Chapter 506
The words had barely left Russel’s lips when Neil shot him a frosty look.
Must be the whiskey playing tricks on me, I thought and rubbed my eyes. But when I looked again, the two men were still there, and their expressions were even more displeased than before.
Stella had already dashed off with a group of young men, and although the bar was bustling with people, I suddenly felt like I didn’t belong.
“I need to use the restroom,” I said, not knowing how else to escape the awkward situation.
“I’ll go with you.” Neil offered, standing to block my exit.
“No need,” I replied, pushing him back onto the couch. “Please have a drink, I’ll be back to explain things.”
But Russel stepped in my way. “Irene, what on earth are you wearing?”
Hooked down at my overly sexy top. It was a bit embarrassing. “Stella picked it out for me. I’ll explain later” I offered, trying to smile.
“I’m leaving soon. You will come with me.” Russel declared, grabbing my arm firmly.
“I can’t leave yet. Stella’s not back.” I protested, trying to break free. But Russel was stronger. I didn’t have a chance.
Seeing the struggle, Neil stood up and came over. He grabbed my hand and pulled me away from Russel. “Don’t touch her!” he scolded outrageously.
Russel’s already stern face turned frosty. “Don’t forget that I’m her husband.” he retorted.
“Why lie to yourself?” Neil asked coldly. “You know as well as I do that she’s never loved you. Not even having two kids together can change that. Didn’t Mitch and Stella separate despite having three kids?”
I didn’t want Neil to continue. His words were too hurtful. Russel didn’t say anything, but I knew every word was like a dagger to his heart.
“That’s enough!” I cut Neil off and turned to Russel. “Let’s go outside for a few words.”
Neil’s face darkened at my words, but he didn’t stop us this time. He just watched as
Russel and I left the bar.
Once outside, a jacket landed on my shoulders. “It’s cold at nights.” Russel stated. His voice was cool.
It was indeed chilly. The jacket brought some warmth, and I began explaining, “I came here mainly to accompany Stella. You called when I was already dressed. It would be rude to ditch her.”
Just as I finished speaking, I saw Stella on the other side of the street. She looked furious and was gesturing animatedly at that group of guys.
I didn’t see Alicia and Sean, so I assumed they hadn’t managed to catch up.
Stella noticed us and strode over. “Russel, what are you doing here?” she asked with a hostile tone. She knew about my situation with Russel and wasn’t a fan of his.
She believed that Russel was a scheming man of calculations.
“Something came up.” Russel replied, glancing at Stella’s equally revealing outfit and frowning. “I’ll take you both home. Had enough to drink?”
“Of course not!” Stella retorted, “Go home yourself. Just don’t disturb me and Rena. Bye!”
She grabbed my hand, intending to return to the bar. But two men stepped forward and blocked our path. They were obviously Russel’s crew.
“What do you want, Russel?” I asked, taken aback.
“It’s late. Let me take you home.” Russel repeated. He seemed adamant about not letting me go back inside and run into Neil.
“We don’t need your help, don’t you understand?” Stella was getting annoyed. “Rena, let’s go!”
But without Russel’s command, the two men stood firm like robots and wouldn’t let us pass. I felt a surge of anger. I had been kind enough to have already explained the situation to Russel while drunk, but now he was infringing on my personal freedom.
“Russel, tell them to get out of our way!” I demanded.
Russel didn’t respond, and in my frustration, I shoved past the two men. One of them reflexively tried to retaliate, but Russel quickly reprimanded him. “When had I granted you to fight back? Get lost!”
The two men retrieved a bit, and we took the opportunity to leave. If Russel tried to stop me again, I was sure I’d start an argument.
“Rena, look behind you!” Stella suddenly tugged on my hand, whispering urgently.
I turned and my eyebrows knitted together.
A cobalt-blue car pulled up next to Russel. The back window was half-open, revealing Karina’s face. She saw me and quickly averted her gaze. The window rolled up a second later.
Karina probably didn’t know Neil was here. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have the guts to show
Russel started walking towards the car. When he glanced back at me, I quickly turned away and picked up the pace.
“I thought Karina was in Eldoria. What’s she doing here?” Stella asked, puzzled.
“I’m not sure. But promise me you won’t tell Neil.” I urged.
“Why not?” Stella was even more confused.
“I’ll explain when we get back,” I promised. Now was not the time.
Stella nodded, then she started talking about Alicia. Apparently, she’d been scolding the guys for failing to keep Sean from leaving.
She berated them for their lack of chivalry, then started worrying about Alicia’s situation, concerned that Sean, in his anger, might do something to hurt Alicia.
Midway through her rant, Stella suddenly fell silent. Her eyes widened as she took in the sight of Neil, who was sitting in our spot.
It seemed to me that she should be worrying about me first.
Neil, noticing our return, put down his glass of beer. I’d suggested he have a drink here, but I hadn’t expected him to take me seriously.
“No way, why is he here again?” Stella was on the verge of exploding with a million questions. She pointed at Neil and exclaimed, “Don’t tell me he came with Russel!”
