Once they were a good distance from the airport, Dane nced at the rearview mirror and said, "I heard James from the Shepherd family had a rpse of his chronic illness."


    Niki, sitting in the backseat, looked surprised for a moment before shaking his head. "That''s impossible."


    Seeing Dane''s skeptical expression, Niki confidently replied, "I''ve told you before, Dr. Mirabe is amazing at what she does. She got James back to good health ages ago."


    Niki had meant to mention this to Dane earlier, but Dane had been too impatient, so it slipped through the cracks.


    "What do you mean?" Dane asked, pressing the brake a bit too hard, causing the car to jolt. He quickly adjusted and asked again, "When you say ''back to good health,'' what do you mean exactly?"


    Niki, who had been thrown forward slightly from the sudden stop, settled back and patiently exined, "I mean Dr. Mirabe treated James'' condition so well that a rpse is very unlikely."


    Dane frowned, puzzled. If what his father said was true, why did Presley have information suggesting otherwise?


    Just then, Niki asked, "But Dane, where did you hear about this?"


    Dane snapped back to the conversation, quicklying up with a usible excuse, "I overheard Presley talking on the phone today. Given his connections, I thought it best to let you know before anything serious happens, which is why I suggested you hold off on going back."


    Hearing Presley''s name made Niki''s expression turn a bit serious.


    Dane nced at his father''s reflection in the mirror, tapping the steering wheel, and asked, "But with news this big, hasn''t the Shepherd family reached out to you?"


    "No," Niki replied, shaking his head.


    After a pause, Niki pulled out his phone, scrolled through his contacts, and called Mirabe.


    The call connected quickly, "Hey, Dr. Mirabe..."


    Dane noticed and kept quiet.


    After Niki ended the call, Dane finally asked, "So, is it true?"


    Niki held his phone in silence for a moment before saying in a heavy tone, "Drive me somewhere right now..."


    **


    Meanwhile, Mirabe put down her


    phone and nced thoughtfully at


    someone busy with theirptop


    "How did Niki find out about your


    se?"


    James paused his typing, thinking for a moment before replying, "Maybe Wyatt''s rumors reached him."


    Mirabe nodded, lounging back on the sofa. "He said he''de over to check."


    James looked at her, trying to catch the


    your meaning of her


    then set hisptop aside. "Do


    you suspect Niki?" Contidel.ne?


    words,


    "Not


    she hadn''t interacted much


    Mirabe said. Although


    Niki, she had a sense of, with gh


    character.


    If anyone was suspicious, it was more likely his son.


    Mirabe shrugged and pulled a small bottle from her pocket, tossing it to James.


    James caught it and saw it contained a pill.


    "Let''s y the part to the fullest," Mirabe remarked casually.


    Even though she didn''t doubt Niki, she couldn''t say the same for those around


    him.