Reborn, Reawakened, Rekindled

Chapter 460

“Louis, you’re cruising for a bruising!”

Neil was being held back by Karina and Hiram, but Louis’ taunts were like throwing gasoline on a fire. The veins in Neil’s forehead and neck were bulging, his eyes fierce with a murderous glare.

If he were to actually go after Louis, no one would be able to stop him.

“Thud!”

Neil’s foot brutally connected with Louis’ arm.

Louis grunted in pain, but didn’t show any signs of backing down.

Karina again stepped in to stop Neil, her voice stern and harsh, “Neil, snap out of it! Look at who’s holding Irene right now!”

Neil was taken aback by her words and looked over to see me nestled in Russel’s arms, shaken and scared.

My clothes were torn, leaving me exposed. If not for Russel’s protective hold, I would have been utterly exposed. I needed his support as I was still terrified.

Neil’s gaze was darkening, and his clenched fists slowly relaxed.

Now, it looked like Russel and I were a couple.

Neil had to let Russel take the lead, even in defending my honor.

“Ha, ha, ha…” Louis began to laugh again, aiming to provoke Neil further, “Neil, how pathetic are you? Irene is either sleeping with Russel or almost sleeping with me. What a pity!”

Before Neil could react, Russel pushed me into the arms of a nearby waitress and crouched down. One hand grabbed Louis’ collar while the other smashed into his face.

Louis spat out a mouthful of blood, along with two teeth.

Even with his strong physique, Louis couldn’t withstand the blows from both Neil and Russel.

“One more word, and I’ll make sure you’ll never speak again!” Russel threatened Louis, his voice full of restrained rage.

“I…” Louis seemed fearless, but the next moment he passed out, stopping any further provocations.

Russel wiped the blood off his hand, his anger subsiding. He returned to my side, holding me close, “It’s okay, don’t be scared. I’m sorry I didn’t get here sooner.”

I shook my head, a mix of emotions inside me. But when my gaze involuntarily swept over Neil, I could see the resentment, frustration, and a hatefulness in his eyes that made me uncomfortable.

“Let’s go. Russel can handle things here.” Karina seemed to understand Neil’s state of mind and took his hand.

Neil, his pale face specked with blood, looked eerily beautiful. He took Karina’s hand and silently left.

Did fate have a hand in all this?

Russel was the one who came with me tonight, but when I was in danger, the first person to appear was Neil.

There seemed to be an invisible thread connecting Neil and me. It was a toxic relationship, but one that I found hard to sever.

A hotel staff member called for an ambulance while Russel, not waiting for Louis to be taken care of, got me a coat from the hotel before taking me away.

Throughout the journey, he held my hand tightly, as if afraid of losing me. Neither of us said a word, the atmosphere heavy.

When we reached the hotel entrance, I noticed Neil hadn’t left. He was standing not far away, and to my surprise, Karina was nowhere to be seen.

Russel spotted Neil and stopped, our car was parked nearby, and we would have to pass Neil to get to it.

“Wait here, I’ll bring the car around,” Russel/said, his voice low.

“Okay.” At that moment, I didn’t want to talk to Neil. I didn’t know what to say.

Russel walked towards Neil. They were similar in height, build, and even aura. As they neared each other, Neil suddenly blocked Russel.

The next moment, Neil’s fist connected with Russel’s face.

“Neil, you lunatic!” Russel stepped back, touching his bleeding lip, his voice filled with anger.

Neil, however, seemed possessed, advancing on Russel with his fist raised again. This time, Russel didn’t just stand there; he fought back.

Seeing the escalating confrontation, I rushed in to intervene, “Neil, Russel, what the hell are you two doing? Stop it!”

08:26

I was already at my wit’s end and now had to prevent these two from coming to blows. As I finished speaking, my vision started to black out, and I felt dizzy.

“Since she’s with you now, you should be protecting her, not letting her get into dangerous situations, right?” Neil’s eyes blazed with anger as he challenged Russel.

“Yes, I was wrong this time. Everyone can blame me, except for you, Neil. You have no right. Did you ever take good care of her?” Russel retorted coldly, “I won’t let this happen again and I’ll protect her with my life. And you? You have Karina. You can’t serve two masters; don’t you understand?”

Neil’s lips whitened, and his gaze fell on me, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he just lowered his eyes.

Because of Russel’s words, he had no rebuttal.

Who hurt me the most in this world? The answer was Neil, so much so that I had reincarnated because of him. From NôvelDrama.Org.

“Please, stop fighting. It’s not necessary, okay?” I was feeling dizzy. Their voices sounded far away and yet so near.

After uttering those words, I felt a sharp pain in my head, my vision turned black, and I collapsed.

“Irene!” I heard Neil and Russel calling my name in unison.

I was rushed to the hospital and only woke up the next morning.

The hospital room was empty, a quiet sanctuary, but I could still catch the hustle and bustle of footsteps and conversation in the corridor.

Had I really been out for a whole night? A twinge of panic hit me as I thought of my children, Serena and Brandon, back at home. I quickly dialed home to check on the situation.

“Ms. Finch, you needn’t worry. Serena and Brandon are being little angels,” Norah reassured me over the phone. “I can manage on my own for a bit. Dr. Russel popped in earlier, and he updated us on your condition. You just focus on getting some rest, alright?” Norah responded with genuine concern.