Reborn, Reawakened, Rekindled

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.”

took the phone. It was an old, nondescript model. It was not worth much. I wondered how important it was to

popped up, saying, “Money has been

seemed like a transaction, but what caught my attention was the contact

saved the woman on the island,

through their text history, it became clear that the woman was faking an illness

resort to such tactics unless she was trying to

messages, I felt a sense

Russel asked,

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

the next morning, I saw her

with Serena and Brandon, when I spotted her. My first instinct was to frown. What was she doing there?

from behind Karina, shouting, “Daddy, hurry

appeared beside Karina, holding Hiram’s

darkened when she saw them, asking,

I came to apologize,” Karina

of guilt in her eyes. “I wanted to apologize on the island, but Ms. Finch didn’t want to talk, so I didn’t get a chance.

gifts. And what’s this about an island? Rena, is this related to

but with Karina spilling the beans,

was a coincidence,” I admitted,

a ing for? Speak up.”

time. I was wearing a rosy red diving suit. I wonder if you saw me. I didn’t wear my contact lenses because I was going underwater, so my vision wasn’t clear. If you were trying to signal for help, I wouldn’t