?Chapter 252:


    Eileen’s clear eyes locked with Bryan’s dark ones for a few seconds before she looked away. As if she hadn’t seen him, Eileen settled onto the couch, set down her bag, and started texting Phoebe. She asked Phoebe why Bryan was here. She had trusted Phoebe, only to realize she had fallen into Phoebe’s trap. Phoebe quickly sent a voice message to exin, “Don’t get me wrong. I asked Bryan to go there to apologize. Whether you’ll forgive him or not, he needs to say sorry to you.”


    The room was silent. Bryan’s eyes were on Eileen, and the phone’s speaker was loud enough for him to hear the voice message. He looked a bit uneasy, leaning against the window with a stiff posture, his eyes still fixed on Eileen. Eileen lifted her eyebrows slightly, seemingly pleased with his reason for being here. She texted Phoebe back and then settledfortably on the couch with her phone.


    Bryan approached Eileen, standing in front of her and casting a shadow over her. Eileen lifted her gaze as she said, “Move.” Bryan frowned and got next to her, his presence suddenly surrounding her. But he didn’t do anything else. Eileen ignored him. Even though she was staring at her phone, his presence distracted her. He sat there, his profile tight with unease, which was unusual for him.


    Jacob and Phoebe’s arrival broke the tense atmosphere. They burst in and paused when they saw Eileen and Bryan sitting together. “Have you two reconciled already?” Phoebe sounded disappointed. “Eileen, you really have no backbone!” “No way,” Jacob said, lightly nudging Phoebe’s arm and gesturing towards Bryan. “If they really made up, they wouldn’t be sitting on the couch; they’d be doing it on the bed.” Phoebe sighed in relief and sat next to Eileen.


    Eileen finally turned to look at Bryan. They locked eyes, and she asked, “Did you ask them to invite me out just to sit here with you?” “Yesterday at noon, Raymond didn’t tell me you invited me for lunch. If I had known this, I wouldn’t have refused you to have lunch with Benita to sign the contract,” Bryan was straightforward, his expression serious.


    “So, you me Raymond?” Eileen asked, crossing her arms. “Then why did you ignore my messages and calls?” Bryan looked shocked and checked his phone several times. “When did you message or call?”


    To prove his innocence, he handed his phone to Eileen. Eileen leaned back on the sofa. “I wouldn’t dare check your phone. Besides, you might have deleted the calls and messages beforehand, so what’s the use of me checking your phone now?” “Eileen!” Bryan couldn’t help but raise his voice, Eileen’s sarcasm making him panic.


    Seeing that Bryan didn’t seem to be lying, Jacob quickly said, “Look, it’s all a misunderstanding. Why don’t you just sort it out? Dragging this out for so long and bickering over it isn’t worth it.” A misunderstanding? Eileen looked at Bryan coldly and said, “You me Raymond for not telling you about lunch, you me the phone for missing calls and messages, and you use me of tampering with the condoms. So, you’re saying you haven’t done anything wrong? If that’s the case, why are you even talking to me now?” After saying this, she grabbed her bag and stood up to leave.


    The misunderstanding was trivial; ultimately, the real issue between them was the matter of the punctured condoms. Eileen was genuinely upset, each strand of her long hair bristling with irritation. Bryan quickly stood up and grabbed her wrist to stop her, saying, “I was wrong.”


    “I wouldn’t dare think that. When have you ever been wrong?” Eileen tried to free herself, but Bryan’s grip remained firm. She noticed the veins on the back of his hand, more pronounced than usual, showing he was using all his strength to stop her. Jacob swiftly got up from his seat, pulling Phoebe towards the exit. “Bryan’s about to lose his cool. We can’t watch this drama anymore, or he’ll settle the score with uster.”


    “But what if he bullies Eileen?” Phoebe asked, refusing to leave. “Didn’t you see? He’spletely under Eileen’s thumb now. Eileen ispletely in control of the situation,” Jacob replied. Jacob could almost imagine Bryan’s “sullen” demeanor kneeling in defeat. He really wanted to stay and watch the drama, but he couldn’t risk the consequences.


    Phoebe had repeatedly told Eileen that she would support her in confronting Bryan, but in reality, shecked the courage to do so. When Phoebe heard Bryan admit he was wrong, she considered her task halfplete. Actually, she hadn’t done anything; it was Eileen who had Bryan wrapped around her finger. Phoebe and Jacob’s conversation was silenced by the closed door of the private room. Before Eileen could react, she found herself pulled into Bryan’s embrace.


    His chest was hard, and when her nose hit it, her eyes misted up. His arms held her tightly, and he lowered his head to kiss her forehead. “I shouldn’t have lost my temper with you that day,” he admitted. Eileen pressed her hands against his chest as she lowered her gaze, her lips curling slightly. “So? Do you think it was me who tampered with the condoms?”


