A False Heiress's Guide to Love and Power

“Th–three.” Zachary stammered, caught off guard by the question.

As soon as the words left his mouth, the bus rolled to a stop, letting in a fresh

crowd of pasengers. The momentary hush inside the bus vanished, replaced by the familiar clamor of chatter and shuffling feet.

“Did I hear that right? Did that girl just call Zachary her brother?”

“Her real brother? I thought his sister was Ileana?”

“Oh, wait–I remember now. Shirley said Ileana’s family took her back. Apparently her biological parents are loaded, so she won’t be at our school this semester. She’s transferring across the street to Aristocrat Academy.”

“What? Real–life princess vibes! How lucky can one person get? She already had three handsome brothers–everyone was jealous enough about that. I figured she’d be down on her luck after her family went bankrupt, but now, surprise, she’s a rich heiress again?”

“Comparing yourself to others just makes you miserable.”

“So… that means the heiress we knew was a fake?”

wild. Suddenly, this school day doesn’t seem so

bankrupt? How do they still have money to send her to

don’t get. She’d rather die than comé to a regular school like ours. Gotta keep up appearances, even if it kills

argue, but Alessia gently pressed his hand, stopping him.

wed it

up stuck in a mess trying to prove yourself. Whether you win or lose, they don’t care about the truth. That’s

only made Zachary’s heart ache. It was as if, after hearing too many rumors, she could finally see through it all. She didn’t feel the need to defend herself anymore, just watched everyone invent

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Chapter 47

making it almost painful

were here, she would have dragged him

in the aisle.

that he thought that was wrong. But in this moment, Zachary finally understood what it meant to say, “Those who are loved can afford to be fearless.” No matter how much trouble Ileana caused, they would always stand by her side, ready

his lips together, and neither of them spoke again until