“I’m telling you, you’ve got the wrong person.” The smile on Fortune’s face was slipping fast.

    He shoved Ileana away with a forceful push.

    “Why are you treating me like this?” Ileana’s voice trembled, raw with hurt. “I gave you everything–everything I had! Why are you doing this to me?” Ignoring the sting from her scraped palms, she scrambled after him, desperately reaching for the

    hem of his trousers.

    “Let’s go. Must be some lunatic from who knows where.” Fortune idodged /iher grasp, backing away several steps.

    Their roommate watched the scene unfold, eyes flicking between the two, but ultimately chose to say nothing and hurried after Fortune.

    Ileana tried to chase after them, but a swell of pedestrians blocked her path. By the time she made it through, Fortune was already gone.

    She scoured the crowd anxiously, searching for him–only to spot, instead, the one person she despised most in the world: Alessia.

    Right then, Alessia was strolling down the street toward campus, hand in hand with Cole, their fingers entwined.

    Of course they’d witnessed the drama, but neither seemed interested in getting involved. To them, it was nothing more than a passing spectacle, a bit of entertainment in an otherwise ordinary day.

    But what Alessia saw as amusement, Ileana saw as a fresh wound.

    She clenched her fists, ring daggers at Alessia’s retreating figure.

    It was all her fault. Every bit of it.

    If it hadn’t been for Alessia, Ileana wouldn’t have been shipped overseas, wouldn’t have endured the contempt and bullying from the staff, wouldn’t have fallen so far. She’d lost everything–her family, her love, even her fortune–while Alessia got to keep it all.

    Why? Whether it was the Mortons or the Tates, she was supposed to be the one in the spotlight, adored and cherished–not Alessia.

    Without quite realizing it, Ileana found herself trailing them all the way to the gates of the university. She stopped, staring at the imposing building, resentment burning

    b09:39 /b

    in her chest.

    She hadn’t even finished high school, and yet Alessia got to attend a ce like this…

    Ileana’s fists tightened, her eyes flickering with envy and hatred she couldn’t hide.

    Night fell slowly, streetlights flickering on as she wandered the city with nowhere to go. Suddenly, thunder cracked overhead, and the sky opened up. Rain poured down, drenching everyone on the sidewalk and sending people running for shelter.

    Ileana stood beside a bus stop, her hair stered to her face, looking every bit as

    lost as she felt.

    Frustrated, she hurled her bag to the ground. The other people sheltering from the rain nced at her warily.

    “What are you looking at? Bunch of worthless nobodies!” she snapped.

    Faces darkened and, little by little, a ring of space formed around her, as if an invisible barrier had gone up, separating her from the rest.

    She fished out her phone. “Come pick me up. Now.”

    Her tone was sharp, her attitude even worse, yet not five minutester, a luxury car rolled up to the curb.

    The driver stepped out with an umbre, opened the door, and waited for her to get olliin. /li/ol

    Ileana flicked her hair at the onlookers and gave a haughty snort, as if that alone could piece her pride back together.

    Once home, soaked through and shivering, she wanted nothing more than a hot shower and her bed.

    “Young miss, your father wants to see you in his study.”

    The butler’s words made her skin crawl.

    She stopped dead, her face suddenly pale as the reality of her situation crashed back–she remembered all the stupid mistakes she’d made.

    “I’m not feeling well…” Ileana murmured, biting her lip. The bright red lipstick did nothing to mask the color draining from her cheeks.

    “Your father said he wants to see you in the study.” The butler repeated himself, voice polite but insistent.

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    b09:39 /b

    Ileana gritted her teeth. She knew she had no choice. She shot the butler a venomous look–these useless servants, always picking the wrong side.

    As if afraid she’d make a run for it, the butler followed close behind, even going so far as ito /iiknock /ipolitely on the study door for her.

    Chapter

    C