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

Mirabella didn't toss the medicine she'd picked up; instead, she gave Lisa a glance and casually asked, "Have you been taking this stuff the whole time?"

Lisa grabbed a glass of water, took a sip to soothe her throat, and nodded. "Yeah, it seems to help with the coughing a bit."

"If it's not doing the trick, why not try a different cold medicine?" Mirabella tilted her head slightly, her voice soft, almost as if she mentioned it in passing.

Lisa paused, realizing she hadn't considered that. The medicine was something her mom had given her, and she hadn't thought much about it. She quickly gave a wry smile and said, "It's not that it hasn't helped at all. Maybe it's because I haven't been taking it regularly."

The heavy atmosphere at home lately had left her too distracted to look after her health properly.

"Sometimes, skipping the meds might actually help a cold clear up faster," Mirabella suggested with a smile.

Earlier that morning, while checking Lisa's pulse, Mirabella noticed that Lisa was actually low on energy, not suffering from a cold. When someone stays energy- deficient for too long, their health can take a downturn, even if they're usually healthy.

Listening to Mirabella, Lisa glanced down at the medicine in her hand and thought perhaps there was some truth in it. Her cough had only slightly improved, and her energy levels hadn't picked up at all.

She decided to put the medicine back in its box.

Mirabella raised an eyebrow, pleased. Lisa seemed to be catching on without needing more advice.

Just then, Mirabella's phone buzzed in her pocket. She flicked her finger and pulled it out to check.

The screen showed a message on Messenger.

She paused, then settled back on Lisa's bed and opened it.

It was a voice message from Nikolai, someone she hadn't heard from in a while.

Surprised, Mirabella quickly listened to the message and replied, "When did you get to Riverdale? I'm in class right now but will be free later this afternoon."

Nikolai replied swiftly, "Got here this morning. It's been ages since we caught up, Master Mirabella. If you're free, want to grab dinner

tonight?"

Mirabella thought for a moment and agreed since she didn't have any plans for the evening.

Nikolai, relieved, had been hesitant

to get back in touch due to some

issues with his sons. Coming to Riverdale, he decided it was worth reconnecting.

Luckily, she hadn't avoided him because of the DaneAsher incident.

Nikolai remembered James and sent another message, "How's James doingnoveldrama

lately? Why not invite him too?"

Mirabella responded, "I'll ask him."

Nikolai replied, "Okay."

Mirabella sent James a message, but he seemed to be busy since there was no reply for several minutes.

Not wanting to push, and recalling a phone call she overheard him having in the car yesterday, she figured he was swamped and decided to decline Nikolai's invite on James's behalf.

They agreed to meet at 6 p.m. at a downtown restaurant.

After wrapping up the chat with Nikolai, Mirabella lingered in Lisa's room for a bit before making up an excuse to leave.

Once she was far from the dorm building, Mirabella pulled out the two pills from her pocket.

With a thoughtful look, she gently crushed them into powder, identifying the components, and a slight smile played on her lips.

This wasn't cold medicine; it was clearly some kind of stimulant.

With a flick of her fingers, the powdered medicine floated away into the air.