Reborn, Reawakened, Rekindled novel Chapter 489

The Whitmores were definitely not strapped for cash. They were practically rolling in dough.

But I wasn't exactly a pauper myself. After selling my company, I was living the life of luxury, even more so than before. If my parents took over Lucas’s company, they would be even better off.

So, the dilemma wasn’t about money. It was about Neil's unease.

He could never find it within himself to ever like Serena and Brandon. No matter how adorable they appeared, just the thought of whose children they were, made his blood boil.

"There's no need for any formalities. But if you ever want to see the kids, you're welcome to drop by," I refused Faith's request. Given the complex circumstances, it wouldn’t be wise to publicize this.

Faith's face fell in disappointment as she looked down at Serena in her arms and let out a sigh.

At that moment, Ryan brought out two boxes, "Here, these are our gifts for Serena and Brandon. You should keep them."

Upon opening the boxes, I found two beautiful pairs of golden bracelets.

They had already given Serena and Brandon gifts when they first saw them. Now they were giving golden bracelets. I felt a bit overwhelmed.

It wasn't about the money, but the feeling of being overly pampered.

"Just put them on the kids now," Faith didn’t wait for my response. Instead, she took out a pair of bracelets and put them on Serena, who was in her arms.

The golden bracelets looked beautiful and luxurious against Serena's fair skin. The more Faith looked, the more satisfied she felt with her choice.

The other pair was put on Brandon.

I wanted to refuse but felt it would be too cold-hearted of me to reject their gifts after just having refused Faith's request to adopt Serena and Brandon as her grandchildren. So, I held my tongue.

At that point, Norah had finished preparing dinner. She called us to the dining room.

The meal was sumptuous, but the atmosphere was somewhat awkward. The scene reminded me of the times when Neil and I weren't divorced and would visit his parents in Springvale during the holidays.

At the dinner table, Faith was the most talkative. I knew she was trying to engage me in conversation.

But I didn’t know what to say. She was already depressed, and I was worried that not responding might emotionally upset her.

"Irene, do you have time early next month? We could go on a trip to Heavenly Mountain," Faith suggested. She had already consulted with an advisor, who suggested that the third of the next month would be the best date. But we would need to fly there a day earlier.

I had already agreed to accompany her before, so naturally, I had no objections this time.

Neil listened to our conversation silently, casting me a glance.

Dinner felt somewhat drawn out, but after we finished, Ryan and Faith didn't linger. After reminding me to take care of my health and safety, they left.

Neil naturally followed suit. As he was leaving, he turned to look at me one last time.