Chapter 1“Mira, back from the race already?” Mrs. Thompson called out as she stood in the doorway of


    her quaint corner store.As the olddy’s voice caught her attention, Mirabe, decked out in sleek ck


    cycling gear, smoothly applied the brakes to her bike. With a practiced toe-touch to the ground, she


    removed her helmet, and her long ponytail cascaded down, giving her an air of effortless grace and


    cool beauty.Mrs. Thompson couldn’t help but sigh internally as she watched Mirabe.


    She really was something special. Even riding a bike, she exuded an aura that set her apart from the


    rest.“Oh, by the way, it looked like you had visitors at home – they arrived in a car so fancy, it’d make


    your head spin! My son said it’s worth a fortune, probably more than any car in our whole town…” Mrs.


    Thompson exaggerated with her hands as she spoke.Mirabe listened thoughtfully, her delicate


    features betraying no particr emotion.Noticing Mirabe’s silence, Mrs. Thompson cautiously looked


    around before leaning in closer, lowering her voice conspiratorially, “Mira, tell me the truth. How did


    your familye to know such wealthy folks? Or did you… perhaps offend someone?”Mrs. Thompson


    remembered that there was also amotion involving a fancy car at Mirabe’s housest


    year.Mirabe’s eyelids twitched slightly, and she couldn’t help but give a wry smile at Mrs. Thompson’s


    wild spection. To avoid any misunderstanding, she replied softly, “Maybe they’re like, distant cousins


    or something.”As soon as she said this, confusion spread across Mrs. Thompson’s face, but before she


    could probe further, Mirabe had already put her helmet back on and waved goodbye. “I better get


    going, Mrs. Thompson.”Mrs. Thompson watched Mirabe ride away, murmuring to herself, “Wasn’t her


    family known for being hard up?”Where did these wealthy distant cousinse from?***As Mirabe


    approached her house, she could already see the fancy ck sedan parked in the alley outside the


    gate. It bore the majestic emblem of an eagle in flight, with a stately and dynamic body. It’s a Bentley,


    no less, worth a pretty penny.


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    A mysterious smile yed at the corners of Mirabe’s lips as she dismounted her bike and deftly


    pressed a few clips. In the blink of an eye, the bike folded down into a size that was even more


    compact than an 11-inchptop.With the gate ajar, she easily picked up the folded bike and stepped


    onto the property. She hadn’t even reached the main house when a series of sharp voices cut through


    the air.“Mom, why are you so stubborn? What’s so precious about this old ce that you insist on


    staying?”“I’ve told you, I bought you a big, beautiful house in the city,plete with a caretaker to look


    after you. It’s far better than here in every way.”“Just look at this dingy floor, the faded walls, and the


    leaking roof whenever it rains. Does any of that scream fort’ to you?”“Your health isn’t the best, yet


    you choose to live in this damp, moldy old house. Others might think we’re poor, or worse, that your


    children are neglecting you…”Still in the yard, Mirabe paused thoughtfully as the words reached her.


    But then, she lifted her chin with resolve.Truth be told, since she’d body hopped into this body, she


    hadn’t really taken a good look at the ce she was living in.The house was a quaint two-story cottage


    with a yard, the kind you’d find out in the countryside. It had red brick walls topped with ck shingles,


    and the walls were untouched by paint or tiles. In some areas, due to the passage of time, dark, moldy


    streaks had etched their presence into the surface. All in all, it was the epitome of 1980s architecture—


    undeniably old and tattered.Mirabe touched the tip of her nose and mused that she had lived in these


    rough conditions for over a year with rtive ease.Just then, the shrill voice inside the house ceased.


    Mandy emerged, dressed in a ckce gown and a violet silk scarf tied around her neck. Her makeup


    was impable, her hair pinned up with a diamond clip, exuding an aura of a high-societydy. She


    paused upon seeing Mirabe standing in the yard, taken aback.But quickly, Mandy gathered her wits,


    concealing theplex emotions in her eyes, and asked with indifference, “What are you doing


    here?”Mirabe regarded Mandy calmly, her eyes a serene pool, her mind drifting.A year ago, she’d


    jumped in this body for reasons unknown.


    Back then, the original body wasn’t called Mirbe but Mirabelle, a pampered daughter of a newly


    wealthy family in Ashford.A few months ago, she was abruptly informed that this body was not a true


    Gilbert family child but was switched at birth by a nurse. Her biological parents were just an ordinary


    working couple, not onlycking in wealth and influence but also burdened with four seemingly


    unmotivated sons to support—a heavy load by any measure.Mandy, her foster mother standing before


    her, discovered that her biological daughter lived in poverty while she raised a poor family’s child in


    luxury. Perhaps Mandy felt her dormant maternal instincts stir due to this stark contrast. She saw her


    biological daughter appear gracious and sweet-spoken, so she quickly brought her back home,


    renaming her and inviting her to the family with haste as if topensate for any past neglect.As for


    the faux heiress Mirabe, though born into wealth, she was never truly cherished by the Gilbert family.


