Reborn, Reawakened, Rekindled novel Chapter 401

"Whoa!"

Neil might have had steadied the cradle, but the massive jolt scared Brandon into a crying fit. My heart clenched at the sound, and I quickly handed Serena off to my mother to comfort Brandon.

The yard was a chaotic mess, but I had no patience for it. All I wanted was to soothe my frightened child.

Hiram, having realized his mistake, quickly hid behind Karina. Had Neil not been present, I was certain that Karina would have defended Hiram, using the excuse, "He's just a child."

But Neil was there and everyone had seen Hiram intentionally rock the cradle. So, without any hesitation, Karina pulled Hiram forward and demanded, "Hiram, apologize to Ms. Finch right now!"

"I... I just wanted to play with the baby. He's so cute..." Hiram looked around nervously. His eyes lingered on Neil, hoping for some support.

"You can't just rock his cradle like that! What if he had fallen?" My voice was sharp and anxious. The situation had threatened my child's safety, and I couldn't stay calm, even if Hiram had just wanted to play with my baby.

Ever since Neil and Karina had arrived, Serena and Brandon had been in one near miss after another. I wondered if it was Neil's doing.

My mother was similarly upset. "Can't you keep an eye on your son? If he hurts my precious grandchildren, you'll have me to answer to!"

"Let's go. Let's go inside. There's no point wasting our breath on them."

With that, she headed back into the living room.

My father was out buying saplings at the market. Thank God he wasn't here to see that, or the situation might have escalated further.

Russel was more level-headed than my father, but he was equally upset. He loved Serena and Brandon dearly and couldn't stand to see them cry.

"Hiram, apologize." Neil, not defending his son but siding with Karina.

They were surprisingly in sync on that matter.

Under the pressure from his parents, Hiram reluctantly walked over to me. His eyes were red with unshed tears. "Ms. Finch, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to, I thought he'd find it fun."

I felt trapped. I had to accept the apology, but that was different from when Hiram had taken my nuts without asking. That was about Brandon's safety, and it was harder to let go.

So, I kept silent, carrying Brandon back into the living room and closing the door behind me.

Seeing our cold reception, Neil didn't stay long. He was a proud man, and I doubt anyone had ever made him feel that uncomfortable before.

"Should we just leave like this?" I heard Karina ask.

"Yes, let's go." Neil didn't say anything more. It was already a miracle that he'd suggested Karina apologize to me.

When they left, my mother opened the door and looked at the gifts they'd left behind. "What should we do with these?"

I glanced at the nanny, and generously gave them all to her.