A False Heiress's Guide to Love and Power

Chapter 490

According to his desk mate, the whole thing had just been about finding someone to rough him up a little. So, those guys only beat him up and dumped him in the middle of nowhere, saying they just wanted to scare him.

Luckily, his years spent running with the street kids in back alleys hadn’t been for nothing–by sheer grit, he managed to make it back.

Naturally, there was no way he could show up for the track meet after that.

Now, he thought, the little wolf’s definitely going to be furious.

He’d raised her himself, so he knew her temper better than anyone. But this sort of thing? There was no need for her to find out.

If he couldn’t even protect himself, then he might as well let someone else look after her for the time being.

Being the eldest son, Max grew up under the watchful eyes of Scott and Yvonne, groomed to be the family heir. Every step he took had been mapped out in advance.

He had neither the right nor the desire to rebel.

So he quietly used what he’d learned to squirrel away a private fund, build his own company, and slowly grow his influence. Bit by bit, he set himself up to rival Tate Holdings.

He figured, the day he finally swallowed up Tate Holdings would be the day he’d finally

be free.

free first–a certain little

ahead.

sure enough, when she found out the truth about her background abroad, she didn’t raise a fuss–she just played around for

wasn’t worried. He didn’t care much about the

Tate through and through, cold–blooded by birth. He knew exactly

she kept her head down, the Tates

to overestimate herself and try to go head–to–head with the

wolf he’d raised versus some delicate hothouse flower–was there even a

the

extra “brothers” suddenly in the picture.

called him “Max” to his face, but when she talked to the

stand to hear another

little wolf couldn’t even be bothered

they were drifting apart the way he’d

were good people–almost too kind, and that

maybe it was a good thing Alessia had been switched at

yet, at other times, he’d wonder, if she hadn’t been switched,

life doesn’t do what–ifs. Everything had been

love, Alessia was slowly shedding some of

earthquake at the village where Alessia was teaching, Max dropped everything and