A Fake Heiress’s Guide to Love and Power novel Chapter 420

“So, what brings you two here?” Joyce steered the conversation back on

track.

“We brought you some food–spaghetti bolognese. Eat up before it gets cold.” Alessia plopped the takeout bag into Joyce’s hands and nodded toward the nearby flowerbed.

“Thank you…” Joyce felt a wave of warmth. Out here on her own, the only people who still worried about whether she was eating well were these

three.

“Oh, by the way, there’s really nothing going on between me and him. Please don’t get the wrong idea.” Joyce looked Alessia in the eyes, her

tone earnest.

Alessia let out a light laugh and flicked Joyce’s forehead, not too hard.

“Silly girl!”

Rubbing her brow, Joyce couldn’t help but grin. She sat with the three of them by the flowerbed, finishing the pasta together.

After that day, Fortune started popping up in Joyce’s line of

sight–sometimes by accident, sometimes not. They didn’t interact much, just exchanged a few words about work here and there.

Everything seemed perfectly normal, yet somehow, the distance between

them started to shrink.

“Joyce, the event’s about to start tonight. What’s your assignment?” The university auditorium was buzzing when Fortune strode in, heading straight for Joyce at the back,

“I’m working the welcome desk, checking people in. What about you?”

“I’m on photography” As he spoke, Fortune lifted the camera hanging from his neck and, before Joyce could react, snapped a quick picture.

Joyce covered her face but was a second too late.

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“No need to be shy–you look great. See?” Fortune grinned and pulled up the photo to show her.

He leaned in closer so she could see better–their shoulders brushing, and to any outsider, it might have looked a little too close for comfort.

“She’s just a country bumpkin. Fortune’s just being nice–he’d do that for anyone,” muttered a girl up on stage, perfectly put–together but wearing a sour expression. Her friend leaned in, whispering reassurances.

“I know, right? Look at her–she probably smells musty, and her clothes are so old they could stand up on their own,” the first girl sneered, her voice dripping with contempt.

Their conversation, mercifully, didn’t reach Fortune or Joyce.

“I’ll send you the photos tonight. You look really good in this one,” Fortune

said, his tone sincere.

“Really?” Joyce tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, self–conscious but secretly pleased.

“Really! Though, you look a little tired. Welcoming guests tonight, you might want to put on some lipstick. I’ll take more photos–you’ll look amazing, I promise.”

“Oh, stop it,” Joyce said, a little embarrassed, giving Fortune a light smack on the arm.

“I mean it! Hey, do you even own lipstick? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you wear any.”

“I have one. Lessie gave it to me for my birthday, but I don’t really wear makeup, so it’s mostly untouched.”

“Alessia gave you one, huh? I was thinking about getting you one myself, but compared to her… She’s got a whole empire at her fingertips–owns a bunch of companies and all that. Makes me feel like anything I give would look cheap. The lipstick she got you probably costs more than what you and I spend in a month combined.”

Fortune laughed, but for some reason, the sound made Joyce uneasy.

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She couldn’t put her finger on exactly why.

“Joyce, can you give me a hand?” Just then, an upperclassman called out. Relieved, Joyce put a little distance between herself and Fortune.

“I’ll go help out.”

“See you tonight.”

Fortune smiled as he called after her, but once Joyce was out of sight, the smile faded. His eyes grew shadowed, unreadable.

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