?Chapter 134:


    Milford’s unexpected reaction took Eileen by surprise. With a puzzled look, she questioned, “Why would you think I’d scold you?”


    “‘Because I’m not a good kid. I’ve gotten involved with the wrong crowd,” Milford admitted, trying to keep his tone light, despite the uncharacteristic sarcasm on his young face.


    Eileen, catching on to something, sat next to him and said, “Who’s to say those people are all bad? Many people whomit major crimes look ordinary. Looks alone can’t tell you who’s good or bad, Milford.” Looking thoughtful, he yed with the hem of his trousers without making eye contact with Eileen.


    Eileen continued, “You should practice more before going out there to confront those people. At least, don’t embarrass yourself next time.”


    Back in her school days, Eileen would cross paths with intimidating figures at the school gates, their presence alone enough to send chills down her spine.


    But as she grew older, she realized that those tough-looking characters were all bark and no bite, only able to scare those unacquainted with the real world.


    Eileen said, “You were not this timid when you were up to your pranks. To whom did you send the footage of the—”


    Milford’s demeanor suddenly turned stormy at the mention of the surveince footage.


    He tilted his head with a sly grin. “I warned you about trying to change me. Feeling remorseful now? Give me seventy percent of the tutoring fees, and I’ll hand over the proof that clears your name. Then, we’ll be done with each other. Deal?”


    Milford’s insistence on squeezing money out of Eileen revealed his thoughts. He clearly cared about money a lot.


    “Why are you so desperate for money?” Eileen questioned bluntly.


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    Milford replied, “Being poor gets you scorned, while wealth earns you respect. Everyone is chasing the almighty dor.”


    “But did you ever stop to think that your way of making money is wed? That the amounts you’re snatching are limited? Put in the work, use your smarts, and earn your keep honestly. You’ll gain the respect that money can’t buy,” Eileen said.


    She bit her tongue on asking how he had gotten so cynical about money at such a young age.


    For now, she could only skim the surface in her efforts to reason with him. It barely yielded any results.


    “‘You just want me to take your sses; you don’t really care about me,” Milford used, his anger boiling over as he stood up and stormed out.


    Eileen didn’t mind that. She hadn’t expected Milford to change so easily, after all. As she stood up, her gaze scanned the trash can.


    There, among the refuse,y the cracked bead.


    She hesitated briefly. Then, with resolve, she picked up the bead, wrapped it in a scrap of paper, and slipped it into her pocket.


    She knew she still needed to find an opportunity to handle the issue of the photos by working on Milford.


    Descending the stairs, she was greeted by the mouthwatering aromas of a meal in preparation. In the kitchen, Bryan was immersed in cooking.


    Eileen lingered at the kitchen’s door, watching. There seemed no need for her to help.


    “I’d like toe over to tutor Milford tonight and tomorrow,” she said to Bryan.


    With her schedule unexpectedly cleared, she decided to dedicate her time to Milford, hoping to get to the root of the problem swiftly.


    “‘Sure,” Bryan replied, not bothering to look up.


    Soon, hepleted his culinary task and turned off the stove.


    “Take the dishes to the dining table,” he told Eileen.


    “Got it.” Eileen quickly brought the dishes to the table.


    Bryan had prepared four dishes and a soup in less than half an hour. Eileen was impressed by his culinary prowess.


    She remembered his cooking skills being decent before, but she hadn’t anticipated such an improvement over thest year.


    While Eileen was debating whether to ask Milford to join dinner, Bryan texted Milford. In no time, Milford appeared.


    He settled at the table and began eating quickly without anyck of manners.


    Just as he was wrapping up his meal, Bryan reminded him, “Take a break, then prep yourself. You’ve got tutoring at six.”


    Milford stopped and shot a look at Eileen, clearly frustrated.


    But he eventually replied, “Understood.”


    He seemed unexpectedlypliant with Bryan.


    Suddenly, Eileen’s phone interrupted the silence. She answered promptly. It was Emmett calling.


