“Who do you think you are,pared to Cole? Just the Thorne family? Please, I wouldn’t look twice at you even if you begged–and you’re nothing but a puppet heir with no real authority.”

    Alessia’s words were soft and calm, but each onended like a dagger.

    He watched her walk away, swallowing his humiliation as he staggered to his feet. People passing by shot him amused nces, enjoying the spectacle of his very public rejection. Their faces all but said, “Poor guy–struck out, did he?”

    Alessia gathered her things upstairs. By the time she headed down, Fortune was already gone.

    She couldn’t care less where Fortune had run off to. If he wanted ito /istir up trouble, well, she was more than happy to y along. Some people always believed they were misunderstood geniuses, never realizing how obviously foolish they’d be.

    She climbed into her car. The drive was short–barely half an hour–yet when she arrived, she spotted a familiar figure waiting outside her front door.

    Ileana straightened her clothes, but instead of smoothing them, she only made them look more wrinkled and disheveled. She ruffled her hair too, trying to appear as pitiful and fragile as possible.

    Only after perfecting her image did she ring the doorbell.

    There was ino /iresponse. Ileana didn’t seem bothered; she took her time, ncing around the house with a critical eye.

    If she hadn’t stopped by their old ce and found it empty, she’d never have guessed her family had moved into such a nice home. A satisfied smirk crept onto her lips. Of course she was special–she was destined for better than hardship. Once she got back into the Morton family, she’d be living like a princess again.

    “Who is it?”

    Karen Quincy’s voice came through the inte, still gentle and warm, just as it had always been.

    “Mom…” Ileana immediately dropped her scheming look, her eyes filling with tears, her voice trembling with wounded innocence.

    There was a pause. Karen said nothing.

    i1/2 /i

    09:56

    “Mom, it’s me, your daughter, Ileana…” Ileana blinked rapidly, and real tears rolled down her cheeks.

    “I don’t have a daughter named Ileana. Please leave.” Karen’s voice was quieter now, tinged with a weary sigh.

    “Mom, I’m sorry, I really am! You can yell at me, hit me if you want, just don’t turn your back on me! If even you give up on me, I can’t go on–I might as well be dead! Is that what you want?”

    Karen’s words stung. Despite her resentment, Ileana broke down, sobbing and begging for forgiveness.

    Now that Liam was a household name, he could easily spare her a little money–she’d be living the high life in no time. All she needed was to get back into the Morton family; a little humiliation now was worth it.

    With this in mind, she cried even harder, pounding the doorbell.

    “Mom, please open the door! Do you know what my life’s been like with the Tates? They hit me, screamed at me, always putting Alessia first! And now, thanks to all the gossip, they’ve kicked me out!”

    She kept reciting her tragic tale, her voice full of heartbreak, as if no one in the world had suffered more.

    “Mom, do you know how much I’ve been through? Your precious Ileana is suffering! I know you’re angry, I know I was wrong! Just let mee home, please–I’ll get down on my iknees /iif I have to!”

    She didn’t just say it–she actually dropped to her knees on the front walk.

    A few passersby stopped to gawk. Some even pulled out their phones, posting about the “unbelievable drama” they’d witnessed today.

    Seeing the growing spectacle, Karen finally opened the door and stepped outside.

    At the sight of her mother, Ileana’s face lit up. She quickly wiped the tears from her cheeks and scrambled to her feet.

    There was still an imposing iron gate between them. Ileana reached out, but her fingers stopped just short of Karen’s hand–barely a fist’s width away.

    “Mom!” Ileana gripped the metal bars, pressing her face against them, her expression desperate and wild.

    i212 /i