Chapter 18

Mr. Piranha came back to the spot where Mira might be but was confused to find her missing. In one hand, he had a pink lemonade while the other was a blue one. Scanning the crowd at top speed without spilling his drinks, there was no sign of her.

A part of him wondered if she stood him up. What if she had left because Shark had a better idea? Does he need to teach that big hunk of tuna a lesson? Mira likes him more, right?! However, he stopped himself from having those dark thoughts. 'Mira would never do that! Even if she is shy and not the party type,' he thought to himself.

Placing the glasses on a nearby table, he tried to call her number since she does carry her phone everywhere despite having it on silent...on silent...

He smacked his forehead out of frustration. How was he so stupid?!

New target: find the phone! Next objective afterwards: ask Mira if everything is alright. His anger was slowly dissipating as logic was starting to turn the cogs in his brain. For a moment, his mind was as clear as the Amazon river.

At a quicksilver speed, he found a plain phone with a pearly white cover that was beside the road. Picking it up, he found his missed calls on the screen. His expression changed from worried to anger, knowing who could have kidnapped Mira.

He may not have Mr. Wolf's strong sense of smell but he could smell the faint scent of Mira's perfume. She didn't leave him after all! In fact, she was kidnapped and whoever took her must be an idiot to leave her phone out in the open unless...

"I gotta get this to Webs!"

...

Her breathing was ragged after the gagged was removed from her mouth. She wanted to call out to Mr. Piranha but a part of her was afraid her grandfather might get suspicious. Her blindfold was lifted up. Blinking, she took in her surroundings to find out that she was back in her old room.

In front of her was her mother with her arms crossed, sitting on the edge of her bed. Now, Mira had done her best to be on her good side for the sake's of her siblings but now her expression was soured. It was as though someone had poisoned her drink.

"Mama..." Mira began quietly. Her mother raised her hand to silenced her as she got up to approach her. Although she was short, her figure loomed over her tied up state. She detected a faint scent of fresh laundry and garlic off her mother.

"I don't know where to begin," her mother lets out a frustrated sigh. "First off, you lied to me about doing a 'research project'. Second, I thought I raised you better than to be a slut."

Mira covered her mouth, horrified by what her own mother just spat out. "W-what?"

Just then, her grandfather came into the room with a clear folder in hand. He was unnervingly jovial when he approached her mother, who opened it like a forensic scientist. Mira's eyes widened when she threw different photographs on the bed.

Photographs of her...

Mr. Shark and Mr. Piranha...all of the times she was hanging out with the both of them.

Why? How? When? Who took the photos?!

Her grandfather sat beside her, making her skin crawl when he laid a wrinkled hand on her shoulder. "A shame, Mira," he tutted as he shook his head in disapproval. "To think a pure little mouse like you would spread yourself open like some Red Light worker without any dignity. Why do you wound us so much?"

Mira stayed quiet, her eyes darting from her mother to her grandfather and then the photos. Wriggling within her binds, her heart was beating fast when she realised that she had lost her phone. All of her documents for university and contact with the former Bad Guys were there.

Without hesitation, her mother pinched her hip while Mira does her best to back away. Her grandfather however locked an arm around her shoulder. "We are not mad at you, my dear. Just tell us the truth on why you lied to us and decided to hang around a bunch of criminals."

"And you've put on a lot of weight," her mother added, still squeezing her hip. "How would you get married if you can't even fit in a wedding dress? No man wants to see a fat pig for a bride. Who were you really with, Mira? Don't tell me it's her."

Still shocked and silent from the whole ordeal, she allowed her mother to fill in the gaps of her hanging questions. Her brain was trying to figure out where was her phone and who took all of those photos in the first place.

"What do you mean, love?" her grandfather asked, confused on his daughter's sudden accusation.

"Dad, it is true!" her mother's shrill voice echoed the room. Mira recoiled with a whimper when she paced across the room like an agitated predator. "She's been hanging out with that whore all this time! I was right to disown her before she could corrupt any more of my children!"

