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

Summer didn't bother going back to school that afternoon. Instead, she wandered around aimlessly before ending up back at the Gilbert family mansion.

When she stepped inside, the place looked like a tornado had blown through it. The whole house was in disarray, like it had been through a war zone.

In the midst of the chaos, only Mandy was there, slumped on the sofa, looking nothing like her usual polished self. She didn't even react when Summer walked in.

Summer set her designer handbag down and glanced at Mandy. She poured a glass of water and walked over, offering it to her. "Mom?"

Mandy's eyes were vacant, unfocused, until they slowly settled on Summer. With a feeble swipe, she knocked the glass out of Summer's hand. "Why are you even here?"noveldrama

The glass shattered on the floor, the sound sharp and jarring, water and shards scattering everywhere.

Summer's eyes lowered, but she didn't say a word. She bent down, picked up the larger pieces of glass, and tossed them into the trash can.

Seeing her daughter's silence, Mandy's frustration boiled over, though she restrained herself from a full-blown outburst. She stood up abruptly and pulled Summer to her feet. "Summer, did you go see Zach? Did you ask him for help?"

Summer took a deep breath. "What happened, Mom? Why is he targeting Gilbert Corporation all of a sudden?"

"It's your dad's fault. He had someone take photos of Mirabella and that official, then sent them to the press. Somehow, those photos ended up online... Who would've thought Zach would latch onto Gilbert Corporation and not let go?" Mandy's voice quivered with anger by the end.

As Mandy spoke, Summer pieced it all together. She had thought last night's online drama was unrelated to her family. Were those photos really leaked by her father?

With Zach's temperament, it was no wonder he went after Gilbert Corporation, especially with the city's top official, Owen, involved...

Summer rubbed her temples. "Dad must be out of his mind, releasing photos like that. No wonder Gilbert Corporation is in deep trouble!"

"That's why I'm telling you to plead with Zach. If he backs off, Gilbert Corporation might have a chance..." Mandy's voice rose in desperation.

Realizing her mother still didn't grasp the full extent of the situation, or the

seriousness of those photos, Summer shook her head in disbelief. "Mom, don't be naive. It's not Zach who wants Gilbert Corporation to fall; it's the big shots from City Hall."

Who would dare mess with the scandal of such a powerful figure? She couldn't fathom what her father had been thinking.

"Just some photos?" Mandy stammered, the reality finally sinking in. "And how could this involve City Hall... Dad said he sent them anonymously, how could they trace it back to the Gilbert family?"

Summer's smile was tinged with cynicism. "You think anonymous means untraceable? Those pictures involve the city's top official. Do you really think someone in his position couldn't find out if he wanted to?"

Mandy hadn't considered the reach of who they'd angered.

"The top official?" Mandy froze, finally grasping the severity of the situation.

She had assumed her husband's photos were of some low-level bureaucrat.

If they had indeed crossed the city's most powerful man... then the sudden investigation and shutdown of Gilbert Corporation made all too much sense.

Staggering back, Mandy collapsed onto the sofa, her mind racing. Suddenly, she looked up at Summer with a glimmer of hope. "Then you have to go to Mirabella. Beg her. She's close with Johnny, and if she speaks up, Gilbert Corporation might still have a shot."