Reborn, Reawakened, Rekindled

Chapter 396

I couldn’t be sure. The moment the thought took root, though, I couldn’t suppress it.

If Karina simply ignored me during my ordeal, I might have accused her of having an icy heart but if she intentionally tied that rope around my ankle, that’s a different kettle of fish. Wasn’t that akin to attempted murder?

“Neil, could you fetch me some wet wipes from my bag? My hands are all greasy,” Karina requested, shaking her oil-slicked hands in mild exasperation.

Karina had brought a bag, which was placed just a few feet away from me.

Neil responded, “Sure, in a moment.””

I got up first, “I’ll get it for you!”

Seeing me approach her bag, Karina’s expression momentarily flinched in resistance, she quickly stepped forward, “It’s okay, I’ll get it. God knows this bag is already dirty enough.”

She then moved her bag away to a place beyond my sight, only then did she proceed to take out a pack of wet wipes.

This action of hers seemed a bit odd. Was she worried that I would have seen something in her bag? Or was she just being protective of her privacy?

“What’s up?” My distracted demeanor caught Russel’s attention; he asked in a low voice.

“Nothing,” I snapped back to reality, shaking my head.

A while later, Karina and Neil prepared lunch, which was all seafood, complemented by a bottle of wine provided by the hotel. The spread was quite lavish.

Russel and I sat on one side, with Neil and Karina opposite us.

us, “Ms. Finch, Russel, please

delicious. It looks very fresh,” I praised, even before

attentive to your wife? She’s hurt her hand. You should be helping her with her food,

unexpectedly, “She’s not left-handed.”

but I was right-handed, so my daily activities

though that was the case, when Neil said it, it sounded strange.

bit, but Karina remained relaxed, even offering Neil a smile, “Right, I forgot one can eat with one hand. I just wanted to give Russel an opportunity to show his caring side. He’s always been so slow on the emotional uptake. I’m worried that Ms. Finch might

turned my head towards Russel, “He’s just a bit introverted in front of others, but he’s actually quite attentive

was so keen on highlighting my relationship with Russel to Neil, I decided to

a smile tugged at

sitting opposite us, had an inscrutable expression, mostly keeping his eyes on his plate and

and Karina. Only Karina was enjoying

the restroom,”

on the bag lying on the edge of the table:

lobster, and ‘accidentally’ smeared my hand with sauce, “Where are the wipes? I think Dr. Karina has some in her bag. Russel, could you fetch

glanced at Neil once. After all, meddling with

present.

“Yeah, go

it. I deliberately took a few glances. That’s when I noticed something odd. There was a piece of rope in the bag, identical in pattern and thickness to the one that had been tied around

one behind it, why didn’t she just dispose of the rope in the ocean instead of keeping part of it in her bag? Wasn’t

was so protective of earlier was then left unattended as she went to the restroom. It was as if she was deliberately drawing my attention and giving me a chance

rope and confronted Karina with it as evidence when she returned. But I decided against it. Instead, I took the wipes, cleaned my hands, and continued eating

she did was check her bag. Noticing it had been moved, she glanced at