Reborn, Reawakened, Rekindled novel Chapter 521

Karina knew the true identities of Serena and Brandon.

So, she couldn't understand why I would help Neil take her child. The only way my two kids could be the apple of the Whitmore family's eye was to get rid of Hiram.

“I’m not helping him take the child, Karina. Don’t you know how you truly feel about Hiram?” I retorted.

“Don’t you understand a mother's love, being a mother yourself? I’ve raised him through sweat and tears. There's no one in this world who loves him more than I do, and he loves me the most too. I can give up Neil, but I can’t abandon my own child!” Karina declared with utter conviction, not a shred of hesitation in her tone.

Neil cut her off, “I’ve said it before, you can’t have the child. Name your price.”

He wanted to buy off Karina's maternal rights to Hiram.

Karina's eyes widened in shock, her lips trembling. That was when Louis stepped in, “Neil, aren’t you being too ruthless? Can a mother's love for her child be bought with money? You’re his father, how can you say such things?”

Louis seemed to be playing the saint now. He himself had resorted to all sorts of tactics to return to Whitmore Co., disrupting the harmony of the Whitmore family in the process. According to his saintly logic, shouldn’t he have swallowed his pride and given up everything related to the Whitmores?

“Name your price,” Neil dismissed Louis. His relationship with Louis had deteriorated to the point of them being enemies.

“I don’t want money, I only want my child.” Karina kept reiterating. “Neil, I haven’t had a bad life after leaving you. I’ve earned decently. If I wanted money, I wouldn't have come back. I know your parents have always looked down upon me, why would I be here to take their insults? I came back because our child wants his father, I wanted to give him a complete family.”

Was Karina really only interested in the child? Why did I feel that her words were insincere?

Her actions so far didn’t seem to be for the sake of the child; they seemed more like she wanted Neil. Russel, too, had told me that as long as she could marry Neil, even if the Whitmore family had to face some problems, it was all okay.

“Let the child decide,” Russel spoke up. He glanced at Neil indifferently. “Hiram is seven now, he should be able to decide who he wants to live with.”

I frowned. If Hiram was allowed to make the choice, he would undoubtedly choose Karina. Neil wouldn’t agree with that.

To my surprise, Neil agreed, “Alright.”

This response seemed to surprise Karina, Russel, and Louis. Especially Karina, she instantly fixed her gaze on Hiram, her eyes revealing an inexplicable emotion.

From my perspective, as a mother, Karina should have been happy and excited when she heard Neil agree to let the child choose, because Hiram would definitely choose her.

But the look in her eyes just now was clearly one of panic and frustration, even hinting at a threat.

“Hiram, you choose.” Neil squatted down, trying to soften his tone as much as possible. He didn't want to frighten Hiram.

Hiram looked at Neil, his eyes filled with reluctance. Then he looked at Karina, and his eyes instantly hardened, as if he was about to blurt out his decision. But Karina subtly shook her head, so subtly that I thought I was seeing things.

Hiram swallowed the words he was about to say. A few seconds later, he clung to Neil’s arm, pleading, “Daddy, I can’t bear to leave you. I don't want to choose. Can I stay with you and mommy, please?”

Upon hearing Hiram’s response, Karina seemed to relax a little, while Neil frowned.

Because he couldn’t fulfill Hiram’s wish.

“Every move you make draws you closer to him. Haven’t you noticed?” Russel's voice significantly deepened as he said these words, “Stop lying to yourself.”

My heart skipped a beat, but I quickly denied, “You’re overthinking, Russel. With Hiram around, Neil and Karina will always have ties. I’m not interested in playing stepmom.”

Russel let out a faint laugh, “Is that so? I'm afraid you won't be able to keep up with what you've just said.”

"Let's play it by ear." I'm not sure where the courage came from to say this to Russel, but I felt very confident in the moment, without any temptation to go back on my decision.

The Whitmore family just seemed to be a bundle of trouble. Thank goodness I had divorced Neil in time. Otherwise, I would have to face Karina and her son as Neil's wife, which would have been a painless transition into motherhood.

"Irene! Come in!" During my brief exchange with Russel, Neil's icy voice rang out commandingly from inside the elevator.

The elevator doors hadn't closed yet, presumably waiting for us.

Ignoring Russel, I quickened my pace and entered the elevator.

The elevator was eerily silent. Although I was supposed to be an outsider, I had agreed to help look after Hiram, which made me an insider.

Suddenly, Neil's voice shattered the silence. "Hiram, stay still!"

I turned my head to see that two trails of blood were flowing from Hiram's nose. The blood was increasing and eventually dropped onto the floor.