Chapter 162: Chapter 162

Chapter 162:

“Suit yourself then,” Bryan said briefly, already seated. His brief three words placed Hadlee in a tough spot, making it awkward for her to decide whether to sit or leave.

Gilbert was unsure whether to sit or stand alongside his sister. Bryan appeared unaffected by the tension. He grabbed a cigarette from Jacob, lit it, and gave Gilbert a casual glance. Jacob then also passed a cigarette to Gilbert, asking, “Mr. White, won’t you take a seat?”

This offered Gilbert a subtle way out. After a brief hesitation, Gilbert accepted the cigarette, sat down, and offered Bryan a polite smile. “Mr. Dawson, you’re certainly an impressive young man.”

“Sadly, your ability to judge people seems lacking.” Seeing Gilbert settle down, Hadlee became visibly upset. She, too, sat down, her anger boiling over so intensely that she interrupted Gilbert before he could finish his courteous remarks.

She said, “The lady beside you is despicable, flirting with men everywhere. I wouldn’t trust her to tie my shoes, yet you hold her in high regard!”

Instantly, Bryan’s expression turned stern, his eyes narrowing with annoyance. The fierce intensity of his stare made Hadlee stop, unable to continue. Observing this, Gilbert quickly said, “Mr. Dawson, please, don’t get upset. My sister may be blunt, but she’s not wrong. It’s not worth the discord between you and my nephew over Miss Curtis.”

He then gestured to Hadlee, who hurriedly pulled her phone from her purse. Yet, seeing Bryan’s darkened face, Hadlee didn’t dare to show him directly. Instead, she approached the spectators nearby, showing them the images.

“See! This woman has been engaging suggestively with my son and also involved with the Bryant family’s grandson. There’s Mr. Dawson, too. Notice her flirtatious words. I’ve heard she teaches…” Arthur had saved “Eileen” as “Baby” in his WhatsApp, clearly at her request, according to their chat.

Other parts of their chat were very explicit, including some revealing photos without her face visible. Eileen’s conversations with Emmett looked standard, mainly about his tutoring sessions, which were scheduled late at night. Additionally, there were photos taken by Emmett of Eileen sleeping.

Hadlee continued, “Mrs. Deleon said her son won’t even speak to her now because of this woman. He stays home all day. The last time he went out, he was soaked in the rain all night for her. Who knows where she was spending her time then?”

Every journey starts at gⱯlnσν𝓮𝓁s﹒𝒸о𝗺 After Hadlee finished speaking, people’s perceptions of Eileen shifted dramatically. Crude remarks and suspicions were thrown her way.

“A teacher? Can someone like her really be a positive role model?”

“Teachers interact with lots of people. Maybe she uses that to connect with wealthy men!”

“Mr. Dawson fought Mr. Blake over her? He’s clearly been fooled!”

“Don’t hold it against Mr. Dawson. Look at her conversations with Mr. Blake and the Bryant family’s son. She’s playing different roles. She must be just as deceitful with Mr. Dawson!”

Amidst all this scrutiny, even Eileen started to doubt her own character. The conversations between her and Emmett were innocent, yet everyone seemed to overreact. But when had she ever messaged Arthur?

The crowd’s support gave Hadlee more confidence, and she walked back to confront Eileen. “Stop pretending to be innocent. Who do you think you’re fooling?” Since she couldn’t retaliate against Bryan for the hurt Arthur had endured, she directed her anger toward Eileen. If Bryan relented, she planned to send Eileen to Arthur’s hospital room to face his anger.

She changed her tone, turned to Bryan, and said, “Mr. Dawson, this woman’s deception sparked the conflict between you and my son. We can put the past behind us, but don’t be fooled by her any longer. Take a look at these.” She set her phone on the table and slid it toward Bryan, revealing the explicit messages with Arthur.

Bryan looked contemplative, deep in thought. Phoebe quickly picked up the phone, scanned the contents, and showed it to Eileen. “Is this really you?” Noticing the WhatsApp profile picture she didn’t recognize, Eileen realized she had been impersonated.

“That’s not my WhatsApp account.” She pulled out her phone, opened WhatsApp, and displayed her profile on the table. “The one chatting with Emmett is me, but I’m not the one chatting with Arthur.”

Hadlee paused for a moment, then retorted, “Just because you say it is not you doesn’t make it true. Maybe you use different accounts for different guys. You just won’t admit it.”

Eileen’s face grew cold as she replied, “So, by your logic, even if I’m innocent, I can’t prove it? You can make accusations without proof, but I can’t defend myself without proof? Besides, aren’t you aware of what kind of person your son really is?”

