Chapter 5 - The Call She Made Yesterday
Daniel Mercer closed the bridal room door.
Bianca immediately recovered some of her confidence.
"This is inappropriate."
Daniel barely looked at her.
"Ms. DeLuca, you called my office four times yesterday."
"I had questions."
"You represented yourself as Robert's authorized future spouse."
Robert's eyes sharpened.
"What did she ask?"
Daniel removed his notes.
"Whether marriage would automatically give her authority over Livia's trust."
Robert looked at Bianca.
Daniel continued.
"When I told her no, she asked whether becoming Livia's legal guardian would change that."
Silence.
Rosalie covered her mouth.
Bianca shook her head.
"That's not what I meant."
Daniel turned a page.
"You then asked what would happen if Livia attended a residential school outside the state."
Robert took one step toward Bianca.
She backed up.
Daniel's voice remained calm.
"I told Ms. DeLuca none of those circumstances would give her control."
"So why the amendment?" Robert asked.
"She asked me to prepare one."
Bianca snapped.
"It was a hypothetical."
Daniel looked at her.
"You asked me to bring it to the wedding."
Robert stared.
Daniel continued.
"I refused to finalize anything without speaking to Robert privately."
"So you came here."
"Yes."
"Why didn't you call me?"
"I did."
Robert checked his phone.
Three missed calls from an unknown number.
Bianca stared at the floor.
Robert looked at her.
"Did you block his office number?"
She said nothing.
That was answer enough.
Robert's phone rang.
His CFO.
Robert answered.
"Michael."
A pause.
His expression hardened.
"How much?"
Bianca's head lifted.
Robert listened.
"No. Freeze everything. Immediately."
He ended the call.
Rosalie whispered.
"What happened?"
Robert looked at Bianca.
"She transferred $180,000 from the household renovation account this morning."
Bianca's face flushed.
"It was for wedding expenses."
"To where?"
Robert showed her his phone.
"An LLC registered six weeks ago."
Daniel frowned.
"Whose LLC?"
Robert read the name.
"BD Lifestyle Holdings."
Rosalie stared at Bianca.
"BD."
Bianca DeLuca.
Bianca began talking faster.
"It's a vendor company."
"For what?"
"Design consulting."
"What design?"
"The honeymoon house."
Robert blinked.
"What honeymoon house?"
Bianca stopped.
A terrible silence settled over the room.
Daniel slowly closed his portfolio.
Robert stepped closer.
"There is no honeymoon house."
Bianca looked toward the doorway.
Robert saw the calculation on her face.
Not guilt.
Escape.
Then Bianca grabbed her handbag and rushed for the hall.
Robert didn't chase her.
"Let her go."
Rosalie turned.
"Robert—"
"Security is downstairs."
He made one call.
"Lock the exterior gates. Bianca DeLuca is not to remove anything from this property."
Bianca stopped at the end of the hallway.
She turned around.
Her bridal veil trembled behind her.
"You think you've won?"
Robert said nothing.
She smiled.
"You should ask your mother what Caroline signed before she died."
Rosalie's face went completely still.
Robert noticed.
"Mom?"
Bianca's smile widened.
"Oh."
She looked between them.
"She never told you."
Robert turned toward Rosalie.
"Told me what?"
Rosalie's eyes filled with tears.
And suddenly Robert understood there was another secret in the room.
May you like
One that had nothing to do with Bianca.
👉 Bianca had finally lost control—but with one sentence about Robert's late wife, she uncovered a secret Rosalie had protected for three years.
