A False Heiress's Guide to Love and Power

Even so, Xander still beckoned him over.

Zachary hurried forward and offered his hand. Xander’s wrinkled fingers rested on Zachary’s wrist; after a moment, his expression grew grave.

“You’ve made it this far, young man–your family must’ve spent a small fortune on you. You’ve got a precious life.”

“We did spend quite a bit in the early years,” Zachary answered politely, the stiffness in his posture betraying his nerves.

Xander released his hand and called out, “Six.”

A boy of about fourteen or fifteen came running from the back room.

“What is it now, Master? If you’re looking for more snacks, I’m warning you–if Alessia finds out I bought them for you again, she’ll have my head…”

Six was still rambling when he suddenly came face–to–face with Alessia’s unimpressed, half–smiling gaze. He swallowed hard and turned awkwardly away.

A hand clamped down on his shoulder. With his back to Alessia, Six looked ready to burst into tears, but when he turned around, he’d already plastered on a sycophantic grin.

“Oh, look who’s here–the one and only, breathtakingly gorgeous Miss Alessia Tate! The fairest of them all, the radiant beauty who shames the moon and outshines the

stars.”

The sudden shift in tone made Zachary press his lips together to hide a laugh, while Alessia just rolled her eyes and reached out to pinch his ear.

I swear!” Six yelped so loudly that a stranger might’ve

wasn’t even pinching that

yelling and you’ll go deaf,” Alessia said, giving his head a

words, Six immediately dropped his act and

clearly used to the chaos. He gestured again, and Six straightened up, put on a respectful air, and hurried to his

“Six, get everything ready.”

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Chapter 23

responded crisply and set off to

in to help him. Joking around was one thing, but respect

in, then lowered his eyes, a fleeting look of

glanced back to see Zachary still

reverie, Zachary quickly masked his

to the courtyard, where Six was already waiting by a door. When he saw Xander, he stepped forward and

faint herbal aroma–not bitter, but soothing, almost refreshing. Zachary breathed it in,

at him but said

me your

tone was all business now, a far cry from earlier. Alessia and Six stood quietly on either side, their playfulness gone, replaced by a respectful