?Chapter 248:


    Eileen’s eyes briefly flickered toward Bryan’s hand supporting Benita. There was a fleeting depth in her gaze that seemed out of the ordinary, but she quickly averted her eyes and murmured an apology along with Mrs. Yates.


    Bryan panicked for a second and instinctively pushed Benita away, but his heart sank when he noticed Eileen’s corrected expression. She wasn’t bothered by him having dinner with Benita at all? Bryan felt his own guilt wasughable.


    “Mrs. Yates, it’s alright.” Benita recognized Mrs. Yates. Despite her frustration with Bryan’s move to push her away, she addressed Mrs. Yates’ apology first. “Oh, Benita. I have an emergency at home. Let’s have dinner another time.” Mrs. Yates then hurriedly walked to leave the restaurant.


    Eileen started to follow Mrs. Yates but then felt a firm grasp on her wrist. Bryan was stopping her. “You need to take Mrs. Yates home. If you talk, we can talkter,” Eileen said, turning away without looking at Bryan. She pushed his hand off and quickly followed Mrs. Yates out of the restaurant.


    Bryan’s eyes lingered on Eileen and Mrs. Yates as they got into the car and drove off, vanishing from his view. He pressed his lips into a thin line.


    “Our agreement isplete, but next time… Can I invite you to a meal again?” Benita seemed unaffected by the tension between Eileen and Bryan.


    Bryan’s response was cold. “No need. Don’t bother me less from now on.”


    Benita scoffed, “Did you two have a fight? What does that have to do with me? Why take it out on me?”


    “Next time you see me, just look the other way; I promise I won’t chase you down to vent,” Bryan replied as he snatched the contract from her.


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    His abrupt move made Benita instinctively withdraw her hand, hitting her against the wall, her face turning pale because of the pain.


    Bryan indifferently took the contract. After he walked back to his car, he looked in the direction Eileen had left.


    Just then, his phone rang. He swiped to answer the call. “Mr. Dawson, our team following Ms. Curtis reported that a car is tailing her,” Raymond said.


    Hearing that, Bryan massaged the bridge of his nose, issuing a crispmand, “Intercept them and find their identity. Ensure Eileen continues to be monitored discreetly.”


    Raymond quickly replied and set about arranging to track Eileen’s car after ending the call.


    Meanwhile, Eileen, aware of being followed, concentrated on driving, knowing that Mrs. Yates was in a rush. Her mind wandered asionally, still preupied with Bryan. He had been dining with Benita. Was that why he had declined her lunch invitation?


    He had chosen to have lunch with another woman, especially Benita, who had once framed her for theft. What had he been thinking?


    Eileen’s thoughts were abruptly cut off by the sound of a car ident behind them. A sedan attempting to overtake clipped a luxury car, forcing it to halt.


    Eileen nced in the rearview mirror and thought the driver stepping out of the sedan looked familiar.


    “Thankfully, the car ident is behind us; if it were ahead, we’d be stuck,” Mrs. Yates said.


    Eileen offered a small smile and elerated to send Mrs. Yates home sooner.


    At the scene of the ident, two suited men approached the halted luxury car and tapped on the window.


    The window rolled down, revealing Megan, who looked at the men irritably and said, “Are you blind? Don’t you know the proper way to overtake?”


    One of the bodyguards gestured to the other to inform Raymond that Megan was the one tailing Eileen, then engaged with Megan. “Apologies, we’ll wait for the police and sort it out through insurance,” he said.


    As she watched Eileen’s car disappear into the distance, Megan grew impatient, saying, “I don’t have time for this. Forget aboutpensation; just move!”


    “Sorry, our vehicle was damaged too. We need to handle this with you.” The bodyguard stood his ground, preventing Megan from leaving.


    Frustrated, Megan rolled up her window and dialed Z. “Z, I’ve lost sight of Eileen and ended up in an ident… I’m alright; I just can’t keep following Eileen for you.”


    Megan wasn’t entirely sure what Z wanted her to do by following Eileen, but she knew Z wanted to support Kan’s revenge against Vivian, and she was eager to assist in anything that mightplicate Eileen’s life.


    After trailing Eileen to the restaurant, Megan had found herself a ce to eat nearby. As a result, she had missed the encounter between Eileen and Bryan at the restaurant.


    “I have many friends; I’ll get them to help follow Eileen. Everyone is eager to make things difficult for Eileen because of Bryan,” Megan told Z.


    After ending the call with Z, Megan promptly messaged her friends to keep an eye on Eileen.


    The group chat had been recently buzzing about Bryan, with several people trying to orchestrate idental meetings, though Raymond had consistently intercepted these attempts.


    Suddenly, Megan shifted their attention to Eileen. The chat fell silent for a few seconds. Then, messages came flooding in as everyone eagerly volunteered to help.


    In the afternoon, after wrapping up work at the educational institution, Eileen came home earlier than usual.


