NovelOnline
Chapter 472
Neil and Karina should be by Hiram’s side at this important moment. Where else could they possibly be?
I felt a twinge of confusion, but I didn’t dwell on it. Mitch brought me a plate of cupcakes. “Have something to eat.”
“Thank you, I replied, taking one of the cupcakes and nibbling on it absentmindedly. After a few bites, I left it aside
and went upstairs to check on the kids.
Serena usually napped a lot, sometimes for an hour or two. But today was a bit noisy. I feared she might wake up
when I didn’t know.
Treading lightly, I made my way to the second floor. Serena’s guest room was at the very end of the hallway, and I
had to pass by one room to get there. I didn’t pay much attention to it at first, but then I heard Neil’s voice,
sounding extremely indifferent, coming from that room. “You should know it’s not possible, Karina. I don’t want to
complicate things between us.”
I paused and realized that the door was slightly ajar, allowing their conversation to drift out into the hallway.
Karina was there too?
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtEavesdropping was impolite; but at that moment, I couldn’t help but listen in.
“Why? Don’t you want to give Hiram a complete family?” Karina’s voice wasn’t as composed as usual. It’trembled
slightly.
“Isn’t this a complete family now? Just because we’re not married doesn’t mean I’m not his father. All that matters
is that he feels loved.” Neil’s words were firm and left little room for argument.
I was stunned. I thought him considering Karina as Hiram’s mother was just an excuse, but it turned out he really
didn’t have feelings for her anymore.
I felt a pang of sympathy for Karina. All the public affection was just a facade. Even if the Whitmore family accepted
Hiram immediately after her return, it didn’t mean they accepted her.
Once I was in the same position, seemingly successful but hollow inside.
“I want a recognition, for Hiram’s sake. I want a formal title.” Karina replied, “I don’t need a wedding. Just a
marriage license would do. I’ll save Daniel right after I get a legal title.”
Was Karina threatening Neil with this?
Didn’t she know Neil hated being threatened? Especially when the threat was something he didn’t care about.
If Neil really cared about Daniel’s well-being, he would have agreed to Kitty’s demands long ago instead of waited
for Kitty to repeatedly seek out Karina’s help.
Neil was cold-hearted in this regard.
“If you don’t want to save Daniel, then don’t. It does nothing for me.” Neil’s voice grew colder, “You’re making a big
mistake using this to threaten me.”
Karina didn’t reply, and the sound of footsteps echoed in the hall. I quickly retreated to the end of the hallway and
entered the room. Serena was sound asleep and undisturbed by the noise, but my own mind was in turmoil.
Neil’s conversation with Karina both surprised and shocked me.
If Neil wasn’t willing to marry Karina, it would undoubtedly trouble me. Knowing Karina’s narrow-minded nature,
she’d likely blame me for this. My thoughts were a whirlwind as I paced the room.
Serena woke up after a while, cooing and making noises to signal her awakening. I picked her up and headed
downstairs.
To my surprise, Karina was standing near the staircase. I couldn’t tell what she was thinking. She stared blankly at
the floor below. Hef silhouette seemed lonely.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmShe faked her death, moved abroad, secretly gave birth to Hiram, and raised him on her own. She endured so
much just to return to Neil and marry into the Whitmore family, and yet she failed.
If I were in her shoes, I wouldn’t be able to accept it either.
As I walked past Karina with Serena in my arms, she looked surprised to see me. “Ms. Finch, what were you doing
upstairs?”
“Just putting my daughter to bed.” I replied casually.
“The second floor is a private area. Please refrain from going up there without permission,” Karina responded
sharply, her usual composure replaced by a bitter edge.
‘I’m not interested in your private affairs, don’t worry.” I said, meeting her teary gaze. She must have been crying.
I spent quite a while upstairs, so a few guests had already left by the time I reached the ground floor. Ryan was
playing with Hiram, and Faith was nowhere to be seen.
As he saw me, Ryan immediately said, “Irene, are you hungry? I saved some food for you.”
I was surprised that Ryan had actually saved some food for me. He glanced around, making sure no one else was
within earshot before saying, “Faith thought you’d be uncomfortable eating with us, so we didn’t call you so that
you could rest upstairs.”
Faith’s considerate nature always took me by surprise. Women tend to be more thoughtful, and she knew how
awkward it would be for me to dine with them.
Thank you, Ryan, but I’m not really hungry. Where is Faith?” I wanted to talk to her before I left.
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