Chapter 339
“Of course, I agree with you,” Kaysen replied immediately.
Noting his assertive tone and confident gaze, Berkley paused for a moment before tentatively asking, “Have you figured out a plan?”
“Aren’t there plenty of options?” Kaysen responded casually. “Lately, I’ve been monitoring Ferguson Group’s activities. Plus, with Julio back, my attention has been on him. I couldn’t care less about Eileen and Benjamin.”
Berkley’s eyes sparkled with admiration as she listened. Then she said, “Kaysen, I know you’ve come up with a plan. What are you planning to do?”
Kaysen’s confidence swelled as he basked in her admiring gaze. He boasted, “Even though I no longer run Ferguson Group, I can still end someone’s life effortlessly.”
“What?” Berkley exclaimed, startled. “Are you planning to kill Eileen and Benjamin? Isn’t that too risky? We’re talking about lives here!”
“Narrow-minded!” Kaysen sneered at Berkley’s concern. “There are plenty of people desperate for money. If I’m willing to pay, I could kill people and still get away with it, not to mention just two! Besides, only targeting Eileen now—Benjamin is just a follower. He has some skills that might be useful to me later on.”
Berkley bit her lip, carefully considering Kaysen’s words. Once convinced of his seriousness and his confidence in his plan, she smiled. “Kaysen, you are incredible. I admire such a powerful man like you…”
On the third floor, Benita, who was eavesdropping on their conversation through a recording device, sneered and turned off the receiver.
To outsiders, Berkley was an elegant woman. But in reality, she was a manipulator.
How else could she have coerced Kaysen into falsely accusing his own son, Julio, of incest and expelling him from their home?
Benita was no stranger to listening in on their discussions. After all, they had already destroyed her life for their sake.
She remained vigilant, wary of being betrayed by them again.
This time, she allowed them another opportunity to betray her. She would make sure Kaysen would never turn the tables in this lifetime!
She saved the recording on a USB drive and then dialed Bryan.
It was late, but Bryan hadn’t gone to bed yet. He was at the Dawson Mansion.
The grand Dawson Mansion was brightly lit, and Bryan sat in a chair as he faced Stella, who looked displeased.
“What do you need at this late hour?” Bryan asked.
Stella was direct. Aware of Bryan’s recent closeness to Eileen, she felt a wave of anger.
“Can’t you think more practically? In wealthy families, how many truly afford to put love first? And how many have chosen spouses from ordinary backgrounds?”
Bryan glanced up. “Then why did you agree to the marriage before? And she’s the one you set me up with.”
“Since she isn’t from a powerful family, she would have to give up something. Sacrificing herself in a desperate situation for your sake can secure her a future filled with glory and wealth. Isn’t that to be expected?” Stella argued passionately. She had always been somewhat careful around Eileen, but with Bryan, she was straightforward.
Bryan chuckled suddenly, his smile dripping with sarcasm. “I’m not the type to let someone rescue me from a fire only to push them away when I’m done.”
Stella paused. Before, Bryan’s acceptance of Eileen had delighted her. After all, finding someone who could support Bryan and win his affection was a challenge.
But now, this very love had become intolerable for her!
Because this love had turned utterly useless now.
Before Stella could say something, Bryan’s phone rang.
The caller ID was unknown.
Bryan checked his phone and promptly hung up.
Stella suspected it might have been Eileen calling, suggesting that Bryan still cared about her feelings.
“Bryan, I’ve dedicated my life to you. I may have made mistakes, but it was all for your benefit. You might not see it; you might even resent me, but you have to listen to me!” Stella said.
Bryan put his phone away and said, “Or what?”
“Or I’ll kill myself!” Stella blurted out.
The room fell silent, and the once warm bond between them no longer existed.
All that remained were Stella’s threats and Bryan’s deep disappointment.
“You wouldn’t do that, because if you were to commit suicide over my disobedience, it would be known that I’m a terrible son, and I’d never be able to redeem myself. Please stop using that kind of threat; it only diminishes the little appreciation I still have for you,” Bryan said.
As he finished speaking, his phone rang once more.
It was the same unfamiliar number, calling twice now at such a late hour.
After a brief pause, Bryan stood and headed upstairs. “Grandma, take care of yourself. I can protect the Dawson family and won’t let Brandon win. Please don’t make things harder.”
Stella quickly got up and followed him, apparently not ready to back down.
Bryan had just reached the second step when he heard Stella’s footsteps behind him. He stopped, turned around, and said firmly, “It’s not only you who can use death as a threat. I can do the same. Stop bothering Eileen and stay out of my affairs. You wouldn’t want to suffer the grief of loss again, would you?”
