Reborn, Reawakened, Rekindled novel Chapter 622

I really hoped Neil would call me back to discuss the whole Hiram situation, but I couldn't get ahold of him.

Now that Hiram's issue is pretty much resolved, Neil's call is probably about Serena and Brandon. The only things I felt were anxiety and irritation.

So, I didn't pick up Neil's call. Instead, I drove back home as fast as I could.

My parents were already there, packing some bags and had arranged for a couple of nannies. As soon as I walked in, they urged me to leave immediately.

"Neil and his folks will surely come looking, to claim their grandkids. But over my dead body will I let that happen!" My dad was adamant, freshly out of a major illness and already getting worked up over this. I was worried he might get too emotional.

"Dad, don't worry. I won't let Serena and Brandon go back to the Whitmores." I was as determined as my parents. Despite everything, despite Neil trying to make amends over and over, it wasn't enough to forgive him.

After all, my first child indirectly died because of him. He doesn't deserve to be a father to my kids.

That was something I was certain of.

"You better get out of here, lay low for a while!" my mom urged me.

They wanted me to go abroad, far from here, showing their deep disdain for the Whitmores.

But I didn't want to hide. I knew avoidance was futile. Neil would move heaven and earth to find me for the sake of Serena and Brandon.

The thought of dragging the kids from place to place, living a life on the run, was unbearable to me.

Upon hearing my decision, my mom was beside herself with worry, clutching her chest in distress. Before I could even comfort her, Hiram, who I had brought back with me, ran over and tenderly held her arm, "Grandma, don't be upset. I won't let dad take away Serena and Brandon."

Hiram still didn't know he wasn't Neil's biological son, making promises he might not keep.

Little did he know, his own situation was precarious. With Neil having his biological kids now, things could change.

My mom's face was still strained as I called one of the nannies to take Hiram upstairs. I needed to have a serious talk with my parents.

Just as I was about to start, the doorbell rang incessantly. My parents and I exchanged looks, silently agreeing on what to do next. None of us moved to open the door.

A nanny moved to answer it but was stopped by my dad, "Don't open it! No matter who comes, you're not to open that door until I say so!"

The nanny, startled, quickly backed off.

My phone started ringing again, with Neil on the other end, call after call, until a message popped up: "I'm right outside your door. Come out and let's clear the air!"

My heart skipped a beat reading the message.

"Is it Neil?" my mom asked.

Neil rushed over as soon as he saw me. It had been days since we last met, and he looked thinner, worn out.

But his eyes, filled with both excitement and anxiety, searched behind me, trying to contain his emotions, "Where are my daughter and son?"

"Neil, Serena and Brandon are your kids, but they'll stay with the Finches," I stated firmly. "Don't worry, they might not call you dad, but I promise, they won't call anyone else that either."

I was ready to be a single mom, not planning to remarry, even if the right person came along, all for my kids.

Neil's gaze darkened, "They're my kids; why can't they call me dad? Irene, you hid our first child from me, and now this. Have you ever respected me?"

Respect... When our first child was still a possibility, I thought about giving Neil that respect. If he hadn't been so biased towards Bonnie, I might have shared the news about our child, hoping for a peaceful coexistence, not as a couple, but the child having a father.

These thoughts hardened my resolve, "So what? Neil, I gave you chances, and you squandered them."

Ryan and Faith approached with hopeful eyes fixed on my front door. Their voices carried a plea as they spoke, “Irene, can we see Serena and Brandon? Have they started talking yet? Can they say 'mom' and 'dad'?”

I looked at Ryan and Faith, my stance unyielding, “I’m sorry, but you can’t see the kids. Their names are Serena and Brandon, and they don’t carry the Whitmore surname.”

The light in Ryan and Faith’s eyes dimmed instantly, with Faith barely whispering through her tears, “I finally have grandchildren, but I’m not worthy of being their grandma, I…”

Ryan, with a heavy heart, comforted Faith, patting her back gently. Throughout this whole exchange, it seemed like all three of us had completely overlooked Hiram standing off to the side. He watched the adults argue, looking as if he was forgotten.