?Chapter 291:


    Months had passed since Bryan’s wedding had been the center of media scrutiny, but unexpectedly, the event was called off.


    Within a day, the frenzy of the sensational news dwindled as if the wedding between Bryan and Eileen had never been announced. The spotlight pivoted to Phoebe and Jacob’s uing wedding.


    When word got out that Bryan was in the hospital, Z didn’t waste a minute; she dashed to his side. She had masked the bruises on her face with makeup, but despite her efforts, something still seemed off upon closer inspection.


    At the hospital, neither Ste nor Bryan seemed to notice anything amiss about Z.


    As Z entered the room, Ste was showing something on her phone to Bryan. Seeing Z, Ste quickly put away her phone.


    This caught Z’s attention.


    “What were you showing Bryan? He’s hardly in any condition to be handling work matters, is he?” Z said.


    With a dismissive shrug, Ste responded, “Bryan’s been refusing to eat. I had no choice but to reach out to Eileen to see if she might visit and coax him into eating something. Unfortunately, she declined.”


    The mere mention of Eileen’s potential involvement sparked a flicker of anger in Z. Thankfully, Eileen had opted not to return. Moving closer to Bryan’s bedside, Z sat down. “Why on earth would you think of bringing her back after everything? She’s the reason Bryan’s in this state!”


    Z gazed at Bryan, noticing the stubble that dusted his face, her expression melting into one of concern. Gently, she reached out, wanting to touch his face.


    Bryan’s hand with the IV line shot up and clutched her wrist with a force that almost seemed to break it. His demeanor was stern, yet his proposal sent a thrill through Z.


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    “Do you want to marry me?” he asked.


    The question came so unexpectedly that Z paused, her heart pounding as she grappled with her response.


    It had to be her earlier offer to find surrogates for his children and her willingness to side against Brandon and Lydia that had convinced Ste to sway Bryan’s decision. Z knew that for the sake of the Dawson family, Bryan must have little reason to refuse.


    But if she agreed to Bryan immediately, her true motives might be transparent. It would raise Bryan’s suspicions.


    However, rejecting him wasn’t an option for her.


    Amid her turmoil, a scornfulugh broke the silence. ncing down, Z noticed Bryan’s mocking smile, his eyes gleaming with disdain.


    “Your hesitation is sheer hypocrisy, Z. I’ve never met anyone as vile as you,” Bryan said.


    He let go of Z’s wrist and reached for a napkin, wiping his hand with careful precision.


    His grip had been so tight that his IV line had turned red, but the color faded away as he rxed.


    “What are you talking about, Bryan?” Z felt tossed onto another bed. She nced at Ste, who seemed calm. Z continued, “I would marry you solely for your benefit, unwilling to let your father and Lydia take advantage of you any longer. You…” Bryan shot her a sharp look, his gaze piercing as if he could see right through her, into the darkest corners of her heart.


    “What have you done to Eileen?” Bryan threw back the covers, climbed out of bed, and yed the video Phoebe had sent to Jacob, which Jacob had subsequently forwarded to him.


    The screen revealed tumultuous Z being beaten by Judie, their heated exchange clear.


    Z hadn’t anticipated Phoebe would capture the confrontation on video. Had it been just a spoken report, she might have had a chance to dispute it.


    Z began, “I’ve had suspicions about Eileen for a while, so I decided to dig a little deeper, and that’s why I provoked Judie. I did it for your good—”


    “Shut up! Never show your face around me again, and stay away from Eileen!” Bryan removed the IV from his arm, oblivious to the blood that trickled down his hand. He then told Ste, “You can go back now. I’ll handle things on my own from here.”


    With that, he turned and walked away.


    The room fell silent. The floor was marked by the trail of blood leading to the door.


    After some time, Z abruptly stood up and turned to Ste. “What did you say to him? Did you tell him the truth? You’re worried that—”


    “I said nothing,” Ste interjected, rising slowly from her chair. “If the video on his phone opens his eyes to true motives, then he’s not worthy of being my grandson.”


    “But why does he continue to protect Eileen? Why?” Z grabbed Ste’s hand tightly. “If I were by his side, secretly aiding him, neither Grandan nor anyone else would suspect a thing. I’m the only one who can truly assist him.”


    Z’s words were filled with fiery conviction, but Ste interrupted her.


    “I know you would choose Bryan over Brandon. I never would have bothered finding Eileen. But now, it’s toote. Bryan’s love for Eileen is too deep, and whatever actions he will take now are beyond my control.” With those words, Ste grabbed her purse from the sofa and walked out.


    Bryan’s scornful look and icyments had struck Z’s heart repeatedly.


    Was she not doing everything for Bryan? How could he say that to her?


    When would he be more mature and see that love means little in affluent families? She was the only one who could help him.


