Chapter 213: Chapter 213

Chapter 213:

“I don’t owe you anything!” Phoebe shouted as she unbuckled her seatbelt, flung open the car door, and bolted away as fast as she could.

Jacob hurried after her, but it was too late. Phoebe had already slipped into a taxi. He stomped his foot in frustration. Ever since the incident in Onaland, where she had taken advantage of him and slept with him, he hadn’t laid a finger on her. The situation was at an impasse. Jacob was waiting for Phoebe to be with him first, while Phoebe was waiting for Jacob to break off his engagement with Megan.

“Damn it!” Jacob cursed under his breath. With Phoebe’s impulsive nature, if he ended the engagement and she still refused to be with him after that, he would become the laughingstock again.

The villa was brightly lit as Bryan answered another call after seeing Jacob and Phoebe off. Standing next to the floor-to-ceiling windows, his tall figure cast a long shadow. He spoke in his deep, magnetic voice. When he sensed Eileen approaching, he lowered his voice a bit. “Handle it that way. Make sure the lawyer stays at the police station tomorrow and settles this matter,” he instructed into the phone.

He turned around, raising an eyebrow at Eileen before hanging up. “Didn’t I tell you to rest first?”

Eileen, dressed in a black silk nightgown that highlighted her fair skin, with her hair partially dried, asked, “Why were you on the phone for so long? I’ve been waiting for you after my shower. Is there a problem with the project again?”

“No,” Bryan replied, pocketing his phone. His cool fingertips gently tucked strands of hair behind her ear. “It’s all settled now. Let’s go.”

Eileen followed him upstairs, and while waiting for him to shower, she received a message from Adalina. “Ms. Curtis, what exactly happened to Milford?”

During their recent tutoring sessions, Adalina had seemed hesitant to ask about Milford.

Eileen replied, “He and his sister had a small disagreement, and his tutoring has been temporarily stopped. Just focus on your studies and don’t get distracted. I will try my best to handle the matter.”

“I saw him at the school gate today with a few hooligans. He had injuries on his face and ignored me when I tried to talk to him.” Adalina’s message was filled with concern.

Eileen asked Adalina for more details, and Adalina told her that she had seen Milford at the school gate after class more than once. After calming Adalina down, Eileen specifically asked what time school ended. She planned to visit the school the next day.

Perhaps because of the stress from the earlier confrontation and the sight of the knife, Eileen suddenly woke up in the middle of the night. She instinctively lifted her hand, but Bryan’s firm grip stopped her. Her sudden movement had caused him to wake up too.

In the darkness, their eyes locked for a few seconds. Without saying a word, she wrapped her arms around his waist and nestled her head against his chest. Bryan’s broad palm gently patted her back, soothing her into sleep.

The next day was Friday. After arriving at the educational institution, Eileen pondered for a while before calling Zola to inform her that Milford had been seen near the school.

“School ends at around eleven o’clock in the morning. Students don’t have classes in the afternoon on Fridays. Adalina saw Milford multiple times after school, so going around that time might be effective,” Eileen told Zola.

“Eileen, haven’t you heard what happened?” Zola asked out of the blue.

After a brief pause, Eileen asked, “What happened?”

Zola’s surroundings buzzed with commotion, hinting that she wasn’t at home. She relocated to a calmer spot and explained, “Vivian’s been detained. Bryan’s attorney accused her of forging her medical report, alleging it was intended to harm others. I’m currently at the police station.”

Suddenly remembering Bryan’s late-night phone calls, Eileen pieced things together. Zola continued, “Vivian’s medical report, written by a foreign doctor, failed to hold up under the police’s scrutiny. Kian wanted to return to Onaland with Vivian for a reevaluation and a new report. However, the local authorities in Wist Land insisted the matter be handled here. Kian—”

Eileen couldn’t resist interjecting, “Miss Murray, since Bryan has already taken action, perhaps he and Kian should handle the matter. Maybe focus your concern on Milford instead.”

Eileen sensed a hint of accusation in Zola’s voice toward Bryan for escalating the matter with Vivian and Kian. Now, the situation was straining both the Warren family and the Dawson family.

“If you’re so worried about Milford, why not show the same concern for Bryan? His current rift with the Warren family isn’t doing him any favors,” Zola said, urgency lacing her tone.

“And how exactly should I show concern for Bryan? By asking him to release Vivian no matter how many problems she will cause me? Should I just put up with her?” Eileen questioned.

While Eileen was initially taken aback by Bryan’s actions, she quickly deduced his motives. She possessed enough evidence to confront Vivian directly, yet engaging with Vivian was a needless diversion, especially with Vivian persistently meddling. Furthermore, Vivian had used a knife against Eileen before. Bryan would always be concerned for Eileen if he didn’t deal with Vivian and resolve the matter completely.

