Chapter 464
Chapter 464
Neil walked over and picked up the bouquet, his face emotionless as he took a sniff.
I was taken aback, blurting out, “Last time I saw you holding flowers was our wedding day, and you looked terrible.”
Only I knew how I felt that day.
Neil exuded nothing but repulsion towards me. When he presented me with the bouquet, his eyes were devoid of warmth, as if he was handing me a knife instead.
Everyone else was happy for me then. Stella and my parents included. Despite knowing that my love was unrequited, they were happy that I managed to marry Neil.
My heart was torn between joy and sorrow, unable to fully describe my feelings.
Neil, still holding the flowers, froze for a second as if lost in thought.
“Why bring up something from so long ago?” He asked.
I didn’t know.
Memories have a way of resurfacing when you least expect it.
I didn’t answer Neil’s question, instead telling him, “Those flowers were from Karina.”
Upon hearing Karina’s name, Neil’s expression shifted, a distinct displeasure painted in his eyes. He probably didn’t want Karina visiting me, regardless of her reasons.
The next moment, Neil tossed the bouquet into the trash, a move that took me by surprise.
“If you don’t like them, throw them away. Why keep them around?” After disposing of the flowers, Neil brushed his hands off, his tone nonchalant, as if forgetting the flowers were actually from his current girlfriend.
His current girlfriend, also his once lost first love.
I stared at the bouquet poking out from the trash bin, at a loss for words about Neil’s actions. If Karina had left a moment later and saw this, she would be devastated.
“What did you come here for? To throw away flowers?” I finally found my voice, “Didn’t you know Karina was coming to see me today?”
Karina had explicitly mentioned that she was here to see me on Neil’s behalf.
Neil took a seat, his expression unchanged, “I came to pay for Louis’ medical bills. I was the one who hurt him, it’s only right that I cover his medical expenses.”
I knew Louis was hospitalized, but I didn’t know he was in the same hospital. Luckily, he was still incapacitated; otherwise, he would probably try to find me.
“You didn’t have to hurt him that bad, especially not for me.” I said somberly.
“Who said I did it for you?” Neil’s expression faltered slightly but quickly returned to normal. He looked down at his own fingers, his hands were handsome enough to be a hand model.
“He had it coming. I just never got around to it. This time, I settled old scores and new ones.” Neil continued.
Since Neil was looking down, all I could see was the top of his head and his high nose bridge. From the time I first met him till now, his hair had always been its original color, never dyed any other color.
Russel was the same, which was why they occasionally seemed like the same person to me.
On the other hand, Mitch and Cooper, would happily dye their hair all colors of the rainbow. When they were wilder in their youth, they spent their time either dyeing their hair or contemplating what color to dye it next, as if their success with women depended on their hair color.
“That’s good then. If you did it solely because of me, that wouldn’t sit well, would it?” I moved my gaze away from the aspects of Neil that once fascinated me.
“Are we really that estranged now?”,
“Isn’t that what you want, Neil? Someone who is consistent, who knows when to let go. How great would that be?” I responded earnestly.
Because of the Serena and Brandon incident, Neil should hate me to the core. If he truly believed both kids were Russel’s, then it would mean I was stringing him along when we were planning to get back together.
Neil, being an extremely proud man, wouldn’t accept being cheated on. If that were the case, he would definitely tell me to get lost.
“Didn’t I let go? I don’t remember bringing up getting back together. I just think it’s normal for our paths to cross considering how long we’ve known each other and our shared social circle.” Neil spoke logically, leaving me with no room to counter.
But did he really let go just because he didn’t talk about getting back together?
I didn’t think so. Judging from recent events, I felt that Neil was still interested in me. I’m not stupid, I could feel it.
Even Karina could feel it. If she could sense it and I couldn’t, then I would truly be a fool, being targeted without even realizing it.
“If you don’t want Karina to have a reason to target me, could you stay away from me? Can you do that?” I stated my request directly, not wanting to be targeted because of Neil anymore, “By the way, Louis claims he’s your half-brother from the same father. Do you know about this?”
Neil’s expression turned contemplative, not showing the surprise I expected but instead became complex and deep. After a moment of silence, he asked me, “Did he tell you, or did you find out on your own?”
I was shocked. Could it be true?
“Is it true?” I felt slightly dumbfounded, unable to imagine that Ryan could have an illegitimate son.
“I don’t know.” Neil’s response doubled my shock.
“What do you mean you don’t know?” I was completely confused, my words becoming hesitant.
Neil didn’t elaborate, his brow furrowed slightly, “It’s inevitable that he’ll target you because of me, even our divorce can’t change that.”
I was left with a head full of question marks. Was he implying that I deserved it?
Was it my own fault for stubbornly marrying him in my youthful ignorance? So now I had to face the consequences.
“Neil, I think you might have misunderstood Louis. He seems to think that you still have feelings for me, that you can still be influenced by me. That’s why he’s targeting me. As long as you keep your distance
from me, leave Eldoria, he’ll surely follow you.” I gathered my thoughts and analyzed the situation for Neil. Now that I have children, I didn’t want to take unnecessary risks anymore.
But my suggestion didn’t seem to sit well with Neil. In fact, it seemed to offend him, his face darkening.
If he knew that Serena and Brandon were his kids, would he consider their safety for once?
This thought flashed in my mind, but I promptly dismissed it.
That would only stir the pot more.
“The project here is crucial, and I need to keep a close eye on it during the early stages,” Neil replied icily.
I was stunned.
