Chapter 28: Chapter 28

Chapter 28:

Huey was ready to sit, but Eileen gently held him back.

“We’re just dropping by for a quick greeting. Don’t let us interrupt your dinner. We’ll leave now,” Eileen said.

Bryan’s response was even, betraying no sentiment.

“Not at all. It seems we’re the ones disturbing you two.”

Eileen couldn’t quite read Bryan; his expression was calm.

Huey caught on to Eileen’s unease. “Indeed. Eileen rarely takes a break from work, and it’s unusual for her to share a meal like this with me,” he said with a subtle glance toward Eileen. “As she’s under your wing at work, I trust she’s in good hands, Mr. Dawson. I appreciate it.”

Bryan’s eyes lingered on Eileen’s departing form, his gaze intense.

Without looking back, Eileen descended to retrieve her belongings, her pace steady. She was ready to settle the bill, but Huey was one step ahead, having already paid.

To her astonishment, Huey had also settled the bill for Bryan and his companions.

“There was no need for you to cover their meal,” Eileen said, her words tinged with disbelief. She couldn’t understand Huey’s intentions.

“It’s just good manners,” Huey said, downplaying the act, though internally, he was quite satisfied with the subtle power play. Paying the bill was a move that, in his mind, would unsettle Bryan and subtly redress any imbalance in their dynamics—a small victory for Eileen’s honor.

“Eileen, Apex is still not on my contact list,” Huey mentioned again, his tone reflecting a tinge of frustration. “Think you could set up a dinner with him for me?”

Eileen mulled over the unpredictable nature of the situation. It was probably best to keep Bryan’s identity as Apex a secret from Huey.

Read more stories now gⱯlnσν𝒆𝓁s․cøm “We’ll see about that, but his schedule is pretty packed,” she replied cautiously.

With the flowers now settled in her car, Eileen offered Huey a farewell wave and left.

Huey, a little deflated, headed back to his vehicle and scrolled through his phone. Suddenly, a spark of excitement flickered across his face; Apex had accepted his friend request—his ID was ‘VAX,’ just like his ID in the game.

Quickly, Huey tapped out a message.

“Hey, Apex, I’m Huey Baker, the founder of the game!”

Despite his eagerness, the screen remained silent, devoid of an immediate reply.

Eileen returned to the hospital that afternoon, keeping Ruby and Bailee company. Later, she dropped Bailee off at home, listening as Bailee shared stories about her work life.

Bailee’s resilience was silent yet strong, prompting Eileen to reflect on Judie’s early days at the company. Judie had always been complaining, entirely different from Bailee. Thanks to Eileen, Judie had secured her position at Apex Group and maintained it.

Eileen arrived home at seven. She flicked on the lights and set her bag down. Then, she noticed someone. There he was—Bryan, a silent silhouette against the soft glow of the room, engrossed in his laptop’s light. His presence, so unexpected, caused Eileen to pause.

“Mr. Dawson, have you had anything to eat?” Eileen eventually asked, breaking the stillness.

Bryan’s response was calm. “Not really. No appetite. The free lunch was more than enough. Still haven’t digested it.”

A chuckle nearly escaped Eileen. “I’ll whip up something light for you.”

Questions about his impromptu visit hung in the air, unasked, and Bryan didn’t say anything to explain his presence here. They also didn’t mention the discussion of marriage that had surfaced earlier.

Recovering from the initial surprise of Bryan’s presence, Eileen managed to find her stride in the kitchen. However, Bryan’s reaction to the meal caught her off guard.

“Noodles again?” Bryan said.

Bryan had been over a few times, and noodles were always on the menu.

“I only know how to cook noodles!” Eileen confessed with a touch of embarrassment.

Bryan offered a simple yet pointed suggestion. “Learn.”

Eileen just nodded, ready to begin their meal. Then, out of the blue, Bryan asked, “Have you two been intimate?”

The question hit Eileen unexpectedly, causing her to cough violently, tears springing to her eyes from the intensity of her reaction.

Bryan, unfazed by her emotional turbulence, passed her a tissue.

Eileen, catching her breath, wiped her mouth. “Is that something I should report to you, Mr. Dawson?” she asked.

Bryan said nothing, his dark eyes holding hers in a steady gaze.

Eileen lowered her gaze, searching for the right words. “At work, you’re my superior; outside of it, we should be on equal footing. I expect you not to leverage your position over me. I respect your private life with Vivian, and I trust you’ll afford me the same courtesy,” she said.

