Reborn, Reawakened, Rekindled novel Chapter 571

By the time I finished brewing the herbal medicine and stepped back into the living room, I heard Russel's voice, low and charged, “Who says I'm not worthy? Are you? You and I are cut from the same cloth.”

“Yes, I messed up before, but I'm willing to do whatever it takes to make it up to her. You can't, Russel. You can't even sort out the mess in your own backyard.” Neil’s voice, as sharp as a freshly unsheathed sword, was filled with cutting edge.

I paused, my heartbeat erratic.

After a moment, Russel's voice resurfaced, obviously laced with restrained fury, “And your house doesn’t have its own pile of mess? Neil, you're too cocky. I advised you to cherish Irene, but you didn’t heed my warning.”

“My family’s issues don’t change how much the elders adore Irene. Can you say the same? Ha.” Neil’s scoff was dripping with scorn, “And when you and Karina were playing me for a fool, that should have been your clue, you have no ground to stand on.”

Russel showed no sign of guilt; instead, he calmly explained his past actions, “I did what I did because you wronged Karina first, and she was carrying your child. If I hadn't stepped in, she might have ended it all, and then what? Could you live with that on your conscience?”

Had Russel not mentioned this, Neil might have kept his cool, but those words ignited a fierce rage and hatred towards Russel.

“Was it even my child?!” Neil’s voice rose in anger, “Russel, I always treated you like a brother, and you’ve played me for a fool over and over. I haven’t gone after the Dawson family, not just because of our past ties, but also because our families used to get along. If you want to burn bridges, be my guest!”

My heart skipped a beat; Neil was laying it all out there.

I had wondered why he hadn’t made this public before, but him airing it out now somewhat eased my shock.

Unable to stay away, I stepped out, and the scene before me seemed frozen in time. Neil was standing by the couch, his profile etched with anger, while Russel sat on another couch, his face dark, looking up at Neil accusatorily.

My presence thawed the icy atmosphere.

Russel’s lips moved, “When did you find out?”

No hint of evasion.

“Guess?” Neil let out a cold chuckle, his anger seemingly reined in at my arrival. He sat back down, extending his hand towards me, and I passed him the brewed medicine with a slight frown.

“When Hiram was diagnosed with leukemia?” Russel guessed correctly.

Without his fabricated paternity test and with Hiram and Neil’s striking resemblance, no one in the Whitmore family would have doubted the truth.

Only a second diagnosis during Hiram's treatment could have revealed the truth.

Neil didn’t respond, merely sipping the steeped cold remedy, while Russel's gaze shifted to me, as if waiting for my explanation.

I confirmed, “Yeah, you guessed it.”