Founder 19

apter 19 

Miranda turned around. 

It was Fiona, 

She asked politely, “Is there something you need, Fiona?” 

Fiona’s eyes locked onto hers. “Miranda, this research project is extremely important to me, Coco, Adrian, and Victor. Whether the four of us can graduate with our master’s degrees depends on it” 

Miranda nodded. “I understand.” 

“That’s why every team member matters. To be blunt, everyone selected for this project has a strong professional background. You didn’t even graduate from college. Are you sure you belong here? I don’t mean to offend you. I just think you should be aware.” 

“I understand your concerns, but I won’t drag the team down,” Miranda replied calmly. 

“If you insist on staying on the team,” Fiona continued, “then I hope you’ll stay out of the more critical experiments. You simply don’t have the technical background, and if you mess something up, it won’t just embarrass you. It’ll reflect badly on all of us, especially Dr. Lewis.” 

Miranda froze for a second. 

“Of course, you could always back out now. I heard you’re married. Maybe you’d be better off staying home and taking care of your family. This field just isn’t right for someone like you.” 

With that, Fiona turned and walked away, her tone smug and dismissive. 

Miranda stood there for a moment before silently heading toward her car. 

She went home first, then left around 4 p.m. to pick up Mia. She was planning to take her to the grocery store afterward to pick up some household essentials. 

But as Miranda pulled out of the residential area, she saw a “Road Closed” sign up ahead. A work crew was repairing a burst water pipe. With no other option, she had to take a detour. 

By the time she arrived at Mia’s school, it was already 4:45 p.m. She hurried inside. When Mia’s homeroom teacher saw her, she looked surprised. 

“Mrs. Gibson, Mia has already been picked up. You didn’t know?” 

Miranda’s expression shifted. “Who picked her up?” 

“It was your daughter’s aunt. Miss Spencer.” 

Miranda’s expression immediately darkened. She couldn’t believe Felix had allowed Xena to pick up their daughter.* 

She drew in a breath and said firmly, “Miss Spencer is not my daughter’s aunt. From now on, unless it’s me or my husband picking her up in person, please do not release my daughter to anyone else. Thank you.” 

Without waiting for a reply, she turned and walked out. 

The teacher stood there for a moment, stunned. “She’s not the aunt?” she thought. But she had seen Miss Spencer show up with Mr. Gibson more than once. 

Back in her car, Miranda immediately dialed Felix. 

“Hello?” he answered right away. 

Chapter 19 

+25 BONUS 

“Give me Xena’s address,” Miranda demanded. “I’m going to get Mia.” 

“She’s not at Xena’s place,” Felix said. “She’s at my mom’s house” 

Miranda took a slow, deep breath. “If you wanted to bring Mia to your mom’s, I should have been the one to take her. What gave you the right to let Xena pick her up?” 

There was a pause on the other end before Felix replied, “Sienna picked her up.” 

Miranda’s breath caught in her throat as she realized it was Sienna who had picked up Mia, with Xena tagging along. 

“I see,” she said coldly, then hung up the phone. 

When Miranda returned home, Mrs. Young stepped forward. 

“Mr. Gibson called earlier. He said he’s having dinner at the Gibson estate tonight.” 

“I don’t really have an appetite,” Miranda replied. “Could you just make me a simple bowl of chicken broth with noodles?” 

“Yes, ma’am,” Mrs. Young said quickly. 

Now that Mia was at the Gibson estate, there was little Miranda could do. But the thought of Xena being there with her daughter made her increasingly uneasy. 

At 8 p.m., Miranda dialed Felix’s number. 

“Hello?” 

“When are you bringing Mia home? She has school tomorrow, and I want to get her to bed early.” 

“I already called in for her. She doesn’t have to go tomorrow.” 

Miranda pressed her fingers to her aching temple. “Felix, why didn’t you talk to me before making that decision? You should’ve at least asked.” 

“She’s off for winter break next week. I figured it didn’t matter,” he replied casually, then hung up. 

Miranda exhaled slowly. The frustration inside her kept building, and the thought of divorce was growing stronger than ever. 

A thought struck her. She pulled out her phone to find the private investigator’s number that Sophie had given her. 

She called immediately. 

“Hello? Who’s this?” a man’s voice answered. He sounded middle–aged. 

“Hi. I’d like to hire you to follow someone.” 

Hearing a potential client, the man’s tone warmed. “Sure. Let’s meet in person to discuss the details.” 

Miranda wasn’t willing to wait any longer. She was determined to win the custody battle and fight for her daughter. To do that, she needed more evidence. 

The next morning, at a quiet cafe, Miranda sat across from a man dressed in full disguise–hat, mask, and sunglasses. She wore sunglasses too, keeping a low profile. 

After some back–and–forth, the man finally let down his guard and removed his mask and glasses, revealing a sharp–featured, alert face. He explained that he used to work as a paparazzo, but later transitioned into private investigation. 

“We’ve talked this long, but you still haven’t told me who you want me to investigate,” he said, watching her closely. 

“My husband,” Miranda replied. 

2/3 

Chapter 19 

“You want me to get photos of him having an affair, right?” 

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