In the end, I didn't bring Neil home with me. Even though my mom would find out sooner or later, I wanted to delay it as much as possible.
The incident of my mom falling into a coma had put a lot of stress on me, and I didn't dare take any more risks.
I returned home alone to find Hannah Morse already up and making breakfast. Seeing me return, she didn't ask much. She just gave me a small smile, "Ms. Finch, did you go for a morning run?"
"Uh-huh." I nodded, feeling a bit embarrassed.
"Your mom asked where you went. I told her you went for a morning jog. She praised you for finally understanding the importance of exercise," Hannah replied.
I always felt that Hannah knew about my secret meetings with Neil, but she never directly mentioned it.
However, Hannah had great social skills and wouldn't spill the beans. Besides, she barely left my house, so I didn't have to worry too much.
Since she had said that I went for a run, I had to take a shower. So, I headed upstairs.
"Rena, you're back," my mom was about to go downstairs when she saw me. She spoke with a smile on her face. Then she looked at my clothes for a few seconds, "You went for a morning run dressed like this?"
My attire indeed didn't look like I had gone for a run. Remembering what happened the previous night in the neighboring villa, I couldn't help but feel guilty, and my face turned hot.
I made up an excuse, "Yeah, I decided to exercise on a whim. I didn't prepare any clothes. I'll buy some suitable ones in a few days."
"You never liked exercising before. But now you understand the importance of health, huh?" My mom didn't think much of it; instead, she seemed relieved.
"Alright, mom, I'm all sweaty. I'll come down for breakfast after I take a shower." I breathed a sigh of relief and quickly found an excuse to leave.
I was indeed all sweaty, but not from running; it was because of the intense activities with Neil in bed the previous night.
After taking a shower, I felt a bit more comfortable. Neil sent me a message, asking if there was any problem.
He was probably asking if my mom had found out.
I replied, “It's fine.”
Then I went downstairs to eat breakfast and had to go to the office later. Since I was then familiar with the company's affairs and my mom had woken up, I could ask for her opinion and discuss matters with her, thus my work pressure had reduced a lot. The only thing that worried me was the collaboration with the FarHorizon Group.
At the breakfast table, I probed my mom with a few questions and concluded that she didn't know about Neil and me.
The lights in the neighboring villa would occasionally turn on, and she was more inclined to believe that someone was cleaning at irregular intervals.
The reason why she believed that Neil and I had nothing to do with each other was that her friend had mentioned a few days prior that Neil was with Bonnie Tueley.
That was good. At least she would feel better. As for the future, I thought “We'll cross that bridge when we come to it.”
After confirming that there was no problem with my mom, I felt an unprecedented relief. I quickly finished my breakfast and went to the office. However, as soon as I entered the lobby, I saw Chloe waiting for me.
What was she doing there again? I frowned.
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