Chapter 86 The Owner of the Resort (Part 1)
Terrence's voice came out rough, laced with dark amusement. "Where do you think you're going?"
Bianca's fingers dug into his shoulders as waves of sensation crashed over her, pulling her to the brink. Her head fell back, breath escaping in silent gasps.
Every nerve in her body had narrowed to a single point of focus. She felt everything—the stretch, the friction, the relentless rhythm driving her higher.
She was a ship tossed on a storm-black sea, no anchor, no harbor, just the brutal crash of waves battering her hull again and again.
Then he thrust harder, deeper, and her cry ripped through the room. She lost all sense of time, of place, of anything but the fire consuming her.
Heat flooded her core as he came, the force overwhelming. Her body seized, then went limp. Darkness consumed her.
Hours later, she drifted in and out of consciousness while Terrence cleaned her up, moved her, arranging her limbs like a rag doll. She couldn't protest. Couldn't even open her eyes.
When morning light finally dragged her back, every muscle screamed. She felt like she'd been taken apart and put back together wrong.
Terrence lay beside her, eyes half-closed, watching her with a lazy, satisfied smile.
She glared at him and kicked him hard in the shin before scrambling out of bed.
By the time she'd showered and dressed, Jasmine was already waiting in the living room.
The moment Bianca saw her, her cheeks burned. Last night came rushing back in vivid, mortifying detail.
God, how good were the walls in this place? How much had Jasmine heard?
But Jasmine's expression was perfectly neutral. She waved cheerfully. "Bianca! You're up!"
Her smile was bright and easy, like nothing had happened.
Bianca exhaled slowly, relief washing over her.
This sweet, gentle girl. How had Blair ever convinced herself Jasmine was a threat? In the previous timeline, Blair had tormented her until she'd taken her own life.
But that was Blair. If she even suspected someone might take what was hers, she'd destroy them without hesitation. It was never about logic. Just cruelty.
Bianca shook off the thought and walked over, resting a hand on Jasmine's shoulder. "Jasmine, it's the weekend. Let me take you somewhere. Do you have anything urgent to handle today?"
Jasmine's eyes lit up. She shook her head quickly. "No! Nothing! Bianca, we haven't gone out together in forever."
Her voice held a wistful note that tugged at Bianca's chest.
Two hours later, they arrived at the Misty Valley resort.
The estate unfolded in layers, tucked into the folds of the mountains. White-walled courtyards with dark tile roofs climbed the hillside in terraced rows. Bronze bells hung from the curved eaves, chiming softly in the breeze. The sound drifted through the bamboo groves like a lullaby.
Stone pathways wound deeper into the property, cracks between the pavers sprouting tiny purple wildflowers. The air smelled of bamboo and earth and something green and alive. Bianca breathed it in, eyes half-closed.
She hadn't been here in years. But the memories clung to this place like morning mist—her mother's soft voice echoing in memory, her laughter ringing through the trees.
It felt like a lifetime ago. And yet, standing here, it felt like yesterday.
They passed through a carved stone archway and emerged beside a crescent-shaped hot spring. The water was crystal clear, fed by a mountain stream. Smooth blue pebbles lined the bottom, and sunlight scattered across the surface in shards of gold.
Jasmine looked around, wide-eyed and uncertain. She tugged gently on Bianca's sleeve. "Bianca, this place is beautiful. Why isn't anyone else here?"
"My mother left this resort to me," Bianca said quietly. "This section is private. The public area is on the east side. And the resort doesn't open to guests unless I invite them."
She rarely came here anymore. But the staff had kept it immaculate. Every corner was pristine, every garden blooming. Just being here loosened something tight in her chest.
Further in, a row of small wooden cabins lined the edge of a lake. A wooden dock stretched out over the water, and beneath it, koi fish glided through the shallows, their scales flashing orange and white as they nibbled at floating weeds.
This place was her mother's gift. Every plank of wood, every leaf on every tree, held pieces of a gentler time.
Jasmine's tension melted the moment she stepped into the courtyard. Once she realized it was private property, she relaxed completely.
"Bianca, can we use the hot spring?" Jasmine's eyes sparkled with excitement.
Bianca nodded. "Of course."
But just as they reached the edge of the spring, a shrill, affected voice cut through the air.
"You guys can do whatever you want! This resort belongs to my family. If you want food, drinks, anything, just ask the staff."
Bianca stopped mid-step, her brow furrowing.
She moved forward and spotted Blair surrounded by a cluster of classmates. Blair wore a frilly lace dress completely unsuited to the setting, paired with four-inch heels that clacked loudly against the wooden deck. Her face was smug, practically glowing with self-satisfaction.
She knew this was Bianca's mother's property. And yet here she was, parading around like she owned it.
Blair stood with her hands on her hips, gesturing toward the cabins on the lake. "See that one in the middle? My dad had it custom-built. The wood alone cost a fortune."
"Is that so?" Bianca's voice was cool and sharp as she stepped closer. "Funny. I didn't realize my mother's property had become yours."
Jasmine trailed behind Bianca, shoulders hunched, head down. Just hearing Blair's voice made her shrink into herself. Her throat worked as she swallowed hard, trembling.
She recognized some of the faces in Blair's group. Every single one of them had mocked her. Humiliated her.
Bianca had been about to confront Blair directly, but she felt the trembling grip on her sleeve. She glanced back and saw Jasmine, small and terrified, like a bird caught in a snare.
Bianca didn't say anything comforting. She didn't move forward. She just stood there, placing herself between Jasmine and the others.
Blair's face went pale, then flushed red. But she forced a smile, trying to play it off. "Bianca, what are you talking about? We're family, aren't we?"
The others didn't know the truth about the Rodriguez family. Blair was counting on that.
But Bianca wasn't about to let her get away with it.
"We are not family," Bianca said coldly. "And Thea is not my mother."
She let the words hang in the air, stripping away Blair's carefully constructed facade. Her gaze raked over Blair's mottled, bruised face with open contempt.
"Bianca, stop lying!" Blair's fingers curled into fists, her voice rising. The hatred in her eyes was sharp enough to cut. "This is our father's property! You can't just make things up because he didn't leave it to you!"
Suspicious eyes turned on Bianca.
One of Blair's friends sneered. "Blair would never lie like some people. If it's not yours, stop trying to steal it!"