The air was still thick with the lingering scent of the night's storm. Rainwater dripped from leaves and gutters, pooling in patches across the sidewalks. Inside Dahlia's small townhouse, the silence stretched like a deserted yard.
Mira stood by the window, staring out at the empty street, calculating her next move in sharp, quiet thought. Raquel was still on the couch, half-asleep beneath the quilt, her puffy eyes and groggy face a testament to her poor night's sleep. Liam hadn't returned to the room since he slammed the bathroom door last night.
Mira didn't look away from the window as she spoke.
"We're leaving."
Raquel stirred, her voice barely above a rasp. "Where?"
"My place."
Raquel blinked. "Your place? How? You said—"
"I know what I said," Mira cut her off. "There's got to be a change of plans if we're going to move forward."
Liam appeared in the hallway doorway, arms crossed, eyes bloodshot, jaw clenched like he'd been grinding it all night. "Your house? You mean the mansion with one thousand cameras and your father's lawyer friends lurking in every corner?"
"He's not home," Mira said, brushing her hair back with her fingers. "He left for Geneva three days ago. Took his girlfriend, naturally. Left the house to me. And there's no lawyer friend to monitor our movements."
Liam scoffed. "How convenient. When is he flying back? I have no intention of answering any questions from him."
Mira finally turned to face him. "Bold of you to think my dad would want to have any conversation whatsoever with you. He wouldn't even spare you two glances.
"Look, it's either my place or we freeze here once Dahlia kicks us out. You want to risk sleeping in the street or moving from motel to motel? Or are you missing Brookside High already? You're free to go back if you wish."
Raquel wrapped the quilt tighter around herself and hesitated. "I just… I thought we'd stay low. Your house is the exact opposite of that. Imagine the school calls home to ask about you."
"We don't have a choice. If they do call, I can handle that," Mira said, her voice calm, but each word clipped like a blade. "One thing I know? I'm not sleeping another night on this couch. And Liam?" She locked eyes with him. "Unless you want to go back and face the board for what you did—"
"Shut up," Liam muttered, turning to grab his backpack from beside the coat rack.
"I thought so," Mira said quietly. "Pack your stuff. We leave in twenty."
---
The sky was still heavy and gray as they piled into Dahlia's car. She didn't say a word during the drive, she just dropped them at a half-abandoned bus station on the outskirts of town, rolled down the window, and said, "Mira, as usual, your dad won't hear a word of this. But don't call me again, at least till after a while."
The door slammed, and the car vanished down the road like she was trying to erase them from her life before the taillights disappeared.
Mira stood stiffly, the mist clinging to her hair. "Remind me to never owe Dahlia anything again."
Raquel shifted her backpack higher on her shoulder. "She took a risk. She kept us hidden for the night."
"Like she is supposed to. I pay her enough to not talk to me like that"
"And that's your thank you for her generosity?" Liam muttered.
"Shut up," she retorted. "Driver's five minutes out."
They waited in silence until a navy-blue SUV pulled up. Mira slid into the front seat and gave the driver the address. He blinked twice when he heard it, then nodded slowly and tapped it into his GPS.
The city grew denser around them as they left the outskirts.
As the driver took a long bend through an industrial stretch, a black car two lanes behind changed lanes, twice.
Raquel noticed it first.
"That black Audi," she murmured. "It's been behind us since we left the station."
Liam sat up straighter. "Which one?"
"That one. With the dented plate."
"I see it," Mira said, glancing at the side mirror. She leaned forward. "Sir, can you take the next left? And make it fast."
The driver looked uneasy. "Miss, I—"
"Next left."
He obeyed. They cut through an alley beside a row of stores. The Audi followed immediately.
Raquel's voice was tight. "Why would anyone be following us?"
"I don't know yet," Mira said. "But I'm not waiting to find out."
The SUV burst back onto a wider road, and Mira pointed. "Next right. Then go through the tunnel."
It took them another twenty minutes, zigzagging through the city, but by the time they reached the mansion gates, the black Audi was gone.
