?Chapter 1416:


    Bryan’s expression remained unchanged. “I’m tired of the food they serve at those dinners, Eileen. You already know that.” He thought that was the very reason she had left an extra cake just for him.


    His casual tone confirmed Eileen’s fear; the cake was gone, devoured without a trace.


    With a frustrated sigh, she decided the rm was unnecessary and rolled over, pulling the covers tight to sleep.


    Despite the cake incident, Eileen still opted to stay home from work the following day. She enjoyed a leisurely morning, ying with Gabri in thefort of her bed until Phoebe’s call interrupted them.


    “Eileen! That person you wanted me to connect with ‘Colby’? He has seeded!” Phoebe’s voice crackled with excitement through the phone.


    “Already?” Eileen raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised. “What made Colby say yes to co-renting so fast?”


    Phoebe answered, “It wasn’t just quick—it happened almost instantly. All I did was ask in the group chat if anyone wanted to co-rent with a man, and before I could even contact him, he reached out to me.”


    Phoebe knew the only way to sell this n was to y her part perfectly. If she took the initiative to talk to “Colby” about co-renting, it might raise his suspicions. But the fact that he sought her out on his own? That was something she hadn’t seening.


    Eileen blinked, equally puzzled. “Are you sure there wasn’t some kind of mix-up?”


    Phoebe replied, “I can promise you, no one knows about our n to ce someone—unless, of course, you identally gave it away.”


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    With only Eileen and Phoebe in the loop, there was no way the information could have leaked. Still, Eileen couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that things were unfolding a bit too perfectly, making her wary of rushing into anything.


    “Let the man move in first,” Eileen advised. “For now, just watch what ‘Colby’ does—see how things unfold naturally before making any moves.”


    Phoebe nodded. “By the way, do you know if Julio’s son is doing better? Jacob’s mom heard that you’re close to Julio and was hoping you could help set up a visit to see him.”


    While Eileen knew Julio, they hadn’t really kept in touch after her marriage. Just calling him out of nowhere to visit his son—especially with the Meyer Group partnership on the line—felt way too odd. It would make her motives too transparent.


    “Dalores told me a few days ago that the new medication is in its final stage, and it’s been really effective. I thought about visiting, too, but the timing never seemed right,” Eileen said, reflecting on how lucky she had been to have gone to Alverton and run into Dalores. It felt like fate had brought them together. If not for that, Emerson’s illness could have gotten much worse, with Dalores staying under the radar the whole time.


    “Want me to swing by and pick you up so we can head to the hospital together?” Phoebe offered.


    Eileen rubbed her temples and said, “I don’t think it’ll be a problem, but just to be sure, I’ll give Bryan a call first and tell him about this.”


    After all, they had just patched things up the night before, and if Bryan saw her running around again without telling him, he would probably get angry. It wasn’t like she was heading out for fun, though. Once she exined everything to Bryan, he gave her the green light. By 10 a.m. that morning, Eileen and Phoebe were at the hospital, right on schedule.


    Emerson was on the mend, and Dalores looked noticeably healthier. Julio, on the other hand, appeared as if he hadn’t left the hospital in days, utterly worn out. He seemed preupied, something clearly weighing on him, but he still put on a brave face to chat with Eileen and Phoebe. After Dalores took Emerson for his treatment, Julio gave a tired, bitter smile. “I didn’t expect to look this rough in front of you two. Honestly, managing apany feels easier than taking care of a woman and a child.”


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