Chapter 473: I Haven’t Forgotten Your Help

After calming down, Reece looked at Lucas. “Mr. Evans, I’ve been thinking about what you said earlier.”

Lucas raised his brows. “And?”

“Miss Larson helped me see things clearly during our walk,” Reece said, giving Skylar a soft look. “I’m willing to help you send Bianca to prison.”

Lucas’s eyes widened in real surprise.

He never thought Reece, who had always stood by his values, would give in so quickly.

“That’s great news. I knew you were a smart man,” Lucas said.

“Reece, I’m glad you finally understand,” Caleb added with a relieved smile. “All that talk about ethics doesn’t matter. What counts are the rewards waiting for us.”

Reece gave a small nod and a forced smile.

“Since everything is decided, Lucas, we’ll let you rest,” Caleb said. He motioned to Reece, who stepped forward right away to help him.

Lucas called out, “Franklin, see our guests out.”

After they left, Lucas and Skylar walked to the middle of the living room. He looked at her and asked, “Skylar, what did you say to make Reece change his mind?”

Skylar’s heart skipped a beat, but she quickly masked her feelings with a calm smile.

“I helped him understand the bigger picture. If he doesn’t support you, the Evans Group will go after the Barton Group. And Barton Group is already falling behind. No matter how noble he wants to be, he knows what choice he has to make.”

Lucas gave a firm nod. “You really are a good match for my grandson. I’ve always been pleased with you, Skylar. Don’t give me a reason to change that.”

Skylar gently clenched her hands at her sides but kept a bright smile. “Of course not. Others might fail you, but I never will.”

“Good girl! Just hearing that makes everything I’ve done for you worth it,” Lucas said with a faint smile, his eyes narrowing slightly.

Skylar was the granddaughter of his old comrade and the future lady of the Evans family. He had shaped her carefully for that role.

He took pride in his sharp instincts. He was sure she wouldn’t disappoint him.

After talking with Skylar, Lucas told her to head to her room and get some rest.

Skylar didn’t ask anything else. She left quietly.

Once she was gone, Lucas turned to Franklin. “Keep monitoring all Dave's activities. From now on, the Evans Group will handle all Phoenix Alliance Group projects. I want to see what he can do without our help.”

“Understood.”

Later, after returning to the company, Bianca used the details and address Reese had given her. She began looking for people who had been in touch with Reese.

After finishing her work, and with the clock striking ten, Bianca walked home tired and sank onto the sofa, completely worn out.

She turned on her phone and scrolled through entertainment news out of habit. Without thinking, she tapped on Dave’s profile photo on Facebook.

Back when she used to return to Waterfront Apartments if Dave was home, they would often watch movies on the sofa together.

She remembered one night clearly. They watched a horror movie, and she ended up hiding in his arms. He had laughed at her fear.

Annoyed, she was about to complain, but he kissed her softly and said, “It’s alright. You can hold onto me.”

Memories filled Bianca’s mind, bringing a soft ache as she thought about him.

She wondered what he might be doing right now.

She typed a message, deleted it, then typed again. In the end, she decided to send a simple “Thank you.”

At that moment, Dave was busy with office work. The room was silent and was only lit by the soft glow of the moon.

A stillness surrounded him and he looked cold and distant.

The sound of a message broke the silence.

Dave looked at his phone. Bianca’s name lit up the screen. A faint spark appeared in his eyes, easing some of the tiredness on his face.

Back on her sofa, Bianca felt her phone buzz. Snapping out of her thoughts, she quickly sat up and opened the message.

Dave had written, “Why are you thanking me?”

She paused for a moment, then replied, “You were the one who handled the issue about Reese, right? I haven’t forgotten your help.”

Thinking back, Bianca realized the person who had always been there for her was Dave. He had been her closest support.

A faint, ironic smile formed on her lips.

Dave replied quickly, “I only fixed what was wrong. You succeeded because of your own skills.”

She wondered if he had helped her company gain ground in the entertainment world.

Somehow, he always seemed to know what was on her mind. His short, kind words brought a warm comfort to her heart.

Before Bianca could type a reply, Dave sent another message. “I just remembered—you said something like that when we first met. Do you remember?”

Bianca paused for a moment, then the memory came rushing back.

Their time together was still fresh in her heart.

She remembered that day at the restaurant when Mia and Samuel had cornered her. Dave had intervened to protect her immediately.

She had asked how she could thank him. He had smiled and said he wasn’t sure yet—but he’d let her know once he figured it out.

As time passed, the moment had slipped from her mind—until Dave suddenly brought it up again.

In a rush, Bianca typed, “Have you figured it out yet?”

After hitting send, her heart beat faster. She didn’t know what to expect from him.

Her thoughts ran wild. What if he asked for something too much?

What if he wanted to spend the night with her?

Holding her phone tightly, she felt her nervousness rise. Something told her his answer could change everything.

Just then, her phone buzzed. She quickly opened the message and her heart skipped a beat as she read it.

Dave had written, “I wish for your everlasting happiness, freedom, and authenticity.”

Bianca’s eyes filled with tears.

His words were unexpected, but they touched her deeply.

A rush of emotion swept over her. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she smiled.

At that moment, something in her heart felt whole again. The distance between them seemed to fade.

She realized her priorities had changed.

She thought about love and how strong it could be. She believed it could overcome anything, no matter how hard.

Thinking about how short life was, she found comfort in knowing that even a brief moment together could still be meaningful.

A quiet relief settled in her heart. The heaviness she carried began to fade.