Chapter 8: Do You Know Them?

Shocked, Justin quickly took out his phone and dialed a number.

“What?” Dave’s deep voice came through the phone.

“Dave, I’m at Crestmont University. You won’t believe who I just saw.”

“Just spit it out quickly.”

Justin hesitated before saying, “Bianca Scott. I just saw a guy pulling her into a car, and she didn’t look happy about it.”

There was silence. Then, Dave hung up.

Justin felt a bit surprised. Maybe he shouldn’t have interfered. It seemed Dave wasn’t interested in Bianca. Justin shrugged it off and went another way with the university leaders.

But Justin was right; Bianca really didn’t want to be with Haris. She wanted to refuse, but she was scared he’d get suspicious.

Just when she felt hopeless, her phone rang.

“Sorry, I need to take this.”

Bianca quickly grabbed her phone, hoping it could help her out of this situation. When she saw who was calling, her heart raced.

“Hello, Mr. Evans,” she said quietly, covering the phone with her hand so Haris couldn’t hear.

Dave’s voice was calm. “Yesterday, you mentioned dinner. I’m free now.”

She glanced at Haris in the driver’s seat, then loosened her grip on the phone and put on a worried look. “Can it wait? I’m a bit busy.”

“If you’re busy, it’s fine,” Dave said.

“No, no, it’s okay. I’ll come right over.”

Bianca suddenly spoke louder, startling Haris, who had been listening in.

After ending the call, she looked at Haris, her eyes softening.

“I’m sorry, Haris. I have to leave right away. Something important came up.”

Haris looked worried. “What’s so urgent?”

“It’s about my campaign to become the top graduate this year. You know how much it means to me, right?”

With that, Bianca pulled her hand away from his and hurried off.

Just being near Haris made her feel sick. She was afraid if she stayed any longer, she’d throw up.

After getting away from Haris, Bianca called Dave.

“Mr. Evans, thank you! You helped me a lot. My fiancé suddenly showed up at my school, and when you called, he was right there. So, I said those things to distract him. If you hadn’t called, I don’t know what I would’ve done!”

“Happy to help.” Dave smiled. He felt good hearing Bianca’s explanation. “So, what do you want to eat?”

As Bianca walked, she said, “Anything you like. My treat.”

“Really?”

“Yes. You pick the restaurant, and I’ll cover it.”

Half an hour later, Bianca arrived at the restaurant Dave picked. He was already waiting for her at the door.

Dave wore a black shirt and pants, giving him a cool, mysterious vibe.

They greeted each other, and Dave held the door open for Bianca.

Inside, Bianca was amazed by the restaurant’s beauty. A dazzling crystal chandelier hung overhead, casting colorful light. Soft saxophone music filled the air. The Italian-style decor and waiters in tuxedos added to the elegance.

Stunned, Bianca followed Dave to a booth by the window, and they sat down.

Bianca noticed the fancy ambiance and guessed the food must be expensive. But when she saw the menu, she couldn’t believe her eyes.

“Um, Mr. Evans, are you sure about this place?” Bianca glanced nervously at Dave.

Each dish cost over a thousand dollars, way more than she could afford. She felt embarrassed bringing it up.

“What’s wrong?” Dave seemed oblivious.

“Well…” Bianca touched her nose awkwardly. “It’s a bit expensive.”

Dave looked at the menu Bianca was holding and raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t you say I could pick any restaurant?”

Bianca felt stuck. She had said that, but she didn’t expect him to choose such an expensive place. Did he think she was rich because she bought him a suit yesterday?

Dave watched her flustered face with interest. She looked so cute, her cheeks as red as tomatoes. She nervously bit her lip while checking the menu, occasionally glancing up at him to see his reaction. Eventually, Dave stopped teasing her.

“Don’t worry. I have a coupon. We’ll get 90% off,” he said.

Bianca was shocked. “Wow!” She stared at Dave, surprised.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Dave asked, puzzled.

Bianca leaned in and whispered, “Mr. Evans, tell me honestly. Do you have a lot of rich women chasing after you?”

She couldn’t understand how he got such a fancy restaurant coupon, let alone a 90% discount!

Dave sighed and rubbed his temples.

Feeling she might have offended him, Bianca quickly apologized. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to pry. Please don’t be upset. I won’t ask again.”

“It’s fine,” Dave said calmly. “No, there aren’t any rich women chasing after me.”

Relieved that Dave wasn’t upset, Bianca focused on the menu. With the big discount, she confidently ordered some of the restaurant’s best dishes.

As she handed the menu back to the waiter, she saw a familiar face entering with an older man. It was Mia!

Looking at the older man, Bianca recognized him as Samuel Ballard, the department dean.

Bianca sat facing the door, so if Mia and Samuel saw her, they’d know she was there. Thinking quickly, she ducked down next to Dave, covering her face with her hands.

Seeing her odd behavior, Dave glanced at the door and understood. He leaned over to block Bianca from view.

Sure enough, Mia and Samuel sat at the next table, but they didn’t notice Bianca.

At this time, the waiter brought their food; Bianca kept her head down and listened carefully.

She heard Mia say, “Sweetie, you have to help me. You can’t let Bianca be the top student!”

Samuel smiled reassuringly. “Don’t worry about her. I’ll make sure you get that honor.”

“You’re the best!” Mia kissed Samuel on the cheek.

Samuel wrapped his arm around her waist and said meaningfully, “Stay with me tonight. If you make me happy, I’ll give you anything you want.”

“You’re so naughty!” Mia whined coquettishly, pounding his chest.

Bianca’s hand froze. Now she understood why she never got the top scholarship prize and couldn’t get a straight answer from the school. Mia had someone backing her up!

Anger boiled inside Bianca. She gripped her fork tightly, saying nothing, her face dark with fury.

Noticing Bianca’s grim expression, Dave whispered, “They seem to be talking about you. Do you know them?”

Bianca kept her head down, her eyes fixed on her plate with simmering anger. “That woman is Mia Davis. We’re in the same department. The man with her is Samuel Ballard, our department’s dean. Mia always beat me for the top scholarship prize, even though I did better academically. Now, I found out he’s been helping her because it turns out he is her sugar daddy. I wanted to be the outstanding graduate this year, but now it feels impossible.”