?Chapter 208:


    Eileen’s grip on the cab tightened, her fingertips paling under the pressure as she forced a smile.


    “Of course not, why would I hide anything from you?” she replied, feigning nonchnce.


    Internally, she was bursting to confess, but the words wouldn’te—perhaps out of fear of the consequences. Noticing Bryan’s eyes narrow with suspicion, seemingly probing for the truth beneath her facade, Eileen took a proactive step. She casually walked over, slipped her arm through his, and gently guided him away from the kitchen.


    “Wow, it smells amazing in here! I’m famished. Let’s dig in. By the way, are you nning to head back to the officeter?”


    As she led Bryan to sit, she deftly straightened his cor, adding a touch of care to her gesture, and slid into the seat next to him. She then began to pick out the green onions from her te and ce them onto Bryan’s.


    Bryan stopped her, saying, “There’s a business mixer tonight. I need to get a jump on selling the core concept of our project to Wist Land’s key yers before that manager does. If I can secure their interest first, even if that man tries to do something with the core materials, it’ll be toote for him.”


    The project in Wist Land involved a cutting-edge automated electronic product, meticulously detailed from design to internal workings, aimed at major retail outlets and robust online tforms. With the country’srgest emerce mogul hailing from Wist Land, it was the perfect hub for their initiative. Even if that manager wanted to start production with the materials he had taken, he would still need to reach out to these businessmen.


    Eileen, impressed yet unsurprised, smiled and nodded. “I knew you’d have a n in ce.” However, her expression shifted to a deep frown as she watched Bryan put the green onions back onto her te.


    “I don’t eat green onions. Why do you always want me to eat them?”


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    Bryan quickly shifted his te away, guarding it so Eileen couldn’t remove the green onions from her te.


    “Being picky is not a good trait; you need to change. Otherwise, it’ll set a bad example for our future kids, and that would make things difficult for me.”


    Kids? The word caught Eileen off guard. She blinked. “Do you want kids?” she asked.


    “Of course,” Bryan responded promptly. Noticing the seriousness in her expression, he added, “But not right now.” He was aware of theplications and unresolved matters present. Besides, Eileen was not his wife yet; he knew it wasn’t fair to ask her to bear his child at this stage.


    Eileen’s expression grew earnest as she leaned closer, locking eyes with Bryan. “Actually, it doesn’t matter. We’re both in our thirties now. After thirty, it’ll be risky for me to give birth to a child.”


    Bryan paused in his eating, meeting her gaze as the weight of the conversation settled over them. Eileen cleared her throat, feeling slightly uneasy under Bryan’s intense stare. His expression suggested he hadn’t fully contemted this topic before.


    Eileen averted her eyes, focusing on her meal as thoughts of her conversation with Ste crept into her mind. She was not intimately familiar with the intricacies of the Dawson family dynamics, but she knew that in many wealthy families, having children to secure the inheritance wasmon practice.


    Seeing Bryan’s current difficulties, she suddenly thought that maybe they could also use that method. Once the idea took root, it persisted, flickering through Eileen’s thoughts intermittently as the afternoon wore on.


    Meanwhile, Vivian was in recovery at Pianoforte Vis, receiving intensive treatment that had considerably improved her condition. Recently, she had been distant, barely speaking to Kian. Today, however, her cousin Megan had unexpectedly arrived from Onnd, finding Vivian nearly restored to her usual self.


    “Kian told me you were unwell again, and I was worried,” Megan said, clutching Vivian’s hand with evident concern.


    Though Vivian was mentally sharper, she still looked visibly unwell. As Megan’s vibrant presence contrasted starkly with her own frailty, she ufortably withdrew her hand.


    “What are you doing here?” Vivian asked.


    Megan blinked before answering, “My parents heard about your illness and sent me to check on you. After all, Kian is a man; he might not be able to look after you properly.”


    Vivian had long been familiar with Megan’s tendency to tter her, so Megan’s words did little to stir any feelings of gratitude. Vivian’s face remained impassive, prompting Megan to continue. “I also came to sort things out with Jacob. The night we got engaged, he disappeared, and the very next day, he threw out all my belongings and called off our engagement. It was a huge embarrassment for our Beckett family. Even though his father managed to keep it quiet, my parents want me to stay here in Wist Land to try and mend things with him.”


    Vivian was disinterested in Megan’s grievances, idly twirling her fingers as she listened. Sensing theck of engagement, Megan shifted gears, hoping to capture Vivian’s attention. “It’s all Eileen’s fault! On the day of my engagement, I saw her conspiring with Phoebe. I’m sure she had something to do with Jacob leaving that night. Now, she’s clinging to Bryan…”


    Herints escted into venomous remarks, her frustration palpable. This shift finally drew a reaction from Vivian. She replied, “Now that Bryan has distanced himself from the Dawson family, my brother has numerous ways to pressure him. I’m curious to see how long Eileen can maintain herposure.”


    “Vivian, Megan.” At that moment, Z approached with a tray of fresh fruit, gracefully setting it down before them. “Have some fruit. Kian mentioned he has obligations tonight and can’t make it back early, so he asked me to take care of you.”


    Megan’s face twisted slightly in disdain at Z’s entrance; to her, Z was just a parasite, living off others. Yet, there was an undeniable dignity about Z that made her difficult to dismiss or belittle. Megan softened her expression.


