Page 41 of Shattered Sinner
He had links to some of the most influential people in the city that transcended the business world.
Tristan was also connected to many high-profile politicians and Hollywood stars. It wasn't unheard of to see him on the red carpet or at a fundraiser.
But that didn't explain what was unfolding in front of me because none of this was adding up. What was Bianca doing at this building, during the middle of the week when classes were still in session? Why was she going to meet him?
That’s what I hadn’t been able to figure out yet.
Tossing some bills down on the rustic wooden table to pay for my coffee, I walked out of the coffee shop with my cup in hand. I pulled my coat closer to my body to fight against the chilly wind. The city’s pulse echoed around me—the revving of car engines, the screeching of brakes, the hushed conversations from people around me. All of that faded into the background as I moved to see the front desk of the building from across the street. Nothing could deter me from trying to find out why Bianca was here.
I watched as Bianca spoke to the attendant there and then walked toward the bank of elevators. When the front desk attendant didn’t lead her to the regular bank of elevators, I knew that she was definitely going to see Tristan.
I’d followed Bianca from the dress shop she was in for a couple of hours and then she headed here. Could it be something related to Van Henson’s future political plans?
But something told me that wasn’t it. The way she chewed on her bottom lip and the way she was fidgeting all told me that she was in distress. The obvious discomfort was out of place for someone who was here on friendly terms.
The elevator finally arrived, and Bianca stepped into it, and I was left wondering how long she was going to remain in there. The city moved around me; cars whizzed by at the speed of light. Everyone was in their own little worlds, oblivious to the story unfolding in the penthouse suite above them.
I had to know why Bianca was here. I walked across the street and headed over to the building, making sure not to draw attention to myself. Blending in had become an art. When I got closer to the entrance, I noticed a security guard standing to the side near the front door of the building. Unsurprisingly, he was standing tall with his arms crossed in front of him. He eyed me suspiciously as I made my way up to the thick glass door, but he held his tongue when he saw the coffee cup in my hand.
I gave him a small nod, deciding that causing a scene wasn't the best option right now. Instead, I walked back to the coffee shop across the street to stay warm. Every step I took, I could feel his eyes on me. Once I was seated at a table, I pulled out my laptop to do some research to pass the time. Thirty minutes flew by and before I knew it, an hour had passed.
With each passing minute, I grew more irritated. I needed to know what was going on to report back. I was determined to find out what was going on between Bianca and Tristan. Tristan’s ongoing relationship with Van made sense, but the connection between Bianca and Tristan didn’t.
My mind was filled with nothing but questions, and I had little answers to show for it.
As the city around me continued to operate as normal, I melted back into the shadows, a specter in the chaos, with a resolve solidifying in my heart. I would get to the bottom of this mystery. No matter what it took.
After waiting for ninety minutes, the elevator doors opened again, and Bianca stepped out. She looked the same, but different. She was biting her lip again, but this time she had a determined look on her face that I hadn’t seen before. She quickly hailed a cab and as she moved, I moved. When she left the premises, I was lucky enough to find a cab to follow her.
Thankfully, the cab driver I had didn’t ask too many questions and did his best not to lose track of her. After about twenty minutes, we arrived at another apartment building, where I knew her parents’ place was located. I waited for her to get out of the car before I turned to the driver of my cab and told him that I had another address to go to.
As he pulled away from the curb, I received a text message.
Unknown Number: Party at Henson Mansion in approximately a week. More information to follow.
I nodded my head slowly. This meeting of two people in different stages of life had something to do with that. I was sure of it.
That was the biggest question swirling in my mind.
23
BIANCA
Istood at the front of the classroom, trying to calm my racing heart. I did my best to appear confident, but on the inside, I was freaking the fuck out. Yes, it had something to do with the presentation we were about to give, but also, thoughts of my meeting with Tristan had me almost completely distracted. Easton stood next to me, the picture of confidence as we prepared to present our psychology project to Dr. Chen and our classmates. I hated that we were the second team to present, but there was nothing I could do about that.
I looked to Dr. Chen and then she spoke. “Whenever you’re ready,” she said with an encouraging smile.
I shared a look with Easton because he offered to start us off and gave him a small nod so that he knew I was ready also.
“Hello, everyone. Bianca and I are here to present our analysis of the case study on Cassie Grimes, and the conclusions we reached.”
On the projector screen the slide changed from just the title of the presentation and our names to the first slide summarizing what the case study said about Cassie Grimes. Easton launched into our presentation, and together, we tag teamed, presenting the research that we’d found.
You would think, based on the fact I had to talk to strangers on a relatively regular basis because of my father’s occupation, that I would be more comfortable with public speaking, but it still made me nervous.
Feeling the eyes of our professor and classmates on me, analyzing every word I said, was not what I wanted to be doing at this time. I folded my arms across my chest, and while it wasn’t the friendliest body position while giving a presentation, I didn’t care. I wished that I had the podium that Dr. Chen sometimes used when she was teaching because it would give me something to lean on and create a bit of a barrier between me and the crowd in front of me.
We discussed the findings of our study, highlighting the recommendations that we made as a result of what we discovered. Our words flowed smoothly, showing off how much we knew, and I made sure to talk about our methods and show off our slides which contained charts and graphs.
