Accidentally Slept With The Ruthless Billionaire

Chapter 596: Don’t Cry

Reese’s eyes widened in shock. It was him. Had he found out everything she and Blake had done?

Then Bianca stepped in behind him.

Reese froze. Seeing both of them there could only mean one thing: they knew what she'd done.

Bianca walked up to her, face hard, and pulled the gag from her mouth.

“Bianc… Bianca…” Reese’s voice shook, her emotions all tangled up.

“Why?” Bianca asked softly, her voice tight with anger. That one word was full of pain and confusion.

Reese didn’t answer. Her silence cut deeper than any excuse could.

Bianca had never treated her like just another artist. She saw Reese as a sister. She gave her everything, the best support, the best opportunities, especially over the past six months.

Reese knew that. She knew Bianca had been nothing but kind. But she had promised Blake she would help him get back at Dave. She never meant for Bianca to get hurt.

Now that she was caught, she didn’t know what to say. The shame was too much. She couldn’t even look them in the eye.

Avoiding Bianca’s eyes, Reese clung to the only excuse she had. “I don’t know what happened. I was drunk last night.”

Bianca gave a bitter smile, holding back the sting of betrayal. On the way there, she and Dave had already guessed Reese would say this, blaming it all on being drunk and not knowing what she was doing.

But the truth was obvious. Reese was the one who handed them the wine. She was the one who lured Dave into that hotel room. This wasn’t something she could cover up with a weak excuse.

“Reese, I’m really disappointed in you,” Bianca mumbled. “I’ll give you time to think about your answer.”

Zane bent down, picked up the towel from the floor, and gagged Reese again, this time right in front of them. “The walls are thin. If she starts screaming, we’ll have trouble,” he said simply.

He leaned down closer to Reese, his breath warm against her cheek. “When you’re ready to talk, just nod.”

Then he turned to Dave and Bianca with a shrug. “Why are you both staring at me? I even cleaned up, shaved, and…”

Bianca had noticed how rough he looked earlier, but all her attention had been on Reese. Now, seeing him up close, her heart sank.

What had he gone through? He looked like he’d aged ten years. If she hadn’t known it was Zane, she might not have recognized him.

Before Zane could say anything more, Dave stepped forward and pulled him into a tight hug.

Zane looked surprised, then chuckled. Deep lines creased his face, making him look much older. “Boss, what’s this? Don’t cry. I’m back, aren’t I?”

But Dave didn’t let go. He held him tighter, his voice shaking with emotion. “You idiot. You’re alive! Why didn’t you come back sooner? If you really die for me next time, I won’t cry for you again.”

“That sounds more like the boss I know,” Zane said, even as tears rolled down his face. “Sorry, there must be some dust in my eye.”

They pulled apart, laughing, the happiness between them impossible to miss.

Bianca stood nearby, quietly wiping her tears, watching them with a soft smile.

“Boss,” Zane said, grinning, “got some dust in your eye too?”

Dave nodded. “Your apartment’s a little dusty.”

“You two… you’re making me want to cry,” Bianca said, looking at Zane.

The sharp, confident manager she once knew was gone. Now, he looked like someone who’d been wandering for a long time, his clothes worn, his skin rough from the sun. It was obvious he’d been through a lot.

“Zane, what happened? What happened after you fell into the sea?” Bianca asked gently.

“That’s a long story,” Zane said, glancing toward Reese, still in the living room.

“Maybe we should talk somewhere safer,” he added.

Dave had expected this. The slums in the southern city were a maze of different communities and hidden dangers. Additionally, someone was clearly attempting to tarnish the reputations of the Phoenix Alliance Group and Emerald Artists Agency.

“I already updated Wyatt on my way here,” Dave said, checking his watch.

“He should be here soon.”

At the Lawson Mansion, Blake paced back and forth, growing more anxious by the minute. He had tried calling Reese over and over, but she wasn’t picking up.

“What’s the update? Have you found her phone yet?” he snapped, his eyes fixed on his most trusted aide. “No more excuses. I want real answers.”

Blake’s guard kept his head down. “We’ve tracked her phone. It’s showing up in the slum district of the southern city. We’ve already sent a team, but the place is huge and chaotic. It’ll take time to search properly.”

Blake’s eyes narrowed. “Then send more people. Expand the search. I want Reese found.”

His tone turned cold. “And if things get out of hand, handle it quietly. No loose ends.”

The guard gave a silent nod and walked out.

Blake closed his eyes, his face cold and unreadable. The sharp sound of high heels clicking across the marble floor broke the silence. He opened his eyes to see Ashley walking in. The rhythm of her steps irritated him.

“What are you doing here?” he snapped.

Ashley’s lips curled into a smirk as she stared at him. “As your partner, don’t I have the right to be here?” she said, her tone mocking. “I came to check on Reese. Wasn’t it you who confidently said there’d be no problems? What a shame. Women can be so unpredictable.”

Blake scowled. “Hmph. You’re a woman too, remember,” he shot back, dropping onto the sofa and crossing his legs. “I’ll handle it. Just leave it to me.”

Ashley raised an eyebrow. “Handle it? Have you even looked online? Reese is a top artist. She vanished after a banquet at the Lawson Hotel, and it’s blowing up. Everyone’s talking. Looks like your PR team isn’t doing their job.”

Blake went still, her words sinking in. If anything happened to Reese, it would be a disaster. The fallout could destroy the hotel’s reputation and shake the entire Lawson Group’s stock value.

But with Ashley watching, he couldn’t make a direct call. He quietly typed out a message on his phone: Reese must not be harmed. Keep her alive.

As he hit send, Blake opened Twitter only to be slammed with a wave of headlines and viral posts.

Breaking News: Superstar Reese Vanishes from Lawson Hotel; Case Draws Chilling Parallels to the Black Dahlia Murder, Shocks the City!

Public Outcry: How Does a Celebrity Disappear Without a Trace in a High-Security Hotel? No Surveillance Footage Found. Hotel Staff Under Suspicion.