Page 3 of Shattered Reign

It took me half a second to process my mother’s questions.

I swallowed hard and nodded. “Yes. The fact that he didn’t try to deny it makes me think it’s true. From what we’ve seen, Van is very good at putting on a brave face and has sidestepped other allegations in the time we’ve known him. He didn’t try today.”

My parents looked at each other in shock before turning their attention back to me.

“This is a disaster for everyone involved, but especially Mrs. Henson, Bianca, and Nash. We need to be there for them if they need us,” my mother said with finality.

I agreed with her and wanted to make sure that I was there for Bianca especially. But she was still nowhere to be found.

“Yes. I wonder what it is that we can do.” my father spoke this time, but I barely heard him.

My eyes landed on the only person left here that might be able to help me.

I eyed Tristan for a moment, the person who was supposed to be the man of the hour. Although he was reading something on his phone, I noticed how calm and collected he looked. Shouldn’t he be reacting differently to his fiancée not showing up for their engagement party? Why doesn’t he seem surprised or bothered by this news?

“Hey, I found someone I want to talk to for a moment. I’ll be right back, okay?”

Both of my parents nodded, and I made my way across the room to the man I hoped held the key to all of this.

I cleared my throat as I approached him, and he looked up from his phone.

“Tristan,” I said as my heartbeat pounded in my ears.

“Easton,” he replied back, taking me slightly off guard.

“You know my name?” It seemed as if he knew more about me than I knew about him. I didn’t like that at all.

“Your parents’ reputation precedes them. Of course, I know who you are. Some might say it’s my job to know who you are.”

Part of me wanted to ask what he meant by that, but that would only delay me getting the answers I wanted.

“Where is Bianca?”

His smile faltered slightly, and I could feel him studying me. What he was searching for, I wasn’t sure. “Why are you asking me?”

“Shouldn’t you know where the person you’re supposed to marry is?” I was already on edge, and I didn’t feel like trading barbs back and forth with him.

“She’s not here.”

I clenched my jaw to stop myself from rolling my eyes. “That’s obvious. Where is she?”

Instead of responding, he stared at me, and the look was unsettling, but it didn’t deter me. His gaze bore into me, dissecting every nuance of my facial expression and posture. I could see the gears turning in his mind. It was as if he was trying to see my true motive without having to ask me.

I didn’t have time for his games while Bianca was who knew where. “Do you know where she is? If not, you’re just wasting my time.”

“You love her.”

My eyes widened because I hadn’t been expecting that. He smirked in return, having caught my reaction. His statement hung in the air between us. He’d seen through my facade of indifference and straight to the worry and love I held for her. While I had been getting used to the fact that I loved her and had created a plan to stop this whole fake engagement, I hadn’t admitted it to anyone. Hearing it out loud was jarring, to say the least.

Fuck.

“Seems as if I was right. It also explains some of her behavior too.”

“What do you mean?”

Tristan put his phone back into his pocket and leaned in closer to me. “Bianca didn’t come out and say it, but I suspected feelings for someone else might have been one of the reasons why she tried to get out of this arrangement.”

I didn’t have time to be going in circles with him. “Okay, but do you know where she is?”

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