Chapter 2. Marked with Noticeable Hickeys

The young man, tied up, dropped to his knees, crying, “I’m sorry, Dave. I did it for your own good. You’re twenty-eight and have never had a girlfriend, never even flirted. I was worried, so... I took matters into my own hands!”

Dave glanced at the bloodstains on the bedsheet and asked coldly, “What’s her name?”

“What?” Justin Wilson, his best friend, looked confused.

“What woman?”

Dave hadn’t shown any interest in women for twenty years, leading Justin to assume he wasn’t interested in them.

Justin had sent someone last night, but it wasn’t a woman—it was a man!

So, who was this woman Dave was referring to? Justin’s eyes widened in shock.

“Dave, I…”

Before Justin could speak further, Dave interrupted with a swift kick to his shoulder.

“Review all the surveillance footage from last night,” Dave ordered sternly. “Find that woman, even if you have to search every corner of the city. And by the way, the person in charge of the overseas project just died of malaria. If you can’t find her, you’ll take over the position immediately!”

Justin stared up at the tall figure before him in shock, taking a moment to gather his thoughts.

He couldn’t shake his worry about the woman.

Everyone knew Dave was ruthless. Whether she lived or died depended on his mood.

Whoever had been with Dave last night had the guts to leave him like that.

***

Bianca, the woman in question, took a taxi straight home.

Stacey and Haris’s cruel scheme kept replaying in her mind. Angry, she clenched her fists so hard that her nails dug into her skin.

No, she couldn’t let them get away with this. She had to take action.

She had to reveal their true intentions!

After collecting her thoughts, Bianca returned home with a composed expression as if nothing had happened.

As soon as she entered the house, her father, Peter Scott, stood up from the sofa.

“Where were you last night? I called your teacher and was told you never returned to your dorm,” he asked in a low voice and looked sternly towards her.

Peter’s angry glare was intense, and he seemed ready to explode.

“Peter, calm down. Getting angry won’t help. Bianca is young and still learning,” Stacey intervened, pretending to be understanding and trying to soothe Peter’s temper. She then turned to Bianca with a fake sympathetic look.

“Bianca, don’t be upset with your father’s anger. We’re just concerned about your safety. Imagine how worried we were when we found out you didn’t go back to your dorm. We feared something terrible had happened to you. It’s not about our family’s reputation; it’s about you.”

Stacey’s eyes showed apparent concern as she talked. If Bianca hadn’t overheard Stacey plotting with Haris last night, her “concerned parent” act might have worked.

But now, Bianca was clear-headed and knew Stacey’s true intentions.

Stacey’s words only fueled Peter’s anger further.

“Nonsense! You’re over twenty and still acting like a child! It seems I’ve spoiled you too much. Today, you’ll learn a lesson!”

Peter grabbed a stick and swung it at Bianca!

Just as the stick was about to hit her, Bianca quickly knelt down in front of Peter.

“Dad, I’m sorry. I went out with friends to play cards last night and lost track of time. My phone died, so I couldn’t call. I didn’t mean to make you worry.”

Peter paused, surprised by Bianca’s apology. She used to argue with him about everything, so their relationship had soured.

‘What’s going on now? Why did she seem like another person?’

Bianca knew what she was doing. Stacey could manipulate Peter, and Bianca had no proof yet of Stacey’s schemes. If she told her Dad everything, he’d believe Stacey rather than her.

So, she decided to act obedient and wait for the right moment to make a move.

“Dad, Stacey isn’t my real Mom, so she doesn’t understand me like you do. You know me better, and I’d never do anything to hurt our family’s reputation!”

Tears filled Bianca’s eyes as she talked, making her look pitiful.

Even though Peter and Bianca’s Mom had divorced long ago, he was always a caring father. Hearing Bianca’s apology softened his heart.

He put the stick away and said gently, “It’s good you realized your mistake. Just be more careful next time, okay? Now, get up.”

Seeing Peter forgive Bianca easily annoyed Stacey, but she had to stick to the plan. She pushed aside her resentment and forced a fake smile.

“See? It was just a misunderstanding. Bianca is a good girl; she wouldn’t do anything wrong. Right, Bianca?”

Bianca sensed the implication but kept smiling, though her eyes remained cold.

“Oh, Bianca, your Dad has something to tell you,” Stacey nudged Peter and gave him a meaningful look.

Peter took a deep breath and sat back on the sofa.

Then, he cleared his throat and said sincerely, “Bianca, I’ve thought about it, and Stacey’s right. I shouldn’t force you into a marriage you don’t want or stop you from marrying someone you love. Even though Haris isn’t from a wealthy family, you both care for each other. That’s what matters.”

Bianca was shocked by her father’s sudden change of heart.

Her Dad always saw Haris as someone who’d use powerful women to climb the ladder, so he opposed their relationship. Before Bianca met Haris, her Dad already picked out a suitable husband for her: Isaac Ford, the youngest son of the Ford family.

But Isaac was a playboy and got into trouble often, which Bianca didn’t like. This caused tension between her and her Dad.

“And this morning, I heard Isaac got into a fight at a club over a prostitute. It made the news! I couldn’t forgive myself if I forced you to marry him,” Peter said, sighing. “As long as Haris treats you well, I won’t object to your relationship. When you can, invite him over, and we’ll talk about getting engaged.”

“What? Engaged?” Bianca was shocked.

Peter nodded. “Your birthday’s coming up. Why not get engaged, then? We can celebrate two things, and the family will be happy for you. You’re not getting any younger. Let’s hurry and get your marriage settled so I won’t worry about you anymore.”

As Bianca thought about it, she realized Stacey must have been influencing Peter when she wasn’t around.

Stacey’s eagerness for Bianca to marry Haris wasn’t a good idea at all after she witnessed their betrayal last night.