A False Heiress's Guide to Love and Power

Chapter 232

Once school let out each day, Jade would always greet her with, “You did great today,” wrapping Alessia in a warm, loving hug. And Jade–always Jade–would add a soft kiss to Alessia’s forehead, a gesture so constant that, in time, Alessia grew used to that kind of closeness, but only from Jade.

Things had changed, not just in relationships but in Alessia’s whole world. Ever since the Whitleys moved into the neighborhood, her days had grown fuller, richer, and even her once–reserved nature began to shift in ways no one could quite put a finger on.

She found herself invited to the Whitleys‘ table for dinners more and more often. Sometimes, she even spent the night at their house, where everything felt welcoming and alive.

Parrish, ever the understated caretaker, kept his words measured but let his actions speak for him. Quietly, he cleared out a spare room just for her, drew up plans, started the renovations, and then–subtle as ever–fished for Alessia’s praise, hoping she’d notice the effort.

With Parrish and Jade and the other adults, Alessia was the picture of polite, well–mannered childhood. But around Cole, her boundaries relaxed–she let herself play harmless pranks, her laughter ringing out in a way it never did at home.

Maybe it was because Cole had grown up enveloped in such obvious love and security that he never minded. Even when Alessia’s tricks were obvious, he’d walk right into them, grinning at her with a lopsided, goofy smile. When Parrish finished her room, Cole dragged his dad out to win a mountain of stuffed animals for her, arranging them along her new bed with the pride of a little brother.

an exaggeration to say the Whitleys felt more like family to Alessia than her own parents ever had. Their house, bustling and warm, became

to fill the empty spaces with more love–though they all knew, deep down, that some corners of her heart would

wild adventures–climbing trees, catching minnows in the creek. For all her motherly wisdom, Jade still

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Chapter 232

her in a box, it was so she could move through the world with confidence, knowing

lecture Cole had made Alessia ache with envy–a longing she never let show. But over time, that feeling faded. She started to feel like she really belonged with the Whitleys, part of the family. When she made mistakes, she was gently corrected, and when

at home, she found with the Whitleys. The photo albums that didn’t exist at the Tates‘ mansion filled shelf after shelf here,

Alessia grew, Parrish made a point of bringing her and Cole along when he visited friends–broadening their horizons, letting them see more of the world. He never shut them out of his work,

Yvonne Sullivan’s indifference–sharing the kind of advice every girl deserves when she stands at the edge