?Chapter 69:


    “Mr. Dawson, pleasee in.” As Han made his way up from the ground floor, he spotted Bryan by the railing. Quickening his pace, Han approached Bryan with a friendly smile.


    Bryan snuffed out his cigarette and tossed it into the ashtray. He then slipped his hands into his pocket and turned to leave, ignoring Han’s friendly gesture. Han momentarily felt a flush of embarrassment, bewildered by Bryan’s dismissive action. Although rumors painted Bryan as distant, Han had always found him polite. However, Bryan seemed different today.


    Regardless of Bryan’s changed attitude, Han approached him with an unwavering smile, needing to seek his help. Upon entering the room, Han noticed another individual there—Jacob.


    “Mr. Meyer,” Han was surprised. Jacob, enjoying a sip of his coffee, looked up and greeted, “Mr. rkson, it’s been a while. I was just about to discuss something with Bryan. Would it be alright for me to join you both for lunch?”


    Without missing a beat, Han responded, “Of course. I’m delighted you could join us. Waiter, hand the menus to Mr. Meyer and Mr. Dawson.”


    “Really?” Bryan sat down. He looked Han in the eye and said, “Mr. rkson, it appears you’re notcking funds. We won’t be formal with you then.”


    As Bryan finished speaking, he felt a gentle tug on his arm. Turning, he saw Jacob shaking his head in disapproval. Bryan frowned as he pulled his hands out of his pocket and took the menu from the waiter. Without a second thought, he ordered the priciest dishes on the menu.


    “And another bottle of your finest wine,” he added after ordering the dishes. Han was slightly taken aback. Although he could afford the meal, he felt something was off with Bryan tonight. A nagging suspicion lingered in his mind. Could Bryan have discovered that Eileen was tutoring his son? If Bryan opposed the tutoring arrangement with Eileen, what should he do?


    Han believed he needed to ensure Bryan was pleased tonight. He quickly mustered a smile. Jacob said, “I’ll pass on ordering; what Bryan has ordered is more than enough.”


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    The waiter took the menu and headed downstairs, soon returning to serve the dishes. Han chatted with both Bryan and Jacob warmly. Bryan ate his food with elegance, yet he remained silent throughout. Han felt a growing unease, unable to voice his thoughts.


    “Why did you ask me to meet you tonight?” Bryan suddenly asked, his question directed at Jacob.


    Between mouthfuls, Jacob answered, “I have a matter to discuss with you. But I think there’s a reason Mr. rkson invited you to dine tonight. Perhaps you two should talk first, and I’ll bring up my pointster.”


    Han paused, setting down his fork and wiping his mouth with a napkin. “Actually, my reason for being here today concerns one particr person,” he said.


    At this, Bryan stopped eating and ced his fork down with a definitive clink. Leaning forward, he pulled out two tissues from the box, spat his food into them, and tossed them into the trash can. Then, turning his full attention to Han, he asked, “Tell me then, is it?”


    With a cautious look, Han responded, “Ms. Curtis…”


    Bryan’s face immediately hardened, his smile twisting into a frosty sneer that sent a shiver through Han.


    “Mr. Dawson, please don’t be upset. I had no other choice but to seek Ms. Curtis’ help. My son is particr about whom he listens to, and he only listens to Ms. Curtis!” Han quickly said.


    After a pause, he added, “Since Miss Warren is currently your secretary, I believe she can manage many of Ms. Curtis’ tasks…”


    His suggestion implied that with Vivian taking over some responsibilities, Eileen would have more time to focus on tutoring his son. But what Han had said sounded different to Bryan. To Bryan, Han was suggesting that Eileen could take on the role of being Han’s stepmother.


    Suddenly, a chill seemed to emanate from Bryan. He fixed Han with an icy gaze.


    Feeling the weight of Bryan’s stare, Han shivered. He looked to Jacob for support, confused. “What’s the matter? Did I say something wrong?”


    Jacob chuckled and waved his hand dismissively. “You didn’t say anything wrong. Eileen is dispensable to Bryan now.”


    At Jacob’s words, a chill passed through the room. Bryan’s re made Jacob recoil slightly, realizing his provocation had stirred Bryan’s displeasure.


    Bryan then shifted his focus away from Jacob, calmly unbuttoning his sleeves and rolling them up. “Mr. rkson, you can continue.”


    Han dared not speak at this moment. It seemed that Bryan was looking for a confrontation. Observing Bryan’s palpable irritation, Jacob quickly stepped in, grabbing Bryan’s arm and whispering, “What are you trying to do? Start a fight with me over rkson or Eileen?”


    Han couldn’t hear what Jacob had said, but he sensed that Jacob might be trying to calm Bryan down.


    Bryan held back from any aggressive actions. He reclined in his chair, his formidable presence underscored by a stiff posture as his cold gaze remained fixed on Han. “I apologize, Mr. rkson. Please, go on,” he said.