Bryan’s ability to keep personal and work issues separate had always been a gray area for Eileen, but she recognized that the blend of personal and professional was a common human struggle.

Bryan acknowledged her stance. “Impressive,” he remarked before casually sliding a document across the table to her.

Eileen read the document, and her face turned pale. The document represented a significant deal with another provincial company, the contract entrusted to Roderick for delivery. But Roderick had lost it. The contract’s value was immense, with a final payment contingent on its successful conclusion. Tens of millions were on the line.

“Roderick made claims about Judie being his spouse, which she refuted. She just said he’s your brother. It has created quite the puzzle, and it landed on my desk,” Bryan explained, his face stoic but not without a trace of empathy for Eileen’s distress.

Eileen’s throat felt tight, the weight of the financial stakes pressing on her. “Are we addressing this with our business or personal hats on?” Bryan inquired nonchalantly as he attended to his meal.

Eileen’s response was forthright. “Money isn’t something I can stretch in either realm.” Her gaze was steady, a silent call for him to provide some insight into his line of thinking.

“Alright, here’s what I suggest—approach the client in Lakedale, let the client re-sign the contract, and secure the final payment,” Bryan said, turning the matter back to her. He finished his meal and approached her, his stance strategically close. “Let’s set off early. I’ll go there to handle the cooperation while you deal with this. We need to return in three days.”

As Eileen looked up to reply, their proximity led to an unexpected collision, her nose brushing against his face. She was surprised he would go there with her.

Bryan raised an eyebrow and glanced at the table. “I’m off for a shower. Clean this up, then join me upstairs,” he said.

Eileen knew she couldn’t ignore Roderick’s financial mishap, yet her conscience urged her to do something about it. Her childhood memories surfaced, with a Roderick echoed her name in their shared past. He hadn’t reached great heights, but he was family, and that counted for something.

With the dishes taken care of, Eileen exited the kitchen. Bryan had already retreated to the sanctuary of the second floor. She quickly showered, washing away the day’s tension.

Fresh from the shower, wrapped in a towel with her hair still wet, Eileen was met by Bryan’s presence. His voice was close and deep. “You’re slow.”

Before Eileen could muster a word, he lifted her into his arms, navigating them both upstairs. In the wake of the swift transition, her hair cascaded down, leaving trails of moisture on the pillow.

The next morning saw Eileen hastily packing, her sleep scarce from the previous night’s unrest. Bryan guided her to the car, and she braced for a ride to the airport. To her bewilderment, their destination was the bus station.

Eileen stood by the car, her gaze locking with Bryan’s in sheer astonishment. “Really going by bus? It’s a ten-hour journey. The plane would have us there in just an hour,” she said.

Eileen didn’t understand the situation. Bryan was not known to travel such distances by bus; his preference had always leaned towards efficiency and speed.

“It was a last-minute decision; there wasn’t a chance to book a flight,” Bryan explained casually, dismissing the inconvenience as he claimed their bus tickets and boarded.

Inside the bus, Bryan was already settled, the luggage safely tucked away. He helped Eileen stow her bag above them and gestured for her to take the seat beside him.

Surrounded by the hum of the bus, Eileen wrestled with a sense of unease. Travels with Bryan were usually marked by the whir of a plane or the privacy of a car. It had never been like this.

Moments before the bus’s departure, passengers in vivid attire streamed in, scanning for empty seats. Among them, Eileen caught the familiar figure of Huey, donning a hat and the same coat he had worn last time.

As Huey navigated the aisle, his attention was unexpectedly drawn to Eileen, and his confusion deepened at the sight of Bryan next to her.

“BOSS, your seat is over here!” a voice from Huey’s group called, snapping him back to the moment.

Finding his seat, Huey sat down, his mind obviously churning. There was only an aisle separating him from Bryan.

“Eileen, what’s the occasion for this trip?” he inquired.

“Dealing with matters in Lakédale,” Eileen replied, offering the simplest truth.

Skepticism etched across Huey’s features, mirroring his earlier surprise. “Taking a bus to Lakédale? Why not take the plane?” he asked.

The question was aimed as much at Bryan as at her. Eileen shot Bryan a look, her voice tinged with annoyance. “Didn’t have the time to get flight tickets.”

Huey was unconvinced, knowing well Bryan’s means. A bus seemed like an implausible choice for a man who could just as easily charter a jet.

Amidst Huey’s contemplation, Bryan’s attention shifted toward him, an inscrutable expression on his face. “It seems fate has its designs, bringing you and Eileen together here. Would you prefer to switch seats?” he said.

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