Revenge is Best Served… After Reborn

At home and school, if she wasn't in class, she was training. She barely had a moment to spare for games. And honestly, she wasn't even hooked on them. The shooting games her classmates raved about couldn't hold a candle to the real-life adventures she had at home.

"Uh... I play, I play..." She fumbled. Oh, great!

What was that game Betty and the rest were always on about? "League of Legends? Call of Duty? Or maybe Fortnite?"

"Yes, yes! Those are the ones! I'm all over them!"

"Open your phone, let me see," James said, handing his phone to Fiona.

Staring at the lock screen, Fiona felt a wave of dread wash over her. She'd been told not to use this phone unless absolutely necessary. It was too precious to her to risk downloading games.

"Fiona, you're not fooling anyone," James said, seeing right through her fib.

"Godfather..."

"Where did you get it?"

"...I bought it."

Fiona's refusal to confess led to an awkward silence in the living room. She hung her head, steeling herself for a scolding from James. But it never came. Instead, James spoke softly, "If the person who gave you the phone wants it to be a secret, keep it that way. Don't let your parents know."

He tapped the phone's screen and added, "If anyone asks, just say I gave it to you. Got it?"

Fiona glanced up, surprised by his unexpected support. "Do you understand or not?"

"Yes... I understand," she replied.

Satisfied with her response, James left the Costello home. Fiona looked down at the phone, wondering if her godfather was aware of something deepen Or maybe he was just as in the dark. Why was everyone keeping secrets from her mom?

Evening rolled around, and Odie showed up. Thanks to Fiona, Odie moved around the Costello place like it was his second home. After washing up, he sat across from

Fiona at the dinner table and

"Fiona, have you been sneaking out of school again lately?"

The mention of skipping school made Fiona shoot him a look full of silent complaint.

Odie, oblivious to the latest events, whispered, "Don't worry, if your parents ask, I'll cover for you."

Cover for me? Yeah, right. More like throw me under the bus!

Fiona grumbled internally. She used to think Odie was a fearless force in Summerfield, bold and impressive But now she realized he was just a paper tiger, all show in front of others but timid when it came to her parents. noveldrama

Won

"What nonsense are you teaching my daughter now?" Sophie and Colby sat down on either side of Fiona.

Colby remarked calmly, "He must be tutoring her on how to skip school without getting caught."

"Colby, you're so hard on me. Fiona calls me dad too, you know? She's already so talented. High school is a breeze for her. Going to school every day is just like clocking in a total waste of time."