Chapter 153: Chapter 153

Chapter 153:

Eileen hadn’t heard of Arthur before. However, her experience taught her that affluent men who flirted with women often carried a certain notoriety. As a teacher, Eileen knew all too well the scrutiny that came with any hint of a messy personal life. A teacher couldn’t afford to be associated with someone like Arthur, regardless of how innocent their interaction might be.

Danielle’s eyes widened in shock. After a moment of silence, she finally spoke. “Ms. Curtis, don’t you know him?”

“I know who he is, but we’re hardly more than strangers,” Eileen replied. Sensing Danielle’s curiosity, she redirected the conversation. “Did you need something from me?”

“Not really,” Danielle blurted out, abruptly turning to leave Eileen’s office.

As Danielle departed, she suddenly remembered that Arthur was waiting for Eileen at the café across the street, wanting to add her on WhatsApp. Yet, Eileen had indicated she wasn’t familiar with Arthur at all. Danielle now believed she didn’t need to give Arthur Eileen’s WhatsApp information.

Danielle returned to her desk with a mischievous glint in her eye. With a few quick taps, she created a new WhatsApp account tailored to seduce Arthur. The profile boasted alluring photos and an irresistible name, designed to captivate Arthur’s attention. The moment Arthur added the new account, he was instantly smitten, eagerly engaging in conversation.

Despite his eagerness to meet, Danielle skillfully dodged his invitations, citing her busy schedule. Recognizing her willingness to engage, Arthur refrained from pressing for an immediate meeting. He suggested lunch, but Danielle hesitated, offering excuses and postponing it until the evening, then to the following day.

Their conversations stretched on for four days, testing Arthur’s patience as he eagerly awaited a face-to-face encounter. He attempted to video call several times, but Danielle refused to answer. Frustrated, he resorted to a phone call.

As Eileen prepared to leave to pick up Adalina, she received an incoming call from an unknown number. Unaware it was Arthur, she answered it.

New stories uploaded on gⱯlnσν𝒆ls․com “What’s the meaning of this, Eileen?” Arthur snapped as soon as the call was connected. “Is this a joke to you? Do you think you can trick me repeatedly?”

Realizing it was Arthur on the line, Eileen swiftly ended the call and blacklisted his number. Furious at being blocked, Arthur mobilized his subordinate. “Find out where Eileen is!” he commanded.

Arthur’s subordinate briefed him, stating, “Eileen tutors Milford every evening at Pianoforte Villas. It’s confirmed that she’s his tutor. Milford’s place is the same location we visited previously.” Arthur’s subordinate had already investigated the relationship between Milford and Eileen thoroughly.

Arthur’s mind raced with apprehension, recalling his recent confrontation with Bryan. After deliberating, he instructed his subordinate, “Bring Milford here tomorrow. I need to speak with him.”

When Eileen arrived at the Vance family’s residence, she was informed that Adalina was unwell and had to take a leave for the day. So Eileen made her way to Pianoforte Villas alone. Upon reaching the grand estate, she found no sign of Milford in the study on the third floor.

Curiosity piqued, she ventured to the bedroom, where muffled shouts caught her attention. Peering through the partially open door, she witnessed Milford in a fit of anger, his voice raised in frustration as he smashed something against the floor. Eileen glimpsed the shattered screen of a phone.

After a pause, she pushed the door open and saw Milford, who sat on the couch, visibly upset.

“What happened?” Eileen inquired, her voice laced with concern.

Turning his gaze towards Eileen, Milford seemed on the verge of speaking but then changed his mind. Instead, he rose from his seat, retrieved the damaged phone, and tossed it into the trash can. “It’s time for class,” he said briskly, striding towards the study.

Eileen followed suit and settled into her seat in the study, initiating the day’s lesson as Milford joined her. Noticing Adalina’s absence, Milford casually inquired, “Where is Adalina?”

“She’s unwell,” Eileen replied, organizing her papers. “Her health hasn’t been optimal lately, especially with her busy schedule of classes and after-school tutoring.”

As Milford furrowed his brows in concern, he retrieved his books and began to focus on the lesson. Throughout the session, his distraction was palpable, leading Eileen to allow him to work through the problems mostly on his own.

“At the end of Saturday, I’ll send some practice materials to the group chat for you and Adalina. Additionally, I’ll post a detailed video recap of today’s lesson. If you’re still unsure about anything, you can refer to the video, and if you need further clarification, feel free to ask me,” Eileen said.

After the tutoring session ended, Eileen gathered her things and announced, “Next week, both you and Adalina will have a test. If you pass, I’ll reward you with a new phone.”

Milford’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Are you serious?”

“Of course,” Eileen replied with a smile. “I understand you might regret smashing your phone in the heat of the moment. I’ll get you a new one if you pass the test.”

Recognizing the inconvenience caused by the absence of his phone, Eileen hoped this offer would motivate Milford to pay closer attention to the lessons. After a brief moment of hesitation, Milford said, “You better not go back on your word!”

“It’s a deal!” Eileen said, preparing to depart.

As she exited the study, Eileen noticed Bryan’s room was empty at the corner of the second floor. Curious, she casually inquired, “Has Bryan been quite busy lately?” Noticing the absence of Bryan’s car in the yard over the past few days, Eileen concluded that he must have been preoccupied with work and unable to return home.

Milford shut the door to his study before responding, “Yes, he doesn’t return until I go to bed, and by the time I wake up, he’s already left.” Considering the ongoing project in Wist Land, which had recently transitioned into normal operation, Eileen deduced that Bryan’s prolonged absence at home indicated potential trouble at work.

