Lisa was so caught up in trying to steer Mirabe away that she didn''t even notice her own movements. She kept her eyes on Mirabe and asked again, "Is that


    okay with you?"


    Mirabe let her fingers drop, not saying a word. Instead, she nced in the direction Lisa had just looked and spotted two familiar faces in the hallway.


    What a coincidence-they both knew them.


    Mirabe turned back, eyebrows slightly raised, and asked Lisa, "How do you know Ben?"


    Lisa''s eyes narrowed, sidestepping the question with one of her own, "You know him?"


    "He''s a visiting lecturer for a project in our department," Mirabe replied simply.


    So it was indeed the name Lisa had overheard in the library.


    As Ben walked over, Lisa paused and quietly said, "He''s my Emmitt."


    Mirabe had already guessed it, her thoughtful gaze lingering on Lisa''s face, "Not getting along too well, huh?"


    Lisa''s lips twisted slightly, "We''re half-siblings."


    Half-sibling rtionships are oftenplicated-amon theme in blended families.


    Mirabe nodded, choosing not to press further.


    As Ben approached, Lisa instinctively moved a step forward, cing herself in front of Mirabe, and asked Ben, "What are you doing here?"


    Ben seemed ustomed to his sister''s prickly nature, meeting her eyes with a deep but gentle look, "I tried calling you, but you didn''t pick up."


    Lisa frowned, not believing Ben hadn''t seen her earlier message on Messenger. Still, it wasn''t the time to call him out, so she said, "My phone was on silent, must''ve missed it. What''s up?"


    Ben gave her a brief look.


    Suddenly, Lisa felt a chill, as if his gaze stripped away all her defenses, leaving her words stuck in her throat.


    Ben shifted his gaze to Mirabe, offering a polite smile, "Mirabe."


    Mirabe maintained a neutral expression, nodding politely, "Mr. Ben."


    "Didn''t expect you and Lisa to be ssmates," Ben said, sounding a bit surprised.


    Hearing this, Lisa tightened her grip, her irritation growing.


    Mirabe acknowledged with a nod, "Quite a coincidence."


    Ben pursed his lips, not engaging further with Mirabe, and turned to Lisa,


    "Come home tonight."


    "No," Lisa resisted instinctively.


    "It''s Dad''s birthday," Ben reminded her.


    Lisa paused.


    "I''ll wait for you at the school gate after sses," Ben said, nodding at Mirabe


    before waving to Taylor, who was standing not far away.


    Taylor, recognizing Mirabe, nodded politely before leaving with Ben.


    Once they were gone, Lisa snapped back to reality, her tense nerves finally easing. She noticed her palms were mmy with sweat.


    Taking a deep breath, Lisa looked at Mirabe, her expression serious, "Mira, you might want to keep your distance from my Emmitt. He''s... not as gentlemanly as he seems."


    "Alright, I get it," Mirabe replied lightly. "Do you still need me to grab something for you?"


    "What do you mean?" Lisa blinked, momentarily puzzled.


    Mirabe raised an eyebrow and headed toward the academic building.