Chapter 99: Chapter 99

Chapter 99:

“I’m sorry,” Eileen quickly said, noticing she had accidentally stained the man’s suit pants with the mop water.

“It’s no trouble,” the man responded with a smile.

Looking up, Eileen saw the man was in his forties, wearing gold-rimmed glasses and giving her a slightly unsettling look.

Eileen wasn’t in the typical staff uniform yet, as it was her first day here.

Today, she was wearing her usual professional attire—a knee-length dress that modestly reached her knees but had hitched up slightly when she bent over the bucket.

Frowning slightly, she thought about excusing herself, but the man continued the conversation.

“You’re new here, aren’t you?” he said.

After a brief pause, he inquired further, “Are you Eileen Curtis, the employee who has just been transferred here?”

“That’s correct,” Eileen replied, guessing the man must be from the mall management.

Straightening his posture, the man introduced himself, “I’m the floor manager on this level, Atley Marshall.”

Every employee of the mall was supposed to send their resumes to the headquarters, so Eileen had a vague recollection of a man named Atley Marshall.

He had managed to get the general manager position at Vicin Mall just a year ago.

Politely nodding, Eileen responded, “Nice to meet you, Mr. Marshall.”

Read new content at gⱯlnσv𝒆ℓs․com Atley smiled again. “I heard about your transfer from headquarters. I know Mr. Ferguson from the personnel department quite well. Do you know him?”

“I do,” Eileen answered succinctly.

Noticing her reserved demeanor, Atley decided not to prolong the conversation. “Well, you can carry on with your work.”

Eileen quickly moved on, feeling Atley’s gaze linger on her as she left.

As a newcomer here, Eileen was relegated to the more mundane tasks, such as organizing the warehouse.

Throughout the entire day, she never got the opportunity to engage with any customers at the store.

Her schedule was so packed that she found herself too preoccupied to even think about Bryan.

As her workday concluded, the sky had darkened.

Feeling exhausted, Eileen sat down by the hot spring pool outside the shopping mall, craving a brief escape from the daily demands. The evening air was brisk, prompting her to pull her coat tighter around herself.

After a while, she stood up and headed towards the bus stop.

A sleek black car suddenly pulled up beside her; the window rolled down halfway to reveal Atley inside. “Are you on your way home? I can give you a lift,” he said.

“No, thank you, Mr. Marshall. I can manage on my own,” Eileen replied with a polite tone, continuing past the front of the car.

Lit by the streetlamp, her elongated shadow cast on the ground, her elegant black cashmere coat hugging her figure gracefully.

She carried an air of distinctiveness that left Atley feeling somewhat embarrassed by her cool rejection.

After a moment’s reflection, Atley pulled out his phone and called Marcus Ferguson, the HR manager at Apex Group.

“Mr. Ferguson, I’ve got a new staff member on the eighth floor, Eileen Curtis. Could you share some information about her? I assure you, it stays between us. The thing is, I’ve taken a liking to her,” said Atley.

Marcus muttered a reply. Atley said, “Please. I promise nobody will hear this. I really want to know more about her…”

With a look of frustration, Atley remained seated in his car. He watched as Eileen boarded the bus and left, fighting the urge to follow her, curious to find out where she lived.

This was the first time he had witnessed such beauty.

As the bus snaked its way through the city, the glare of numerous streetlights danced across Eileen’s eyes. She bowed her head, immersing herself in her phone.

She had not been checking Instagram for quite some time. She quickly noticed updates from Vivian over the last few days.

Vivian’s feed was filled with images of her dining and shopping with Bryan. Most of these posts captured Bryan from the side or from behind.

Eileen could easily spot him, be it at a bar or in crowded scenes.

Beneath each post, a flurry of comments and likes populated the page, many from the company’s employees.

Judie’s comments were particularly noticeable. They were simple, yet Eileen could see the ingratiating smile on Judie’s face through the words.

With Eileen no longer in the office, Judie appeared to be the most delighted since she didn’t have to resign anymore.

Vivian seemed to revel in the attention, responding cheerfully to each comment.

However, Eileen noted that Bryan himself had not engaged with any of Vivian’s posts. His own Instagram account remained unchanged.

Drawing a deep breath, Eileen switched off her phone. She closed her eyes, trying to find some peace and rest, yet the persistent image of Bryan lingered in her thoughts, refusing to fade.

At the Dawson Mansion, Raymond swung open the door as Bryan alighted from the car, his stride into the villa both assured and swift.

Stella was sitting in the living room. She fixed her gaze on Bryan and asked with a hint of provocation, “What’s the matter? No headlines with Vivian today to irritate me?”

Caught off guard, Bryan paused before going into the living room and seating himself next to Stella. “If you had consented to the divorce earlier, you wouldn’t have to be so bothered by that,” he said, his tone more conversational than confrontational.

Stella raised an eyebrow, her voice dripping with calm mockery. “In my mind, you and Vivian can do whatever pleases you. It’s interesting to see who breaks first. The media’s already painting Vivian as a mistress nonstop. It’s unlikely she’ll withstand it indefinitely.”

