Chapter 336: Chapter 336

Chapter 336:

Eileen cleared her throat to make her voice sound steady.

“Postpone the meeting for half an hour.”

Dalares nodded quickly and turned to head out.

In the hallway, she ran into Benjamin, who was on his way to meet Eileen. She gestured towards the VIP lounge. “Mr. Nash, Curtis postponed the meeting by thirty minutes. She’s still inside.”

“Alright, you can go on with your tasks,” Benjamin replied, holding a document as he made his way towards the VIP lounge. When he entered, Eileen had composed herself.

He placed the document on the table and settled into the chair recently vacated by Stella.

He said, “Seeing us dining with Mr. Dawson on the news, I figured Stella would do something.”

Eileen leaned back in her chair and looked at him. “It’s easy for you to say that in hindsight.”

“I didn’t mention it before because of your relationship with Mr. Dawson. I didn’t want it to seem like I was meddling,” Benjamin explained, pausing briefly. “The Apex Group is still struggling. Brandon is chasing investments everywhere, and Zola is almost forced to sleep with investors for that.”

The topic had shifted to something Eileen wasn’t interested in. She said casually, “The capable ones won’t touch the Dawson family drama, and the rest won’t matter. If Zola is really doing that, she’ll burn out before she raises enough money.”

It was clear they needed to find numerous small investors, and that would be hard for them.

gαℓησν𝒆𝓁s․çоm, where stories thrive Benjamin chuckled softly at her blunt comment. “Stella’s visit didn’t seem to shake you much,” he said.

“I’m not letting it affect my work. If anything, it pushes me to work harder. Let’s get going,” Eileen said, rising to her feet. She made a quick stop at her office to gather the necessary materials before rounding up the executives for the meeting.

Among them were Kaysen’s people, who strongly opposed the idea of acquiring Warren Group.

“Putting all of Ferguson Group’s recent profits into acquiring Warren Group now? What if it goes south? Who will take responsibility?”

“Exactly. Considering our company’s recent struggles, it might be wise to play it safe,”

Several people voiced their concerns, causing many to waver.

Eileen slammed the document onto the table and stood up. She scanned the room with a determined gaze. “Do I need to remind you how quickly fortunes can change in this business? Name a successful company that didn’t take bold steps. Success requires taking risks. If we execute this properly, the odds will be in our favor.”

“Oh, so that confident, Ms. Curtis?” one person scoffed. “Then you’ll take full responsibility if this doesn’t pan out.”

“Fine,” Eileen replied, her voice laced with determination. “Then you don’t have to participate in the acquisition. If we win, you’ll have to watch us enjoy the profits. If we lose, I’ll take full responsibility.”

Her words hung heavy in the room, momentarily silencing everyone.

Benjamin was visibly surprised. Eileen wasn’t risking Ferguson Group’s future; she was putting her own on the line.

The next morning, at the shareholders’ meeting, amidst strong objections to acquiring Warren Group, Eileen said the same thing:

Shareholders challenged her. “Fine, if Warren Group tanks, you should resign and cover Ferguson Group’s losses!”

“Agreed. But if Warren Group turns a profit, ownership of the company will shift to me, and you will not receive the profits in the future,” Eileen seized the opportunity to make her demand.

There was a pause before a shareholder responded, “No way.”

“No?” Eileen scoffed. “Business isn’t about playing it safe. It’s impossible to win the rewards without taking the risk. If we fail, it’s on me; if we succeed, we share the benefits. That’s absurd.”

She slammed the document onto the table. “Two choices: join me in this venture and share the ups and downs, or I take the risks and reap the rewards alone.”

After a moment of hesitation, the shareholders reluctantly agreed to let Eileen proceed. They believed they would think of a solution when Eileen tried to take over Warren Group in the future.

After the meeting, Benjamin hurried to catch up with Eileen, his expression showing concern.

“Talking rough to the executives is one thing, but airing it to the shareholders? That’s a whole different thing. And isn’t resigning too risky?”

“What else can I do?” Eileen replied while walking. “How else can Julio give us Warren Group?”

She had said those words to the shareholders deliberately.

By making this agreement today, the transfer of Warren Group to her and Benjamin later would be justified.

“I think you’re rushing to take over Warren Group just to help Benjamin,” he said, exposing her true intentions.

Eileen stopped suddenly, surprise flickering across her face. She hadn’t thought of that. Her main focus had been on gaining strength quickly.

But she couldn’t decide if it was to protect Gabriela or if it was because she feared Bryan might be pressured by Stella into marrying someone else soon.

Eileen clenched her lips together in silence.

