Chapter 275: Chapter 275

Chapter 275:

“Back then, Julio was as famous as Bryan. Every girl at school was crazy about him and collected his pictures,” Jacob said.

Jacob and Bryan were a bit younger than Julio and didn’t go to the same university as him.

Jacob had heard these stories from others and was exaggerating them a bit.

Bryan just smiled, choosing not to interrupt, but then he remembered how Eileen used to refer to Julio.

He lifted his gaze and saw Eileen nodding along with Jacob. “Yes, that’s true—Julio was quite popular,” she said with a smile.

She seemed to hold Julio in high regard.

Bryan leaned in and whispered, “Have you collected his pictures, then?”

His voice carried a hint of jealousy and tension. Eileen was taken aback, turning to face him but found herself at a loss for words.

She had merely admired Julio back in their college days; it was nothing serious.

Seeing her expression, Bryan understood something. His face darkened as he leaned closer to her.

“Mr. Freguson, I’ll have my assistant discuss the fees for that legal notice with you,” he said.

His comment was a deliberate attempt to distance himself from any personal connection to Julio. Bryan then placed his hand on Eileen’s shoulder, adopting a more formal and distant demeanor toward Julio.

Julio noticed the shift and just smiled. “Let’s save that for another time. We’re here to relax, not to talk about work.” But what else was there to discuss? Were they supposed to talk about whether Eileen still kept Julio’s photos? Besides that, only Eileen had attended school with Julio. The others barely knew him; they didn’t share any mutual friends.

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Bryan, sitting close to Eileen, listened with cold detachment to the conversation between Jacob and Julio. Jacob interacted with Julio as if they were old friends. Eileen figured that keeping her distance from Julio might help alleviate Bryan’s jealousy. Once Bryan got jealous, it would take a lot of soothing on her part to calm him down.

After a while, Phoebe led Eileen to the bathroom. Zola, feeling a bit out of place among the men, followed them out.

“Eileen, do you actually know Julio?” Zola asked. Everyone sensed Bryan’s irritation, except for Jacob.

“We attended the same university,” Eileen replied. Zola nodded, then asked, “Do you know about Julio’s connection to Benita?”

It was just the three of them in the hallway. Phoebe clutched Eileen’s arm; she had been about to discuss this with Eileen.

With Zola bringing it up, she took the opportunity to say directly, “Here’s the story. Julio is Benita’s half-brother. His mom passed away just after he was born. Not long after, Benita’s mom married his dad. She then had Benita and later a son who’s only twelve.”

Julio had intended to join his family’s company after his graduation. At that time, Benita had been nineteen. During a family gathering, scandalous rumors about incest between them had emerged.

This gossip had shifted Julio from a privileged position to one of disgrace.

He had been expelled from the Freguson family.

This had greatly affected Benita, too, although the Fregusons had claimed it was all a misunderstanding. Since no one had believed it, Benita’s reputation had been shattered, leading her to start indulging herself. Her personal life had become a mess, involving numerous men, while her parents remained indifferent. Julio’s father showed clear preference for his son from his second marriage.

When the scandal had broken, Eileen had still been in school and somewhat oblivious to high society drama, so she had been unaware of these events.

Now that she was in the know, she felt a pang of sympathy.

“No wonder he switched to law,” she said. “He must have really strived to excel in his field.”

Phoebe said, “It was more than just effort. His dad tried to hold him back. Julio had to change his name and work under the radar until he earned enough recognition to confidently reclaim his true identity.”

This signaled Julio’s determination to return to the Freguson family.

Hearing Julio’s story stirred a mix of admiration and inspiration in Eileen.

“The upper class is like that,” Zola said. “Every family has its dark secrets. Eileen, don’t ask Bryan to help Julio just because you know him. The Dawson family dynamics are already complicated enough.”

Zola’s cautionary words dampened Eileen’s mood. Zola stood at the sink washing her hands, speaking in a tone that seemed casual.

Yet, her seemingly casual words left Eileen feeling uncomfortable.

If Zola were the type to speak thoughtlessly, this might be excusable.

But that wasn’t her. Eileen knew that Zola had never upset Stella nor had she provoked Bryan.

Despite not having married Bryan after so many years, Zola still managed to keep Brandon and his wife hopeful. She had to be quite adept at handling people.

But when she was with Eileen, there was a hint of displeasure in her voice occasionally.

