Bianca smiled hesitantly, trying to shake off her worry. “Of course, I’m not scared; it just bothers me how the school head abuses his power to please his secret lover.”
She then pulled her hand back from Dave’s grip, feeling strange about how his large hand had enveloped hers. She couldn’t ignore the tingling sensation his touch left behind.
Dave noticed Bianca blushing and shook his head. “You seem restless. Did my touch make you uncomfortable?” he asked boldly, making her blush even more.
Bianca couldn’t bring herself to look at him. “L-let’s part ways now. Thanks for the coffee, Mr. Evans.”
She quickly stood up to leave, but Dave caught her wrist, not wanting their time together to end so soon.
“Don’t be upset. I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable. I was just trying to comfort you because you seemed really upset. I’m sorry if it seemed like I was taking advantage by holding your hand.”
Bianca looked into Dave’s eyes seriously and said, “Mr. Evans, I really have something to do. Please let me go!”
Dave sighed deeply and loosened his grip on her wrist. As much as he wanted to spend more time with her, he could tell she was determined to leave.
“Let me at least walk you to the cab,” he said, standing up and heading toward the door first.
Bianca followed him silently. Soon after, Dave hailed a cab for her.
“Get in,” he said with a polite smile, gesturing for her to enter.
Bianca quickly climbed into the cab. Once settled, she looked at Dave, who stood by the curb. “Thank you, Mr. Evans. I have to go now.”
Dave smiled slightly and nodded. “Take care.” He then closed the door for her. As the cab drove off, Dave immediately called Zane’s phone.
Ten minutes later, Zane pulled up in Dave’s latest Bugatti. Dave got into the back seat without a word, his face looking grim. Zane could tell that his boss was not in a good mood.
Hesitantly, Zane asked, “Where to, sir?”
“Take me to the Phoenix Alliance Headquarters,” Dave replied in a deep voice, his expression still dark.
Zane nodded and drove off without another word.
****
Meanwhile, shortly after Bianca finished her bath, her phone buzzed, indicating a new message in her inbox.
“Bianca, wanna play in tonight’s game?” the message read.
It was from Bianca’s online gaming buddy, who had become a close friend.
His game name was “Tyler,” but Bianca knew him as Blake Lawson. Blake came from a well-off family and was studying abroad, so they’d never met in person.
“Nah,” Bianca replied shortly.
“Is something bothering you?” he asked.
Bianca was surprised. She didn’t think he’d notice her low mood so quickly.
Suddenly, she felt like she needed to talk to someone about what was bothering her. She started typing, telling him about her argument with Mia and Samuel at the restaurant earlier that night.
Even though she let out her frustration at the restaurant, Samuel’s threat to kick her out of school bothered her. Throughout her time in college, she worked hard and followed all the rules. She never once broke a rule, but now, just as she was about to graduate, this happened.
She had upset the dean, and getting expelled was a real possibility.
Thinking about it made Bianca sigh, feeling hopeless.
After hearing about Bianca’s troubles, Blake cursed Mia and Samuel for their behavior. Once he finished venting, he said, “Don’t worry. They’ll get what’s coming to them eventually.”
Talking to Blake made Bianca feel better. Feeling tired, she closed her laptop, took a shower, and went to bed.
The next morning, after getting ready, Bianca got a call from her counselor, asking her to go to the president’s office.
It must be about what happened last night. Bianca didn’t expect it to escalate to the university president. Was she really going to get expelled?
Lost in thought, her phone rang. It was Dave who called.
Bianca was a bit surprised but grateful for the distraction. “What’s up, Mr. Evans! Why are you calling so early?”
“I wanted to make sure that guy from the restaurant didn’t cause you any trouble,” Dave said in a serious tone.
He was calling to see if she was okay. Bianca felt touched by his concern.
“Well, actually, the president wants to see me now, probably about that. But I’m tough, I’ll handle it!”
“You sound a bit worried,” Dave remarked.
Bianca was surprised that Dave could see through her so easily. She smiled weakly and confessed, “Well, Samuel is the dean, and I’m just a mere student.”
“Don’t worry,” Dave reassured her, his voice sounding reassuring. “I believe they’ll get what’s coming to them.”
Bianca thought he was just trying to make her feel better, so she sighed.
“I hope so.” Checking her watch, she said, “Mr. Evans, I’ve gotta go. Talk to you later, okay?”
After hanging up, Bianca gathered her things and left the dorm.
She went up to the top floor of the school office building and found the president’s office using the room number the counselor gave her on the phone.
Taking a deep breath, she opened the door.
As expected, the president, Samuel, and Mia were all there.
Trying to stay calm, Bianca walked up to the president and greeted him with a polite smile. “Good morning, Mr. Prescott.”
The president nodded seriously. “Bianca, your classmate reported that you were not only flirting with multiple male classmates but also dating a wealthy man. Mr. Ballard said he talked to you about this, but you didn’t listen and disrespected him. Your actions go against our school rules, and after discussing it with Mr. Ballard, I’ve decided to expel you.”
Bianca gripped the edge of her blouse tightly. Seeing the smug smiles on Samuel and Mia’s faces, her anger peaked.
“Mr. Prescott, I didn’t do any of those things. They’re lying because I caught Mia and Mr. Ballard having an affair, and now they’re trying to kick me out.”
“Bianca Scott!” Samuel stood up, pointing at her angrily. “As the dean, I’ve always been fair to all students. Don’t make up stories!”
“Mr. Prescott, Bianca’s always been mean to me and spreads rumors. Look, now she’s making up lies to make herself look innocent and slander me and Mr. Ballard,” Mia said, her eyes turning red as if she’d been wronged.
“Enough,” the president interrupted, gesturing for Samuel and Mia to calm down. Then he looked at Bianca sternly. “The school has investigated, and I’ve made my decision. Inform your parents about your punishment. Leave once you complete the dropout formalities.”
It looked like they planned to get rid of Bianca from the start. So, no matter what she said, it didn’t matter.