Chapter 26


    “Mom, I’ve got it under control, don’t worry, it’s all good,” Summer said softly, pausing for a brief


    moment before continuing. “There’s something kinda bizarre though. Mom, didn’t you tell me that


    Mirabe’s grades were a total mess?”


    Mandy’s eyes were closed in the bliss of her daughter’s massage. She took her time before responding


    in a faint voice, “Yeah, what about it?”


    Summer’s hands didn’t cease their gentle motions as she prodded cautiously. “It looks like she’s about


    to enroll at Parkside High School.”


    At that, Mandy’s eyelids snapped open, her body turning slightly to cast an incredulous nce at


    Summer standing behind her. “What did you just say?”


    Summer watched the astonishment wash over her mother’s face, a hint of skepticism shing in her


    eyes. “Emmitt came to me tonight. He mentioned that Mirabe’s going to Parkside High School and


    asked me to keep an eye on her, you know, on the down–low.”


    With a flicker of curiosity, Summer asked, “Mom, did you and Dad pull some strings or something? How


    else could she get into Parkside High School?”


    “How could we? With her grades, she’d be lucky to get into any regr high school, let alone Parkside.


    If your father and I had intervened, wouldn’t that be hurting the Gilbert family’s reputation?” Mandy


    scoffed lightly.


    “So you didn’t help her? How did she get into Parkside High School then…?” Summer’s face was


    tinged with curiosity.


    Mandy’s expression darkened, her tone matching her mood, “Are you sure about this?”Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    Summer nodded confidently. “I’m certain. Emmitt told me himself. He wouldn’t lie to me.”


    Mandy sat up straight, silent for a moment, then reached for the smartphone on the coffee table.


    Mirabe was tinkering with a collection of antiquated–looking gadgets when her phone, lying on the


    bed, began to ring. She paused, nced at it, then continued working on her nearly finished project,


    ignoring the call. However, the caller was persistent, and the ringing continued without respite.


    Focused on her task, Mirabe remained undisturbed. Soon after, she had carefully bottled the


    substance extracted from the apparatus and finally removed her gloves at a leisurely pace.


    The phone was still ringing. This time, Mirabe didn’t ignore it. She walked over to the bed, picked up


    the phone, and, seeing the caller ID, she hesitated for a moment. With a quick swipe, she answered


    the call, only to be greeted by Mandy’s frantic voice. “I’ve called you countless times. Why haven’t you


    picked up?”


    Mirabe held the phone away from her ear, countering her foster mother’s interrogation with a cool


    query. “Something up?”


    On the other end, Mandy grew more irate “what is that.


    Rubbing her temples, Mirabe had no patience for the nagging. “If there’s nothing important. I’m


    hanging up.”


    Aware that her foster daughter had grown increasingly rebellious and unrecognizable over the past


    year, Mandy cut to the chase.


    “I have no idea what you pulled to get a spot at Parkside High School, but I’m telling you now, I don’t


    want you there. Your presence would be the joke of Parkside, a stain on the Gilbert family’s name.


    “Pick any other school in the city, and the Gilbert family can pull some strings to get you in. We’ll even


    cover the tuition. But on one condition–you never tell anyone you were once a Gilbert.”


    At these words, Mirabe’s eyebrows arched with amusement, and she remarked rather earnestly. “Is


    the Gilbert family the richest in the world or something?”