Chapter 133
“Okay,” Eileen quickly replied, giving Raymond a nod before trailing after Bryan as he left.
She then got into Bryan’s car with him.
Once she was in his car, she observed his confident handling of the vehicle as he drove. The car picked up speed, prompting Eileen to instinctively grasp the overhead safety handle.
“What are you so scared of?” Bryan asked, casting a quick glance her way. “Weren’t you quite fearless when you confronted me earlier?”
Eileen released one hand and touched the tip of her nose, a hint of guilt in her expression. “Sorry, I just assumed that…” She had initially thought Bryan was seeking retribution for her rejection that had occurred a year ago, but upon reflection, she realized she might have overestimated her importance in Bryan’s heart. To him, her rejection before was likely just a trivial issue.
“What did you think?” Bryan retorted sharply. “That I’m some petty, despicable guy?”
The reminder of the past made Eileen feel even more guilty. She adjusted her hair and turned to gaze out the window, ignoring his question.
Bryan didn’t pursue the conversation further and drove directly to the Pianoforte Villas, pulling up in front of the door. He was one step ahead of Eileen. By the time Eileen unfastened her seatbelt and stepped out of the car, he was already at the front door, entering the passcode.
“Are there just you and Milford here?” Eileen inquired as she caught up to him.
“Yes,” Bryan said as he opened the door.
On the third floor, they found both Milford’s bedroom and study empty. Milford was clearly not there.
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“Do you have Milford’s phone number?” Eileen asked, recalling an earlier observation. “I saw him stash away a game console. Maybe he hid his phone, too.”
A grim look appeared on Bryan’s face. “No,” he said. He then promptly called Raymond to ask him to find out about Milford’s whereabouts.
Within ten minutes, Raymond responded with Milford’s current location. Milford was in a cybercafé situated in a secluded area. Bryan parked the car near the main road by the cybercafé. Bryan and Eileen both got out and began to walk down the alley. The humid southern air made the stone path slick, with moss clinging to its edges. The center of the path remained damp, the air thick with moisture.
Eileen and Bryan followed the directions on their phones, but the navigation app seemed unreliable, sending them looping through the convoluted alleyways.
“Let’s split up. The place must be nearby,” Eileen suggested, pointing to two unexplored paths. “You take that one, and I’ll go down this one.”
Before Bryan could respond, she turned and hurried down her chosen path.
Bryan watched Eileen for a moment, then took the different path with a determined look. As light rain began to fall, Eileen’s hair quickly gathered droplets, but she was too focused to mind that. Rather than wasting time worrying, she stopped a passerby with an umbrella to ask for directions.
“It’s down there,” the passerby stated, pointing down the road. “It is quite rowdy. I saw a fight there earlier. It might not be safe for you, especially alone.”
Eileen glanced toward the indicated direction, where faint sounds drifted through the air. She thanked the passerby and quickened her pace towards the noise.
A modest sign marked “cybercafé” hung above a closed door. Nearby, the sounds of conflict grew louder. Upon approaching, Eileen saw Milford on the ground, being roughed up by a group of people with vividly dyed hair. One of them yanked Milford up and slammed him against a wall.
Milford’s white t-shirt was stained and tattered, his face smeared with grime.
“Do you still want to roll with us? Then act like it and hand over your money!” shouted a person with yellow hair, grabbing Milford’s hair and slapping his face.
Though Milford was taller, he was outnumbered and cornered, unable to defend himself.
Milford gritted his teeth, his breathing heavy. He turned his head and unexpectedly locked eyes with Eileen’s surprised gaze. He paused, his frown deepening momentarily before he averted his eyes.
“That’s enough!” Eileen, struck by the coldness in Milford’s eyes, snapped out of her shock and hurried over.
The young hooligans, all in their twenties, paused their assault and sneered at Eileen, who appeared not much older than them.
“Mind your own business!” the one with red hair yelled.
His warning didn’t deter Eileen, and she continued walking toward them.
Upon reaching them, she swiftly pulled the person’s hand off Milford. Then, she dragged Milford away. She had been able to pull him away easily because the hooligans had all been momentarily shocked and hadn’t reacted swiftly.
The red-haired hooligan was the first to regain his composure. “You’ve got some guts interfering with our matters! Do you even know who we are?”
“I’m not interested in your affairs, but I am concerned about him.” Eileen reached into her bag, pulled out a tissue, and began to gently clean the dirt from Milford’s face.
Not looking at the hooligans, she continued, “What you’re doing is illegal, but I’ll overlook what happened today as long as you leave him alone.”
At the mention of legality, the hooligans exchanged nervous glances, their eyes finally settling on the one with red hair.
The red-haired man assessed Eileen. After a moment, he said reluctantly, “This time, I’ll let it slide. Milford, don’t let me catch you around here again!”
