Reborn, Reawakened, Rekindled novel Chapter 558

Neil cut me off, “Forget about Hiram for a second, I’m talking about you.”

“My family’s business is none of your concern, Neil. Just think of it as doing me a favor by keeping an eye on Hiram’s mood,” I said, eager to change the subject and leave Neil behind.

But Neil followed, blocking my path. “How can you say your business is none of my concern?”

“It just isn’t, Neil. I really have to go. Can we talk about this some other time?” I pushed past him, but out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Karina and Louis.

They were both looking our way.

Louis approached first, greeting Neil with a calm, “Hey, Neil.”

Given the bombshells Louis had been dropping about the Whitmore family, causing one scandal after another, it was no wonder Neil looked at him with cold disdain.

Frankly, I wasn’t too fond of Louis or Karina, either. I remembered the black pills Hiram had been taking and thought about warning Karina not to medicate him willy-nilly. But then again, she was his biological mother, and it seemed out of place for me to step in, especially without knowing what those pills even were or if they were harmful.

Karina came closer, her eyes almost glued to Neil, radiating resentment.

“I gotta go,” I said, not in the mood for a lengthy chat with them, and made to leave.

“Irene Finch, why are you trying to take my child away?” Karina’s words stopped me in my tracks.

I turned to look at her as if she was out of her mind. What was she on about?

Neil snapped, “Shut up!”

“Neil, if you’ve always liked her, then why did you welcome me and Hiram back? Why didn’t you reject us to pursue her?” Karina pointed at me, her voice tinged with bitterness.

Her righteous tone and the accusation in her voice revealed her ignorance; she was clueless about Neil seeing through her charade long ago.

The fact that Hiram wasn’t a Whitmore by blood was a secret kept within the family and myself; Karina, of course, was out of the loop.

It seemed likely that some hospital doctors had been bribed by Russell and Karina; otherwise, they wouldn’t have later told Neil about a supposed mix-up.

Russell, once a doctor and now the head of the Dawson family, could easily pull off such a deception.

“Isn’t that the case? Why did you call her to the hospital to care for Hiram? I’m his mother, alive and well. Why not ask me?” Karina challenged Neil.

Neil just gave a cold, scornful laugh, chilling to the bone, but he still didn’t reveal to Karina that he was onto her scheme.

Louis sided with Karina, trying to sound fair, “Neil, Karina has a point. You’re being quite cruel to her.”

Rushing home, it was already past midnight, yet my mom was waiting up for me in the living room, knowing I’d come back.

“Mom, where’s Dad?” I asked immediately upon entering.

“Your dad’s upstairs sleeping. You should talk some sense into him in the morning; he’s being so stubborn about not going to the hospital for treatment,” my mom said, clearly worried.

Hearing this only added to my anxiety. Why was my dad being so difficult?

As I made to go upstairs, my mom stopped me, “Let him be for now. He’s probably scared deep down. Just let him have a good night’s sleep.”

I let out a deep sigh, heeding my mom's advice not to wake up my dad just yet.

I asked my mom to show me Dad's medical reports. Although I couldn't fully understand them, I planned to look up more information online.

Dad's condition, although in its early stages, was a particularly aggressive type of lung cancer. It could progress rapidly, making it crucial to start a treatment plan as soon as possible. If Dad wasn't willing to cooperate, we'd be facing real trouble.

"Let's get some sleep. Serena and Brandon have already hit the hay. We can talk to your dad about everything once he's up," my mom said, her face clouded with worry. She had been unconscious for a long while before miraculously waking up – that had been a massive relief. But now, with Dad's serious illness, it felt like we were back in stormy waters.

I noticed more gray in her hair than just a few days ago; she looked worn and weary. These past few days must have been restless for both of my parents.