Reborn, Reawakened, Rekindled

Chapter 12

Chapter 12 I was taken aback, “What’s up? Don’t freak out.” “Stella and Neil are about to throw punches. Hurry over, I’ve sent you the address, move it, move it!” Barbara hastily hung up after her words. I was puzzled. How could Stella and Neil be at odds? And even if Neil had a temper, he wouldn’t hit a girl, would he? No time to ponder, I threw on some clothes and rushed out the door. By the time I got to the bar, Neil and Stella had been persuaded into a private room. With their status, they would’ve definitely made the headlines. Upon seeing me, Barbara quickly pulled me to sit next to Stella, who was still fuming. She was glaring at Neil as if he were her enemy. Neil, on the other hand, was seething more than ever, sitting on the other side with a cold look on his face. Mitch next to him was scared out of his wits, glancing at Neil and then at me. “I’m sorry, your friend must have misunderstood something. I called those girls over, Neil had nothing to do with it…” Mitch said. “You’re talking nonsense! That girl’s chest was practically on his face. Doesn’t that count?!” Stella pointed at Mitch and yelled. Mitch was on the verge of tears. It was his first time confronting a woman with such a temper. Was he scared to death?

Neil’s icy gaze swept over Stella and landed on me the next second, seemingly waiting for me to take a stand. I pretended not to notice and reassured Stella, “Stella, it’s okay. You must be overthinking. Those girls must have been called by Mitch. Neil’s taste isn’t that bad, he doesn’t like women with big breasts.” People around who didn’t know the situation thought Stella was betrayed by her husband. The room fell silent. *Rena, are you serious?” Stella and Barbara exchanged looks and then stared at me in surprise. They knew about me and Neil’s impending divorce, but they couldn’t believe I was even calmer than others.Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

Stella couldn’t help but verbally attack Neil tonight, and I, who had loved him for so many years, was as calm as still water. “Of course I’m serious. Come on, let’s go. Let’s have a drink and then go home. It’s on me.” I pulled up Stella and Barbara and left, never glancing at Neil again. “Neil, they left, Irena, she-” Mitch was obviously shocked, and reminded Neil. “Let them go.” Neil’s icy voice was filled with anger. As the door closed, his words clearly entered my ears. My heart felt a little pr ick, a bit painful, but bearable. After finding some empty seats, Stella, Barbara and I started drinking. Barbara just finished her commercial performance and returned to Rosemont today, so Stella invited her out for a drink. She didn’t expect to bump into Neil drinking with a few women. Stella, drunk, rushed over to stand up for me. If it weren’t for the fact that she was a woman, she might have been beaten up by Neil today. Stella kept asking me, “Rena, have you really let go of Neil?” I nodded, that much I was sure of. “Good, I admire your spirit! To let go of a ten-year relationship so easily!” Stella downed her whole drink. “You’re so brave!” Barbara also toasted me, then took a sip of her wine. Just as we three were having a great time drinking, Barbara got a call from her boyfriend. Her love life was the smoothest among us four. Her boyfriend was about the same age as her, and they had already met each other’s parents. They were at the point of discussing marriage. Barbara immediately got up to say goodbye to us, “Ladies, my man just called and said he misses me, I’m off!” “What? You’re going to feed your husband like the busty woman in the bar just now?” Stella teased Barbara. “You per vert!” Barbara laughed and cursed, then quickly disappeared After Barbara left, I paid the bill, and Stella and I also left. When I got back to Sterling Estates, I smelled the alcohol on me and decided to take another shower. As soon as I entered the bathroom, a mix of steam and the scent of shower gel hit me. A figure

emerged from the mist, bare-chested with a black towel around his waist. His tall and well-built body was unmistakably perfect. I was taken aback as Neil appeared before me, my gaze involuntarily ravished his body. Pathetically, after five years of marriage, this was the first time I saw him so naked. “This is my bathroom.” After a few seconds of silence, I reminded Neil. After our marriage, I stayed in the master bedroom at home, and he would just sleep in the guest room or study when he came home. This bathroom was the en-suite for the master bedroom. “Do you have a problem with that?” Neil wiped his hair, his tone calm. “Not at all. You’ve got a great body. I’m not losing out by looking.” I was telling the truth. Even if Neil were penniless, his good looks alone would win many women’s hearts. Neil gave me a intemse look and suddenly stepped closer. I had to take a step back. The steam in the bathroom was gradually dissipating. I could even see the fine texture on Neil’s chest muscles, firm and just right, along with his defined collarbones, making me wonder what they felt like. But I had to control myself. “Alright, I’m going to take a shower, you should leave.” I sidestepped, giving Neil space to exit. The next second, a hand supported the back of my head. I was propelled by a force that made me stand on my tiptoes. Neil didn’t even blink, he leaned down and kissed my lips, a faint mint flavor seeped into my mouth. I was so shocked that I froze for a moment, motionless. Seeing I didn’t react, Neil kissed me even harder. His kissing skills were top-notch, while I was a complete newbie, practically letting him take control of the whole rhythm. Men always ran a bit hotter, plus I was hardly catching my breath, so I quickly broke out in a sweat. The steamy atmosphere in the bathroom got even thicker. I initially wanted to push Neil away, but he turned the tables and grabbed my hands, raising them above my head, getting even closer to me. Should I just willingly accept his ‘proposal? Fulfilling my past life’s wishes in this life wouldn’t be a loss, right? After all, Neil was a notorious flirt before meeting Bonnie. It was only fair and reasonable for him

to spend a night with his legit wife, me. With this thought in mind, I closed my eyes and tried to go along with it. Some sort of forbidden feeling was stirring within me. Just when things were about to get out of hand, Neil suddenly stopped. He let go of me, the lust in his eyes fading away like the ebb and flow of the tide.