Chapter 67
hat Else belonged 10 нег
A gleam appeared in Eileen’s eyes. “May I know what the surprise is?” she asked.
Aisha responded, “Ms. Eileen, you’ll find out when the time comes. Also, with the extra tickets, you can invite your friends to come along.”
Eileen held two tickets in her hand, along with a valuable catalog that even bore Edward’s personal signature.
With no friends around and uncertain about whom to give the extra ticket to, she suddenly thought of someone.
I wonder if he would be willing to go with me…
At nine in the evening, the night breeze gently swept in.
On the fifteenth-floor ward, Jasper was in a video conference when he heard a noise from outside, and the door to his room was left slightly open.
“Ms. Eileen, please wait a moment. Mr. Smith is in a meeting; it will be over soon,” Richard informed her.
Eileen replied, “Since he’s busy, I won’t disturb him. Richard, please give him this ticket.”
Upon seeing the ticket, Richard smiled, feeling a touch of surprise.
Eileen didn’t realize she had come at an inconvenient time. Anxious about broaching the subject, she handed the ticket to Richard, conveniently asking him to pa*s it on.
At that moment, Fabian emerged from inside, holding a notebook in his hands. He opened. the door and said, “Ms. Eileen, Mr. Smith’s meeting has ended. You may go in now.”
Eileen gripped the ticket tightly, unintentionally causing a slight crease. She hadn’t anticipated there being others.
Mr. Smith? His last name is Smith?
Lost in thought, Eileen heard Fabian calling, “Ms. Swan?”
She quickly regained her senses and, after some hesitation, decided to enter.
It appeared that Jasper had just finished a task, tidying up the documents in his hands and setting them aside. His eyes, as clear as water, were fixed on her. Perhaps due to his busy. schedule, there was a hint of fatigue in his gaze.
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1/5
Jasper rolled down his sleeve, covering the tattoo on his forearm.
“I heard you were looking for me. What can I do for you? Why are you standing? Please, have a seat,” Jasper said.
Eileen walked over and took a seat next to him, saying, “I just came to ask if you’re free a week from now. I’d like to invite you to an art exhibition.” She pulled out the ticket, adding, “If it’s not convenient for you, it’s okay.”
“Sure! I won’t refuse anything that concerns you,” Jasper swiftly responded.
Eileen didn’t expect him to agree.
“Where do you live? I’ll send a car to pick you up when it’s time,” he offered.
Eileen quickly declined, “No need to pick me up; we can just meet directly at the art. exhibition hall.”
Jasper nodded. “All right, but…”
“What is it?” Eileen asked.
The man smiled and said, “I’m afraid I’ll have to trouble you to take care of me,” glancing at his own legs.
“How could it be a bother? You’ve had someone take care of me in the hospital for so many days. It’s only right that I take care of you this time,” Eileen declared.
Jasper, seemingly pondering something, nodded. “Then let’s meet here a week from now; no excuses for not showing up.”
“All right. See you then.”
After handing over the ticket to him, Eileen left.
Richard escorted her to the elevator.
In the ward, he returned to find Jasper still examining the exhibition ticket. “It’s evident that Ms. Eileen is in good spirits. She doesn’t appear to be bothered by your leg ailment, Mr. Smith. Why didn’t you just tell Ms. Eileen the truth?” Richard asked.
With a gentle smile in his eyes, Jasper replied, “She has always been very intelligent; how could she not figure it out?”
He then instructed, “Fabian, reschedule all meetings slated for the twenty-fifth.”
“Certainly, Mr. Smith.”
2/5
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Two days later, Eileen efficiently completed her discharge procedures at the hospital, and the chauffeur promptly returned her to the Swan residence.
Upon entering, she noticed Sharon’s continued absence. Instead, a new face greeted her- Mary Walker, a woman in her fifties, the recently hired housekeeper.
“Ms. Eileen, you’re back,” Mary said.
Eileen responded with a faint hum.
Right then, a commotion ensued from upstairs.
“You’re so naughty! My back was about to break,” a voice echoed,
“Aren’t I making it up to you by taking you shopping, Darling?”
Eileen observed as Elsie, adorned with a limited-edition bag and linked arm-in-arm with Will, descended the staircase.
Noticing the young lady, Elsie quickly composed herself and brushed away the restless hand. “Eileen, you’ve been discharged? Your dad and I were just about to go shopping. Should we get you anything?”
Eileen replied expressionlessly, “No, thank you.” Then she called out, “Father.”
“Mm,” Will responded indifferently.
As they prepared to leave, he stopped in front of Eileen, his cold gaze fixed on her. “Did you have a disagreement with Eric?”
How did he find out?
Surprised, Eileen stammered, “No… not at all.”
“Make sure that’s the truth. Now that you’ve returned, dedicate yourself to your studies. Don’t go out and bring shame upon me again. Catch up on the extracurricular cla*ses you’ve neglected. If you can’t excel in your studies or anything else, you’ll only expose me to mockery, with people claiming the Swan family has raised a good-for-nothing.”
Eileen lowered her head, “I understand, Father.”
“Ms. Eileen, it’s time to eat,” Mary interjected.
Ignoring her, Eileen headed straight upstairs, paying no attention to anything else.
With a disdainful sneer, Mary remarked, “You’re acting as if you’re deaf. I won’t coddle you if you don’t eat. Whether you eat or not, I’ll eat by myself.”
O
3/5
Upon her return, she immediately locked herself in her room. Noticing the familiar limited. edition wallet adorned with pink diamonds on the table, Eileen rushed forward with excitement, eager to open it. Determined to find something, she emptied its contents-her ID card, student card, and even her bank cards were present, but there was a noticeable absence in the form of a missing photo.
Picking up
the new ID card, Eileen examined it closely. It was flawless, and the bank card had a different number than before. None of these items belonged to her originally.
“What’s the point of having all these!” Eileen exclaimed, sweeping everything off the table in frustration.
Returning to her home left her unsure of what to do. The most important person in her life. had been taken away by Eric.
In the aftermath of this loss, what did she truly possess beyond this empty house? What else belonged to her?
The room’s light remained on throughout the night as Eileen curled up in a corner, hugging her knees, grappling with the emptiness that consumed her.
Drifting off to sleep in a daze, Eileen felt no hunger at all.
If Sharon were here, she would undoubtedly coax Eileen into eating properly, and seeing her in this state would undoubtedly break Sharon’s heart.
However, Sharon was no longer present, leaving Eileen without the one person she cared about.
The next morning, Eileen was awakened by the faint sound of the wind outside, her eyelashes trembling as she regained consciousness.
Observing the dazzling sunlight, she leaned on the bedside table to stand up, her legs numb and almost giving way.
With tired steps, she made her way to the bathroom. As she looked at herself in the mirror, dark circles reflected the exhaustion in her eyes, as if she had been struck by an unknown force.
Pulling back her clothes, she noticed that the wound on her abdomen had scabbed over, and new skin tissue had formed.
Eileen applied light makeup to conceal her worn-out complexion, tied up her long hair, and packed her things. With her bag slung over her back, she descended the stairs.
It was only half past seven in the morning when she finished.
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4/5
Upon descending the stairs. Eileen noticed a person sitting on the sofa. Long hair cascaded down their shoulders, and they were dressed in the Petalburg High School uniform.
The figure bore a striking resemblance to Vera.
Mary brought over a cup of coffee.
“Thank you.”
