Chapter 384
Chapter 384
Taverted my gaze, refusing to pay any attention to the duo, nor to the distasteful thoughts they brought to mind.
“Hello everyone, I’m Karina,” she announced openly, greeting everyone in sight. “I believe you all are friends with Neil. I haven’t had the pleasure to meet you all formally, but I’d love to treat you all to dinner someday”
Stella snorted, “Neil’s friend? I’m Rena’s friend!”
Barbara chimed in, “Exactly. Don’t get it twisted”
Unfazed by their hostility, Kanna calmly responded, “Mitch is your husband, and Mitch is good friends with Neil. We’re all socially connected people. Our businesses have some form of partnership with Neil’s. If we’re not personal friends, we can at least be considered business associates.”
Her argument was irrefutable, and Stella and Barbara had no choice but to remain silent.
Eventually, Mitch found what he was looking for. It was a stamp.
He handed it over to Neil, sheepishly grinning at Karina as a form of greeting. Karina returned the gesture, but Mitch dared not reciprocate, fearing Stella’s wrath.
“Well, we should be going now,” Karina announced. Seeing Neil turn to leave, she gave us a friendly wave.
We watched them leave the courtyard without any further interaction. Stella and the others then turned their attention to me, with a hint of worry etched onto their
faces.
The unexpected appearance of Neil and Karina had slightly affected me, but it was nothing major.
I turned to my mom and said, “Mom, hand me Serena.”
Brandon, who was nestled in my arms, was fast asleep. After settling him in his room, I took Serena from my mother’s arms.
The little one soon fell asleep, too, after some fidgeting. I then began arranging rooms for everyone. Thankfully, we had enough space for everyone to comfortably sleep in.
Meanwhile, Stella was grilling Mitch, “Why did Neil come here? What did he want? Did you do this on purpose?”
Mitch defended himself helplessly, “I had genuinely forgotten to give him something. Remember I told you about our business deal with Whitmore Co.? The project is based here. So, we agreed on a contract, but I accidentally left a copy in my car.”
Stella had mentioned this to me before. Their family was planning to stay in Eldoria for a while due to Mitch’s project, but it seemed she was unaware that Neil was the business partner. Otherwise, she would have informed me beforehand.
“You’re working with Whitmore Co.? You never mentioned that!” Stella fumed.
“I didn’t want to upset you. But business is separate from personal matters, and Neil and I are good friends…” Mitch explained, caught between a rock and a hard place.
I intervened, “Stella, it’s not Mitch’s fault. It’s perfectly normal for Neil to focus on Eldoria for a while since Karina is working here.”
“Mitch is right, Neil won’t bother Rena!” Mitch eagerly agreed.
“But…” Stella was still worried.
“Don’t worry. I made it clear to Neil, and our meeting earlier was quite normal, right?” I reassured her.
Reluctantly, Stella acquiesced, “All right, but if he dares to bother you again, you tell me. I won’t hesitate to give him a piece of my mind!”
Her earnest concern was touching, but unnecessary. With Karina and Hiram around, Neil had no reason to bother me.
Later that night, there was a fireworks display at the beach. Stella and the others were eager to attend, and I joined them, pushing Serena and Brandon in a stroller. The beach was bustling with people, and the atmosphere was festive. The fireworks show was accompanied by a food fair, complete with a variety of snacks.
“Chase me! Come on!”
“Kids, don’t run around. What if you bump into someone?”
Children’s laughter and parents’ scolding filled the air, creating a lively ambiance.
It had been a long time since I had enjoyed such moments, strolling with my kids while enjoying the food. It was a beautiful feeling.
That was until I ran into my ex-husband and his once-dead sweetheart, along with their son..
“I want a candy apple!” Hiram pointed at a candy apple, looking up at Neil. “Dad, can you buy me a candy apple?”
As he reached out to hold Neil’s hand, Neil’s gaze met mine. I was pushing a stroller, dressed in a simple white cotton dress, bare-faced, and without any jewelry. Compared to Karina, who was dolled up to the nines, I seemed a bit plain.
However, it didn’t bother me. I was about to turn away when Stella’s and Barbara’s kids also began to fuss for candy apples.
Mitch had no choice but to approach Neil, “Neil, you’re here too.”
“Yep. Your kids want candy apples?” Neil asked, offering Mitch three candy apples for them.
Mitch, of course, accepted them graciously and handed them to the children.
Suddenly, Karina pulled out three cartoon lollipops from her bag. “Kids, do you want these? These are candies your big brother bought. One for each of you.”
The sight of the cute candies immediately cheered the kids, “Yes, yes! Thank you!”
Stella immediately intervened, halting her kids, “Eating too much candy will ruin your teeth. No more!”
Barbara also declined the lollipop on behalf of her child.
Karina flashed a helpless smile. “If the kid wants a piece of candy, just let him have it. Just ensure his oral hygiene is maintained. I raised Hiram and he loved his sweets, but we kept strict control over the quantity and his dental care. His teeth are just fine.”
“We aren’t doctors like you. We don’t understand.” Stella retorted with a sarcastic tone. “Maybe next time you can teach us something magical, like raising the
dead?”
At the mention of those words, Karina’s face remained impassive. She simply smiled. “You don’t have to be a doctor to understand some basic knowledge. As parents, we always have to consider our children’s wellbeing.”
Neil turned his head to look at Karina, who was speaking. His gaze was neither overly warm nor loving. But it was not cold or indifferent either. It was simply calm
and relaxed.
That was completely different from the way he used to look at Bonnie.
