Chapter 392
Summer tried to mask the worry nibbling at her edges with a laugh before she spoke, “So what if I’m the butt of a few jokes for now? It’ll all blow over soon, and your brothers won’t hold it against me.”
She paused, her gaze distant, then added, “Even if you’ve returned to the Davis family, don’t forget I also spent a good chunk of my life there. A small slip–up and I bet your folks and your brothers will forgive me all the same.”
Summer felt let down by her foster family the night before and a sting of resentment for their unanswered calls, but Delilah eventually showed up, didn’t she? Delilah remained silent, but Zach’s late–night text, asking her to meet, spoke volumes. It was an olive branch, and Summer knew it.
She watched Mirabella, who was idly kicking a pebble at her feet, and suddenly asked, “Where did you get that song from?”
Summer had been hoping to see a flicker of discontent on Mirabella’s face but was taken aback when the question came. Her sharp expression froze, and after a long moment, she scrutinized Mirabella with narrowed eyes. “You’re telling me you don’t know the origins of my song?”
“Should I?” Mirabella retorted with a half–smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.
After a brief pause, she continued slowly, “Leo’s tune had barely been penned, and someone had already leaked the complete track online. Doesn’t that strike you as odd?”
As Mirabella’s words hung in the air, shock tightened Summer’s grip on her own arm.
The secret of Summer’s rebirth was something she dared not reveal, yet Mirabella… Mirabella wouldn’t ask such a question if she had also been reborn. However, her expression seemed to suggest she knew something.
For a moment, Summer was at a loss as to what Mirabella truly meant.
After a beat, Summer replied coolly, “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” She glanced at her watch, adding, “Oh, I’ve got to run. Your dear brother, Zach, wants to meet to help me sort out this online mess.” With that, she strutted off, leaving Mirabella without a chance to respond, her pride leading the way. Mirabella watched Summer’s retreating figure with an amused curl to her lips. No wonder Summer had come to test her, questioning if she was the real Mirabella.
Summer left school and hailed a cab on the roadside to meet Zach at the agreed–upon spot. The online scandal had made her life with the Gilbert family rather uncomfortable lately; Mandy hadn’t even arranged for a driver to drive her about.
Twenty minutes later, she arrived at a downtown restaurant known for its private dining rooms. Expecting to see only Zach, Summer was taken aback to find Leo there too. She hesitated at the door before approaching and sat opposite the brothers, removing her sunglasses and face mask. Her voice was low as she greeted, “Zach, Leo…”
“Don’t call me Leo,” he said, his lips tight, his tone cold.
The color drained from Summer’s face as she clenched her hands on her knees, her nails digging into her
skin. He was so detached from Summer yet so eager to please his real sister, Mirabella. The disparity filled Summer with an intense loathing.
Summer’s eyes reddened, and she turned her head away.
Chapter 392
Looking at his former sister, Zach felt a stir of emotion, and unlike Leo, he wasn’t quite as harsh.
Adjusting his glasses on the bridge of his nose, he broke the silence, “I’ll cut to the chase. You want Leo to clear your name publicly… It’s not impossible.”
Summer’s voice was tight with desperation. She asked directly, “What’s your condition?”
