Chapter 323
Eileen stared at Jacob without a hint of emotion, not even blinking.
Jacob squirmed under her gaze and quickly put his phone away.
“Eileen, you’re scaring him,” Phoebe said, defending Jacob for the first time and pulling him behind her. “He might be a bit foolish, but only I get to give him a hard time. Your stare nearly swallowed him whole. Why are you starting to act like Bryan?”
Jacob quickly hid behind Phoebe and muttered, “Honey, she’s so fierce. Let’s have a son and marry him to her daughter in the future. Then her daughter will have to respect me. I’d like to see if she still dares to give me that 100k then.”
“Lil’ Gabriela is godmother now, and you’re her godfather. Even if we don’t arrange Gabriela’s marriage, she’ll still be your goddaughter,” Phoebe gently patted Jacob’s head. “You can leave us alone now. I need to have a chat with Eileen.”
The kitchen buzzed with dinner preparations, and Jacob went to help.
Eileen cradled Gabriela in her arms, her gaze soft, a stark contrast to the fierceness she had shown Jacob earlier.
“There’s something I’ve wanted to say for a while now. You can’t keep the child a secret from Bryan forever. He is the father of this child and deserves to know,” Phoebe said, observing Eileen’s expression closely.
Eileen paused, her eyelids lifting slightly as her long eyelashes fluttered. “I didn’t plan to keep it a secret from him forever, but until our relationship is settled, I can’t say anything about it to him.”
“This morning, Eileen said a lot to Jacob and me. Since you know Stella has her own struggles, can’t you let go of the grudges?” Phoebe edged closer to Eileen. “No one is entirely rational; the deeper the love, the more vulnerable one becomes. With the wedding approaching, Bryan was stretched to his limit at that time.”
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After a pause, she continued, “He was on guard against Brandon, Zola, Klan, and everyone else, but he never guarded against you and Stella. Unfortunately, it was with you that things went wrong…”
“You don’t have to say too much,” Eileen interjected. “What’s keeping us apart isn’t a lack of love. But all we have is just love. That is not enough for us to be together.”
In the world of the wealthy, love was not enough. They couldn’t survive on love alone.
Phoebe felt a lump in her throat, a heavy burden pressing down on her heart. If she weren’t the daughter of the Burton family, her relationship with Jacob might have already ended.
And had she not gotten involved with Jacob, the Burton family might never have accepted her again. For Eileen, who lacked a prestigious background, marrying into a wealthy family often meant being cast aside when trouble arose.
“So, as you strive to grow stronger, you’ve already become quite powerful now. Have you figured out your next steps in your relationship with Bryan?” Phoebe asked.
Eileen shook her head. “Throughout my pregnancy, my only focus was on safely delivering the child. Afterward, all I’ve wanted is to solidify my position at the Ferguson Group and become Gabriela’s pillar of support. Things are too complex right now, so I’m not ready to consider how to navigate my relationship with Bryan.”
“Take your time to think about that. But you should let Bryan meet his daughter first,” Jacob, having found no task in the kitchen, returned and spoke up.
“And what happens next?” Eileen countered. “Do you think I’ll still have the option to refuse Bryan once he knows he has a daughter with me?”
She knew that if Bryan learned of the child, he would not leave her alone for the rest of her life.
After a pause, Eileen continued, “If Stella finds out about this child, do you think she won’t use legal means to snatch her away and help Bryan go against Brandon? I jumped into the fire for Bryan and emerged wounded. How could I let Gabriela be a pawn in Stella’s hands? When I married Bryan before, it was a gamble that I would be fortunate to meet sincere people. But I lost. Now, you want me to gamble with Gabriela again?”
Gabriela was the most important person in her life now; she couldn’t bear to be separated from her.
If she were sure Stella wouldn’t take the child, she would have let Bryan see his daughter immediately. But that was not the reality.
Perhaps because of her pregnancy, Phoebe empathized with Eileen’s fears. “I understand your concerns, but Bryan is still the child’s father. Missing your pregnancy, the child’s birth, and her growth—it’ll be a regret for him.
So, you should decide soon.”
Eileen replied, “Once the Walsh Group’s project is settled, I’ll have more time. I’ll seriously consider this issue then.”
Bryan had haunted Eileen’s thoughts for countless nights.
The current state of their relationship was utterly heartbreaking for her.
“Stella went up the mountain and hasn’t returned, but once the project is completed, Apex Group will face change and the Dawson family will undergo transformation. Maybe Stella will return then, and I’m sure she’ll come looking for you,” Phoebe said.
Stella would do anything for Bryan, sparing no effort.
Phoebe believed Stella would seek reconciliation with Eileen and ask Eileen to get back with Bryan.
Whether her actions were sincere or driven by self-interest, no one could know.
As they talked, Jacob covertly snapped several photos of Gabriela, applying beauty filters before sending them to Bryan.
