Chapter 497
Chapter 497
“I can’t meet you just yet. I’ll get back to you when I can,” I said, ready to end the call.
“Don’t agree to anything with Russel Dawson!” Neil’s voice rang out just as I was about to disconnect,
sounding unusually urgent.
I was taken aback, Had Neil predicted that Russel would make me an offer?
For a moment, my heart felt heavy. An absurd thought popped into my mind.
Should I visit Bonnie in prison and ask her what she would do, if she were in my shoes?
I stood alone on the balcony for a while until my phone rang again, bringing me back to reality.
“Rena, have the Whitmores and the Dawsons really started a feud?” Stella’s voice was filled with
shock. “What on earth happened? Is it about you?”
“I’m not sure. How did you find out about this?” I asked, somewhat dazed.
“Mitch called me. A lot of details are still unclear, but he’s certain that there’s a major issue between
Neil and Russel. He asked me to contact you…” Stella sounded awkward. “I didn’t want to get involved,
but he kept bothering me, so I thought I’d ask you.”
Mitch was currently in Eldoria and couldn’t come back.
I was in a state of chaos myself and hadn’t even seen Russel yet. “Stella, let’s talk about this when I
have a clearer picture. Do you know what’s happening with the Dawsons? Have you heard anything
while staying in Rosemont?”
Stella thought for a moment before answering, “Russel’s father, Samuel Dawson, seems to have
stepped down, but I’m not sure about the rest. I’ve been too busy with the baby.”
Had Samuel really handed over the company to his son so soon? Unless something was wrong with
his health, he wouldn’t do this, especially since Russel had been a doctor and had only briefly worked
at the company. He wasn’t ready to shoulder such a huge responsibility yet.
Children’s cries echoed from Stella’s end, and our conversation was cut short.
It was starting to get dark, and the neighborhood’s streetlights began to glow dimly, much like the state
of my mind.
Hannah came out and gently patted my shoulder. “Ms. Finch, whatever it is, why don’t you take a
shower and rest? The kids still need you.”
I turned to look at her and forced a smile, “Alright.”
The next morning, I woke up feeling groggy. I hadn’t slept well because I was worried about Neil and
Russel, and I even had a nightmare. My phone buzzed was worried at it. It was a message from Neil:
[I’m downstairs. Come out.]
Sleepily, I glanced
Instantly, I was wide awake. Did Neil mean he was downstairs at the Sands’?
But how did he know I was here?
I quickly changed and went to the balcony to take a look. We weren’t on a high floor, so I could clearly
see Neil’s car parked below.
Neil was standing next to it, smoking.
I hadn’t seen him for two days, but now I felt a strange sense of guilt towards him.
This was the first time I felt guilty towards Neil because, in both my past and present lives, it was
mostly him who had wronged me.
Bailey and Hannah were still asleep, as was Serena and Brandon. I hurriedly left the house.
Neil had smoked half of his cigarette. He looked like he hadn’t rested well, with faint circles under his
eyes. His black shirt was unbuttoned casually, giving him an air of decadence.
“How did you know I was here?” I suppressed the guilt in my heart and asked.
“Is it that hard to find out where you are?” Neil smirked. His smile was still charming, but it was tinged
with loneliness. He stubbed out his cigarette and threw it into a nearby trash can. “Why didn’t you go to
Stella’s and came here instead?”
I frowned slightly. “It doesn’t matter who I go to. The person I need to find is Russel.”
Hearing what I said, Neil chuckle lightly. He asked, “Do you think he’s targeting me, so you want to
convince him to back down?”
“Yes.” I didn’t deny it and said honestly, “Neil, as much as I dislike you, I don’t want to be a femme
fatale. The power struggle between you two is affecting too many people. If it comes out that it was
because of me, I’ll probably face a lot of criticism.
“So you’re afraid of being criticized?” Neil raised an eyebrow, his face calm and
composed. It was hard to tell that he was facing a major issue.
It would be easy to deal with someone else targeting Neil, but if it was Russel, things would get
complicated. Russel knew Neil and Whitmore Co. inside out.
I don’t know how he can still manage to smile.
“Why are you here?” I ignored Neil’s comment and asked instead.
It was not even six in the morning. Had he not slept at all last night?
Neil watched me quietly, a hint of fatigue in his eyes. His calm demeanor felt different from before,
making me feel uncomfortable.
Knowing that Russel was targeting him because of me, shouldn’t he be angry with me?
My decision to be with Russel was largely to get back at Neil. This gave Russel hope, leading us to
where we are now.
“I’ll handle the company’s matters myself. No matter what he asks of you, don’t agree to anything,
okay? Irene.” When Neil said my name, his voice was low, hoarse yet serious.
I bit my lip and didn’t respond until he reached out to touch my face, and I instinctively turned away.
Neil let out a gentle sigh, “Are you really that repulsed by me? I’ve had it pretty rough these past few
days, don’t I deserve a little sympathy?”
“Neil, don’t you blame me?” I couldn’t help asking.
Wasn’t he the one who was always blaming me? Why is it that when something serious really does
happen, he has nothing to say?
Neil paused, his lips slightly parting, “Blame you for what? Shouldn’t I blame myself for not being able
to control my feelings for you?”
I was speechless, caught off guard. Was this a confession of his feelings?
“Promise me, don’t make any deals with Russel. I’ll handle everything.” Neil laughed again, “Actually,
Russel acting this way shows he hasn’t won your heart yet. That’s good to know.”
