?Chapter 1417:


    “What’s been going on?” Eileen asked. “I thought Dalores was already settled into her job at the educational center. She seemed to be doing fine thest time I checked.”


    “Oh, she’s doing fine, no doubt. But all her focus is on keeping me at a distance, as if I might snatch Emerson away from her. She’s insisting on being independent. Now that Emerson’s health has improved, she has even figured out how much his treatment cost and told me she’ll repay every penny.”


    Julio couldn’t help but feel both irritated and amused as he shared the story.


    Eileen had believed they had patched things up. Well, maybe not fully reconciled, but at least, they had cleared the air and seemed to be on the same page again.


    Phoebe said, “Julio, if I can be honest, to a woman, her child is everything—especially someone like Dalores, who grew up without a family and now sees her son as her entire world. You hurt her before, and now, she’s scared that your influence could let you walk away with Emerson someday. She feels this way because you haven’t given her the sense of security she needs. I’ve heard about your situation. You stayed with her mostly for the sake of your son, and now, you’re wearing yourself out trying to help Emerson recover. She sees all of this and believes that Emerson matters more to you than she ever did.”


    This belief was firmly rooted in Dalores’ heart. To Dalores, Julio wasn’t someone she could fully rely on.


    Eileen said gently, “It’s going to take time for her to understand that you want both her and Emerson in your life. Right now, her entire world revolves around Emerson. Once he’s fully recovered and the three of you are living together, things will slowly fall into ce.”


    Eileen knew that Dalores still cared for Julio, but those feelings had taken a backseat ever since Emerson came into the picture. If Julio could be honest about what he felt, Eileen believed Dalores would open up again too.


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    Today marked the end of Emerson’s treatment. If everything went smoothly over the next week, he would finally be discharged.


    “I don’t know what I’d have done without you all. Once Emerson’s officially discharged, I’ll treat everyone to a nice meal,” Dalores said, holding her son close as tears welled up in her eyes.


    “I was just here to help a little. It’s really thanks to Julio’s money and connections that Emerson recovered so fast. A meal sounds great, but you should also take some time to think about Julio,” Eileen said with a smile, tickling Emerson before she and Phoebe headed out.


    Dalores knew exactly what Eileen was hinting at.


    “When do you think I should mention the Meyer Group’s project to Julio?” Phoebe asked, frowning slightly. She wasn’t much into business, only aware that the Meyer Group was looking to partner with the Ferguson Group.


    Though she had been asked to bring the project up, it didn’t feel right to do so just yet.


    After a brief pause, Eileen replied, “With how Dalores is, you’ll definitely see her again after Emerson is discharged. Just wait until the Meyer Group’s project is ready and then find the right moment to mention it. Honestly, knowing Julio, you probably won’t even need to bring it up yourself. These kinds of deals usually fall into ce naturally without much discussion. Julio isn’t the kind to make thingsplicated.”


    “I don’t know what I’d do without you. Handling all this on my own would’ve been impossible,” Phoebe said, just before she identally ran into someone.


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