Chapter 154
Summer was caught off guard when Mandy brought up the competition again. There was a brief pause before she replied, “…I think she advanced to the next round.”
Mandy’s brows knitted together in mild disbelief. “Her scores were good enough not to get kicked out?”
After a moment of silence, Summer said, “I actually mentioned last time that her grades weren’t that bad.”
Mandy vaguely remembered the conversation but didn’t dwell on it, quickly moving on. “The next round of the contest must be coming up, right? Make sure you go over the material your dad’s friend from the Education Association gave you.”
Summer nodded, eyes cast downward. “Yeah, I will. I’m going to head back to my room now.”
“Alright, off you go.” Mandy said with a dismissive wave of her hand.
Delilah and Shawn had been swamped with the renovations of their villa, leaving early and returning late. Concerned they couldn’t look after their daughter properly, they hired a part–time housekeeper, Marian, to prepare meals for Mirabella.
That day, as Mirabella walked in the door after school, Marian had already finished cooking. Marian was taking off her apron as she said, “Mira, I’ve got to dash because of an emergency at home. Oh, and I picked up a package for you this afternoon. It’s in the storage cabinet.” Pointing towards the cabinet, Marian didn’t wait for a response before hurrying out.
Mirabella set her bag down and glanced at the storage unit but didn’t rush to check it out.
The table was set with a homestyle spread–an all–American meatloaf, buttered green beans, mashed potatoes, and a bowl of chicken noodle soup–Mirabella pulled out her phone and dialed Zach’s number. Zach, who had been coming home for dinner every night, would typically be home by now.
The call connected quickly, and Zach’s voice came through, “Mirabella, I won’t be home for dinner tonight. Got to head out of town for a few days.”
There was an edge of anxiety in his voice. Mirabella’s brow furrowed as she asked, “Is something wrong?”
Zach seemed taken aback by her intuition. His tone darkened slightly as he replied, “Nothing serious. Don’t worry about it.”
As airport announcements echoed in the background, urging passengers to board, Zach hurriedly added, “I’ve got to board now. We’ll catch up later.”
Mirabella’s expression tightened. She didn’t press further, simply acknowledging with a, “If you need help with anything, let me know.”
Chapter 154
Zach chuckled, not taking her offer too seriously. “Sure.”
The call ended shortly after. The background announcement Mirabella had overheard hinted at a flight to the States. She pondered this for a while before setting down her phone.
Delilah and Shawn came home earlier than usual that evening. Mirabella had just started eating when they walked in, deep in a discussion about the renovations. As they approached their daughter, they both fell silent.
Mirabella gave them a quizzical look. “You guys joining…”
Delilah answered cheerfully. “We grabbed a bite on the way home.”
Shawn echoed, “Yeah!”
Mirabella just shook her head, slightly bemused.
Delilah tossed her bag onto a nearby cabinet and scanned the room. “Hey, isn’t Zach home yet?”
Zach had been coming home on time to keep his sister company lately. His absence felt unusual.
“He had to go on a sudden business trip,” Mirabella replied succinctly, omitting the part that she suspected he possibly went abroad.
“Another business trip, huh…” Delilah murmured, her face showing no surprise, accustomed as she was to his frequent travels.
