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

Mirabella returned home and, due to jet lag, crashed for nearly a full day, not waking until 6 p.m. When she finally got up, she freshened up quickly and made her way downstairs.

As soon as she reached the living room, she noticed Collins lounging on the couch. She nodded in greeting and then headed to the fridge to grab a bottle of water.

Collins turned to her, a playful smirk on his face. “Mirabella, you’re quite the rockstar, aren’t you? Jetting off and knocking out the international competition.”

Mirabella took a couple of gulps of water before meeting his gaze, her tone nonchalant. “Just doing what I do.”

Collins‘ smile twitched; why did he even bother setting himself up for that ego knock? “By the way, Mira, we’re scheduled for that show the day after tomorrow. You’re good to go, right?” Collins had been waiting at the Davis residence for half the day just to bring up the upcoming gig.

“Yeah, no sweat,” Mirabella replied as she settled into the sofa.

The show would be starting over the weekend.

“Great. I mean, I’ve briefed you on what to expect. Just stick close to Leo, and you’ll be fine.” Collins advised.

“Got it,” Mirabella said, curling her legs beneath her on the couch. “So, this show doesn’t have a script or anything?”

“Nope, it’s all improv,” Collins said, raising an eyebrow teasingly. “You’re not getting stage fright, are you, brainiac?”

Mirabella shot him a lazy glance. “I’m just worried if I go full throttle, I might steal everyone else’s thunder.”

Collins threw her a playful punch. Smart and quick–witted as always.

He glanced at his watch and stood up. “Alright, I should head out. Hit me up on Messenger if anything comes up.”

“Will do,” Mirabella said with a subtle pursing of her lips.

After Collins left, Leo turned to Mirabella. “You saw Nick, right?”

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“Yeah, I did.” Mirabella paused for a moment before asking, “Why does Nick stay abroad all the time? Does he ever come home?”

“He’s got his work cut out for him overseas. Probably keeps him too busy. He only comes back home once every few years,” Leo replied softly.

“Oh,” Mirabella nodded and let the topic drop.

**

The next day, Mirabella made another trip to the herbal market, straight to a shop called Nature’s Apothecary. She needed various herbs for an insomnia remedy and handed the owner a list. Though the list was long, the ingredients were common, and the owner quickly gathered what she needed.

Mirabella waited while the herbs were ground into powder, taking the chance to send a message to James. Once she got a reply confirming he was free, she pocketed her phone again.

Soon, the owner handed over the powdered herbs. Mirabella transferred the payment and picked up her bag to leave. Just as she reached the door, someone came in, nearly bumping into her.

“Oh! Mirabella, what brings you here?” It was Nikolai, seemingly surprised to see Mirabella.

She hadn’t expected to run into Nikolai either and gave him a polite nod, lifting the bag slightly. “Just picking up some herbs.”

Nikolai’s eyes practically sparkled. “You’re concocting something again? What is it this time? Need an assistant?”

Mirabella just looked at him silently. “I’m not making medicine and don’t need an assistant.”

Letting Nikolai watch her make James‘ medicine last time was probably the worst decision she had ever made.

“Oh, I see…” Nikolai’s face fell, disappointment lacing his voice. “Well, if you ever do need a hand, you know where to find me, right?”

Nikolai’s apprentice at the counter, who had just been handling Mirabella’s herbs, dropped his jaw in shock at the exchange.