Chapter 397
Chapter 397
I had no clue how that type of rope had ended up in Karina’s purse, so I decided to get in touch with the hotel manager.
Following our conversation, I received a picture of the rope used for tying up, seafood in the hotel’s kitchen. It was identical to the one I had found in Karina’s bag.
I comprehended the situation. If I were to accuse her with the rope as evidence, she could have refuted me, claiming it was just a coincidence. After all, it was common for some kitchen waste to end up in the sea.
“Let’s keep this under wraps for now. We have no concrete evidence,” I advised Russel, to which he nodded his agreement. He warned me to keep my distance from Karina, knowing her temperament to be even more volatile than Bonnie’s.
I didn’t need Russel to tell me that. After all, I was no stranger to Karina’s antics.
Feeling a bit low, I took a nap in the afternoon and woke up just in time for dinner with Russel.
The hotel’s restaurant was situated on the top floor, boasting a round glass ceiling and an ocean view.
At night, the ocean was barely visible. Instead, we were treated to a sky full of stars and the multicolored lights of the beach side.
My appetite wasn’t great, so I grabbed a bit to eat and settled down at a table, enjoying the night view as I ate. Russel sat next to me, shelling ‘some nuts for me, saying, “Eat something.”
“Will eating these at night make me gain weight?” I asked with a smile.
“You could stand to put on a few pounds,” Russel said fondly. “You’re too skinny. It worries me.”
I had come a long way from my skinny past. Back then, people used to tell me that having a baby would have made me gain weight. I secretly hoped for a chubby baby with Neil, dreaming of a perfect life with a loving family and a hot body.
But then, only half of that dream had come true. I was in better shape, but far from a happy family.
Just as I was about to respond, a hand reached out and grabbed all the nuts Russel had shelled. I turned to see Hiram, who was unabashedly eating them while Karina watched from a distance. Neil was nowhere to be seen.
“Hiram, you shouldn’t take other people’s food without asking!” Karina finally came over when she saw me looking at him, gently chiding him.
“She’s not just anyone. Isn’t she Ms. Finch?” Hiram pointed at me, acting as if we were close.
Hiram, who used to be rude to me, was then addressing me as “Ms. Finch while stealing my food.
“Hiram’s a bit mischievous, and he loves nuts. Please forgive him,” Karina said, smiling at me.
“Hiram, you need to learn manners. Didn’t your parents teach you that?” I didn’t pay any attention to Karina and continued to educate Hiram.
“I don’t need you to tell me what to do!” Hiram snapped at me.
I could tell that Hiram had been spoiled by Karina. He was impolite and lacked respect.
Hiram made a run for it after speaking, but I managed to grab him. “You need to apologize to me first. I didn’t give you permission to take the nuts. That wasn’t right.”
Hiram was angry when I didn’t let him go and started to struggle. Russel didn’t get a chance to help me before Hiram pushed my injured hand.
The pain made me gasp, and I let go of Hiram.
“What the hell are you doing?!” Russel’s face turned icy, and he quickly pushed Hiram away, his voice stern.
Hiram might have been a brat, but he was still a child. Facing the wrath of an adult man, he ran off, hiding behind Karina.
Just then, Neil appeared. Seeing the tense situation, he looked cold.
He asked, “What’s going on?”
Karina, standing protectively in front of Russel, said in a shaky voice, “Nothing serious. Hiram was just being a bit naughty. He took some food from Ms. Finch without asking and accidentally bumped into her wounded hand. Russel was just being protective and pushed Hiram a bit. It scared Hiram, that’s all. I’ll talk to him later and tell him what he did was wrong.”
Her words were clever. She stated the facts in a way that made it seem like Russel and I were the unreasonable ones, and Hiram was just an innocent child.
Neil, who clearly cared for Hiram, looked at Russel and me with piercing eyes after
Seeing the situation, I decided to leave. “Russel, I’ve had enough. Let’s go.”
Russel followed, but Neil stopped us. “Shouldn’t you apologize first
I was confused. His son was clearly spoiled, and yet he was indulging him?
Witnessing the situation, Karina immediately intervened, “Neil, it’s Hiram who’s at fault here. Don’t make things hard for Ms. Finch and the others. They’re just a bit upset and they lost their cool for a moment. The nuts that Hiram took were ones that Russell had shelled by hand for Ms. Finch, which is why they hold a special significance. That’s why she’s so upset, which is understandable.”
With that, she turned her stern gaze onto Hiram. “Hiram, apologize to Ms. Finch immediately!”
Hiram blinked. His eyes were wide in disbelief. He couldn’t believe that his mother, who had been defending him just moments prior, was then ordering him so sternly to apologize. He seemed taken aback.
“Apologize, and remember never to act like this again. Taking other people’s things without asking is not acceptable, understood?” Karina was determined to maintain her stern motherly image. Her hands were on her hips and a frown was on her face as she scolded Hiram.
Hiram, who had been trying to hold back his tears, couldn’t help but let them flow after Karina’s reprimand. He was instantly in tears.