“Thanks for the heads-up, Miss Murray. Your tact and insight are impeccable. I almost embarrassed myself by asking Bryan to challenge the Freguson family for Julio,” Eileen replied as she washed her hands.

Phoebe was still in the bathroom. After Zola finished washing her hands, she dried them with a tissue.

She didn’t respond to Eileen’s words. Once her hands were dry, she slid them into her pockets and looked at Eileen expressionlessly.

She said, “I was raised in the Dawson family, and while it might look like I just follow Bryan’s parents’ wishes, my bond with Bryan goes much deeper. However, to the Dawson family and to me, you remain an outsider. It might be uncomfortable for you to hear my advice, but I’m only trying to guide you correctly when you might be going astray.”

She claimed to be close to Bryan, leaving Eileen at a loss for words.

It seemed like she just meddled in their business for their own good.

And Eileen had to understand. After all, Zola showed a preference for being near Stella and Bryan rather than her.

If Eileen understood correctly, that was what Zola meant.

“Even though you and Bryan aren’t married, I’ll stand up for you if you’re treated unfairly outside the family. But in this family, my loyalty leans more toward Bryan. Do you understand?” Zola patted Eileen’s arm and smiled elegantly.

Eileen dodged her touch. When Phoebe emerged from the bathroom at that moment, she remained silent. Upon reflection, Eileen felt Zola’s words rang somewhat hypocritical.

She wasn’t the hypocritical type, so she didn’t even know how to reply.

“Let’s head back. I have something to tell everyone,” Phoebe said, linking arms with Eileen and brushing past Zola.

Zola tagged along, listening to their conversation and occasionally saying something.

Phoebe was about to announce her wedding to Jacob.

The date was set for mid-December.

The Meyer family had initially been against Jacob and Phoebe’s relationship since Phoebe had cut ties with her own family.

The Burton family had cut ties with Phoebe because she had refused to marry into the family they had chosen and couldn’t provide any benefits to them.

Eventually, the Burton family declared they still wanted Phoebe back since she and Jacob were a couple.

So Phoebe reclaimed her status as the daughter of the Burton family, and the Meyer family also came to accept her relationship with Jacob.

In short, Phoebe returned to the Burton family for Jacob’s sake, but the relationship between her and her family remained strained.

“Anyway, you’re getting married on December 6th, and our wedding is on December 12th,” Phoebe said to Eileen. “There’s only two months to go. After I’m married, I will probably not return to the Burton family. They’ll have to manage their affairs with the Meyer family on their own.” This was Phoebe’s compromise for the sake of her relationship with Jacob.

Eileen was lost in thought. Their weddings, just six days apart, were bound to be the talk of Onaland.

She was excited about this, but Bryan affected her mood. Later that day, Bryan instructed Raymond to pay Julio the standard market rate as the attorney’s fee for the legal matter.

His actions suggested he didn’t want Eileen to see Julio ever again.

Every night, he insisted on sleeping with Eileen to have a child with her.

When she was too tired, he would say, earnestly and innocently, “I thought you wanted a baby.”

Eileen was left without words. Days after the legal letter had been sent, Judie showed up at Eileen’s place looking for her.

She had suspected Eileen was living with Bailee, so unable to approach Eileen directly, she had secretly followed Bailee.

Around seven in the morning, she abruptly knocked on the door of Bailee’s place to look for Eileen.

Bailee told her Eileen wasn’t at her place. Judie didn’t believe it and entered to search, but she didn’t find Eileen. It then dawned on her that Eileen might be with Bryan.

She made a scene, refused to leave, and pleaded with Bailee and Ruby to summon Eileen.

Neither Bailee nor Ruby agreed. “You’re trespassing in my house; I’m calling the police now. You’ll be detained for at least a few days!” Bailee reached for her phone, ready to call the authorities. Judie, now frightened, quickly said, “Don’t call the police. I need to speak to Eileen about Roderick! You know he’s close to her. He’s her younger brother!”

Upon hearing this, Bailee paused, uncertain.

She was aware that Eileen’s brother was a good person, not deceiving. Bailee scrutinized Judie with a serious look. “If you’re lying and bothering my sister, I’ll have the police arrest you. We’ve got cameras here.”

Judie explained quickly, “I’m not lying to you!”

Ruby then motioned for Bailee to contact Eileen.

Within five minutes, Eileen arrived.

She had rushed over as soon as she heard it involved Roderick, arriving without even washing her face. After all, she hadn’t been able to reach Roderick for several days.

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