Chapter 211: Chapter 211

Chapter 211:

Eileen took a seat between Zola and Phoebe, while Bryan ended up at the opposite end of the table. The atmosphere in the private room was strange; it wasn’t exactly awkward, nor was it filled with obvious tension. Jacob attempted to lighten the mood, and the others contributed with occasional chatter, creating a seemingly lively atmosphere. Yet, Vivian’s and Megan’s eyes were laced with subtle hostility. Kian remained calm, contributing sparingly to Jacob’s efforts at conversation, as if their previous heated meeting had never happened.

“Miss Murray, I need to discuss something about Milford with you,” Eileen said to Zola.

Zola was about to take a sip of her drink when she paused, setting it down. “Of course, it’s unusual for you to bring up Milford.”

In the dimly lit private room, a light shone directly above Eileen, casting a circle of illumination around her. She leaned closer to Zola, asking, “Has Milford come back yet?”

Zola shook her head and replied, “No, despite several attempts, I haven’t been able to reach him.”

“He’s stubborn but clever. He might be a bit rebellious at times, but he has a good heart. I think he needs more understanding and patience from you, Miss Murray. He’ll definitely meet your expectations in the future,” Eileen said, her worry evident as she thought about how long Milford had been away from home.

Not far away, Bryan was talking with Jacob, occasionally casting glances toward Eileen. He believed he understood what Eileen and Zola were discussing.

Seated casually on the sofa with his legs crossed, Bryan was leisurely smoking a cigarette when he heard Kian suddenly suggest, “How about a game of pool? It’s been a while since I last played.”

Jacob stood up, eagerly pulling Bryan with him. “Let’s go. I’ve been looking forward to a good game since you arrived in Wist Land…”

Stay tuned for more g𝓪lnoνe𝓵s.cöm Bryan couldn’t decline Jacob’s enthusiastic invitation. He shot Eileen a meaningful look before following Jacob.

As Eileen’s attention shifted away from Bryan, she noticed Megan and Vivian exchanging smirks.

Eileen chose to ignore it and continued her conversation with Zola. “Of course, you’re Milford’s older sister. It’s your call whether he should continue his tutoring sessions. I just think you should find him soon; it’s not safe for him out there.”

“You’re right, but he might be holding a grudge against me. We didn’t grow up together, so we aren’t very close. Maybe… you could help me with this,” Zola said, her tone resigned as she gently patted Eileen’s hand. “I don’t know where he is, and even if I did find him, he might not want to come back with me.”

Eileen was taken aback by Zola’s words. After a pause, she asked, “How can I assist you?”

“Just help me find him or contact him. If you do reach him, maybe you can convince him to return. I promise I’ll stay out of his way from now on,” Zola said firmly.

Eileen hesitated for a moment before giving a noncommittal reply. “I’ll do what I can,” she said.

Following the incident with Milford, Eileen’s view of Zola had noticeably changed. Was it because they hadn’t grown up together that Zola and Milford lacked a real sibling bond? Eileen had no family ties to Milford and had known him for only a few months, yet she was concerned about him being missing for several days. Zola, on the other hand, seemed unconcerned at all.

Eileen had sent texts to Milford but received no replies. She had tried calling as well, but she had been unable to reach him. She knew she would need to make time to look for him.

As Eileen was lost in thought, Phoebe nudged her arm. “Let’s head to the restroom.”

Snapping back to reality, Eileen realized that Zola had already gone to the restroom inside the private room. Eileen decided to accompany Phoebe to the restroom outside.

The hallway was quiet, and Eileen’s and Phoebe’s flat shoes made no noise on the carpeted floor.

“Jacob said he’s coming to your place tomorrow night for dinner,” Phoebe said, linking arms with Eileen.

Eileen nodded. “Okay, just let me know what he wants to eat ahead of time, and I’ll prepare the meal.”

“What will you prepare? You’re not exactly a chef, and Bryan only cooks for you. Isn’t it just going to end up with you asking Raymond to order food from the restaurant and bring it over?” Phoebe said bluntly.

Eileen laughed in response. Soon, they reached the restroom. Eileen let go of Phoebe’s arm and said, “You go in; I’ll wait for you outside.”

The early summer evenings in Wist Land were somewhat warm, and the breeze through the window did little to cool the air. Eileen turned on the faucet and rinsed her hands under the cool stream, feeling a bit refreshed.

As she looked up, she suddenly saw a figure rushing toward her so swiftly that she couldn’t even tell if it was a person. Instinctively, she dodged, and the figure crashed into the sink. Water splashed up, soaking Vivian’s clothes, which clung to her body.

