Chapter 494
Chapter 494
“I believe in him, too,” Karina responded, her voice strained with irritation. She finally got the hint and
fell silent.
A thought suddenly crossed my mind. Could Louis be behind all of this? Or was there someone else
involved?
For some reason, Russel came to mind.
But Russel was busy, working as a doctor in Eldoria. He wasn’t on speaking terms with his family
because of me. It was unlikely he had time to meddle in Neil’s affairs.
Lost in my thoughts, we arrived at the base of Heavenly Mountain.
Heavenly Mountain was a sight to behold, majestic and awe-inspiring. It drew many visitors, some to
sightsee and others to pray for good luck at the shrine.
Karina, holding Hiram’s hand, pointed toward a cable car. “Let’s take that up the mountain.”
“Alright. Let’s go.” Faith agreed without argument.
We split into two groups for the cable car ride. Faith and I were in one car, with her helping me look
after the kids. Karina and Hiram took the other.
Faith was unusually quiet during the ride. It was clear that Whitmore Co. was in some serious trouble;
otherwise, she would not be this upset. All I could do was avoid bringing up the subject and adding to
her stress.
Eventually, Faith broke the silence. “Irene, I want Neil to send Karina away. We’ll compensate her
generously. Essentially, we’re buying Hiram from her. Is that unfair?”
“Faith, I’m not in a position to judge,” I sighed. “Neil and Karina were forced apart and never got
closure. You should respect Neil’s feelings. Don’t let it affect your relationship with him.”
“With me?” Faith sounded irritated. “If it wasn’t for me and his father, the Whitmores would’ve been
ruined by Karina.”
I remained silent. Karina had never been part of the Whitmore family. No one could predict what would
have happened had she married Neil.
However, her actions after losing Neil and her manipulative tactics, including using Hiram, proved she
was obsessive. She would stop at nothing to achieve her goals and was incredibly patient.
Faith glanced at me, as if wanting to say something, but remained silent.
Finally, we reached the top of the mountain. We still had a twenty-minute walk ahead to reach the
shrine. Standing on the cobblestone steps, surrounded by lush trees, I felt a breeze carrying the scent
of incense.
The tranquil aura calmed me briefly, but that peace was short-lived as thoughts of the child Neil and I
lost crept in. We were here to fulfill a wish in her honor.
The pain of losing her hit me hard, and I struggled to hold back tears.
Faith’s expression grew solemn. She glanced at Serena in her arms and sighed, “Serena, we’re here to
say goodbye to your sister.”
Karina, following behind us, didn’t react to our conversation.
I didn’t expect her to show sympathy. I just didn’t want her to see my vulnerability, so I held back my
tears and forced myself to continue walking.
It took us half an hour to reach the shrine. It was a solemn place filled with countless prayers.
Under Faith’s guidance, I followed the instructions to fulfill our wish. I felt a great sense of relief, as if a
weight was lifted off my chest. If this could alleviate some of our guilt and let my child rest in peace,
then it was worth it.
“It’s done, everything’s in the past now,” Faith whispered as we left the shrine.
“Thank you, Faith,” I replied, my voice choked with emotion.
“What are you thanking me for? She was my beloved grandchild, too. We just didn’t have the destiny to
meet. I believe in karma and reincarnation. It gives me spiritual solace,” Faith said with a serene smile.
You wouldn’t guess that she was battling depression.
merely nodded, unable to find the words.
Throughout the journey, Karina remained silent. Was it the events of last night, or was it because Neil
wasn’t there that she wasn’t as talkative?
On the way down to the cable car, Karina finally spoke. “Ms. Finch, did you know about Russel’s
resignation?”
“Resignation?” I was surprised. I wasn’t aware of this. Russel rarely discussed his work with me.
“Don’t you know?” Karina asked, a hint of sarcasm in her voice. “Given your close relationship, I
thought you’d be the first to know.”
I realized what Karina was doing. She was implying that my relationship with Russel wasn’t as good as
it seemed in front of Faith.
Faith looked at me with a puzzled expression, then at Karina.
I couldn’t hide my surprise, so I didn’t deny it. “I’m not sure. He’s been busy with work and doesn’t want
to burden me with it.”
“He must’ve returned to Rosemont by now,” Karina added, her eyes fixed on me, her gaze unsettling.
Had Russel returned to Rosemont in just a few days?
And it coincided with Whitmore Co.’s troubles. I realized what Karina was implying. She was trying to
link Russel to Whitmore Co.’s problems, and by extension, me.
If issues at Whitmore Co. couldn’t be resolved, or if any underlying problems were left behind, I was
going to be the one bearing the brunt of the Whitmore family’s ire, after all, it was because of me that
Russel had a falling out with Neil.
“Spit it out if you have something to say.” My face cooled a bit, with Faith’s health condition, I didn’t
fancy discussing this matter, yet it seemed like Karina had found this chink in my armor, intending to
sow discord between Faith and myself.
“Ms. Finch, I just feel like your relationship with Russel isn’t exactly on solid ground. Normally, this
wouldn’t be my business, but if it’s affecting Whitmore Co., well, that’s a different story.” Karina didn’t
shy away from speaking her mind in front of Faith. Her words were pointed and clearly filled with
accusations towards me.
Faith furrowed her brow. This matter was of great importance, so naturally she was worried about
Whitmore Co. If the person causing trouble for Whitmore Co. was indeed Russel, then I would be
blamed as well.
“There’s no issue between Russel and me. If anything did happen because of me, I’ll do everything in
my power to stop it.” I was addressing Faith with these words, as for Karina, I owed her no explanation.