    Emmett’s voice, resonant and full of life, floated through the receiver.


    “‘Miss Curtis, have you dealt with the issue?” he asked.


    Eileen, catching that Milford had something to say to Bryan, stood up and moved to the living room for the call to give them some space.


    Unnoticed by her, Bryan’s expression turned stormy, his gaze following her as she left.


    Golden sunlight flooded the French windows, bathing Eileen in a soft light as she talked on the phone.


    Bryan, unable to see her face, could only guess how tender her demeanor must be.


    Who was on the line? Why did she need to avoid him to answer the call?


    Bryan’s eyes grew chilly. He continued his meal in silence.


    After ending the call, Eileen came back to find Milford had retreated upstairs.


    She swiftly finished eating, tidied the table, and departed with Bryan.


    On the road, Eileen said to Bryan, “Sorry if I misunderstood you earlier. Thanks for your help.”


    Bryan remained silent, casually resting a hand on the steering wheel, his demeanor cold.


    Eileen bit her lip, a wave of guilt washing over her.


    Upon reaching his office, Bryan came to a stop and said simply, “Get out now.”


    Eileen unbuckled her seatbelt and got out of the car. The car then sped off without her.


    The wind it left behind tousled Eileen’s hair.


    Her guilt turned into disappointment.


    She realized just sharing a meal with Bryan wasn’t enough to bridge the gap between them.


    With a forced smile, she headed back to the education agency.


    She then got ready for Milford’s evening lesson. Before leaving for Bryan’s ce, she texted Phoebe on WhatsApp, telling Phoebe not to wait for her for dinner.


    On the way to Bryan’s ce, she grabbed a sandwich for her meal and took advantage of a red light to eat.


    Milford might have shown up for the tutoring session, but his mind was elsewhere.


    He sprawled across the desk, leaving no space for even a single book, clearly uninterested in the lesson.


    Eileen noticed that the textbooks she had left herest time had vanished.


    Thinking of something, she faced Milford and said, “You know those old textbooks could be sold for recycling. They might fetch a good sum. It seems such a waste to throw them away.”


    Milford, with his eyes shut tight, replied, “Leave me alone. Don’t disturb my sleep!”


    “‘Fine,” Eileen responded. She then dragged a bean bag near the window and reclined on it to bask in the fading sunlight.


    After some time, Milford opened one eye and peered at Eileen. A hint of a smile appeared on his face as he stealthily snapped a couple of pictures of her with his phone.


    The room had sunk intoplete darkness two hourster, and they still hadn’t turned on the light.


    It was time for the tutoring session to end. Eileen got up, packed her things, and patted Milford, saying, “Time’s up. Go sleep in your bedroom.”


    Milford, following Eileen’s guidance, demanded five thousand per picture.


    Not long after, he saw a deposit of thirty thousand in his bank ount. He gazed at the figure in disbelief for quite some time.


    Eileen said, “You’re a sharp kid. You know how to y the grown-up game and even profit from it. But you see, you didn’t earn as much as you would have if you’d listened to me. You got fooled and blocked. Why’s that?”


    Tapping on the desk, Eileen continued, “You’re still young, and they won’t treat you like an adult. It’s important to act your age, you know.”


    She gave Milford a smile, adding, “Remember, you owe me a meal one day. I did help you get that money back.”


    With that, she left the room. She swiftly sent the screenshots Milford had posted online to Emmett.


    “‘Could you send these screenshots to the parents’ group chat, so they’ll understand we were framed? Also, schedule a meeting with those unhappy parents for tomorrow morning at the agency. We need to go over this thoroughly with everyone,” she texted.


    Emmett’s response came quickly, “Got it!”


    Eileen pocketed her phone. She was descending the stairs with joy when she saw the front door burst open.


    Bryan stumbled in and fumbled with his shoes at the door. He lifted his head, resting it against the wall.


    His lips parted slightly, his striking Adam’s apple moving rhythmically. He appeared drunk.


    He then made his way toward the stairs, his slender fingers starting to undo his shirt buttons.


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