Shrouded Affections Winning Back My CEO Wife

Chapter 249 Chapter 249: "Benjamin?" Bailee peeked over from the couch, a smile spreading across her face as she saw Benjamin.

Benjamin strolled in, a gift in hand, only to be taken aback by the bandages wrapped around Bailee's leg. "What happened to you?" he asked.

Bailee waved a dismissive hand. "It's nothing serious. Just a minor injury. Truth be told, I feel like I could walk fine, but my sister and the others are making a mountain out of a molehill, insisting I stay hto recuperate.” Once inside, Benjamin offered a warm greeting to Ruby. He felt somewhat uneasy, partially because Eileen's reaction upon seeing him had been unexpectedly indifferent.

Besides, unaware of Bailee's leg injury, he had only bought shealth supplements for Ruby, which now seemed like a woefully inadequate gesture.

Ruby hauled herself up with the aid of a walker and enthusiastically ushered Benjamin to the sofa. Her eyes then landed on Eileen.

"Eileen, chere; take a seat!" she said.

"Okay, Mom," Eileen replied, settling beside Bailee while maintaining a cautious distance from Benjamin.

She leaned closer to Bailee, whispering, "Why is Benjamin here?" Bailee's brow furrowed in surprise. "Didn't I ask you about it? Mom wanted Benjamin to cover, and you agreed." Eileen suddenly thought of something. Bailee had said something to her on the balcony, but she hadn't paid much attention to it.

"Why does this man look so familiar?" Every story starts at galn ovels;Huey emerged from the direction of the washroom, planting himself in the doorway as he looked at Benjamin, certain he had seen Benjamin before. Benjamin recognized Huey and introduced himself with a slight nod. "Hello, I am Nash, Mr. Warren's assistant." "You're the assistant of that scheming Kian?" Huey blurted out. Bailee gasped, her eyes widening as she quickly signaled for Huey to be quiet.

Huey quickly stopped talking.

Memories resurfaced of helping Bailee hunt for a job, only to face rejection after rejection. Huey vividly recalled Bailee's tear-stained face as anger and disappointment had overwhelmed her—a grievance he wouldn't forget. "Benjamin, please don't take it personally. Huey has a habit of speaking very directly, but he doesn't mean anything by it," Bailee said, offering an awkward explanation.

Benjamin replied, "It's okay." The awkward atmosphere dissipated as the delivery arrived, and Eileen began laying out the food on the table. With Huey as a guest and both Bailee and Ruby's mobility limited, Benjamin rose and offered his assistance to Eileen in the dining room.

"Thank you, but you're a guest; I can handle this on my own," Eileen said to Benjamin politely.

Benjamin, however, remained undeterred, continuing to help Eileen. "Con, Mr. Warren isn't here?" "He is busy," Eileen's reply was terser.

"Don't lie to me," Benjamin said, his voice firm. "I heard it when Mr. Warren received a call. Someone told him you and Bryan Dawson had an argument." Eileen paused upon hearing that. Was Bryan the one who had divulged such sensitive information? But Bryan would never discuss such matters with Kian. So, who could have told Kian? Knowing Kian's strained relations with them, whoever informed Kian of their argument undoubtedly harbored ulterior motives. This meant that, aside from Kian, someone else was scrutinizing her relationship with Bryan. Though the deduction lacked concrete evidence, the mere thought sent a shiver down Eileen's spine.

Yet, it was an expected reality; she and Bryan were indeed besieged on all sides, their every move scrutinized by prying eyes.

"Don't worry. I'm not here to kick you while you're down. I just asked about it to avoid any awkwardness if Mr. Dawson shows up later," Benjamin said. He could no longer assist Eileen, but he wouldn't deliberately complicate matters for her, either. His goal was to navigate these treacherous waters carefully, avoiding unnecessary trouble.

"Thank you for your consideration," Eileen mustered a smile, resuming her task of setting the table before telling the others to join for the meal.

Dinner unfolded, with food of light and delicate flavors, the fare carefully curated to accommodate Ruby's needs. "Ruby, it's wonderful to see you bouncing back like this! I'm genuinely surprised and thrilled!" Huey said, his voice tinged with nostalgia. He recalled the harrowing day a year ago when Bailee had gone to West Land with Ruby, leaving him to grapple with the notion that he might never see Ruby again.

Who would have foreseen a reunion today? Ruby slowly put down her fork, smiling at Huey and Benjamin.

"I'm almost fully healed. When it's tfor the wedding, you can do it together." Ruby's greatest wish was to bear witness to Eileen's and Bailee's marriages. Now that both her daughters had found their partners, all that remained was for her to regain her strength to walk with steadfast grace. Then, they could hold the wedding ceremonies.

"Okay," Huey's response was imbued with unabashed loyalty. Bailee flushed with embarrassment and shot Huey a glare before resuming her meal.

Eileen spoke little, eating in silence. During the meal, she and Benjamin had barely exchanged a few words.

The dynamic between the three women and Benjamin remained somewhat inexplicable, particularly concerning Ruby's apparent fondness for Benjamin. The situation led to an awkward atmosphere.

Benjamin was a man of few words, and Ruby's struggles to articulate her thoughts compounded the lull that had settled over the gathering.

After lingering for over an hour past the end of dinner, Benjamin decided to leave.

Ruby got to her feet. “Let's go together... It would be good forto take a walk." The cool, gentle evening breeze wafted through the open car windows.

