Catherine turned off the burner. "Stop dreaming, I''m not giving it to you. That pendant is Mira''s."


    Mandy rubbed her temples, clearly frustrated. "Why are you so stubborn? I''ve told you, that girl''sst name is Howard-she''s not even blood-rted. Why give such a valuable pendant to Mirabe?"


    At the mention of ''valuable'', Catherine instinctively frowned but quickly corrected herself. "That pendant is just ordinary, it''s not worth much."


    "How could it not be valuable... Ah, forget it. A country woman like you wouldn''t know the value of jade. Just give it to me, I really need it," Mandy tried to soften her tone.


    "I won''t give it to you. Just give up on the idea," Catherine said firmly, then promptly hung up the phone.


    Hearing the dial tone, Mandy turned livid. "Catherine is really..."


    She redialed Catherine''s number, but it went straight to voicemail, which infuriated her even more.


    Summer nced at Mandy and asked quietly, "Mom, what did Grandma say?" "She said she''s giving the pendant to Mirabe," Mandy replied, clearly frustrated.


    Summer''s expression soured. The pendant was meant for a direct granddaughter -did Mirabe even deserve it? With the Davis family already being a thorn in her side, and Mirabe ying the sweet granddaughter in front of Grandma, she was even trying to snatch their family''s pendant? How could there be such vile women in the world!


    "No matter what, we have to get that pendant back. We can''t let Catherine give it to that girl," Mandy said with determination.


    Pacing back and forth in the living room with her phone, Mandy suddenly dered, "No, I need to go back there myself tomorrow."


    She feared Catherine might actually give the pendant to Mirabe.


    Thinking of what happened earlier in the day, Summer scoffed, "Mom, maybe you shouldn''t go back for now. The people from the Davis family are heartless."


    Seeing the bruises on her daughter''s palm, Mandy stomped her foot in frustration and didn''t bring up the decision to go back or not again.


    Meanwhile, after hanging up the phone, Catherine absent-mindedly took out a cup, nning to pour out the ginger-honey tea she had been simmering in a small pot to fend off the chill. The stainless steel pot was hot, and she reached for it barehanded.


    Mirabe, who had beenzily leaning against the doorframe and watching her, quickly stepped forward. Before Catherine could touch the handle, Mirabe intercepted her hand mid-air and said, with a slightly stern voice, "It''s hot, and you still dare to touch it?"


    After saying that, she grabbed a towel nearby, wrapped it around the handle, and poured the ginger-honey tea into the cup.


    Catherine snapped back to reality, and a smile crept across her wrinkled face. "Well, I have you, don''t I?"


    Mirabe just nced at her. "Don''t y dumb with me. What if you get burned while I''m gone?"


    Hearing the word ''gone'', Catherine''s expression dimmed momentarily, but she quickly remembered something and cheerfully said, "Grandma will be more careful next time. But you, you''ve stayed with me for so many days now, your parents must beining. Maybe you should head back soon."


    "So, you''re trying to get rid of me?" Mirabe leaned in, eyeing Catherine.


    Catherine swallowed the lump in her throat, avoiding Mirabe''s gaze, and muttered, "This ce was never your home."


    Her voice trembled slightly with emotion.