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

The last thing Shawn wanted was to scare his daughter with the knowledge that several bodyguards were shadowing her every move. Better to leave some stones unturned.

Clearing his throat, Shawn steered the conversation in a lighter direction. “How did the commercial shoot with Leo go today?”

“It went alright,” Mirabella replied, cradling her mug with slender, artistically elegant fingers. “We might need to take a few more shots in a couple of days, but that should wrap it up.” She was blissfully unaware of the storm brewing on Twitter, where images of her and Leo’s ad shoot had gone viral, topping the trending charts.

Glancing around the room, Mirabella asked, “Leo’s not back yet?”

“Nope.” The mention of Leo brought a hint of disdain to Shawn’s face. His absence was a welcome reprieve.

Mirabella’s phone buzzed discreetly in her pocket. Setting her cup on the nearby table, she checked the message- a bank transfer notification. Her eyebrows arched in mild surprise. Nikolai’s patient had settled the consultation fee much sooner than she’d anticipated.

Pocketing the phone, her mood lifted. “Dad, what’s for dinner? Oh, and where’s Mom?”

“Your mother’s out dining with friends. We can order from the… get some delivery.” Shawn swallowed the last word, ‘restaurant, hoping she wouldn’t notice.

Mirabella raised an eyebrow. “Why don’t we order from our own restaurant? The food’s quite decent.”

Shawn grunted in agreement, then inadvertently asked, “Which restaurant are you referring to?”

Which restaurant, indeed? It seemed their family’s business ventures extended beyond just one. Mirabella’s smile held a secret.

Catching her gaze, a jolt of realization shot through Shawn. He’d let something slip. Shawn turned his head away in a feeble attempt to hide his guilt; it wasn’t long before he faced her again, probing, “How did you know about our diners? I was sure I’d kept it under wraps.” A leak in the family secret? Inconceivable! Nôvel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.

“Last time Zach had that blind date, we ended up at the exclusive restaurant,” Mirabella sold out her brother without hesitation.

A cold fury settled in Shawn’s eyes. No wonder that little rat had been dodging home.

Meanwhile, Zach suddenly sneezed in the midst of a business meeting..Rubbing his nose, he couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was cursing his name.

**

Two days later, at the Reeves estate.

Early in the morning, Dane came to Owen’s room to check his pulse and assess his condition.

“Mr. Dane, how is Mr. Owen faring now?” Johnny, who had been standing by anxiously, asked as soon as Dane withdrew his hand.

Dane’s emotions were a tangled mess these past couple of days. He hadn’t expected a simple tonic prescription to actually improve Owen’s health. The pulse was steady now, and the daily wasting had ceased since starting the medication, indicating that the illness was under control.

Rising from his chair, Dane spoke calmly, “He’s stab

Johnny’s face lit up with excitement. “So, as long as he continues with your treatment, our master will soon recover?”

The phrase ‘your treatment‘ made Dane’s eyelids droop ever so slightly.