    “Thank you, Z,” she said with a smile.


    In Z’s presence, Vivian’s expression softened as well. “Z, thank you for everything you’ve done these past few days, especially for arranging Dr. Welch’s visit.”


    Z, settlingfortably beside Vivian, shed a warm smile and asked, “What are you two gossiping about?”


    “It’s about Eileen,” Megan replied, offering a piece of fruit to Vivian before selecting one for herself. She resumed voicing herints about Eileen, with Vivian asionally chiming in with agreement.


    After hearing them, Z said in a practical tone, “Comining alone won’t change anything. Without taking some action, how will she learn not to cross you? She’s not in a position to handle much pressure right now. You don’t need to do anything drastic; just a series of small troubles might push her to consider leaving Bryan.”


    Her words struck a chord, prompting Megan and Vivian to exchange a knowing nce before turning their attention back to Z.


    “Z, do you have any specific suggestions?” Vivian asked.


    Z looked at them, a hint of surprise in her expression. “Me? I was merely speaking hypothetically. Without the backing of families like the Beckett family or the Warren family, I wouldn’t dare do anything like that. You can understand me, right?”


    “I understand,” Vivian replied. “My brother told me not to involve you unless necessary. We can handle Eileen on our own.” She then turned to whisper something to Megan.


    Z, meanwhile, reclined leisurely on the sofa, engrossed in her phone and seemingly detached from the scheming conversation beside her.


    As the light outside dimmed into the evening, Eileen gathered her things and set off for the Vance family residence. She had arranged to pick up Adalina en route to the Pianoforte Vis.


    During the drive, Adalina asked, “Ms. Curtis, were you okayst night?”


    “Yeah,” Eileen assured her, offering a smile. “Did you read the course materials I sent over yesterday? Did you get a chance to discuss them with Milford?”


    Adalina nodded. “I did and tried talking to Milford about the materials, but he ignored me.”


    Milford was known for his moodiness; his responses could be unpredictable, yet ignoring messages entirely was uncharacteristic of him. Eileen suddenly recalled that she had also sent Milford a message about the homework earlier that morning, to which he hadn’t responded.


    “Perhaps he’s just having another off day. We’ll find out soon when we arrive at his ce,” Eileen said, pressing down on the elerator as they sped toward the Pianoforte Vis.


    Upon arriving, Eileen quickly texted Bryan to confirm her safety and then escorted Adalina out of the car. However, the vi loomed dark and uninviting in front of them. After a brief hesitation, Eileen pressed the doorbell, but no one responded.


    With Milford’s phone turned off, her only option was to reach out to Z. Z answered Eileen’s call after several rings. “Eileen, do you need something?”


    “Miss Murray, I came to your ce to tutor Milford. Is nobody home?” Eileen asked.


    There was a slight pause before Z responded, “Sorry, I forgot to inform you. He won’t be taking tutoring sessions anymore. I apologize for the inconvenience tonight.”


    Eileen frowned at the news. “May I ask why?”


    “He’s not suited for it. We had a disagreement, and he’s run away from home. I haven’t been able to locate him since.” Z’s voice was tinged with both disappointment and distinct anger.


    “Milford has always been stubborn. It’s typical for teenagers to push boundaries, but he’s still just a kid. Aren’t you worried about him being out there alone sote?” Eileen’s tone carried a hint of usation due to her concern.


    After a moment of silence from Z, Eileen realized her tone might have been too harsh. “Sorry, I was just worried.”


    “It’s okay. I understand your concern,” Z replied, her voice steady. “And regarding the tutoring fees, I’ll make sure to refund the bnce in full. Just let me know the total, and I’ll send it over.”


    “Miss Murray, this isn’t about the money. It’s a pity for Milford to stop his studies so abruptly. Please reconsider this decision. I won’t push further. Goodbye.”


    With that, Eileen ended the call, her heart heavy with worry. Turning around, she noticed Adalina’s anxious expression.


    “Ms. Curtis, what happened to Milford?” Adalina asked, her voice tinged with concern.


    “It’s nothing; no need to worry,” Eileen reassured Adalina, patting her shoulder gently. “Let’s head back to your ce for the lesson. I’ll take care of everything else.”


    She ushered Adalina back to the car and started the engine, her thoughts lingering on Milford’s situation. Absorbed in her concerns, she failed to notice a car that had been trailing them closely.


    As Eileen’s car navigated through a particrly busy section of the road, the car behind them suddenly elerated, aggressively overtaking them. Just as it was about to pass Eileen’s vehicle, it swerved unexpectedly to the left.


    Reacting instinctively, Eileen also veered left, forgetting that her car was already close to the edge of the road. The wheel slipped off the pavement, and for a terrifying few seconds, the car skidded out of control. It spun wildly before crashing into a roadside tree.


    The impact was abrupt but not overly violent, thanks to Eileen’s quick reflexes to brake. However, the sudden jolt caused her to hit her forehead against the windshield, sending a sharp pain coursing through her head.


    “Ms. Curtis!” Adalina screamed.


    Regaining herposure, Eileen quickly turned to check on Adalina, who was now lying in the back seat, her face pale and covered in sweat from the shock.


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