Reborn, Reawakened, Rekindled novel Chapter 280

I didn't leave my bedroom all day but worked there instead.

By the evening, I noticed it started to snow outside, so I decided to stretch my legs a bit. Just as I was about to head out, I saw Neil's car pull up. But it wasn't him who got out, but his assistant, Felix.

Felix jogged into the villa, and instinctively, I peeked out of my door to see that he had headed upstairs. He looked surprised to see me but quickly regained his composure. He gave me a nod before rushing up to the third floor.

I followed him up and watched as he went into Neil's study.

Neil's study was a strictly private place. I'd only gone in when he was there.

The door to the study had a facial recognition lock. If it failed three times, it would trigger an alarm.

Felix came out of the study pretty quickly, with a document in hand. He nodded at me again before quickly leaving.

After he left, I somehow found myself standing at the study door.

I wondered if Neil had looked into my dad and Oscar Morse and left any clues in his study.

"Beep!"

The lock beeped, indicating a facial recognition failure. I jumped, quickly stepping away to avoid triggering it again.

Back in my room, my heart was pounding. I felt like a thief. After all, the information in the study was critical and confidential.

The more nervous I was, the more I wanted to find what I was looking for in the study. If I could find it, I'd leave Sterling Estates immediately.

Neil didn't come back all night, but I got a call from Stella Wallace, "Rena, you okay after last night?”

"Was it you who told Neil where I was?" I was a bit angry, "Stella, did you betray me?”

"I didn't! It was that dummy, Mitch Hebert, who told Neil. I wanted to find you, but my babysitter called me and said my daughter wouldn't stop crying, so I had to go home…” Stella pleaded, "Rena, don't be mad! I've given Mitch a piece of my mind. I'll buy you more bags and more clothes! Whatever you like, I'll get it for you!”

I sighed helplessly. I knew Stella wouldn't betray me.

"Forget it. Just be wary of Mitch. He's Neil's spy.” I warned Stella.

"I'll give him a piece of my mind,” Stella said, abruptly changing the subject, "Did you hear? Barbara's pregnant. Silas has invited us over. You coming?”

Barbara was pregnant? I was surprised but happy for her.

So much had happened recently that I didn't have time for daily girl talk like before.

I agreed, "Sure, when?”

"Day after tomorrow. I'll text you their address.”

"Okay," I said, then drifted off to sleep.

She treated her two daughters very differently.

All in all, Gloria's marriage to the vice president of Harmony Enterprises showed she had some skills, but it didn't change her past or her marriages.

"You don't have to be sarcastic. If you were in my shoes, you might not have achieved what I have." Gloria seemed very confident in her abilities and methods. She replied calmly.

"And what have you achieved?" I pretended to think, then had a sudden realization, "Oh, I get it. Your achievement is that you used your late daughter to slander Neil and me, used her unborn child to provoke Neil, and forced him to cooperate with StarGlow Enterprises, right?”

Gloria's face immediately turned into an angry mask. If it weren't for the other people present, she might have killed me on the spot.

Her reaction was satisfying. Since she purposely tried to upset me, I decided to return the favor.

After saying my piece, I turned around and found my seat. That was my second business summit. The first one was about three years ago, when I attended with Neil. Back then, my goal was to witness his love-at-first-sight for Bonnie.

As I settled in, I finally got a look at Bonnie. She was dressed to the nines today, looking every bit the career woman. Confidence oozed from her, but her smile stiffened as she caught sight of me.

The seating arrangement today was kind of funny. Bonnie's spot was just to my left. Once she confirmed her seat, she plonked down next to me.

"Mr. Whitmore's in the house!" someone bellowed from across the room. All eyes swiveled in that direction.

Neil always managed to steal the spotlight at those kinds of events. Whether it was his status or his looks, he had the knack to turn all heads.

Dressed in a simple yet snazzy black suit, the gold buttons on his cuffs twinkled under the lights as he moved. Standing close to 6’3", with a body to die for, he looked like a professional model who just happened to be wearing a suit.