A False Heiress's Guide to Love and Power

“Did you guys see that video?”

“Oh my god, yes! I always thought she seemed so sweet–turns out, when she starts swearing, she really goes for it.”

“And that ‘welcome dinner‘ her family threw? What a joke that turned out to be.

“Did you catch her parents‘ faces last night? I swear, they looked absolutely mortified.”

“Honestly, judging by how her family acted, she’s not nearly as spoiled as she lets

on.”

“You think she’s just been faking it this whole time?”

“Unbelievable! Is she really that shameless?”

“Hey, hey, that’s enough!”

“Why can’t we talk abou-” The words died in the air. Ileana was standing in the doorway, knuckles white on her backpack straps.

The two girls who’d been gossiping rubbed their noses awkwardly and drifted apart, while everyone else suddenly found something fascinating in their textbooks.

hallway, her expression coolly indifferent. She walked right past Ileana without so much as a glance, making it

“Happy now, Alessia?”

out behind her, sharp and brittle, but Alessia couldn’t help finding it almost funny. She turned, meeting Ileana’s

you do anything that should make

my family dinner, you must be

a short laugh, though there wasn’t

you, you’re dragging me into it? Seriously, Ileana, is your logic always this twisted? Should I recommend

words. Instinctively, she raised her

picking someone at random to take your anger out on?” Alessia’s grip tightened for a moment before she let

looks the others were giving her–some shocked, some scornful, some just blankly

over.

so much humiliation as she had these past two days. Biting back tears, she spun

detachment. Only after Ileana had disappeared did she finally head for her seat. Dumping her backpack

out at the family dinner yesterday when

“And?”

poor thing. Honestly, it was pretty disturbing. Plus,

princess‘ image totally fell apart,” someone else