Chapter 57

Zach enthusiastically tapped Hansel's shoulder from behind. "When did you get here? Why didn't you tell us? We have a room upstairs. Come, join us for a drink!"

Hansel rubbed his temples. "I'm not drinking. You guys go ahead."

Zach was puzzled. Hansel had never missed these drinking parties before. Could he have made up with Miranda? That seemed likely; if they'd reconciled, he wouldn't be partying.

"Mr. Graham, what are you looking at? We're waiting for you," someone called from the nearby stairs.

Zach shook his head, dismissed the thought, and rejoined the group.

It was 10:00 p.m. when Hansel arrived at the mansion. Martha had tidied his bedroom and walk-in closet. All of Miranda's belongings had been neatly replaced.

Hansel went to the study. Bookshelves filled with biology books lined the walls from floor to ceiling. Although Miranda hadn't pursued her master's degree, she'd remained dedicated to her studies, often spending entire days reading in the study. All the books belonged to her. She'd often boasted about rare, out-of-print editions she'd acquired, and the meticulous effort she'd put into categorizing them. Her face had always lit up when she described her achievements.

Hansel stared intensely at the books, lost in thought. A sudden realization struck him, and he smirked.

He went downstairs and found Martha taking out the trash. "Let me borrow your phone."

Martha immediately became defensive. "Well, Mr. Johnson, you smashed my phone last time…"

"Didn't you buy a new one?"

Martha hesitated.

"Give it to me," he insisted.

"But I just bought it…" Martha was distressed at the thought of it being damaged again.

Hansel said, "I'll have someone send you two iPhone 16s later."

"Alright!" Martha happily handed over her phone.

Hansel dialed Miranda's number. Before she could speak, he said, "Since you wanted a clean break, please come and take away the trash you left in the study. You have one day to remove it. If it's not gone by tomorrow, I'll have it thrown away."

Miranda was momentarily surprised, but quickly realized he meant her books.

"Fine," she replied and hung up.

Hansel held the phone to his ear, pursed his lips, and listened to the silence.

Meanwhile, Miranda realized the books were too heavy to move alone. She called Winter. "Are you free tomorrow? I left some books at Hansel's. Can you drive me there to help me move them?"

Winter readily agreed. "Sure. You put so much effort into those books. Leaving them with that jerk would be a waste. I'll pick you up in the morning."

"Okay," Miranda replied.

Winter didn't show up. Instead, Paul arrived. He usually dressed scholarly in shirts and pants, but today he wore a simple white T-shirt and blue jeans. His soft black hair covered his forehead, making him look like a youthful college student.

"Why are you here? Where's Winter?" Miranda asked, surprised.

"She overslept and asked me to help instead," he replied.

Miranda was speechless. She suspected Winter had partied too hard the previous night. Still, any help was better than none. "Thank you for helping out," she said.