The Double or more Life of the Fake Heiress (Mirabella)

"What's got you so deep in thought? You're even frowning," Shawn asked, breaking the silence.

"Oh, it's nothing," Emmitt replied with a slight smile, glancing out towards the driveway. He casually added, "By the way, is Mom home?"noveldrama

"Yeah, she's watching TV."

Emmitt nodded, slipping his hands into his pockets as he mulled things over. "Hey, Dad, do you know much about Mom's side of the family?"

Shawn looked a bit taken aback, "Why are you bringing this up now?"

Noting his father's reaction, Emmitt realized he might know something. He pulled out a business card. "Someone from the Cunningham family visited me this morning."

Shawn's eyes narrowed slightly at the sight of Austin's name embossed in gold on the card. "What did they want?"

"They said Donald Cunningham is critically ill and asked if Mom could visit..." Emmitt relayed the message, then asked, "Why did Mom leave the Cunningham family in the first place?"

Shawn took the card, his voice turning icy, "Aside from your mom, there's not a decent person in the Cunningham family."

It was the first time Emmitt had seen his father so cold, a stark contrast to his usual warm demeanor.

Without further explanation, Shawn turned and walked into the house.

Emmitt hesitated for a moment before following him inside.

In the living room, Delilah was surprised to see Emmitt home early, "Emmitt?"

Emmitt glanced at Shawn, unsure of his intentions, and simply nodded, "Work was slow today, so I got back early."

"Oh, alright," Delilah replied, though she noticed something was off with Shawn and called him again.

Shawn turned to Delilah, his hands behind his back, still holding the business card.

Years had passed, and while the Cunningham family was rarely discussed at home, some things couldn't be avoided.

With a soft sigh, Shawn motioned towards the bedroom, "Honey, I need to talk to you."

Delilah's eyebrows raised slightly, her smile faltering a bit before she stood up.

The two of them soon went into the bedroom.

**

Later that evening, around eight o'clock at the hotel, Austin sat on the suite's sofa, arms crossed, his eyes fixed coldly on the phone on the coffee table.

All day, apart from calls from the Cunningham family, there hadn't been any from unfamiliar numbers.

Jules checked his watch and looked at Austin, "Looks like Miss Mira isn't coming." Austin closed his eyes for a moment, trying to quell his frustration.

"Should we give her a call?" Jules suggested quietly, hoping they wouldn't leave empty-handed.

He couldn't understand why Austin was so adamant about not calling Delilah. A phone call might clear things up.

"No need. If she's not here by eight, we're leaving," Austin said, standing up.

That afternoon, he had Jules book a flight back to Riverdale, not planning to linger.

"Alright," Jules nodded, unsure of Austin's reasoning but willing to go along with it.

Eight o'clock came and went. The phone stayed silent, and no one knocked on the door.

Austin told Jules to grab the luggage, his face unreadable. But Jules, knowing him well, felt a chill run down his spine.

Miss Mira had truly crossed a line with Mr. Austin this time.

As they checked out downstairs, Austin's phone buzzed in his pocket.

It was a text message.