Reborn, Reawakened, Rekindled novel Chapter 303

Neil was working his butt off from dawn to dusk with a constant frown on his face.

Ryan pulled him aside for a chat, and I pretended to be oblivious. Whatever father and son were discussing, it wasn't my place to butt in.

When mealtime rolled around, Neil and Ryan finally joined us in the dining room. Faith and Hannah had cooked up a storm, and the food looked mouth-watering.

Usually, meals were a cheerful affair. But the atmosphere had turned heavy because of the document. I couldn't help but steal glances at Neil, trying to figure out what was going through his head.

Whenever he caught me looking at him, he'd give me a quick glance, and his frown would deepen.

This made me nervous. Was it something about me?

If so, Neil's reaction suggested that I'd done something to upset him, and he knew about it.

I racked my brain but couldn't think of anything that could piss Neil off unless there was some proof that I was taking advantage of him.

Everyone was lost in their thoughts during the meal. After we finished, we all retreated to our rooms.

"I think I'll sleep in the study tonight," Neil suddenly announced when we got back to our bedroom.

"Sure, whatever," I responded nonchalantly.

I got into bed and started messing around on my phone.

Neil gave me a quick glance, then turned and walked out.

I had thought that Christmas would be a happy and relaxed time with Ryan and Faith around, but I quickly realized that wasn't the case.

...

For three nights in a row, Neil and I slept in separate rooms. He didn't tell me why, but knowing him, if he found out I'd done something to betray him, he would confront me.

So, I gradually ruled out that possibility. He must have been upset about something else.

"Irene, come here. I need to talk to you," said Faith one morning. She looked serious.

"What's up?" I asked. It was just the two of us in the living room. Neil was out on business, and Ryan was having a smoke outside. Hannah was busy in the kitchen.

Faith sighed deeply and seemed to struggle with her words.

"Just spill the beans. It's fine," I assured her.

Faith gently held my hand, her expression full of worry. "Irene, you already know about Karina, right? And about her being pregnant when she jumped into the river?"

I didn't deny it, just nodded and waited for Faith to continue. She must have found out something.

Faith's voice dropped even lower as she said, "Neil didn't believe it at first, so he had it investigated. The document we received a few days ago was the result of the investigation, but it wasn't delivered by his people."

"What were the findings?" I asked calmly.

"The document was Karina's medical record from when she was rescued. It showed that she was indeed pregnant at the time, just one or two months along." Faith looked at me apologetically as she spoke.

I clenched my fist slightly. It would be a lie to say I wasn't affected. But I had mentally prepared myself for this, so I quickly regained my composure.

"Well, Neil and she were together then, and if they weren't being careful, getting pregnant is natural," I said.

"Yes, but Neil has been gloomy these past few days. Not because of Karina but because he feels he's let you down. He's afraid you'll push him away again, reject him..." Faith tried to explain.

Of course, she was Neil's mother, and it was normal for her to defend him.