Chapter <b>360 </b>
Mirabe snatched up her phone, her gaze locked onto the screen with unwavering focus<b>. </b>Her fingers danced lightly across the surface, while Leo, sitting beside her, couldn’t for <b>the </b>life of him figure out what she was up to. His attention drifted <b>to </b>the world outside the car <b>window</b>.
After a short while, Mirabe handed the phone back to him. Leo took the device, nced <b>at </b>the homepage, and, with a nonchnt shrug, pocketed the phone once more.
It was past ten when Collins‘ SUV rolled to a gentle stop outside the Davis family’s sprawling estate.
“Leo, <i>you </i>head inside. I need a word with Collins,” Mirabe said, stepping out of the vehicle. Under the cloak of night, her expression was unreadable, her eyes betraying no emotion.
Leo shot his sister a quizzical look. “Is there something <i>you </i>can’t tell me?”
Mirabe simply arched an eyebrow. “Just do as I say.”
Leo let out a resigned sigh and made his way into the mansion.
Once he was out of earshot, Mirabe returned to the SUV, opened the passenger door, and settled herself inside. “What’s the deal with this Jay character?” she asked without preamble.
Collins looked taken aback for a moment before responding. “Did you catch something on Twitter?”
Mirabe tapped her fingers gently on her knees. “Yeah.”
Collins fell silent, his expression darkening. “Jay’s part of Neon Paradox, too. He and Leo used to be tight, but as Leo’s fanbase grew, so did the rift between them…”
“A ssic tale of envy turning ugly,” Mirabe thought, summarizing the situation in her mind
within a minute.
“Leo would never rip off Jay’s lyrics or music. They’re part of the same band, so some stylistic ovep is natural. And honestly, Jay’s talents don’t hold a candle to Leo’s,” Collins scoffed.
Mirabe nodded, her voice even. “I believe that. But is there any chance Leo’s work could’ve identally ended up in Jay’s hands?”
Collins scratched his head. “Hard to say. They’re in the same band, after all. And we’re talking about new material that’s still in the works.”
“How do we prove that the new tracks are my brother’s original creations?” Mirabe pressed.
Collins grimaced. “We’ll need solid proof from both parties.”
He paused, then continued, “What baffles me is that Jay’s version seems even more polished than your brother’s drafts. From what I’ve heard of Leo’s work so far, it’s nowhere near Jay’s version. The fans areparing the two and starting to lean towards Jay.”
<b>11:42 </b>
Which <b>meant </b>the situation was turning against Leo.
Collins <b>had </b>faith in Leo’s talent and knew the <b>man’s </b>pride <b>wouldn’t </b>allow <b>for </b>any imitation <b>or </b>theft. There had to be some trickery at y, but without evidence, Collins <b>was </b>at a loss.
Mirabe’s eyes narrowed. “A knock–off will always be just that.”
Collins let out <b>a </b>heavy sigh. I’ll keep working the social media angles and get the marketing teams on it. We can’t let this blow up any further.”
<b>Mirabe </b>turned to him. “Appreciate your efforts.”
Collins waved it <b>off</b><b>. </b>“It’s nothing. And hey, try to keep Leo in the dark for now. When this all dies down, I’ll break it to him.”
“Alright<b>,</b><b>” </b>Mirabe agreed with a nod. “Call me if anythinges up.”
With that, she stepped out of the SUV. But after a few paces, she spun around and tapped on the window.
Collins rolled it down, a puzzled look on his face as he met Mirabe’s gaze.
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