Chapter 283
Chapter 283
Upon hearing Katherine's words, Howard's face brightened instantly, as if he'd just claimed victory in a hard-fought battle.
Though Barry couldn't speak fluently yet, he communicated effortlessly with Edward and Flora through gestures alone.
By the time Katherine finished dinner, it was already half past eight in the evening. Normally, Edward and Flora would be fast asleep at home by this hour, yet here they were, energetically chatting with Barry, their spirits undimmed.
Katherine's gaze drifted upward to a small easel in the hospital room, where Flora's carefully prepared artwork was displayed. The painting depicted mountains and rivers, a cozy cabin with a homely dining table set before it. Though no human figures appeared in the scene, three small rabbits and one large rabbit populated the tranquil landscape. The entire composition radiated harmony and healing warmth.
At the bottom, Flora's childish handwriting declared: [A gift for Barry. Wishing Barry eternal health.] Beside it, a small handprint looked fresh, presumably added recently.
Katherine stared at the painting, lost in thought. This was the life she had once yearned for—living with someone she loved in a beautiful place, surrounded by their adorable children.
"Flora's artistic skills are really improving by the day. Before long, she might be ready for exhibitions or even auctions," Michael remarked, also studying the painting.
Katherine shook her head with gentle resignation. "Flora paints when she wants to paint, and stops when she doesn't. Everything should follow her own interests. Exhibitions and auctions are secondary concerns."
Howard nodded in agreement. "Without the pressure of making money from it, children should follow their hearts freely. I think Katherine's educational philosophy is absolutely right."
As the couple exchanged these supportive comments, Michael felt his defenses crumbling. He stood up, patting his stomach. "We should head home. Edward and Flora need to get up early for school tomorrow."
Katherine glanced at the wall clock in the hospital room. "You're right. Edward and Flora, say goodbye to Barry and Howard. We'll come visit again after school tomorrow."
Though Edward and Flora's hearts and eyes were filled with reluctance, they couldn't ignore Katherine's words. They hurriedly exchanged a few more words, quickly gathered their belongings, and prepared to leave with Katherine.
The car came to a stop in front of their apartment building. Katherine immediately detected a sour, putrid smell. She unbuckled her seatbelt and moved to the back seat to lift Flora. "Do you smell something strange? Something sour and rotten, mixed with the sharp scent of paint?"
Michael retrieved two masks from the car and handed them to the children. Covering his own nose and mouth, he nodded. "Yes, I smell it too. I'll come up with you."
When they reached their front door, chaos greeted their eyes. The entire entrance area had been vandalized with red paint, and numerous rotten eggs had been hurled at the door.
Katherine frowned deeply. "These people are absolutely lawless! How dare they break into a secured building!"
She rarely lost her temper—she had even endured being splattered with pig's blood without complaint. But now that the children's living environment was being affected, her patience had reached its limit.
"This place isn't safe anymore. Why don't you stay at my place, or rest in a hotel for the night?" Michael suggested.
Back in Valdoria, he had taken Katherine in, and she had lived in his home for quite some time. Though they weren't abroad now, sharing a roof had made them comfortable with each other.
"But the children's things are still inside, and they need to report to school tomorrow. Could you watch the children while I go in to grab some essentials? I'll be right back," Katherine said, setting down the drowsy Flora.
She rummaged through her pockets, found two small plastic bags to cover her shoes, put on a mask, and used wet wipes to protect her hands before approaching the door. After opening it, she would remove these makeshift protections.
Meanwhile, Howard had just finished dealing with the doctor's rounds and tucked Barry into bed. He had barely settled onto the cot in the companion room when his phone began vibrating incessantly.
Messages from his private investigator flooded in: [The person you asked me to investigate has been located, but when we went to apprehend him, his hand was already injured and disabled—severe bone fractures. He claims it was an accident and insists that with his useless hand, he couldn't possibly have thrown pig's blood. He completely denies involvement in the incident.]
Howard enlarged the attached photos, confirming the severity of the bone fractures. Most people wouldn't sacrifice so much for a job unless the benefits offered by their employer were enormous—too tempting to resist.
Howard: [Keep investigating. Dig out whoever's behind this, and teach this reckless fool a lesson while you're at it. Whether this "accident" was intentional or genuine deserves deeper investigation.]
Such severe fractures couldn't have come from a simple accident—it would have taken considerable force to do this.
Howard saved the photos and sent his reply. The response came quickly: [Okay.]
Left with no choice, Katherine took the children to stay at Michael's house. His home was spacious enough that even with Katherine and two children, there was plenty of room.
As they entered, Katherine sensed someone watching from nearby, accompanied by the obvious flashing of camera lights.
"Is someone always following me and taking secret photos? Something feels off," Katherine stopped in her tracks.
Michael paused as well, scanning their surroundings with vigilance. "I don't see anything unusual. Are you perhaps too exhausted lately? Have the people at Wilson Corporation been giving you trouble?"
Katherine shook her head. "Working openly in the mall makes it difficult for them to find opportunities to harass me, even if they wanted to. Don't worry—I'm not exactly defenseless."
Michael shook his head. "I'll say it again—call me if anything happens. Don't suffer in silence."
Katherine looked back several more times without responding to Michael's offer. Since the day he had rescued her, Michael had helped her countless times. If her first instinct was always to turn to Michael, she would be imposing on him far too much.
Handling things herself when possible was Katherine's guiding principle.
"Let's go. The children are falling asleep. Could you help me carry Edward?" Katherine looked at Flora in her arms, whose eyelids were drooping and nearly closed.
Michael easily lifted Edward while using his other hand to unlock the door with his fingerprint and carry their bags. He let Katherine enter first, then followed.
Only after Katherine had gone inside did he turn to survey their surroundings with a furrowed brow, though he detected nothing suspicious.
In a nearby cluster of bushes, two dark figures crouched in the shadows. Only after the people had disappeared into the house did they angrily flick away their cigarette butts. They stared in unison at the photos on their phones—images of severely fractured hand bones.
"Can we still do this job or not?" one of them asked.
The other frowned deeply. "Of course we can. Why wouldn't we? We haven't been discovered."