?Chapter 189:


    After Kian ended the call, Z’s gentle voice still echoed in his mind. Kian’s eyes reflected a yearning. Although Z had been overseas for years and they hadn’t seen each other in person for a long time, they had kept in touch.


    Regardless of the time difference, they often engaged in long conversations at night. Kian believed this meant something, though he preferred not to say anything about it for now. He unlocked his phone and looked at the old photo of himself and Z together, a subtle smile ying on his lips.


    After a while, as if recalling something important, he dialed Benjamin. “How’s the investigation on Eileen going? I want all the details,” he said. Evente at night, Benjamin was always attentive when Kian called. He replied, “Mr. Warren, I’ll have aprehensive report on Eileen delivered to your house by morning.”


    “Good,” Kian said with satisfaction. “You were college ssmates with Eileen, right?” Kian didn’t bring up the fact that he had learned about Benjamin meeting Eileen in Wist Land, feeling the timing wasn’t right.


    Benjamin responded without hesitation, “Yes.”


    “Then, if I request actions that might hurt her, can youply?” Kian asked. Kian’s question sounded casual, but Benjamin knew that a wrong answer could lead to severe consequences.


    Benjamin replied, “Although it will be difficult, I understand the importance of weighing the pros and cons. So rest assured, Mr. Warren.”


    Kian’sughter on the other end of the line was unsettling; it made Benjamin break into a cold sweat. After hanging up, Benjamin pressed his lips together tightly, contemting the current situation. He had always understood the necessity of weighing the pros and cons, but this time… Eileen had really put him in a tough spot.


    As the year drew to a close, Wist Land’s temperature plummeted to its lowest point. Yet, Eileen felt warmer than she had in the previous year. Perhaps it was because Bryan alwaysy beside her as she slept and woke. In the days before their departure from Onnd, they had spent time together like this. But now, it felt different; Bryan tended to her with great care. Within days of being with him, she had gained weight, a feat neither Bailee nor Phoebe had achieved in a year.


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    Everything went as usual except that Eileen couldn’t make it to the educational institution on time in the morning. With the approaching final exams in Adalina’s school, Eileen prepared her tutoring sessions for Milford and Adalina with great effort. She even went ahead and pre-recorded several online lessons, storing them in case they were needed. Bryan’s project progressed smoothly. asionally, he was too upied to pick up Eileen, so he would send Raymond instead.


    As time passed, Eileen and Raymond became quite familiar with each other. One morning, around nine o’clock, Eileen was still asleep when her phone rang loudly, prompting a frown from Bryan. Bryan reached for Eileen’s phone and answered it. “Ms. Curtis, one of the parents of your online course students contacted us. They mentioned that their child will be studying intensively before the school year ends and asked if you could provide a week’s worth of prerecorded lessons.”


    Bryan paused briefly before responding in a low voice, “I’ll have Eileen call you back shortly.” Realizing the current situation, the caller promptly ended the call.


    Eileen stirred, stretched her arms, and wrapped them around Bryan’s waist. “Good morning,” she murmured. Bryan leaned down, his lips brushing softly against her cheek. He ced her phone beside her. “You have a call.”


    Groggily, Eileen retrieved her phone. She checked who had called her. It was June Boyer, an experienced teacher with two children. June, understanding the inconvenience of early morning calls, decided to message Eileen instead. She recounted the situation once more, emphasizing the urgency of the student needing the pre-recorded lessons within the next half-hour before heading to school. However, the recorded lessons were stored on the desktopputer at the education center, and Eileen knew there was no way she could make it there in time.


    So she entrusted June with the password for herputer and asked June to forward the lessons instead. After addressing a few queries from Milford and Adalina in their group chat, Eileen finally took a moment to rest. She had been really busy recently. With her back turned to Bryan, her long, wavy hair sprawled across the bed, entuating her slender waist. Still nestled against Bryan’s arm, she felt his fingers gently ying with her hair.


    “What do you want to eat for breakfast?” Bryan asked. “Anything that’s filling,” Eileen replied without looking back, feeling the warmth of Bryan’s hand resting on her waist through the thin nket.


    In the blink of an eye, Bryan snatched her phone and pulled her into a snug embrace.


    “Eileen, I might need to head back to Onnd for Christmas Eve,” he whispered into her ear, a hint of reluctance in his tone.


    “Really?” Eileen hadn’t considered it until then, but it dawned on her—it was Christmas Eve. Who wouldn’t want to be home for that? She shifted slightly, feeling a twinge of reluctance herself, and replied, “Then go. Just make sure youe back soon.”


    “My family called. They mentioned my grandmother isn’t doing well.” Bryan’s exnation shed light on his sudden need to leave. Without a valid reason, he wouldn’t have considered going back.


    Eileen’s heart clenched with concern. “Is it serious? You should head back as soon as possible.”


    “It’s a recurring issue. Each year, my grandmother’s growing older, and her health suffers a bit more. I just need to tie up some loose ends with my project here before I go,” Bryan said, his fingers gentlybing through Eileen’s hair as he held her gaze for a moment.


