Chapter 516
Mirabella had barely stepped beyond the manicured hedges of her family’s estate when her cellphone, tucked into the pocket of her
it was Shawn. denim jacket, began to buzz. She fished it out and glanced at the caller ID
She tapped the green icon and the sound of rustling leaves accompanied her father’s voice, “Kiddo, I thought you were home. Where’d you scurry off to?”
Mirabella paused mid–stride, and her brows knitted together in mild confusion. “How did you know I left?”
There was a moment’s hesitation from Shawn before he replied, trying to sound nonchalant, “I just caught a glimpse of you from the balcony.”
Something about his answer didn’t sit right with her, but she decided not to dwell on it. “I’m heading to the library to bury myself in some books,” she said.
“Library, huh?” Shawn mused, thinking of the Shepherd family’s Donald who was currently in their midst. “Well, be safe out there, pumpkin.”
Mirabella touched the tip of her nose, which was a habit when she felt slightly awkward, and responded with an obedient, “Will do.”
After hanging up, she didn’t give the conversation another thought. She hailed a cab and gave the driver the address of the central library.
She spent the afternoon surrounded by the comforting scent of old books. In her downtime, she snapped photos of several titles on holistic health and wellness, then sent them off to Vincent.
Vincent, on receiving the message from Queen Mira, was pleasantly surprised. He browsed through the images, remembering their dinner conversation the night before when she had mentioned recommending some books on herbal remedies.
Cooking and pharmacology weren’t exactly Vincent’s cup of tea. He had only learned about them because of his family’s Hammond heritage. Still, seeing Mirabella’s recommended reading, he silently thanked her and saved the images.
Next, he opened his Amazon app and promptly ordered the books. After all, if one was to be a renaissance man, why not broaden his horizons with a few more skills? With this newfound perspective, the idea of cooking suddenly seemed less of a chore to Vincent. In fact, he felt an urge to dive in and improve his culinary craft.
Back in class, Vincent’s deskmate leaned over with his smartphone in hand and nudged him. “Hey, you know this girl?” he whispered, showing an image of a girl wearing a black face mask.
Vincent glanced at the screen with mild disinterest and then looked away. “Nope, never seen her.”
“Yeah, figured you wouldn’t,” his deskmate muttered, pocketing his phone.
Vincent was just about to nod in agreement when something clicked. He turned sharply back to his deskmate. “Wait a sec.”
His deskmate let out a confused “Huh?” just as Vincent reached for his phone.
Ignoring his deskmate’s puzzled expression, Vincent locked eyes with the image on the screen, zooming in slightly. He hadn’t recognized her at first glance because of the mask, but that unmistakable air of sharpness and pride – it was Mirabella’s signature vibe.
The deskmate, noticing Vincent’s intense gaze, clear throat awkwardly. “Everything good?”
Vincent’s eyes narrowed slightly as he handed back the phone Where did you get this picture?”
