Chapter 399
Chapter 399
“Thanks for the advice,” I replied nonchalantly before heading off to the hot springs with Stella.
Throughout, Stella was in a foul mood, constantly bringing up Karina.
She used to detest Bonnie, and when finally, Bonnie was in jail, Karina popped up. Bonnie had been able to interact with Neil only because she looked like Karina and had received a heart transplant from her.
She assured me firmly that she despised Karina more than she did Bonnie.
“Enough about her. Let’s talk about you,” Stella suddenly said with a suggestive smile on her face. “How’s it been going on this trip with Russel? Any progress in your marriage?”
“It’s okay,” I replied in a casual manner. Russel was indeed very kind to me. He was a caring and considerate person. But I was sure that I couldn’t have liked him just yet. Any moments of wavering were mostly due to the kids.
Stella, acting as if she knew everything, said, “Oh, I knew you didn’t have any feelings for him. You’re only together because of the kids. But I must say, I didn’t expect you to be so bold. When the media was widely reporting that you couldn’t have any more kids, you went ahead and had two with Russel. That’s impressive. You really slapped them in the face!”
I said nothing, choosing not to delve into the matter. After all, Russel and I had no relationship to speak of. Not to mention one of the two kids, who everyone thought looked a lot like Neil, though no one dared speak of it.
After we finished at the hot springs, Stella helped me get dressed. The perks of having a good friend were evident.
She then received a call from her husband, Mitch. “Honey, our boy is hungry!”
“I’m coming!” she immediately rushed off to get dressed at the news of her son’s hunger. Once she hung up, she swiftly got ready and said to me, “Rena, I must go. Weren’t you going to have some late- night snacks? I can’t accompany you this time!”
“Okay, you go ahead, I said, watching Stella hustle off. Thoughts of Serena and Brandon crossed my mind. I missed them, but I knew I would have been able to see them the next day.
I hadn’t eaten much at dinner due to the incident with Hiram, so I was feeling a bit peckish. The hotel offered late-night snacks, so I made my way to the restaurant to grab a bite before heading to bed.
The restaurant was relatively empty at the time. I grabbed some food and found a spot to sit and eat.
Suddenly, I heard Neil’s voice from behind me. He wasn’t speaking to me, though, but was on the phone. “You’re overthinking. It’s not mine. Don’t bring this up again.”
His tone was annoyed and slightly impatient, but he managed to keep his temper in check.
I turned around and saw Neil sitting there, his back to me. His white shirt accentuated his broad shoulders, giving off a somewhat austere vibe.
It’s a pity he couldn’t smoke here; a cigarette would’ve suited his aura of melancholy at the time..
Who was he talking to?
“There’s no need for a
probably his parents.
NA test. Hiram is enough for me. Let’s leave it at that.” With that, Neil hung up. I had a hunch about who he was talking to. It was
And judging by the conversation, it seemed that Ryan and Faith were questioning whether Serena and Brandon were my children with Neil.
Neil’s response was expected, but it still left me feeling a bit down.
Having finished my meal and lost my appetite, I got up to leave. Just as Neil also stood up and turned around, our eyes met for a moment before we both quickly looked away, pretending we hadn’t seen each other.
If I had known that I’d run into Neil at the restaurant, I wouldn’t have gone for the late-night snack.
Since our rooms were next to each other, we would have had to take the elevator together if we left then. I didn’t see the need for that, so I sat back down, intending to wait for Neil to leave before I did.
But as soon as I sat down, Neil did the same. I stood up again, and so did he.
Finally, Neil turned to me and asked, “Who’s going first? You or me?”
We seemed to be on the same wavelength, and since I didn’t really want to be alone with Russel in our room, I decided to let him go first. “You go ahead.”
Without wasting any time, Neil left. I waited for about five minutes before heading toward the elevator to return to my room.
Russel was still awake when I got back. “Where did you go?” he asked.
I went to the hot springs with Stella, then I got a bit hungry and had some late-night snacks,” I replied.
“Okay, try to get some rest now,” Russel said, settling down on the couch and spreading a blanket over himself. He’d been sleeping on the couch for the past couple of days.
Silently, I got ready for bed and lay down. The room was incredibly quiet. Just as I was drifting off to sleep, Stella sent me a message, “Look at this!”
It was a news link about Karina’s heroic act of saving a life and her status at that time, which was the talk of the town. She was being referred to as the ‘most beautiful female doctor’, a title that seemingly added a golden touch to her image.
Seeing the overwhelming praise for Karina, I felt indifferent. Whether Karina was a saintly doctor or a malevolent demon, I wasn’t sure.
The next morning, I requested the hotel to arrange for a boat ride back. I didn’t want to participate in the remaining activities that day, and Russel had no objections.
missed Serena and Brandon quite a lot, and with Neil and Karina on the island, I couldn’t enjoy myself.
Once we reached the mainland, Russel and I were about to drive off when a young couple stopped us. They looked strangely familiar.
“Sorry to bother you,” the woman said, “but could we hitch a ride with you?”
I thought to myself, “Aren’t these two the lovebirds who joined us on that sweet weekend getaway on the island? The woman talking is the same one who fainted before, claiming she had lung problems.
Were people who could afford a weekend retreat on an island, really unable to afford a bus fare? Why would they need to hitch a ride?”
I felt a bit puzzled, and it seemed like those two didn’t recognize Russel and me. We didn’t interact much on the island.
“Where are you headed?” I asked, not immediately rejecting their request.
The address they mentioned wasn’t exactly on our way. I pondered for a moment and was about to decline when I saw the woman casually pull out a cigarette from her purse. She lit it with a somewhat frustrated air and started puffing away.
