<b>Chapter </b>416


    Zach was oblivious to the look on his sister’s face, his thoughts interrupted only by Donald’s remarks, His brain scurried to make sense of the situation,


    Didn’t Catherine raise Mirabe since she was a tot? And wasn’t Catherine a lifelong. bachelorette? Where the heck did this Donald character pop out from?


    Donald, catching the puzzled look on Zach’s face, decided to add with a chuckle, “Back in our old neighborhood, I lived right next door to this kiddo. She used to pop by my ce all the time as a child.”


    With that piece of the puzzle, Zach’s confusion began to dissipate. The old man wast Catherine’s next–door neighbor and must’ve looked out for sis when she was little. Calling him grandpa, though… was kind of odd, but then again, it was not entirely out of line either. So, Zach nodded politely at the elderly gent. “I appreciate you looking out for my sister when she was younger.”


    Mirabe sighed. Great, another sucker bamboozled. This was just too much.


    Donald nced slyly at Mirabe, noting her silent protest, his lips curling with a victorious smirk. He waved a hand at Zach, “Oh, think nothing of it, my boy. It was my pleasure.”


    Zach took a seat on the sofa opposite Donald, and the two of them struck up a conversation.


    Mirabe shook her head in silent resignation at the sight of the old con artist and her naive brother hitting it off, then stood up. She barely moved a step before Donald, ever watchful, caught her by the arm.


    Mirabe shot him a sidelong nce.


    Donald cleared his throat. “And where might my dear granddaughter be off to?”


    “…The restroom,” she replied, her tone icy.


    Shaking off his grip, Mirabe made her way out of the living room.


    Donald watched Mirabe’s retreating figure, thinking, “Feisty one, ain’t she?”


    After a visit to the bathroom, Mirabe wandered into the kitchen, leaning casually against the doorframe. She


    atched as Shawn, her dad, was bustling around with dinner preparations<b>. </b><b>“</b>Hey, Dad, how did Donald end up at our ce?”


    Shawn, busy rinsing veggies, didn’t question her choice of words and simply responded, “Didn’t you leave your phone behind when you went off to school? I heard it ringing, and that’s how I found out the old man was at the hospital, alone and out of sorts. So, your mom and I went to pick him up.”


    na’she suspected.


    Mirabe pinched the bridge of her nose. “You guys aren’t worried he’s a scam artist?”


    Shawn nced at Mirabe, “He told us a lot of stuff about you.”


    Mirabe frowned, “You got tricked. I don’t even know him.<b>” </b>


    At that, Shawn stopped what he was doing and looked at her seriously, “Now, darling, we shouldn’t be ungrateful. The man did look after you when you were little, even if it was int a small country town. You can’t just pretend not to know him.”


    “You heard your father. He’s in his eighties. What could he possibly scam us out of<b>?</b>” chimed Delh from beside him.


    Mirabe was shocked.


    Great, conman Donald had not only brainwashed her parents but also roped them into his little scheme.


    Delh dished out some steamed veggies, saying, “Alright, no use standing around here. Go call Donald, dinner’s ready.”


    Mirabe touched her nose thoughtfully, then turned to leave the kitchen.


    During dinner, Donald clung to Mirabe like glue, seating himself right beside her with a demeanor so cautious, as if afraid of being rejected. To everyone but Mirabe, it was at heart–rending sight. Thus, the three family members went out of their way to cater to


    Donald.


    As for Mirabe, she was silently pped with thebel of ‘disappointing child‘ in the eyes of her family.