BuzzNovelThe three of them sat together in the private booth. Despite not having seen each other in ages, there wasn’t
the slightest hint of awkwardness; even their occasional silences felt perfectly comfortable.
Conversation bounced around at lightning speed-one moment they were talking about the weather, the next
they were knee-deep in gossip. It was a little random, but easy and lighthearted.
“So that’s everything that happened?” Queenie took a sip of water, listening as Stella recounted the whole saga
with Ileana, using the glass to mask her expression.
“Talk about luck-she managed to escape overseas.” Queenie’s tone was unreadable, but Stella didn’t notice; she
simply nodded in agreement.
“I know, right? She got off easy.”
“Well, maybe not that easy. Cole broke both her arms, and Max gave her a real ‘welchome’ present-threw
the last piece right at her head. She never even made it into the house-went straight to the hospital instead.”
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtAlessia clearly felt zero sympathy for Illeana. After all, she'd gotten exactly what she deserved.
“But what made you suddenly decide to help Lucy?” Stella had been curious about this for a while, but never
found the right moment to ask-and then she'd simply forgotten. Now, with lleana’s nin the air, Lucy
naturally cto mind.
“Was it just because she gave you a heads-up about Ileana?”
Alessia shook her head. “She owns a few shops on that block-they’re useful to me. They're planning to build a
new shopping center there, and | scoped out the location; it's actually pretty good.”
“Lucy?” Queenie frowned, trying to place the name. “That sounds familiar.”
“She’s the one who tried to pick on you, to get on Lessie’s good side,” Stella
summarized.
“Oh, right-her dad cheated, and she and her mom's situation was shaky. In the end, she traded her handful of
shops to Lessie in exchange for help with her mom's divorce, and then took her share of the settlement to hide
out overseas. She was terrified her dad would cafter them. Is that about right?”
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Chapter 247
Stella glanced at Alessia, who nodded in confirmation.
“So it was her,” Queenie said, sounding only mildly interested.
She hadn't really cared much about that whole bullying incident. Lucy just had the misfortune of picking the
wrong moment-Queenie hadn't been feeling well that day, so when Lucy pushed her, she instinctively shoved
back. Spotting Alessia nearby, she'd simply let herself fall. That little stunt had solved the problem of the
annoying girl always hovering around Lessie.
Of course, no one but Queenie herself knew the truth. Even airheaded Lucy still believed it was all her doing.
Still, Queenie had to admit, it was thanks to Lucy that she and Lessie had becfriends so easily.
Otherwise, the Summers family probably wouldn't have survived this long.
Queenie set her teacup down. “The exhibition's set for Sunday, and it'll be up for a week. Lessie, didn’t you say
you wanted to do a custom collaboration with A&P? Why not kick it off at the end of the first day?”
“Perfect,” Alessia agreed. “I'll bring Vera and Penny Sullivan along. We'll nail down the main thand ideas,
and you can handle the details with them after that. Just sendthe drafts at each stage for a quick look, and
we'll be good.”
Stella wasn’t interested in their business talk. She scrolled through her phone as she picked at her food, but
suddenly put down her fork when something caught her
eye.
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e®
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