The Double or more Life of the Fake Heiress (Mirabella) novel Chapter 718

“James really knows how to pick his spots, doesn’t he?” Nick’s voice was as cool and detached as ever.

James, always the picture of politeness, replied smoothly, “Just here to check on the old lady.”

Nick gave him a sideways glance but kept his thoughts to himself. Really? Choosing this exact time to visit the elderly when his sister was back home? Hmph.

An awkward silence settled over them, thick and unsettling.

Mirabella, having just put her luggage down, immediately sensed the tension. Her eyes darted between the two men, but their faces betrayed nothing unusual. She narrowed her eyes, suspicious.

Just then, Catherine entered with a tray of sandwiches, calling everyone to dinner and breaking the strange atmosphere.

Nick was always a man of few words, so he mostly listened to Catherine chat during the meal. James wasn’t much of a talker either, but he engaged Catherine every now and then.

Every time James spoke, Catherine's face lit up with genuine delight. It was clear she had a special fondness for him.

This caught Mirabella off guard. She’d heard Catherine praise James before but hadn’t realized how close they’d become.

After dinner, Mirabella insisted on handling the cleanup, taking the dishes to the kitchen herself.

In the kitchen, she used the state-of-the-art dishwasher she had bought a while back. She loaded the dishes and pressed the wash button without a second thought.

James walked in to store the leftovers in the fridge. Mirabella glanced over at him, “When did you get back?”

Back in the living room, Mirabella heard Catherine recounting tales from her past to Nick. She rubbed her temples before cutting in, “Grandma, where did you put my old books?”

Catherine paused, then pointed towards her bedroom by the foyer, “They’re in the cabinet there, dear. The key’s in the usual spot. Help yourself.”

With a nod, Mirabella headed to her grandmother’s bedroom.

The room was modest, just a bed and an old wooden cabinet from the seventies, locked up tight. She retrieved a small key hidden under a potted plant on the windowsill and unlocked the cabinet.

Inside, the cabinet was divided in two, with Catherine’s neatly folded clothes on the shelves above and a small trunk along with some other items below.

Mirabella pulled out the trunk, opened it, and found several books with ancient scripts, their pages yellowed with age—a testament to their long history.