Chapter 818:
She could sense her grandmotherâs reluctance to let her go. To put it bluntly, she knew Leyla didnât have much time left in this world, considering her age.
She understood that Leyla would want to spend her remaining time close to her.
Leyla smiled softly as she patted Eileenâs hand.
âSweetheart, Iâm not going anywhere. Iâm too set in my ways here. Just visit me when you can. Now, off you go.â
Knowing there was a long journey ahead and the hour was late, Eileen had no choice but to leave.
She brought Dolores back with her. The sky was darkening, stretching its cloak over the vast plain before them.
Dolores gazed out of the window, her face blank.
âIâve spent so many years in Onaland before; Iâm not used to living here,â she said.
âItâs no surprise,â Eileen sniffled, nodding. âIâm not used to living here either. The weather, the foodâitâs all too different.â If Bryan hadnât been cooking for her every day, she would have lost so much weight here.
âBut Iâve grown accustomed to life without Julio,â Dolores said, her head lowered. âHis sudden reappearance has turned my world upside down. I want to leave now.â
The truth about Gianna and Conroyâs affair was still hidden from Leyla. Therefore, to prove Kinseyâs âloyalty,â Dolores still had a part to play here.
Leaving was not an option for her now.
MⱺÉÉ ÉÏÈ¡Ä Å£ÉÅ Ä©Å É¢Ä ÅÅøνÉÅÅ.çøɱ With one hand resting on the car door, Eileen sent Bryan an update when she stopped the car at a red light. She then turned to Dolores and said, âYour relationship with Julio is a tangled web. No matter where you go, heâll find a way to follow.â
Dolores pressed her lips together for a moment before asking, âSo what does he want?â
The words Julio had spoken in the CSI that night about wanting her to give him a child still echoed in her mind.
But she knew they were words born of anger, not meant to be taken to heart.
âI didnât walk away because I didnât believe he could be that cold. I wanted to help him. I didnât want to use my child as a bargaining chip, and I didnât want to marry him just because we had slept together before. To him, I am nothing but a manipulative gold-diggerâ¦â Dolores spoke with a mix of bitterness and disappointment.
She realized now that she had been wrong from the beginning. When Julio had told her to leave, she should have packed up and left, disregarding the help he had given her for years. Her mistake had been that she had a heart.
âYou and Julio are worlds apart in how you see things, so itâs hard to say whoâs right and whoâs wrong. But every step you take now is a path paved by your past,â Eileen remarked. The light flickered green, and Eileen twisted the key in the ignition, bringing the engine to life. With a steady press on the accelerator, she drove straight toward the city.
By the time they reached home, it was already past eleven, and the night had swallowed the world in darkness.
.
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