    “At most, I’ll be gone for ten days.” With twenty days left until Christmas Eve, Eileen realized Bryan wouldn’t be by her side for almost a month. She bit her lip and rested her head against his chest.


    “Alright.” In this situation, asking Bryan to stay wasn’t feasible. And Bryan couldn’t take her to Onnd, since Ruby was still here.


    Bryan pressed a kiss to Eileen’s forehead. “I have some matters to attend to back home. Once I return and your mother’s health improves, I’ll take you back with me.” Eileen understood the significance of returning home with him.


    Suddenly thinking about the fact that she still hadn’t told Bryan that she was his ex-wife, her heart skipped a beat. She just replied, “Okay.”


    Knowing they would be apart for a while, Eileen lingered in bed with Bryan a bit longer. Then, while Bryan prepared breakfast, she attended to some work tasks.


    When she finally came downstairs after freshening up, Bryan had already finished preparing breakfast. He looked good in his ck shirt and trousers, despite the mismatch with the kitchen ambiance—a sight that had be familiar to Eileen. Wearing a Bluetooth earpiece, Bryan was dealing with some work matters.


    Spotting Eileen, he gestured towards her seat. Eileen took her ce at the table. She ate in silence while he worked.


    Afterward, she cleared the dishes, gathered her work things, and exchanged a fleeting nce with Bryan before heading out. Both Bryan and Eileen found themselves very busy recently since Christmas was approaching.


    Eileen diligently pre-recorded numerous lessons, aiming for a tranquil holiday season. Bryan’s departure was scheduled for Monday, and over the preceding weekend evening, Z orchestrated a gathering.


    Besides Eileen and Bryan, only Z and Milford were in attendance, fostering a somewhat harmonious atmosphere. This marked Eileen’s first close interaction with Z, revealing to her Z’s culinary prowess.


    “You’re too kind, Miss Murray,” Eileen said, feeling slightly awkward witnessing Z’s busyness in the kitchen. Despite Z’s more approachable demeanor with casual attire and an apron, her elegant aura remained.


    Z smiled at Eileen. “Have a seat first. I have something to discuss with youter.” Confused, Eileen pondered what Z could possibly want to talk about with her.


    Eileen’s gaze drifted to Bryan, who was engrossed in a video game with Milford on the couch. The contrast between Bryan’s mature charm and Milford’s youthful exuberance was palpable.


    Eileen assisted Z with setting the table, and within half an hour, dinner was served. Z uncorked a bottle of red wine and poured a ss for Eileen, who hesitantly epted it.


    Bryan didn’t intervene, though he was well aware that Eileen’s alcohol tolerance had waned since she had rarely drunk when he hadn’t been by her side. Considering the fact that he was leaving the following day, he believed a touch of wine might alleviate the impending sorrow of their separation.


    “Let’s have a toast,” Z proposed, lifting her ss to Eileen and Bryan. Eileen and Bryan both raised their sses and took a sip.


    “Eileen, regarding the awkward incident during Milford’s tutoring session, please don’t take it to heart,” Z said, her expression tinged with embarrassment. “I didn’t realize the nature of your rtionship with Bryan, and I acted hastily.” Her apology seemed sincere.


    “It’s alright,” Eileen replied, cing her ss down. The tone of her response was polite and a bit formal. Z didn’t seem bothered by this. “Actually, I have another favor to ask. Bryan and I are heading back to Onnd, and Milford will be staying here alone…” Z had intended to bring Milford along, but he had refused.


    “If it’s alright with everyone, I could take Milford to my home. After all, my family is small, and it would add some liveliness,” Eileen proposed, quickly grasping Z’s implication.


    Upon hearing this, Bryan frowned, a sudden thought crossing his mind. “What are you nning to eat on Christmas Eve?”


    Bryan’s question left Eileen momentarily speechless. It was no secret that Eileen’s culinary prowess left much to be desired. They couldn’t possibly eat spaghetti on Christmas Eve. Besides, the spaghetti Eileen made wouldn’t exactly be winning any culinary awards. Both Z and Milford fixed their eager eyes on Eileen, waiting for her response.


    Feeling a mix of embarrassment and frustration, Eileen cleared her throat before answering, “I’ve already discussed it with Bailee. We’re bringing my mom home for Christmas, and Phoebe will be joining us. Bailee’s in charge of the cooking.”


    Noticing Eileen’s ears tinged with a rosy hue and her eyes widened in exasperation, Bryan couldn’t suppress a grin. “Then you should go home. The old ce won’t have enough space,” he suggested. By “home,” he meant their current residence, the Lakeside Vi. If it weren’t for Milford, Eileen might have considered her former ce, but with him in tow, that ce would be too cramped. So, she agreed.


    “Also, I heard from Kian that Vivian isn’t feeling well. It wouldn’t be right for her to travel, so Kian and Vivian will be staying in Wist Land for Christmas Eve,” Z said, her voiceced with concern as she looked at Bryan and Eileen.


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