?Chapter 190:


    Everyone was aware that Kian and Vivian’s visit to Wist Land had a purpose. Bryan, with a glint of sharpness in his eyes, remained silent as he casually offered Eileen a dish that he knew she would like.


    “This dish tastes good. Try it,” he said.


    “Sure,” Eileen replied, then smiled at Z. “Miss Murray, your cooking skills are good.”


    “No need to be so formal with me,” Z said. “Call me Z, just like Bryan does.”


    Despite Z’s words, Eileen found it difficult to address Z by her first name. Noticing this, Z didn’t push further. She turned to Milford with a stern expression, instructing him to heed Eileen’s advice during tutoring sessions. It seemed that asking Eileen to call her by name was just a polite gesture.


    Z had spent a lot of time cooking, so after they finished eating, Eileen felt it would be rude to let Z clean up alone. Eileen rolled up her sleeves, ready to help, but Bryan stopped her.


    “Both of you should rest. I’ve got this,” he said.


    “Alright, you take care of it. I’ll go wash some fruit.” Z took some fruit from the fridge and went into the kitchen.


    After Eileen helped carry the dishes to the kitchen, Z led her to sit in the living room. Milford was engrossed in the game created by Huey. Eileen, who hadn’t yed the game in a while, felt tempted to join him.


    “I’ll join you.” Eileen pulled out her phone and sat next to Milford. Then, she nced at Z. She was unsure whether Z would mind if she joined Milford to y the game.


    Z nudged the te of fruits towards them. “Go ahead. You mentioned that work and y should be bnced, right? Just make sure Milford doesn’t forget his studies.”


    Your next adventure is at g  al n ovels . con


    “Come on, quickly,” Milford said excitedly, nudging Eileen’s arm to urge her.


    Upon seeing this, Z felt a bit ufortable. When facing her, Milford always avoided physical contact and spoke very little. After some hesitation, Z retrieved her phone and said, “I’ll give it a try, too.”


    While the game was downloading, she added Eileen on WhatsApp. Z’s profile picture showed a few sheets of paper tied with red strings. Upon closer inspection, Eileen noticed there were ink marks on the paper.


    Suddenly thinking of something, Milford quietly moved to sit on the wicker chair by the French windows. He appeared to be chatting with someone.


    “Eileen, are you truly serious about Bryan?” Z asked casually while waiting for the game to download. Her question, though casual, was serious for Eileen. “Of course, I am serious,” Eileen replied.


    Noticing Eileen’s earnest expression, Z smiled gently. “No need to be so tense; I was just curious. The Dawson family’s situation isplicated. If you’ve decided to be with Bryan, it’s not something to take lightly. You know Bryan’s character; he’s serious about hismitments. I’m just concerned that you might struggle with the pressure.”


    Z nced toward the kitchen to ensure Bryan was still upied. She leaned closer to Eileen and reassured her, “Don’t worry. Once Bryan makes a decision, no one can change it. As long as you staymitted, everything will be fine.”


    Eileen understood that the Dawson family’s situation wasplex, but no one had ever given her the full details. Z seemed to only hint at the difficulties without exining them.


    Eileen chose not to ask further. She decided to wait for Bryan to exin everything when the time was right. Once the game finished downloading, they started ying. Z was not familiar with this game. Eileen and Milford began at the basic level to help her, using the chance as a way to rx and pass the time.


    After Bryan finished tidying up the kitchen, he received a phone call. He stood on the balcony, where the light was dim, holding a cigarette that glowed in the dark. Around ten o’clock, Bryan ended the call and came inside. The cool night breeze brought in the smell of smoke and alcohol.


    He sat next to Eileen, watching her and Z y against Milford. They were quickly defeated by Milford. Bryan raised an eyebrow and, wrapping his arm around Eileen, took her phone, saying, “How clumsy.” He followed the remark with a kiss on her ear.


    They had be so ustomed to their intimacy that they forgot others were around. Milford was focused on the game and didn’t say anything. Z noticed their closeness but didn’t react. In less than thirty seconds, Bryan began to dominate the game. He not only outperformed Milford but also killed Milford’s character three times within three minutes.


    Feeling defeated, Milford put down his phone and scratched his head. “One more round!” he eximed.


    “I’m done ying,” Bryan said, exiting the game. He then pulled Eileen up and turned to Z. “We’re leaving now.”


    Z put away her phone and said, “Pick me up here tomorrow morning. We’ll go to the airport together.”


    “No,” Bryan replied without hesitation. “Let’s just meet at the airport.”


    He nced at Eileen, wanting to spend every possible moment with her before his departure. He had no time to pick up Z. Bryan’s refusal was final, and Z had to ept it. “Alright then. See you at the airport,” she said.


    Bryan draped his suit jacket over his arm, took Eileen’s hand, and left with her. On the smooth road, the trees along the sides quickly blurred past, leaving Eileen momentarily dazed.


    “You’ll pass by Z’s ce on your way to the airport tomorrow. Why can’t you pick her up?” Eileen asked casually.


    “I don’t want her intruding on our moments together before my departure,” Bryan answered.


    Eileen was momentarily stunned and then asked, “What do you mean?” The temperature inside the car seemed to drop suddenly. Bryan nced at her. “Aren’t you going to see me off?”


    Eileen indeed hadn’t nned on it. But she said, “Of course, I’ll see you off.”


    Bryan saw through her lie. Unexpectedly, he chose to let it slide this time. “If you don’t want to, you don’t have to,” he said.


    He pressed his lips together, and his long legs shifted slightly as the car elerated. He was clearly upset. Eileen stayed silent, resolving to see him off tomorrow. She had had a few drinks at dinner. While sitting on the sofa earlier, she had felt fine, but now, with the car speeding up, she felt a bit dizzy.


    Her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes blurred slightly. Her long hair was tousled by the wind. As she got out of the car and walked up the stairs, her steps were unsteady. Bryan followed her closely, his warm hand supporting her back.


    As soon as they entered the house, Bryan embraced Eileen from behind. His firm chest pressed against her back, pinning her against the cab by the door. He nted kisses on her, trailing from the corner of her eye to her earlobe. Her whole body tingled as if she was electrified.


    But he didn’t proceed further, keeping her in suspense. “Do you want it?” Bryan’s husky voice instantly made Eileen’s body tremble.


    Eileen nodded in response. However, Bryan was not satisfied with the response. “Say it,” he demanded.


    Eileen’s ears turned red, and her glossy lips opened and closed as she struggled to speak. Bryan continued to coax her, determined to make her say it out loud. Her naturally preserved demeanor made it difficult for her to say it directly. However, she was decisive in her actions. She turned and pushed him away hard.


    He hit the wall, letting out a muffled groan. The next second, she lunged forward, her hands hooking around his neck, pulling his head down a bit. This allowed her to kiss him. They stumbled from the door to the living room. Bryan couldn’t tell if Eileen was being clumsy or ying with him. She fumbled with his buttons, managing to undo only a few.


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