The Double ( or More ?) Life of The Fake Heiress

Although Zach was the most gentle and even–tempered of the Davis brothers, he was also paradoxically the most elusive and sharp–witted among them.

He could flash you the warmest of smiles, but you’d never really know what was ticking inside his head. Even Summer, who had been by his side for over a decade, never quite managed to peel back his layers.

When she observed Zach’s interaction with Mirabella, the warmth he displayed was a stark contrast to anything she had ever experienced as his sister. It baffled her–how could their sibling bond of so many years not stand firm against the mere month Mirabella had been back?

Summer felt a knot of discomfort settle in her stomach. Stubbornly, she didn’t instruct the driver to leave but sat silently in the car instead. Her gaze lingered out of the car window, fixating on the hospital’s entrance, enduring numb hands and cold seeping into her bones. After some time, she saw Mirabella and Zach exit the hospital together, get into a car, and drive away.

“Miss, their car has left. Shall we continue to follow?” asked the driver, looking back at Summer in the rearview mirror.

Summer closed her tired eyes, her face drained of emotion. After a moment, she replied in a subdued voice, “No, let’s head home.”

In the car.

“That international trophy you mentioned earlier what’s that all about?” Zach adjusted his glasses and turned to his sister with a puzzled look.

Mirabella arched an eyebrow, leaned her head lazily against the window, and, with bright eyes, said, “If you place in the top five at the BrainSpark Nationals, you get to represent the country in the international competition.”

Zach fell into a thoughtful silence. Had his little sister really become so brilliant that she was venturing beyond national borders?

Regaining his composure, Zach asked with a mix of emotions, “You’re that confident?”

Mirabella cocked her head to the side. “What’s so tough about it? It’s just solving problems.” Mirabella’s nonchalant response left Zach momentarily breathless. After a pause, he managed a sincere, “Well, I hope you will succeed. When you win, just let me get a feel of that trophy, will you?”

Mirabella smiled slightly as she hummed in acknowledgment.

Then, something occurred to Zach, and he quickly said, “You know, I checked your competition Please check at N/ôvel(D)rama.Org.

12:19

results today–first place, huh? Tell me what you fancy for dinner, and I will make tonight a celebration for you.”

Mirabella started to shake her head, implying it was unnecessary, when Zach’s phone rang. She closed her mouth again.

The call came through the car’s Bluetooth system, and after glancing at the caller ID, Zach pressed the button on the steering wheel to answer. “Hey, Emmitt, what’s up?”

Emmitt’s voice came through loud and clear, audible to Mirabella as well. She didn’t react much. She just shifted her gaze back to the passing scenery.

“I heard you’re back from your business trip. Where are you at? Fancy grabbing a drink?” Emmitt sounded pretty casual.

Zach glanced down the road and responded, “I’m actually about to grab dinner with our sister. Wanna join us? It’d be nice to catch up.”

“With Summer?” Emmitt asked almost reflexively.

Zach furrowed his brows. Was Emmitt still not used to the idea that Summer wasn’t his biological sister? After a short pause, Zach clarified, “No, not her.”

Then, glancing at Mirabella, he added in a deeper, deliberate tone, “With Mira.”