?Chapter 261:


    “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you,” Bailee said, pleasantly surprised by Ste’s warm demeanor. With one hand holding Eileen and the other guiding Bailee, Ste led the trio into the building. Theirughter and lively conversation filled the air, instantly easing Bailee’s initial jitters. The three-bedroom apartment greeted them with spaciousness and impable cleanliness. Yet, as the room filled with people and gifts, the cozy ambiance quickly turned bustling.


    Since the moment the door swung open, Ruby had been in a state of awe. “Mom, this is Bryan Dawson. Remember him?” Eileen introduced Bryan to Ruby once they settled on the couch. Ruby hesitated briefly before nodding. “Ah, yes, from the elevator. I’ve seen him there.”


    Bryan’s encounter with Ruby had been confined to that brief elevator ride. “Nice to meet you,” Bryan said, his posture stiffening as he got up, his serious expression indicating he was nervous.


    Eileen then swiftly introduced Ste to Ruby, “This is Bryan’s grandmother.” Ruby’s reaction caught Eileen off guard; she had assumed her mother understood the implications of her words about bringing someone home. Yet, Ruby seemed bewildered, as if not understanding the situation. “Ste… It’s a pleasure,” Ruby said, her effort to speak palpable.


    Ste, sensing Ruby’s difficulty speaking, opted for a gentle exchange of greetings, not wanting to rush her. “Hello. Bryan has no parents, so I’m here to handle their matters with you,” Ste said.


    No parents. Eileen’s mouth twitched slightly, a pang of realization hitting her. Ste seemed to have overlooked her own son entirely.


    “Excuse me for a moment,” Ruby said before she steadied herself on a walker and rose. “Come.” Ruby navigated past the gifts, heading toward her bedroom with deliberate steps.


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    “I apologize, Mrs. Dawson. My mother may not be very talkative due to her health. I’ll go check on her,” Eileen exined to Ste, her attention momentarily caught by Bryan’s clenched fist at his side, a sign of his nerves, which she found somewhat amusing.


    In the privacy of the room, Ruby stood by the window. “Mom, what’s—” Eileen closed the door behind her, lowering her voice. “You don’t like Bryan?”


    “It’s not like that…” Ruby shook her head. Bryan was clearly no ordinary man, and there was an aura about him that made him different from other men. Ruby’s concern was evident in her question. “You… Didn’t you marry Benjamin?”


    Eileen was dumbfounded. Her eyes widened in disbelief as she gazed at Ruby. It took a moment for her to process the misunderstanding. “What are you talking about? Benjamin and I are just friends and ssmates. Before you fell into aa, I showed you the marriage certificate between Bryan and me,” Eileen rified.


    Eileen and Bailee hadn’t mentioned Bryan to Ruby before, so it was understandable that Ruby had little impression of him. Had Bailee’s frequent mentions of Benjamin led to this misunderstanding?


    Ruby, equally stunned, questioned her own understanding. Had she mistaken Bryan? “When I brought you away from Onnd a year ago, I initiated divorce proceedings with Bryan. Our marriage then was just arranged, so we kept it private. But now that we’re actually together, I wanted to officially introduce him to you. His grandmother has been urging us to get married for quite some time,” Eileen exined.


    Ruby suddenly understood everything. “Let’s go back.”


    The thought of leaving their guests waiting troubled Ruby. Without bothering with the walker, she allowed Eileen to help her swiftly exit the bedroom.


    “Mrs. Dawson, I apologize for being rude just now,” Ruby said with great effort in her anxious voice.


    Ste offered a reassuring smile. “It’s alright. I’ve been eager for them to marry, unwilling to wait until you’ve recovered more to visit you. My fault for rushing things. How about this: you listen, and if there’s anything unsatisfactory, just raise your hand. We have the whole afternoon, and we’ll surely be able to settle their marriage matters.”


    With that, Ste settled beside Ruby, motioning for Eileen to take a seat next to Bryan. Ste continued, “I only have this one grandson in my family. I intend to throw avish wedding. I can’t bear to see Eileen shortchanged. I’ve heard you’ll be mobile again in about two months, and I know you’ll want to be there for Eileen’s big day. So, we’ll wait until you’re nimble enough to join us for the festivities.”


    Leaning in close to Bryan, Eileen whispered, “I think Ste hasn’t slept since she learned you wereing to visit my mom. She’s probably been nning every detail of this marriage talk.”


    “She did mention to me before that she wants us to have the wedding after two months,” Bryan whispered back. Eileen grumbled a bit, expressing her frustration that Bryan hadn’t informed her earlier about such a significant matter. It would have been nice to be prepared, especially since two months wasn’t long.


