?Chapter 274:


    “I get what you mean. True love means no secrets, especially not about something this big.” Ste thought it over for a moment before giving her opinion. “However, from an outsider’s perspective, I really think you should wait to tell him until after you’re pregnant. That way, the joy might soften his reaction a bit.”


    Her main concern was for Eileen and Bryan to have a good rtionship; whether Bryan got angry at her or not wasn’t as important. As long as Eileen and Bryan were happy together, that was enough for her.


    If Eileen were to tell Bryan about this now, Bryan’s unpredictable mood might spark conflict, threatening their ns to start a family.


    Ste’s reasoning made sense, and Eileen resolved to reveal the truth to Bryan by the time of their wedding, pregnant or not.


    “I appreciate your consideration for the Dawson family’s image in how you handle the situation with your biological mother. Once that’s resolved, I’ll set up a time for your mother and you to discuss the wedding details.” Steid out all the potential issues to Eileen, worried she might overlook something.


    By noon, she had texted Eileen some choices for wedding venueyouts provided by the hotel, asking Eileen for her preference.


    Learning Eileen had spent the morning talking with Ste, Bryan called Ste.


    Whatever was discussed in the call upset Ste so much that she cursed at Bryan and left, abandoning her n to join Eileen for lunch.


    Eileen exhaled deeply and answered Bryan’s call. She should respect Ste more, considering her age; Bryan likely had insisted Ste leave.


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    “She did scold me, but she’s actually happy,” Bryan exined. Knowing Ste had left quickly, he guessed that Eileen had shared their ns to try for a baby soon with Ste.


    Upon hearing that, Eileen felt resigned.


    “Take some time to rest this afternoon. Jacob’s being discharged, and we’re having a gathering tonight,” Bryan added. He wouldn’t have suggested it unless it was necessary.


    Who knew howte they would be up tonight?


    After the call, Eileen joined Ruby for lunch upstairs and then went back to get some sleep.


    She slept until the evening. When Bryan returned, he gently woke her with a kiss.


    He was clearly in a good mood, the hint of a smile ying on his lips. Eileen, still groggy, nestled into his side. “Benita has driven them out,” Bryan said, his voice resonating gently above her.


    Eileen murmured a response, having expected this after Benita’s apology.


    “But they haven’t left the city yet,” Bryan added. “Raymond says they’re at a small motel.” Eileen felt that as long as they kept out of trouble and didn’t disturb her life in Onnd, she had no right to force them out of the city.


    Still, she wondered about their reasons for staying.


    After pondering for a while, she embraced his waist. “Let’s not worry about that now. I’m starving,” she said.


    Leveraging his support, she got out of bed. Then, she refreshed herself in the bathroom. After tying her hair, she found that Bryan had already prepared dinner. They nned to go to a clubter that offered food and drinks, so there was no need for a heavy meal now. They enjoyed a quick dinner before heading out. As night fell, neon lights flickered to life outside their car windows. The streets were colder and less crowded.


    Bryan, feeling cheerful, asionally brought up wedding details on the way.


    “Jacob thinks his leg will fully recover in a few months. He’s plotting to ‘stir up trouble’ at our wedding,” Bryan said, his smile widening.


    At a red light, he stopped and turned to look at Eileen.


    “Let him,” Eileen replied with amusement. “At most, the wedding night is special, but for us…”


    She felt like they had been married for ages; if things escted, they could skip sleeping.


    However, Bryan saw it differently. “The wedding night holds special meaning. I’m thinking of setting up two bridal suites to mislead him.”


    The venue he had visited with Eileen previously would be the real deal, but he nned to prepare an additional spot, like West Vis, to mislead Jacob. “Don’t let this slip,” he said earnestly.


    Eileen couldn’t help but smile. “I know.”


    Even though Jacob was out of the hospital, he still needed assistance. Insisting on maintaining his dignity, he refused the wheelchair and arrived with a crutch.


    Phoebe was upset by this decision but unable to persuade him otherwise, so she didn’t assist him with the stairs.


    As a result, Jacob tripped and ended up sitting at the club’s entrance, taking more than ten minutes to recover. When Eileen and Bryan got there, Jacob was still denying his mishap, stubbornly saying, “I was just waiting for you here. Otherwise, I would have been inside long ago.”


    “Sure, you would have crawled in,” Phoebe said sharply. “You hit the ground so hard that your lips went pale, and now you’re out here trying to…”


    “Phoebe, whose side are you on? You’re my girlfriend, you know,” Jacob looped his arm around her neck to help himself stand. “Don’t you think about the consequences of your words?”


    Their constant bickering was familiar to Eileen, who had thought maybe they would quiet down once together.


    But it turned out they became even noisier.


    They all walked into the private room, with Jacob relying heavily on Phoebe. Once inside, Phoebe pushed him onto the couch.


    She then moved closer to Eileen and murmured, “I brought someone extra tonight.”