    She spent her childhood in a small town, raised by Mandy’s mother, and was rarely visited, even once


    a year.With the real daughter reimed, the counterfeit had to step aside. So, before the Davis family


    came to reim Mirabe, Mandy told her she didn’t deserve the Gilbert name nor to stay there—a


    sentiment as clear then as Mandy’s cold demeanor now.Mirabe collected her thoughts and


    nonchntly withdrew her gaze from Mandy.Mandy, noticing the shift, furrowed her brows, her anger


    ring. “What kind of attitude is that?” she snapped.Hearing the rage in the question, Mirabe raised


    an eyebrow yfully and replied with a sly smile, “And what, may I ask, is your current title?”At that,


    Mandy’s well-maintained face darkened instantly. Clearly, no matter how long you raised someone


    else’s child, they remained wild and without a shred of manners or propriety.At that moment, Mandy’s


    thoughts turned to her biological daughter, Summer. Raised in a modest household, she exuded


    elegance and grace, excelled in her studies, and possessed diverse talents. Now scouted to be a star,


    Summer was seemingly born to bring pride to the Gilbert family. In contrast, Mirabe, the foster


    daughter, was no match for Summer in any way, save for her looks.Mandy took a deep breath, recalling


    the purpose of her visit. Her eyes hardened as she pondered for a few seconds, then she reined in her


    anger.”Since you’re here, there’s something I want to make clear today, and I hope you can take care


    of it,” Mandy dered with a return to her aristocratic demeanor. Though she spoke of hope, the


    undercurrent of her words suggested amand rather than a request.Mirabe chuckled, and before


    she could respond, her grandmother, Catherine – who had raised her from childhood – made her


    presence known. Catherine gently patted Mandy’s arm, signaling her to tone it down before turning her


    softened gaze to Mirabe. “Mira, you’re back. How did thepetition go?”With a nonchnt hum,


    Mirabe replied, “Not too bad, I guess.”“Did you win?” asked Catherine, the excitement clear in her


    voice.“Yeah, first ce,” Mirabe responded casually, without a hint of pride in her eyes, as if clinching


    the top spot was a walk in the park for her.Upon hearing this, Catherine was so delighted that she


    wiped away a tear. “Good girl.”


    Mandy frowned, not understanding, and questioned Catherine, “First ce in what


    competition?”Catherine turned to her with a proud smile and began, “You might not know, but Mira is


    not only a ster student but also…”Losing interest as Catherine didn’t directly answer her question


    and instead started praising Mirabe’s academic achievements, Mandy interrupted with impatience.


    “Okay, I get it. You don’t need to prop her up in front of me. She didn’t even qualify for the county high


    school with her grades. If it weren’t for the Gilbert family footing the bill, she’d probably be stuck in


    some party school.”Pausing, Mandy cast a scornful nce at Mirabe. “A fake stone will never be


    mistaken for a diamond, no matter what.”Catherine looked worriedly at Mirabe, fearing the words


    might have hurt her. “You haven’t been involved in her life for years. You have no idea what Mira is like


    now…”Mandy sneered dismissively, cutting her off again. “Mom, she’s not my biological daughter nor


    your real granddaughter. Her name is Davis, and whether she does well or not is none of my concern,


    and I don’t want to hear it.”Catherine’s face tensed, harsh and dry words stuck in her throat. After a


    moment, she managed to mutter, “Mira is my granddaughter!”Mandy massaged her temples, perplexed


    by Catherine’s delusion. “She’s been living off the Gilbert family for seventeen years while my daughter


    suffered. Mom, get a grip. Don’t just recognize anyone as family! You see her as kin, but she might just


    be using you, trying to swindle some money to send back to her real parents…”“You stop!” Catherine


    trembled with rage. “I raised Mira myself.


    I know exactly what kind of person she is, so don’t you dare cast your malicious suspicions on


    her.”Mandy’s face turned ashen with anger. “You can’t tell right from wrong. Mom, I think you’re really


    sick in the head.”Now in her sixties and with a heart condition, Catherine grew pale and clutched her


    chest tightly in response to Mandy’s harsh words. Seeing this, Mirabe ced what she was holding


    on the ground and quickly moved to Catherine’s side. She helped Catherine to a nearby wicker chair


    and took her wrist in her hand, checking her pulse.