?Chapter 143:


    Eileen didn’t have time to wonder why Bryan knew she was locked up here or if Milford had noticed that Bryan had slipped her some food.


    She served herself the meal and ate eagerly while it was still warm, finally quenching her hunger.


    Perhaps Bryan had realized that her confrontation with Milford would be the decisive one, so he had covertly helped her.


    She didn’t ponder his reasons; her main focus was to get Milford on board with her tutoring n.


    The following morning, Milford came back to find Eileen looking exhausted from a sleepless night.


    Milford thought she was still famished and questioned, “Are you trying to starve yourself? I’m underage, so even if you do, it won’t get me in trouble. Just follow my orders and give me back my tutoring money!”


    He was clearly oblivious to the fact that Bryan had secretly sent food to Eileen.


    “I don’t care. My life has been miserable anyway. Maybe dying young will offer me a fresh start,” Eileen murmured feebly, feigning a fatalistic eptance as she looked at Milford.


    A flicker of concern crossed Milford’s face, but he tightened his jaw, preparing to depart, fortified by Bryan’s reassurance that Eileen wouldn’t die of starvation for at least three days.


    “Wait,” Eileen called out suddenly, retrieving a repaired bead with a string from her bag and slowly walking towards Milford. “I fixed it for you,” she said, offering the bead.


    Milford’s eyes widened in surprise as he approached, extending his hand through the small window. “Hand it over.”


    Eileen ced the bead in his palm, exining, “I used some clear glue to fix it. It won’t spin freely on the string anymore, but you can still wear it.”


    After she made some final tweaks and cleaned off the leftover glue, the bead appeared pristine, showing no signs of repair.


    Milford bit his lip, his gaze hardening as he met her eyes. “Don’t think I’ll let you off the hook just because you fixed this!”


    “I wasn’t suggesting that. I just thought if I ended up dying in this ss prison, I wanted to make sure you had it. Otherwise, I might never have the chance to give it to you,” Eileen replied.


    Turning away, she copsed back into her seat, her body sagging as if it might give out at any moment.


    She kept her gaze averted from Milford, feeling the tension in the air. Perhaps she could get out of here smoothly today.


    After that, Milford began visiting her after lunch, quietly making sure she was still breathing.


    Bryan never got the chance to show up with any food, and by the afternoon, Eileen’s stomach was growling with hunger.


    Trying to get up, Eileen identally stumbled over a chair, and a sharp pain shot through her leg.


    “Ouch—” She inhaled sharply, pain ring up.


    Suddenly, the sound of a door opening reverberated behind her as Milford burst through. “Are you okay?”


    Milford looked at Eileen with concern, fearing she was starving to death.


    A look of dread washed over his youthful face. As he reached out to assist her, someone grabbed his arm.


    Lifting his gaze, Milford found Bryan crouching before him, helping Eileen from the floor.


    “Open the door,” Bryan ordered.


    Without hesitation, Milford obeyed. As Bryan carried Eileen toward the door, Eileen suddenly clung to the doorframe.


    A weak voice emerged from her lips. “I can’t leave. If I do, he’ll refuse to let me tutor him.”


    Bryan pivoted to face Milford.


    Taken aback, Milford hesitated briefly before eximing, “Why are you still thinking about that now? Do you want me to put your name in a ce no one would ever encounter? Alright, I’ll agree to your tutoring! Satisfied now?”


    Hearing that, Eileen quickly withdrew her hand.


    She was not in pain anymore, but she feigned injury and continued the act, fearing Milford’s wounded pride might push him to rethink their agreement.


    She allowed Bryan to carry her, navigating several turns before gently setting her down on the bed.


    Having spent two exhausting days in the chair, a wave of fatigue swept through her now.


    She sank into the plush mattress and stretched, sumbing to itsfort.


    When Eileen opened her eyes, she noticed Bryan seated next to her, his eyes twinkling with mischief as he lit a cigarette and watched it burn slowly between his fingers.


    A sense of familiarity enveloped Eileen, and she realized that her deal with Milford was now something she had to face.


    “Are you using what I taught you against me?” Bryan asked, his brow creasing as he adjusted his tie and stood up. He walked to the window, took a drag from his cigarette, and faced her again. “That’s quite bold of you.”


    Eileen’s smile was one of acknowledgment, seeing his words as apliment. She nodded slightly, “Thank you for the acknowledgment, Mr. Dawson. Unless there’s anything else, I shall leave now.”


    As she turned to exit, the door burst open.


