Shrouded Affections Winning Back My CEO Wife

Chapter 245 Chapter 245: Eileen immediately sensed that something was amiss with Bryan. She quickly finished her sandwich, walked over to him, and looked down at the drawer. She caught a whiff of the strange scent, her eyebrows knitting together as she blurted out, "I didn't do that!" Bryan turned to face her, his expression one of deep disappointment. "It's just you andhere. If not you, then who? Could it have been me?" Eileen opened her mouth but couldn't think of a way to respond. Bryan's face was stern, his mind haunted by the memory of her rejecting protection last night and her previous discussions about wanting to get pregnant.

"Grandma does not understand me, but how can you not understandas well?” His accusation cut sharply into Eileen, piercing her heart. She was hurt, and she also felt his pain, understanding his reasons for not wanting children.

"I do understand you. Please, just calm down and letexplain. That day..." Eileen began. Watching the complex emotions swirl in Bryan's dark eyes, Eileen suddenly felt helpless and lost for words.

"Eileen, I'm so disappointed." With that, Bryan turned to walk away. His eyes were tinged with red as he left quickly, his back to her to hide his pain.

The room still felt full of Bryan's presence, and Eileen was haunted by the look of disappointment in his eyes and the tone of his voice. Her legs felt incredibly heavy, so she didn't chase after him. She had forgotten to mention Stella's visit to Bryan. How was she supposed to explain it now? After stime, she stood up and left with a heavy heart. On her way to the Yates family's place, Eileen pulled the car over at the roadside to send Bryan a message after pondering for a while.

"Bryan, I understand you.” Just four simple words, and then she was at a loss for what more to say. galnovsbrings your imagination alive The mood in the car was heavy. Raymond breathed cautiously, stealing glances at Bryan through the rearview mirror.

"Mr. Dawson, what should we do about the rumors concerning Ms. Curtis that are circulating online?" Raymond asked.

Bryan's gaze flickered, and after a pause, he rubbed his forehead and said, "Let it be, and have someone follow her to prevent any further issues." As he finished speaking, he noticed the message from Eileen on his phone. His eyes rested on the four simple words, yet he didn't reply.

Raymond, seeing Bryan's displeasure, assumed it stemmed from the news about Eileen. So, as soon as they reached the company, Raymond acted quickly to suppress the rumors. Once he managed to control the situation, he sighed in relief. He had expected Bryan's mood to improve a bit, but throughout the day, Bryan's expression remained dark. Even the slightest mistakes from the staff drew harsh reprimands from him.

Raymond and Denzel accompanied Bryan, feeling the tension. As the workday neared its end, Denzel attempted to break the tension, saying, "Dawson, you've put in a full day's work, and I haven't been much help. I feel ashamed. Please, lethandle the rest. You should head back and spend twith Ms. Curtis." Bryan stopped what he was doing, his expression tightening as he reached for a cigarette from the pack on his desk and placed it between his lips.

"This project is at a critical phase. I prefer to oversee it myself. You two go ahead and leave. I'll go honce I finish the work." Raymond and Denzel exchanged surprised glances. They knew Bryan usually skipped lunch to finish work early so that he could return hsooner. But now, he wanted to stay late for tasks that weren't particularly urgent? "See," Denzel nodded earnestly. "It's like a hidden form of protection for Ms. Curtis. With all the paparazzi around, it's probably safer for Mr. Dawson to go hlate.” Upon hearing Denzel's words, Raymond understood it as well. "That makes sense. Mr. Dawson really cares about Ms. Curtis!" The more they spoke, the more somber Bryan's expression grew.

"Enough. Both of you can go hnow," he said coldly, cutting off Denzel and Raymond.

He then walked to stand by the floor-to-ceiling window, smoking one cigarette after another, his thoughts preoccupied with Eileen.

Eileen's interview with the Yates family went smoothly. Following the recent incident and given Bryan's evident care for her, she was treated with considerable respect.

Afterward, she went to the educational institution and didn't finish work until the evening. Glancing at her silent phone, she noted Bryan hadn't responded to her message, nor had he called.

Feeling empty inside, she gathered her energy and headed home, pausing on the way to pick up sgroceries. She planned to cook dinner at home, waiting for Bryan's return. They could talk about the matter then.

In the empty house that still echoed with Bryan's presence, Eileen made her way to the kitchen. Following online recipes, she prepared four of Bryan's favorite dishes. It was her first attempt at cooking, and the kitchen turned into a bit of a mess, but she managed to finish all four dishes. Though the dishes didn't look very appetizing, she had made them with effort.

Having finished preparing the dishes, she realized she hadn't prepared the bread. She quickly made toasted bread, then set the dining table, watching the seconds tick away.

