A False Heiress's Guide to Love and Power

Alessia Tate being allowed to live here honestly surprised her a bit.

Still, luck seemed to be on her side. She’d only been sitting nearby for about fifteen minutes when the person she was waiting for finally appeared. Amidst the stream of cars coming and going, Alessia was the only one who walked out the front gate with nothing but a backpack slung over her shoulder.

The security guard clearly knew her. He greeted her with a warm smile–a stark contrast to the way he’d looked at Ileana earlier. Alessia smiled back, polite as ever, and returned the greeting. The guard called her over, rummaged in his pocket for a couple of lollipops, and handed them to her, saying they were meant for his grandson, but if she didn’t mind, she could have them.

Alessia thanked him with a grin, slipped one into her bag, unwrapped the other, and popped it into her mouth.

She waved goodbye and headed off down the hill, her backpack bouncing lightly on her back.

From her hiding spot in the bushes, Ileana had seen Alessia the moment she appeared. Watching the guard’s friendly manner and Alessia’s face–which was even prettier than in the photos–Ileana bit her lip, annoyance flaring inside her. She waited until Alessia was a good distance away before slipping out of the bushes, sticking her tongue out at the guard, and running off.

an hour to walk down to the bottom–never mind two twelve–year–old girls. Ileana was gasping for breath, her legs aching, while Alessia seemed perfectly fine, her

so many kids in the family, hiring a separate driver for

not to think they were just putting on airs,

in huge breaths

again.

kept walking, relentless as ever. Ileana was sure she’d welked more today than in the past year combined.

the hospital had made that mistake–otherwise, Alessia’s life would’ve been hers, and she

that didn’t even have a sign out front. Ileana wrinkled

it to the entrance before someone stopped