Reborn, Reawakened, Rekindled novel Chapter 402

When Ryan and Faith saw me, their expressions shifted from surprise to delight.

Upon spotting Russel behind me, their smiles took on a complex nuance.

“Irene, you…” Faith moved forward, grasping my hand with her usual tender affection, “you're here too?”

“Yeah, I've settled down here.” I was surprised that Neil hadn't told Ryan and Faith that we then lived in the same city.

“He mentioned you and Russel were together, and you had two kids. But he didn't say you were here. That's wonderful. It's been too long since we've seen you.” Faith's joy was genuine, and her eyes radiated warmth.

That warmth was my motivation to intervene. Knowing that I was with Russel and had kids, and she was still happy for me, I couldn't just stand by.

I had never denied that Ryan and Faith had always been good to me. They were truly wonderful in-laws.

“I moved here with my parents, and Russel found work here,” I answered briefly before glancing at the man on the ground. “Faith, you can't compensate him. He wasn't injured. You didn't hit him.”

“What are you talking about?” The man became agitated. “I was nearly run over. Don't interfere with something that's none of your business!”

I pulled out my phone and showed a video I had taken for Serena and Brandon. It had captured the accident from a corner. The car hadn't even touched the man. He had simply fallen to the ground on his own.

After I showed him the slowed-down footage, he fell silent. He sprang up from the ground, shot us a glare, and walked away.

Ryan and Faith exhaled in relief and thanked me. “Irene, we really owe you one. We don't have the energy to deal with con men like him. We'd have had to fork over money.”

“Don't mention it. Weren't you on your way somewhere? You should get going!” I replied, my smile neither warm nor cold.

“We were going to…” Faith began but hesitated. She saw the stroller Russel was pushing and moved closer, peering at the two little ones inside. She froze.

I knew she must have been shocked by Brandon's resemblance to Neil.

My heart clenched as Russel spoke up. “They're twins. Our daughter is Serena, and our son is Brandon.”

“Oh… is that so?” Faith seemed a bit slow to react. Ryan also came over and was similarly taken aback.

“This little guy looks…” Ryan couldn't stop himself from pointing at Brandon.

“Looks like Neil, right?” Russel was calm. He laughed and bent down to play with Brandon. “I was surprised myself. Even doubted it. We got a paternity test just to be sure.”

The words "paternity test" caused Ryan and Faith's expressions to change.

Their shock and suspicion turned into disappointment and resignation.

Faith reached into her bag and pulled out a thick wad of cash, placing it in the stroller. “Irene, we've always thought of you as a daughter. So we are your children's grandparents. This is a little something for their first meeting. You can bring them to Springvale, to our place, anytime. Stay as long as you like.”

Her words left a bitter taste in my mouth. The love and tenderness in Faith's eyes when looking at Serena and Brandon were as genuine as my mother's.

She was Serena and Brandon's biological grandmother. She would have been overjoyed if she knew the children were part of the Whitmore family.