Shawn stood up, grabbed the cellphone from the floor, and ced it on the coffee table. Without


    a word, he just patted his eldest son on the shoulder and walked away<i>. </i>


    Delh let out a disappointed sigh. “You’re just too hard on Mira. She’s your sister, not a stranger. But you’re always so reluctant to trust her a little more. Take tonight, for instance. If you’d just kept your cool, things wouldn’t have blown up like this.”


    Emmitt’s hand, hanging by his side, clenched tighter. His face twisted in a grimace of shame and embarrassment. When he <b>had </b>received Summer’s tearful call earlier that night, he’d rushed to judgment <b>against </b>Mirabe without a second thought. He was convinced in his gut that his sister was nothing but trouble. Even if she did have a close bond with Summer’s grandma, surely whisking her away without a heads–up was not okay, <b>right</b>?


    And now what?


    A self–mocking smile flickered across Emmitt’s lips. After all his bluster <b>and </b>usations, it had all been a big misunderstanding.


    Compared to Summer, Mirabe seemed to do nothing but irk him with her antics. Even when she aced apetition, he only briefly saw her in a new light before once again being disappointed by her aloof and umunicative demeanor.


    Today’s drama felt eerily simr to that past incident. But in the end, he had to admit he was the problem. Even if she had exined, he wouldn’t have believed her.


    She had challenged him, saying, “If I told you I wasn’t the one who took her, how would you judge?” But his first instinct had still been disbelief.


    Indeed, what was the point in exining when you knew you wouldn’t be believed? If he was in her shoes, he wouldn’t bother to exin either.


    Emmitt rubbed his face and forced a wry smile.


    —


    Fresh out of the shower, with her hair still dripping wet, Mirabe grabbed the hairdryer and her charging phone, holding down the power button. In seconds, it came to life, bombarded with a flurry of texts and missed calls, including several from Emmitt and a few from unknown numbers.


    She scrolled through them, turned off the hairdryer, and dialed Catherine. This time, there was no cold, disconnected tone.


    Soon, the call connected.


    Mirabe held the phone without speaking, and on the other end, Catherine also remained silent. The line was filled only with faint breathing. After a long pause, Mirabe softly called out, “Grandma.”


    <b>12:15 </b>


    <b>UnaBret </b>1.24.


    “Yes, dear… I’m here.” Catherine’s voice came through, apanied by the sound of something being knocked over, which was almost drowning her out.


    Mirabe pressed a hand to her forehead in resignation, then pulled up a chair and sat down. With a sigh, she asked, “Are you set on having me listen to you knock things over?”


    As if on cue, the background tter ceased.


    Two secondster, Catherine’s meek voice exined, “Ahem. I was just trying to pour myself a ss of water and wasn’t paying attention.”


    Mirabe raised an eyebrow, and leaned backzily in her chair. The warm light of the room. cast a cozy glow on her face. She drawled, “Yeah, I get it. No need to borate.”