Chapter 412
Mirabella’s gaze softened A slight frown appeared on her face as she pondered for a few seconds before parting her lips to speak in a subdued tone, Thanks for your concern, Principal, but I’ll handle this myself. There’s no need for you to get involved.”
Anthony quickly interjected, “No trouble at all, Mirabella. Since this happened on campus, the school stepping in might actually make things a bit smoother.”
Students like her, sensible, academically stellar, and not a bother to the school, were a rare find indeed. The idea that she could have collided with someone was something he couldn’t take – not even for a million dollars!
He couldn’t fathom how that old man could stoop so low as to stage an accident with Mirabella. Despicable!
“No worries, I think the school getting involved might not look so good. I can take care of this issue, you don’t have to fret,” Mirabella declined Anthony’s offer graciously.
She couldn’t quite wrap her head around why that old guy had targeted her, of all people. Did she look like easy prey to him?
A cold, mocking smile flickered across Mirabella’s mind.
How naive he was!
Meanwhile, in the hospital, Donald suddenly sneezed a mighty sneeze. ‘Figures, staying in the hospital is no good. Too many germs around,‘ he grumbled, his nose wrinkling in
distaste.
He took out his phone, scrolled through his call log, and pressed the number he had dialed 99+ times. And this time, the phone that had gone unanswered before, surprisingly, picked up.
After leaving Anthony’s office, Mirabella returned to her classroom.
Anthony had suggested she take half a day off to go to the hospital and sort things out with the old man, but she refused. She had already been scammed out of eight hundred bucks for a hospital check–up, and now he expected her to miss out on her studies.
As if she’d let that fly!
So, Mirabella calmly waited until noon, had lunch in the cafeteria, borrowed a hundred dollars from Jenna, and then hailed a cab to the hospital.
Once at the hospital, the sight of the empty ward and neatly folded blankets on the bed made Mirabella’s expression turn sour. She approached the nurse’s station and inquired politely, “Excuse me, do you know where the elderly patient from room 302 went?”
“Oh, that gentleman was discharged this morning. Didn’t he get in touch with you?” The nurse, who had been on duty the previous day, remembered Mirabella for paying extra to have some apples bought for the old man in the room.
A crease formed between Mirabella’s brows as she thought for a moment before asking. “Did he leave on his own, or did his family come to discharge him?”
“A young couple took care of the paperwork. It looked like they were family,” replied the
nurse
Hearing this, Mirabella internally scoffed. Of course, they were all about scams. Just yesterday, he was playing the lonely old man card.
“But you know, I did feel bad for him. No one was with him last night, and he was so hungry he came out looking for food. My colleague even made him a cup of instant noodles, and the poor thing slurped it all up, even the broth. Sigh, kids these days just don’t look after their elders. The nurse lamented.
Realizing she might have spoken out of turn, the nurse chuckled awkwardly, “Don’t take it the wrong way. I didn’t mean you. You’re not related to that old man.” She had pegged Mirabella as a Good Samaritan who had just helped an old man to the hospital.
Mirabella pursed her lips, thanked the nurse, and quickly exited the hospital.
On her way back to school, she couldn’t help but wonder why that con artist had called the school earlier that morning, threatening trouble, only to suddenly check out.
Was it a change of heart? Her instincts told her that was unlikely.