“If you don’t put up with Vivian, you’re only going to exacerbate Bryan’s troubles,” Zola said firmly.

Eileen resignedly responded, “I apologize, but I’m no saint.”

“How can you claim you’re not a saint?” Zola retorted, her tone laced with sarcasm. “You lavish so much concern on Milford, a person who is not related to you. Your capacity for compassion seems boundless, just like a saint!”

Eileen replied in a frosty tone, “I’m not sure if I’m a saint, but you really aren’t making any sense. You ignore your own brother and meddle in someone else’s business all day. Even though you grew up in the Dawson family, Bryan is not your blood sibling. The only person you are related to by blood is Milford.”

“Eileen, I don’t want to argue with you or make things difficult for Bryan,” Zola said, evading the question. “I have other matters to attend to here, so I’m going to hang up now.” With that, she disconnected the call.

After the call with Zola, Eileen placed her phone on the table and began to rub her temples as a headache emerged. Eventually, she decided to call Bryan and ask about the matter with Vivian.

Bryan was in a meeting when his phone rang. He stood up, exited the conference room, and took the call in the hallway. “What’s wrong?” he asked, his voice carrying a mix of urgency and concern due to the unusual timing of Eileen’s call.

“Don’t worry; nothing bad happened. I’m calling just to say…” Eileen’s tone was light, and her voice was very low. “I miss you.”

Bryan looked at the sun obscured by dark clouds. Despite the gloomy weather, he felt cheerful. “Have you found out about Vivian’s situation? Who told you that?” he asked, immediately deducing the reason behind Eileen’s sudden expression of affection.

“Zola told me about it. I was planning to discuss looking for Milford with her at noon, but she brought that up instead,” Eileen replied, keeping her tone calm.

Bryan’s voice grew cold. “Don’t let her bother you. If she brings it up again, don’t hold back.”

After checking his watch, he added, “I’ll join you at the school to search for Milford at noon.” He felt it was necessary to find Milford, believing he had potential.

“Alright, it’s settled then,” Eileen said, ending the call. Even though Zola didn’t care about Milford and hadn’t asked Eileen to find him, she still decided to go and look for him.

At around ten o’clock, Bryan arrived at the educational institution to pick Eileen up, and they headed straight to the school. The campus was bustling with students. Since it was dismissal time, Bryan parked his car on the roadside, and they walked toward the school gate together.

In the crowded area, Eileen and Bryan stood out due to their striking looks. Bryan, dressed in a suit and exuding elegance, drew everyone’s attention. People first noticed Bryan and then the beautiful woman beside him.

When they reached the school gate, students began pouring out. Eileen’s sharp eyes scanned the crowd, searching for Milford. Despite her efforts, he was nowhere in sight, even after most students had left. Just then, she spotted Adalina making her way out of the school.

“Ms. Curtis!” Adalina called out, having anticipated Eileen’s visit. She ran over, noticing Bryan. “Mr. Dawson, you’re here as well.”

“We couldn’t find Milford,” Eileen said, frustration creeping into her voice. “I’ve already checked the nearby alleys, but he isn’t there.”

Adalina’s expression fell as she looked around. “Maybe he didn’t come today. Would you consider coming back next week, Ms. Curtis?”

“We’ll see,” Eileen said, giving Adalina’s shoulder a reassuring pat. “If I have the time, I’ll try to look for him again.” Even though she was concerned about Milford, she couldn’t afford to spend all her time searching for him.

“Okay!” Adalina’s eyes brightened with renewed hope. “I’ll call you immediately if I see him!”

“Sure. It’s getting late. You should head home,” Eileen said, gesturing toward the Vance family’s driver, who had been patiently waiting.

Adalina waved goodbye and left, her long ponytail swinging as she walked away. Soon, the school gate was empty of students. Eileen sighed as Bryan guided her back to the car.

“I’ll have Raymond arrange for someone to keep an eye on things here,” Bryan said, sensing Eileen’s worry. “They’ll bring Milford back as soon as they spot him.”

“Okay. I hope his rapport with Miss Murray improves in the future,” Eileen replied. She had little faith in tutoring Milford again but wanted to make one last effort to find him.

The car glided smoothly away from the school, merging into the bustling streets. The area grew more congested with pedestrians and intricate roadways. Bryan slowed down the car, and Eileen’s eyes drifted to the people hurrying past.

She noticed a scruffy teenager whose face was obscured by the angle. However, his urgent movements reminded her of Milford. Eileen’s heart skipped a beat, and she tapped Bryan’s arm. “Isn’t that Milford? Pull over!”

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