Reborn, Reawakened, Rekindled novel Chapter 663

No wonder I hadn't seen Hiram around these days. The back gate was bolted shut, and the front door was off-limits to him, with lies fed that I had gone back to Rosemont.

These days, Hiram was attending school in Eldoria, living the life of a local student with early mornings and late returns, barely visible in the daily hustle. According to Russel, Neil had him buried under a pile of homework and even arranged for extra tutoring sessions.

Hiram, having been schooled abroad, found the local educational pace a bit overwhelming and struggled to keep up, resorting to cram sessions to catch up - thankfully, he was quick on the uptake.

"Hiram." Neil's voice cut through the air, chilling and firm, stopping Hiram in his tracks.

At the sound of Neil's voice, Hiram's face fell, anxiety over a potential scolding evident. Reluctantly, he let go of me and turned to face Neil, "Mr. Whitmore, I was just hoping to play a little longer with Ms. Finch and little Serena."

Speak of the devil, Serena had already squirmed out of my arms, cheekily reaching up to tousle Hiram's hair, causing me a moment of panic, fearing she might topple over. I let her go, and she immediately went to poke at Hiram, clearly taken by the handsome 'big brother'.

Seeing this, Brandon made a fuss about getting down from Russel’s embrace.

"The rain's coming, Hiram, why don't you play inside?" I suggested to him.

Hiram looked pleadingly at Neil, hoping for permission to stay. That’s when Kitty came out, chiming in, "Neil, let Hiram stay and play for a bit."

Neil's face remained stoic, but Kitty persisted, "Aren't you curious too? Every time there’s laughter and chatter by the back gate, you sit by, listening in."

Turns out, Neil had been secretly enjoying the children's company from afar, never making his presence known.

Catching Neil’s embarrassed glance post Kitty’s revelation, his usual cold demeanor momentarily wavered. Then, Brandon rushed over to Neil, reaching out for a hug.

"Brandon!" I called out, reaching for Brandon to come back.

"Hold on," Neil suddenly interjected, his gaze softening as he looked at Brandon, unable to hide his affection in front of the child.

"What’s up?" I feigned ignorance.

"I… could I hold him?" Neil gestured towards Brandon. Despite his physical limitations, his upper body strength allowed him to hold a child without issue.

I didn’t object, releasing Brandon’s hand. The little guy had a strong connection with Neil and scampered back to him the moment he was free. Neil then lifted him, settling Brandon on his lap, allowing the curious child to explore his face with tiny fingers. Neil didn’t flinch; instead, a soft smile graced his lips.

As Brandon grew, he resembled Neil more and more, unlike Hiram, who wasn’t Neil’s biological son and had started to look less like him over the past year.

Russel once shared that Karina Aaron had adopted Hiram because of his striking resemblance to Neil. She had even resorted to medication and minor cosmetic procedures to enhance the likeness, risking her medical license in the process.

Thankfully, Hiram’s health had improved significantly over the year.

Watching the tender moment between Neil and his son, I felt a sense of contentment. Despite a year apart, Serena and Brandon’s bond with Neil remained strong.