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

Mirabella had been to Leo's place once before. As soon as she walked in and traded her shoes for a pair of cozy slippers, Collins led her straight to the recording studio, wasting no time.

Leo was in the middle of laying down a vocal track when he spotted his sister through the glass. He immediately paused, slid off his headphones, and stepped out of the soundproof room.

"Hey, sis, you made it," he greeted her with a warm smile.

Mirabella acknowledged him with a nod. "All done with the recording?"

"Just about nailed the final take," Leo replied, picking up a set of headphones from the windowsill. "Wanna listen to the raw vocals? Get a feel for the track."

As he was placing the headphones over Mirabella's ears, Collins, who had already grabbed another pair, was ready to plug in and join the listening session. However, Leo swiftly snatched the headphones right out of Collins' hands.

Collins raised an eyebrow, baffled. "What's the big idea, Leo?"

Leo didn't bother with an explanation; instead, he nudged Collins toward the door and shut it with a firm clunk, nearly catching Collins' nose in the process.

"Seriously?" Collins muttered to himself, wondering what he'd done to deserve the cold shoulder.

Back inside, Leo adjusted the headphone volume to a comfortable level before re- entering the studio and closing the door behind him. He glanced nervously at his sister standing outside the glass, then put on the headphones himself.

Taking a deep breath, Leo hit play.

The backing track filled the room, sweeping him up into the melody. He didn't need to glance at lyrics or sheet music; the beat came naturally.

Mirabella, not exactly a music aficionado, was nonetheless captivated by the purity and soothing power of Leo's voice. It was no wonder he had such a following.

When the song ended, its echoes seemed to linger in the air.

Leo emerged from the music, stepping out of the studio to face Mirabella, his face painted with hopeful expectation. "So, what do you think?"

She removed the headphones and gave him a thumbs-up. "It's awesome, really immersive. When's the album dropping?"

A little embarrassed by the praise, Leo coughed lightly. "Around the holidays. We're planning a concert to launch the new songs."

Mirabella made a quick mental note of the timeline, which was fast approaching.

After Leo treated her to a few more tracks from his upcoming album, the siblings stepped out of the studio.

They were greeted by a tune playing in the living room, where Collins sat on the sofa, arms crossed and eyes half-closed, seemingly lost in the music.

Leo shot him a glance, scoffing at the performance.

He walked over and turned off the stereo, prompting Collins to open his eyes and glare at him. "I was listening to that."

Leo's refusal to share his new tracks was one thing, but now he couldn't even enjoy some old tunes?

"This is my house," Leo said flatly.

Collins shifted his position, leaning back against the sofa with one arm draped over it. He turned to Mirabella with a theatrical air of grievance. "Sis, don't you think our little prince here is being childish?"

Mirabella's lips twitched in amusement. Although she inwardly agreed with Collins, she maintained a serious front and shook her head. "Not at all."noveldrama

Collins could only stare in disbelief.

That wasn't the response he'd expected.

Leo chuckled. "You can leave now."

Collins pretended not to hear, instead pointing to a box on the coffee table. "Sis, these are all the old headshots Leo used to sign for fans. Over a hundred and twenty of them. Is that enough for you?"

"It should be," Mirabella nodded thoughtfully before turning to Leo. "How long will it take you to sign all these?"

Leo shrugged, a playful glint in his eyes. "Guess you'll just have to stick around and find out."