Chapter 492
Chapter 492
I worried that Hiram might try to cause trouble for Selena and Brandon, so I decided to keep an eye
out.
“Ugh!” Hiram glared at me as soon as he saw me, his disdain and dislike for me apparent. I didn’t mind,
though. I wasn’t about to get into a spat with a kid.
As long as that kid didn’t cross any lines.
“We’re almost there, you should go sit with your mom and not wander around,” I told Hiram.
Hiram was pretty close to me at that moment, and he leaned in to look at Serena and Brandon.
Perhaps he was full from eating earlier, but he let out a burp, and I could smell a faint scent of coke.
I was puzzled for a moment. When did he have coke?
“Hiram, come here, we’re about to land. Stay close to mommy,” Karina called out to Hiram, who
obediently went over to sit down. I was still lost in my confusion.
When we finally landed, Karina and Hiram were leading the way while Faith graciously carried Serena
and let Neil carry Brandon. I was the only one empty-handed. As we passed the spot where Hiram had
eaten earlier, I picked up the discarded bottle and stuffed it into my bag.
After disembarking, a driver was waiting to take us to a booked hotel. We would head out to Heavenly
Mountain the next morning.
I thought three rooms would be enough: one for me and the twins, one for Faith, and one for Neil,
Karina, and Hiram. But to my surprise, Neil was staying in a room of his own.
Despite Karina’s grim expression, she kept her emotions under control.
The four rooms were all VIP suites, quite comfortable. But taking care of the twins alone was a
challenge. Although they were well-behaved, they sometimes demanded to be held, and I couldn’t hold
both at the same time.
Just as I finished preparing their milk, the doorbell rang.
I glanced at the peephole and saw Faith standing outside.
“Faith, what brings you here?” I asked as I opened the door.
“I thought you might need some help with the twins,” Faith kindly responded. She immediately went
over to Brandon, gave him a peck on his cheek, and said, “I don’t know why, but I just adore these
two.”
I stayed silent, unsure of how to respond.
That’s when Serena needed a diaper change. As I was getting the diapers and wipes from my bag, I
subconsciously pulled out that annoying bottle. It was the same one Karina had given Hiram on the
plane.
Faith spotted the bottle and paused. “Why’s that bottle in your bag?”
Before I could come up with an explanation, she had already unscrewed the sniffed it. Her expression
suddenly changed.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, my heart suddenly pounding.
“That Karina!” Faith’s tone was filled with anger, “This isn’t a nutrition shake, it’s coke!”
I had suspected as much, but hadn’t found an opportunity to confirm it. I was baffled by Karina’s
actions. As a parent, she should want the best for her child, not harm him.
Faith was already upset with Karina, and now her patience had run out. She stormed off with the bottle.
After changing Serena’s diaper and putting the twins to sleep, I hurried after Faith.
By the time I reached Karina’s room, the tension was palpable. The empty bottle lay on the floor. Faith
was furious, holding Hiram close to her, as if protecting him from Karina.
Hiram, on the other hand, was scared witless, his little face pale.
“Why would you do this?” Neil questioned, his expression as cold as ice.
Although Hiram didn’t grow up in front of Neil, he was Neil’s son after all. Neil naturally harbored
genuine affection for Hiram, his only son.
Karina’s actions were harmful to the child.
Seeing Neil’s reaction, Karina turned to look at me. There was a flash of resentment in her eyes,
quickly replaced by a look of self-reproach. “I’m sorry, it’s my fault. I’m a doctor, I know better. But I…”
She trailed off, tears welling up in her eyes. This was a rare moment of vulnerability for her.
“But what? What could possibly justify poisoning your own child?” Faith cut in, her voice harsh.
Karina glanced at Neil, hoping he would come to her defense. But his gaze was even colder than
Faith’s.
Realizing she was cornered, Karina wiped away her tears and began recounting her struggles raising
Hiram alone abroad. She admitted to resorting to snacks, drinks, and games to pacify Hiram, which
resulted in his bad habits.
“I know you don’t like me, Faith,” Karina said, her voice choked with emotion. “But we’re both women,
both mothers. You should understand where I’m coming from. If I were truly heartless, I wouldn’t have
insisted on raising Hiram myself. And I have been trying to correct his habits.”
Her words left Faith speechless. It was hard to argue with her reasoning. To continue berating her
would seem petty.
“If you think I’m not raising Hiram right, then you can take over his upbringing from now on. But I have
one request, don’t ever separate me from my child.” Karina’s voice started to waver, choked with tears.
She turned away, wiping her eyes. Suddenly, she looked like a wronged housewife, and we felt like the
villains who had wronged her.
Faith glanced back at me, her eyes filled with unease.
I decided to step in, trying to ease the tension. ‘Faith, Dr. Karina does have a point. Raising a child in a
foreign country is tough. We can gradually work on correcting Hiram’s bad habits.”
“Neil, what do you think?” Faith suddenly called out to Neil, “You were supposed to make a decision.
Didn’t you tell her about our previous conversation?”
Neil seemed taken aback, as if he had forgotten something important. All the while, Karina was staring
at him, waiting for his response.
