Chapter 281: Chapter 281

Chapter 281:

Eileen rolled over and snuggled into Bryan’s arms, breathing in his familiar scent. At that, Bryan realized it wasn’t that he was always desiring more; it was that she was addictive. He tenderly brushed her hair back from her face, accidentally waking her in the process.

Half-awake, Eileen began to slip off her nightgown.

“Are you done with your work? Let’s get started,” she said, her intention being merely to get things done quickly so they could sleep early, nothing more.

Bryan took her hand gently to stop her and planted a kiss on her cheek.

“I’ll let you rest tonight. You can just sleep,” he said.

“To sleep?” Eileen replied, her voice a bit hoarse.

“Alright,” Bryan responded, drawing near and resting against her soft form.

While Eileen quickly slipped back into sleep, Bryan stayed awake, his desire keeping him restless.

A message from Stella vibrated Eileen’s phone, which was on her pillow.

“Don’t mention the matter for now. Let’s keep this between us until the moment is right.”

The phone’s screen lit up, showing the start of the message. Bryan’s brow furrowed as he caught a glimpse of the message before the screen faded to black. He pressed his lips together, kissed Eileen’s forehead, and at last drifted off to sleep.

Stella had sent the text feeling anxious. Having known Zola and Bryan since they were children, she found Zola likable. She was somewhat fond of Zola, but she didn’t completely trust her. She feared her message might startle Eileen and make her confess to Bryan at the wrong time, causing a divide between her and Bryan. So, she retracted the message within two minutes.

As night fell, the villa was enveloped in darkness, the cold winds of early winter swirling fallen leaves around. Early the next morning, the servants at Dawson Mansion began cleaning up the yard. When Eileen woke up, she noticed Stella’s withdrawn message and dismissed it, thinking that Stella might only have made a mistake.

Lɑτєѕτ cнαρτєrs 𝑖n g𝓪l𝗇ovєl𝑠.𝓬o𝓶 Shortly afterward, she got a call from Roderick, who told her that Bagot’s men had come to Onaland. Bagot wanted to propose a deal to Roderick at a small park near the hotel. Eileen planned to have Bryan drop her off at Apex Group so that she could drive to the park herself.

But when Bryan heard about the meeting, he insisted on driving Eileen there himself. The park was secluded and quiet, making Bryan’s luxurious Land Rover quite noticeable. The park featured a path of red bricks, with benches every two meters.

Eileen saw Roderick and Denise seated on one of the benches. Denise was scolding loudly, “You’re too stubborn! Can’t you see she would easily give you the money if you asked?”

Denise was increasingly anxious since Bagot and his people were coming. How could a loan shark be reasonable? What if he refused to let them repay the debt gradually and turned to violence? Denise grumbled continuously. Roderick, frustrated, ignored her and kept his hands in his pockets.

Denise looked at his clothes, frowned, and said, “This is an expensive coat, isn’t it? She’s bought you several expensive outfits like this! It shows she really cares about you! You—”

“What’s the issue?” Eileen walked over with her hand in her coat. She looked at Denise sternly and said, “If he owes me money, I’ll settle it. I would pay a million dollars for him, let alone half a million. But the debt is his, and I won’t pay a single cent for you. Understood?”

Eileen couldn’t stand Denise’s shamelessness, so she didn’t hold back.

Denise opened her mouth to speak, but upon noticing Bryan nearby, she remained silent.

Seeing that Judie wasn’t present, Eileen figured Judie was awaiting the results of their negotiation with Bagot. She believed Judie was curious to learn if Eileen would indeed refuse to cover Denise’s debt.

From a distance, Bagot approached, flanked by several tall, muscular men. When Denise spotted the group, she turned around and cried to take cover behind Eileen and Bryan. She knew Roderick wasn’t capable of confronting these men alone. But upon encountering Bryan’s stern gaze, she quickly walked behind Roderick.

That day, after Bryan and Eileen had taken Roderick away, Bagot had conducted a thorough investigation into Bryan. Realizing that Bryan was not a man to offend, Bagot made sure to keep a respectful demeanor. He first greeted Bryan, then broached the subject of Roderick settling the debt.

“I’m willing to work hard. After my annual expenses, I can save up to a hundred thousand dollars for you a year. I’m confident I can clear the half million within five years,” Roderick had thought this through carefully.

Bagot first checked Eileen’s and Bryan’s expressions, relieved to see they didn’t seem inclined to intervene. “Do you realize this is usury? Did you ever calculate the interest on five hundred thousand over five years?” Bagot said.