She resumed sipping her coffee with a dismissive sneer, maintaining an impressive façade of calm.

Bryan offered a smile, replying lightly, “As long as it pleases you.”

“Where have you sent Eileen?” Stella asked. With a sharp glance, she added, “Even Raymond has been tight-lipped about that.”

She had been the one who appointed Raymond as Bryan’s assistant, and now she felt betrayed by his secrecy.

Bryan gave a nonchalant shrug and said, “She’s now working as a sales associate. I’m not sure of her precise location—that’s for HR to determine.”

The Apex Group owned a myriad of properties, including malls and hotels, making it a difficult task for Stella to pinpoint Eileen’s exact posting, especially since Bryan had obscured this information intentionally.

Stella’s frustration boiled. She slammed her cup down hard and commanded, “I don’t want to see you now.”

“Alright,” Bryan said calmly, standing up and leaving the room without another word.

As he departed, Stella’s expression was one of vexed contemplation. She considered two possibilities: either Bryan was indifferent towards Eileen, or his feelings for Eileen were more profound than she had suspected.

Bryan did not linger at the Dawson Mansion after dinner; he left in his car promptly.

After a short while, he noticed Raymond’s vehicle shadowing him. A grimace crossed his face as he clenched his jaw in annoyance.

He drove aimlessly around the city center before returning to Oak Villas. Climbing the stairs to the second floor, he saw Raymond’s car still parked below.

Raymond, speaking into his phone, assured Stella of Bryan’s whereabouts. “Mr. Dawson is at Oak Villas. He hasn’t gone anywhere else. I’m keeping an eye on him.”

After ending the call, Raymond wiped the sweat from his forehead, feeling the pressure of dealing with Stella’s demanding nature.

Bryan’s knack for slipping surveillance was also a continual challenge.

Caught in the ongoing tension between Bryan and Stella, Raymond found himself compromising to maintain his precarious position.

As long as Bryan didn’t make a concerted effort to shake him off, Raymond could manage to keep Eileen’s whereabouts a secret.

Eileen had diligently worked for four days, arriving early and departing late, yet she had not completed any sales.

Her duties were limited to measurements and minor tasks, which left her no chance to directly interact with customers.

Despite this, her main goal for the week was to evaluate the personalities of her colleagues, Aniya and Essie, so she felt no urgency.

On Saturday morning, without the luxury of a lie-in, she rose early and made her way to the Clarkson family’s residence, carrying her textbooks. As she left her neighborhood, she noticed Bryan’s vehicle parked nearby.

The elegant Land Rover sat silently by the roadside. Through the tinted glass, Bryan’s distinct profile was barely visible.

Pausing, Eileen debated whether to approach the vehicle, remaining rooted to her spot.

It was only after Bryan sounded the horn that she realized he was there for her.

With a mixture of reluctance and curiosity, she approached the passenger side, where the door opened.

“Get in,” Bryan instructed succinctly.

Eileen hesitated, but she was momentarily taken aback by his stern look. She complied, slipping into the passenger seat.

As she buckled her seatbelt, Bryan drove off toward the Clarkson’s place.

There was a heavy silence inside the car that unsettled Eileen.

She stole a glance at Bryan, puzzled by his intentions for driving her there.

“I happened to pass by,” Bryan explained briefly as if sensing her confusion.

“Thank you, Mr. Dawson,” Eileen responded in a subdued tone.

The awkwardness lingered.

Their conversation ended, replaced again by silence.

Upon reaching the Clarkson residence, Eileen quickly exited the vehicle. She turned just in time to see Bryan stride confidently into the villa.

Harlan greeted them at the door. Aaron’s enthusiastic welcome for Bryan eclipsed his greeting for Eileen, his preference for sports clear.

Eileen thought that maybe Bryan really had just been passing by, stopping herself from reading too much into it.

Collecting her thoughts, she took Aaron upstairs to start the tutoring sessions.

Like last week, the basketball session was added in the middle, and Bryan and Eileen stayed for lunch.

During the meal, Bryan suggested, “Aaron has understood the basics now. For quicker improvement, he should practice with more people.”

“Well… I don’t really have the staff for that, and four of the five people working for me here are over fifty,” Harlan said, not knowing how to do that.

“We only need four players,” Bryan said nonchalantly.

Harlan’s brow creased further. “But…”

Seeing his father’s hesitation, Aaron said, “Dad, aren’t there four of us here?”

They all looked around the table.

Eileen paused with her fork mid-air as she processed the implication, “You want me to play basketball?”

“That’s right. With you here, we have exactly four people,” Bryan responded.

“I’ve never played basketball before,” Eileen said, feeling resigned.

Bryan met her admission with silence, his gaze shifting briefly to Harlan before returning to his plate.

Sensing intent, Harlan quickly said, “We might not be experts, but with Mr. Dawson here, we’d manage just fine.”

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