Chapter 150: Chapter 150

Chapter 150:

“This is my phone number,” Eileen handed the phone back to Arthur and asked politely, “Can I leave now?”

Arthur checked the number she had entered and dialed it.

Eileen frowned. She had intentionally swapped the last two digits of her phone number, not expecting Arthur to call it immediately.

No one answered the call. Arthur raised his eyebrows at Eileen.

Eileen maintained her composure and said, “I didn’t bring my phone with me; it’s in the private room.”

“Okay, what should I call you?” Arthur hung up the call, ready to save the number under her name.

Eileen invented a name on the spot. Seeing Arthur’s skeptical look, she added, “It’s really my name.”

Arthur’s smile broke through, his eyes alight with curiosity. He tapped on his phone continuously before stepping aside.

Eileen walked away. She knew she and Arthur belonged to different worlds here.

He was enchanted by places, while she was engulfed in her city work, making it unlikely she would see him again.

Now, her main concern was to avoid any complications with him, believing their paths would not cross in the future.

When Eileen returned to the private room, she found Bryan not on the sofa but by the window, talking on the phone.

Keep reading at gⱯlnσν𝓮ℓs.cøm He was smoking, wearing a gentle smile, his expression affectionate—a side of him Eileen hadn’t witnessed before.

“Has Zola come back?” Phoebe asked Jacob.

Phoebe and Jacob were deep in conversation and hadn’t noticed Eileen’s return. Their eyes were on Bryan.

“Bryan arrived at Wist Land shortly after her return,” Jacob replied. “They’ve only been able to talk over the phone. It’s been years since they’ve seen each other.”

Phoebe remarked, “No wonder they’re so smitten with each other now.”

Eileen settled into a corner and listened to their chat.

A pang of sadness hit her. She had heard the name Zola before.

But this was the first time she had seen Bryan so tenderly engaged on the phone with another woman.

His low chuckles reached her from across the room.

She twirled her hair, the red light overhead casting a glow on her face, making her appear almost ethereal.

Lowering her head, she masked her emotions.

Bryan, leaning against the window, caught sight of her. He felt his throat tighten.

Perhaps it was the anticipation of their planned meeting tonight that made him restless.

“Bryan, your parents are urging you to come home. What are you planning to do?” Zola’s voice came through the phone.

“If you want to avoid their nagging, just stay away from them. And if it helps, you can blame me,” Bryan suggested, his smile fading.

“But dragging this out isn’t an option, Bryan. I’m trying to help you here.” Zola said. “I won’t take the fall for you. If they ask, I’ll just point them your way.”

Hearing that, Bryan’s smile returned. “Okay, that’s settled.”

He ended the call, his gaze never leaving Eileen, not realizing that Zola was still speaking when he hung up. “Wait…”

He pocketed his phone and grabbed his jacket from the sofa.

Turning to Jacob, he said, “It’s getting late. Time to head home.”

“Okay.” Jacob rose, then noticed Eileen in the corner.

He was surprised and whispered to Phoebe, “When did Eileen get back?”

Phoebe shook her head. “I don’t know.”

Just as they whispered, Eileen had donned her coat, grabbed her bag, and walked out of the room with her hands in her pockets.

The downtown area buzzed with life late at night, with crowds flowing in and out of the club.

A gust of wind swept through, causing Eileen’s long hair to billow into an arc. She tried to tuck it behind her ear, but it fluttered back onto her chest.

Bryan followed not far behind. Eileen could hear his footsteps.

She suddenly remembered his earlier words: “Let’s continue this tonight.”

Seeing his shadow, her heart began to race.

“By the way, Zola asked me to bring you something,” Jacob suddenly said to Bryan. “She told me to give it to you as soon as possible, but I didn’t get around to it the other day. I’ll bring it out to you when you drive by my house later.”

After a brief silence, Bryan replied, “Okay.”

“Are you going home?” Eileen asked Phoebe as she opened the car door.

Jacob interjected firmly. “She has to take care of me.”

He stressed those words deliberately.

“Then I’ll head back first. Goodbye, Mr. Meyer, Mr. Dawson,” Eileen said.

She then climbed into her car, buckled up, started the engine, and drove off.

Jacob approached Bryan and gave him a slight shove on the shoulder. “Mr. Dawson? Looks like you need to keep trying to get to her.”

“Get lost!” Bryan rolled his eyes, turning to get into his car.

The car window was half-open, letting in the cool night air. Eileen stopped at a red light.

She glanced at her phone several times, but no messages appeared.

Eventually, she arrived home and changed into her slippers. The quiet of the empty room filled her with a sense of loneliness.

This was probably because Phoebe hadn’t been home lately.

After a shower and before climbing into bed, Eileen paused to send a message to Milford.

