Shrouded Affections Winning Back My CEO Wife

Chapter 172

Chapter 172:

In the evening, Bailee called Eileen to say that Huey’s assistant wouldn’t be able to make it to Wist Land this time. Huey’s team was tied up with a competition, and they needed Bailee’s assistance for a couple of days. Bailee was familiar with the processes because she had once worked for Huey.

“Then go and help them. Huey has been a big support to us in the past. I’ll look after Mom,” Eileen told Bailee.

“Okay. You can arrange for a caregiver for Mom on Monday. I’ll be back by Monday afternoon,” Bailee replied. Once their plans were confirmed, Bailee ended the call promptly.

Eileen kept it brief with Ruby about Bailee’s whereabouts, simply saying that Bailee had some important matters to attend to. As evening turned to night, moonlight bathed the hospital room. Ruby was asleep, while Eileen lay on the companion bed, phone in hand, restless.

Her last conversation with Bryan concluded with her asking him not to visit for a few days. He hadn’t even responded. The image of his cold, hawk-like gaze in the hospital this morning lingered in her mind as if it were permanently imprinted there. She inhaled deeply, put her phone away, and tried to force herself to sleep.

Despite her best efforts, sleep eluded her. She spent the entire weekend at the hospital, and by Monday morning, she left feeling exhausted. She went home first and noticed that Bryan’s belongings were untouched. It was evident he hadn’t visited during her absence. So, he had seen her message but had decided not to respond.

After a shower and changing into fresh clothes, Eileen applied light makeup and headed to the educational institution. Though she looked less weary, her thoughts remained clouded. Around noon, she got a message on WhatsApp from Milford.

“Ms. Curtis, when you bring Adalina here tonight, please arrive ten minutes early and use the side entrance.” After a moment’s pause, Eileen responded, “Understood.”

In the afternoon, she left early to fetch Adalina from the Vance family’s home and drove directly to Pianoforte Villas. Arriving about twenty minutes ahead of the scheduled time, she guided Adalina to the side entrance. A glass door there was designed to let them skip the living room and head straight upstairs.

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But despite Eileen’s efforts, the door wouldn’t budge. “Ms. Curtis, why aren’t we using the main entrance?” Adalina asked. Eileen frowned and said, “Milford told me to arrive ten minutes early and use this side door.” She then wondered to herself if this was yet another of Milford’s pranks.

She covered her eyes from the bright sun and glanced inside through the glass door, noticing that the door was locked from within. “This isn’t going to work,” she said, turning to Adalina. “It seems he might have tricked us. Let’s go in through the main entrance.”

As they approached the main entrance, Eileen caught sight of Bryan’s car parked out front. He exited the vehicle, his dark gaze briefly meeting hers. He locked the car, strode past her and Adalina, climbed the steps, and unlocked the door with a quick press of his fingerprint. Noticing Eileen and Adalina hadn’t followed, he turned and said, “Aren’t you coming in?”

Eileen quickly snapped out of her surprise and hurried after Bryan. As Bryan changed his shoes and proceeded toward the living room, a figure in a long red dress appeared. Sweeping in like a breeze, the woman approached Bryan with her hands clasped behind her, her long black hair in flowing waves and her makeup enhancing her mature allure.

approached Bryan, rose onto her tiptoes for

with surprise. “When

you. But now, it seems like there’s only shock, no

you had informed me, I would have prepared a proper welcome.” Then, as if recalling something, he

when Zola caught her eye. Noticing Bryan’s gaze, Eileen swiftly finished changing her shoes and walked inside with Adalina, nodding slightly. “Mr. Dawson, I’ll take Adalina upstairs for

gaze sweeping over Eileen with a hint of superiority, though she displayed no outright hostility. Eileen suddenly

you must be Milford’s sister,”

adjusted her hair and replied, “Yes, you can go upstairs now.” Zola didn’t introduce herself, leaving Eileen unsure whether she was more interested in catching up with Bryan or simply indifferent to meeting

at Bryan but felt his piercing gaze follow her. His hawk-like eyes tracked her until she

here?” Bryan asked Zola. Zola wrapped her arm around Bryan’s and steered him towards the living room. “They know. It’s nearly year-end, and since they couldn’t persuade you to return, they sent me to bring you back to Onaland for Christmas. Grandma

they had been family for thirty years, after all. Even though they weren’t related by blood, their bond as

heard from Raymond that you managed to secure the project.” Zola crossed her legs, her demeanor bright and confident as she looked at

lately. My coming home for Christmas depends on how things will

that, Zola said, “If you don’t go back, I’m not going either. I don’t want to go back alone

second thought. “Jacob is here,

mature from her time abroad. They hadn’t seen much of each other recently,

eaten yet? I’ll cook something for you,” Bryan said with a

after his tutoring session. It’s been ages since I last saw him, and I hardly know how to handle his new rebellious streak.” Zola gestured, urging

made Bryan feel like she hadn’t changed much, except for her dressing style. Bryan moved to the kitchen and opened the fridge. After a pause, he turned

could you not remember what I like to eat?”

curiosity. She could faintly hear the conversation below, mostly Zola’s lively

Curtis.” Milford tapped his pen on the table and said, “You’ve been zoning out

back to the present with a heavy feeling in her heart. She walked to firmly shut the door to drown out the noise. Then, she

your scores…”

was just around the cutoff for high schools, which was

a phone, which she had already purchased. She had also

and said, “Thank you, Ms.