Chapter 338: Chapter 338

Chapter 338:

Eileen was in a meeting when her phone buzzed. She glanced down and saw there were messages from Josue. After a brief moment of hesitation, she clicked on the messages.

She saw several photos sent by Josue, capturing Bryan’s anxious face.

In Bryan’s arms, Gabriela stared at him with wide, confused eyes, seemingly startled yet not crying.

A slight smile appeared on Eileen’s face. Then, Josue sent another message that caught her off guard and tugged at her heartstrings.

“I forgot to mention, on the day you gave birth overseas, Bryan was at the hospital. He was the first to hold Gabriela. It must be fate.”

So, Bryan had been at the hospital that day? And he had held Gabriela!

“Ms. Curtis…” someone called out to Eileen, snapping her back to reality. She quickly set her phone down and looked up to see everyone in the meeting room staring at her.

With composure, she placed the document she was holding on the table and asked, “Could you repeat that?”

Everyone was momentarily stunned.

Josue had arranged for Bryan to work in a villa within the same neighborhood as Eileen. The villa was three stories, with its living room transformed into an office area.

Long rectangular tables were set up, adorned with several potted plants, and chairs lined up on both sides.

LΑτєѕτ chαρτєrs ιn g𝓪l𝑛ovєl𝑆.𝗰𝑜𝗺 At the end of the room, there was a projector, giving the space a very professional look.

The only thing that broke the professional ambiance was the occasional sound of Gabriela echoing through the quiet villa.

She still couldn’t speak; her noises came not from her mouth but from her nasal passages.

Josue cradled her on the sofa, her large dark eyes roving around, mostly settling on Bryan.

Bryan sat at the head of the table, listening to people report on the progress of EB Group’s matters.

They were just waiting to offload the Warren Group’s shares and recover the funds.

“From what I’ve gathered, Ms. Curtis from Ferguson Group has already begun negotiations for the acquisition. It’s practically sealed.”

“If I recall correctly, Ms. Curtis was mentored by Mr. Dawson. Mr. Dawson’s guidance is really remarkable.”

“Yes, it’s unfortunate we didn’t move quicker. If we had brought Ms. Curtis, the general of EB Group, to collaborate with Mr. Dawson, EB Group would have reached new heights.”

Suddenly, a muffled laugh broke through their serious discussion.

Everyone turned to see Josue cradling the baby with one hand and covering his mouth with the other, his cheeks red as he suppressed his laughter.

What could he do? He was just too excited about the fact that he was the only one here who knew the secret.

The Curtis they were discussing was the mother of the baby he was holding, and Bryan was the father! The important thing was that Bryan had no clue!

He felt so restless, wanting to tell the truth.

Bryan, noticing Josue’s expression, felt a surge of irritation and tossed his pen aside.

He instinctively reached into his pocket for a cigarette, but before he could light it, Josue sternly said, “Bryan, think of the child. Gabriela is just a few months old. Toss that cigarette into the trash.”

Bryan scowled and threw the cigarette onto the table.

Josue didn’t dare truly confront Bryan. Seeing Bryan choose not to smoke was enough for him.

Gabriela turned in Josue’s lap, trying to see Bryan, her wide eyes mirroring his stern expression.

Bryan felt like her look was accusing him of serious wrongdoing for even considering smoking. He picked up the cigarette and threw it into the trash can.

He then looked around the room and announced, “From this moment on, smoking is banned during meetings here.”

Everyone was taken aback.

What did Josue’s goddaughter have to do with Bryan? Besides, Bryan could stop smoking if he wanted, but why impose it on them?

“Yes, Mr. Dawson,” they replied reluctantly.

“Now, it’s my turn to speak. Bryan, come here and hold the child,” Josue said with a pleased smile, handing the baby to Bryan.

Bryan removed his jacket, unbuttoned his cufflinks, and rolled up his sleeves, exposing his muscular forearms.

Having held the baby twice before, he knew what to do this time. He copied Josue, comfortably holding the baby in his arms.

But Josue was dressed in sportswear, while Bryan was in a suit, complete with a metal belt buckle that could potentially harm the baby.

Acting on instinct, Bryan quickly unbuckled his belt.

Just as Josue sat down to organize some documents for the meeting, he heard a ‘clink’ sound.

He looked up, astonished, and hurried over to take the baby from Bryan.

“Bryan, what are you doing unbuckling your belt?” he asked.

“I didn’t want the buckle to hurt her, so I took it off!” Bryan exclaimed, his cheeks flushing red.

Josue glanced down and noticed the belt buckle in Bryan’s hand. Bryan’s pants were a bit loose but wouldn’t fall—just not as neat as before.

“I’ll hold the child during the meeting,” Josue said. Then, he turned and walked away with the baby.

Bryan, frustrated, tossed his belt buckle onto the sofa and returned to the conference table, his stern look silencing everyone.