    Han felt a lump form in his throat. Gathering hisposure, he said, “There is no need for you to be this upset, Mr. Dawson. Ms. Curtis epted my request because of her financial struggles. She could certainly use the extra ie as long as it doesn’t conflict with her primary duties. We might not think twice about a small amount of money, but for someone like Ms. Curtis, two hundred thousand dors a month is significant. She’s really in need of the money. That said, I am concerned about her health, which is why I invited you to dinner tonight. I wanted to discuss possibly reducing her workload. I’m prepared to cover part of her sry.”


    Two hundred thousand dors? Bryan’s anger simmered. He crossed his legs and ced his foot on the chair beside him, leaning closer to Han to say, “Eileen is currently downstairs in a private room with another man. Would you care to join me in greeting her, Mr. rkson?”


    After a moment’s thought, Han gestured dismissively and responded, “I am aware of the person you’re mentioning. However, given our roles, it might not be appropriate for us to interrupt their meeting. To avoid causing any difort for Ms. Curtis, it’s best we don’t disturb them.”


    Hearing Han’s words, Bryan clenched his jaw tightly in anger. The atmosphere in the room downstairs radiated warmth as Ruby and Winona sat closely, hands intertwined, lost in memories of days gone by.


    They exchanged stories of their children’s youth, reminiscing about Eileen’s and Huey’s contrasting personalities: one full of mischief, the other intelligent and level-headed. To them, Eileen and Huey seemed the perfect pair.


    Bailee observed in silence from her corner of the room, asionally ncing over at Huey and Eileen, her lips pressed together in contemtion.


    “I’m not as healthy as I once was. In the future, when they get married and start a family, they’ll have to rely on you, Mrs. Baker,” Ruby said with a heavy sigh.


    Winona responded quickly, squeezing Ruby’s hand reassuringly. “I think we should start nning their wedding sooner rather thanter.”


    “I agree. Let’s choose a suitable date…” Ruby began.


    As the conversation about wedding dates began, Eileen started to feel anxious. She nced at Huey. It seemed he was overwhelmed and at a loss for words.


    Eileen realized she needed to intervene if she wanted to stop Ruby and Winona from discussing this further. “‘Mom, Mrs. Baker, I think Huey and I should take things one step at a time. It’s too early for such discussions,” Eileen interjected cautiously.


    Ruby looked over at Eileen and then turned to Winona, dismissing her daughter’s concerns. “‘Eileen has always been the cautious type. She doesn’t really mean what she just said,” Ruby said.


    Winona nodded in agreement, eager to continue. “Let’s keep talking about the wedding ns.”


    At this point, Huey could no longer contain his difort. “Mom, could you please consider my feelings before making any ns?” He stood up decisively and walked over to Winona. “My rtionship with Eileen hasn’t reached that point.”


    He took Winona by the arm, signaling it was time to leave. “Let’s go home and talk this over.”


    Winona was caught off guard by Huey’s sudden move, nearly stumbling, and Eileen quickly reached out to stabilize her.


    “‘You brat, do you want to hurt me?” Winona eximed, delivering a sharp smack to Huey’s shoulder.


    Huey released Winona’s arm and turned to Eileen, his face a mix of frustration and resignation.


    Taking a deep breath topose herself, Eileen gently guided Winona to sit down. “Mom, Mrs. Baker, I appreciate your excitement about my rtionship with Huey, but marriage is a seriousmitment,” Eileen began, her tone earnest. “Rushing into it without fully understandingpatibility could lead to significant issues down the road, including the possibility of divorce.”


    Eileen hoped that presenting a reasoned argument grounded in the realities of marital challenges would resonate with Ruby and Winona.


    Ruby frowned. Her health was declining, and with the medical expenses piling up, she felt an urgency to make the wedding happen sooner rather thanter.


    Winona looked at Ruby, her expression filled with concern. She had initially agreed to push for the marriage quickly because of Ruby’s illness.


    Bailee, sensing the tension, gently took Ruby’s arm and said, “What Eileen is saying makes sense. We need time to see if they are truly right for each other.”


    The room fell silent, everyone’s eyes on Ruby as they awaited her decision.


    After a moment of reflection, Winona suggested, “Ruby, perhaps we should give them a bit more time. We shouldn’t rush them. My son can be impulsive, and I’m concerned that if they marry too quickly, they won’t get to know each other. It might negatively impact Eileen.”


    Huey, though itching to speak up, remained silent. Convincing Ruby to allow more time was the current priority.


    Ruby turned to look at Eileen. The tenderness in Eileen’s expression seemed to touch Ruby’s heart.


    “It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have rushed things. Let’s just enjoy our meal together today,” Ruby said.


    This change in tone lightened the atmosphere.


    After dinner, Winona offered to take Ruby back to the hospital, suggesting they still had much to talk about. Eileen, quiet throughout the exchange, apanied Ruby to Winona’s car and stood by the roadside with Huey and Bailee, waving them off.


    From a shadowed corner nearby, Bryan and the others were watching the scene.


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