Chapter 284: Chapter 284

Chapter 284:

The entire villa had cameras only in the living room and along the staircases of each floor. Doris and Zola had their conversation in a spot that was out of camera view, but it could be seen from the staircase camera that they had ascended to the second floor one after the other.

Shortly afterward, Zola had headed to Lydia from there, while Doris had gone straight downstairs.

“What a cunning woman!” Stella muttered with a frown. Her mood had shifted from the joy of the evening to deep frustration. Jarred, sensing her distress, quickly reassured her, “Don’t worry, Miss Curtis plans to explain everything to Mr. Dawson, right? Even if they get to Mr. Dawson first, it shouldn’t affect your relationship with Miss Curtis.” Stella believed that. Yet, she sensed the situation wasn’t so simple. Lydia and Zola’s rushed departure suggested they were up to something.

Stella spent a restless night pondering their possible schemes. For the next three days, there was no news from Lydia. Stella finally felt a wave of relief. She believed perhaps they realized that the secret—that Eileen was Bryan’s ex-wife—wouldn’t cause any rifts between them.

It was early winter, and the rain came today, causing temperatures to plummet. Eileen felt unusually sluggish this year, possibly due to her years in the consistently warm West Land or perhaps because Bryan had her out. Each morning, her alarm clock would sound several times before she dragged herself up to start her day.

She returned to her tutoring job, and before she knew it, it was November. The news of her upcoming wedding to Bryan on December 6th was already public, leaving just a month to prepare. Eileen had Phoebe invite to discuss the matter about the lawyer’s letter. Bryan had had Raymond send Julio a check to cover the cost of the lawyer’s letter, but Julio had returned the check to Eileen.

Julio’s refusal to accept the money made it only fair for Eileen to invite him to dinner. When she proposed the idea, Julio agreed and chose a newly opened restaurant. Eileen arrived ten minutes early, only to find Julio already there.

“Julio, I just spoke with Phoebe. She’s caught in traffic and not sure when she’ll arrive. She suggested we start ordering first.” Eileen called the waiter over for the menu and passed it to Julio. Julio chose to order steak. “Do you know Phoebe well?” he asked Eileen.

Lᴀtєst chαptєrs ιn g𝒶l𝑛ovеℓ𝑠.𝑎𝓂 “Yes, we’re close. It’s not only because of law and Bryan. She and I were good friends even before everything else happened,” Eileen replied. Even Eileen herself found it hard to believe that her connection with Phoebe hadn’t deepened while in Onaland. For reasons she couldn’t fathom, once she had left Onaland, Phoebe had distanced herself from the Burton family and promptly moved to the West Land to stay with her.

“Have you been acquainted with Phoebe for a long time?” Eileen doubted Julio was an old classmate or a school friend of Phoebe’s.

“We used to be in the same upper-class circle and knew each other quite well.” After a pause, Julio continued, “I also know Brent from the Yates family you’re working with now.”

Eileen wasn’t surprised. Julio had been the only son of the prestigious Ferguson family before. Nevertheless, rivalries were common among the elite, and sudden, profound shifts could happen overnight.

“Brent mentioned you’re an excellent tutor, and his sister’s grades have improved significantly.” Julio hinted at something more. “Have you thought about returning to the corporate world to help Mr. Dawson after getting married? You have the skills to offer much more than tutoring.”

“It depends.” Eileen was open to the idea of rejoining the business sector to support Bryan. Should a major dispute arise between Bryan and Brandon in the future, she was prepared to step in. Upon hearing her response, Julio smiled. “I should invite Mr. Dawson to dinner soon. He seems to bear animosity toward me. A dinner might help smooth things over.”

“It’s not as bad as you think. You can plan something for another day,” Eileen replied.

“Perhaps I could attend your wedding? Or would that be too much to ask?” Julio took the initiative to request a wedding invitation.

Upon hearing this, Eileen was taken aback. The Dawson family managed the invitations, and though Eileen wasn’t sure if the Fergusons were invited, she knew Julio wouldn’t be. Considering the possibility of Stella inviting the Ferguson family, the idea of her inviting Julio personally could lead to an awkward situation.

“If it’s troublesome, don’t worry about it. I just brought it up casually. I’ll send a gift instead. Maybe you and Mr. Dawson can invite me to dinner another time.” Julio raised his glass to toast.

In doing so, he accidentally tipped over the adjacent glass, causing it to spill across the table and onto Eileen’s attire. He quickly grabbed a napkin, stood up, and offered it to Eileen while apologizing, “I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine,” Eileen accepted the napkin and dabbed at her clothes. The thick fabric of her seasonal attire hadn’t absorbed much water.

“After we eat, if there’s time, I can take you to the mall next door. I can pick out some new clothes for you as a way to make up for this,” Julio said, feeling apologetic. Just as Eileen was about to decline, she noticed a young woman approaching their table. Julio followed her gaze and was visibly shocked.