    “It’s your party; bring anyone you want,” Eileen responded, thinking that at least Jacob wouldn’t invite Kian. “This person is connected to you,” Phoebe hinted with a lift of her eyebrows and whispered, “Julio.”


    Just as she finished, the door swung open. But instead of Julio, Z entered.


    Bryan’s face clouded over at the sight of Z.


    Z had only told Bryan about her rtionship with Kian. Jacob and the others didn’t know about it.


    That was why Jacob had invited her, thinking she would add fun to the evening.


    “Bryan,” Z greeted Bryan first, then turned to chat with the others.


    After exchanging pleasantries, she directly asked about Denise, “How did the matter go? Have they caused you any more trouble?”


    Eileen shook her head and said, “No.”


    “That’s good. I never would have thought Benita would get involved in all this…” Z spoke candidly, trying to weave herself into the group.


    However, Bryan maintained a cold expression, and Eileen’s attitude was distant, with few words.


    If Z hadn’t raised an issue directly involving her, Eileen would have remained silent.


    Sensing the tension, Jacob and Phoebe exchanged looks and briefly joined the conversation; they didn’t delve into the topic deeper.


    “Eileen, is Milford giving you any problems? How has he been behaving?” Z shifted the conversation to a matter Eileen couldn’t ignore.


    “He hasn’t caused any problems. He’s been taking the bus to school on his own, eating lunch and dinner there, and sometimes I don’t see him all day, but he always leaves a note in the morning before heading out.”


    Mentioning Milford, Eileen felt a surge of pride for having steered him away from trouble just in time.


    “I still remember him as the kid with green hair,” Phoebe found it hard to reconcile Milford’s past with the boy Eileen described. “Eileen, you’ve done an amazing job. You’re a savior to him; he’d be lost without you.”


    “Look at how remarkable Eileen is. She used to be an incredible support to Bryan as his assistant, and now, she’s an outstanding tutor, too. I always knew she had it in her,” Jacob said, pleased with his judgment. Eileen had not only won Bryan’s heart, but she also excelled at everything she did.


    Eileen was at a loss for how to react to suchpliments. Meanwhile, Bryan usually rested the back of the couch, encircling Eileen and shooting Jacob a cold look. “Does she need your validation?” he said.


    He knew Eileen’s abilities extended well beyond what was discussed.


    “Bryan, rx. He’splimenting your girlfriend, and I’m not even jealous. What’s got you upset?” Phoebe retorted, unhappy with his attitude toward Jacob.


    She felt it was her ce to scold Jacob but not others. “You’re jealous because you don’t care about him enough,” Bryan replied.


    His words struck a chord, making Phoebe’s throat tighten. Jacob sat up abruptly, turning to Phoebe. “Exactly, why aren’t you jealous?”


    “Eileen and I are close friends, and what you said is right. So why should I feel jealous?” Phoebe defended herself confidently.


    “Even though Eileen is your friend, Bryan doesn’tpliment you because he has feelings for his girlfriend. So why don’t you get upset when Ipliment Eileen?” Jacob asked seriously.


    Bryan leaned closer to Eileen, letting out a quiet chuckle. Eileen was amused by Jacob’s antics, which seemed rather na?vepared to Bryan’s seasoned tactics.


    “I am upset!” Phoebe eximed, giving Jacob a smack on the back of the head and pinching his waist sharply.


    “Why are youplimenting another man’s girlfriend? Are you going to do this again?”


    “No! I’ll stop praising…” Jacob only realized he had been outyed by Bryan after feeling the pinch. Eileen intervened, saying, “Okay, he has juste from the hospital. Let’s not send him back by hitting him.”


    Their teasing continued, which made Z feel out of ce, struggling to talk to Bryan.


    Bryan was either teasing Jacob or whispering to Eileen, leaving no opportunity for Z to join the conversation.


    Z’s embarrassment was interrupted by Julio’s arrival. Bryan recognized Julio but hadn’t really interacted with him before. Seeing Julio, he was briefly taken aback but soon regained hisposure, maintaining a distant but polite attitude.


    “Julio handled thewyer’s letter for Eileen. I meant to discuss his fees tonight, but he offered to catch up instead and said the fee was on him,” Phoebe exined her decision to invite Julio tonight.


    Eileen, unaware of Phoebe’s arrangement with Julio, quickly responded, “That’s not appropriate, Julio. It’s already a big favor for you toe here thiste. We should keep our dealings professional.”


    “There’s no need for formalities.” Julio greeted everyone and then gave Bryan a serious nod. “Mr. Dawson, it’s been a while.”


    He extended a cigarette as a friendly gesture.


    Bryan epted the cigarette but didn’t light it. “Indeed, it has been quite some time. Thest time we met was a decade ago when you were still the eldest son and presumed heir of the Freguson family.”


    “I still am,” Julio answered with a friendly smile.


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