BuzzNovelAlessia, having finished her ice cream, tossed the stick into a nearby trash can without breaking her stride.
“Letmake one thing clear,” she said, her tone brisk. “I'm Alessia. I've never been the type to let other
people’s opinions dictate what | do. If | want to do something, I'll do it, no matter how many people tellnot
to. If I don’t want to, no amount of pressure or persuasion will move me. My choices are my own. But you all-look
at you. | haven't even said anything, and each of you is acting like you're suffering on my behalf.”
Liam finally realized what was wrong.
They always claimed they saw Alessia as family, but everything they did seemed to push her out, as if she were
sdistant relative-cordial, polite, but always at arm’s length. God forbid she felt out of place or unwelcome.
They'd been getting it wrong from the very start.
He opened his mouth, then closed it again, unable to find the words. Suddenly, Lucy's words from earlier flashed
through his mind.
“You don’t need to worry about tuition. Sure, we can’t give you the kind of life you had with the Tate family, but
when it comes to your studies, just keep going as you have been. School, classes-don’t let anything change
that.”
Alessia caught his drift almost immediately, even though his comment seemed to
cout of nowhere.
“Do you want to go back to school?” she asked, not rushing to answer, but instead throwing the question back at
him.
“Huh?” Liam was caught off guard.
“Do you want to go back to college?” Alessia repeated patiently.
Liam hesitated, then shrugged. “Working part-twashing dishes during the day, singing at a bar in the
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtevenings-it's not so bad. Honestly, it feels like I'm getting a head start on my dream. It’s...fine.”
The last word cout soft, as if he were trying to convince himself.
Alessia rolled her eyes. “That's not what | asked. I'm asking if you want to go back to school. Yes or no?”
1/2
15:40
He gave a bitter little laugh. “Of course | do. But | go to an art college, and that costs money. With the way things
are at home, do you really think | could just take my parents’ money and go to class every day without feeling
guilty?”
He caught himself, realizing his tone was harsher than he intended, and paused before going on.
“My older brother didn’t take a break from school because he’s about to start his internship. Zachary’s finishing
his senior year, so he can’t drop out. I'm the only one who can take the pressure off-both tand money.
Taking this break saves on tuition, and what | earn can actually help out at home.”
“My tuition’s covered, so you don’t have to worry about me,” Alessia said. “As for you, how about we make a
deal?”
“A deal?”
“Yeah.” She nodded, her tone firm. “I'll cover your tuition for all four years. In exchange, you work forfor
five.”
“Work...for you?”
“I'll provide you with opportunities.
You can keep studying and pursue
your dream at the stime. Afar
five re 24 Ray Mehl for your
cbllége tuition. During those five
years, we split any profits from
business gigs—forty percent for me,
sixty for you. After that, you're free to
walk away or renew the contract.
What do you say?” The content is on
novelenglish.net! Read the latest
chapter there!
Liam hesitated, and Alessia mistook it for dissatisfaction with the offer.
“A forty—sixty split is better than
most newcomers get. Thats defind
of deal eal stich? gets. When
Tistin ollis signed with me, he only
got The content is on
novelenglish.net! Read the latest
chapter there!
thirty-seventy-thirty for him, seventy for me.”
She rattled off the terms so matter-of-factly, Liam's brain just froze.
“Wait...you...are you talking about
Tristan? As in, Tristan—the oyu
who becsupbfstat ihe first
JES CNR] out hit after hit, then
crossed over into film and won Best
Actor on his debut?” The content is
on novelenglish.net! Read the latest
chapter there!
212
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