Meeting up should''ve been straightforward, but somehow, it turned into aplete disaster. Austin''s face was as stormy as the clouds before a


    thunderstorm. That afternoon, he''d gone out of his way to call Conrad, dropping a hint that Mirabe and their family, the Cunninghams, were rtives. Conrad seemed to soften, his tone losing a bit of its edge.


    Austin had nned to chat with his older sister that evening, hoping to patch things up. But now? Things were more tangled than ever. How was he supposed to smooth this over with Conrad?


    ***


    In the car, Delh sat quietly, sneaking nces at her daughter. She wanted to say something, but the words just wouldn''te. Finally, she spoke up, her voice soft, "Did Kitty send you any photos?"


    Mirabe nodded with a little hum.


    The question seemed to tighten Delh''s fingers on herp. "Aren''t you curious about anything?"


    Mirabe turned her head, eyeing Delh''s tense expression. After a moment''s thought, she smirked, "All I can say is, twenty years ago, photo editing was really something else."


    Delh just sighed. Mirabe gave her shoulder a reassuring pat, "Don''t worry too much. What goes aroundes around. I''ll make sure justice is served."


    Delh felt the weight lift from her heart at Mirabe''s words. She sniffed, a smile breaking through, "It''s all ancient history, anyway. Those people aren''t worth your time."


    Mirabe nodded casually, letting the topic of the Cunninghams drop. Instead, she nced up at As, who was driving. "Can we find a ce to eat?"


    After a moment, she added, "Hey, As, is Grady still in Riverdale?"


    As was caught off guard by the question. He coughed, "I don''t think he''s around..."


    "Alright, no worries." Mirabe sounded a bit let down.


    She recalled how Grady would often reminisce about her parents during meals, clearly missing them. With her parents in Riverdale now, she thought meeting him might be a nice surprise.


    Delh, catching the name, grabbed Mirabe''s arm, her cheeks flushed with surprise. "Did you say Grady? Have you seen him?"


    As, spotting a red light, took the chance to discreetly send a text. When he was hired as Miss Mira''s driver, Zach and his wife had made it clear: keep things low- key around her to avoid any surprises. So far, they had no idea Grady had already met Miss Mira. Grady himself preferred to keep it that way.


    The twist was unexpected, leaving everyone scrambling.


    Mirabe hesitated for a couple of seconds before answering Delh, "Well, during Grady''s birthday a while back, Nick and I grabbed a bite with him."


    Delh seemed relieved. Nick and Grady were tight, so a birthday meal wasn''t unusual. "Just a meal?"


    Mirabe nodded, her face unchanged, "Yep."


    Delh exhaled, the tension easing a bit. Nick was sensible; he wouldn''t spill anything extra. Still, she couldn''t shake a bit of unease. "Did Grady mention anything important to you?"