Reborn, Reawakened, Rekindled novel Chapter 604

"Tomorrow, what's up?" I shot back.

"You're over there solo?" Neil skirted my question, digging deeper instead.

Without thinking, I blurted out, "Yeah, just me."

Russel had only arrived today, and it slipped my mind to mention him. These past few days, it had been just me keeping Dad company.

"Really?" Neil let out a scoff that seemed to carry a hint of disbelief. I was about to mention Russel's arrival today but didn't get the chance. Neil already knew. "Russel's not with you?"

"How did you know?" I was surprised, as I hadn't even mentioned it to Stella and the crew yet.

But then it clicked - Karina must've spilled the beans to Neil.

This tangled me and Russel up in a mess, especially since what Neil cared about most was this very complication. Even if he wanted to reconcile, this would be a sore point between us.

"Yeah, he came over today." I could hear the irritation and jealousy in Neil's voice but didn't elaborate much.

"Then do you know where I am right now?" Neil sounded even more annoyed.

How would I know where he was?

He had been discharged from the hospital a few days ago. He might've gone back to Rosemont or stayed at the hospital waiting for Hiram; I wasn't sure.

After I honestly replied, Neil abruptly ended the call, leaving me feeling uneasy. I didn't call back, to avoid lingering in the bathroom too long.

When I stepped out, I found Russel had disappeared. Dad mentioned he'd gone to handle something with a friend.

"Rena, it's not that I want to meddle in your affairs, but Russel... he's not without his faults..." Ever since Dad fell ill, he had become noticeably more talkative.

"Dad, don't you know what he's done?" I cut my dad off. "I don't want to spend my life with someone so calculating."

Dad swallowed his words.

I had shared Russel's schemes with my parents; how could they not be aware? Yet, they stubbornly believed in Russel's deep affection for me, convinced he wouldn't truly hurt me.

But I knew better. Nothing is certain, especially not human nature.

That night, I found it hard to sleep, worrying about Dad's surgery scheduled for tomorrow. Despite the hospital's reputation for excellence in this type of surgery, my concerns lingered.

I woke up early the next morning to find Dad sitting on the bed with a serious look, evidently awake before me.

"Dad, don't worry, your condition isn't that serious," I tried to reassure him.

"I'm not worried. I've lived a long life; dying now wouldn't leave me with any regrets," Dad began speaking nonsense, a clear sign of his anxiety.