Reborn, Reawakened, Rekindled novel Chapter 569

"Nick, you really don't have to do this," I said, putting down the stack of papers I was holding, feeling a bit awkward.

After all, it wasn't like I was actually sick.

But Nick, convinced that I had breast cancer, had already picked out the best hospital for treatment. I thought about telling him the truth, to stop him from wasting any more time.

"I have to do this, otherwise I'd regret it for the rest of my life," Nick replied firmly, his expression dead serious. "You can ask me for anything, and I'll do my best to make it happen."

His promise stirred something in me, and I momentarily lost the urge to explain.

"Really? Even if the hospital made a mistake, or if by some miracle I make it through, you'd still keep your promise?" I asked.

"Yeah, no matter what the outcome, if I promised you something, I'll see it through," Nick nodded, then pulled out a share transfer document. "Take a look at this."

After reading the document, I was stunned. Nick seemed to have lost his mind—how on earth did he think to give me 15% of the shares in Whitmore Co.?

I was at a loss for words, just staring at him in confusion and astonishment.

"Before we divorced, you mentioned wanting shares in Whitmore. Now, I'm giving them to you. If something happens to you, they can go to your parents, to your two kids. I know money's not an issue for you, but these shares are more than just money; they're my promise to look after them," Nick said, his voice growing heavy, a restrained sadness in his tone.

This misunderstanding revealed a kindhearted side of Nick I hadn't seen before.

Deep down, I felt a mix of emotions—perhaps touched, perhaps surprised.

"I did want shares in Whitmore, but that was before our divorce. And I never expected so much," I handed the document back to Nick. "Take it back."

In the past, he had given me 10% of the shares to ensure a smooth divorce and provide a legitimate status for Bonnie. Now, the shares had increased so much—picking up money with a sack wouldn't be this fast.

Nick, however, seemed indifferent. "As long as I'm willing, it's not too much. Irene, these shares are not just compensation, but also a token of my gratitude. You've helped me a lot."

I couldn't recall helping Nick much, except for the thing with Hiram, who turned out not to be his biological son anyway.

Nick was just trying to ease my conscience.

"You really don't have to do this, even if..." I paused, making my point clear, then continued, "My parents will take good care of my two children. You know, my family's been through some troubles recently, and my parents are now running the company. We're not lacking money."

Nick nodded. "Yeah, I know. I wanted to reach out, to offer my condolences. But when your family faced those issues, you refused help, so I figured you were okay."

Embarrassed, I could only nod. Initially, I wasn't deeply affected, but after learning about Lucas's will, which included my mother, I realized he didn't really despise us; it was just past conflicts that had kept him distant.

My feelings toward Lucas and his family slowly revived, along with an indescribable sadness.

I quickly stopped Nick, mindful of Russel's injured shoulder—a further injury was the last thing we needed.

Nick seemed annoyed by my intervention, as if I was taking Russel's side. He shot me a disgruntled look, then turned away, ignoring both Russel and me.

It seemed Nick and I had already covered everything necessary, so I added, "I agree to your condition. I'll head back now. You should get some rest too."

After saying that, I got out of the car, and in the next instant, Nick followed, watching Russel and me like a hawk.

This guy, really...

"Did you get your medication changed?" I asked, glancing at the bandage on Russel's shoulder.

"Yeah, I'm good. Come over here," Russel clearly wanted to keep our conversation private, so he started walking towards a quieter spot. I glanced back at Nick, who had just lit up a cigarette, standing alone under the night sky, looking somewhat isolated and forlorn against the cold breeze.

Once we were far enough away, Russel lowered his voice, "I've got an address for you. It's Frank's."

Frank was the guy currently locked up in the local precinct out in the suburbs. The same guy who had chased me down with a gun in the dead of the night. He had confessed but still hadn't ratted out Karina. I had been pushing the cops to keep grilling him, but they hadn't pinned down the charges or the sentence yet.

And on my end, I was doing everything possible to comb through the surveillance footage from that night. There had to be some clue out there.