Mira only sighed, hanging her head low. How could her mother disregard Rani so easily when her sister was nothing but kind, resilient and even found love despite everything thrown at her? It was something she never got the change to be until she reconnected with her via the Bad Guys.

While she disassociated herself from her mother's rambling, she reflected on her time with Mr. Shark and Mr. Piranha. One big and chill while the other fiery yet excited about everything. It was a hard pick because she felt comfortable with the both of them.

Deep down, she knew she had to choose one.

"...Mira, weren't you even listening?" her mother's sharp tone brought her back into reality. Again, she had a disapproving gaze. Her grandfather was...she tried her best to not look at his leering eyes.

"Sorry Mama," she whispered demurely. "It...it won't happen again..."

Her mother's gaze softened as she began to brush a few strands of her short hair. "Good girl. It's very rude to refuse help when people are giving it to you. Now, your grandfather and I have been thinking about dinner tomorrow night as a family. Besides, we found a match that suits your needs and will bring us beautiful grandkids."

Mira's eyes narrowed at her mother's direction. "D-does Papa know?" she asked in a hushed tone. Her mother's expression change from chuffed to chagrined. "Your father is the most useless man I have ever met. My parents said that the arrangement was for my own good and look what I made. Even if I HAVE to do most of the work for all of you to be born..."

Trying not to cry from all of this, she internally prayed that Mr. Piranha finds her before it's too late. Or Mr. Shark, Rani and the rest of the former Bad Guys.

"Besides," her grandfather's voice caused her to recoil. "It's at a Chinese restaurant and everything has been arranged to our liking. Shark fin soup, dim sum, roast duck, braised tofu and steamed catfish. You do eat shark fin, my dear?"

She shook her head. How dared they order that when sharks were her favourite marine animals and part of her research papers? Most of all, there was a shark in particular that stirred warmth in her heart...

But her grandfather untied her hands but kept his on in case she tries to escape again. Her mother leaned over to her face.

"We can't cancel the orders and I'm not making this family to be a fool. Your sister caused that and look at her now: marrying that snake and god forbid, have his children."

'Piranha, I'm so sorry,' she thought to herself silently as her mother and grandfather fretted over what she needed to wear.

...

Back at the gang's hideout, the rest of the gang were horrified at Mr. Piranha's story. Especially Mr. Shark and Rani. She and Ms. Tarantula were trying to locate Mira via her phone while the rest of the gang tried to calm the angry fish down. Mr. Wolf kneeled down to place a paw on his friend's shoulder. "Piranha, you need to calm down."

"Calm down? Calm down?! If I hadn't taken my eyes off her, she wouldn't be kidnapped!" he yelled, almost causing a small dent to the floor. He was about to spew out a few unforgivable curses when Mr. Shark picked him up.

"Fin bro, listen to me," he began. "I'm worried about Mira. Hell, all of us are! I know you are mad but it's not your fault. Mira was enjoying herself that night?"

He reluctantly nodded. "Yeah...she was and there's her smile..."

"Uh-huh, and you didn't force her to do anything, right?"

Mr. Piranha pondered for a bit. "Um...no, at least I think so." He could feel his angry subsiding and his mind was staring to clear up again. Was this some kind of voodoo trick?

"Heh, leave it to Shark to be the peacemaker," Mr. Snake chuckled. "Hey, I think the girls have found something. Let's take a look."

The four guys approached them but were concerned with Rani and Ms. Tarantula's grim expressions. Mira's phone was on speaker and the voice that came out made them boiled. Especially Mr. Snake in particular:

"...grandfather and I have been thinking about dinner tomorrow night as a family. Besides, we found a match that suits your needs and will bring us beautiful grandkids."

The room went quiet, saved it for Mr. Piranha's sudden breathing and Mr. Shark's eyes turning black.

Mira sure takes a whole new meaning of "sleeping with the fishes" XD