“Bianca.”
Danielle understood instantly.
After all these years, she knew Bianca all too well.
Strong-willed and domineering—once Bianca made up her mind, nothing could change it.
“I’ll go over there now,” Danielle said.
She excused herself from Mr. Hawthorne and headed down the hall. Gian followed close behind. “I’ll wait outside the door,” he told her. “If you need anything, just call me.”
Danielle shot him an amused look. “She’s not exactly a wild animal. There’s no need to be so on edge.”
“Even if she’s not a wild animal, she can still be toxic,” Gian replied dryly. “You and Alexander are already divorced. If someone from that family is coming to see you at a time like this, what do you think they want?”
“There was a time when you barely acknowledged them,” he went on. “Now, you’re out of their league.”
Gian didn’t need to guess what Bianca was after—he already knew.
Ever since Danielle’s background had come to light, the Davidsons’ attitude had shifted.
Danielle just shrugged, unconcerned.
A few polite words would be enough to send Bianca on her way.
She pushed open the door to the sitting room.
Bianca was already waiting inside, seated primly in an armchair.
When Danielle entered, Bianca’s face lit up with a smile. “You finally made it. These days, it’s not easy to get a meeting with you,” she said with a dramatic sigh, as if she were the one being put out.
Danielle said nothing, simply pulled out a chair and sat down.
“What do you want? Make it quick.”
Her tone was cold, her gaze barely meeting Bianca’s.
Once, Danielle had been the dutiful daughter-in-law. Now, she carried herself with an air of untouchability, and Bianca felt the sting of that change.
But Bianca needed something from her, so she swallowed her pride.
“I imagine you’ve heard what’s going on with the Davidson family,” Bianca began. “You and Alex shared real feelings. You know what they say—once married, there’s always a bond.”
“I came here today to ask you to come back to the Davidsons.”
What made Bianca think she’d ever come back?
The Davidsons were always this way—arrogant, convinced the world revolved around them.
Now Bianca finally realized Danielle had no intention of returning.
Her face registered disbelief.
“If we ever wronged you, I can apologize,” Bianca said hastily. “Besides, on the day of the satellite launch, we all stood up for you. Without us, you’d still be a target. You can’t just turn your back on us like this.”
“If we hadn’t spoken up, you’d still be living under a cloud of suspicion.”
Bianca had expected gratitude. She hadn’t imagined Danielle could be so ungrateful.
Danielle’s face stayed impassive, her voice flat and cold. “If you hadn’t stepped in, I would have cleared things up myself—cleanly and decisively. Instead, you just made everything messier.”
The chill in the room was palpable; Bianca felt the weight of Danielle’s presence pressing in on her, suffocating.
Her throat tightened. She wanted to say more, but couldn’t summon the words.
“There’s nothing between me and Alex anymore, and even less between me and your family. Please, Bianca, tell the Davidsons to show some self-respect.”
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