    Bryan pressed his lips together as he looked at Eileen, the disappointment in her eyes weighing heavily on him. “It wasn’t you; it was my grandmother.” Bryan had reviewed the surveince footage and found out the truth. Thinking about the argument they had had that morning, he felt a wave of regret wash over him.


    “You only realized you were wrong after investigating the matter, not because you truly believed me,” Eileen tried to hide her bitterness. “I promise, from now on, I’ll believe you unconditionally,” Bryan said, his hands firm on her waist, his expression serious. This eased the grievances in Eileen’s heart slightly. They hade so far, facing seemingly insurmountable challenges both in the past and present.


    Havinge this far, Eileen wouldn’t give up now, not over this incident. “Don’t say unconditionally. Let’s give each other a chance to exin, no matter what happens in the future,” Eileen said. As soon as she finished speaking, Bryan leaned in, capturing her lips with his own. The faint taste of her cherry lipstick and the familiar sensation filled him with contentment. Though they hadn’t been fighting long, it felt like centuries to him.


    “I’m sorry,” he murmured, pressing his forehead against hers, their breaths mingling, dissolving any barriers between them. But he was oversimplifying things; Eileen might not be giving up, but she held a grudge. As they left the club and headed home, Eileen received a message from Phoebe.


    “You two have reconciled? Then my return seems pointless. I didn’t y much of a role in the matter.” Phoebe had hoped to stand by Eileen and confront Bryan together, but shecked the courage to do so. Besides, this misunderstanding was bound to be resolved; it wouldn’t have been right for her to scold Bryan.


    “It’s not pointless; it’s time for you and Jacob to settle down together,” Eileen replied. After all, they didn’t need to face the same obstacles she and Bryan had faced. “I’ve heard that Bryan is taking action against the Beckett family because of you. This also helps Jacob end his engagement with Megan. Bryan has actually done a good thing,” Phoebe responded.


    When Eileen saw Phoebe’s message, the car paused at the traffic light. She handed her phone to Bryan and showed him the message. “What does this mean?” she asked, puzzled. Could this be rted to the incident at the banquet where Megan had helped Benita nder her? But that was a long time ago. Bryan caught a glimpse of thest two sentences and scoffed, “My actions against the Beckett family have nothing to do with Jacob,” he stated firmly.


    He didn’t care about Phoebe saying that he had done a good thing for Jacob. Apart from Eileen, no one else was worth his effort. The night, cloaked in thest whispers of summer, held a slight chill. The window was slightly open, the wind causing Eileen’s hair to dance. The car smoothly pulled up at the entrance of the apartment building. Eileen got out, entered the building, and pressed the elevator button.


    Checking her phone, she noticed no response from Phoebe. She raised an eyebrow and put away her phone. A shadow suddenly loomed over her. The elevator ascended, and a deluge of kisses cascaded upon her. Theynded softly on her forehead, the corners of her eyes, the tip of her nose, her cheeks, and finally, her glossy lips. Bryan used one hand to hold her slender waist while grabbing her wrists with the other, pinning them above her head. His kisses were fervent and insistent, and his breath was ragged and heavy.


    Then, the elevator doors chimed open. Bryan leaned in slightly as if to sweep Eileen off her feet. But Eileen swiftly wriggled out of his grasp and pushed him out of the elevator. Bryan reached out to stop the elevator doors from closing. His fingertips whitened, frustration evident on his face. His desire-filled eyes gazed at Eileen, who stood inside the elevator.


    “Didn’t you say you don’t want kids? Maybe you should just stop sleeping with me. That way, there will be no chance for you to me me for anything next time.” Eileen pried his fingers apart one by one and pressed the button for a higher floor. The elevator doors closed slowly, and Bryan reacted a bit toote, attempting to keep them open.


    “Don’t!” Eileen’s expression turned stern as she issued the sharpmand. Maintaining the same cold demeanor she used with her students, she made Bryan instinctively retract his hand. As the elevator doors closed and the elevator ascended, Bryan furrowed his brows. She had left just like that?


    After a moment, Bryan let out a frustratedugh, gritting his teeth as he made his way back home. Loosening his tie and undoing a few buttons, he sank onto the sofa, seeking rest while waiting for the heat within him to subside.


    Eileen still had work to do. After returning home and showering, she grabbed herptop and got to work. The new school semester was about to begin, leaving Eileen with little time to spare to deal with Bryan. So, she chose to reject him as a form of punishment. The night stretched on, and darkness shrouded the entire city like arge w.


    Brandon and his wife lived in Mills, located halfway up the mountain, and Z was presently staying with them.


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