Chapter 182: Chapter 182

Chapter 182:

As Eileen adjusted her silk scarf, she responded seriously to Phoebe’s inquiry, “I said that before because I thought he didn’t like me. Now, since he likes me, I’m willing to be with him.”

But aware of Bryan’s family background, Eileen couldn’t help but feel concerned. Yet, she was confident in his abilities. Having known him for so long, she was sure of his knack for always achieving his goals. He was not one to engage in a challenge without assurance of victory.

“Gosh, I mentioned before that he had feelings for you, but you wouldn’t believe me.” Phoebe pursed her lips in dissatisfaction, then said, “It seems you value him more than me. You didn’t take my words to heart.”

Familiar with Phoebe’s biting sarcasm, Eileen slid the menu towards Phoebe and said, “Alright, this meal is on me. Go ahead; order whatever you like.”

“Great. I’ll take full advantage,” Phoebe quipped, unreservedly ordering several of her favorite dishes. She then got straight to the point. “Do you really think our small apartment can accommodate both you and Bryan? And what about the mediocre bed? It’s hardly comfortable, and it’s going to affect Bryan’s performance. How much longer do you two plan to stay there?”

As Eileen listened, she frowned. “I’m looking for a new place, but I’m swamped right now. Can you manage to live elsewhere for a few more days? By the way, where have you been staying lately?”

“That scoundrel Jacob insists on dragging me to dinner parties and drinks nightly,” Phoebe replied. Being adults, Eileen and Phoebe understood Jacob’s intentions clearly. However, Jacob was unaware of Phoebe’s high tolerance for alcohol, failing to intoxicate her recently, his plan thwarted. If not for his fear of being ridiculed by Bryan, Jacob might have sought Bryan’s advice. Bryan had won Eileen over after sleeping with her. Jacob tried a similar approach with Phoebe but found it more daunting.

“Hold on a little longer, but don’t let him drink too much. The Meyers will cause problems for you if Jacob starts to have stomachaches. I’ll relocate as soon as I find a fitting place,” Eileen told Phoebe. Eileen planned to look for new places over the weekend and would resort to contacting agencies online if her schedule was too hectic.

Phoebe gave Eileen’s shoulder a comforting pat. “How many days Jacob should hang on depends on how quickly you secure a new place.”

Exclusive stories gαlnσνℯls․com Hearing that, Eileen couldn’t delay her search until the weekend. As she and Phoebe awaited their meal, she began browsing rental listings online. But finding a new residence required patience, especially since Ruby was set to begin rehabilitation post-hospital and Bryan’s visits would be frequent. It would be inconvenient for Eileen to stay with her family in that case.

After much deliberation and no success in finding a place by the end of lunch, Eileen resigned herself to the busy afternoon ahead. In the evening, Bryan drove Eileen to the Vance family’s residence for the tutoring session. This time, Bryan stayed outside, waiting at a corner nearby. He had parked in an ideal spot, allowing him to observe Eileen tutoring Adalina on the second floor.

He could faintly hear Eileen’s voice. After a while, feeling a bit bored, he got out of the car for a cigarette. For the first time, he felt two hours were pretty long. His patience was wearing thin when Eileen finally emerged from the Vance family’s house.

After the Vance couple bid her farewell, Eileen walked briskly toward Bryan’s car, clutching her bag. Upon opening the passenger door, she was surprised to find Bryan in the passenger seat. The momentum caused her to lean forward involuntarily, and she ended up in his arms, her hands instinctively grasping his waist.

Bryan responded by securing her with one arm while gently stroking her back with the other. He leaned closer to kiss her gently. “What took you so long?” he asked.

“Was it long? I was there for exactly two hours,” Eileen replied. As she lifted her head slightly, she noticed the interior light illuminating his face, making his features more discernible.

Raising an eyebrow, Eileen offered, “Should I drive?”

“No, I’ll drive. You should have a rest,” Bryan replied, helping her adjust comfortably in the seat. Then, he got into the driver’s seat and started the car.

They hadn’t eaten yet, so they stopped at a restaurant on their way to the hospital. Midway through their meal, Bryan’s phone rang. He answered the call, his expression turning grave as he listened to the caller.

“Don’t worry. I’ll have Raymond look for him… We’ve shown him around Wist Land to get him acquainted, and Raymond knows his usual spots,” Bryan reassured the person on the other end of the line. Zola’s voice trembled with concern. “I’m really worried, Bryan. He is just a kid and doesn’t have any money with him. Can you come over now? We can look for him together…”

Eileen realized what had happened; Milford had disappeared. She signaled Bryan with her eyes to take action.

“I’ll send Raymond to help you first,” Bryan said on the phone before hanging up. He noticed Eileen’s barely touched meal and said, “Continue eating. I’ll take you to the hospital before handling this.”

“No, I’ll ask the waiter to pack up the food. I can take a taxi to the hospital and eat there. You can hurry to look for Milford,” Eileen replied.

