Reborn, Reawakened, Rekindled novel Chapter 400

Was that woman really smoking with such a severe lung condition? That question gave me pause, and I swallowed the words that had come to my lips, "All right, hop in."

Russel glanced at me but remained silent, not prodding for more details.

After the two strangers got in, they barely conversed. They were mostly buried in their phones, texting away. They seemed exhausted, puffing on cigarettes non-stop, without any consideration for others.

I didn't stop them from smoking, but their behavior struck me as odd.

After we dropped them off at their destination, they went their separate ways. They didn't offer any gratitude or payment. It was not like I needed it, but they left me with an unpleasant feeling.

In the rear-view mirror, their figures disappeared into the roadside.

…

"Serena! Brandon!" The moment I got home, I couldn't help but rush to find my two little treasures. Seeing me, my parents quickly brought the kids to me.

"Oh, Mommy's home! Serena and Brandon, Mommy's back!" My mother handed Serena over to me, her voice laced with laughter, "How was your trip? Did you have fun?"

They surely didn't know about my encounter with Neil and Karina. Otherwise, they wouldn't have asked.

To keep my mother’s spirits up, I nodded and responded, "It was great, but I missed the kids too much. So, I came back early."

Just then, Russel walked in with a cell phone in his hand. "I think this phone belongs to those people from earlier. They must have accidentally left it in the car."

I handed Serena back to my mother and took the phone. It was an old, nondescript model. It was not worth much. I wondered how important it was to its owners.

Trying to find the contact list, I realized the phone wasn't password-protected. A message popped up, saying, "Money has been transferred to your account. You must remain silent about the matter."

The message seemed like a transaction, but what caught my attention was the contact name. The name was “Dr. Karina”.

My immediate thought was of Karina, who had saved the woman on the island, gaining her praise and landing her in the public eye.

Looking through their text history, it became clear that the woman was faking an illness for Karina to treat and gain reputation.

Considering Karina's medical skills and reputation, she wouldn't have needed to resort to such tactics unless she was trying to win over the Whitmore family.

After reading the messages, I felt a sense of irony.

"What's wrong?" Russel asked, noticing my expression.

"Nothing. We probably can't return the phone now. We'll keep it here for the time being," I replied. The phone had several debt collection messages. That couple probably owed much money and were waiting for Karina to pay them for their performance.

I had been wondering how to expose Karina's deeds, but then she was there explaining herself with a perfect excuse, leaving me with no room to argue.

"What?! Rena, you had a near miss while diving?!" My mother exclaimed, "And your hand! Did you hurt it while diving? You told me you fell!"

"Mom, it's okay. I didn't want you to worry," I reassured her, then turned to Karina, "I accept your apology, Dr. Karina. You're a doctor. So, naturally, you have a kind heart. Everyone has praised your act of saving a life on the island. I believe you're a good doctor."

My words were laced with sarcasm, but it didn't seem like Karina noticed. Her face was filled with remorse.

Neil took the gifts from Karina and placed them in front of me, "As long as you don't misunderstand, that's fine."

I didn't believe for a second that Karina couldn't see in the water. She had clearly stopped and looked at me for a while. It was apparent that she had seen me.

"All right, I'll accept these gifts. You may leave now," I said, issuing an unceremonious dismissal without refusing their offerings.

Yet, at that very moment, Hiram, that rascal, lost his sense of propriety. He had run over to the cradle placed in the yard, teasing the sleeping Brandon inside. The nanny had gone inside to heat up some formula, momentarily leaving the baby unattended. I was holding Serena and didn't notice what was happening on the other side.

It wasn't until Brandon's cries filled the air that my mom and I realized what was happening.

Hiram had pushed the cradle so high that Brandon was about to tumble out. My heart shot up into my throat. Holding Serena, I quickly rushed over. Just in the nick of time, Neil, tall and long-legged, beat me to it. He extended his hand and caught the rocking cradle.