?Chapter 381:


    At these words, Ste tensed up. She looked at Bryan and asked, “And if you two don’t end up marrying? Am I to stay on the mountain indefinitely?”


    “You can choose toe back or stay,” Bryan replied, his voice calm. “But regardless of your decision, the wedding will proceed as nned. The wedding is certain.”


    Bryan gently took Eileen’s hand, their fingers softly entwining.


    Eileen, silent up until now, finally added, “Take care of yourself.”


    She and Bryan turned and walked away.


    Eileen was puzzled by Ste’s insistence on their return.


    Had Ste consented to their marriage? Her demeanor was anything but warm.


    If she opposed it, why hadn’t she intervened?


    Perhaps she was reluctant to meet their expectations and had opted instead for silence.


    The night breeze murmured softly, seeping into the car through the slightly ajar window.


    Eileen, her short hair tousled by the fickle wind, reclined in the car seat and gazed at the rapidly passing scene.


    Bryan stole a sideways nce at her and pressed his lips into a thin line.


    After a lengthy silence, he broke the stillness. “Can I ask you a favor?”


    “What is it?” Eileen faced him, urging him on. “Just go ahead and say it.”


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    “Gabri is my daughter. I’d like her to change her surname to Dawson.”


    As they reached a red light at the intersection, Bryan pressed the brakes and turned toward Eileen, his face serious. “I just want her to carry myst name. If we have other kids, they can have your surname.”


    Eileen paused, then responded, “Who said anything about having another child?”


    Gabri was her daughter—how could she just agree to change Gabri’sst name to Dawson?


    Bryan found himself at a loss for words, his frustration barely concealed.


    His daughter didn’t share his surname.


    “If we decide to have more children, then I might consider them taking your surname,” Eileen’s response offered him a glimmer of hope.


    He snorted, and once the red light changed to green, they continued on their way.


    He floored the elerator and headed home.


    What truly troubled him wasn’t whether their future children would bear hisst name. It was the harsh reality that Gabri could never be a Dawson.


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