Reborn, Reawakened, Rekindled novel Chapter 606

Honestly, I wasn't really hungry, and Russel seemed to feel the same way.

We ended up grabbing a quick bite at a nearby diner, settling for some steaks, and that was enough to fill us up.

Right then, Russel's phone buzzed. A quick glance at the caller ID, and I could swear I saw a shadow of worry cross his face. But before I could really catch it, it was gone.

He stood up, "I gotta take this outside."

I nodded, watching as Russel stepped out of the diner. It was rare for him to take calls away from me, even Karina's calls were taken in stride, like he had nothing to hide. But today, he chose distance.

My mind couldn't help but wander. Who was on the other end of that call?

About ten minutes later, he was back, wearing a thin veil of apology on his face, "Sorry, had to take a call from the office."

It definitely wasn't an office call, but I let it slide. Russel deserved his privacy.

"Russel, you go on ahead," I found myself saying, seizing the moment. "If the office is that hectic, don't waste time here. Dad's surgery went well, there's no need for worry."

"Alright, but you know what I mean, right?" Russel didn't push further. Dad had already made his stance clear, and now I was nudging him to take care of his business first.

Of course, he was hinting at Karina.

Karina was still around, her intentions unclear. All we could do was to steer clear of her.

With Russel set to leave, I didn't bother having him say goodbye to my dad in person at the hospital. A simple message would do.

Watching his car drive off, I let out a sigh of relief and headed back to the hospital.

The nurse was attending to my dad, the room quiet, with a gentle fragrance of flowers filling the air.

A new bouquet caught my eye, its creamy petals and lush green leaves beautifully arranged in a white vase. The scent seemed to be emanating from it.

"This wasn't here when I left. Where did it come from?" I asked the nurse, genuinely curious.

Dad chimed in, "I was wondering the same. Woke up, and there it was. But it's quite lovely, isn't it?"

Indeed, it was. But something felt off.

The blonde, blue-eyed nurse peeked at the bouquet, her expression puzzled. "It's a gesture from the hospital, designed to help patients relax post-surgery," she explained in perfect English.

Nodding, I waited for her to leave before inspecting the bouquet more closely. Dad was still chatting away happily, "Top-notch service here!"