Chapter 345
In the end, I took a seat. Just having a cup of coffee couldn’t be that complicated, right?
Russel was looking at me. His eyes no longer had the soft look they used to. They were cold again, like they were a long time ago, revealing only the occasional hint of a smile. It was unsettling.
I took a sip of my coffee, downing it in two gulps. Then I said to Russel, “Dr. Russel, take your time. I’m going to go get some sleep.”
“Rena!” My mom knew I was evading. She looked pissed.
“Mom, can you stop pushing me?” I was feeling lousy. After saying that, I bolted upstairs.
I went for a shower. It did a world of good, then I figured I’d check out that ‘Snow’. But before I could start, there was a knock on my door. Hannah was calling me for dinner, “Ms. Finch, it’s chow time.”
I was peckish, but I wasn’t sure if Russel had left. So, I asked Hannah, “Is Russel still around?”
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Hannah whispered, “He’s still here. Your mom asked him to stick around for dinner.”
Hearing that, my appetite took a nosedive. I asked Hannah to bring me food, then I hopped back in bed and started to dig up information on ‘Snow’.
That person gave me an eerie feeling. She seemed perfect, yet mysterious. There wasn’t much information out there, just her nationality and profession. No pictures.
It seemed odd. If she was so well known for her medical skills, how come there were no photos of her? Unless she was deliberately hiding. But why? The only reason I could think of was that she was disfigured.
Just as I was racking my brain, there was a knock on my door. I thought it was Hannah bringing my food, so I just said, “Come in.”
The door opened, and I heard footsteps. I didn’t look back and just kept on with my search.
A plate of food was placed on the table, and its aroma wafted up. I picked it up and started eating, then I realized the person hadn’t left. And that wasn’t Hannah!
I jumped. I turned around and saw Russel. He was leaning down, trying to see my computer screen before asking, “Snow? Why are you looking her up?”
“It’s none of your business. Why did you barge into my room without my permission?” I snapped the laptop shut and glared at Russel.
Russel shrugged, “You let me in, remember?”
I was dumbstruck. I did tell him to come in, but I thought it was Hannah. My guard was down.
I was starving, but seeing Russel, I lost my appetite. “Leave my room. Now.”
Russel didn’t budge. His aloof expression seemed to crack a little, “Do you have to be this way? Neil and Bonnie have been hanging out. Haven’t you given up?”
“You’re mistaking me. It’s not because of Neil that I can’t be with you. Whether Neil is in the picture or not, I probably wouldn’t be with you. I’m sorry, Russel. I just don’t feel that way about you. Chloe has passed away; it’s time you moved on.”
Russel’s face darkened, “I can’t. I thought I could easily get in and out of love. But after falling for you, I realized how wrong I was. Not being able to win your love is driving me insane. Do you know that?”
He seemed agitated. His hand was gripping my wrist so tight that it hurt. I was about to call for my mom, but Russel stopped me, “I won’t do anything to you. You don’t need to call your mom. They went for a walk when I came up.”
getting
My mom’s actions were getting out of hand.
“Let go!” I yanked my hand free and said, “I don’t care what my mom thinks or what’s going on between Neil and Bonnie. We just can’t be together, okay? Stop wasting your time.”
That was the first time I was that harsh, “Russel, don’t ruin the last good impression I have of you, okay?”
Russel’s eye’s were terrifying. He stared at me for a while. I met his gaze fearlessly.
After a while, his eyes softened. He said calmly, “I don’t want to fight with you. I don’t want you to see me lose control. Nothing you say matters until I give up.”
I was at a loss for words.
“You still haven’t told me why you are looking up Snow.” Russel changed the topic.
“I don’t want to talk about it. Just leave.” I looked away.
“Is it because you can’t get pregnant?” Russel guessed. Snow was a gynecologist, after all. He would know better than me.
A pang of pain shot through my heart. But I played it cool, “Stella went to see her today. So, I wanted to check her out, just in case Stella gets conned.”
Russel laughed, “You can fool others, but there’s no need to lie to me. You are free to wanting to have a baby. But I don’t want you to have Neil’s baby.”
“Does it concern you?” I asked coldly.
“Of course it does. I’ll be jealous. I’ll try to stop it.” Russel was being straightforward.
I had nothing to say. The more I said, the more I might push him over the edge. So, I stayed silent.
Time passed. Russel finally left my room. He was a proud man. Chasing after a woman must’ve been tough for him.
Once Russel had left, I instantly felt a sense of relief, and then I flopped onto my bed to ponder. By now, everyone knew Neil and Bonnie were pretty much joined at the hip those past two months, like a couple in the throes of passionate love. But what no one knew was that Neil had once promised me he’d be my rock no matter what.
We had been giving each other the cold shoulder for so long then. He hadn’t made a move to contact me, and I hadn’t either. It seemed like everything was about to end just like that.
Feeling increasingly blue, I tried to get a grip on my emotions.
Suddenly, my phone rang. I glanced at it. It was an unfamiliar number.
A somewhat familiar voice came from the other end of the line, “Ms. Finch, Mr. Whitmore is wasted. Can you come pick him up?” It was probably Neil’s assistant.
“Call Bonnie,” I replied coldly.
