Alessia sprawled across the bed, the soft mattress instantly easing the tension in her body. She’d been pampered her whole life–falling asleep was easy, but
sleeping well was a whole different story.
Cole must have known that, too. He’d even swapped out her old mattress for something better. She rolled over twice, just starting to drift off when her phone buzzed.
On the other side of the room divider, Ivan was focused on his sketchbook. Alessia didn’t bother to hide the call; she answered right away.
“Hello?” Her voice wasnguid, barely mustering any energy.
“Miss Morton, forced into manualbor? You sound wiped out.”
“Venmo me fifty bucks and I’ll regale you with my rags–to–riches saga,” she shot
back.
Cole chuckled, the sound low and warm across the line as his fingers slid over his screen. “All sorted out, then?”
“Yeah. I really am a spoiled princess,” Alessia admitted, stretching out on the bed with genuine relief.
Just as she finished speaking, her phone chimed–a new transfer notification. Another hundred thousand dors.
“Well, Mr. Cole, always so generous. Should I send you a thank–you card or just bow in gratitude?” Alessia epted the money without a second thought; after all, her own funds went straight into Cole’s ount these days. Their rtionship was far closer than most people imagined.
Cole’sugh rumbled softly through the phone; his voice sent a pleasant shiver down her spine. “It’s not like you don’t have a ce to stay. How long are you nning to keep up this little adventure?”
Alessia sat up, running her fingers through her hair with a careless shrug. “It’s actually kind of fun. I’ll stick around a while longer.”
That evening, Ethan and Zachary returned home together.
“Zachary, you’re back! Go grab a shower–school in the morning, remember?” Karen called out as soon as she heard the door open, setting aside what she’d been working on.
15:37
“Yeah. I told Ethan about the shop thing yesterday. He waited for me <b>at </b><b>work </b><b>and </b>we came back together.”
“Ethan’s home, too? Have you eaten?”
“I have. So, how’s the shop n going?”
“Almost done, actually. Speaking of which, it’s all thanks to Lessie–she pulled some strings and got the business license sorted for us. Saved a ton of hassle.”
“Right, Ipletely forgot about that until it basicallynded in myp,” Brendan added, handing Ethan the paperwork.
“Lessie’s that resourceful?” Zachary was genuinely surprised, just as Alessia emerged from the bathroom.
“I just asked a friend for help. It wasn’t a big deal for him,” Alessia replied, brushing
it off.
“Speaking of friends, Lessie, how do you know Justin? No pressure, just curious,” Brendan rified quickly, not wanting Alessia to misunderstand.
“We’ve known each other since we were kids. He’s a good guy. If he loses his temper, there’s usually a reason–so don’t worry.”
“Justin?” Ethan looked puzzled.
“Yeah, Lessie said he’s an architect friend. I opened the door and was surprised to see it was Justin. Genius is right–the rooms look so much better after his redesign. Lessie even wanted him to redo ours, but theyout’s fine, so we let it be.” “By the way, once my internship ends and my current project wraps up, we’ll finally be able to move into a bigger ce. Lessie, if it ever feels inconvenient, just have Ivan move back to his old room. No reason you should be ufortable just foring home.”
“Does he grind his teeth at night?” Alessia asked, deadpan.
The unexpected question caught Ethan off guard, and everyone in the living room burst outughing.
“No, Ivan sleeps like a rock,” Ethan replied, with a touch of exasperation.
Alessia just raised an eyebrow in response. Sensing the topic was getting old, the others let it drop.
“All these renovations must have cost a fortune, right? Lessie, keep your own
???
<b>15:37 </b>
money–Dad will handle the remodeling costs,” Brendan said.
“Actually, Dad, once the shop’s up and running and we’ve got steady clients, I’d like to invest in a storefront for you all. Of course, I’ll be taking a cut of the profits. How does that sound?”