Soon, it was eight o'clock. The dishes had gone cold. She stood up and reheated the dishes. Then, she decided to call Bryan. As she was waiting for him to pick up, she felt a surge of nervousness and anticipation. However, the call was abruptly cut off after just a few rings, making her heart sink. He hung up on her? The image of Bryan leaving that morning flashed through Eileen's mind, her chest tightening. She tried to reassure herself, telling herself that maybe Bryan was busy. She then sent him a message.

"I made dinner. When will you be home? Let's talk." She didn't receive a reply. In the spacious house, only the dining room was lit. The bright light illuminated Eileen, making her look lonely. Meanwhile, Eileen's face, initially expressionless, began to show signs of disappointment as tdragged on.

At Apex Group, since Bryan's return to Onaland, under Stella's direction, Bryan had taken over the management of Apex Group. Therefore, whether it was his project with the Freguson family or any other business matter, it was all handled by him at Apex Group.

In the east office, Zola stood by the desk, a chill in her eyes as she hung up Eileen's call on Bryan's phone. She then deleted the message Eileen had just sent and placed the phone back discreetly. So, Bryan and Eileen must have had an argument. That explained Bryan's gloomy demeanor. Zola slightly raised her eyebrows, her lips curling into a smirk. As she heard noise from the lounge area, she quickly put on a look of concern. "What's with this soup? How could it make you sick? Grandma madepromise to ensure you drink it. Had I known it would make you sick, I wouldn't have given it to you," she said to Bryan.

Bryan's face was dark. The soup itself tasted fine, but it was only after he finished it that he noticed the ingredients at the bottom of the bowl and understood what it was. He hadn't eaten much that day, and his stomach had churned upon seeing that, causing him to vomit.

"Next tGrandma lets you send soup to me, just deal with it yourself," Bryan said. He settled back at his desk, glanced at his watch, and noted it was past nine. He checked his phone and found no new messages.

Visibly annoyed, he tugged at his tie, loosening it and unbuttoning the top two buttons of his shirt, and said without looking up, "It's late; you should go back now." "Aren't you heading home?" Zola asked as she put away the meal box. “It's quite late, and Eileen must be waiting for you at home." The mention of Eileen made Bryan's brow crease. “Mind your own business. Just leave.” Zola, seeing his tense reaction, surmised that Eileen and Bryan had indeed argued. She arched an eyebrow and said, "Grandma wantedto take a picture of you and send it to her. Just sit.” She set the meal box aside and retrieved her phone. Before Bryan could react, she took a photo of him slumped back in his chair.

The sound of the camera shutter seemed to annoy Bryan further. "Are you finished?" he snapped.

Zola quickly put away her phone. "Yes, I'm leaving now."

With that, she turned and exited Bryan's office swiftly. Yet, the restlessness in Bryan's chest eduld e not subside. He repeatedly opened his messages with Eileen, his long fingers rapidly tapping on the screen, typing out a line of text only to delete it. He finally set the phone down, his features strained. Suddenly, his phone rang. Without checking the caller ID, Bryan slipped to answer the call.

Jacob's voice cthrough, loud and energetic. "Bryan, Eileen senta message saying, 'People are different.' What does that mean?" he asked.

"I don't know," Bryan responded, already preparing to end the call.

Jacob quickly said, "Hold on, don't hang up yet. I'm in a bit of a situation here. Eileen has even givenher advice, but t you're not concerned about me? How can you call yourself a friend? You've got to know what she means-explain it to me!" All Jacob got was the sound of Bryan lighting a cigarette and inhaling deeply. After a pause, something was off. "What's going on? Why are you smoking alone instead of spending twith Eileen at this hour? Did you guys have an argument?" "Do you have anything else to say?" Bryan dodged the question, not hanging up.

This time, despite Jacob's protests, Bryan ended the call without a second thought. Jacob looked at his phone as if he had stumbled upon something important. Ignoring the late hour, he dashed downstairs, jumped into his car, and drove straight to Phoebe's place. Phoebe was already asleep, and Jacob's relentless knocking startled her awake. "Are you out of your mind? Why are you here at this hour?" Phoebe appeared at the door, groggy, her short hair tousled. She was dressed in a lace outfit that barely covered her, her skin under the moonlight looking as smooth as porcelain. Jacob's gaze darkened noticeably upon seeing that.

"You know I don't mind any way," he replied bluntly. Phoebe, taken aback, was silent for a few seconds before attempting to close the door.

Jacob, however, pushed the door open forcefully. Phoebe, still drowsy, lacked the strength to stop him. The force pushed her, pinning her against the wall, making her grimace in discomfort.

Before she could accuse Jacob of being rough, the light from the hallway dimmed, and she found herself looking up just as Jacob's eyes met hers.