Shrouded Affections Winning Back My CEO Wife

Chapter 283 Chapter 283: Huey was a few seconds late, so Bailee walked off with Ruby, holding each other's arms. During her illness over the past few years, Ruby had slimmed down considerably, which made it easier to find fitting clothes. Within an hour of shopping, she found a suitable outfit.

She had been looking forward to visiting the Dawson Mansion happily, but running into Winona and her son had dampened her spirits. On the way back, Ruby sighed and said, "Bailee, you're not a kid anymore. I don't want to meddle in your business, but please be careful and avoid any heartaches, okay?" "I know. We've been arguing for the past couple of days. I guess I'm still upset," Bailee explained, feeling the need to defend Huey.

"As long as you're clear on what needs to be done, everything will be fine. Just make sure your mood doesn't spoil tonight's dinner," Ruby patted Bailee's hand, lost in thought. They might have fought, but Huey's behavior... it was quite disrespectful.

In the Dawson Mansion, Stella had instructed the servants to prepare dinner in advance, and they were all bustling with their tasks. "Make yourself at home. Your daughter will be the hostess here soon, so there's no need to be formal," Stella said.

Noticing Ruby's uneasy demeanor on the sofa, Stella instructed the servants to bring coffee and desserts. Ruby tried her best to control her nervousness, but she couldn't completely hide it. She talked with Stella, and with Eileen easing the tension occasionally, Ruby soon felt more relaxed.

Dinner was ready, and the servants led everyone to the dining hall. Just as the group was about to take their seats, two unexpected guests suddenly arrived—Lydia and Zola. Lydia was elegantly dressed, clearly showing her wealth. Beside her, Zola had intentionally dressed plainly and acted modestly, as if merely accompanying Lydia. She nodded at Eileen and Bryan with a polite smile.

"Mom, why didn't you tellwe were having guests tonight?" Lydia asked as she walked past Ruby and approached Stella, extending a hand to support her. She wanted to guide Stella toward the dining hall, but Stella stood still on purpose.

Stella turned to Ruby with a smile and said, "As I'm getting older, I can only handle a small group of guests at once. I might find it difficult with too many guests tonight, but since they've already come, I'll host you together. Please understand, Ruby-I invited you here for dinner today, not them." Latest chapters in glThis implied that Lydia and Zola were merely guests. Under Stella's insistence, Ruby and Bailee sat on the left side of the host's seat. Eileen and Bryan took their seats on the right side of the host's seat. Lydia and Zola, on the other hand, were seated in the back row. If they were unwilling, they could choose to leave.

Lydia didn't seem to mind at all. She sat beside Bailee, occasionally chiming in on the conversation about Eileen and Bryan's wedding without causing any trouble. Stella felt irritated by Lydia's presence and found her quite bothersome.

But she realized she couldn't delay the conversation any longer. She needed to present the wedding gifts to Eileen tonight. She looked at Jarred and signaled him. In response, Jarred retrieved a box.

The delicate wooden box was a masterpiece, adorned with intricately carved flowers so lifelike that they appeared real. "This bracelet has been an heirloom in the Dawson family for generations. I'll give it to you," Stella announced, taking out a red silk bag from the box. Lydia's grip tightened on her fork. Despite being married to Brandon for so many years, Stella had never given her the bracelet. Yet now, Stella was giving it to Eileen even before she married Bryan.

Stella was straightforward. She wanted Eileen to have the bracelet but then felt it a bit inappropriate. So, she turned to Bryan and said, "You should do the honors. After all, she's the future wife you love." As for Lydia, Brandon had just accepted her verbally, never formally acknowledging her status.

Bryan stood up and circled around Eileen. He took the bracelet from Stella and delicately placed it on Eileen's wrist. Bathed in the bright light, the bracelet sparkled, and its value was evident. Lydia's gaze lingered on the bracelet adorning Eileen's wrist. Eileen's marriage into the family only deepened Lydia's sense of inferiority. Lydia's anger bubbled over, prompting her to set down her fork with a sharp clatter. Stella had already sensed Lydia's discomfort, but she continued, "Isn't it exquisite? Such a bracelet befits only the most delicate of wrists. Raise your hand. Lettake a closer look," Stella said.

With purpose, she raised Eileen's hand high. She then turned to Ruby and inquired, "What do you think? Is it beautiful?" "Yes," Ruby said with a relieved smile.

Stella directed her attention to Bryan, asking, "And you? Do you find it beautiful? The Dawson family ancestors had impeccable taste. This bracelet still exudes beauty after all these years." "Absolutely, it's beautiful," Bryan replied, settling back into his seat.

Then Stella said, “Lydia, you haven't seen this bracelet, have you? Would you like to cover and take a look? Eileen probably won't wear it every day, so you won't have many opportunities to see it." Lydia was rendered speechless.