“You left me for her!” the young woman pointed at Eileen, her expression one of deep sorrow.

Eileen quickly tried to clear up the misunderstanding, saying, “Miss, you’ve got it wrong.”

“Dolores, this isn’t about her,” Julio interjected, stepping between Eileen and the young woman. “You’re an adult now. I was clear when I sponsored you that it would end after you graduated.”

Dolores Sampson clenched her teeth and said, “But you didn’t say that that night. You promised!”

“Enough!” Julio’s tone was sharp, his look frosty. “How many times must I tell you that I’m not interested in you?”

Dolores opened her mouth to respond, but tears started to fall. The commotion drew the waiter over, who asked, “Sir, can I help with anything?”

“This woman is interrupting our meal. Please, could you ask her to leave?” Julio said firmly, then returned to his seat.

Eileen, still puzzled by the unfolding drama, remained quiet, though the sight of the girl’s tearful face was heartbreaking. It was clear to Eileen that Julio was purposefully distancing himself from Dolores. “I’ll wait for you outside. I need to talk to you about something important,” Dolores, having no other option, left the restaurant reluctantly.

Eileen and Julio were seated by the window, from where they could observe Dolores perched on the terrace outside the restaurant. As the evening progressed, Dolores began rubbing her hands for warmth.

“Julio, maybe we should reschedule our dinner? If this continues, she might catch a cold,” Eileen proposed. The steak had arrived, but Julio barely touched his food; he was distracted.

Looking out the window, Julio explained, “She is a student I’ve been supporting financially. When I was still part of the Ferguson family, I planned a mountain trip with friends. Around that time, she got into the best junior high in town but couldn’t afford it, and I started helping her financially.”

Over the last decade, he had spent a lot of money on her education. At thirty-two, Julio faced an uncertain future and was at odds with the Ferguson family. But the girl was ten years younger than him, only twenty-two, an age many considered the peak of youth for a woman.

While Eileen and Julio were discussing this, Phoebe messaged to inform them that she was caught in a half-hour traffic jam and was planning to rush back, thinking there would be nothing left to eat by the time she arrived. Noticing that Dolores was still waiting for Julio, Eileen quickly finished her meal and decided it was time to leave.

She put on her coat, grabbed her purse, and went to pay the bill. When she returned, Julio was waiting by the door and said, “Eileen, could you give me a lift?”

Eileen looked at him, puzzled. “You didn’t bring your car?”

“Yes, it’s rush hour now. Could you drop me off where I can get a taxi?” Julio asked with a gentle smile. Before Eileen could respond, he said, “Thank you.” Feeling obliged, Eileen left the restaurant with him.

Dolores immediately stood up and approached. “Julio!” But before Dolores could finish, she stopped when she noticed Julio’s disdainful gaze. Julio lit a cigarette, placed it between his lips, and said to Eileen, “Wait for me in the car.”

Eileen turned and went to wait in her car. She watched as Julio grabbed Dolores by the arm and led her toward a darker area. He then pushed her against the wall. The force of hitting the cold, hard wall made Dolores’s eyes tear up.

Then, Julio pressed against her, the smoke from his cigarette wafting to her face as he said sharply, “What? Do you think I should take responsibility just because we slept together once? After all the money I’ve spent on you, isn’t it fair for me to expect something in return?”

Dolores looked up, shocked by his harsh words. Julio continued, “From your poor village, do you think you can marry into wealth?”

Even without the support of the Ferguson family, Julio could still rake in millions annually as a lawyer. Julio was indeed wealthy compared to Dolores’s background.

“How can you say such things?” Dolores’s lips trembled as she spoke. “You weren’t like this before. You…”

Julio said, “Don’t hang around here wasting time. Look, my friends and I only keep girls around for fun. We like to shape them that way, but once they’re not what we want anymore, they’re worthless.”

Before Julio could finish, Dolores slapped him, yelling, “You bastard! Julio, I hate you!”

She then shoved him away and ran off in tears. Julio’s hand on the wall tensed, his fingertips whitening from the strain.

The images of Eileen and Dolores flashed in his mind, yet his thoughts eventually focused on Eileen. Eileen texted Julio, “I’m leaving now.”

Seeing Dolores run off, Eileen understood Julio’s conversation with Dolores. She then noticed Julio’s car was parked not too far away.

She believed Julio had asked her for a ride just to upset Dolores. But given his harsh treatment of Dolores, Eileen thought he needed her to give him a ride now.

At the Dawson Mansion, Stella typically went to bed at nine in the evening. However, it was almost ten o’clock today, and the villa was still brightly lit. In the living room, Brandon and Lydia sat across from Stella, with Zola standing nearby.

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