?Chapter 413:


    She remarked, “That makes sense. So, he should receive arger year-end bonus.”


    Silence followed on the other end until Gabri’s cooing broke the quiet, prompting Bryan to speak again.


    “I’ll leave it in your hands.”


    “Alright, attend to Gabri first.” Benjamin knocked on the door. Eileen hung up and stood up to leave.


    “Is everyone here?”


    Benjamin replied, “Mr. Freguson suggesteding together, but he’s not in the private room. He’s concerned some people might cause trouble and doesn’t want you handling it alone.”


    “That’s alright. It would be too simple for him to be the boss otherwise,” Eileen teased, her bond with Julio and Benjamin as strong as ever.


    As Raymond drove Eileen, he assessed the personalities of those they were about to meet.


    “Some may try to stir up trouble. If they propose a toast to you, I can step in and drink on your behalf,” he suggested.


    He used to frequently cover for Bryan while drinking, and there were rumors that Eileen asionally did the same for him. However,ter on, Bryan stopped allowing Eileen to do that and took over the role himself.


    In the vibrant city center, under the bright lights of arge hotel, Eileen exited the car and walked beside Benjamin. Raymond was close behind, but his phone suddenly rang. He stepped aside to take the call.


    “Hello, Mr. Dawson… Hmm? Isn’t that a bit excessive? Alright, I’ll follow your instructions.”


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    After ending the call, Raymond checked the list of dinner attendees and sent out a group message.


    Ten minutester, the private room, capable of hosting 20 to 30 people, was full.


    Eileen sat at the head of the table, ordering food from the waiter. As the dishes were served, everyone remained silent.


    Eileen looked puzzled and turned to Benjamin, raising an eyebrow, wondering what was happening.


    “I’m not sure,” Benjamin leaned in and whispered. “I originally thought they would make things difficult for you.”


    Eileen scanned the room, catching the eyes of several attendees. They immediately smiled and raised their sses.


    “Ms. Curtis, it’s rare to see you today. I’d like to toast to you, but as a woman, you should drink less. Let Raymond handle it,” one of them suggested.


    “Alright,” Eileen agreed. Raymond felt a wave of irritation. Out of the 15 people at the table, 12 intended to toast to Eileen, meaning he would need to drink 12 sses.


    That added up to five bottles of wine.


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