Downstairs, Bryan leaned back in his seat inside his car, his gaze fixed on the brightly illuminated room where he knew Eileen was, at Bailee's place.

Several times, he had contemplated going up, only to stop himself at the last moment. The thought of visiting Ruby at this juncture seemed too rash. Nonetheless, he found himself reluctant to leave, resolving to wait until Eileen went back to her apartment.

The abrupt ringing of his phone pierced through the quiet of the car. He answered the call immediately.

"Mr. Dawson, the Beckett family has been ensnared. They are planning to invest all their funds into that project," Raymond said.

Earlier that afternoon, upon receiving the message that Megan had been the one tailing Eileen, Bryan had instructed Raymond to teach the Beckett family a lesson. By evening, all arrangements had been duly made.

Raymond continued, "However, it seems there are others following Ms. Curtis as well." He relayed the information about several cars trailing Eileen in a coordinated relay.

Bryan narrowed his eyes, a chilling darkness spreading through his pupils. "Find a way to deal with them all,” he commanded.

Raymond couldn't help but inwardly sigh, knowing that the incessant turmoil stemmed from the fact that too many women were obsessed with Bryan.

After ending the call, Bryan got out of the car, extinguished his cigarette, and tossed it into a nearby trash bin before turning to enter the apartment building.

His tall figure was about to emerge from the dimly lit area when he caught sight of Eileen and the others exiting. Huey was assisting Bailee to walk, the two whispering to each other in a manner that bespoke intimacy and affection.

The sight of Benjamin and Eileen supporting Ruby between them was particularly grating to Bryan.

"You have difficulty moving. Please don't trouble yourself to seeoff too far. I can manage on my own," Benjamin said politely, mindful of not overburdening Ruby.

Ruby appreciated his thoughtful consideration, her gaze shifting from the whispering Bailee and Huey to Eileen and Benjamin's restrained dynamic. With furrowed brows, she brought Eileen and Benjamin's hands together. "Be good to each other," she said, her grip firm despite Eileen's attempts to withdraw her hand. Wary of causing Ruby to stumble with any sudden movements, Eileen stopped pulling her hand away. "Mom, what are you doing?" Eileen gently touched Ruby's arm with the other hand, her confusion evident. Ruby's strength waned, and she slowly loosened her grip, shyly saying, "I understand!" Eileen was puzzled, her brow furrowing.

She didn't understand what Ruby meant. When a piercing gaze was thrown her way, she instinctively felt a chill run down her spine.

She followed the direction of the penetrating stare and caught sight of Bryan standing in the shadows.

Clad in a black shirt paired with a striking red tie, Bryan exuded his typical aura of aloofness.

His piercing eyes couldn't hide the simmering anger; he was staring at Eileen.

Eileen was stunned, her feet almost instinctively shifting as she contemplated approaching Bryan. However before she could make a move, she watched as he subtly turned around, slipped into his car, and drove off. The partially lowered car window unveiled his tense profile. With the exception of Ruby, who remained oblivious, the others all bore witness to Bryan's furious departure.

"It seems I've caused you trouble," Benjamin said to Eileen, his tone carrying a hint of regret.

Eileen watched Bryan's car gradually disappear from view. She told Benjamin, "Don't worry about it. It's getting late; you should head back." She had taken the initiative to message and call Bryan without receiving a response. And when she had invited him for lunch, he had refused her, instead choosing to dine with Benita.

So why would she feel guilty now? The more Eileen thought about it, the angrier she became. After bidding farewell to Benjamin and Huey, Eileen helped Bailee and Ruby return home.

Then, she took the elevator down and went to Bryan's apartment. However, upon opening the door, she found the room empty, the bright moonlight casting its reflection upon the floor.

Feeling slightly disappointed, she impulsively tossed the keys to his place into the entryway, locked the door behind her, and- Milford hadn't gone to Bailee's place to eat because there had been too many people there, so Eileen had ordered a meal for him.

When Eileen returned home, Milford had already finished eating and had cleaned up the trash. He was preparing for his first year of high school studies.

After a brief chat with Milford, Eileen headed to her room to shower.

The more she thought about the situation, the more she felt irritated. Eventually, she blocked Bryan on her phone.

What was the point of contacting him anyway? He had ignored her calls and messages. And it was not like he would take the initiative to contact her, either.

At DV Club, the door to the private room swung open as Bryan strode in.

He casually flung his coat onto the sofa and sat down. In the corner, ET Jacob was seated with his phone pressed to his ear, nodding in acknowledgment of Bryan's arrival while remaining engrossed in his call.

"I told you to cback, and you didn't. I only saw your message after getting off the plane, I'm sorry okay?” Jacob was in the middle of angrily admitting fault when he suddenly heard a scoff from behind. He turned his head, rolling his eyes at Bryan's interruption. "I swear, I'll deal with Megan quickly and then go back to West Land to pick you up," he said before ending the call and tossing the phone onto the coffee table.

He turned to face Bryan. Bryan's figure stood illuminated by the soft glow of the room's lighting, exuding a domineering aura. Though Bryan had laughed at Jacob earlier, it was evident that he was still upset.

Jacob couldn't resist a chuckle. "You have the nerve to laugh at me? You're the one who got all worked up over Eileen. Last I checked, she hasn't forgiven you yet, and here you are acting all"