Chapter 491
“Brandon, there’s only one thing you need to do,” the lead elder chimed in. “Bring Travis here now, and we’ll believe you.”
Brandon quickly replied, “He’s not back in the country yet. He can’t come right now.”
The elder set a firm deadline. “Three days. Bring him to us in three days, otherwise…” The implication was clear. Dismissing Bryan without proof of Travis would jeopardize their financial support, and the elders were well aware of that.
Lydia’s gaze flitted around the room as she spoke hastily, “It won’t take three days. I’m going to call him right now to book a flight for tonight. He’ll be here by tomorrow morning. Let’s plan to meet for lunch then.”
Eileen raised an eyebrow, unconvinced. She knew Lydia was lying. After all, Travis had helped Christos steal the documents the previous night. Yet, Eileen chose to remain silent, waiting to see Lydia’s next move.
Stella managed to arrange accommodations for everyone at the Dawson Mansion, and soon, the expansive villa was bustling with activity.
Jarred arrived shortly after and showed everyone to their rooms. Brandon and Lydia, appearing hurried, quickly left, clearly preoccupied with something urgent.
Back in the living room, only Eileen, Bryan, and Stella remained. The silence in the room felt suffocating.
Finally, breaking the silence, Stella turned to Bryan. “You married into Eileen’s family?” She paused, her tone tinged with disbelief. “Who came up with that idea?”
Bryan settled next to Eileen and confessed, “It was my idea. I pressured her into accepting the EB Group shares and all my assets.”
After making his position clear, he clasped Eileen’s hand, stood up, and said, “Grandma, I’ll take care of my affairs. You should rest. Tomorrow will be a long day.”
“Aren’t you staying the night?” As Bryan prepared to leave, Stella felt a twinge of disappointment. “I won’t meddle anymore. I’m just curious.”
“This isn’t about that.” Bryan gave a slight nod. “I have other matters to attend to back home.”
Realizing Stella might think he was upset, he added, “It’s not what you think.” He purposely omitted any reference to Gabriela.
Then, he and Eileen left.
The night was thick with darkness, as if immense hands were stretching out from the shadows. Eileen had been mostly silent since their arrival, her mind swirling with the events of the night. She had braced herself for a sleepless night, but to her surprise, she fell asleep almost instantly after retrieving Gabriela from Ruby’s room.
At nine the next morning, Eileen and Bryan made their way back to Dawson Mansion. The previous day’s crowd lingered, but a new face, a man in his early twenties, caught their attention in the living room.
He bore a resemblance to Brandon, though his features seemed to echo Lydia’s even more. His demeanor was humble and polite. He served coffee to the elders, respectfully addressing each one by name. His conduct appeared more courteous than Bryan’s when in the company of others.