Chapter 554
The latest heartache for Zach couldn’t have been more silent as he glanced at his old man. His face was a billboard of refusal to entertain any inquiries.
In a swift pivot, he whipped out his phone, fired up a search engine, and snapped a picture of the book cover with an image search function. He might not understand the text, but he was all about enlisting the help of the mighty online translator.
Shawn had returned with a glass of water and was back at Zach’s side. “What in the world is this book about?” he asked.
The translation popped up on Zach’s phone screen in no time, and when ‘Clinical Psychology Discourses‘ was revealed, Zach was stunned for a moment.
After a brief pause, he looked up at Shawn and murmured, “It’s a psychology book.”
Hearing this, their dad, a man of simple tastes and questions, was perplexed. “Psychology? Why are you reading that?”
Zach put down his phone and explained, “It belongs to Mira.”
Their dad was taken aback. Why on earth would his daughter be reading such a thing? She was a senior in high school. Her nose should be buried in study guides, right?
Then, something dawned on Zach, and a warm glint shone behind his glasses. He added, “It’s because Nick has been in therapy for a while.”
His sister was always quietly doing things for the family without seeking credit. If this were Summer, she probably wouldn’t even think to check if her brother needed psychological treatment. Plus, Summer reading such books would be out of the question.
Zach felt a mix of emotions.
Shawn, hearing about Nick, had a complicated look cross his face. Understanding the significance, he became visibly moved. Though Mira reading the book might not directly help Nick, it was a tangible sign of a sister’s concern for her brother.
Shawn’s eyes unexpectedly got teary. He took a big gulp of water, trying to swallow the lump in his throat. After a moment of silence, he said, “Send Nick a picture of the book.”
Zach looked at his dad in surprise.
Shawn had already mastered his emotions, snorted, and said, “Let him see how much his little sister cares about him. After all these years away, it’s about time he came home.” With that, he casually strolled out with his water glass, his departure marked by a touch of defiance.
Zach chuckled to himself, then, looking at the book in his hand, decided his dad’s suggestion wasn’t half bad. He took out his phone. again, laid out the two books, and snapped photos to send to Nick.
After sending the pictures and pointing out who was reading them, Zach waited for a reply. Nick must have been busy, as no response came. So Zach pocketed his phone, book in hand, and headed upstairs.
**
The next day was Saturday.
Mirabella carved out some time in the morning to tackle two challenging math problems her teacher had assigned. She then breezed through a couple of practice tests from other subjects. Around eleven, she got a call from James.
She had already told Shawn and Delilah she’d be out at noon, so shortly after hanging up, Mirabella stepped out of the house. James‘ car was parked outside the villa. She wrapped her coat tighter around herself and quickly slid into the back seat.