Unfazed, Vivian regained her footing and charged at Eileen again. Reacting quickly, Eileen caught her wrists.

At that moment, Megan appeared, exclaiming, “Vivian, go for her face! You don’t need to hold back. Hit her!” Fueled by Megan’s encouragement, Vivian became even more aggressive, her eyes wild with anger. “Eileen, you dared to come here today, huh? You think Bryan can protect you? I’d like to see how he’s going to protect you now!”

Vivian’s menacing tone echoed in the air, sending shivers down Eileen’s spine. Could Vivian really just be suffering from depression? She appeared more like a lunatic now.

Eileen said, “I don’t need his protection, Vivian. But I’m warning you, if you try anything today, you’ll regret it.”

Their standoff continued, the coldness in Eileen’s gaze momentarily holding Vivian back.

“Vivian, don’t listen to her! She wouldn’t dare to hurt you. She’ll end up in prison if she harms you!” Megan’s encouragement seemed to fuel Vivian’s rage, her hostility on the verge of exploding.

However, Eileen struck first, landing a knee in Vivian’s stomach, causing her to groan and double over. Before Vivian could regain her bearings, Eileen slapped her twice across the face, driving her into the corner, where she crouched in shock, covering her face.

Megan’s eyes widened in disbelief as she watched Eileen. Then she shouted, “Vivian, she hit you first! Now, if you hit back and hurt her, it’s self-defense!”

Vivian’s expression darkened as her gaze fell on Eileen. Suddenly, she pulled out a fruit knife. The blade glinted under the lights as Vivian swung the knife wildly at Eileen.

Eileen wasn’t trained in combat; she had only managed to fight off Vivian when she was unarmed. Now, with Vivian armed and lashing out recklessly, Eileen quickly found herself on the defensive, sustaining a cut on the back of her hand. Grimacing from the pain, she grabbed Vivian’s wrist and jammed the knife into a wall-mounted paper roll dispenser. The knife got stuck, forcing Vivian to release her grip, and Eileen seized the moment to kick Vivian’s leg.

“Ah!” Vivian screamed, collapsing to the floor and trembling all over.

The whole altercation had happened in the blink of an eye. It took Megan a moment to snap out of her shock before she screamed and tried to run away. Eileen quickly caught Megan by the hair, pulling her back, and then kicked her, sending Megan tumbling to the floor.

As Megan moved closer to Vivian, she gasped at the sight of Vivian’s reddened face. “We’re calling the police! How dare you hit Vivian! You’re in big trouble now!”

“Just hitting you two was being lenient.” Phoebe stepped out of the restroom, casting a disdainful look at Megan. “Think about the despicable things you’ve done. No one with a shred of conscience could do those things!”

She then moved closer to Eileen and whispered, “Why did you start a fight?” There were cameras around, and Kian wouldn’t let this go easily. If the police got involved, Eileen would end up at a disadvantage.

“I just couldn’t hold back any longer,” Eileen said. Those two slaps had released much of the pent-up frustration she had been carrying. Given Vivian’s aggressive behavior, two slaps were not excessive in Eileen’s eyes.

“Vivian!” Kian’s voice, laced with shock and worry, echoed as he approached the scene. Seeing Vivian trembling in the corner, his face darkened. He swiftly turned and attempted to slap Eileen.

But Bryan intervened, firmly grasping Kian’s wrist, the veins on his hand standing out. “She had the audacity to hit Vivian!” Kian exclaimed in anger. He struggled to free his hand, but Bryan’s grip was unyielding.

Bryan’s expression was cold as he stood before Eileen to shield her. “You’re well aware of the antics Vivian has pulled under the guise of her mental illness. Don’t pretend she’s the victim.” He released Kian’s wrist, turned, and adjusted Eileen’s slightly ruffled clothes. His eyes scanned Eileen’s delicate face before he frowned slightly, seemingly puzzled—was this Eileen’s plan? Just beat up Vivian to vent her anger? Had she not considered the possible consequences?

“Alright, then I’m calling the police.” Kian didn’t hesitate to call the police, and within minutes, they arrived.

Megan exaggerated the incident to the officers, saying, “Vivian is sick; she might have mistaken Eileen for someone else and acted out. Despite knowing her condition, Eileen attacked her. Without me, Eileen might have killed Vivian!”

One of the police officers took notes while glancing at Eileen. He had dealt with this group of people multiple times recently and recognized them. So he documented Megan’s account but remained doubtful that it was true.

“Miss Curtis, would you like to explain your side?” the officer asked, reminding her, “Remember, it’s illegal to assault someone with a mental illness.”

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