A False Heiress's Guide to Love and Power

The three of them sat together in the private booth. Despite not having seen each other in ages, there wasn’t the slightest hint of awkwardness; even their occasional silences felt perfectly comfortable.

Conversation bounced around at lightning speed–one moment they were talking about the weather, the next they were knee–deep in gossip. It was a little random, but easy and lighthearted.

“So that’s everything that happened?” Queenie took a sip of water, listening as Stella recounted the whole saga with Ileana, using the glass to mask her expression.

“Talk about luck–she managed to escape overseas.” Queenie’s tone was unreadable, but Stella didn’t notice; she simply nodded in agreement.

“I know, right? She got off easy.”

“Well, maybe not that easy. Cole broke both her arms, and Max gave her a real ‘welcome home‘ present–threw the last piece right at her head. She never even made it into the house–went straight to the hospital instead.”

Alessia clearly felt zero sympathy for Ileana. After all, she’d gotten exactly what she deserved.

“But what made you suddenly decide to help Lucy?” Stella had been curious about this for a while, but never found the right moment to ask–and then she’d simply forgotten. Now, with Ileana’s name in the air, Lucy naturally came to mind.

“Was it just because she gave you a heads–up about Ileana?”

Alessia shook her head. “She owns a few shops on that block–they’re useful to me. They’re planning to build a new shopping center there, and I scoped out the location; it’s actually pretty good.”

trying to place the name. “That

who tried to pick on you, to get

summarized.

shaky. In the end, she traded her handful of shops to Lessie in exchange for help with her mom’s

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Chapter 247

glanced at Alessia, who nodded in

Queenie said,

moment–Queenie hadn’t been feeling well that day, so when Lucy pushed her, she instinctively shoved back. Spotting Alessia nearby, she’d simply let herself fall. That

one but Queenie herself knew the truth. Even airheaded Lucy still believed it was all her doing. Still, Queenie had to admit, it was thanks to Lucy that she and Lessie had become friends

Summers family probably wouldn’t

teacup down. “The exhibition’s set for Sunday, and it’ll be up for a week. Lessie, didn’t you say you wanted to do a custom collaboration with A&P?

We’ll nail down the main theme and ideas, and you can handle

interested in their business talk. She scrolled through her phone as she picked at her food, but suddenly put down her fork when something

́eye.