As they were wrapping up dinner, Mirabe''s phone buzzed. She nced at the screen, saw it was a text message, and decided to ignore it for now.


    Two minutester, her phone vibrated again, another text messageing through.


    Finishing herst bite, Mirabe finally picked up her phone and opened the messages.


    "Birdie, meet me at Parkside High School after school tomorrow. Reply to confirm."


    "Birdie, did you block my number?"


    "Birdie, I know you''re doing that livestream thing. If you don''t reply, I''m going to expose your info in the chat!"


    Seeing the nickname "Birdie," Mirabe knew exactly who it was. She quickly typed a two-word response and then blocked the number without hesitation.


    **


    "Dead meat?"


    Aiden''s heart skipped a beat when he saw the curt reply. He couldn''t help but remember thest time he had confronted Birdie and ended up getting a solid thrashing from her.


    Seething, Aiden sent a flurry of messages to Mirabe, but it was like shouting into the void-no replies.


    Suspecting he''d been blocked, he tried calling, only to get the automated "out of service area" message, no matter how many times he dialed.


    "Sonny, any luck? Did she text you back?" Mandy, sitting nearby, knew her son had been trying to reach his foster sister and asked with feigned casualness.


    Aiden bit his lip and threw his phone onto the couch, grumbling, "She blocked me."


    Mandy was momentarily stunned. Knowing Mirabe''s pride these days, it seemed typical, but she hadn''t expected her to block even Sonny''s number.


    After all, Sonny used to be her little brother.


    Mandy sat quietly on the sofa for a moment before saying, "Well, if that''s the case, she probably won''te to your birthday either."


    Aiden ran a hand through his hair and stood up, "This sucks. Mom, I''m heading upstairs."


    Without waiting for a response, he stormed up the stairs.


    Mandy watched her youngest son disappear, then her eyes fell on the phone he''d left behind. After a moment''s hesitation, she picked it up, unlocked it, and saw the "Dead meat?" text.


    That foster daughter of hers was really acting out. She never used to talk like that. Mandy''s expression grew distant as she ced the phone back on the couch.


    Her husband had been unreachable for the past few days due to a business bid, leaving her feeling unusually anxious. Throughout her marriage into the Gilbert family, she had always been on tenterhooks, fearing the day she might truly anger Bernardo.


    Seeing Mirabe getting close to Johnny had made her think. Whether Mirabe had meddled in the bid or not, Mandy realized she needed to try and mend the strained rtionship between her foster daughter and the Gilbert family.


    Lately, Mandy had begun to regret how things had soured. If only she had listened to her mother and been more tolerant, maybe things would have turned out differently.


    But there''s no cure for regret.


    Taking a deep breath, Mandy leaned back on the sofa, her face weary andcking its usual glow.


    Summer emerged from the music room and saw Mandy sitting there, looking defeated. She paused for a moment, then walked over to her.