    Milford rushed in, clutching a bottle of milk and a few slices of bread. “Here…”


    His voice faded away when he noticed Eileen standing there, surprise etching his features.


    Bryan quickly snuffed out his cigarette and stepped in to calm Milford before things escted. “It’s over. You’ve already lost,” he dered, implying that Eileen had been pretending to be weak before.


    “So, both of you have plotted against me?” Milford’s anger boiled over, and he threw the food onto the bed.


    Pointing at Eileen and Bryan, he blurted out, “You’re a shameless couple!”


    The corner of Eileen’s mouth twitched, and Bryan’s face darkened.


    Realizing that he had said something wrong, Milford quickly turned and fled from the room.


    “He still has a lot to learn about proper behavior,” Bryan muttered under his breath.


    “I should get going,” Eileen announced, and with that, she left Bryan’s bedroom. She headed to the ss garden house to pick up a few things before departing.


    After days in the garden house, she could finally breathe the air outside and had resolved the tutoring issue with Milford.


    She left the vi happily.


    Bryan stood by the window, a sneer forming as he watched Eileen’s pleased expression.


    Did she really think he would let her off easily just because she had thanked him?


    She had definitely be more audacious with time.


    As dusk approached, Eileen returned home to freshen up before heading to the education agency to deal with a few things.


    It was Wednesday, a day usually reserved for tutoring Milford, but she had hurriedly left Pianoforte Vis; she wouldn’t be back now.


    So she moved Adalina’s lesson to today.


    She had informed Denzel ahead of time. Afterpleting her tasks at the agency, she headed directly to the Vance residence.


    Upon her arrival, she discovered Denzel was not home. A greeted her at the door. As she was changing her shoes,ughter echoed from the living room.


    “Is Mrs. Vance at home?” Eileen asked, recognizing theughter as belonging to Denzel’s wife.


    “Yes, Ms. Curtis,” the servant replied with a smile. “Mrs. Vance is currently enjoying a card game with a few friends.”


    Eileen returned the smile and proceeded to the living room, where she found four women engrossed in a card game near the French window.


    The light overhead cast a soft, cool glow that brought a touch of elegance to the gathering.


    Among them, Ka, also known as Mrs. Deleon, stood out as possibly the eldest, yet she carried herself with a poise that matched her youngerpanions.


    Ka broke the silence first. “Is someone here?”


    Ryann nced over her shoulder. A hint of embarrassment colored her expression, a residue from her earlier encounter with Eileen. She gave a small nod to Eileen and then turned back to her friends, dismissing the interruption. “Alright, she’s my daughter’s tutor. We can carry on.”


    Ka smirked and gave Eileen a fleeting nce before she returned her attention to the card game, looking as if she didn’t know Eileen at all.


    Eileen excused herself and went upstairs. She couldn’t wait to share with Adalina that Milford had agreed to let her tutor him.


    Adalina’s face blossomed with happiness. “That’s wonderful, Ms. Curtis! Are you in touch with him on WhatsApp?”


    “Yeah, I am. Why do you ask? Do you want to add him?” Eileen said.


    Adalina nodded with enthusiasm. “Yes, I’d love to help him with his studies if he finds them challenging.”


    Eileen then shared Milford’s WhatsApp contact with Adalina, who wasted no time in sending Milford a friend request.


    Before this, Eileen had already given Milford a heads-up that an old friend would be reaching out to connect on WhatsApp.


    With everything settled, Eileen and Adalina began the tutoring session.


    Downstairs, a lively card game was in progress.


    Ka remarked casually, “Mrs. Vance, your daughter’s tutor is quite young and stunning.”


    “Yes, my husband was the one who hired her,” Ryann responded. “He mentioned that she had previously tutored several students earlier this year, and their grades improved significantly.”


    “But it’s rare to find tutors who are both capable and as youthful and attractive as she is, wouldn’t you agree? I’d keep a close eye on her,” Ka advised Ryann.


    Taken aback by Ka’sment, Ryann paused, a card suspended in her hand.


    Among the elite, maintaining family prestige was paramount, so Ka’s words resonated deeply, sparking conversation.


    Disinterested in the same, they delved into a lively debate on the subject.


    “How did your husbande across this tutor? Did someone rmend her, or did she seek out the position herself?”


    “When I was hiring maids, I insisted on only considering those over fifty who were out of shape and in-looking. Men are often ves to their desires, prone to wander in the face of temptation.”


    “You’re right. The tutor is extraordinarily young and appealing. If she decided to seduce a man, who could possibly stand firm against her?”


    .


    .


    .