Chapter 124: Chapter 124

Chapter 124:

It was nearly time to leave work. The corridor buzzed with doctors and nurses clad in white gowns. Eileen only caught a glimpse of a retreating figure dressed in black.

She couldn’t clearly discern if the figure was male or female. However, she thought she heard a voice that sounded much like Bryan’s. Her eyes widened in disbelief as she instinctively started to chase after the figure.

“Eileen, where are you going?” Austen called out as he stepped out of the room, his wound now dressed.

Eileen halted abruptly and regained her composure. She smiled at Austen and explained, “I thought I saw someone I knew; I must have been mistaken.”

She turned and rejoined him. Together, they discussed Ruby’s condition as they exited the hospital.

At the corridor’s end was Bryan. He leaned against the railing, on the phone with Zola.

Zola complained, “Please take care of Milford for a while. Your parents are still upset about you going to Wist Land. You left and have to handle the mess. Now you can relax while they pressure me to marry, and I can’t even get away.”

Bryan raised an eyebrow and replied, “You could just leave, like I did.”

“Well, you’re a Dawson by blood, but I’m just adopted. I can’t afford to be as reckless as you,” Zola responded, her tone resigned, knowing her limitations.

Bryan laughed upon hearing her complaints. “Didn’t you promise to always stand up for me, like a true sister would?” he asked.

With a dismissive snort, Zola replied, “I need to hang up now. There’s a lot of work waiting for me.”

gαℓησν𝒆𝓁s․𝑐𝓞𝓂 brings great stories She ended the call before Bryan had the chance to respond further.

Bryan sighed deeply. Then, his gaze followed Eileen and Austen as they departed from the hospital.

He noticed that Eileen still carried herself with refined elegance—unchanged except for a slight increase in weight that softened her features and silhouette.

Bryan watched her for a moment before heading back.

Eileen’s tutoring sessions primarily took place on weeknights, with additional preparation for Saturday online classes done well in advance.

As she could manage some of her tasks at the hospital, she spent most weekdays there, accompanied by Bailee.

Upon returning to Ruby’s ward after bidding Austen farewell, Eileen observed Bailee tenderly holding Ruby’s hand and dabbing at her tears. Bailee was usually good at concealing her sadness in Eileen’s presence.

Eileen held back from entering until Bailee had regained her composure.

As soon as Eileen appeared, Bailee quickly dried her tears and averted her gaze, asking, “What did Dr. Potter say?”

Eileen chose to ignore the obvious signs of Bailee’s distress as she answered, “We’re still waiting for one indicator to meet the standard, but it is nearly there.”

After preparing another bed in the room for Bailee, Eileen settled down on the sofa to sleep.

It was late into the night. The ward lights were off, and the glow of neon lights from outside filtered through the window, casting dim shapes around the room.

Suddenly, Eileen’s phone beeped with a new WhatsApp friend request.

The profile picture showed two hands clasped together—one clearly masculine and the other slender and delicate, suggesting a woman’s hand.

Eileen accepted the friend request and sent a simple “hello” as a greeting.

The reply came quickly. “It’s Milford.”

Eileen paused, unsure if it was Milford himself or his parents using the account.

After a brief hesitation, she saved the contact under “Milford Murray.”

She then messaged, “The first tutoring session is scheduled for seven o’clock Monday evening. Does that work for you?”

Shortly after, she received a reply with an address in a villa community in the east of Wist Land.

Eileen was familiar with the area and knew it was an affluent neighborhood.

“Got it,” she replied.

After reviewing her schedule, she sent another message. “You can share details about recent academic progress before we meet. This way, we can discuss it during our sessions.”

“In that case, arrive half an hour early on Monday evening.”

The response was blunt and discourteous, but Eileen wasn’t taken aback, remembering Milford’s demeanor from their first encounter. She agreed to arrive earlier and then set her phone aside.

A solitary beam of light illuminated the room from Bailee’s phone, casting a glow on her face. Eileen noticed Bailee’s lips pursed in a somber expression and guessed she was messaging Huey.

Bailee had stayed in contact with Huey, though he always initiated their conversations. There had been several instances where Huey wanted to visit while passing through Land, but Bailee consistently declined to meet him, choosing to keep her distance.

Eileen had inquired of Bailee about why she was avoiding Huey, but Bailee remained tight-lipped about her reasons.

Eileen’s gaze shifted to Ruby. The numerous tubes that once marred her arms were now gone, replaced only by an oxygen tube in her mouth. Ruby’s hair was slowly growing back, making her appear merely asleep. Yet, it was still uncertain when she might awaken.

Through the educational agency, Eileen and Bailee had earned a substantial income, more than sufficient to cover Ruby’s medical expenses. Despite this, a nagging unease had somehow settled over Eileen in recent days.

On Sunday night, Eileen and Bailee were leaving the hospital to drive home. Upon arriving, they found that Phoebe had prepared a dinner consisting of four courses plus soup. Bailee, surprised, exclaimed, “I had no idea the noble Miss Burton could cook so well!”

