Reborn, Reawakened, Rekindled novel Chapter 315

"Neil, you're better at keeping cool than I am, aren't you?" I sidled up to Neil and took his hand, gently stroking his palm. "Didn't you say that Ethan Foster smells fishy? He's probably keeping a wary eye on you. If we want to catch him out, we have to make him believe that we've split."

Neil wrapped my hand in his; his palm was warm and broad.

He leaned in, his lips almost brushing my cheek. "Alright, I'll play along, but you owe me for the emotional toll."

"Do I need to make it up to you?" I was genuinely surprised. Was Neil pushing it?

"Yeah, you do." Without waiting for my response, he pressed his lips on mine as his tongue expertly explored my mouth.

After all his persistence, I seemed to have warmed up to him. It wasn't unpleasant, and as long as I didn't get pregnant, I was none the worse for it.

I tried to reciprocate, and he stopped. His eyes were wide open, brimming with barely concealed excitement.

"I want us to have a kid as soon as possible." Neil whispered against my lips as his gentle kiss enveloped me.

Just like that, my arousal plummeted. It felt like I'd been stabbed in the heart.

I wasn't going to have any more kids, but I couldn't bring myself to say it.

Neil had no idea what was running through my mind. He continued to kiss me tenderly while I bore the pain and managed to respond.

He was incredibly gentle that night, but I couldn't shake off my melancholy.

The next morning, I rushed back home.

Hannah had breakfast ready. After seeing me return from outside, she first froze, and then her face broke into a knowing grin. "Ms. Finch, breakfast is ready."

"Okay, you guys start. I need to change." I avoided Hannah's gaze and hurried up to my room.

Once upstairs, I took a shower. As soon as I was done, my phone started buzzing.

It was an unfamiliar number, so I hesitated and hit ignore.

Soon, a text came through. “It's Malinda. I have something crucial to tell you!”

For some reason, I felt a strong urge to meet Malinda. She would have a surprise for me.

I quickly replied. “Okay, where are you?”

Turned out that Malinda not only found my contact details and home address but was waiting for me outside my complex. I skipped breakfast and went straight to meet her.

In just one night, Malinda seemed to have changed completely. Her hair was disheveled, and her eyes were red and swollen. Clearly, she had been crying a lot.

After seeing me, she mustered a painful smile. "Irene, are you laughing at my misfortune?"

"Not quite, but you chose to side with Bonnie and Louis. You had to know that there would be risks." I replied coolly.

Malinda forced a bitter laugh. "Yeah, I thought of Louis as my partner and Bonnie as my best friend. And yet, they conspired against me and plotted to set me up."

I listened in silence, not knowing what to say.

Malinda sniffed and handed me a USB drive. "This might be useful to you. But if Bonnie finds out, she won't let me off the hook. I don't care anymore. I've lost my child, Irene. I think I now understand the pain you felt when you lost your child."