Chapter 821
Gabriela, holding the lollipop, looked at her parents and then declared seriously to Raymond, “Ray, I only allowed you to hold me because you gave me a lollipop!”
“What if I hadn’t given you a lollipop?” Raymond asked, playing along. He didn’t know when Gabriela had started calling him “Ray.”
Perhaps Gabriela had invented the nickname “Ray” because she often heard Bryan and Eileen call him “Raymond,” a name she struggled to pronounce.
“If you don’t have a lollipop, I’ll run away!” Gabriela exclaimed, waving her hand as if in motion.
Raymond chuckled at her antics, though beneath his amusement, he felt the pressure weighing on him. He was fond of Gabriela, but the weight of responsibility was daunting; if she were to trip and fall, he feared Bryan’s wrath.
Eileen glanced back at them with a smile, maintaining a deliberate distance from Bryan as they entered the booked private room. Conroy was already present, accompanied by two other men. One was a dignified individual over fifty, and the other, a younger man in his thirties.
“Mr. Dawson, allow me to introduce you to Rhett Santiago, the CEO of Santiago Group, and his son, Everett Santiago,” Conroy said.
Rhett rose from his seat and extended a hand to Bryan, who shook it cordially. Conroy then ushered Bryan to his seat with a warm gesture. As Bryan sat down, he noticed that Eileen had been seated beside Everett.
Eileen found herself sandwiched between Bryan and Everett. Conroy had led Eileen to sit there, and now, with everyone else settled in, it would have been awkward for her to switch seats. With no other option, Eileen had to accept the situation. She focused on the conversation between Bryan and Rhett, occasionally playing with Gabriela, who was on the other side of Bryan.
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“Miss Vazquez,” a gentle voice suddenly echoed, catching Eileen off guard.
Eileen turned to face Everett, her surprise evident. She didn’t think Everett was calling her, but as she saw his gaze on her, she realized he was addressing her.
“Mr. Santiago,” she replied, her voice accompanied by a polite nod.
“You are thirty-two years old now, right?” Everett inquired, his question direct.
Eileen’s brow furrowed instinctively, and she nodded in affirmation. “Yes.”
Everett’s face broke into a smile as he said, “I’m twenty-nine, so you’re three years older than me. But that’s not a big deal. In fact, they say older women are often a better match for men.”
Eileen was left speechless, unsure how to process Everett’s comment.
What was happening here?
She was certain that if she continued talking with Everett, Bryan would be furious.
“What college did you graduate from?” Everett asked again. Eileen’s response was barely audible, her tone laced with indifference.
“A college in Onaland.”
“If it’s not among the top one or two universities in Onaland, it can’t compare to the University of Alverton,” Everett said, his voice tinged with a hint of superiority. “This means that I have a better educational background than you.”