Chapter 156
“Al, let’s get some breath?”
The moment Russel showed up, Barbara quickly stood up, grabbed Alicia, and left. Both of them, like Stella, believed that Russel had a thing for me and even encouraged me behind my back to accept him. They thought it would not only piss off Neil, but also would get me a good man.
But of course, I flatly refused I didn’t want to exploit Russel’s feelings
The more genuine people are to me, the less I want to take advantage of them.
Dr. Russel you’re looking dashing today”” I complimented him sincerely
“How dashing am 17 Russel sat down beside me, asking with a smile.
In a teasing tone, I said, “So dashing that half of the young women in the room are sneaking peeks at you. Haven’t you noticed? Or are you shortsighted?” Russel glanced around the room. Indeed, there were many young women, all beautiful and affluent.
His gaze remained steady, then he turned to me, “What about you? Have you been sneaking peeks at me too?”
I awkwardly avoided his gaze. Of course, I had been watching him, but my watching was different from that of the other women. I was merely observing how popular Russel was.
With his good looks, I could not help but admire Bonnie for being the only one he liked in my past life.
Bonnie truly had a perfect alignment of time, place, and people in conquering Neil and Russel. Karina’s heart and her own tactics were both indispensable
In this life, Russel was not in love with Bonnie anymore but seemed interested in me
Although I felt a little embarrassed, deep down, I felt a bit triumphant. His liking me was proof that I was attractive.
“It’s not quite accurate to say ‘sneaking a peek in our case, is it?” I answered with a smile.
“That doesnt sound right indeed, Russel smiled. Didn’t you invite Neil?”
My family and the Whitmores have some business collaborations. Business isn’t like marriage; you can’t just divorce it.
If we were to cut off everything in a fit of anger, it would definitely harm both families interests, and my family’s loss might be even greater.
Our not inviting anyone from the Whitmore family could be seen as my moms deliberate provocation for the Whitmore family, a topic of gossip for others
“Why would I invite him?” I retorted indifferently
Is there absolutely no chance of you two getting back together? Russel seemed to be testing me.
I answered earnestly, ‘No, aren’t you aware of the situation with Karina?”
Although I hadn’t told Russel, I believed Mitch must have mentioned it to him privately
Karina’s heart was transplanted into Bonnie, a shocking piece of news.
As expected. Russel was aware of it. “I know I didn’t expect such a twist, I think Neil doesn’t truly love Bonnie. He just feels guilty about Karina and can’t let go for now.”
“Is a heart that important?” | suddenly asked.
“Do you find what I’m saying hard to understand?” Instead of showing a look of contempt, Russel earnestly explained, “Suppose you love Neil deeply, and then he leaves you. Later you find out another man has his heart inside him. How would you feel?”
I listened quietly to his words, trying to understand from his perspective. I could indeed comprehend Neil’s current feelings.
If Neil and I hadn’t had these issues and were a loving couple, I would definitely feel the world falling apart if he suddenly left
1 think I’m getting it, I nodded and said with a smile. But even if I do, it s of no use. I won’t turn back. Life is unpredictable. Back then, I chased after Neil
for five years, only for him to fall in love with Karina, whom he had just met I paid a five-year price for it. That’s enough.”
Russel’s gaze flickered, and his smile deepened. “Hmm, you’re still young and have many choices. Start a new life,”
I would definitely start a new life, but before that, I needed to expose Bonnie’s facade.
I originally wanted to share my plan with Russel, but I held back. Aside from Oscar, I hadn’t told anyone else about my concrete plan
The more people who know about it, the less safe it is.
After my mom’s birthday party, Bailey told me there was a birthday gift from Neil in the car. He had waited downstairs for a while but didn’t come up.
There was a beautifully wrapped gift box in the car I didn’t open it, just weighed it in my hands. It was heavy.
When my mom found out the gift was from Neil, her expression was complex. My dad, on the other hand, said outright, “We don’t want his gift. I’ll send someone to return it to his company right away!
Neither my mom nor I objected.
After we got home, my dad sent Bailey to return Neil’s gift. It took him about two hours to get back.
“Ms Finch, Mr. Whitmore wasn’t at the company His assistant took the gift and put it in his office, Bailey reported.
“Okay,” I nodded, then asked, “By the way, Bailey, how’s your father’s health?”
“He’s doing well now. Timely rescue has helped him recover well, if not for you, Ms. Finch, letting me go home early and lending me your car, I fear…”
Bailey was filled with gratitude.
I said with a smile, “You should take good care of your parents’ health”
“Yes, I will,” Bailey nodded.
Not long after my mom’s birthday, I learned from Stella that Bonnie was discharged from the hospital
Her physical resilience amazed me. She seemed weak but was actually very strong I shouldnt underestimate her
I wasn’t like her. In my past life, I was diagnosed with late-stage breast cancer. The disease progressed rapidly, and I died soon after
I had not dreamt about my past life for some time, but recently, I was plagued by nightmares again. Each time I wake up, my face was wet with tears, and my body was drenched in sweat.
I felt uneasy but couldn’t pinpoint the reason.
It wasn’t until photos of Oscar and me embracing appeared online that I realized the unease was a premonition.
Besides those intimate shots, there’s also a picture of me dancing at Cielo Nocturno, raising the hem of my dress to reveal my waist. My face looked a little abnormal from drinking.
The photo was a bit blurry, like someone had zoomed in from a higher floor, the angle clearly from top to bottom.
I started to freak out. In comparison, this dancing picture was way more risky. If it caught the public’s eye, it would definitely rain on my dad’s parade at work.
Then Halley texted me, “Ms. Finch, I’ve got some dirt on what you asked me to check out. Those shots were indeed taken by a fellow paparazzo, he fessed up Initially, he wanted to shake you down for some dough, but later decided to cut a deal with Neil. So, all the photos are with Neil now.”
Did Neil break the news? To get back at me and my parents? He’s not a good guy. A guy who could run Whitmore Coat Such a young age wouldn’t pull any punches He’s played all sorts of games with his competitors long ago.
