Chapter Forty-Eight

With a calm demeanor, Karina brushed off Wally's remarks and bid farewell with a smile that betrayed her true emotions.

"What a disappointment she turned out to be," Wally grumbled, watching Karina drive away. She turned to her grandmother, sarcasm dripping from her words. "I hope you see now that Karina is far from innocent. She's a master manipulator."

Grandma Lila waved off Wally's comments, her gaze shifting to Xander, who looked puzzled. "Who do you think she was referring to?" he asked.

Shrugging, Grandma Lila admitted, "I'm not sure. She was cryptic about it."

Intrigued, Wally pressed for more information. "What exactly did Karina say?" she inquired.

Grandma Lila recounted Karina's claim that someone else had poisoned her food six years ago, implicating someone other than herself. Wally scoffed at the notion. "You believe her? She's probably just spinning lies to win your favor again," she scoffed, before storming off.

Alone with Xander, Grandma Lila couldn't help but feel