Chapter 502
“You’re a businessman, Neil, you should be thinking about what’s good for business. What you’re doing is nothing but folly. You’ll regret it, I tried to appeal to Neil’s pragmatic side. Neil just gave a cold, indifferent chuckle, as if I’d just told the funniest joke in the world.
And maybe I had. I mean, these words must’ve been repeated to him by Ryan Whitmore and Mitch so many times that they’d lost all meaning. In fact, they were practically a punchline at this point.
The task Faith gave me was looking impossible. The feud between Neil and Russel had been so fierce, it had torn their families apart. No one had been able to mediate between them so far. Why did I think I could?
“What brought you here today?” I asked, eager to shift the topic.
“Have you seen Russel?” Neil’s gaze was sharp, suspicious, as if he was afraid I’d lie.
I grunted in confirmation, not keen on going into details.
Neil acted surprised. “That’s why he suddenly backed off. What did you tell him to change his mind?”
He leaned in closer, a smirk playing on his lips. “Did you offer yourself to him?”
I instinctively backed away. Every time Neil got too close, I felt like a sheep cornered by a wolf.
Seeing my reaction, Neil’s smirk grew wider. “Did you really?”
“You’re crazy!” I snapped back, my patience wearing thin.
Neil’s smirk faded, replaced by a relieved sigh. “If you had, I’d make sure you regretted it.”
“Are you always this possessive, Neil? I’m not yours to command. I have every right to reject Russel, not because I’m afraid of your threats, but because I don’t feel any attraction towards him.”
“Whatever your reasons are for rejecting Russel, I don’t care. I’m just interested in the end result,” Neil said, unfazed by my outburst.
Oh, how I hated his arrogance, his self-centeredness!
“Where’s Karina?” I suddenly changed the topic, testing Neil’s reaction. “She’s still in Eldoria, waiting for you with Hiram. Don’t you care?”
Neil looked annoyed at the mention of Karina. “I’ll handle it. I won’t marry her, but I need Hiram.
His words caught me off guard, reminding me of Serena and Brandon. Would he do the same to me if he found out about them?
“Why do you think you have the right to take Hiram? Karina raised him by herself. You weren’t there for them. If Hiram had to choose, he’d choose his mother, wouldn’t he?”
Neil shot back, “I never refuse to take care of him after I knew about him.”
His words left me speechless. It was true that Karina had hidden her pregnancy and birth from Neil. It wasn’t entirely his fault.
“And she must’ve been prepared for this when she decided to come looking for me with Hiram, right?” Neil added, leaving me even more at a loss for words.
Seeing my silence, Neil squinted at me suspiciously. “Why do you care that? Are you in a similar situation?”
My heart skipped a beat. I barely managed to keep my composure.
This felt like walking on a tightrope, with the risk of falling at any moment. If Neil ever decided to get a paternity test done, everything would be over.
I
“And what do you think?” I countered, forcing myself to hold his gaze. “I told you before, if you’re suspicious, you can always get a DNA test done with Serena and Brandon.”
The more nonchalant I acted, the more likely Neil was to avoid the issue. He didn’t want to face the possibility of a worst-case scenario.
“No need,” he finally said. “If I want kids, it’s simple.”
Yes, it was. He could remarry and have as many kids as he wanted. I echoed his words, “Yes, it is. So let’s not bring this up again. There’s no point.”
“Sharp tongue,” Neil muttered, eyeing my lips. ” find it tiresome to talk to you. You never say anything I want to hear.”
“Then stop listening. If you and Russel would put an end to this feud, that’d be best for everyone,” I retorted, not bothering to hide my frustration.
Neil shot me a frosty look. “Stay out of it.”
He then turned to leave. I thought that was it, but then a gift box appeared from the car window. Judging by the packaging, it was a kid’s gift.
1 hesitated before accepting it. “What’s this?”
“A gift from a business associate. They heard have a kid and thought this would be appropriate. But it’s not suitable for Hiram’s age. Give it to Serena and Brandon,” Neil said, his explanation sounding forced.
Before I could reply, Neil drove off, leaving me standing there with the gift, puzzled.
Back at the house, Hannah saw the gift and whispered, “Did you buy that or did he give it to you?”
“He gave it to me,” I whispered back, careful not to alert Bailey.
“What’s he up to?” Hannah sighed, clearly baffled by Neil’s actions.
Truth be told, I didn’t know what to expect when I unwrapped the gift box. Inside was a beautifully crafted carousel music box. A simple flick of the switch set off a jingle as pleasing as a lullaby, accompanied by a gentle, vibrant glow. The carousel began to rotate, showing off its exquisite craftsmanship. It was so charming, I found myself quite taken with it.
The moment the music chimed, Serena and Brandon’s attention was immediately drawn. They couldn’t help but stare, fascinated. I set the music box between them, and they began to fiddle with it, occasionally pausing to listen intently.
“He picked a nice gift,” Hannah muttered under her breath.
He indeed did. The last gift he brought for Serena, a little toy, was now one of her favorites. She just hadn’t brought it with her this time.
