Chapter 241: Chapter 241

Chapter 241:

“Although the banquet was hosted by Mr. Dawson and my husband, we’re considered the hosts as well. Since you’re facing a problem, Miss Ferguson, it is up to us to assist you in solving it.” Ryann brought Eileen in front of Benita and Bryan, forcing the responsibility of resolving the issue upon Eileen. Eileen was speechless.

Bryan caught Eileen by the waist, drawing her close. A subtle scent of tobacco and alcohol surrounded Eileen. Just as Bryan was about to speak, Benita quickly said, “Fine, as long as someone resolves it for me. Just so it is clear, the item I lost is extremely valuable—worth tens of millions. It is an ancestral piece of jewelry from the Ferguson family. The matter should be taken seriously.” Benita then found a chair and sat down, eager to see how Eileen would handle the situation.

This was a complex issue. Giving the guests a frisk would upset them. Without it, how could Eileen find Benita’s missing item? Ryann now realized her actions had placed Eileen in a difficult situation. If Bryan were the one responsible for this, it might have been easier, as the guests wouldn’t care to be angry with him. But Eileen was different.

The crowd’s scrutinizing eyes were on Eileen, and seeing this, Benita crossed her arms and chuckled. “Miss Curtis, everyone’s time is valuable. Please be quick,” Benita urged.

Eileen lifted her gaze, her eyes clear and untainted, but the crowd’s scrutiny was hostile. After a moment, she turned to Benita and said, “Miss Ferguson, this is a challenging case. If you think about who you were in close with at the party, do you suspect anyone in particular? It would help narrow down the search.” Eileen cleverly redirected the challenging problem to Benita. Surely during the party, Benita had interacted more with someone in particular.

Benita stood up, swaying her body as she approached Eileen, her lips parting slightly to say, “You.”

Benita and Eileen stood face-to-face with each other. One was irresistibly seductive, and the other was graceful, radiating an air of intellect and elegance. Eileen’s brow furrowed slightly. “Me? Since I have been here, I have only encountered you twice.” Once when she had been next to Bryan, and the other when she had bumped into Benita near the lounge on the second floor.

Suddenly, something struck Eileen.

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Benita chuckled as she tossed her handbag onto the table and explained, “You bumped into me upstairs, knocking over my bag, and you were the one who helped me pick everything up. My family’s ancestral jade ring was in that bag, and now, it’s missing.”

Eileen was not naive enough to believe this was merely unfounded slander from Benita. She remembered the recent bump with Megan. Megan had also helped pick up her bag.

If Eileen had guessed it right, the jade ring was now in her bag. If she was found with the ring in her bag today, not only would Bryan be embarrassed, Eileen’s career as a tutor would also be over. After all, who would hire a thief to tutor their children?

Ryann appeared to have realized this too. She abruptly turned to whisper to Denzel, telling him the entire story.

Bryan overheard their conversation. He turned to look at Benita coldly and said, “Miss Ferguson, you should know when to stop.”

“What’s the problem?” Benita retorted. “You didn’t stop me before, but now that it involves Miss Curtis, you step in to intervene? Even if you want to protect her, you need to be more…”

This direct accusation made the situation clear, yet everyone present chose to remain bystanders, unwilling to stir up trouble.

“Miss Ferguson, your claims are without merit. Why would Curtis take your ring? Do you think she lacks money?” Ryann said.

Would someone in a relationship with Bryan need money? The crowd whispered among themselves. Although some women viewed Eileen unfavorably, they couldn’t deny Ryann’s rational point.

“Everyone, you might not know Eileen’s background.” Megan stepped forward from the crowd, raising her voice. “Her family isn’t wealthy; her mother is severely ill, and she has faced tough times since childhood. For someone like her, valuable items are irresistibly tempting.”

Benita’s contemptuous gaze swept over Eileen. She said, “By that reasoning, even if Ms. Curtis didn’t touch my bag, I should suspect her first.”

“So many people are waiting; let’s not delay any longer. Let’s bring your bag over and let us see what’s inside. Then, we’ll all learn the truth!” Megan was keen to see Eileen’s reputation ruined.

As Eileen remained motionless, Megan dashed over and grabbed her bag. Before anyone could react, she emptied the bag of everything inside.

Various cosmetics tumbled to the floor, some rolling among the crowd and causing a commotion. All eyes were fixed on the items scattered from the bag, yet the jade ring Benita had mentioned was nowhere to be seen.

Benita glanced at Megan, whose complexion went pale. Megan muttered to herself, “This can’t be happening!” She was certain she had placed the item in her bag.