The amount of money would only continue to grow larger. Roderick furrowed his brow, and after a brief pause, responded, “It’s illegal. Taking this to court won’t end well for you. I can’t enforce it in South Town, but you don’t have any power here, either. You wouldn’t risk causing trouble here, right? Here’s my offer: I’ll pay you five hundred thousand dollars in five years and no more than that.”

He had spent the entire previous night researching online, and despite his lack of education, he seemed to have gained a reasonable understanding of the matter. “What if you fail to pay within five years?” Bagot showed his displeasure upon hearing Roderick’s proposition. “If he fails to pay within five years, you may take any necessary action against the debtor.”

Eileen stepped forward, ignoring Denise’s hostile look, and added, “Moreover, the five hundred thousand will be paid as a single payment after five years.”

Caught off guard, Bagot exclaimed, “No way!” He said no interest for five years, and now, you’re telling me he’ll only pay the money after five years? Keep dreaming!”

“Roderick will have to do hard labor to repay this debt. Although he’s young, it’s not healthy to wear himself out. We often hear about young people suddenly passing away these days. If something were to happen to him, you definitely won’t receive your five hundred thousand dollars,” Eileen explained calmly. “He once ran a small but profitable restaurant. If he restarts that business, he could be able to do it in just one year. Based on his previous experience, it could even be two or three years before he could pay off the debt. You should consider this carefully.”

What she said made sense, but it was a gamble for Bagot. If he made the right move, he could receive the five hundred thousand dollars in just about three years. However, if he made a mistake and the restaurant didn’t succeed, he might end up with nothing.

Feeling uneasy, Bagot turned and lit a cigarette, clearly in a dilemma. Standing nearby, Bryan was momentarily tempted to smoke as he watched. He had quit smoking for a while to help improve the chances of Eileen getting pregnant, but he still keenly felt the pull of the nicotine. He narrowed his eyes slightly, his face expressionless.

Bagot watched Bryan, feeling that Bryan’s gaze was absolutely a threat. He believed that Bryan, with his wealth and influence, was now engaging in this discussion to show him he was giving him a chance. Under different circumstances, he might have been sent to the police by now.

Thinking this over, Bagot still felt somewhat reluctant and questioned, “What if he doesn’t manage to pay it off in five years? I still need some assurance.”

“Let’s sign an agreement. If he can’t fulfill the repayment in five years, Denise is yours to deal with,” Eileen said indifferently.

At this, Denise nearly lunged at Eileen in anger. However, standing by her side, Bryan’s imposing presence deterred Denise from getting any closer. Denise was the one who ended up signing the agreement with Bagot. She committed that if Roderick failed to pay off the five hundred thousand dollars within five years, she would be at Bagot’s disposal.

After signing, Denise looked distressed. She finally resigned herself to the fact that Eileen wouldn’t settle her debt.

“Eileen, I’m going to pack up my things. I’ll head back to South Town by train. I will definitely be back for your wedding.” Roderick now fully grasped what Eileen had meant by helping him negotiate with Bagot. He understood the grueling nature of five years spent in hard labor in the darkness.

He had been optimistic about the future, though the thought of five years had him slightly uneasy. Now, he was facing just one more year of hard labor. He felt confident!

“Go ahead,” Eileen pulled out a card from her pocket and said, “This is the twenty thousand dollars you gave me when you left Onaland. It’s time for you to use it. Take this and start over.”

When Eileen had left Onaland, the money Roderick had given her was just over ten thousand dollars. She couldn’t recall the exact amount, but she knew that Roderick had given her all he could. She didn’t want to linger on the details; her goal was simply to ensure Roderick had enough money to get by for now.

Roderick was about to point out that the sum wasn’t actually twenty thousand dollars, but seeing Denise’s gaze, he quickly said, “Okay.” He knew that if Denise found out that Eileen had given him money, she might get other ideas.

Then Roderick and Denise returned to their hotel to pack. Roderick also sent a message to Judie, detailing everything about the negotiation.

After reading the message, Judie set her phone aside and looked at Zola, who had come to her unexpectedly. Judie said, “Last time, you gave us the VIP card for the hotel at the entrance of Apex Group. Who are you, exactly? What are you trying to do?”

Judie had already formed an impression of Zola. This was bad for Zola. Originally, Zola hadn’t intended to come personally. She had planned to enlist Benita’s help, but after Benita’s last interest in Kian, her stance shifted. Benita had flatly refused to even see her.

“It doesn’t matter who I am. I want to find out something about Eileen. If the information I provide is shocking enough, I’ll give you five hundred thousand dollars,” Zola said.

Upon hearing this, Judie was intrigued. But her instincts warned her that the woman before her was dangerous. Revealing anything might put Eileen at risk.

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