A Fake Heiress’s Guide to Love and Power novel Chapter 254

“Are you heading straight back to the studio now?”

“Yeah. Oh–and i just realized, I never wished you a happy New Year. I actually had a gift for you, meant to give it in a few days, but I didn’t expect to run into you here.”

“Thank you.” Every year, Eddie gave Alessia a gift. It was never expensive, but the thought was what mattered. She always accepted it, planning to give him something in return later.

“Sorry, nothing for you,” Eddie added, turning to Cole, though he hardly sounded apologetic.

“That’s fine,” Cole replied, his tone flat.

Alessia couldn’t help but laugh, tugging gently at Cole’s sleeve.

The two of them looked so at ease together, hands linked without a second thought. Eddie’s gaze lingered on their entwined fingers before he quietly looked

away.

“I’ve got my car here. Want a ride?”

“No need, we drove too.” Alessia nodded toward the car parked ahead.

Eddie just nodded back, not pressing further. He said his goodbyes and left–polite as always, neither too distant nor too familiar, just like any ordinary friend.

He drove aimlessly for a while, not wanting to go home, but not ready to return to the studio either. He followed the river road until he found a quiet spot and pulled over. Climbing onto the hood of his car, he sat in the cold night air, letting the wind whip around him.

The chill cut right through his coat, but he barely noticed, lost in thought.

Seeing Alessia tonight hadn’t been a coincidence. He’d planned it.

It was suffocating, living in that world–where everyone looked down on you, yet you still had to beg for their approval. The stink of hypocrisy made him sick.

So, for once, he’d acted on impulse. He just wanted to see her.

But in the end, he’d lost his nerve, resorting instead to a roundabout way of meeting her, something that would look more natural if anyone asked.

He understood that if he ever took that first step toward her, he’d truly have nothing left.

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He never expected that a simple “Will you come with me?” would affect him so deeply. When everyone else had turned their backs, she was the only one who had stayed.

An unwanted child, ready to end it all–he’d survived only because of that single, casual offer from her.

He knew he’d come too late, and he wasn’t good enough for her. She had better options, someone like Cole–born lucky, loved by all. Eddie’s occasional barbs were nothing but envy, directed at the golden boy who’d had everything handed to him.

She was bright, and he–stuck in the mud–would never reach for her.

That was why he’d never tried to inherit Xander’s legacy, choosing instead to become a therapist. He knew that getting too close would only end badly, so he had to keep his distance before things spiraled out of control.

During his travels, he tried to emulate her way of dealing with people, pushing himself to be better. He used what he’d learned to help children with childhoods as bleak as his own.

He liked working with kids–they were honest, direct, and wore their feelings openly. During the years away from her, he healed them, and in turn, they healed him.

He’d even planned to travel the world, never intending to return, if not for his so–called father’s orders dragging him back.

Her younger brother had reconnected them, though in the end, it was Alessia herself who managed to heal him–not Eddie.

But that was just who she was–Alessia had a quiet power to heal the people around her, often without even realizing it.

Eddie let out a long sigh. He’d thought his defenses were impenetrable, but the moment he saw her, they collapsed without a fight. Clearly, he needed to keep his distance.

As for the Chase family–their downfall was overdue. Years‘ worth of evidence would be more than enough to send them to prison.

The rest was up to Calvert.

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