Chapter 2044 The Gift
Mabel found herself in a delicate predicament. Her beady eyes swept the floor and found nothing in the vicinity that Wilbur could have tripped over.
In Maya’s presence, she did not dare pursue the matter further for fear of tarnishing her reputation as a benevolent stepmother. Just wait, idiot. I’ll pay you back many times more for that!
Mabel’s expression shifted again. “I meant nothing of the sort, Wil. Watch your step in the future, will you? It hurts me to see you in pain. Are you all right?”
Wilbur acted as if he did not hear her, nor did he bother to reply.
Maya watched Mabel with rapt attention as if studying an improvisational masterclass, marveling at the latter’s ability to adapt herself so rapidly.
She not only plays her part well, but she is also an expert at keeping her reputation intact. Look at her, she does not even flinch to grovel and play the part of a caring stepmother to perfection!
After the door shut behind Mabel who departed amidst a final bout of reminders to watch his step, Maya turned to Wilbur curiously. “Why did you push her?”
“To give her a gift,” he said with a giggle as he stroked the magic ball.
Unnoticed by both women, Wilbur had with great dexterity and stealth slipped something in Mabel’s coat pocket as they fell.
Maya, however, thought his gift was a deliberate act of mischief.
Breaking the brief silence between them, she said earnestly, “I know it’s fun to give her gifts like that, but you need to be careful, Wilbur. Mark my words, she’s already plotting to pay you back.”
Wilbur’s lips twitched with satisfaction. If you didn’t vow to investigate the circumstances around my accident earlier, I would have already expected her to inform Nicholas about it and I wouldn’t have to deliver my present.
Maya tried once again to initiate a conversation in the face of Wilbur’s stony reticence. “It’s a good thing I’m always around to protect you, isn’t it? Listen to me. Stay away from your stepmother. Never be in a room alone with her, or she’ll hurt you and walk away with it. Do you understand?”
Doing his best to conceal the smirk rising to his lips, he nodded mutely before giving a large yawn. “I’m tired.”
“Are you? Let’s take a nap, then. I’ll sit here with you.”
Wilbur shook his head and pointed at the door.
“You’re still shy, aren’t you? All right, I can come back later after your nap.”
He locked the door as soon as she left before turning up the volume of his surveillance app. Transmitted with clarity as if the participants of the conversation were standing next to him, Wilbur listened intently to a conversation he had predicted.
“Let her do all the digging she wants to, Mom,” came Nicholas’ voice. “I guarantee she’ll find nothing.”
“What if she does, Nic?” cried Mabel shrilly. “If Maya finds even a strand of evidence, she will parade it before your father for Wilbur’s sake. What then?”
“Don’t worry, Mom. The men who’d drugged and tossed him overboard have been arranged to leave the country. Maya will never find out who did it.”
“I still have a bad feeling about this. What about the gust of wind that had swept him off the ship? Do you think Wilbur was trying to give Maya a hint?”
“You’re overthinking, Mom! He’s already spewing rubbish on a daily basis. No one will take him seriously. Will it put your mind at ease if I kept an eye on the situation? In the unlikely event that Maya finds the men, I’ll get to them first to make sure she finds nothing.”
“You can’t mess up now, Nic. It’s too delicate a time. I have a plan in mind. Do you think it’s too extreme?”