    She had been experiencing what felt like auditory hallucinations, repeatedly thinking her phone was ringing, only to find silence each time she checked. So, upon arriving home, she left her phone in her bag.


    “Eileen, you’re back!” Huey emerged from the kitchen, carrying a te of fruit. His long absence hadn’t lessened his familiarity with Eileen.


    He still had that cheerful demeanor, now slightly shy as he smiled at her, probably due to his present rtionship with Bailee.


    Eileen set her bag by the door and walked over to ept the te of fruit from him.


    “Thank you for looking after my mom and Bailee,” she said to Huey.


    Huey quickly dismissed her formality, saying, “Don’t be so formal with me; it makes me feel embarrassed.”


    “A bit of formality is needed. But once you and Bailee get married, you’ll officially be part of the family,” Eileen teased, making Bailee blush instantly.


    Ruby, however, seemed uneasy about Bailee and Huey. She was still burdened with the guilt of having pped Bailee a year ago because of this.


    Sensing her mother’s difort, Bailee leaned closer to her and whispered, “Mom, that’s all in the past. Aren’t you happy for me?”


    “I’m happy for you,” Ruby added without hesitation.


    Bailee beamed a reassuring smile, her yful demeanor entuated by the cartoon loungewear she was wearing. It was nearing five o’clock, and Eileen invited Huey to stay for dinner. Huey agreed without hesitation.


    Eileen, still wary of her cooking— which Huey had jokingly referred to as his “lifelong nightmare”— opted to order takeout. As Eileen was cing the order, Ruby nudged Bailee and said, “Call Benjamin over.”


    “What?” Bailee looked puzzled. “Benjamin?”


    Ruby nodded repeatedly. “Yes.”


    “Why call him over?” Bailee didn’t understand why Ruby would want that.


    Ruby gave Bailee a confused look, her thoughts racing. Bailee was with Huey now; wasn’t Eileen with Benjamin? Ruby had been eagerly waiting for this day, happy to see her daughters settled.


    “To cheer things up!” Ruby finally said after a pause, struggling to find a reason.


    Bailee knew Ruby rarely asked for anything. She guessed it was because she shared how helpful Benjamin had been in West Land, making Ruby quite appreciative of him.


    Bailee stood up and limped over to the balcony, intending to suggest to Eileen that they invite Benjamin over.


    At that moment, Eileen was lost in thought, having previously mentioned to Ruby that she nned to bring someone home— intending to be Bryan.


    She hadn’t anticipated that their recent disagreement would dy her n. If they hadn’t argued, having Bryan over tonight would surely have delighted Ruby.


    “Eileen, Mom wants us to invite Benjamin over,” Bailee said softly from the balcony door.


    Eileen snapped back to the present, not fully catching Bailee’s words, only understanding that Ruby had made a request. She quickly responded, “Whatever Mom wants. I’ll handle the food order, and you can manage everything else.”


    “Okay,” Bailee replied. She then thought for a moment and added, “Eileen, should we also invite Mr. Dawson?”


    “He… He’s tied up with work tonight; he won’t be able to make it,” Eileen replied, giving Bailee a reassuring smile before she went back to cing the order.


    Bailee nodded and returned to the living room to message Benjamin.


    Benjamin knew Eileen back in Onnd, and news of Bryan and her wasmon knowledge. He knew it was best for him to keep his distance.


    But receiving Bailee’s invitation suddenly made him hesitate. Benjamin thought it was smart to keep his distance from Eileen, especially since Bryan had fallen out with her.


    Yet, after pondering over it, he found himself unable to decline the invitation.


    Noticing that Benjamin had not responded for a while, Bailee sent him a voice message directly.


    “I apologize for the sudden dinner invite; it might seem too forward. It’s really my mom who’s keen on having you over, just to brighten the mood.”


    Benjamin had just finished hearing the voice message when Kian appeared behind him.


    “Caught a date?” Kian peered at Benjamin’s phone screen, catching sight of Bailee’s name. He furrowed his brow slightly. Benjamin hastily pocketed his phone. “No.”


    Kian observed him for a moment and then said, “You’re done for the day. If you have ns, go ahead. You’re not getting younger; it might be time to settle.”


    “Thank you, Mr. Warren. I appreciate your understanding,” Benjamin offered a courteous smile before turning to leave. After some consideration, Benjamin responded to the invitation and headed to her ce.


    Kian remained standing by therge window, watching as Benjamin drove off. He noted that Benjamin wasn’t heading towards his home.


    Kian let out a soft chuckle, lost in thought. Bailee’s mother liked Benjamin?


    Half an hourter, Eileen heard the doorbell ring.


    She went to answer it, muttering, “It’s only been twenty minutes since I ordered; has the food already arrived? That’s quick.” She reached out to receive what she presumed to be the delivery but stopped upon seeing the person at the door—


    Benjamin, surprised by her reaction, his polite smile freezing, asked, “What’s the matter? Do you not want me toe?”


    “It’s not that,” Eileen quickly stepped aside and said, “Pleasee in.”


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