Chapter 93 Amusement Park
He was going to give up on Blair.
No. That could never happen.
Like a mother bird shielding her chick, Thea stepped in front of Blair, her smile forced, voice raised to drown out the cold, sharp words spilling from Glenn's phone.
"Darling, there must be some misunderstanding. Blair has a pure heart... she's easily misled. Whatever she said or did, it wasn't out of malice."
"She wants the Rodriguez Group to thrive, just like we do. Betrayal isn't in her nature."
It only poured fuel on the fire.
"Misunderstanding?" Glenn's laugh was cold, his voice cutting like glass. "You spoiled her rotten. That's why she's grown into someone with no sense of her place."
"Dad, did that bitch Bianca tell you something? Don't believe her—" Blair's venom was cut short by Glenn's roar.
"Still lying? That voice in the recording... isn't it yours?"
Blair's lips froze, her nails digging into her palms. Of course she'd heard the recording. Bianca had been recording all along, waiting to catch her out.
But Blair didn't think she'd said anything wrong. If Bianca hadn't fought for the property, everyone would still believe the resort was hers. She wouldn't have been thrown out, humiliated.
In her mind, Bianca was the real villain. Why should all the blame fall on her? What had she done wrong?
"What's wrong with what I said? Isn't the resort part of the Rodriguez family's holdings? Daphne's been dead for years—her property naturally belongs to you. Saying it's ours... is that a problem?"
Blair lifted her chin, defiant.
Glenn's fury ignited. He snatched up a pen from the desk and slammed it down by her feet, then jabbed a finger at her.
"You won't admit you're wrong until the very end. In Sovereign City, the Rodriguez family still has a name worth something. Listen to yourself—where's the dignity of a family like ours? You sound like some backwater nobody who struck it rich overnight... you've trashed our image."
"Darling, Blair was just—" Thea began.
Glenn strode forward and slapped her hard across the face, snapping her head to the side.
Blair gasped, rushing to steady Thea, her eyes flashing with hate.
"You're the one who ruined her. She's grown enough to know what’s proper and what’s not. Listen to the garbage coming out of her mouth—where's the upbringing?"
"Until this is dealt with, neither of you leaves the Rodriguez family estate. Use the time to fix your useless daughter... or don't blame me—"
Hands clasped behind his back, Glenn left the study with measured steps.
Thea sank to the floor, her gaze empty.
It had been only days since the last confinement ended. Now they were locked in again.
When the stakes were high, tenderness meant nothing. Love and feeling were just air.
Night draped the city in black velvet, swallowing the streetlights in its folds.
Melissa stood in the shadow of a corner, the glow of her phone screen painting her face in warped shadows.
Her eyes locked on two figures standing close together. Her nails bit into her palms.
Bianca wore an off-white dress, her hair loosely pinned back to bare the curve of her neck. Beside her, Terrence was sharp in a perfectly tailored black suit, straight-backed like a model torn from a magazine cover.
They spoke quietly. Bianca tilted her head, a faint smile on her lips. Terrence's gaze softened, his hand lifting to smooth a windblown strand of her hair.
The sight stabbed through Melissa's fragile calm.
Why?
In her mind, the man at Bianca's side should have been some greasy old tycoon, not a handsome, wealthy man. Why was Bianca's life climbing higher while she was left a gutter rat for the world to mock?
She wouldn't accept it.
Her jaw clenched, fingers trembling as she pressed the shutter. The crisp sound cut through the night, freezing the moment forever.
In the photo, they were perfect together—so perfect it burned her eyes. Jealousy flared hot, eating at her reason.
She would find Bianca's weakness. She would drown her in public scorn.
"Tomorrow I'm free. I want to go out," Bianca said, hands clasped behind her back, her tone light.
"Where to?" Terrence's voice was low, warm, with a trace of indulgence.
Bianca tilted her head, mischief flickering in her eyes. "The amusement park. I haven't been in ages."
Terrence's brow lifted in mild surprise, but he nodded, his hand closing around her wrist. "Alright."
The heat of his touch made her heartbeat stumble. Her smile curved, and she let him lead her toward the black sedan parked at the curb.
She didn't look back. She didn't see Melissa lurking in the shadows, eyes locked on their joined hands, her whole body trembling with rage.
Melissa shoved her phone into her bag, turning away. The malice in her eyes was a tide ready to spill over.
The amusement park was a riot of voices and flashing lights.
Terrence, abandoning his usual formality, wore a dark tracksuit for ease. Bianca tugged him toward the carousel.
The contrast between his stern face and the candy-colored horses made her laugh out loud.
Hearing her, Terrence's mouth curled in a rare, indulgent smile.
"If your subordinates saw you like this, they'd be shocked," Bianca teased.
His gaze dropped to hers, sunlight catching in his deep eyes. "Only for you."
Her heart gave a sudden jolt. She turned toward the Ferris wheel, ears tinged pink.
They'd just stepped off the carousel, heading for the next ride, when a sweet, feminine voice cut in—