The Double or more Life of the Fake Heiress (Mirabella) novel Chapter 597

"Look, the Gilberts have nothing on you," Catherine said firmly. "Don't let them push you around just because of your grandma."

Mirabella nodded quietly, her eyes drifting to the car window, lost in thought.

After a few more minutes of video chatting, she urged Catherine to hang up and head home. The cold had turned her cheeks pale.

Leo, sitting beside her, turned and asked, "So, Catherine said your foster mom's trying to patch things up again?"

The call had been on speaker, so he'd heard everything.

Leaning back, Mirabella's eyes sparkled with a cold clarity as she shrugged. "Who knows."

Leo had never paid much mind to the Gilbert drama, but he remembered their snobby attitude when they showed up after the baby mix-up. It was unforgettable.

"Anyway," he said after a pause, "if any of the Gilberts come around, just ignore them. And if they get nasty, tell me. I'll handle it."

Despite his nickname for her, "Little Princess," he was fiercely protective when it came to his sister.

Mirabella gave him a half-hearted "okay" and looked away.

By the time they got back to the Davis estate, it was past eight. With school the next day, Mirabella washed up and went to bed early.

Annette's heart sank. "You barely pass my English tests while acing everything else. Have you ever thought about how that makes me feel?"

Mirabella coughed awkwardly.

"The SATs are just a few months away. If you buckle down now, there's still time to improve. Don’t you want to be valedictorian?" Annette asked, trying to entice her.

Mirabella's struggle with English had been a sore point for Mr. Hammond, who had urged Annette to help her improve. With near-perfect scores in her other subjects, Mirabella was a top candidate for valedictorian—if English didn’t hold her back.

Mr. Hammond's words echoed in Annette's mind, nearly driving her mad. It felt like it wasn't just English lagging behind, but Annette herself as the teacher.