With that, he signaled his gang, and they all turned to leave.
“Stop!” Milford pushed Eileen’s hand away. He shouted to the hooligans, “Return my stuff!”
The man with red hair paused, then retrieved a small bead hanging on a red string from another hooligan.
“Almost forgot. Here you go. Catch!”
He callously tossed the object onto the ground. It landed in the mud, the red string soaking up the murky water.
With two deliberate stomps, the hooligan with red hair crushed the bead.
“Damn it! I’ll kill you!” Milford exclaimed.
Before Eileen could fully understand what was happening, Milford had lunged forward and struck the man with red hair squarely in the face.
The situation escalated quickly as the other hooligans joined the fight, resuming their assault on Milford.
“Stop it!” Eileen rushed forward, trying to reach Milford amidst the chaos, but the fierce scuffle made her attempts futile.
Suddenly, Milford shoved one of the attackers, who bumped into Eileen, causing her to retreat until her feet slipped. She fell backward.
A strong, warm hand caught Eileen’s waist just in time, steadying her against a solid chest.
Surrounded by a familiar scent, Eileen turned to find Bryan behind her, his presence instantly reassuring.
“Stand aside,” Bryan instructed calmly, setting Eileen upright before advancing toward the fray.
Dressed in black, his appearance was starkly different from that of the dyed-hair hooligans, his demeanor cool and authoritative.
With effortless precision, Bryan subdued the hooligans, leaving cries and groans in his wake.
Meanwhile, Eileen watched Milford dash to the shattered bead, trying to piece it together as tears welled up in his eyes.
“Milford’s injured. Let’s get him to the hospital!” Eileen said to Bryan, noting the blood on Milford’s arm.
Bryan called Raymond to deal with the hooligans and went to the hospital with Milford and Eileen.
Throughout the ride, Milford was quiet, his grip tight on the shattered bead.
During the altercation, one of the hooligans had brandished a small knife, leaving a shallow cut on Milford’s forearm.
Fortunately, the injury was minor. After receiving medical attention and bandaging at the hospital, Milford was escorted back home by Bryan and Eileen.
After returning home, Milford headed straight to his room and locked himself inside without saying a word.
“Who gave Milford that bead? Does it have any special significance?” Eileen asked Bryan.
Bryan was making coffee at the mini bar in the living room, his hands moving with the precision and fluidity of someone familiar with the process.
Without turning, he answered, “It was from his grandmother. She passed away when he was ten, which really affected him. Then, two years ago, his parents died unexpectedly, and that changed him even more.”
Eileen felt a surge of sympathy. She had thought her own background was fraught with hardship, but Milford’s circumstances were worse.
“Stay for lunch,” Bryan suggested casually, nodding toward the kitchen. “There is food in the fridge.”
It was already past noon, and given the remote location of the villa, public transport options like buses and taxis were scarce.
Realizing she had no easy way to leave since she had come here in Bryan’s car, Eileen wondered if Bryan was hinting she should cook.
She hesitated for a moment, then bit her lip.
Noticing her reaction, Bryan seemed to catch on. “Haven’t had much chance to cook lately?”
“I don’t really need to. Bailee handles the cooking well,” Eileen replied, feeling a bit embarrassed.
Judging from Bryan’s expression, Eileen believed he remembered her culinary efforts all too well, hinting they were memorably subpar.
After finishing his coffee, Bryan set down his cup and said, “I brought Milford back for you. You can manage things with him here.”
He unbuttoned his sleeves and rolled them up, exposing his well-defined arms.
Then, he made his way into the kitchen.
Eileen went to Milford’s room and knocked twice before announcing, “I’m coming in.”
Sounds emanated from within the room. Although Milford didn’t verbally respond, Eileen sensed he was aware of her presence.
To Eileen’s surprise, Milford had already showered and changed into fresh clothes. He was curled up on the sofa, deeply engrossed in a video game.
He didn’t even bother to look up when Eileen entered the room.
“‘Isn’t Bryan incredible?” Eileen said, choosing a topic that caught Milford off guard.
Milford glanced up briefly but remained silent.
“I know about a taekwondo class that might interest you. Even though you’re a bit old for the class, it’s never too late to learn. I promise you’ll turn into a champion, but at least you won’t be bullied anymore,” Eileen said as she took out her phone, opened the contact for the taekwondo instructor, and offered it to Milford. “Are you interested? Jot down the number and give them a call.”
Milford stopped playing, turned off the game console, and looked at Eileen. “Why aren’t you scolding me?”
“Why would I scold you?” Eileen responded. “You were the one who got bullied and hurt. What reason would I have to scold you?”
Her words were clear and straightforward, yet Milford seemed unable to understand her.