Chapter 98

"Miranda! Over here!" As soon as Miranda stepped out of the car, she heard a voice. Samuel and Cynthia turned in that direction and saw a poised middle-aged woman approaching. She was wearing light makeup, with a fluffy poodle nestled in her arms. Miranda quickly walked over. "Sorry, Mrs. Aster. Traffic was a mess, so I'm a bit late." "Not at all, not at all. This place is hard to find. Ruby, say hi." The woman, Fiona Arison, waved her poodle's paw politely. Miranda chuckled and gave the dog a friendly pat. Satisfied, Fiona passed the dog to her assistant, then looped her arm around Miranda's. She led her inside while chatting warmly. Samuel watched Miranda's polite, reserved smile and understood—this familiarity was one-sided. "What's going on?" He turned to Cynthia. Cynthia shook her head. "No idea. The pitching starts in two hours, and I have no clue what Rita's planning." Fiona led Miranda down the hallway as she said, "The thing you asked me to look into yesterday? It'