    But as Eileen spoke, she noticed Bryan’s attention was elsewhere. His gaze was fixed on Ste and Ruby, and he was fully engaged in their conversation.


    Ste said, “I haven’t decided the exact date for the wedding yet…”


    “Grandma, December 6th would be perfect for the wedding,” Bryan interjected quickly. Eileen was left speechless.


    Ste was taken aback. “You’ve already picked the date?” Had someone checked the date before? “As long as Eileen’s mother agrees, we can settle on that date,” Bryan replied, certain that Ste would have no objections.


    All eyes turned towards Ruby, but Ruby redirected the attention to Eileen. “Ask Eileen,” Ruby said, emphasizing her respect for Eileen’s wishes regarding her wedding. Before Eileen could respond, Bryan gently covered her hand with his and shed a reassuring smile. “She won’t refuse. So, it’s settled. The rest of the arrangements are up to you.”


    Truth be told, Bryan would have preferred to get the marriage certificate with Eileen right away without a wedding. However, with Eileen’s mother present, they had to follow proper procedures and etiquette.


    Ste beamed with joy and retrieved several brochures from her bag. “These are wedding venues in Onnd. Since I’m getting old and you shouldn’t exert yourself too much, let’s choose a location nearby. Take a look and see which one is best.”


    “Eileen, I’ll go prepare lunch,” Bailee said, sensing she was not needed in the conversation. But she was pleased to see them discussing this.


    “I’ll go help you,” Eileen offered, realizing her input in the wedding nning was minimal. The date had been chosen by Bryan, and it seemed likely that Ste had also taken charge of arranging everything else for the wedding.


    After Eileen and Bailee headed to the kitchen, Bryan soon followed them, causing the space to feel cramped. “You handle the ingredients; I’ll take care of the rest. I’ll grab some seafood from my ce,” Bryan said, noticing Bailee’s difort and making an excuse to step away.


    After telling Ste about this, Bryan left.


    “Eileen, is Bryan this easy-going and private?” Bailee asked, her hands moving deftly as she prepared the ingredients. “Does he always have a poker face?”


    Eileen thought for a moment. Indeed, Bryan typically maintained a serious expression in public. And at home, he was much the same. Except—in the intimacy of their bedroom, his features would transform with passion and desire.


    “Why are you silent?” Bailee nudged Eileen’s arm. “What are you thinking about?”


    Eileen’s cheeks flushed. She was relieved that Bailee hadn’t noticed it. Clearing her throat, she replied, “Yes, he always has a poker face.”


    “If he wasn’t so considerate behind closed doors, I’d probably find him a bit too dull for me,” Bailee mumbled. “True. He’s not as smooth-talking as Huey, nor as adept at flirtation.”


    Eileen tensed, making Bailee blush. After a moment, Bailee suddenly suggested, “Let’s invite Huey over another day to have a meal with Bryan.”


    “You’re getting toofortable with Bryan,” Eileen remarked, leaning against the cab. “You might not know there’s a tradition of changing how you address someone upon marriage. ording to our rtionship… Wait for after the wedding. When you call him Bryan, you’ll receive a generous sum from him.”


    Without hesitation, Bailee changed how she addressed Bryan. “Then I will call him Mr. Dawson until then!”


    Bailee had witnessed Bryan rushing into the rain to save Eileen yesterday. And she had been overly excited at the time and had changed how she addressed Bryan. But excitement wouldn’t pay the bills—money would!


    As they finished their preparations, Bryan returned. “Then we’ll leave this to Mr. Dawson,” Bailee said to Bryan politely.


    As Bryan entered the kitchen, he paused, ncing back at Bailee. The term “Mr. Dawson” felt awkward. “My sister said I should wait until you get married to change how I address you; then I’ll get a great amount of money from you,” Bailee quickly rified, sensing his difort was rted to how she had addressed him.


    Bryan nced at Eileen and said to Bailee, “From now on, call me Bryan once, and I’ll give you ten thousand.” Eileen’s smile froze.


    Bailee, taken aback, blurted out without hesitation, “Bryan, are you serious?”


    “Twenty thousand. I’ll transfer the money to youter,” Bryan replied, his lips curling slightly. “You can leave the kitchen to me now.”


    Excitedly, Bailee dragged Eileen back to the living room, where Ruby was being inundated by Ste’s relentless chatter. Finding no space for themselves, Bailee and Eileen headed to the balcony to bask in the sun. While Eileen dealt with some work, Bailee fiddled with her phone, asionally chatting with Eileen.


    Suddenly, she came across a breaking news story that had quickly climbed the trending charts. Too thrilled to contain herself, she shoved her phone into Eileen’s hands. “Wow, Bryan doesn’t hold back! Look at this! Kian has really been humiliated this time!” she eximed.


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