Eileen was determined not to let Hadlee tarnish her reputation and complicate things for Bryan. Her sharp response clearly upset Hadlee. But Eileen wasn’t done. “I’m aware of your son’s reputation. Scammers target the type who throw money around for fun, like your son. If you’re looking for justice, find out who really owns that WhatsApp account and deal with them directly.”

She then realized where Arthur’s confusing accusations came from. Someone had been pretending to be her. Eileen thought hard but couldn’t pinpoint who it might be.

Phoebe felt compelled to stand up for Eileen. “Mrs. Blake, accusing Eileen just based on these messages is too much. Look at her messages with Emmett. They’re completely professional. Making such claims is unfair. Also, your son is fooled easily, while Emmett is naive and good-hearted, but who could possibly fool Bryan?”

Neither Emmett nor Arthur could outsmart Bryan at all. The thought of Bryan being tricked by any woman seemed absurd.

Suddenly, Eileen noticed Bryan had been quiet the whole time. She looked at him, observing his unreadable face. He was clearly deep in thought. Did he not believe her? This thought caused Eileen’s heart to sink, her lips pressed together tightly.

Jacob stood up. “I can attest that Eileen isn’t that type of person. The Blake family has mistaken their target, and this whole situation is messing with Mr. White’s and Bryan’s partnership. It’s a significant loss.”

Now, it didn’t matter who vouched for whom. Ultimately, what Bryan believed was crucial. Everyone’s attention turned to Bryan as he held his cigarette, the ash lengthening, his expression stoic.

Abruptly, he tapped off the ash and took a puff. With the smoke swirling, his expression remained enigmatic.

“Are you guys finished?” Without elaborating, Bryan cut straight to the chase. “Let’s talk about the project.”

Did Bryan trust Eileen or not? Questions filled everyone’s minds. Gilbert was taken aback, but Margery softly pulled at his sleeve, snapping him out of his daze. He nodded and said, “Alright. Let’s talk about it.”

Bryan didn’t have any paperwork with him; he kept all the details in his head. He began to speak articulately. Meanwhile, Eileen was too distracted to follow his words. Phoebe guided Eileen to sit down, and Eileen anxiously played with a button on her dress. Bryan’s resonant voice filled the room, each word echoing in Eileen’s heart.

The purpose of today’s meeting was to find out Gilbert’s attitude. With the crowd present, it wasn’t the moment for in-depth discussions. Bryan briefly outlined the project and set a meeting for the coming Monday to discuss the details of the contract.

The business talk wrapped up, and though things seemed clearer regarding Eileen, a sense of unresolved tension lingered. It was still unclear whether Bryan believed Eileen or not. One thing was clear: Eileen left the banquet with Bryan and his companions.

As evening approached, the sun cast long shadows, and the air grew colder. A chilly breeze made Eileen shiver. She hugged herself, her eyes lingering on Bryan’s back. He was deep in conversation with Jacob, his jacket slung over his arm. Then, he loosened his tie and unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt, his demeanor shifting to a more relaxed one. They stopped next to his car.

“By the way, we need to look into the Blake family’s claims. Without solid proof, they’ll continue to defame Eileen,” Jacob suggested, then turned to Eileen. “Considering someone used your identity to communicate with Arthur, it’s likely someone close to you. Any idea who it could be?”

Eileen was caught off guard, her gaze shifting away from Bryan. After a brief pause, she shook her head and said, “No. I can’t think of anyone.”

“Stay vigilant about those around you. The culprit is probably close,” Jacob said firmly. “A woman’s reputation is vital.”

Hearing that, Eileen looked at Bryan. He was leaning against the car, smoking. His face was hard to read, but it seemed he wasn’t concerned about the discussion or her innocence. Or maybe, he just didn’t share Jacob’s level of concern for her reputation or character. Wasn’t his silence just suspicion?

Eileen mustered a smile, though it was laced with sarcasm. “It’s not important. It’s Friday, and I need to visit my mom in the hospital. You guys go on without me.”

She stepped back, making room for their car to pull out.

“You don’t have a car. Bryan can drive you to the hospital,” Jacob suggested, moving closer to take her wrist and gently guiding her toward Bryan.

“Enough talking.” Phoebe, sensing something was off, shot Jacob a warning glance.

Realizing something wasn’t right, Jacob watched as Eileen quickly stepped away from Bryan. What was happening? Jacob looked at Eileen and Bryan, puzzled. The scent of smoke on Bryan drifted around Eileen and caused her to scrunch her nose. With a slight smile, she said, “No need to bother. I’ll just take a taxi.”

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