Reborn, Reawakened, Rekindled novel Chapter 603

"Russel and I are friends, and friends' families are like your own," Russel's words were like a beam of light piercing through the dark for me.

Friends? Perfect, just the kind of relationship I've been dreaming of.

Hearing these words from Russel himself eased my worries significantly. It was a different story for my dad, though. He seemed a bit disappointed.

Watching his potential son-in-law turn into his daughter's "friend" must have been a hard pill to swallow.

"Dad, take a break. I'll take Russel out for a bite," I suggested, wanting some alone time with Russel to chat.

Dad nodded, the spark in his eyes dimming, "Go ahead."

As we were about to leave the hospital, Russel stopped, a serious look on his face, "Let's not go eat. Staying here with your dad seems like the better option."

"I was thinking of grabbing something quick nearby. We missed out last time, and it won't take long. Nurses will be here with him," I explained, sensing something was off.

Russel didn't argue but grabbed my wrist, leading me back to the hospital room, yet we didn't go in.

"What's up, Russel? Can you just tell me what's going on?" I asked, puzzled.

Before, Russel never hesitated to join me for a meal. His refusal, especially after flying all this way, was out of character.

Just then, Karina's voice reached us, "Russel, what are you doing here?"

We turned to see Karina holding a bouquet and a box that seemed to contain pastries.

"What are you doing here?" I asked coldly.

"I came to see your dad. After all, you did take care of my son for a while. It's only polite," she said, revealing she knew about my past deeds.

But considering she had sued me, her "politeness" felt more like an excuse.

I shut the hospital room door to prevent my dad from hearing her, which made Karina chuckle, "Ms. Finch, you don't have to be so wary of me. Mixing business with personal issues, you missed out on a great partnership. Am I really that fearsome?"

"It's my choice. I don't find you fearsome, just boring and, frankly, quite disturbed," I responded seriously.

Karina, to me, seemed mentally unwell—a dangerous combination of cunning and cold-heartedness.

Her face fell at my description, but she quickly shifted her focus to Russel, "And you, Russel? Why are you here? With all that's going on at Rosemont, you have time to spare?"

Their interactions felt strained, unlike the seamless partnership I remembered.