“I’m pleased you’ve finally realized it,” Phoebe replied, stepping out of the kitchen dressed in loungewear, her short hair complemented by black-framed glasses.

Phoebe had relocated to Wist Land shortly after Eileen, having shared that Vivian was undergoing isolated treatment for depression.

After the Burton family’s efforts to gain favor with the Warrens through Vivian failed, they pressured Phoebe into marriage.

So, Phoebe left Onaland for good, invested in Eileen’s educational business, and settled into a relaxed role as a passive investor.

Bailee and Phoebe, who took turns making dinner, didn’t see eye to eye and often quarreled, filling the house with their loud disagreements.

Eileen, now accustomed to their bickering, started her meal as Bailee and Phoebe continued their argument.

Mid-bite, Eileen interjected, “If you two continue to quarrel, I’ll end up eating all the food myself. I need to prepare for tomorrow’s tutoring sessions and don’t have the time to mediate your disputes.”

This warning made Bailee and Phoebe reluctantly sit down to eat, casting final glares at each other. Eileen finished her meal quickly.

“Wait up for me for dinner tomorrow night,” she said. “I’m tutoring Denzel’s daughter first, then I’ll go tutor Milford. I’ll eat on the way.”

“Milford?”

Upon hearing the name, Phoebe paused her meal and inquired, “Is that a new student?”

Standing with her phone in hand, Eileen replied, “Yes, his relatives specifically sought me out for tutoring. It starts tomorrow. He seems like he could be a bit of a challenge.”

While talking, she grabbed her laptop from the sofa and headed to the study.

Phoebe’s lips formed a slight smile as she continued eating. She plated a piece of meat on Bailee’s plate, remarking, “Enjoy the meal. We’re in for some entertainment!”

“What do you mean?” Bailee asked, puzzled.

“You’ll find out soon enough,” Phoebe replied, leaving Bailee curious.

The following morning, Eileen and Bailee went to the education agency. Alongside them worked many professional educators, responsible for various classes and students, totaling about twenty staff members.

Bailee not only tutored several students but also handled promotional activities and reception whenever possible.

Eileen was invariably busy. She created daily videos for online courses and personally tutored several primary and high school students, clearly the most hardworking member of the team.

After a day filled with usual tasks and concluding the tutoring session for Denzel’s daughter, Eileen packed up and left Denzel’s place.

Denzel escorted Eileen to the door, looking pleased. “My daughter just told me she really likes you. She finds your lessons easy to follow,” he said.

Eileen responded, “That’s wonderful to hear. It’s crucial that she understands the material well. She has a solid foundation, and with half a year left before her middle school ends, I’m confident she’ll get into a great high school.”

With that, she slipped on her shoes and stepped out of the house.

She turned to Denzel. “Thank you for walking me to the door.”

To her surprise, Denzel stepped outside with her and asked…

“Miss Curtis, have you ever been to—”

Puzzled, Eileen responded, “Why do you ask?”

He dismissed curiosity with a smile and said, “Never mind. Just a random question.” He thought it must be a coincidence that Bryan had specifically requested Eileen to tutor Milford.

After bidding Denzel goodbye, Eileen got into her car and drove eastward.

The roads toward the city’s eastern side were less crowded. The setting sun bathed her in light, prompting her to don her sunglasses.

She followed her navigation to Pianoforte Villas. At the entrance, the security guards didn’t permit her car inside, so she parked outside and walked in.

Upon entering the community, Eileen realized she didn’t know which building Milford lived in, so she messaged him on WhatsApp for directions.

“It’s Building 1. The door’s lock passcode is 348686. Take the slippers from the cabinet on the left as you enter; you’ll find me in the first room on the left on the second floor,” Milford replied.

Seeing Building 1 just ahead, Eileen was taken aback that Milford would share the place’s passcode so freely.

She stood at the door, hesitating for a moment before finally entering the passcode.

The door clicked open, revealing the quiet interior of the house. Eileen entered, swapped her shoes for a pair of slippers from the cabinet, and took in the stylish decor.

A grand chandelier hung overhead, illuminating the entire living room, while a spiral staircase with sleek black handrails led upstairs.

As she ascended, Eileen noticed several paintings on the wall to her left—pieces she recognized from a charity dinner she had once attended with Bryan.

She had admired their style then and was pleasantly surprised to see them here.

Reaching the second floor, Eileen approached the first room on the left where the door stood slightly open, the light inside dim. Out of courtesy, she knocked on the door but received no response.

She leaned closer, listening, but heard only silence.

After a moment, she knocked again, this time calling out, “Milford?”

This time, a faint sound came from within, indicating someone was indeed inside, but it seemed Milford was intentionally ignoring her.

Pushing the door open, she stepped into the dimly lit room.

In the shadows, she could make out a figure standing behind the curtain.

Frowning, she moved toward the curtain and said firmly, “Milford, at least show me some respect. Whoever is in the room should respond instead of hiding!”

Without further hesitation, she drew back the curtains.

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