Chapter 491
Chapter 491
Karina cast an unwilling glance at me, her eyes revealing her defeat. All the while, I remained calm and
collected.
Judging by her reactions, I was winning. I could even use her to completely dispel the Whitmore
family’s suspicions about my two children.
With business concluded, I paid the bill and left the mall, taking a cab back home.
These past days, I’ve been threatened by Louis and Karina. I felt like I was under siege. In a few days,
Faith and I were planning to go to Heavenly Mountain to give thanks for my children’s health. I looked
forward to washing away this string of bad luck.
However, to my surprise, when the day came, not only Faith came to pick me up, but also Neil, Karina,
and Hiram.
We planned a three-day trip. I decided to bring Serena and Brandon along and fly directly from the
airport to Heavenly Mountain.
Faith got out of the car to help me with the children. Karina offered help too, but I declined.
“You can stay in the car with Hiram,” Faith told her coldly.
“Alright,” Karina frowned, returning to the car to accompany Hiram.
Neil was responsible for driving. From the window, he glanced at Faith and me. His sunglasses
concealed his eyes, revealing a straight nose, sharp thin lips, and well-defined jawline.
Faith slowed down and quietly explained to me, “Irene, I didn’t want to bring Karina along. But Hiram
insisted on coming and bringing Karina. I had no choice.”
I knew how much Faith adored her grandson. If Hiram insisted on going to Heavenly Mountain and
bringing Karina, she would have been persuaded.
“I understand, it’s okay,” I smiled lightly. In fact, I found it better this way. With Karina present, she
would obstruct Neil and Faith from getting closer to my children.
Since Faith and I had to hold one child each, Karina sat in the front passenger seat, while Hiram sat
with us in the back.
As soon as he saw me, he glared at me, making faces as if he wanted to fight me.
Faith immediately scolded him, “Hiram, what are you doing? That’s no way to behave.”
Hiram grunted and continued to glare at me.
I guessed he disliked me because Karina might have punished him. Even though I didn’t reveal
everything on his birthday, Karina must have figured out something.
Hiram was just a child. His sense of right and wrong was still hazy. He didn’t even realize Karina was
leading him astray.
“I’ll sit in the middle,” Faith offered thoughtfully, placing herself between me and Hiram.
Neil glanced back, warning Hiram with a stern look but didn’t say anything.
It was Karina who spoke, “Hiram, you can’t be rude, understand?”
Hiram grudgingly responded with a “Hmm”, then fell silent, staring out of the window.
The atmosphere in the car was rather tense. Apart from playing with the children, Faith barely spoke to
Karina. Karina, in turn, didn’t make any deliberate attempts to please Faith, only occasionally
conversing with Neil.
Upon reaching the airport, we boarded the plane on time, flying towards Heavenly Mountain.
Throughout the journey, Faith was the perfect grandmother, taking care of all three children without
showing any favoritism.
However, when lunchtime came, Hiram started throwing a tantrum.
He refused to eat, insisting on drinking cola instead.
Of course, it wasn’t that there was no cola available, but excessive consumption of such beverages is
harmful to a child’s health. Especially cola, which can affect nutrient absorption and gut health.
As a doctor, how could Karina ignore this when it came to her own child?
Watching Karina’s reaction, I noticed a look of displeasure on her face, as if she disagreed with Hiram’s
demand for soda. However, when Hiram looked at her, I distinctly saw a smile in her eyes.
Confused, I wondered what Karina was up to.
“You can’t have cola until you finish your meal!” Karina told Hiram sternly.
“I don’t want food, I want cola!” Hiram suddenly cried out. Thankfully, we had chartered the plane, so no
other passengers were affected. But his crying was indeed distressing.
Faith tried to calm him down in vain. Hiram seemed afraid of Karina in other matters, but not this. No
amount of persuasion or scolding worked.
Finally, Faith was about to give him the cola.
Neil and I both objected simultaneously, “Don’t give it to him!”
Hiram, who was lying on the floor throwing a tantrum, looked up at us and shouted, “You have no right
to tell me what to do, I hate you!”
Faith looked upset at his attitude towards me. “Hiram, didn’t granny tell you not to treat Ms. Finch like
this?”
Karina didn’t say anything. She just got up and pulled Hiram to his feet.
“I might not have any right to tell you what to do, but your parents do,” I told him sternly. “If you cry and
fuss and get everything your way, it will only harm you in the end.”
I truly cared about his health. He had shown a strong aversion to food when he was at my house,
acting as if food was poison and cola was the best thing in the world.
“Yes, Hiram, we need to eat some food,” Faith, who had almost wavered, strengthened her resolve
after hearing my words. “Drinking too much cola is bad for you. You’re a child. You have to behave.”
Now, Neil, Faith, and I were united in our stance. But Karina’s attitude was unclear. As the child’s
mother, why was she so indifferent?
“Hiram, let’s get some food in you, alright?” Karina finally spoke up again, her tone devoid of any
scolding.
Hiram looked at us adults with watery eyes. There was nothing he could do if we didn’t give him cola,
so he had to obey and eat his meal.
The food was actually quite good. At least I found it delicious. But Hiram seemed to struggle with it,
occasionally retching as he ate.
Seeing this, Karina pulled out a bottle from her bag. The bottle was opaque, hiding its contents. She
handed it to Hiram, “Drink this nutrition shake.”
Nutrition shake? I had never heard of it.
But Karina was a doctor, so it must be something to help Hiram’s body. I didn’t think much of it.
Hiram took the bottle and started drinking. After he finished the entire bottle in one gulp, the retching
stopped, and he obediently ate a little bit of his meal.
Karina then threw the bottle into the trash bag.
After finishing his meal, Hiram went to Serena’s side, making a goofy face at her on purpose.