Eileen narrowed her eyes. She quickly understood the situation and realized what had happened. She gently removed Bryan’s hand from around her waist and approached Megan, delivering a fierce slap. “I’m the host. Who gave you the right to cause trouble here?”

Megan was in shock, stumbling into the bystanders and falling to the floor.

Eileen then turned her cold gaze to Benita. “Miss Ferguson, earlier you were convinced I was your closest contact. Now that we’ve seen what’s inside my bag, what’s your next move? Who do you want to search now? Don’t worry; as the host of this party, I will accommodate your requests.”

Benita hesitated to search anyone else. Perhaps the jade ring was concealed by Eileen, or perhaps something had gone wrong. Benita knew she couldn’t justify further searches without evidence, not wanting to risk offending the other guests.

“Forget it. What’s lost is lost. It’s not worth making such a scene. I just hope Mr. Dawson will ask the hotel staff to keep an eye out in case it is found,” she said.

Bryan’s eyes were icy as he glanced at Megan, still on the floor. He said, “If you lost something, it’s your responsibility. We’re all adults here. Don’t create problems for yourself. If this happens again…”

His warning was evident, and Benita’s face reddened with a mix of anger and humiliation.

Benita shot a fierce glare at Megan, who was equally bewildered by the turn of events.

Bryan directed the staff to escort the guests out and then led Eileen and the others to the underground parking lot.

Ryan was talking with Denzel. “I don’t think Benita and Megan are good people, but I can’t wrap my head around the drama they pulled off. Was it all just to humiliate Ms. Curtis?”

Eileen, with a hint of a smile, pulled Bryan’s arm and looked back at Ryan. “The answer is in your bag.”

Ryan glanced at her own handbag, confused. “What’s in my bag?”

Eileen understood now! Denzel nodded eagerly as he searched through Ryan’s bag, finally pulling out the jade ring. The underground parking lot was dimly lit, just enough light to make the ring shine bright crystal-clear green.

Bryan glanced at it and recognized its great quality swiftly. “How did this get into my bag?” Ryan exclaimed, nearly jumping with surprise.

“Megan tried to slip something into my bag when she bumped into me but ended up knocking over yours by mistake. It seems she put the ring into the wrong bag,” Eileen explained. Eileen felt a surge of relief. If not for Megan’s mistake, she would have been in serious trouble today.

Who would have guessed that this whole dramatic event was a chain of setups?

Eileen turned and embraced Bryan tightly. “I nearly caused you embarrassment and lost my job.”

“That Benita is so malicious! She will definitely develop another plan since this one failed! How do we protect ourselves from someone so sneaky?” Ryan expressed her disgust for Benita’s underhanded tactics.

Bryan frowned slightly as he was lost in thought for a second. Then, he slipped off his suit jacket and wrapped it around Eileen, kissing her forehead gently.

He turned to look at Denzel. “Since the ring was found in your wife’s bag, Denzel, you should handle it. Just a heads-up: selling items with family marks privately isn’t wise due to potential consequences, but you could consider an anonymous sale at a high-end auction. The rules there will keep your identity confidential.”

Denzel seemed uneasy. “It doesn’t feel right to just sell it off.”

“What’s the issue?” Ryan pocketed the ring back into her bag. “Mr. Dawson, could you introduce us to the owner of the auction house in Onaland? After the ring is sold, I’ll treat you and Eileen to a luxurious dinner and get a special wedding gift for you when you two get married!”

Holding onto the item seemed pointless, and returning it to Benita was not something Ryan could do. Ryan believed selling it was the best idea. “Sure,” Bryan responded, waving goodbye to Denzel before turning to leave with Eileen.

Raymond had been waiting in the car and promptly opened the door as they neared. The light inside the car was dimmer. Eileen leaned into Bryan’s embrace, resting her head against his chest.

Her long hair fell softly over her cheeks, and Bryan gently tucked it behind her ear with his cool fingers, his gaze deep.

The business cocktail party meant for Bryan to discuss work had ended without success. The media extensively covered Bryan’s relationship with Eileen, publishing numerous articles that praised Eileen’s virtues and overly emphasized Bryan’s thoughtfulness towards her. Photographs of Bryan and Eileen together were captured from the most favorable angles.

Previously unseen displays of Bryan’s affection moved Eileen into the spotlight, quickly branding her as the happiest woman. Eileen browsed through the news, her brow knitted in concern, finding it hard to focus on her breakfast. “The media is trying to make everyone jealous of me?” she remarked.

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