A False Heiress's Guide to Love and Power

They didn’t stay long. As the sun dipped below the horizon, they chose not to drive but instead wandered along the lakeside path.

Hand in hand, they walked in easy silence. Even without words, there was nothing awkward between them.

Suddenly, Alessia stopped. Leaning against the rail by the water, the two gazed out over the lake, where the sunlight danced in shimmering patterns across the surface.

“Cole,” Alessia said softly, her eyes clouded with uncertainty, “what do you think the meaning of life is?”

She was barely in her twenties, yet she’d already seen more than her share of goodbyes, of close calls where life and death brushed past her. She herself had once walked the thin line between this world and the

next.

Life felt too fragile. For the first time, she truly understood those who feared death–not for herself, but for the thought of losing the people she loved. She liked to believe she was free–spirited, unbound by anything, but deep down she knew she was just as tied to the rules of nature as anyone else.

Sometimes she wondered, if she had no attachments, would she still be afraid of anything at all?

But whenever she found herself surrounded by love, she realized that was when she felt truly unbreakable.

what was the meaning of

to that question. But for me, you

at him. Their eyes met, and for a moment, nothing

know,” Cole continued, “I’ve thought about

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your side. That’s why I work so hard–to become someone worthy of you, so no one else even dares to come close.

be content to stay a sparrow. I know you want to reach for more, so I choose to spend whatever time

not holding onto you sooner. Maybe then, when our time comes,

pulled through,”

before she could finish, meeting her

unwavering conviction.

an idiot.” Relief and fear flickered across

she finished, he wrapped her in his

plan the most incredible proposal you’ve ever seen,” he whispered. “When the time comes, will

what she wanted. With

will.” The answer was clear,