A False Heiress's Guide to Love and Power

Chapter 5

Both of them were clearly flustered–almost as if their brains had

short–circuited but they still hurried to invite Alessia inside. They set a glass of warm water in front of her; though they were the hosts, they seemed oddly out of place in their own home.

“Aren’t you heading out?” Alessia asked.

“I called work and asked for the day off,” Zachary replied quietly, answering her question without hesitation.

“You’re not picking up your prescription today?”

“I can go tomorrow. It’s not urgent.”

Alessia nodded slightly, and the three of them fell silent.

“Don’t you have anything you want to ask?” Noticing Karen fidgeting nervously with her hands, Alessia was the first to break the awkward quiet.

“I spoke to Dad and the others. They’re on their way back,” Karen said softly.

you eaten yet?” Karen wiped her hands on her apron, her face a mixture of unease and embarrassment. “We don’t have much in the fridge, but if you tell me what you like, I’ll go out and get

up her glass and taking a sip of water. As she did, she

paint on the walls was peeling and stained in places, but it was clear

pulled Alessia from her thoughts. She and the others all turned to look as the front door opened. The first to enter was a middle–aged man in a suit, his sharp features framed by a furrowed brow–he couldn’t

came a man about Zachary’s height, his demeanor calm and

Zachary, though his eyes were sharper and

newcomers lined up by the door, making the already–cramped living room feel even smaller. At some point, Zachary had come out

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his head down, lips pressed tightly together,

can do a DNA test.” Truthfully, there was no need; anyone could tell at a glance that she belonged to

situation. I’m your father, Brendan Morton,”

touching family reunion, but it felt more like a

in jeans said,

my twin–your third brother, Liam Morton. And that’s the youngest, Ivan Morton.” Zachary Morton introduced everyone in turn, pointing to the little boy still