"Was it just a paranoid coincidence?" Raquel asked as the iron gates slowly parted.
"No," Mira said, her jaw tight. "That was intentional. I'll have my private investigator look into it."
---
The house loomed like a museum behind the sleek iron gates. A tall, charcoal-gray fence circled the property, gleaming in the mist. Beyond it stood the Koker estate, glass and white stone, like someone had carved it out of a fantasy movie.
Liam gave a low whistle. "So this is where you come to school from every session?"
Mira ignored him.
Inside, the open space was wide and eerily still. Opening the front door with her remote, Mira stepped in without hesitation. Raquel paused, carefully wiping her shoes on the mat.
"Wow," she whispered. "These are such beautiful art pieces."
The marble walls were lined with abstract oil paintings. A steel staircase curved upward like a spiral shell. There was no sign of life, not a housekeeper, not a boy servant, not even the family dog Mira wouldn't stop talking about.
"He really left you alone here?" Liam asked, slowly spinning as he took in the beauty of the mansion.
Mira nodded. "He trusts me to keep the house in order. Besides, I'm his only child."
"Must be nice," Liam muttered, tossing his bag onto a velvet stool.
"You don't even want to know how cold this place gets at night," Mira said. "It could be really lonely at times. That's why I switched from being a day student to staying in the dorms."
They had barely dropped their bags before Mira was striding toward the home office. Her footsteps echoed across the stone floor. She didn't ask them to follow, but they did.
The office was colder still. All steel and glass. A massive desk sat in front of a floor-to-ceiling window. Mira sat behind it and powered up the desktop computer.
A few clicks, and she was in the system.
She typed:
"Mira Koker requesting temporary release of funds for personal use. One million dollars. To be transferred to my personal account today."
Raquel choked. "One million?"
Liam raised a brow. "What are you planning to do? Buy Florida?"
"I don't need your useless input," Mira snapped without looking at them.
The screen blinked, and then came the reply:
TAMARA SHAW (Executive Secretary): Good morning, Mira. That's a considerable amount. I'll need your father's written or verbal authorization for this. As per company and family policy.
Mira's jaw flexed. She picked up the phone beside the desktop and dialed.
"Tamara? It's Mira."
A pause.
"Yes, I understand, but he's in Geneva. His phone's off. This is time-sensitive. I'm not asking for two-point-five billion. It's one million. From the fund marked 'miscellaneous contingency.' He approved it last month."
Tamara hesitated. "I'll try to reach him again, Mira. But without approval, my hands are tied."
Mira leaned back in the chair. "Tamara. Let me remind you. You are on our payroll. My father trusts me to make financial decisions in his absence. This house? I'm in charge. The staff reports to me. The legal team copies me in everything. And you? You sign the damn checks when you're told. That is your job."
A sharp silence.
Mira's voice dropped, silk and steel. "If you delay this too long, I'll tell him you've been obstructive. Or maybe inefficient. That you couldn't execute a simple wire transfer. Because maybe you're tired of this job already."
Tamara's breath hitched. "Mira…"
"I won't ask again."
There was a long pause. Then, "I'll process it within the hour. You'll receive confirmation."
Mira hung up.
She walked over to the mini-fridge, pulled out a bottle of sparkling water, and took a long sip.
Raquel looked at her like she was staring at a stranger. "That was… something."
"I told you," Mira said. "My dad's too busy to care what I do. As long as the public sees us smiling in a Christmas photo once a year, he sleeps well."
Liam crossed his arms. "And the money? What now?"
Mira smiled faintly. "Now we proceed with what's next on the list. Clean up and disappear."
Raquel looked down. "Mira, we can't buy our way out of this."
Mira tilted her head, eyes cold. "I know your unexposed, feeble brain can't process it, but you'd be surprised what money can do for you. Just have the right amount."
Just then, the screen pinged.
TAMARA SHAW: Funds transferred. Please check your account for confirmation.
Mira tapped twice. The bank portal opened.
Current balance: $1,024,571.93
She turned the screen so they could see it.
"Welcome to Plan B," she said softly.