    The news of Eileen’s hospitalization eventually reached Phoebe, but Eileen didn’t tell Phoebe she was pregnant, merely mentioning her hospital stay was due to malnutrition.


    Phoebe showed Eileen the video of Judie attacking Z.


    “I had no idea Z was so maniptive, pulling strings from the shadows. I hear her mention you all the time and say she always puts Bryan first. I thought she was sincere, but this is shocking. She’s quite the maniptor,” Phoebe never held back her opinions.


    “It’s who she is; she’s out of our lives now.” Eileen’s face remained cold as she handed Phoebe her phone back.


    As soon as Phoebe took her phone, it rang. She answered immediately, and the news on the other end took her by surprise. She nced at Eileen, then hurriedly exited the room.


    Minutester, she returned with a man who was Julio.


    “I apologize for barging in like this,” Julio began. “But when I found out you were in the hospital, I was nearby. I came here right away.”


    He brought with him a bag of fruit, which he carefully ced beside Eileen’s bed.


    Meanwhile, Bailee had left to handle some urgent business at the educational institution, and Ruby had returned home to prepare soup for Eileen. Phoebe was the only one by her side.


    Phoebe had volunteered to stay and help take care of Eileen but ended up bringing along an unexpected guest. She whispered to Eileen, “He figured out you were here when he called. I didn’t tell him.”


    “It’s alright,” Eileen replied, a slight crease forming between her brows. She just didn’t want more people to know about her hospitalization.


    “Thank you,” Eileen smiled politely at Julio.


    Julio returned the smile with a slight nod, his face etched with concern. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, he sat quietly on the sofa.


    He appeared to have no n to leave soon, and Phoebe could sense that he might need to discuss something important with Eileen.


    “Julio, if there’s something you need to say, feel free to say it. It’s just us here; you don’t need to hold back,” Phoebe said.


    Eileen also sensed Julio had something to say but was unsure what matter could have prompted Julio to seek her out now.


    “Phoebe, would you mind giving us a moment?” Julio’s request effectivelybeled Phoebe as an “outsider.”


    “Me?” Phoebe asked, pointing to herself with widened eyes, taken aback by Julio’s request.


    Julio rose to his feet, his voice tinged with a hint of apology as he said, “I need to discuss something with Eileen privately.”


    The room fell silent, and Phoebe exchanged looks with Eileen.


    Given Eileen’s frail condition, she was vulnerable to any potential harm from Julio.


    Phoebe felt a protective urge to stay, her instincts cautioning her against leaving Eileen alone in the room. Julio, sensing her hesitation, reassured her, “If it makes you feel better, stay by the door. I promise I’ll let you watch me and keep my distance from Eileen. We’ll just talk.”


    He then took two steps back, positioning himself in line with the door and maintaining a respectful distance from Eileen.


    With such assurances, it would seem rude to persist in suspicion, and Phoebe had nothing more to say. She turned to Eileen to ask for her opinion.


    “Alright, you can go outside,” Eileen said. She seemed to have a vague idea of why Julio might want to talk.


    Phoebe stepped out, remaining vignt outside the ward. Her face was pressed against the window, her eyes sharply scanning for any sign of trouble.


    Eileen sat in her blue-and-white hospital gown, her appearance frail and her lips pale, but her eyes remained clear and alert as they met Julio’s across the room. Perhaps still unsure how to broach the topic, Julio remained silent, brows furrowed.


    Eileen was in no rush, giving him time to find his words. After a brief pause, Julio broke the silence. “You’ve had a fallout with Mr. Dawson. Have you considered your next steps?”


    “No,” Eileen’s reply was sharp, blunt. “I haven’t given it any thought because I don’t see the necessity. I’m employed and support myself. Life will go on without him, and I’ll keep doing what I need to.” Julio said, “Your split with Mr. Dawson might impact your career to some extent. The tutoring sessions are lucrative, and it’s unlikely that the Yates and Harrison families will continue hiring you.”


    What Julio had said was urate. Even without the Dawson family putting pressure on her, these families would likely distance themselves from Eileen from now on.


    The more proactive ones would terminate Eileen’s tutoring immediately, while others might wait until the end of the semester.


    If Eileen returned to teaching online as a regr instructor, her market value could undoubtedly decrease. However, all these considerations were secondary now that Eileen was pregnant. This morning, she had decided to keep the baby, which meant taking at least a year off from work.


    So Julio’s concerns seemed less pressing under these new circumstances.


    “Julio, what do you want to say? Just get to the point,” Eileen said.


    Julio gave a resigned smile. “Eileen, you’re perceptive. I need to propose something rather bold, and even though you might not trust me yet, I can’t afford to wait until you do. Let’s think about working together.”


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