Chapter 4 Episode 4

Chapter four

Meeting my father again

Bianca's pov

The tall gates of my father's mansion loomed in front of me, their iron bars cold and unwelcoming. I took a deep breath, gripping the handle of my suitcase. It had been years since I walked through these doors. Years since I chose a life away from my family, away from the weight of my last name. But now, there was nowhere else to go.

The guards recognized me instantly, their stiff expressions softening as they stepped aside. I walked in, my heels clicking against the marble driveway. The house hadn't changed. The grand entrance, the polished floors, the heavy silence that clung to the walls-it was still the same.

I stepped inside.

The moment I did, I saw him.

Richard Reed. My father. The most powerful man in New York.

He stood at the top of the grand staircase, his sharp eyes locked onto me. His face was unreadable, but I could feel the weight of his disappointment pressing down on me. My chest tightened.

I dropped my bags and fell to my knees.

"Father," I whispered, my voice shaking. "I'm sorry."

Silence.

I bowed my head, pressing my palms against the cold floor. My throat burned, my heart pounded.

"I should have never left," I choked out. "I should have never hidden from you. I should have never-" My voice broke. "I should have never married Johnny."

The weight of my words filled the vast space between us.

My father's footsteps echoed as he descended the stairs. He stopped in front of me.

"Look at me, Bianca," he said, his voice deep and firm.

I lifted my head slowly.

His eyes searched mine, not with anger, not with hatred-but with something worse. Disappointment.

"Do you know how long I waited for you to come back?" His voice was quiet, but it carried the force of a storm. "Do you know how many nights I wondered if you were safe? If you were happy?"

Tears burned behind my eyes. "I thought I was doing the right thing."

He sighed, his gaze softening. "And now?"

I swallowed hard. "Now I know I was wrong."

He nodded slowly. "You've suffered."

I let out a broken laugh. "You have no idea."

He studied me for a long moment. Then, he did something I never expected.

He knelt down in front of me.

My breath caught in my throat.

"You are my daughter," he said. "And I have always been waiting for you to come home."

A sob escaped my lips.

I threw my arms around him, clinging to him like I was a little girl again, seeking shelter from the storm.

For the first time in years, I felt safe.

He held me for a long time before pulling away. His eyes, now filled with something close to relief, searched my face.

"You can't run from who you are, Bianca," he said. "You are a Reed. And it's time you step back into the world where you belong."

I stiffened.

I had spent so long trying to live a life where my last name didn't define me. I wanted love, not power. I wanted a home, not a throne.

And yet, here I was.

"I don't know if I'm ready," I admitted.

He smiled faintly. "You will be."

I wasn't sure. But I knew one thing-I wasn't the same woman who begged Johnny Ryder to love her. That part of me was gone.

I had lost everything.

Now, it was time to rebuild.

---

The city lights flickered outside Johnny's penthouse, casting long shadows across the room. He sat on the edge of the bed, phone in hand, fingers tapping against the screen.

No answer.

Again.

He clenched his jaw, tossing the phone onto the nightstand.

Where the hell was she?

Who picked her up?

Who was she with?

Johnny had expected Bianca to cry, to beg, to break when he handed her those divorce papers. Instead, she walked away. No hesitation. No fight. Just... gone.

And then that damn car.

A car that cost more than most people made in a year.

Johnny exhaled sharply.

Something wasn't right.

He picked up his phone again and dialed. The call rang once. Twice.

Straight to voicemail.

His grip tightened.

Who the hell was she, really?

And why did he suddenly feel like he never knew his own wife?

I stood by the window of my father's study, staring out at the city below. My phone buzzed on the table.

Johnny. Again.

I let it ring.

He would find out the truth eventually.

But for now, I let him wonder.