A Fake Heiress’s Guide to Love and Power novel Chapter 292

“Little wolf.”

“Lessie?”

Two familiar voices sounded right in front of her.

“Max? Ethan? What are you two doing together?”

Alessia looked up, surprised to see the two of them standing side by side. It was almost surreal.

Both were dressed in sharp suits, and next to them stood a man Alessia didn’t recognize.

“Out to dinner with friends?” Ethan walked over, while Max and the other man followed at a more leisurely pace.

Max wore his usual nonchalant expression, but the man beside him looked at Alessia with open curiosity and gave her a little wave.

Alessia nodded in greeting.

“We’ve finished eating. We were just about to head back to campus.”

“Everything alright?” Ethan asked.

She nodded again. The Mortons had originally wanted to drive Alessia over, but Cole had volunteered for the job. Since both she and Cole needed to check in anyway, Alessia figured it would be easier to go together, so she’d turned down the Mortons‘ offer.

The Mortons had been disappointed for days, and Alessia had spent just as long trying to cheer them up.

She couldn’t understand it–how could grown adults be so childish sometimes?

“Hey, what about me, little wolf?” Max teased.

Alessia let out an exasperated sigh and shot. him a look.

“How did you two end up together? That’s a rare sight.”

“Business,” Max replied, keeping it short.

The two exchanged a glance; it was obvious there was no love lost between them.

“Your roommates?” Ethan asked, nodding toward the three girls bunched up behind

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Alessia. He smiled and greeted them, then looked back at her.

“Yeah, let me introduce you–Mia, Esme, Joyce.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Ethan, Lessie’s brother.”

Max smirked. “I’m her ex–brother, Max.”

The third man grinned. “Not a brother of any sort–I’m Bacchus Linden.”

The girls nodded, offering shy hellos, but didn’t dare ask about the whole brother/ex–brother business. The tension between Ethan and Max felt like it might explode any second–if sarcasm were ammunition, they’d have blown each other to

bits.

“I’ve heard my granddad mention you before,” Bacchus said, seemingly oblivious to the atmosphere as he offered Alessia a handshake. “And these two troublemakers,

too.”

Just as Alessia reached out to shake his hand, Ethan and Max moved in uncanny harmony–one blocked Bacchus’s hand, while the other slipped an arm around Alessia’s shoulders, pulling her into a half–hug.

Bacchus’s mouth twitched. Under his breath, he muttered, “Overprotective much?”

“Your granddad is…?” Alessia asked, unfazed by their antics. She brushed off Max’s arm, shot Ethan a knowing look, and straightened her hair.

“Charlie Linden, principal at Berlington Elementary.”

Now it made sense–he was the grandson Charlie always talked about.

“Next time, let me pick up the tab,” Bacchus offered.

Ethan was no longer the unknown junior attorney he’d once been. He’d inherited Calvert’s legacy, built a name for himself handling high–profile cases, and now regularly appeared on legal talk shows and the evening news. His status had skyrocketed.

“I’ll treat you all to dinner another time,” Ethan said warmly. “My sister’s staying in the dorms for the first time, so I hope you’ll all look out for her.”

“Of course, absolutely,” Esme replied, starry–eyed and grinning.

“Alright, we’ll get out of your hair–enjoy your evening,” Ethan said.

It was obvious to Alessia that the three had come here on business. When it came to privacy, nowhere beat The Ivy Terrace.

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“Oh, and Max?” Alessia paused on her way out.

“The Tate family–are we good?”

Max raised an eyebrow; the answer was written all over his face.

Alessia got the message and said nothing more, leading her roommates away.

Chapter 293

Chapter 293