A Fake Heiress’s Guide to Love and Power novel Chapter 291

“Are you okay?” As soon as they rounded the corner and Fortune was out of sight, Mia let go of her hand.

“I’m fine. Thanks.”

“Oh, right–take a look at this.” Mia handed her the phone, pulling up the post the three of them had been discussing earlier.

Alessia read it, then returned the phone without much reaction.

“So… you’re not going to call anyone?”

Alessia tilted her head, looking genuinely puzzled.

“I mean, usually in situations like this, aren’t you supposed to tell someone to take it down or something?”

“This kind of thing blows over fast. Give it a couple days and everyone will have forgotten. There’s no need to waste time or effort on it.”

If it were anyone else, Mia might have thought they were just pretending to be calm. But it was Alessia–so she believed her.

Since Alessia herself wasn’t bothered, Mia had nothing more to say.

Meanwhile, Fortune followed his assistant into another private room. Inside, a large group waited, their expressions varying from polite to openly hostile. One woman didn’t bother hiding her displeasure, her face turning frosty the moment he entered. Fortune didn’t care. If he was honest, there were probably no more than three people here who actually wanted to see him.

“Grandfather.” He bowed respectfully to the elderly man at the head of the table.

“Where have you been?” Patriarch Thorne was dressed in a tailored suit, worry beads rolling between his fingers. He lifted his gaze, his authority impossible to ignore.

“Just picked up a little something, ran into a friend and stopped to say hello.”

Fortune made no attempt to hide his earlier meeting with Alessia. Even if he didn’t mention it, his assistant would. And if he did, the old man wouldn’t care enough to ask who the friend was.

From his breast pocket, Fortune drew out a slim, hand–carved sandalwood

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Chapter 291

box–clearly a work of craftsmanship.

All eyes locked onto the box as he handed it to the assistant beside him.

The old man didn’t take it himself, but nodded slightly. The assistant understood, opening the box.

Inside was a string of prayer beads.

“Top–quality agarwood. You’ve been thoughtful,” the old man said, picking up the beads and rolling them gently between his fingers. He nodded, satisfaction clear in his eyes. Though his tone was even, the shift in the room was palpable. After all, when others gave gifts, the patriarch barely spared them a glance before handing them off to an assistant.

“Sit,” he said, and with that, Fortune’s tardiness was forgiven.

Fortune took his seat beside the old man–a privilege reserved for the designated

heir.

The Thorne family was large, but in Fortune’s generation, only he and Hugo Thorne remained as male heirs. If Hugo hadn’t self–destructed, this spot would never have

been Fortune’s.

While the meal in the other room was tense and stiff, Alessia and her friends were enjoying theirs with easy satisfaction.

“Anything else you want to try?” Alessia dabbed at her lips with a napkin, her movements graceful.

Esme shook her head, slumping back in her chair with no pretense of decorum, grabbing a wet wipe to clean her mouth. “I’m stuffed. Everything was so good. What am I going to do if the little diners near campus never measure up again?”

Alessia laughed softly. “Next time you come, just mention my name at the door.”

“No way! I can’t just take advantage like that.” Esme was always quick to draw a line, and while she’d been teasing, she would never actually accept such an offer.

Sensing it was time to move on, Alessia changed the subject. “Do you want to rest a bit, or head back?”

Mia glanced at the time—it was nearly eight already. “Let’s go. We can walk around campus on the way back, help our food settle. I hear the night views are supposed to be beautiful.”

“Sounds good. Alessia, Joyce–what about you two?”

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many times they saw it, Mia and the others couldn’t help but be amazed by the

décor.

The place was atmospheric by day, but at night the vibrancy only grew. The crowds. thickened, and the whole street had the lively feel of an old–world festival.

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