At times, the child made these two men seem foolish, and at other times, she brought in tense tension between them.

Feeling the tension, the baby began to squirm and whimper.

As Josue was about to discuss global resources that would benefit EB Group’s imminent public listing, he struggled to calm the baby. He looked at Bryan for a moment before saying, “Hold her here.”

“No,” Bryan looked away, his reply cold, though his eyes briefly met the baby’s.

“Are you sure you won’t hold her?” Josue then pointed randomly to someone else and said, “Then you hold her for me for a while.”

The person looked flustered. “Mr. Payne, I don’t know how to hold a baby, especially one this small!”

“What about the rest of you?” Josue surveyed the room and looked at the youngest attendee. “Are you a father? Do you know how to hold a baby?”

That man, in his thirties with a toddler at home, was too anxious to admit his parenthood. This baby was too important, and any mishandling could be disastrous for his career.

He quickly gestured in denial and said, “Mr. Payne, I really don’t have the experience…”

“Perfect opportunity to learn,” Josue interjected, observing Bryan’s reaction.

As Josue persisted in handing the baby to Bryan, he finally couldn’t stand it.

He stood up, took the baby from Josue’s arms, and with a serious demeanor, carried her to the carpet by the floor-to-ceiling window to calm her down.

The baby, not hungry since she had recently eaten, was momentarily captivated by the new environment and quickly fell asleep.

Bryan lay beside her, propping his head up with one hand, watching her sleep. Acting on a whim, he snapped a photo of her and sent it to Eileen.

He didn’t add a message; he simply wanted Eileen to see the baby.

Yet, Eileen’s lack of response irked him. After more than ten minutes, he sent another message.

“I’ll pick you up after work.”

“No dinner?” Eileen responded promptly this time.

He replied with slight irritation, “Okay then.”

Eileen didn’t respond again. She stared at the photo Bryan had sent, pondering its significance.

Today marked Bryan and Gabriela’s first day of spending time together. Eileen was trying her best not to let Bryan miss anything as Gabriela’s father.

In the evening, Eileen drove to the coffee shop near Ferguson Group, parked, and got into Bryan’s car.

The confined space wag filled with a strong pine fragrance Bryan had, Bryan’s muscular hands lay casually on the steering wheel, guiding the car effortlessly, yet he remained silent.

Unable to stand the silence any longer, Eileen said, “What’s going on? The photo you sent today… What was that about?”

“That’s Josue’s goddaughter,” Bryan replied curtly, his voice tinged with jealousy. “I brought her to work and helped him take care of her.”

Eileen leaned back against the car door, tilting her head to look at him. “And? Do you like her?”

As she posed the question, Eileen felt a flutter of nerves.

Her lips pressed tightly together as she gazed at Bryan.

Bryan glanced over, and after a brief moment of eye contact, he said, “I think she looks a bit like you.”

“What?” Eileen’s heart raced.

Bryan quickly added, “I mean, she’s going to be very beautiful one day. So, I was thinking, if we hadn’t called off our wedding, do you think maybe…”

As he spoke, the setting sun cast a golden hue inside the car, illuminating the regret in his eyes.

It was clear he hadn’t brought it up earlier because he feared he might lose control of his emotions.

He focused on the road ahead, stopping at a red light. Then, he sighed deeply and said, “The kid is quite adorable. I don’t know where Josue has got her from. She’s not even his, but he parades her around me.”

“You still haven’t answered my question,” Eileen said, pretending to be nonchalant. “Do you like that child?”

“It’s hard not to like such a little baby. I’ll let you see her someday.” Bryan smiled. The traffic light turned green, and he started the car, ending the conversation.

Perhaps his thoughts still lingered on the baby. After dropping Eileen off, he only gave her a brief kiss before she exited the car.

At the Ferguson family’s residence, Julia had returned, but the family was wary of him. After dinner, everyone retired to their rooms.

Kaysen and his second wife, Berkley Ferguson, sat on their bed, their expressions serious.

“Julia’s return ensures the Ferguson Group stays in the family. It doesn’t mean we’ve given in. Now, we must diminish his influence,” Berkley analyzed the situation. “I’ve looked into Eileen and Benjamin. Benjamin has been with Julio since the establishment of Ferguson Group, but Eileen… She’s likely the mastermind behind Julio.”

The night deepened. The villa’s excellent soundproofing kept their conversation private, yet they still spoke in whispers.

Kaysen nodded and said, “She vanished for some time before, probably managing Ferguson Group’s international branch. We should start with her.”

“That reminds me, I ran into Stella at a card game recently. She was overly cordial, seemingly trying to flatter me. It appears Bryan and Eileen share an unusual connection, and she’s concerned we might go after Bryan,” Berkley said, turning to Kaysen. “Given our current predicament, we can’t afford more enemies, so we should focus solely on dealing with Eileen. What do you think?”

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