Reborn, Reawakened, Rekindled novel Chapter 680

When Faith found out that Irene's crush on Neil hadn't waned, she made a suggestion that nearly made Irene's jaw drop, "Would you marry him?"

Marrying Neil... It was probably Irene's most cherished dream at the time, to the point where even Stella and her friends joked she was born in the wrong era.

Even though the reasoning behind it was unclear, Irene, young and naive, swept up in the whirlwind of love, readily agreed to Faith's proposal. If it meant she could marry Neil, she was willing to do anything.

But what awaited Irene was Neil's vehement opposition. He found the Dawson family's decision ludicrous and infuriating. It was the first time he had taken the initiative to meet with Irene.

Unaware of the current state of the Whitmore family, Irene, her heart full of joy, dressed in her favorite dress and set out for the meeting. However, the moment she saw Neil, she knew she had celebrated too soon.

Neil's face showed an unprecedented level of disgust and indifference. He looked at the girl in front of him, dressed in a white gown, her hair softly cascading over her shoulders, her skin pale and delicate, her pupils shimmering a soft brown in the sunlight. At that moment, she looked somewhat apprehensive.

"Who told you to agree to my mom's suggestion?" Neil's voice was cold, devoid of any warmth. No matter how beautiful the girl before him or how much she liked him, he couldn't muster any interest.

Because he had his sights set on someone else, Karina, not Irene.

However, when he introduced Karina to his family, they unanimously disapproved, especially his grandfather, who had recently become seriously ill and bedridden. The family was careful not to upset him further.

Neil had once brought Karina to meet his grandfather, only to face outright rejection. His grandfather made it clear that Irene was the right girl for him.

"Neil, I..." Irene stuttered. Fresh out of college and yet to find a job, her thoughts were consumed by Neil. As ridiculous as it sounded, she couldn't control her feelings for him.

"I can't marry you. Even if every other woman on this planet were gone, I could never fall for you. Got it? Fool!" Neil was in a terrible mood and didn't mince his words, nearly shouting at her.

Irene was frightened; this was the harshest Neil had ever been to her.

At a loss for what to do, but conditioned over the years to always defer to Neil, she stuttered an apology, "I'm sorry, it was my fault. I'll talk to Faith and clear things up. I won't force you to marry me."

Her heart ached as she spoke, yet she managed to sound indifferent.

"You better, Irene. Stay away from me. You irritate me." After hearing Irene's words, Neil finally relaxed a bit but didn't soften his tone. Instead, he warned her and then left.

Watching Neil walk away, Irene felt an indescribable pain. His words felt like needles piercing her heart, causing waves of agony.

At the mention of Karina, Ryan's expression darkened, "I don't approve of your relationship with her. We've looked into her background; it's not suitable."

"Since when can feelings be measured by family background?" Neil surprised himself by championing true love over all else, a notion he wouldn't have considered before meeting Karina.

Seeing his son so infatuated with Karina, Ryan was both angry and frustrated. Young people often believe love conquers all, but underlying that belief are differences in family wealth, lifestyle habits, spending habits, and perspectives that could become sources of conflict. Moreover, while the Whitmore family was strong, a suitable marriage could elevate their status even further, allowing their business to prosper.

If Neil were to marry Karina, what could she possibly bring to the Whitmore family? Nothing but a whirlwind of gossip from the outside world.

At the end of his tether, Ryan was on the verge of having Neil confined to the house, but Faith stopped him. Instead, she said to Neil, “Your grandfather is waiting for you upstairs. Why don’t you go see him?”

Neil didn’t respond; he just headed straight upstairs.

As he did, Faith dialed Karina’s number. Her voice was cool, laced with a hint of distaste, “Karina, I think it’s time we had a proper chat. How about we meet?”

Karina hadn’t expected Faith to reach out to her for a meeting, uncertain if it was an olive branch or a trap, but she agreed promptly, “Sure, where would you like to meet?”