Reborn, Reawakened, Rekindled novel Chapter 469

"Good to see you," Mitch greeted me warmly.

This time, Hiram seemed a lot more comfortable with me, even cheerfully calling me "Ms. Finch"!

But little did he know, the consequences of my visit would lead him into facing Karina's scolding.

With a smile, I asked Hiram, "Where are your parents?"

"They're inside, and so are my grandparents!" Hiram enthusiastically led me in. It was his birthday, and the house was beautifully decorated.

The staff was bustling around, Neil was on a call in the living room, and Ryan was fussing with a model toy, likely a gift for Hiram.

Upon seeing me, a grin flashed across Ryan's face, "Irene's here!"

He then picked up Serena from her stroller, "And Princess Serena too. She's getting prettier every day!"

Ryan was visibly more relaxed with Serena this time, his affection for her clear in his words.

Instead of bringing Brandon, I chose to bring Serena because Brandon's resemblance to Neil was growing more pronounced, and I didn't want to stir up any unnecessary associations for Ryan and Faith.

"Ah, Irene's here?" Faith descended from the second floor, looking as healthy as ever, save for her slightly red, swollen eyes that showed signs of recent crying.

"Hello," I greeted politely, my eyes scanning the room for Karina. On such an important day, where could she be?

Neil noticed my tense gaze and calmly explained, "Karina had to attend to something at the hospital, and she'll be back shortly."

I was least interested in seeing Karina. If it weren't for Faith's situation, I wouldn't be here at all.

But since I was here, I couldn't come empty-handed. I retrieved a video game console from under Serena's stroller and gave it to Hiram. "Happy birthday, Hiram. This is my gift to you. Do you like it?"

Hiram loved video games and his eyes sparkled at the sight of the console. He nodded enthusiastically, looking at me with newfound warmth, "I love it, thank you, Ms. Finch!"

Seeing Hiram's sudden warmth towards me, Ryan and Faith exchanged puzzled glances, but soon broke into pleased smiles.

They were more than happy to see Hiram and me getting along.

With his new game console, Hiram was soon engrossed in a game, while Faith led me to a seat on the couch. A servant brought me coffee, and there were candies and fruit on the table, all from expensive brands, indicating the Whitmore family's anticipation for Hiram's birthday party.

After all, this was Hiram's first birthday since rejoining the Whitmore family, so a grand celebration was to be expected.

Serena was still nestled in Ryan's arms. She seemed to enjoy the company of the Whitmore family, being well-behaved whether held by Neil or Ryan and Faith, and even entertained everyone with her babbling.

"Girls are always more behaved. Look at her big eyes and cherry lips; she's adorable. She's going to be a beauty when she grows up, just like Irene!" Faith gushed over Serena, indirectly complimenting me.

"Indeed, she's more and more like Irene," Ryan chimed in. Without Karina around, their praises for me were explicit and warm.