Chapter 402
Chapter 402
When Ryan and Faith saw me, their expressions shifted from surprise to delight..
Upon spotting Russel behind me, their smiles took on a complex nuance.
“Irene, you….” Faith moved forward, grasping my hand with her usual tender affection, “you’re here too?”
“Yeah, I’ve settled down here.” I was surprised that Neil hadn’t told Ryan and Faith that we then lived in the same city.
“He mentioned you and Russel were together, and you had two kids. But he didn’t say you were here. That’s wonderful. It’s been too long since we’ve seen you.” Faith’s joy was genuine, and her eyes radiated warmth.
That warmth was my motivation to intervene. Knowing that I was with Russel and had kids, and she was still happy for me, I couldn’t just stand by.
I had never denied that Ryan and Faith had always been good to me. They were truly wonderful in- laws.
“I moved here with my parents, and Russel found work here,” I answered briefly before glancing at the man on the ground. “Faith, you can’t compensate him. He wasn’t injured. You didn’t hit him.””
“What are you talking about?” The man became agitated. “I was nearly run over. Don’t interfere with something that’s none of your business!”
I pulled out my phone and showed a video I had taken for Serena and Brandon. It had captured the accident from a corner. The car hadn’t even touched the man. He had simply fallen to the ground on his
own.
After I showed him the slowed-down footage, he fell silent. He sprang up from the ground, shot us a glare, and walked away.
Ryan and Faith exhaled in relief and thanked me. “Irene, we really owe you one. We don’t have the energy to deal with con men like him. We’d have had to fork over money.”
“Don’t mention it. Weren’t you on your way somewhere? You should get going!” I replied, my smile neither warm nor cold.
“We were going to…” Faith began but hesitated. She saw the stroller Russel was pushing and moved closer, peering at the two little ones inside. She froze.
I knew she must have been shocked by Brandon’s resemblance to Neil.
My heart clenched as Russel spoke up. “They’re twins. Our daughter is Serena, and our son is Brandon.””
“Oh… is that so?” Faith seemed a bit slow to react. Ryan also came over and was similarly taken aback.
“This little guy looks…” Ryan couldn’t stop himself from pointing at Brandon.
“Looks like Neil, right?” Russel was calm. He laughed and bent down to play with Brandon. “I was surprised myself. Even doubted it. We got a paternity test just to
be sure.”
The words “paternity test” caused Ryan and Faith’s expressions to change.
Their shock and suspicion turned into disappointment and resignation.
Faith reached into her bag and pulled out a thick wad of cash, placing it in the stroller. “Irene, we’ve always thought of you as a daughter. So we are your children’s grandparents. This is a little something for their first meeting. You can bring them to Springvale, to our place, anytime. Stay as long as you like.”
Her words left a bitter taste in my mouth. The love and tenderness in Faith’s eyes when looking at Serena and Brandon were as genuine as my mother’s. She was Serena and Brandon’s biological grandmother. She would have been overjoyed if she knew the children were part of the Whitmore family.
But I couldn’t tell her. There was no possibility left for me and Neil. I couldn’t fight with them over the children.
“Thank you,” I managed a smile. “Serena, Brandon, say thank you to your grandparents.”
Serena and Brandon seemed to sense Ryan and Faith’s emotions, breaking into an adorable smile. What a coincidence.
Faith was delighted. She handed her bag to Ryan. “I want to hold them. They’re too cute. How can they be this cute?”
She picked up Serena, looking at her from every angle, unable to take her eyes off her. Her love and affection were obvious.
Then she picked up Brandon. His resemblance to Neil added a touch of regret to her gaze. Finally, she kissed Brandon’s cheek and put him back in the stroller.
“Do you want to hold them?” Faith asked Ryan.
Ryan had been watching the twins all that time. His eyes were warm and loving..
But men tend to restrain themselves more.
He shook his head and said, “No need. Let’s not delay Irene any longer.”
“All right. Irene, we might be staying here for a while. Could I come to visit you and the kids? Or maybe we could have lunch, and do some shopping together?” Faith asked.
“Sure, that’s fine.” I didn’t have the heart to refuse Faith. Her affection for me went beyond typical mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relations.
Seeing my agreement, Faith looked thrilled. “Great, what’s your number? Let me have it.”
I had changed my number and didn’t tell Faith, so we hadn’t been in contact for a while. Since she then asked, I gave it to her.
After exchanging numbers, Ryan and Faith left. Russel and I continued our walk with the kids, planning to head home.
I sensed Russel’s mood had dropped somewhat. Glancing at him, I saw him pushing the stroller, his head slightly bowed, his face expressionless, lost in thought.
“Is everything all right? Were you taken aback by seeing them?” I asked.
“Hmm, they’re good to you, and they’re great with the kids too.” Russel glanced at me, a slight smile on his lips. “If Neil had messed up that badly in the past, would you give him another shot for the sake of his parents?”
I knew Russel was worried. He was worried that with the arrival of Ryan and Faith, I might have gotten entangled with Neil again.
His concern wasn’t unwarranted, but I knew my own heart. I wouldn’t have given anyone another chance to hurt me.
Because in this world, there are no what-ifs.
Russel paused, then nodded, dispelling the hint of worry on his face. “All right, we won’t bring up the past. We’ll only focus on what’s ahead.”
I responded with a simple “Hmm,” and took the stroller from his hands. “Let me push for a while. It’s almost time to get dinner on the table.”
“Let’s not dredge up the past,” I simply replied.
