BuzzNovelChapter 232
Once school let out each day, Jade would always greet her with, “You did great today,” wrapping Alessia in a
warm, loving hug. And Jade-always Jade-would add a soft kiss to Alessia’s forehead, a gesture so constant that,
in time, Alessia grew used to that kind of closeness, but only from Jade.
Things had changed, not just in relationships but in Alessia’s whole world. Ever since the Whitleys moved into
the neighborhood, her days had grown fuller, richer, and even her once-reserved nature began to shift in ways
no one could quite put a finger on.
She found herself invited to the Whitleys' table for dinners more and more often. Sometimes, she even spent the
night at their house, where everything felt welcoming and alive.
Parrish, ever the understated caretaker, kept his words measured but let his actions speak for him. Quietly, he
cleared out a spare room just for her, drew up plans, started the renovations, and then-subtle as ever-fished for
Alessia’s praise, hoping she’d notice the effort.
With Parrish and Jade and the other adults, Alessia was the picture of polite, well-mannered childhood. But
around Cole, her boundaries relaxed-she let herself play harmless pranks, her laughter ringing out in a way it
never did at home.
Maybe it was because Cole had grown up enveloped in such obvious love and security that he never minded.
Even when Alessia’s tricks were obvious, he'd walk right into them, grinning at her with a lopsided, goofy smile.
When Parrish finished her room, Cole dragged his dad out to win a mountain of stuffed animals for her, arranging
them along her new bed with the pride of a little brother.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtIt wasn’t an exaggeration to say the Whitleys felt more like family to Alessia than her own parents ever had.
Their house, bustling and warm, becthe hshe’d always imagined. But that only made the empty quiet
of the Tate's mansion feel colder every tshe returned.
Jade and the others understood the sensitivity beneath Alessia’s quietness. They never spoke of it directly.
Instead, they tried to fill the empty spaces with more love-though they all knew, deep down, that scorners
of her heart would always remain out of reach.
On weekends and holidays, Jade would lead her on wild adventures-climbing trees, catching minnows in the
creek. For all her motherly wisdom, Jade still lived with the spirit of a free-spirited child, utterly unrestrained.
She'd explain to Alessia
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Chapter 232
that teaching her manners wasn’t about putting her in a box, it was so she could move through the world with
confidence, knowing how things worked without letting herself be changed by them.
At first, seeing Parrish care for Jade and lecture Cole had made Alessia ache with envy-a longing she never let
show. But over time, that feeling faded. She started to feel like she really belonged with the Whitleys, part of the
family. When she made mistakes, she was gently corrected, and when she did well, she was praised and
rewarded.
The tenderness and attention she’d never known at home, she found with the Whitleys. The photo albums that
didn’t exist at the Tates’ mansion filled shelf after shelf here, capturing every moment of her life since she turned
five.
As Alessia grew, Parrish made a point of bringing her and Cole along when he visited friends-broadening their
horizons, letting them see more of the world. He never shut them out of his work, sometimes even asking for
their opinions and inviting them to take part, making them feel needed.
Jade took Alessia aside for private talks about growing up, filling the empty spaces left by Yvonne Sullivan's
indifference-sharing the kind of advice every girl deserves when she stands at the edge of adolescence.
Jade even hired an etiquette tutor for
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Alessia, so she'd never feel out oh
place at formal events Bvéntua ly,
Assia RR charge herself, asking
the housekeeper to arrange lessons
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Cole hadn't changed much-still
golden—hearted, still fiercely
protective of Alessier BOX novi-he
taught her Bow to stand up for
herself, dragging her to boxing,
karate, and self-defense classes,
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determined she'd never be helpless.
Everyone had their own way of helping Alessia becher best self.
As Jade once told her, “Whatever the Tates didn’t teach you, we will.”
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