Reborn, Reawakened, Rekindled novel Chapter 536

"Karina, huh? Are you really not going to give her another chance?" I asked.

The mere mention of Karina seemed to drain all warmth from Neil. He answered indifferently, "Yeah."

I was at a loss for words. After all, it wasn't my place to meddle in their relationship.

"Upset, are you?" Neil suddenly shot back.

I was puzzled. What reason did I have to be upset? I was more worried about Serena and Brandon getting pulled into the mess with Hiram. Who knew what Karina would do next?

Seeing my confusion, Neil gave a half-hearted smile. It was clearly an attempt to lighten the mood, but it only served to underscore a certain melancholy. "Once Hiram's situation is sorted out, he'll stay with me. I won't bother you anymore. It's only fair."

Neil's words caught me off guard. Fair? Since when did he care about fairness towards me?

"Really?" I couldn't quite believe it.

"Yeah, you wouldn't accept me again, would you?" Neil gave a bitter smile. "If Karina hadn't returned, or we didn't have a child together, I might've stood a chance."

"But I have a child," I reminded Neil.

"Just because you can't accept me having a child doesn't mean I can't accept you having one." Neil's words left me reeling. Could he actually be okay with this?

I wondered if he was just saying this to get me to look after Hiram.

Seeing my disbelief, Neil didn't bother to explain further. Instead, he checked the time and gave me a few instructions. "I need to head to the office shortly. If anything happens here, let me know immediately."

"Sure, I promised to help. I'll do my best," I replied.

Neil's gaze was different this time. It was filled with a kind of trust I had never seen before. Without another word, he left the hospital. I stayed by the window, enjoying the breeze for a bit longer, before returning to the ward.

Hiram looked considerably weaker than before. It was clear from his pallor. He had always been thin, but now he looked even more so.

I shut the door to the ward and went to sleep on the other bed. There were bodyguards outside, so we should be safe.

---

Hiram despised me. When he woke up and found me in his ward, his mood instantly soured.

He demanded that I leave. "Get out! I want my dad! I want Mommy!"

"Your dad is busy, and your mommy... is unavailable." I calmly replied to Hiram's tantrum. He was still ill, and I didn't want to argue with him.

"You're lying!" Hiram pointed at me accusingly. "Mommy is fine! It's all your fault that Dad wants to send Mommy away! You're a bad woman!"

Hiram still believed that Neil was getting rid of Karina because of me.

To a child, their mother is the best person in the world.

"No, no, let's just clean up your nose first." I pressed the call button for the nurse while wiping Hiram's nose. Some of the blood stained my clothes, but I didn't mind.

However, Hiram seemed very concerned about this. "Your clothes are dirty! Your clothes are dirty!"

"It's okay, it doesn't matter if my clothes are dirty. The doctor will be here soon." I reassured him.

Seeing how scared Hiram was, I couldn't help but hug him. I gently patted his shoulder, trying to calm him down while waiting for the doctor.

It's normal for children to feel scared, especially when they know they're seriously ill.

But I sensed something different in Hiram. His initial fear quickly shifted to concern about the blood on my clothes. It was as if he was more worried about my clothes getting dirty than his illness.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Finch, I got your clothes dirty..." Even in my arms, Hiram was still fretting about this. It wasn't until the doctor arrived and I let go of him that I noticed the fear in his eyes.

I watched as the doctor took over Hiram's care. After a while, I sent Neil a message, updating him on the situation.

Neil responded quickly: I'll be there soon.

After a while, Hiram's nosebleed stopped. The doctor told me that his condition was normal, but if it continued like this, things would get worse. If possible, he advised that a bone marrow transplant should be done as soon as possible.

While we were talking, Neil arrived, looking quite rushed. He must have hurried over from the office as soon as he could, and the doctor took the opportunity to update him on the situation.

"I understand, let's proceed with your plan as soon as possible," Neil said, moving towards the bedside. The blood Hiram had shed earlier still hadn't been cleaned up, making a stark and unpleasant sight.