Chapter 359
Chapter 359
Snow was a doctor herself, with pretty good skills at that. So why the heck couldn’t she figure out how to get her son’s health back on track? It was really baffling. Every time I looked into Hiram’s eager eyes, my heart ached. I was on the verge of caving in.
But then I remembered my promise to Snow, and I dropped the idea like a hot potato. I couldn’t just take Hiram out willy-nilly. If something happened, it’d all be on my head.
I didn’t want my good intentions to backfire.
“Maybe next time, kiddo. Once your mom gives the green light, we’ll go out. Deal?” I said gently.
“No!” Hiram suddenly threw a fit, and tears welled up in his eyes. “You’re all liars! I don’t want to talk to you anymore!”
With that, he ran back to his room and slammed the door, leaving me standing there, totally thrown and worried.
After what felt like forever, Snow finally came home. She looked like she’d been crying.
Thanks for watching Hiram. We’ll continue the treatment in three days.” She said in a hoarse voice.
“Sure thing.” I didn’t ask any questions. My head was spinning anyway.
I exchanged a few words with her before bolting out of there and driving back to my apartment.
To my surprise, Russel was waiting for me right at my doorstep.
Sensing a stranger, Daisy barked from inside the house.
“When did you get a dog?” Russel asked.
“That’s none of your business. How did you know I was here?” I was in a bad mood, and it showed in my voice.
Russel held a small box in his hands. I had no idea what was in it. He smiled and said, “Mrs. Finch told me.”
I was speechless. With my mother as his sidekick, Russel could easily keep tabs on me.
But I wasn’t going to let him get close to me again. I was going to avoid him like the plague.
I was about to open the door, but Russel didn’t move. He seemed to have no intention of leaving. I warned him. “I have a Tibetan Mastiff. If you don’t want to get bitten, I suggest you don’t follow me inside.”
With that, I opened the door, and Daisy rushed out, barking its head off at Russel.
Russel took out some meat bones and dog treats from the box and put them on the ground. The smell immediately caught Daisy’s attention.
Daisy’s reaction left me speechless. I was hoping it could guard the house and protect me. But now it seemed like as long as there was food, Daisy might even help thieves find where I stash my cash.
My mother must have tipped Russel off to bring these treats to distract Daisy.
It seemed like my mom was eager to tell Russel everything about me to give him more opportunities to get close to me.
“I have something to discuss with you. You’ll definitely be interested.” Russel said as he crouched down to Daisy.
“Just spit it out here.” I said, refusing to let him into the living room.
“Do you really think Karina Aaron is dead?” Russel suddenly looked up at me. His gaze made me feel like I was hallucinating. A weird buzzing sound filled my ears.
In that moment, Snow’s face flashed in my mind. Her eyes and eyebrows were similar to Bonnie’s. There was also a kid who looked a lot like Neil. If I did the math, the kid’s age seemed about right.
Snow was a doctor now, and Karina was studying medicine in college.
These coincidences left me in a daze. I was unable to answer Russel’s question for quite a while.
“Do you want to know? I can tell you.” Russel continued to bait me with a smirk. “I can tell you even things that Neil doesn’t know.”
Did Russel know more about Karina?
Why?
I was full of questions, and it seemed like only Russel could answer them.
“Come in and sit.” I finally found my voice again, even though it felt foreign.
In the living room, I poured Russel a glass of water. We sat facing each other in the deafening silence.
After a while, I finally asked, “Is Karina really dead? Didn’t she commit suicide by jumping into the river? Doesn’t Bonnie have her heart?”
Russel took a sip of his water. His fingers were long and well-proportioned. It was quite a sight for sore eyes.
Instead of answering my question, he asked, “Neil and Bonnie’s engagement is fake, isn’t it?”
Russel was really smart. Sometimes, I was glad he still cared about whether I would hate him or not; otherwise, I might not be able to handle him.
“I’m also looking for Ethan Foster’s file. I know it’s in one of Gloria’s safes, but I haven’t found the password yet.” Russel continued.
I silently sipped my water. I already knew the password and was waiting for Neil and Bonnie’s engagement day to somehow retrieve the file from the safe. While the method was rather sneaky, Ethan Foster himself was devious and cautious. I had no choice.
“Neil isn’t sincere about Bonnie. You know that. But if Karina isn’t dead and comes back, what do you think he will do?” Russel asked me again.
“So what? Neil already knows what Karina did back then. If he thinks a woman like that suits him better, I’ll respect his choice.” I said calmly while looking at Russel. Although I was shocked inside, my original plan involved leaving.
Maybe if Karina really came back, Neil might not care about my leaving anymore.
Russel deliberately tried to provoke me. “What Karina did was out of anger and resentment because Neil’s family didn’t approve of their relationship. If Neil really
can’t let her go, he would understand, don’t you think?”
I gave him a cold smile. “How can you be so sure? Are the ten years I spent with him not worth the few months they were together?”
“Neil’s totally smitten with Karina, don’t you get it? They were hot and heavy when you were out of the picture. If it weren’t for his grandpa’s health issue, he would’ve stuck with her, no doubt.” Russel’s tone was even cooler than mine, which made me more uneasy.
“Just spit it out. Is Karina dead or not?” I couldn’t help but ask impatiently.
“She’s already back. Aren’t you under her care?” The smirk on Russel’s face became more apparent. “I just saw her; she looked pretty jittery.”
My heart sank instantly. It felt like I was in a dream; everything in front of me seemed unreal.
Was that phone call Snow took earlier from Russel?
Did Snow meet up with Russel?