As Eileen drove home, thoughts about Bryan and his potential troubles at Wist Land occupied her mind. Even though Wist Land wasn’t Bryan’s usual domain, with Apex Group’s prominent position in the country, it seemed unlikely that anyone would dare challenge him.

Unable to pinpoint any specific issue, Eileen found herself instinctively reaching for her phone to call Raymond for insights. Yet, as she pulled out her phone, a sudden chill swept over her from the car window, jolting her back to reality. It dawned on her that she had no connection to Bryan anymore. Why was she so invested in his affairs?

With a decisive click, she put away her phone and pressed down on the gas pedal, redirecting her focus to her destination: the hospital. Ruby’s condition showed a slight plateau, but Austin reassured everyone that Ruby’s ability to open her eyes and display glimmers of consciousness was already a good sign. Ruby was expected to make a gradual recovery.

Upon hearing the encouraging news, Phoebe paid a visit to Ruby, arriving early Saturday morning with an array of fruits. “I figured Mrs. Curtis wouldn’t be able to eat, so I brought some fruits for you guys,” Phoebe said.

“Look at that. You’ve got all my favorite fruits,” Bailee quipped as she accepted the offering. “Thanks.”

Phoebe chuckled. “You owe me some delicious meals when you get back home!”

Laughter and conversation flowed effortlessly between Phoebe and Bailee. On the other side of the room, Eileen beamed with joy as she gently clasped Ruby’s hand, saying, “Mom, this is my friend, Phoebe Burton. You can blink your eyes to say hello to her.” Ruby responded with a gentle blink, her eyes conveying a silent greeting.

“That’s truly remarkable!” Phoebe exclaimed. “I truly believe she’ll recover soon!”

Phoebe’s arrival injected a dose of optimism into the ward, and she gladly lingered for lunch, contributing to the buoyant atmosphere. After lunch, Bailee excused herself to wash the fruits, leaving Eileen and Phoebe to settle onto the sofa.

“I heard you’ve been ‘taming’ Milford?” Phoebe’s inquiry was laced with curiosity.

Eileen’s smile was gentle as she responded, “He’s just navigating through the tumultuous waters of puberty. I’m trying not to push him too hard.” The afternoon sun bathed Eileen in a soft glow.

Phoebe’s eyes twinkled mischievously. “You’ve tamed Bryan. Taming a little boy should be a breeze for you.” Eileen’s frown softened into a playful scold. “Stop talking nonsense. By the way, have you been living in Jacob’s place lately?”

Phoebe lounged back casually. “Yes,” she replied.

“Then have you seen Bryan lately?” Eileen’s curiosity about Bryan couldn’t be contained. “Is he facing trouble at work?” For a brief moment, the ward fell into a hush. Then, Phoebe erupted into laughter.

She said, “Jacob tried to rope me into a bet earlier, wagering whether you’d notice Bryan’s predicament or not. But neither of us wanted to bet against your perceptiveness, so we called it off.” Phoebe’s laughter echoed through the room, making Eileen’s face turn red.

Eileen said, “I was merely asking. I haven’t spotted him during my recent visits to tutor Milford.”

“I know what’s on your mind,” Phoebe’s teasing persisted. Then, she explained, “He’s found himself in a tight spot, but the specifics elude me. Seems his problem is about money.”

Eileen swiftly refuted Phoebe’s assumption. “That’s unlikely. With the Apex Group’s extensive reach and the Dawson family’s resources, how could Bryan possibly be short on money?”

“But it’s not about the company’s resources; it’s about Bryan’s personal finances,” Phoebe said.

“So you’re saying he can’t access the funds of the Apex Group?” Eileen remained skeptical, unwilling to entertain the notion. But the thought of Bryan’s parents being abroad made the idea seem less surprising.

“I don’t have all the details. If you’re curious, you might want to ask Jacob. Or perhaps I can arrange for you to meet him someday…” Phoebe said.

Phoebe’s suggestion was cut short by Eileen. “Thanks, but I have no desire to delve further into Bryan’s affairs.”

Just as Phoebe seemed poised to continue, Eileen’s phone rang. Eileen hastened to the window to take the call, and Arthur’s voice greeted her on the other end. “Eileen, if you blacklist me again, you’ll regret it. I’ll ensure you never see Milford again!”

The moment Eileen heard Arthur’s voice, she wanted to hang up the phone. But when Arthur mentioned Milford, Eileen suppressed her rising anger and inquired, “What do you mean? How do you know Milford?”

“Of course, I know him,” Arthur scoffed. “After he dropped out of school, he started hanging out with me. Why else would he dare to be so arrogant?”

Eileen’s frown deepened, but she remained silent.

“I’ll send you the location of a café. You have half an hour to get there. Come alone, or face the consequences,” Arthur said, interpreting Eileen’s silence as concern for Milford, knowing she would comply.

After Arthur disconnected the call, he swiftly sent the café’s location to Eileen via WhatsApp. Scrolling through their previous chats, he sneered. He believed Eileen had been trying to cozy up to Bryan lately. He thought she was adept at charming and manipulating men online. She was merely putting on an innocent facade!

Once the call ended, Eileen swiftly gathered her belongings and made for the door. “I have something urgent to attend to. Please let Bailee know I’ll be back later,” she said to Phoebe, her mind preoccupied with thoughts of Milford’s safety. She felt responsible for the situation and was determined to handle it. She didn’t even consider seeking assistance.

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