A False Heiress's Guide to Love and Power

She was quietly sobbing, the picture of someone who’d just suffered the world’s greatest injustice. In any ordinary family, everyone would be fussing over her, trying to soothe her hurt feelings, desperate to make up for all the years she’d

supposedly missed out on.

But this was the Tate family.

The Tates‘ faces were utterly unmoved as Ileana Morton put on her little one–woman show. Not a flicker of sympathy, not a word of comfort.

After seventeen years living among the Tates, Alessia’s temperament had inevitably picked up some of their coldness. Watching Ileana’s delicate, pitiful act, Alessia found her interest fading fast. In fact, after a long journey, the faint sound of those sniffles was starting to get on her nerves.

“Dad. Mom.” Alessia withdrew her gaze.

“Sit down,” Scott Tate said. Alessia obeyed, slipping into a chair just as Mae appeared with a tray, setting down a cup of tea in front of her.

Alessia took a delicate sip. The fragrance of black tea bloomed on her tongue, soothing her nerves and smoothing some of the tension from her shoulders.

“This must be… my sister, right?” Ileana finally dropped the act when no one paid her any attention. In an instant, she switched tactics: shoulders slumping, lashes fluttering with wounded innocence. She was quick to play the underdog, eyes wide and mournful, a posture designed to elicit sympathy, to make others want to stand up for her.

Unfortunately, her performance was so painfully obvious that none of the three Tates responded.

air in the room

As she set her cup down, she glanced at

raised brow.

was strikingly elegant and beautiful, Ileana had inherited Yvonne Sullivan’s softer features. She was attractive in her own right, but

eyes was impossible to miss. Alessia’s lips curled in a faint, knowing smile. She had a decent sense of Ileana’s personality already–just as the background reports had suggested. Hopefully, she’d

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with the Tate

parents.” Scott slid a folder across

warmth, no pretense. They valued time, because time

through the pages with unhurried grace. From the moment she’d entered the house, everything about her spoke of poise. After all, she’d been raised by the

Alessia

for me now, she thought, but

out a long breath. “Well, looks

already considering her next move, but Ileana, watching her, misunderstood the sigh–assuming Alessia was overwhelmed with sadness about her future. Ileana lowered her head, hiding the smile tugging at her lips. When she looked up again, her eyes

adoptive parents aren’t well–off. Please don’t be

didn’t bother to put on a show for the Tates–she didn’t care, and