His voice was calm, his tone serious.
His dark eyes fixed on Stella, making it clear he meant what he had said.
The phone continued to ring as he ascended the stairs.
He then answered the call. “Hello.”
“Mr. Dawson, this is Benita Ferguson.”
“Benita?” Bryan paused briefly, then composed himself. He entered the bedroom and said coldly, “What do you need?”
Benita chuckled and replied, “Mr. Dawson, don’t be so cold.
I’m calling to cooperate with you.”
In the silent room, her voice rang clearly. The phone, now on speaker, was the only source of light in the dark room.
As Bryan unbuttoned his shirt, his voice turned colder. “Get to the point.”
“It’s about Eileen. It’s not suitable to discuss this matter over the phone. I’ve reserved a table for us tomorrow at noon. Let’s meet there and talk. Okay?” Benita quickly added, “I promise, it’s a proposal you’ll find interesting. If not, you can throw me out of the restaurant tomorrow.”
Benita’s tone was casual, typical of her style, but Bryan knew she wasn’t one to bluff.
Bryan agreed, and Benita ended the call.
There were a few seconds of silence before the screen went dark.
Bryan flicked on the bedside lamp and went to the bathroom to shower.
The sound of water soon filled the bathroom. Bryan thought about Stella’s words earlier.
They were painful to him, and Eileen must have felt more hurt than he did.
Why would a woman with no powerful background need to risk everything she had to marry into a wealthy family?
That was ridiculous.
Yet, that was the reality.
Ten minutes later, he got out of the shower, grabbed a towel to wrap around his waist, and dried his hair as he stepped out of the bathroom.
He walked directly to the nightstand, picked up his phone, and called Eileen.
It was now past eleven in the evening. Gabriela had just fallen asleep, and Eileen’s phone was on silent. The vibration prompted Eileen to take her phone to the balcony.
Seeing that it was Bryan calling, Eileen slightly furrowed her brow and answered the call. She then heard Bryan say, “I miss you.”
Bryan had been saying this a lot lately, but today, it somehow sounded different.
Despite the distance, Eileen could feel his emotions.
“Are you at Dawson Mansion?” Eileen asked, suspecting that his mood might be linked to a conversation with Stella.
“Yeah,” Bryan replied. “I haven’t moved anything in our wedding house. We’ll move back there when you return.”
Eileen was taken aback. “You… didn’t you break the house?”
She had thought that, in his anger, Bryan might have lost his senses and destroyed the house.
“Break the house?” Bryan chuckled, though his laugh was laced with sadness. “That is a home we designed together, adorned with our wedding pictures, all chosen by you. How could I ever bring myself to tear it down?”
Even when he had been unaware of the truth back then, he couldn’t bring himself to do that.
That home was the only thing that had given him warmth and strength during that time.
“Hang on,” Eileen said, leaning against the balcony railing and looking at the sleeping child inside. Her expression softened. “Did we just jump to talking about the wedding house and where we’ll live in the future? I haven’t even said I’m coming back yet.”
Her voice ended with a barely noticeable mix of pride and defiance.
Bryan’s lips curled slightly, seeing through her facade, but he remained patient.
“Alright, you won’t come back. By the way, how is the plan to acquire Warren Group progressing?” he asked.
Eileen answered, “Everything’s set. We’re just waiting to meet with Warren Group’s representatives, and we’ll make adjustments after the meeting.”
Eileen believed that there was a high chance of success, although she knew dealing with Kian would be challenging.
But Kian didn’t have the final say now, so she was very concerned.
Unexpectedly, Bryan said, “Tomorrow at ten in the morning, I’ll have someone send over the contract.”
“What?” Eileen was shocked. “You’re going to send the contract over just like that?”
This move would bypass several steps and save her a considerable amount of time.
“Use the time you save for me. I figure I’ve saved you about a week,” Bryan said. “But you have to make me one promise—don’t meet with her privately in the future.”
Eileen knew Bryan was referring to Stella.
“Alright, I agree,” Eileen replied.
Avoiding interaction with Stella was a decision she had made some time ago, so she readily agreed with Bryan.
However, she hadn’t anticipated that the next day, she would run into Stella at the entrance of Freguson Group.
At ten o’clock, as planned, Bryan had someone deliver the acquisition contract, which Eileen, Benjamin, and Julia reviewed together. Finding it satisfactory, they signed it promptly.
Having secured the deal so smoothly, the three of them decided to celebrate with a few trusted senior executives at a nearby restaurant.
The cheerful atmosphere was momentarily disrupted when they spotted Stella standing at the entrance of Freguson Group, causing everyone to instinctively look at Eileen.
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