Shawn''s smile faded when his daughter asked him about it. After a brief, heavy silence, he finally spoke, "Nick was kidnapped when he was twelve."


    That traumatic event had changed him into who he was now.


    "Kidnapped?" Mirabe''s eyes widened. She had suspected it, but hearing it confirmed was still a shock.


    "Yeah. We didn''t live here back then. Due to some circumstances, Nick was taken. By the time we found him, he was... barely alive."


    A twelve-year-old boy, held by a gang of ruthless thugs for three excruciating days, tormented without mercy.


    Every minute was an endless agony etched into Nick''s young soul.


    Though he was eventually rescued, the bright, cheerful boy he once was seemed lost forever.


    Shawn''s voice was heavy, with a slight tremble. He didn''t go into the gruesome details.


    Some memories are better left buried, and they certainly didn''t want Mirabe to carry the burden of the Davis family''s dark past.


    The atmosphere in the car thickened with unspoken words. Mirabe nced at Shawn, who seemed like a different person altogether, and chose not to ask


    more.


    The story of the kidnapping was a raw, bleeding memory, no matter who recounted it.


    After a while, Mirabe spoke softly, "It''s all in the past now. Nick will get better."


    "Yeah," Shawn replied, looking out the car window, trying to push down the rising memories.


    The rest of the drive was silent, each lost in their thoughts.


    Soon, they arrived back at their neighborhood.


    A nondescript sedan was parked outside their vi, indicating the guests had arrived.


    Mirabe stepped out of the car, slipped into her house shoes, and walked into the living room, where the guest sat with her back to them.


    "Here''s my daughter, Mira," Delh proudly introduced to her friend.


    Mirabe nodded politely, "Nice to meet you, Marian," then acknowledged the young woman beside her with another nod.


    This young woman was none other than Autumn, whom she had met at the matchmaking event.


    The same Autumn Delh wanted to set up with Zach.


    Linnea beamed at Mirabe, her tone warm, "What a lovely youngdy."


    Delh''s eyebrows shot up, "Well, of course. She takes after me."


    Autumn, maintaining herdylikeposure, sat quietly by her mother''s side. Seeing Mirabe, her eyes brightened.


    The stunning Mirabe-yet somehow familiar...


    Delh nudged her daughter to chat with Autumn, so Mirabe set her bag down and took a seat next to Autumn.


    "Have we met before...?" Autumn began, but Mirabe quickly interrupted, "We''ve never met!"


    Her expression was serious, and Autumn''s unfinished question hung in the air, "Oh... I must be mistaken then."


    "Right," Mirabe confirmed with a nod.


    She couldn''t let on that she was the sister of the notorious ''yboy'' Autumn hadined about at thest matchmaking event.


    Autumn scratched her head, sensing something was off, but didn''t push it. After all, she was just here to apany her mother for dinner.


    Before long, Zach''s car pulled up to the vi. As he walked in and saw the guests on the sofa, his entire face froze.