Collins saw Mirabe walk in, pocketed his phone, and chirped a cheerful, "Happy Birthday!" before adding with a grin, "So, how do you feel? Touched by the surprise your brother pulled off?"


    Truth be told, Mirabe hadn''t expected such a unique gift that evening, so she nodded honestly in response.


    However, secondster, her expression shifted as she asked, "How much did it cost to rent those 3,586 drones?"


    Collins, taken aback at first, eyed Mirabe with suspicion. "How did you know I rented over three thousand drones?"


    He couldn''t remember the exact count, but he was pretty sure the contract had a six in the number somewhere.


    Mirabe lifted her hand, "I have eyes... So, how much did it cost?"


    Collins felt a bit looked down upon but instinctively replied, "Around three hundred grand, mate. Got a mates'' rates deal, so not too pricey."


    Just like that, over three hundred thousand dors had flown away in minutes. Such a spendthrift!


    Mirabe suddenly found it hard to breathe. Without another word, she turned and went to change her clothes.


    Watching Mirabe''s suddenly gloomy departure, Collins was left scratching his head in confusion.


    That''s when Leo walked in, noticed Collins'' puzzled look, and called out, "Collins?"


    Turning around, Collins shared with Leo the conversation he had with Mirabe about the drones.


    After listening, Leo massaged his forehead and simply said, "Don''t talk to my sister about money anymore."


    Having lived with her for so long, he knew all too well how his sister fretted over money.


    Collins was even more baffled now.


    Three hundred grand was just a drop in the ocean for a top-tier celebrity like Leo, akin to plucking a hair from a bull.


    Leo didn''t borate but asked the makeup artist to start removing his makeup.


    Back in her own clothes, Mirabe checked Messenger, where many had sent birthday wishes along with generous digital cash gifts.


    She epted each gift, slightly alleviating her pain over the money spent.


    A Twitter notification popped up at the top of her phone, drawing her attention to the buzz about the night''s concert. The posts weren''t hostile, but seeing her photos made her a bit uneasy.


    She had her reasons for staying out of the public eye.


    But then, she figured there was no need to be overly cautious since people are different.


    With that, Mirabe put her phone away and headed outside.


    It was past 1 AM by the time the siblings got home. After a shower, Mirabe quickly fell into a deep sleep.


    **


    The next morning, Mirabe woke up on time, nning to lounge in bed, but the


    message from her next-door neighbor got her up.


    She changed into workout gear and headed downstairs.


    Hugo, who had gotten noticeably rounder, perked up at the sound and


    enthusiastically trotted over to Mirabe.


    Patting the little guy on the head, she mused about why Zach would bring his "son" over, likely because of her birthday.


    If it weren''t for Leo''s birthday celebration, she would havepletely forgotten about her own.


    Soon, she said, "Let''s go for a walk," grabbed the leash, and clipped it onto Hugo, stepping out.


    Though Hugo wasn''t fully grown, his Husky nature meant he was brimming with energy, getting excited the moment they were outside.


    The duo headed towards theke and spotted James, also in workout attire, from a distance.


    Mirabe, with Hugo in tow, approached him.