Stella continued, "It's alright if you prefer not to see it. You might bectoo jealous if you do." She then released Eileen's hand with a chuckle. “Put it away before someone gets tempted to snatch it.” Eileen hadn't expected Stella's adeptness at mockery. Suddenly, she realized that Bryan sometimes shared ssimilarities in temperament with Stella.

"Now, let's discuss another wedding gift," Stella declared as she produced another check from the wooden box, sliding it to Ruby. “Do you think this amount is acceptable?" Ruby briefly glanced at the check before diverting her gaze. She nudged the check towards Eileen, stating, "Eileen should have the final say in matters concerning herself." The amount column on the check was completed with a nine, signifying the maximum sum of money it could represent.

Eileen began, "Mrs. Dawson, you really shouldn't feel obligated to..." "Consider it a gesture of goodwill from the Dawson family to you. Please accept it," Stella interjected, placing the check directly in Eileen's hand.

She then added, "If you refuse it, I'll think the amount isn't to your satisfaction. If that's the case, I'll increase it." "Alright, I'll accept it," Eileen agreed without hesitation, tucking the check away.

Stella's smile widened at Eileen's acceptance. Then, in an attempt to provoke Lydia, she said, "Only those acknowledged bydeserve to receive gifts-unlike sothers who tried to gain acceptance among us without receiving anything." Maybe Stella thought Lydia had made the evening less enjoyable, so she purposely provoked Lydia. Lydia didn't seem okay, but she didn't react.

Following dinner, Stella whisked Ruby away to the glass garden house to admire the blossoms and engage in conversation. Zola had intended to find Eileen and Bryan because she didn't want them to be alone. But on her way, she received a call from Lydia, asking her to cupstairs. With no other option, she retraced her steps. As she reached the junction between floors, Doris stopped her.

Doris ushered her to a secluded area where they could speak privately. "Miss Murray, I have something important to tell you," Doris said earnestly.

"What is it?" Zola asked, noting Doris's troubled expression and growing curious about the matter.

"I overheard Stella and Eileen's conversation two days ago. It appears they made an agreement seven years ago," Doris whispered, lowering her voice to avoid being overheard. Even though the corridor was empty, she felt guilty.

"Anything else?" Zola inquired. Doris had overheard that Stella and Eileen were recently scheming behind Bryan's back last time. It was confirmed this tthat their plan and agreement had started seven years ago. Doris thought hard, but she had been too far away to hear the details clearly. She said, "I couldn't catch all the details, but Eileen mentioned she planned to tell Bryan the truth. She said she couldn't hide it from him any longer." Suddenly, an idea struck Zola. She blinked and said, "You can go back now. I know what to do." Then she rushed to Lydia's room.

The moment she entered, Lydia vented her frustration, saying, “You broughthere just to watch Stella give gifts to that woman and talk about the wedding? I've put up with Stella's tabs for so long. What's wrong with your plan? I think I've discovered a huge secret," Zola said firmly after a moment of silence.

After a pause, Lydia looked at her and said, "Get to the point." "Do you remember when Stella forced Bryan to marry a woman? It was said that the woman got married to get money for her mother's treatment, and Stella did it to annoy Vivian," Zola said.

Back then, Stella hadn't hidden her reason for the marriage, so everyone had known about that. Zola brought this up again, but Lydia wasn't interested. “Didn't they divorce a year ago? Why bring her up now?" Lydia said. "That woman is Eileen! And Bryan still doesn't know about this," Zola said excitedly, her throat tightening.

Stella had gone to great lengths to arrange the marriage, but Bryan had only seen the woman when he went through the marriage procedure. Even the marriage certificate had been kept at Stella's place. After inquiring about it for a long time, Zola had found out that Bryan knew nothing about that woman. Lydia was stunned and stood up suddenly. "What? Are you sure?"

Zola hesitated for a moment before replying, "Eileen's sister-in-law mentioned that Eileen gave all her money to her stepmother for medical treatment after becoming Bryan's mistress. But when she graduated from college, her stepmother was already ill. Where did she get the money for her stepmother's treatment before joining Apex Group?" Zola then shared everything she had heard from Doris. Based on her speculation, it seemed almost certain that Eileen was Bryan's ex-wife.

"We can't act rashly. We need to go back and discuss this with Brandon.

Let's go," Lydia couldn't stay any langer, so she grabbed her bag and went downstairs with Zola. She asked Jarred to tell Stella they would leave now and hurried out with Zola.

After Eileen and the others left, Jarred informed Stella about Lydia and Zola's departure.

"They left in such a hurry. I thought they were here to cause trouble.” Jarred assumed they had cto ridicule Ruby's modest background or stir up trouble over the gifts Stella had given Eileen.

Sitting on the sofa, Stella listened to Jarred and lost herself in thought. After a moment, she recalled something and said, "Check the surveillance footage. See where Doris has been tonight." Chapter 283 Tip: You can use left, right keyboard keys to browse between chapters.