Chapter 388
Chapter 388
My folks weren’t at home, and my sprained ankle was pretty much healed. So, I could set off immediately.
Neil was downtown in Eldoria during that time, and it would have taken me half an hour to get there by car.
Upon reaching my destination, I looked up at the towering skyscraper. Entry and exit required a card swipe. So, I had no choice but to call Mitch, “Can you tell Neil to come down? I can’t get in.”
“Sure thing. I’ll call him now!” Mitch hung up after speaking.
I waited a few minutes, before Mitch called me back, “Rena, Neil isn’t picking up. Can you wait a bit longer?”
Since I was already here, I naturally wanted to help. So, I replied, “Sure.”
I then settled down on a sofa in the lobby to wait.
The elevator doors opened in the distance, and a familiar figure sprinted out. It was Hiram.
He was decked out in a gray-blue cartoon cowboy outfit, donning a baseball cap. His face, identical to Neil’s, was adorned with a mischievous expression as he bolted outside.
I didn’t want to interfere, but Hiram was alone, without Karina or Neil. What if something happened to him?
Sometimes, I had to admit the power of blood ties. Hiram, like Serena and Brandon, inherited blood from the same father.
Although I didn’t want to acknowledge it, he was indeed the half-brother of my two kids. He was innocent; the adults were to blame.
As Hiram’s figure disappeared at the entrance, I decided to follow him.
To my surprise, the little guy had improved his English significantly since returning from abroad. His other skills were top-notch as well. He even managed to hail a ride share!
“Where are your parents?” The driver, upon seeing a six or seven-year-old boy getting into the car alone, didn’t immediately drive off. Instead, he asked Hiram.
I listened to their conversation from a distance.
Hiram replied, “My parents are a bit busy and asked me to take your car to find them.”
“No can do, kiddo. I can’t just drive you alone. Did your parents order the ride? Call them to cancel,” the driver refused.
“Why not? I have her phone. I can pay. I have money!” Hiram argued loudly, “I want to go to the amusement park. If you take me there, I’ll give you an extra 500!”
The naive child was throwing money around.
The largest amusement park was only three miles away.
It seemed he had sneaked out to go play there. The kid just wanted to have some fun.
“Hiram.” I walked over and opened the car door, “Get out. You can’t go to the amusement park alone without your parents!”
Upon seeing me, Hiram furrowed his cute brows and retorted, “You’re not my mom. Mind your own business!”
The driver, seeing I knew Hiram, quickly asked me to take the kid away so he could carry on with his work.
Reluctantly, I reached out to grab Hiram’s hand. Although he was only five or six years old, he put up quite a struggle. My arm got a kick from him, which stung.
That upset me. In my annoyance, I became more forceful, “Get out! Otherwise, I’ll tell your parents immediately and you’ll be in big trouble!”
Hearing my words, Hiram hesitated. But eventually, he let me pull him out of the car reluctantly. I led him back towards the skyscraper.
Just as we reached the entrance, I saw Neil sprinting out anxiously, followed by several assistants. Seeing Hiram, his anxiety turned into anger, “Hiram Whitmore! Who let you run around?!”
Hiram immediately hid behind me, clutching my clothes and peeking at Neil without uttering a word.
Only then did Neil’s gaze fall on me, “What are you doing here? Did you bring him out?”
I took a deep breath, suppressing the urge to thrash Neil, and handed him the USB, “Didn’t you get Mitch’s call?”
Neil took the USB and paused momentarily. His tone softened slightly as he replied, “No, I was looking for Hiram. He went missing.”
It was clear that Neil was worried about Hiram.
“If you’re too busy, don’t drag him around. Get someone to stay with him at home or have Karina stay with him if she’s free. He even ordered a ride-share on his own, planning to sneak off to the amusement park. Luckily the driver saw it was just a little kid and didn’t drive off.” I pulled Hiram forward and pushed him towards Neil.
Hiram pouted and muttered, “I wanted to go out and play.”
His parents were too busy to spend time with him, which was probably why he wanted to sneak out.
Neil signaled one of his assistants with his eyes, who then took Hiram away.
Since my job was done, I planned to leave.
“Thanks for bringing this over. It’s important.” Neil stopped me, “Where are your kids? Who’s taking care of them?”
“My folks took them for a walk, and Russel is at home too, so they’re fine, I replied with a faint smile.
Neil didn’t smile. Instead, he studied me with a scrutinizing gaze, “Is that so? There’s one thing I don’t get though. Why does one of your kids look a lot like me?”
My heart sank instantly. Neil had seen Brandon several times by that time and had obviously noticed the resemblance,
If even Mitch and the others could see it, Neil would’ve undoubtedly noticed it as well.
The more that happened, the more I had to keep calm. I shook my head nonchalantly, “I don’t know either. Do you think it’s possible that one kid is his and the other is yours?”
Neil furrowed his eyebrows, “What do you mean?”
I answered candidly, “If in a short period, I had relations with two different men, there’s a certain probability…”
“Enough, shut up!” Before I could finish, Neil’s face darkened. And his voice was laced with irritation.
I immediately closed my mouth and didn’t say anything more.
Neil pulled out a cigarette, lit it in front of me, and irritably told me to leave, “That’s it. Stay away from me.”
I glanced at the burning cigarette in his fingertips and left without a word.
When I got home, my parents were already there. They asked where I had been, and I casually replied, “Just went for a walk to get some fresh air.”
“Rena, has Neil contacted you these past few days?” my mom asked me.
“No, Mom. What’s got you worried now? I’m just stepping out for a bit.” I sighed and was a bit frustrated. It was as if my mother had some sixth sense about Neil.
My mom was gently rocking Serena in her arms as she spoke, “Isn’t it obvious? Neil is unpredictable. Who knows if Karina and the baby can really hold him down?” “Mom, he values his family. Trust me.” I took Serena from her, planting a kiss on her chubby cheek. Her sweet milky scent and softness melted my heart.
