Her gaze swept the room, catching the eyes of those still watching. "And I hope you'll all serve as witnesses. That way, no one can claim I'm using my position to bully her or that I've forgotten old ties."
Kurt, still professional, extended the invoice again. "Ms. Ember, please settle today's charges."
Blair's breath came shallow. Her hand shook as she pulled out her phone and dialed Thea, her voice faltering as she explained. The irritation in Thea's tone was impossible to miss, and Blair's shoulders hunched as if she could fold herself out of sight.
Bianca watched her struggle, then slid her arm through Jessica's. Her tone was light, almost casual. "Jessica, let's go. No point letting irrelevant people ruin our mood."
Jessica's smile returned, satisfaction bright in her eyes. "Perfectly handled, Bianca. She needed that. Maybe now she'll think twice before running her mouth."
Bianca's own mood was untouched. She'd enjoyed the spa, but Blair had only been the appetizer. Publicly tearing off her mask and reclaiming what was owed was just step one.
Crystal Gardens awaited her.
"Back already?" Terrence's voice was warm, his presence grounding.
"Yes." Bianca's chest warmed at the sight of him. She moved closer. "I went to Serenity Springs with Jessica today."
His arm came around her naturally, drawing her in. "Did you enjoy yourself?"
"It was fine." She rested against him, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.
She tilted her head, eyes tracing the hard line of his jaw in the dim light. A flicker of mischief sparked inside her. Her fingers slipped into the open edge of his collar, tracing slow circles over the bone just beneath.
Terrence's body stiffened almost imperceptibly. His breath deepened, the air between them shifting in an instant…