Chapter 599: I Won’t Hurt Her

Dave and Bianca both looked at him as he clutched his head, acting out the moment.

“The captain had bought Phoenix Alliance stock, too. He cursed about it almost every day. Then one day, he got so mad he started saying things about you…”

Zane trailed off, noticing the shift in Dave’s expression. He gave a small cough and brushed past it. “Anyway, hearing your name brought everything back.”

“You better give me this captain’s information. I need to meet him,” Dave said. Then, after a pause, he added, “To thank him for saving you.”

Zane nodded with a small smile. “No problem. He actually looks up to you now. When Phoenix Alliance Group’s stock went up again, he made a lot of money, quit his job, and came to Edenfield with me. He doesn’t want to be a captain anymore. He’s sharp, he’d be a good fit at Phoenix Alliance.”

“Alright.” Dave placed a hand on Zane’s shoulder. “If you trust him, then I trust him.”

Zane bit his lip, his voice a little shaky. “Boss, things still aren’t settled yet, and it’s not safe for me to be seen. But I got lucky. When we got to Edenfield, the captain’s friend invited us to the Lawson Hotel. That’s when I saw someone trying to frame you up.” His expression hardened, eyes turning cold.

Before anyone could say more, Wyatt called out from the front, “We’re here. Reese’s neighborhood is just up ahead.”

Not far ahead, they saw Blake getting out of his car.

“Bianc, go talk to Blake,” Dave said. “Zane and I will take Reesen somewhere quiet to ask her some questions.”

His eyes darkened for a moment, but when he caught Bianca’s worried look, his tone softened.

“Don’t worry. I won’t hurt her.”

Bianca took a deep breath and stepped out of the car. She never liked lying, unless it was to protect someone. But right now, she had no choice. She had to go along with the plan and fool Blake.

Dave’s car pulled away, leaving her alone. She walked quickly toward Reese’s apartment complex and soon saw Blake up ahead.

“Blake!” she called, tapping his shoulder. “Didn’t think you’d get here so fast.”

Blake flinched and turned around. His surprised look changed into a smile. “I’m just worried about Reese. I really hope she’s okay,” he said, though his tone felt off. His concern wasn’t about her safety; it was about what she might say.

“She’s probably fine. She posted on Twitter earlier, saying she got drunk last night. She’s most likely at home, sleeping it off,” Bianca said, keeping her voice casual.

Blake frowned and quickly pulled out his phone. He checked Reese’s Twitter and Instagram. Just like Bianca said, there were recent posts. But instead of feeling better, he felt even more anxious.

Reese was supposed to be his pawn. If she could post, why hadn’t she reached out to him?

His jaw tightened. He wanted to call her, to demand an explanation. But he hesitated. If she were being held, someone else could have her phone, maybe someone working with Dave.

Still, he went ahead and dialed her number while Bianca watched.

“Sorry, the number you have dialed is not in service…”

The automated voice echoed in the silence.

As he thought, the call didn’t go through. His doubts hardened.

“Maybe we should go up and check. Her phone might’ve just died,” Bianca said, glancing to the side. The idea came out of nowhere, but she went with it. Maybe Dave’s way of thinking was starting to rub off on her.

Still, she told herself it was just to give Dave more time to question Reese and figure out who was really behind everything, not because she didn’t trust Blake.

“If she’s hungover, she might need someone around,” Blake said. His voice sounded sincere, but his mind was somewhere else.

He didn’t think Reese would be there. If she had been taken, the ones behind it wouldn’t leave her at home.

Ten minutes later, they stood in front of Reese’s apartment.

Bianca knocked firmly. “Reese, are you home?”

No answer.

Blake’s lips twitched into a sneer, but he quickly covered it with a calm look. He glanced at Bianca, his face hard to read. It felt like she was slipping away from him, like a lighthouse vanishing in fog.

“Does Reese have any close friends she might be staying with?” he asked after a moment. “Standing here won’t help. We need to deal with the online rumors before they get worse. Even with those posts, people will run wild with this. It could really hurt the Lawson Hotel’s image.”

He looked at Bianca seriously. “Can you do me a favor? As the head of Reese’s agency, could you put out a clarification?”

“Okay. I’m sorry this is causing problems for Lawson Hotel,” Bianca said with a nod. Her face stayed calm, but inside, she felt more comfortable knowing Reese was with Dave. Even if someone wanted her silenced, Dave’s people wouldn’t make it easy.

“But…” she paused, frowning. “I’m not sure how to word it. This could either die down or turn into a mess. And we still don’t know who leaked it.”

Blake crossed his arms and studied her. “The best way to end the rumors is for Reese to show up herself. But since she’s not here, a post saying she’s okay should buy us some time.”

He slightly leaned down, eyes sharp as he watched her. A thought crept in. Was Bianca truly worried? Or was she hiding something? Maybe she and Dave had planned all of this.

“Okay,” Bianca said, taking out her phone. “I’ll post something on my account now. I’ll ask Diana to post from the agency’s page too.”

Bianca called Diana and asked her to release a statement. It said Reese was safe, staying with a friend, and not hurt at all. It also shut down the online rumors and warned that anyone spreading lies would be held accountable. The statement asked everyone to stay calm and apologized for any trouble caused to the Lawson Group’s hotels.

After posting it, Diana called back, sounding anxious. “Bianca, I need the truth. What’s really going on with Reese? A group from the Lawson Hotel showed up this morning, demanding she come out and stop the rumors. Isn’t Blake in charge? Can’t he tell his people to stop? It’s messing with my work!”