Afternoon.


    The underground auction house on the north side of town.


    "You head to the private room; I''ll join you in a bit," James said, wrapped in a ck trench coat with a matching turtleneck underneath. He gave Mirabe a quick nce, leaving Wyatt to ensure her safety.


    Mirabe nodded and followed Wyatt up to the plush private suite upstairs.


    The room was cleverly designed for privacy; you could watch everything happening in the bustling auction below without anyone seeing in.


    Mirabe settled into a chair, her eyes scanning the lively scene below. Her gaze flitted over the security cameras strategically ced around, noting the tight security.


    It felt like a fortress against thieves.


    The auction wasn''t starting anytime soon, so Mirabe turned away, feeling a bit bored, and pulled out her phone.


    As soon as she unlocked it, a notification from Lisa on Messenger popped up, sent about ten minutes ago.


    Lisa was asking what her ns were for the day.


    Mirabe tapped back a quick reply.


    Meanwhile, Lisa, clutching her phone, let out a small sigh of relief when she saw Mirabe''s response. She quickly typed back, "No worries... If you''re busy, go ahead with your day."


    Mirabe raised an eyebrow, thought for a moment, then replied, "Just let me know if you need help. Don''t be shy."


    Lisa read the message, feeling a lump in her throat as her fingers tightened around her phone. It took her a moment to swallow her guilt before she replied, "Ugh, just my three roommates driving me nuts with their nonstop chatter. Thought maybe we could hang out."


    Mirabe was used to hearing Lisa''s gripes about her roommates, so she didn''t think much of it and just sent back an emoji.


    Lisa didn''t continue the conversation and sat there, lost in her thoughts. The door to the room was slightly ajar when Gracie walked in, carrying a te of fruit.


    "Why are you dressed so lightly?" Gracie asked, seeing her daughter in just a thin loungewear. She put the te down and hurried to the closet to fetch a thick down jacket, draping it over Lisa''s shoulders.


    Lisa seemed to snap out of her thoughts, looking up at her mother. "Oh, Mom, when did youe in?"


    Gracie took her daughter''s cold hands in hers, warming them as she spoke. "You''ve been acting odd since you got backst night. Did something happen?"


    Lisa''s face was pale, and she did look a bit off. She forced a smile, shaking her head. "No, but Mom, I heard from Ben that you and Dad are nning to go abroad for the spring festival?"


    "Ben''s your brother," Gracie corrected her gently, pulling up a chair to sit beside her. "Yeah, that''s the n, but it''s not just me and your dad; it''s a family trip."


    Lisa''s lips twitched slightly, and she held her mother''s hand tighter. "What''s so great about going abroad? Isn''t it nice just staying in Riverdale?"


    "Your dad wants to take us out for a bit of fun. He rarely gets a long holiday, and this year he thought we might as well travel abroad," Gracie exined.


    Lisa bit her lip, shaking her head pleadingly. "Can we not go?"


    Gracie was rarely confronted with such a plea from her daughter and was a bit taken aback. "Lisa, you..."


    Lisa knew even if she revealed another side of Ben, her mom wouldn''t believe her. She''d just think Lisa was being biased and immature.


    Taking a deep breath, Lisa earnestly said, "Some ces abroad are a bit chaotic and not safe."