Chapter186 Is This Man... Flirting With Her?
The phone screen glowed bright in the dark room, stinging her eyes.
One minute passed, then three, then five. Not a sound.
Miranda gripped the phone tighter before finally letting her hand go limp.
她 tossed the phone onto the pillow and pulled the blanket over her face, forcing herself to close her eyes.
Just as she started to drift off, a sharp chime echoed in her ear.
Miranda snapped her eyes open. Her mind woke up faster than her body could react.
She grabbed the phone and swiped the screen.
It was Clifton.
The message was short: [Not busy. I have a mission tonight. I won't be back.]
Miranda stared at the words, her emotions a tangled mess.
It was the answer she expected, but seeing the words "won't be back" still brought a faint pang of disappointment.
She bit her lip and typed a single word: [Okay.]
Her thumb hovered over the send button. She hesitated for a second, and before she could press it, another message popped up.
Clifton: [In a bad mood?]
Those four simple words hit Miranda right where she was most vulnerable.
Her nose tingled and her eyes grew hot instantly.
She didn't expect that a single text could let this man, who was somewhere far away, sense her low spirits through a cold screen.
Miranda took a breath and deleted the cold "Okay."
She typed again: [I’m fine. Grandpa just told me to check on you more.]
After sending it, she bit her lower lip and stared at the screen.
On the other side of the city.
Inside a black police command vehicle, smoke filled the air.
Clifton leaned back in his chair with his long legs crossed. He had an unlit cigarette between his lips.
When he saw her reply, his cold expression softened slightly.
He took the cigarette out of his mouth and tapped the screen quickly. A faint, knowing smirk touched his lips.
Soon, Miranda received his reply.
[Only because Grandpa told you to? What about you?]
Miranda’s heart skipped a beat when she read that.
Her cheeks felt hot.
Was this man... flirting with her?
She held the phone, her fingertips brushing the screen as she struggled to think of a response.
After a long silence, she slowly typed three words: [Stay safe tonight.]
She hit send.
Then she pressed the phone against her chest and let out a long breath.
A second later, the phone vibrated again.
[I know. I won't get hurt. Get some rest.]
Looking at the text, the empty feeling in Miranda’s heart was miraculously filled.
This time, she replied with a simple [Okay], and he didn't write back.
The anxiety that had been weighing on her seemed to vanish with those few short messages.
Miranda placed the phone on the nightstand and closed her eyes.
This time, she fell into a deep sleep almost immediately.
The next morning.
The alarm woke Miranda up. Even though she had only slept a few hours, she felt much better than the night before.
She got ready and put on a sharp professional outfit. She was about to grab her car keys to head to the police station when her phone rang.
It was her brother’s number.
Miranda answered immediately.
On the other end, Christian’s voice sounded a bit raspy.
"Miranda."
Miranda pressed the phone to her ear, her voice trembling with disbelief. "Brother? Is that really you?"
"It’s me." Christian sounded tired, but there was a sense of relief in his voice. "I’m out."
"Really? Where are you? I’ll come pick you up right now!" Miranda was so excited she almost dropped her phone.
"Don't come to the station. I’ve already left." Christian paused and gave her an address. "Let’s meet and talk."
"Okay, I’m on my way!"
After hanging up, Miranda floored the gas pedal all the way to the cafe.
She pushed open the door, making the wind chimes ring.
Miranda spotted Christian sitting in a corner immediately.
His suit was wrinkled and he had stubble on his chin. He looked a bit rough, but his eyes were clear.
"Brother!"
Miranda rushed over and sat across from him. She looked him up and down, her eyes turning red. "Did they hurt you? Is everything cleared up?"
Seeing his sister's worry, Christian gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, I'm fine. I just cooperated with the investigation. It wasn't that bad."
He took a sip of black coffee and his expression turned serious.
"The truth is out. I’m innocent."
"So fast?" Miranda was surprised.
She knew her brother was innocent, but financial crimes involved a lot of paperwork and evidence. How could they release him after just one night?
Christian nodded and lowered his voice. "Yeah. I expected the investigation to take at least two weeks, maybe longer. After all, the old man set this up. He would have made the evidence look solid."
"But early this morning, the captain in charge came in. He said new evidence was submitted proving it was a false accusation. He just had me sign some papers and let me go."
Christian looked deeply at Miranda. "Miranda, when I was leaving, the captain mentioned that someone higher up made a call. They wanted the case handled quickly."
"Was it Clifton?"
Miranda froze.
Clifton?
She didn't think so. She hadn't even mentioned this to him.
"I'll ask him later," Miranda said, smiling at her brother.
Christian was almost certain it was Clifton.
Aside from a Prescott, he couldn't think of anyone else who could shut down Dominic.
Their father wanted to force Miranda into signing that damn settlement. He would have bribed everyone at the station to keep Christian locked up forever just to threaten her.
If someone of Clifton’s status hadn't stepped in, the police wouldn't have closed the case this quickly.
"Whatever the reason, I'm glad you're out."
Miranda took a deep breath, not wanting to dwell on it.
Her eyes turned cold as she changed the subject. "Now that you're out, the rest will be easy."
She thought about Ariana, who was still trending on social media. A cold smirk appeared on her face. "The news about Ariana hiring a hitman hasn't died down yet."
"I'm going to add some fuel to that fire."
"This time, I’m making sure she stays in prison for good."
...
Meanwhile.
In another part of the luxury district.
This was a very private villa. Aside from the cleaning staff, almost no one came here.
In the living room.
Dominic was tugging at his tie, looking annoyed at the woman in front of him.
The woman didn't seem to notice his bad mood.
"Dominic, don't be angry. It’s bad for your health."
She wore a silk slip dress. Her skin was smooth and well-maintained. She looked to be in her early thirties, with a natural, seductive charm.
This was Evelyn Dalton, Ariana’s biological mother and the younger sister of Arabella.