A False Heiress's Guide to Love and Power

Chapter 470

“I miss my grandma, Miss, my grandma’s going to be okay, right?”

Alessia’s mind was drifting in and out, Susannah Holt’s trembling voice echoing in the darkness. Alessia opened her mouth, meaning to comfort the girl, but no words would come. Her chest tightened; her breathing grew shallow, her vision blurring at the edges. Just as sleep threatened to pull her under, Alessia bit down hard on her tongue, forcing herself to stay awake.

“Miss? Miss, what’s wrong?” Susannah’s panic was immediate and contagious, her fear swelling in the cramped darkness.

“I’m fine… Your grandma’s fine too. I’m just, a little tired. I need to rest for a bit,” Alessia managed, her voice little more than a whisper.

“No, you can’t sleep! You said you can’t sleep, remember?” Susannah sobbed, but she remembered Alessia’s warning and kept talking, desperate to keep her teacher conscious.

Fumbling in the darkness, Susannah’s small hand finally found Alessia’s–it was cold as ice. Tears welled up in Susannah’s eyes; her hands trembled as she tried to cup Alessia’s, as though she could warm

her back to life.

She called Alessia’s name again and again, but Alessia could only muster the faintest response, as if she might vanish at any moment.

she picked up the stone from beneath Alessia’s hand and, just as

to stay calm for Alessia’s sake. She talked to her teacher, knocked

to Susannah’s crying, struggling to stay awake, but her strength was

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Chapter 470

known flickered before her eyes–until, at last, she saw Cole,

only I’d just told him how much I cared, how

Cole had said again and again that he

did come, in the end–sneaking in without telling her, only to be caught by Susannah and nearly mistaken for a trespasser by

night, not wanting him to risk another secret trip. The journey was long, his job demanding; she’d rather he rest on his days off than fly halfway across the country

much; even knowing she’d be upset, he’d arranged

only she’d told him how much he meant to her that day. If only she’d said, “Rest a little longer,” or

as a soft smile lingered on her

slipping away, a