Chapter 598
Bryan’s longing to embrace her was palpable, yet he resisted the urge. “Taking me back would only prolong the heartache for you,” he said.
“Then why even bother talking to me now?” Eileen stood abruptly, her hands sifting through the scattered papers on the table. “You always do what you want. My words won’t change a thing. Do you expect me to thank you for making me miserable?”
She scoffed and added, “You’ve made it clear that looking for you was a mistake. Just stop. Don’t make me regret ever knowing you.”
Bryan’s hand stretched out slowly, reaching for her wrist, but Eileen slipped away with graceful agility.
His fingers barely brushed her sleeve as he watched her walk farther away.
Eileen said, “Don’t worry. I won’t hold on to you. Whether you seek help or choose to let go, you don’t need to stay in this place.”
With those words, she left the room swiftly.
The door swung shut with a soft click, obscuring Bryan’s sight of her completely.
Her retreating figure conveyed a sense of determined detachment.
In the evening, Josue and Jacob hurried to see Bryan.
“What’s going on?” Josue asked, passing Bryan a plane ticket. “Eileen asked me to give this to you. Have you decided if you’re going back?”
Bryan took the ticket, his eyes briefly scanning it as his fingers traced its edges quietly.
Jacob sat beside Bryan, exchanging a knowing look with Josue. “With his stubbornness? I don’t think so.”
Mₒᵣₑ ᵤₚdₐₜₑₛ ᵢₙ gₐₗₙₒᵥₑₗₛ.𝒸ₒₘ
“Come on, guys. Enough with the games. What’s really going on? Did Eileen give you the ticket because she figured out you’re not really suffering from amnesia?” Josue’s anxiety was palpable as he scratched his ears and settled into a chair. “Bryan, just tell me what’s going on. You’ll regret not speaking up if you suddenly drop dead without a chance to clear the air.”
After a long pause, Bryan finally spoke. “Eileen’s sadness won’t last. Gabriela will fill her life with joy, and she’ll move on. I can handle her forgetting me and moving forward, but I can’t bear her resenting me.”
That kind of resentment was deep-seated.
Eileen wasn’t being childish.
She was giving him one last warning—if he didn’t stop, it would break her heart, and she would end up resenting him for life.
He couldn’t bear the thought of her enduring such emotional turmoil.
Jacob suddenly understood and said, “It’s about control, isn’t it? She’s not okay with you controlling her. If she ends up resenting you, that’s on you. It’s not that she can’t accept you as you are now; it’s that you can’t handle her resentment. She’s got you in a bind.”
After a prolonged silence, Bryan smiled suddenly, his gaze drifting to the sky. “That’s right.”
After a sleepless night, Eileen awoke with a knot of tension in her stomach.
Despite her attempts to hide it, Benjamin sensed her unease.
“The airport’s a fair drive. We should leave by noon at the latest. I’ll help you pack,” Benjamin said, setting his suitcase aside. “You seem distracted; maybe you’ll forget to bring Gabriela with you.”
Eileen shook her head firmly. “No, I won’t forget. She’s my daughter.”
Benjamin focused on packing for both Eileen and Gabriela.
.