Chapter 496
Chapter 496
“Are you going to see Russel?” Faith’s brow furrowed.
“Yes, I need to talk to him about something. He’s back in Rosemont, so I’m planning on heading there.”
I didn’t go into detail, but given Faith’s keen intuition, I was sure she grasped the gist of the situation.
She remained silent, her eyes reflecting a complex mixture of emotions.
After a moment, Faith finally spoke again. “Well, I guess we should head out together then.”
“What about Karina?” I asked.
“She will go back to Eldoria for work. Hiram’s got school there,” Faith replied.
I nodded, relieved that Karina wasn’t going to Rosemont. The last thing I wanted was her stirring up
trouble while I was trying to have a serious conversation with Russel.
Faith and I each scooped up a child and left the room, notifying the hotel staff on our way out that we
were checking out. Karina and Hiram were already waiting for us in the hotel lobby.
The hotel had arranged for a car to take us to the airport. Our flights were scheduled around the same
time, just heading in different directions.
“Safe travels. We’ll see you in Eldoria in a few days,” Karina bid us goodbye, her flight leaving earlier
than ours. She held Hiram’s hand, looking surprisingly calm given the circumstances.
I couldn’t shake off the feeling that something was off. Karina seemed completely unphased by the fact
that Faith and I were heading to Rosemont together, even though Neil was there. And given Karina’s
fiery personality, it seemed unlikely that she was simply indifferent.
On top of that, I had no idea how Karina knew about Russel quitting his job. They weren’t even working
at the same hospital anymore.
I had always been suspicious of those two, but without any concrete evidence, I kept my doubts to
myself.
But now it was clear to me that there was more to their relationship than met the eye. The seeds of
suspicion that had been planted in my mind were now starting to sprout.
Returning to Rosemont felt surreal.
Since I moved away to Eldoria while pregnant, It felt like ages have passed. Now Serena and Brandon
were almost six months old.
Rosemont was the place I had grown up in and where all the ups and downs of my relationship with
Neil had taken place.
Faith had offered to arrange a driver for me, but I had declined. “You go ahead, Faith. I’ve already
arranged for someone to pick me up. They’ll be here soon.”
I had gotten in touch with Bailey. He and Hannah were still living in Rosemont. They had finally taken
their relationship to the next level, which was a silver lining amid all the chaos.
I had offered them to stay at the Sapphire River Community, but they had both declined.
Knowing that I was back, Bailey had readily agreed to pick me up. He was driving the same car that I
used to ride around in, which I had insisted on leaving for him to use.
“Ms. Finch!” Bailey greeted me.with a wide smile, his voice filled with enthusiasm.
“Bailey, it’s been a while,” I said, smiling in return.
“Yes, Hannah and I have missed you,” Bailey replied, sounding rather excited.
“I have some matters to attend to this time, and I might need you and Hannah to help look after the
kids. Is that okay?” I asked, pushing a temporary stroller I had bought.
Having kids certainly made traveling more difficult, but I couldn’t bear to leave them behind in Eldoria,
which was miles away.
Bailey leaned over to take a look at Serena and Brandon, praising, “They are even more adorable in
person than in the pictures you posted on Facebook.”
Bailey had become quite the smooth talker, probably thanks to the positive influence of being in a
loving relationship.
“Of course they’re adorable. Look at who their mom is,” I joked.
“Right, they’ve definitely taken after you,” Bailey chuckled. “Ms. Finch, why don’t we head to my place
for a meal first? Hannah has been preparing some food. By the time we get there, it should be ready.”
I agreed, and we headed over to where Bailey and Hannah were staying. It was a simple two-bedroom
apartment in a modest neighborhood. They had used two-thirds of their savings to buy it. Although it
wasn’t extravagant, it was cozy and inviting. The smell of home-cooked food wafted from the kitchen as
Hannah walked out carrying a plate of food. Her eyes lit up when she saw me.
“Ms. Finch, you’re back!” she exclaimed.
The table was laden with dishes, all of which looked incredibly appetizing. I had always loved Hannah’s
cooking and seeing the spread in front of me, my mouth began to water.
“Ms. Finch, let’s eat. The kids are asleep, perfect timing,” Bailey suggested.
“Ms. Finch, you’re still as thin as before. Are you not getting enough rest? Didn’t you hire a nanny to
help out?” Hannah asked, concerned.
I responded to their queries, enjoying the casual conversation. It helped lift my spirits.
That was until Bailey brought up the matter of Whitmore Co. “Ms. Finch, are you back because of the
Whitmore Co. issue? I heard they were sabotaged by an insider, resulting in several major issues
simultaneously. All of them quite serious.”
“How did you hear about this?” I asked. Even I wasn’t sure what the exact issue with Whitmore Co.
was. I’d have to ask Stella or maybe even Russel directly.
“I heard some rumors a while back, so I’ve been keeping an eye on it,” Bailey explained.
If it was really Russel who had caused this, then he must have been plotting against Whitmore Co.
while he was still working at the hospital in Eldoria.
How did he manage to do that?
I lost my appetite and pulled out my phone, sending Russel a message: [I’m back in Rosemont. Where
are you? We need to talk.]
But there was no response from Russel, and he didn’t answer when I called.
Not being able to reach Russel was driving me up the wall.
Bailey and Hannah exchanged glances, but they were as helpless as I was.
Just when I was about to go ask Stella and the others, my phone rang. I thought it was Russel
returning my call, but it turned out to be Neil.
Seeing Neil’s name popping up on my phone, I frowned, unsure of what to say if I answered the call.
When the phone rang for the second time, I got up and walked out to the balcony to answer it.
“What are you doing back in Rosemont?” Neil’s voice was stern, as if my return to Rosemont was a
grave mistake.
“It’s my decision, isn’t it? I don’t need to report to you, do I?” I snapped back, my voice equally harsh. I
was feeling guilty, knowing that the current situation at Whitmore Co. was partly my fault. But for some
reason, whenever I heard Neil’s almost interrogative tone, I felt inexplicably irked.
There was a pause on Neil’s end, then he asked, “Where are you now? I’ll come to you, or you can
come to me.”
The person I wanted to find right now was Russel, because he was the one giving Whitmore Co. a hard
time. The most pressing issue was to stop him from going any further.