Bryan furrowed his brows as he looked at the photos, sensing a flicker of familiarity. But since Gabriela had grown so quickly, Bryan didn’t recognize her as the child he had once held abroad.
“Does she look cute? Familiar? Do you feel a connection? Do you like her?” Jacob asked, not daring to reveal Gabriela’s identity.
He couldn’t risk the Dawson family taking the child away. If Eileen ended up hating him, that was one thing, but fearing Phoebe’s wrath was another matter entirely. So, he could only hint at the matter to Bryan.
“Jacob, what’s wrong with you?” Bryan’s response conveyed his irritation with Jacob.
“There’s nothing wrong, but there’s a hidden message here. Figure it out,” Jacob replied cryptically.
Bryan was confused. He couldn’t figure out what Jacob meant.
However, the more he looked at the photos, the more he found himself drawn to Gabriela, unable to look away. He even thought the baby somewhat resembled Eileen.
He curled his lips slightly, thinking he must be going crazy from missing Eileen.
After a while, Bryan sighed and put his phone away, turning to Jarred.
Jarred said, “Your grandmother refuses to come back. She says she’ll return when the project is settled and the Dawson family is about to change.”
“Tell her to take good care of her health,” Bryan replied.
Zola had no choice but to seek out Kian again. “I was wrong last time. Please convey my apologies to Mr. Walsh. Kian, I really need to get this project,” she said.
“You know Mr. Walsh’s expectations. Zola, how can I help you with this? By sending you to his bed?” Kian asked earnestly as he poured her a cup of coffee. “I couldn’t do that.”
“Is there another way? If I tell him my relationship with your Mr. Walsh, will he stop harassing me? I’ll find someone else to take my place, please think of something and help me arrange a meeting with him again,” Zola said.
They were at Kian’s place. Zola approached him with an unusual humility, her usual arrogance nowhere to be found.
She chose to humble herself before Kian rather than risk being defiled by Leland. She couldn’t bear to see Eileen come out victorious.
“Tomorrow, Eileen is going to sign the contract with Mr. Walsh. Please help me meet him before they sign it. I’ll take my chances then,” Zola said, clinging to Kian’s arm.
Kian took a sip of his coffee and smirked, “So, why is it so important for you to win, Zola? If Apex Group falls, it would be your revenge against Brandon and Lydia for what they did to you. Leaving the Dawson family and coming to me would be ideal for you, wouldn’t it?”
Zola hadn’t expected the conversation to take this turn, and she hesitated for a few seconds.
Kian continued, “You may have grown up with Bryan and feel a connection with him, but remember that Bryan is the reason Brandon and Lydia are cruel to you. Without him, you might have still been able to get pregnant. Shouldn’t you resent Bryan?”
Kian watched Zola’s expression closely, observing every subtle shift.
After a moment, Zola blurted, “It’s Bryan’s fault.”
“So what?” Kian gripped her chin. “Isn’t Vivian innocent? Yet, she ended up in a mental hospital. Anyone connected to the Dawson family meets a bad end. Zola, open your eyes.”
The mention of Vivian suddenly made Zola feel guilty. She looked away, avoiding Kian’s gaze.
“Zola, this is your last chance. Leave the Dawson family. Stay out of this mess. I’ll take you somewhere else. The Warren Group has been taken over, and the Warren family will go down. Starting anew elsewhere won’t be difficult for us. Will you come with me?” Kian forced Zola to meet his gaze, waiting for her answer.
The Warren Group was going under?
Zola felt a sinking feeling in her heart. She was aware of the financial troubles Warren Group had been grappling with, but she thought Kian still held sway over the company.
Now, what Kian had said must mean that the new investors were planning to oust Kian, and he had no recourse to fight back.
So, she couldn’t rely on Kian anymore. After resolving the matters with Leland, she would need to cut ties with Kian to steer clear of trouble.
“Kian, with the Dawson family in turmoil, how can I leave? Besides, you’ve led Warren Group into dire straits for my sake. If I can gain control of Apex Group, perhaps I can help in Warren Group’s recovery,” Zola said.
She painted him another dream, so beautiful that it was hard for him to shatter her illusions.
Kian’s lips curled into a smile as his hand slid from Zola’s chin, moving to undress her.
“Kian,” he said, “you’ve been so good to me. Stay here tonight. I want you all to myself. Let me feel that you’re mine, and tomorrow… I’ll take you to see Mr. Walsh.”
He then reclined on the sofa, gesturing for Zola to undress him.
His dark eyes brimmed with unrestrained desire.
Sensing something unsettling about Kian, Zola didn’t move.
“Stop wasting time,” Kian interjected, seizing her hand and guiding it to his waist. “Help me undress.”
Was he consumed by lust now?
Thinking of this, Zola felt a bit relieved. Reluctantly, she complied.
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