Chapter <b>440 </b>


    Halfway through her meal, Mirabe excused herself to visit the restroom.


    The restaurant was one of the city’s most upscale establishments, where a table was unattainable without a membership or an advanced reservation, even for the wealthy. On this particr evening, the venue was bustling with patrons.


    Emerging from the restroom, Mirabe took a moment to survey the dining area. The ce was packed to the rafters.


    While ordering, she had nced at the menu prices; each dish carried a hefty three–digit price tag… Her family must’ve been more than justfortably off.


    With a sigh, she retracted her gaze, intending to return to her table. But then, unexpectedly, she bumped into a familiar face.


    “What are you doing here?” Mandy asked, her perfectly made–up face etched with a touch of surprise.


    She had managed to snag a reservation at this exclusive spot and invited a few high–societydies for dinner. Though they were seated in the main dining area,


    was still quite prestigious. Seeing her foster daughter here didn’t add up..


    Mirabe, too, was taken aback by the small world they lived in, where one could encounter a member of the Gilbert family just by going out for dinner. She gave Mandy a brief, indifferent look and said nothing.


    Mandy, noticing Mirabe’s silence, looked around. Mindful of the public setting, she stepped closer and whispered with a sneer, “What, has the Davis family fallen on such hard times that you’ve started working as a waitress here?”


    The minimum spend in this restaurant was in the high hundreds, and she didn’t believe for a second that Mirabe could afford such luxury. Mirabe was raised in the countryside, so Mandy doubted the girl even had the nerve to step foot inside. Being a waitress seemed the only logical exnation.


    The restaurant manager, always vignt of his patron’sfort, cast a nce at Mandy speaking with his esteemed guest. Did she just call Mirabe a waitress? He subtly signaled the head waiter and whispered a few instructions.


    Unaware of the manager’s actions, Mirabe looked at Mandy with a wry smile and let out a mncholic sigh. “Yes, indeed. My family truly is destitute.”


    10:38


    The manager, who had quietly approached from behind, nearly stumbled upon hearing her words. The Davis family, poor? There must’ve been some


    misunderstanding about the word ‘poor,”


    Mandy felt there was something off about her foster daughter’s demeanor, but she didn’t give it much thought or notice the passing manager. She chuckled lightly. “If you’re poor, don’t pretend to be otherwise. Pretense costs money, too.“. She thought back to when she’d generously offered the Davis couple positions in the Gilbert Corporation and how Mirabe had brazenly demanded a high sry. The memory seemed absurd to her now,


    Mirabe nodded earnestly, “You’re absolutely right.”


    Mandy’s brows furrowed involuntarily. In her previous encounters with Mirabe, she had always been arrogant and disrespectful, Why the sudden change in attitude?


    Though puzzled, Mandy had no desire for further interaction, not wanting her high–society friends to witness any embarrassment. She brushed her arms as if to rid herself of some invisible dust from being too close to Mirabe. “Remember your ce. Don’t let on that you know me while you’re here, understand?” Mandy warned in a low voice.


    With that, she lifted her chin and walked past Mirabe with a disdainful air, heading towards the restroom. Her departure was as haughty as it gets.