Reborn, Reawakened, Rekindled novel Chapter 613

"Sure," Neil replied casually, not bothering with the usual polite reassurances.

He knew my mom well enough to understand that her offering help wasn't a simple matter. It usually came with a hefty side of stress.

But regardless, it was clear my mom was feeling down. She hadn't been Neil's biggest fan, strongly opposed to my association with him. And yet, here she was, accepting his help.

"It's getting late. I should head out," Neil said, making no move to sit back down. He stood up, addressing both me and my mom.

I got up too. "Let me walk you out."

Neil raised an eyebrow, seemingly surprised by the gesture, but I didn't dwell on his reaction and just headed towards the front door.

Outside, I finally voiced my curiosity. "Have you been keeping tabs on my family's situation?"

"Yeah, of course," Neil responded, his tone straightforward. "I've told you, I want to make things right. Even when you ignore me, making me so frustrated I could strangle you, feeling like I'm degrading myself, I can't just stand by and do nothing."

In all the time I've known Neil, I've never seen him show this level of patience and concern for anyone else, except maybe how he used to be with Bonnie Tueley back in the day. I wasn't sure whether to feel honored or pitiful, given the timing of it all.

Just then, Neil's phone rang with what sounded like an urgent call. I quickened my pace. "Alright, I'll leave you here. Thanks for everything today."

"Mhm," Neil only gave a brief response before getting into his car.

Watching his car disappear into the night left me feeling strangely restless. When I got back inside, my mom was still waiting for me in the living room.

She looked at me for a long moment before sighing softly. "Rena, do you look down on me?"

"Mom, why would you say that?" I was taken aback, sensing her mood was off. I immediately went to her side, taking her hand.

"I know, after the issues we faced, you had no choice but to ask Neil for help. I was too harsh on you, and now I'm accepting his help myself..." My mom's voice was filled with regret and self-reproach, her roots showing more white than I remembered.

If this had been years ago, my mom would have handled business challenges with vigor. But these days, she was struggling to keep up with the younger competition, especially now that she considered the company as vital as ever but faced internal dissent without my dad, her right-hand man, who was currently hospitalized.

"Mom, don't blame yourself. I understand where you're coming from. I won't hold it against you," I consoled her, feeling a bitter taste in my mouth.

Seeing my mom, generally so strong, in tears was rare. I let her lean on me, feeling guilty for not being able to help more. If only I had focused more on business management from the start, maybe I could have been more of a support to her now.

But life doesn't offer do-overs. All I could do was provide emotional comfort in that moment.

---

With Neil's information, my mom worked tirelessly to finalize a viable formula for the company, reaching out to its original owners. If the project could launch smoothly, it would solve our current crisis.

However, the decision was met with resistance from the company, with some even suggesting it was a move towards bankruptcy. Tensions rose as some shareholders considered pulling out.