Reborn, Reawakened, Rekindled novel Chapter 582

\"Rena's just fine, Neil. You don't need to come checking on her for that,\" my mom spoke up, seeing my hesitation and deciding to clarify things for me.

Neil's gaze flickered upon hearing my mom, his eyes probing me with newfound curiosity.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a bit flustered. But, you know, life throws you these curveballs sometimes, and you've just gotta put on your best acting performance to deal with them. Meeting Neil's inquisitive look, I managed a calm smile and said, \"Yeah, my mom's right. It was a false alarm at the hospital.\"

My parents exchanged a look, probably wondering what false alarm I was talking about when it was all part of my scheme.

Thankfully, they didn't dwell on it.

\"If you've got nothing else, you should probably head out. I need my rest,\" my dad dismissed Neil without a trace of politeness, covering himself with a blanket like a little kid and pretending to sleep.

\"Neil, whatever it is, we can talk outside,\" I said, feeling a mix of guilt and discomfort at having him targeted by my parents.

He nodded, his demeanor unruffled, as if my mom's earlier words hadn't shocked him at all. He politely excused himself from my parents and we left.

My parents were anxious about me going out with Neil, but a reassuring look from me made them reluctantly let it go.

The hospital corridor was quiet, mostly reserved for private rooms, with just a few nurses passing by.

Walking alongside Neil, we moved until sure my parents couldn't overhear us before I stopped. \"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner about the mix-up at the hospital. Got a bit caught up and forgot,\" I said.

\"So, it's not a mix-up this time?\" Neil countered, his emotions unreadable.

\"Right, not this time. If you feel like I've misled you, about the deal we had...\" I hinted, wanting to clear the air about a promise he made, concerning the future of Serena and Brandon.

It felt inevitable that their true identities would come out sooner or later.

Neil cut in, understanding my hint, \"It's fine, don't worry.\"

I breathed a sigh of relief, then Neil added, \"This is actually the best news for me. Don't you get it?\"

\"Huh?\" I looked up at him, puzzled, my mind on a different track entirely.

\"I don't want to stress you out with your dad's situation, so let's not discuss this now. Just consider the hospital I mentioned,\" Neil said, not upset by my blunt rejection, but rather calmly reminding me.

Before I could respond, he turned and left, not wanting to push the conversation further.

Back in the room, my mom immediately asked, \"Rena, what did Neil say?\"

\"He recommended a hospital abroad for dad's treatment. It might offer better chances,\" I avoided the topic of us and focused on the main point.

My parents were surprised. Neil had already helped us a lot, and this was yet another unexpected gesture.

My dad, who had his reservations about Neil, was less than thrilled, \"I'm not going, and that's final. I only have one condition for you: no more dealings with him. We had Bonnie, then Karina, and now that things with Karina are off, he's back to you?\"

\"Rena, can you share your thoughts with us?\" my mom asked, her tone a notch softer than before.

\"Mom, Dad, I only have one thing on my mind, and that's for Dad to get better as soon as possible. So, can we please look into that hospital Neil mentioned first? We can talk about everything else later,\" I let out a heavy sigh.