Chapter 381

Chapter 381:

“Theo?” Brayden echoed, cool and slow. “If that’s the case, why don’t you call him right now and ask what you’re meant to pick up? I’ll make sure it gets to you p>

A ripple of unease crawled up Eaton’s spine, but he still pulled out his phone and placed the call.

Theo picked up almost immediately.

“Eaton, did you get what I asked for? Was Gracie at the company today p>

“Not yet, but I just ran into your brother,” Eaton replied, keeping his voice steady. “What exactly are you expecting me to retrieve p>

He didn’t get the chance to finish. Brayden plucked the phone from his hand, his tone glacial as he spoke into the receiver. “Theo, you’d better tell me exactly what you’re after p>

A low chuckle from Theo slipped through the line. “Didn’t expect you to be there too. Gracie and I are serving as charity ambassadors—we’re supposed to receive the detailed event plan. It’s confidential for now, so I asked Eaton to bring it over. Looks like there was a misunderstanding. Since Gracie isn’t free right now, I’ll reach out to the organization for a replacement copy p>

Brayden’s tone dropped to a cold warning. “Theo, unless it was something truly urgent, you shouldn’t be pestering Gracie. You know how limited her time is. Send Mr. Holt back p>

He returned the phone to Eaton, then shifted his cool gaze toward Phoebe. “Is Gracie still holed up in the lab? She shouldn’t work through dinner. Charlie ordered food for the whole team. It should be arriving any minute p>

Phoebe brightened with visible relief and bobbed her head. “Yes, of course! I’ll remind her of it right away. Please wait in the office.” She shot a cautious look at Eaton, then guided Brayden deeper into the workspace.

Eaton lingered by the doorway, his brow tightening as he watched them disappear down the corridor, baffled by how defensive everyone suddenly seemed. Was it really necessary to guard against him when he was merely here to pick up an item? Something about the way Brayden had looked at him earlier stuck with him, leaving him unsettled in a way he couldn’t explain.

Brayden, who had already walked several steps away, paused mid-stride and glanced over his shoulder, a sly smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Mr. Holt, just a reminder—Gracie is a married woman. Since you’re neither family nor particularly close, you might want to keep a bit of distance. Otherwise, I might start feeling jealous p>

Only then did the odd tension click into place for Eaton. Brayden had completely misread the situation.

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Letting out a faint laugh, he gave a small shake of his head. “Relax. Gracie and I are nothing more than friends. You can be certain I don’t harbor any inappropriate intentions toward her. If that’s all, I’ll get going. Sorry for the misunderstanding p>

With that, he turned away and headed out of the building.

Once he slipped into the back seat of his Maybach, the phone in his pocket buzzed again. He pulled it out, already recognizing Theo’s name on the screen, and answered.

“Eaton, did you manage to see Gracie at the company? And… why was Brayden there?” Theo’s voice came through, edged with suspicion.

“It looked like they’d planned to have dinner together, so I figured it wasn’t my place to interrupt,” Eaton informed, his tone calm. “Next time, you should probably send an assistant. It’s really not suitable for me to keep meeting a married woman alone p>

They exchanged a few more words before the call ended.

A quiet laugh slipped from Eaton as he remembered Brayden’s jealous warning, and once his car rolled away from the curb, the lobby of Radiant Technologies finally settled back into stillness.

Meanwhile, Theo lowered his phone, his expression sharpening as he turned his attention to Ellie crouched nearby. “So I guessed wrong after all?” he muttered, stepping toward her with a slow, deliberate stride. He caught her chin between his fingers, tilting her face up until she had no choice but to look at him. “Ellie, you’ve always listened so well. Tell me—did anyone come down here just now? If you’re honest with me, I’ll let you go. We can live a peaceful, happy life together, all right p>

Ellie’s eyelids fluttered, her unfocused gaze drifting as though she no longer saw the world clearly. Her cracked lips parted. “No… no one came. Please… just let me go p>

His expression tightened. He shoved her aside with a sharp flick of his hand.

“Pathetic. It hasn’t even been that long, and you’re already falling apart? Funny how fate grants rebirth to idiots. Why wasn’t it ever me? If I could return to the start, I’d make sure Brayden never walked out of that village… and Gracie would’ve belonged to me alone p>

A low, amused laugh slipped from him as he turned away, completely missing the flash of raw hatred burning in Ellie’s lowered gaze.