“But by then, it might be too late,” Benjamin said. “Even with your skills, Warren Group won’t turn profitable for at least two to three years.”

That would indeed be too late to assist Bryan.

“I just want the acquisition of Warren Group to succeed. I haven’t thought much beyond that,” Eileen replied, handing the document to Benjamin. “Here, take this. I’m heading home.”

Today, despite it being the weekend, Eileen had had to wake up early for the shareholders’ meeting.

Josue’s flight had landed, and he would be going to her place soon. She was worried he might scare Gabriela after their month apart.

She was also concerned about Bailee and Milford competing for Gabriela’s attention, which could lead to problems.

On her way home, she thought about different possibilities, but running into Bryan on her doorstep wasn’t one she had expected.

Josue had just stepped out of his car, luggage in hand, warmly inviting Bryan inside.

Eileen jumped out of her car and hurried over to stop Bryan.

Bryan’s eyes darkened when he saw her.

“Eileen,” his voice echoed down the stairs as he hurriedly descended a few steps. “What’s going on?”

“Bryan gave me a ride from the airport this morning. I just wanted to invite him in for coffee,” Eileen explained.

“You can invite him to your place. Why here?” Eileen turned and stared at Josue.

Josue had never seen Eileen like this before. He knew Bryan and Eileen were acquainted, but this was his first time seeing them together face-to-face.

Why was there some tension between them? He didn’t dare invite Bryan inside anymore.

Bryan asked Josue, “Isn’t this your place?”

He only knew Eileen and Josue lived in the same villa complex, but he hadn’t expected them to be so close.

Had Josue headed straight to Eileen’s place upon returning?

Thinking of this, Bryan frowned.

All three of them were puzzled now.

Eileen suddenly realized Bryan and Josue were acquainted.

But there was no time for her to dwell on this now. “Go inside,” she told Josue. “I need to talk to Bryan.”

Josue hurried away.

Eileen took hold of Bryan’s hand and led him back towards the car, intending to ask questions, but he beat her to it.

“Why didn’t you pick up my calls or respond to my messages?” he asked.

“I’ve been busy,” Eileen replied curtly. “Do you know Josue?”

“How else do you think ZJ would invest in Ferguson Group’s branch?” Bryan leaned casually against the car, one hand in his pocket. “Did Stella visit you?”

Eileen couldn’t focus on his question.

She was too stunned.

So, ZJ belonged to both Josue and Bryan?

If they were close, and Josue had acknowledged Gabriela as his goddaughter, why hadn’t Josue told Bryan that Gabriela was her daughter?

Confusion and apprehension buzzed in Eileen’s mind.

She couldn’t help but ask, “Did Josue never mention anything about me to you?”

“Mention what?” Bryan’s tone was harsh. “He knows you’re mine. What could he possibly tell me about you?”

Eileen was at a loss for words.

She believed Bryan truly didn’t know she had a daughter. She asked, “So, is this your backup plan? You used ZJ to invest in Warren Group, didn’t you? And now, you’re offloading Warren Group’s shares to form EB Group?”

Bryan was still leaning against the car, but his demeanor was no longer calm.

“You’ve managed to figure out a lot about me, but all I got from you was one vague answer!” he said in frustration.

“I pieced it all together myself. If you’re so sharp, figure out why I didn’t reply,” Eileen replied, her voice tinged with worry about him discovering Gabriela.

Bryan’s expression darkened. “Stella warned you to keep your distance from me to avoid trouble, so you decided to ignore my calls and messages?”

“See, you’ve figured it out on your own,” Eileen replied, feeling a pang of bitterness in her heart. She paused, then added, “Forget it. Go home. We’ll talk about this some other time.”

“Some other time?” Bryan scoffed. “Ignoring me today means you’ll never talk to me.”

Their argument was laced with a connection neither could deny.

“I’ve told you before, this can’t continue. I’ll bring problems to you,” Eileen said with a hint of accusation. He had pursued her, but now, Stella blamed her.

Bryan heard the frustration in her voice, but he felt aggrieved as well.

“I can’t just walk away! How can I stay away from you? When have I ever been afraid of the Ferguson family? Even if I Couldn’t leave you to face them alone.”

Eileen shot back without thinking. “Benjamin and Julio—”

Before she could finish, Bryan interjected sharply, “Say that again?”

She belonged to him; he didn’t want anyone else by her side but himself.

Feeling angry, Bryan grabbed Eileen’s waist and pulled her into his arms, his jaw clenched. “Eileen, you’re heartless. I get your concerns, but I’ve never backed down from you. If the Ferguson family comes after you and harms you, I’ll be heartbroken, you know?”

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