Eileen worried about Milford crossing paths with Arthur’s people; given their past, Milford would be in danger if that happened.

“The hospital is still far away, and your food will be cold if you don’t eat now. Finish your meal here. Raymond’s dealing with the matter now,” Bryan insisted. Then, he made a quick call to issue instructions to Raymond. He knew he could only console Zola after arriving and check the surveillance footage to look for Milford. He believed Raymond could manage these things. There was no need for him to go there now.

Eileen, seeing that Bryan wouldn’t budge, hurried through her meal in ten minutes. Bryan then drove her to the hospital and didn’t leave for Pianoforte Villas until he saw her safely inside the building.

Eileen arrived at the ward later than usual to find Bailee offering her dinner. “I’ll reheat the food for you, Eileen,” Bailee said.

“No, thank you. I’ve already eaten,” Eileen replied, realizing she had forgotten to tell Bailee about this earlier. “I’ll eat the food tomorrow morning. How’s Mom?”

“Dr. Potter told me the treatment is progressing well. It should be complete by Christmas,” Bailee responded with a hopeful smile, noting that Christmas was just a month away. This meant their hospital visits for years were finally nearing an end now.

Eileen removed her coat. As she noticed Ruby’s closed eyes in her sleep, she asked, “Why has she gone to bed so early tonight?”

Bailee responded, “Dr. Potter’s been helping her with her finger movements and speech exercises today. She’s probably exhausted, but her fingers have become more flexible.”

Bailee, while smiling, noticed the hickey on Eileen’s neck, visible despite Eileen’s attempts to conceal it beneath her silk scarf. The smile disappeared from Bailee’s face. She gently guided Eileen to sit on the couch.

“Eileen, have you seen Bryan recently?” she inquired.

“Yes, I have,” Eileen confirmed without hesitation. Reading the emotions in Bailee’s eyes, she confessed openly, “We are together now.”

Bailee’s eyes widened in surprise. “What? Really?” she exclaimed, her voice tinged with disbelief. Eileen remembered feeling similar disbelief when she had first heard Bryan’s heartfelt confession.

“Bryan confessed to me and is quite serious about our relationship,” Eileen added. While they hadn’t discussed their deeper feelings explicitly, Eileen understood Bryan’s affections through his every word and gesture. She vividly recalled how his touch had moved her deeply, his cold fingers softly pressing against her chest as he expressed his affection.

“It’s great to hear you’re together, although I worry about the complexities of the Dawson family. They might give you a hard time,” Bailee said, expressing her concern. Bailee knew Eileen loved Bryan. She had seen Eileen often lost in thought, gazing at the sky in a daze over the past year. Eileen had secretly kept a few photos of Bryan, snapshots from meetings, which she preserved even after changing her phone. This was a testament to Eileen’s deep feelings for Bryan.

“I’m not setting high expectations at the moment, and let’s keep this from Mom for now. She might get anxious since she’s unable to talk,” Eileen said. At present, Eileen knew the relationship between her and Bryan wasn’t stable enough. Stability would come with time. But before that, overthinking wouldn’t do them any good.

“Understood,” Bailee replied with a nod of comprehension. Just then, Eileen’s phone rang from an unknown number. Walking to stand by the door, Eileen answered the call and heard an unfamiliar voice. “Hello, is this Ms. Curtis?”

“Yes. Who is this?” Eileen asked.

“I’m a taxi driver. I have a young passenger here, a teenage boy at the hospital entrance who doesn’t have money to cover his fare. He asked me to call you,” the driver explained, glancing at Milford. Eileen dashed downstairs without bothering to put on her coat and instructed the taxi driver to wait for her before ending the call.

Exiting the building, she spotted Milford standing by the taxi. Dressed only in a short-sleeved T-shirt, Milford shivered in the chilly wind. Approaching the taxi, Eileen expressed her gratitude to the driver and settled the fare. She then guided Milford inside the warmer confines of the hospital’s inpatient building.

As they rode the elevator together, Eileen, holding Milford’s cold arm, asked, “What brought you here?” Milford, moving his arm away from Eileen’s grasp, replied as he leaned back against the wall, “I know you visit the hospital every Friday.”

As Eileen was about to call Bryan to tell him about Milford’s whereabouts, Milford quickly snatched the phone from her hands, his expression stern. “I don’t want to see them. You can’t tell them I’m here!” he declared firmly.

Eileen, looking at him, responded, “You vanished without any word. They’re concerned and searching for you everywhere, and it’s getting late.” Milford dismissed her words with a snort. “They’re searching on their own accord.” The tension in the elevator escalated as Milford’s anger became palpable, prompting Eileen to speak more gently. “It’s dangerous outside at night. They could end up in an accident while searching for you.”

Yet, Milford remained adamant. “You have two options. Either I leave now, or you keep them in the dark about my whereabouts,” he said.

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