Chapter 396
Chapter 396
I couldn’t be sure. The moment the thought took root, though, I couldn’t suppress it.
If Karina simply ignored me during my ordeal, I might have accused her of having an icy heart but if she intentionally tied that rope around my ankle, that’s a different kettle of fish. Wasn’t that akin to attempted murder?
“Neil, could you fetch me some wet wipes from my bag? My hands are all greasy,” Karina requested, shaking her oil-slicked hands in mild exasperation.
Karina had brought a bag, which was placed just a few feet away from me.
Neil responded, “Sure, in a moment.””
I got up first, “I’ll get it for you!”
Seeing me approach her bag, Karina’s expression momentarily flinched in resistance, she quickly stepped forward, “It’s okay, I’ll get it. God knows this bag is already dirty enough.”
She then moved her bag away to a place beyond my sight, only then did she proceed to take out a pack of wet wipes.
This action of hers seemed a bit odd. Was she worried that I would have seen something in her bag? Or was she just being protective of her privacy?
“What’s up?” My distracted demeanor caught Russel’s attention; he asked in a low voice.
“Nothing,” I snapped back to reality, shaking my head.
A while later, Karina and Neil prepared lunch, which was all seafood, complemented by a bottle of wine provided by the hotel. The spread was quite lavish.
Russel and I sat on one side, with Neil and Karina opposite us.
Karina seemed quite pleased with her culinary achievement. She beamed at us, “Ms. Finch, Russel, please try it and tell me how you like it!”
“It should be delicious. It looks very fresh,” I praised, even before starting my meal.
“Then, eat more,” Karina shot Russel a meaningful look, “Russel, shouldn’t you be more attentive to your wife? She’s hurt her hand. You should be helping her with her food, or even feeding her.”
Neil chimed in unexpectedly, “She’s not left-handed.”
That was true. I had injured my left hand, but I was right-handed, so my daily activities weren’t much affected, especially when it came to something as simple as eating.
Even though that was the case, when Neil said it, it sounded strange.
Even Russel’s expression cooled a bit, but Karina remained relaxed, even offering Neil a smile, “Right, I forgot one can eat with one hand. I just wanted to give Russel an opportunity to show his caring side. He’s always been so slow on the emotional uptake. I’m worried that Ms. Finch might not stand his wooden nature.””
I laughed lightly, and turned my head towards Russel, “He’s just a bit introverted in front of others, but he’s actually quite attentive and considerate.”
Since Karina was so keen on highlighting my relationship with Russel to Neil, I decided to play along.
Hearing my praise, Russel was pleasantly surprised, and a hint of a smile tugged at his lips. He seemed to relish my compliments.
Neil, sitting opposite us, had an inscrutable expression, mostly keeping his eyes on his plate and not participating much in our conversation.
That meal was quite a bore for me, having to face Neil and Karina. Only Karina was enjoying herself, initiating most of the topics.
“I need to go to the restroom,” Karina announced midway through the meal.
After her departure, it was just Russel, Neil, and me left. My gaze fell on the bag lying on the edge of the table: She was so protective of that bag earlier. Why didn’t she just take it with her?
I reached for a piece of lobster, and ‘accidentally’ smeared my hand with sauce, “Where are the wipes? I think Dr. Karina has some in her bag. Russel, could you fetch them for me?”
Russel didn’t think twice, and only glanced at Neil once. After all, meddling with someone else’s belongings wasn’t really polite, especially with Neil
present.
Neil responded indifferently, “Yeah, go ahead.”
Russel reached for the bag and as he opened it. I deliberately took a few glances. That’s when I noticed something odd. There was a piece of rope in the bag, identical in pattern and thickness to the one that had been tied around my ankle underwater!
At that moment, a strange feeling overcame me. If Karina really was the one behind it, why didn’t she just dispose of the rope in the ocean instead of keeping part of it in her bag? Wasn’t she leaving evidence behind?
Also, her bag which she was so protective of earlier was then left unattended as she went to the restroom. It was as if she was deliberately drawing my attention and giving me a chance to discover it.
I could have pulled out the rope and confronted Karina with it as evidence when she returned. But I decided against it. Instead, I took the wipes, cleaned my hands, and continued eating as if nothing had happened.
A few minutes later, Karina returned. The first thing she did was check her bag. Noticing it had been moved, she glanced at me.
“D. Karina, I got my hands dirty and took a few wipes from your bag,” I explained proactively.
“Oh, it’s okay.”
My calm demeanor apparently took Karina aback. She seemed slightly confused, and her eyes hinted at an expectation that I would have said more, but I
/stayed silent.
Observing my silence, Karina furrowed her brows slightly and her chatter subsequently lessened.
After lunch, our outing ended and we sailed back to shore. Karina kept probing me about my injury on the way back. I had the distinct feeling that she wanted me to expose her.
Once back, our rooms were next to each other. As I was about to enter my room, Karina said, “Ms. Finch, do take care of your wound. If it leaves a scar, I could help you with scar removal.”
“Thanks,” I replied distantly, then entered my room, with Russel following behind.
Once we were inside, Russel spoke, “The rope in Karina’s bag is identical to the one that was tied around your ankle.””
So, he too had noticed but chose not to bring it up then. He was always one to think things through, and was never impulsive. And I was glad he wasn’t.
“I know.” I sank into my chair, feeling a tinge of fatigue. The wound on my palm throbbed slightly, making it impossible to do anything with my left hand for the next few days.
“Did she do it?” Russel’s eyes narrowed, a dangerous glint flashing within.
“It feels like she wants me to accuse her. Otherwise, why would she leave the bag? She could have taken it with her, or simply discarded the rope. What’s the point of leaving it in the bag?” I reasoned, “The rope looks like the type used to tie up lobsters. We can ask around the hotel later to confirm.”
