BuzzNovelIn the Morton family, her three older brothers never dared speak to her that way, even raising their voices a little
made them worry that they'd frighten her.
If she had to go back to the Tate family... No. Absolutely not!
By the end of the day, Illeana was utterly exhausted, and Max's attitude toward Alessia only made her more
anxious. She refused to endure a life where she was unwanted and penniless.
No one in the Morton family could find out about this-never!
lleana hurried away, and only when she reached the foot of the hill did she suddenly remember something. She
dug into her pocket, pulled out a photo and a note, didn’t even glance at them, and tore them to shreds before
tossing them in the trash.
The feeling of being watched faded at last. Alessia looked back-no one there. Someone had trailed her all day,
only to do nothing?
“What's wrong?” Max asked.
“Nothing.” Alessia replied, passing her violin case to Max, who slung it over his shoulder without complaint.
“Where'd you get all those bruises again? Is your boyfriend taking you out brawling instead of to parties?”
“Want to find out how it feels to get beaten up by me?”
Their back-and-forth banter was relentless; neither willing to let the other win. As they walked, Max glanced at
her, then moved to her right side so she'd be walking on the inside of the sidewalk.
After that day, as if afraid that everything could slip away at any moment, Ileana began insisting on all sorts of
things to satisfy her vanity and fill the growing void inside her.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtThen, during the summer before her final year of middle school, Brendan-who had promised to send her to St.
Claire’s Academy-told her the family’s finances had taken a turn for the worse, and they couldn't afford to send
her anymore. The uneasiness she'd tried to bury resurfaced with a vengeance.
No matter how much she cried or argued, this ther family held -m. Distracted by the dream of getting into
the academy, she barely prepared for hic. entrance exams, and in the end, it was only thanks to Brendan
spending a hefty sum that
10:00
Chapter 214
she barely managed to squeeze in.
Things started drifting further and further from what she’d imagined, Illeana couldn't accept the disappointment.
The thoughts she'd hidden for two years bubbled up again; it was as if she needed to compare herself to
someone else to feel reassured, so she sought out Alessia again.
Just like two years ago, Alessia was still alone-no chauffeur, always coming and going from those run-down
alleyways, disappearing for ages before reemerging.
Seeing Alessia like that, Illeana finally felt a little better. That's right-even if the Morton family was down on its
luck, things were still better than Alessia’s life! No way was she going back-never!
Two more years passed. When the Morton family finally lost everything and moved into a cramped apartment
building, Ileana couldn't believe it. She'd rather wander the streets than return to that dingy place reeking of
mildew.
It was around then that she saw
Oo 2 Q q
Scott Tate's interview playing on a
giant screen AONE om
Sa £0 oe
op go tathek ly then did she
realize that the Tate family was
nothing like it had been four years
5 ) 4
ago; they'd becindustry leaders
two years earlier. The content is on
novelenglish.net! Read the latest
chapter there!
And Alessia—the girl lleana had
always looked down on=had already
a=
spent Bp ysareat & Hairs Ss
eatery by the tIleana started
at Crestview High. The content is on
novelenglish.net! Read the latest
chapter there!
The sense of injustice was
overwhelming; it finally pushed Ileana
over the edge. She gee ua
NE hi S
t TateRaldings; t without an
5 ’
appointment, she couldn't get past
the lobby. All she could do was wait
outside, hoping for a glimpse of
Scott. The content is on
novelenglish.net! Read the latest
chapter there!
And so, after everything, this was how the story ended-everyone seemingly back where they belonged, at least
on the surface.
“Young miss, I'm here to take you home.” Butler Dawson appeared in front of Ileana, his expression as blank and
mechanical as ever.
“No, I'm not going back...”
Illeana shook her head, pain driving her to the brink of collapse. She mumbled to herself, lost in her own world.
13:29
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