Chapter 418
After a prolonged silence, Milford finally looked up at her and said, “I’ve made up my mind. When the three days are up, I’ll still go to Zola’s. Anyway, I’ll be living on campus soon, so there’s no need to make her unhappy now. But the money I borrowed from you, I’ll pay back myself. I don’t want to owe her anything.”
Milford didn’t want Zola to use the debt as leverage to interfere in his life.
“If this is your decision after careful consideration, I respect it,” Eileen said while sitting next to him. “But if you’re worried about causing me any trouble, let me assure you, there’s no need. With the position I’m in right now, Zola can’t make things difficult for me.”
Eileen was no longer the cautious woman she once was.
“I’m not worried about causing you trouble. I just think that since this issue can be resolved easily, there’s no need to make a big deal out of it. Don’t worry, I’m not one for unnecessary sacrifices,” Milford joked, trying to put Eileen at ease.
Their conversation flowed smoothly, and Eileen soon left Milford’s room.
Back in her own room, Eileen found Bryan stepping out of the bathroom, with Gabriela sitting on the bed, gnawing on a teething biscuit Bryan had made.
“The bathwater is ready,” Bryan said, leaning against the wall, his eyes on Gabriela. After a moment, he added, “Or I could take Gabriela downstairs and have your mom watch her for a bit. Then I can help you with the bath!”
Instinctively, Eileen crossed her arms over her chest. “No need!”
“You’ve had a long day. It’s only fair that I help you,” Bryan said matter-of-factly. “I can offer a variety of services—back-scratching, massage, applying body lotion.”
In the past, Bryan would indeed arrange special treatments for Eileen.
Now, it wasn’t that his attention was solely on Gabriela, but he believed that by caring for her, Eileen could focus on her work without worrying.
Eileen took a deep breath, stepped forward, and nestled into Bryan’s arms, pressing her body against his. She wrapped her arms around his solid waist and looked up at him. “I’m not jealous, but sometimes I feel like you focus a bit too much on Gabriela.”
Lately, Josue had been complaining that Bryan wouldn’t let him visit Gabriela. Since their reconciliation, Josue hadn’t seen Gabriela in a long time. Josue’s protests had been vigorous.
Eileen thought Bryan was being a bit over the top. After all, they owed much to the Payne family for her time abroad. But calling it excessive could be a stretch, as Bryan did allow Rylie inside, just leaving Josue out.
Bryan’s hand rested on Eileen’s lower back, his gaze intense. “You’re not at home, and I can’t take her out to meet you. If I don’t pay attention to her, how can I keep from missing you?”
Eileen’s ears turned red at his words. She stood on tiptoe and planted a kiss on his cheek.
“So, about the shares of EB Group,” Eileen began, trying to bring up the topic of returning the shares.
But before she could finish, Bryan silenced her with a kiss, holding her hands tightly to prevent her from pulling away.
Gabriela, with her big, innocent eyes, watched them from the bed, trying to understand what her parents were doing. She kicked her legs and waved her arms excitedly, eager to get a better view.
Eileen pushed Bryan away, turned around, and went into the bathroom, locking the door behind her.
Bryan returned to the bed, picked up the baby girl, and held her close, kissing her cheek.
“Be good. Daddy loves you just as much as Mommy.”
Gabriela seemed to understand, opening her mouth to show a cute, toothless smile.
“But you need to go to bed early, or Daddy won’t be as happy…” Bryan said, before taking Gabriela to prepare some formula, gently lulling her to sleep.
Gabriela’s early bedtime meant Eileen couldn’t sleep early. She figured it would be more convenient to visit Phoebe in the morning.
Around ten, Eileen managed to get up, have a quick bite, and doze off again in the car.
Half an hour later, she woke up groggily, wrapped in Bryan’s black coat as they entered the hospital.
Phoebe’s mother and Gwyneth had taken the newborn for some routine check-ups, leaving only Phoebe and Jacob in the room.
Eileen’s drowsiness vanished upon seeing Phoebe, who looked entirely different from before.
Phoebe, once slim with a short, tidy haircut, now had hair long enough to tie into a ponytail. She had visibly gained weight, especially in her face.
“Look at her expression!” Phoebe turned to Jacob and pinched his arm. “She thinks I’m fat and ugly!”
Jacob yelped from the unexpected pinch but quickly composed himself.
When he regained his composure, he quickly said, “Impossible! You’re the slimmest. Don’t cry—you’re as beautiful as ever! New mothers are the epitome of beauty!”