“Starting tomorrow, I will bring Adalina over to your place. You two will continue the tutoring sessions together.”

She waited over ten minutes for a response.

Finally, Milford replied, “Got it.”

Eileen pressed her lips together. The brief message glowed on her phone screen.

After a moment, she sent another message.

“Milford, what is your relationship with Bryan?”

Eileen remembered Denzel mentioning that Milford’s sister knew Bryan.

She was familiar with many of Bryan’s acquaintances but could not recall any female friend of his whose last name was Murray.

Milford’s response came quickly this time. “Are you interested in him?”

Eileen was jolted back to reality by the question.

Why was she asking about Bryan?

She frowned, realizing that the relationship between Milford’s sister and Bryan was none of her business.

Firmly, she replied, “No.”

Then, she set her phone on the table, turned away, and drifted off to sleep.

The night deepened. Bryan stood by the French window, scrolling through his messages with narrowed eyes.

His expression darkened, and the cigarette between his fingers glowed faintly. He took a drag and exhaled a stream of smoke.

He set his phone aside and picked up an elegant box from the table.

Inside the box was a men’s watch, accompanied by a note: “Happy birthday!”

His gaze lingered on the message. He picked up his phone again and sent a simple reply to Zola. “Thank you.”

Then, he headed toward the bathroom. As soon as he left, another message from Zola pinged.

“You’re back! It’s been years since I’ve celebrated your birthday. I’ll come to Wist Land once I sort out the matters of Apex Group. We’ll have a birthday party then!”

In the wintry climate of Wist Land, the temperature dropped significantly at night, but a woolen coat usually sufficed to keep the cold at bay.

Eileen’s black woolen overcoat, bought in Onaland years earlier, had once elicited a compliment from Bryan about its elegance.

Not quite understanding his remark and considering the coat’s expense, Eileen hadn’t replaced it with a new one. Today, however, she felt reluctant to wear that overcoat.

So she chose a berber fleece double-sided jacket, slipped on long boots, and donned a pure white dress underneath.

When she reached the education agency, several acquaintances greeted her warmly and complimented her.

She responded with a polite smile, opened the door, and started her day.

Unknown to her, across the street, a man in a parked car took her photograph and sent it to Arthur.

Arthur, who had a woman in his arms, was instantly captivated by the photo on his phone.

Disinterested in his current company, he pushed the women aside, sat up, and made a phone call.

“It’s her. Keep an eye on her; I’ll come over this evening after I finish my work. Keep watching her!” he said.

“Understood!” the man in the car responded, focusing his surveillance on Eileen.

Eileen’s office was on the second floor, close to the window. As soon as she sat down, she became so absorbed in her work that she barely moved, only pausing to eat and drink.

At six in the evening, she donned her jacket and gathered her belongings to head downstairs. Observing this, the man in the car hurriedly called Arthur.

“She’s leaving. Looks like her workday is over!” the man said.

Arthur responded with irritation, “I’m stuck in traffic. Follow her and figure out where she lives. Send me the flowers. I could have dinner with her, and perhaps, I could even spend the night.”

Arthur’s tone was urgent, and his instructions were clear. The man in the car understood the importance of the task, especially given Eileen’s striking appearance.

Previously, when Eileen had worked for Bryan, she had always been vigilant about reporters lurking around.

But since moving to Wist Land, she had let her guard down and didn’t notice anyone following her.

She drove from the education agency to the Vance family’s house, picked up Adalina, and proceeded to Pianoforte Villas.

The man Arthur hired didn’t follow Eileen into the Vance family’s neighborhood, missing the chance to see Adalina enter Eileen’s car.

By the time Eileen reached Pianoforte Villas and parked, the man was just rounding the corner and didn’t see Adalina with Eileen.

Arthur was taken aback when he learned that Eileen had entered Pianoforte Villas, a place not easily accessible to just anyone.

But then, he thought it over and understood the situation. Knowing Eileen’s charm, it didn’t surprise him that affluent men might lavish her with gifts. He assumed that one of them might have bought her this expensive house.

He commanded, “Find out which house she’s in!”

Then, he hurried towards Pianoforte Villas.

It was Adalina’s first visit here, and she seemed nervous. She clung close to Eileen, taking in the new surroundings.

Upon entering the house, Adalina and Eileen found Bryan sitting on the sofa. Adalina greeted him.

Bryan frowned, turning to glance at them. They stood in the entryway, looking at him.

Bryan just nodded and remained silent.

“I’ll take you upstairs,” Eileen said to Adalina. She then led Adalina to Milford’s study.

The room had been rearranged; what used to be a single desk was now a double.

Milford was dozing on the desk. Eileen tapped on the desk, and he woke up.

He stretched and pulled out some books.

Although Milford and Adalina were close in age, their academic levels were different. Eileen had Adalina start with the basics.

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