" So , how's life treating you , Miss High - and - Mighty Tate , now that you're stuck in the slums ? " " You- ! " Liam didn't even finish his sentence before Alessia stepped forward and grabbed Lucy by the collar . Looking down at her , Alessia's eyes held no anger , only a calm , chilling indifference . Lucy , on the other hand , couldn't hide the tremor in her eyes - fear and panic flickering across her face . " W - what are you going to do ? " " Let go of my daughter , you wretch ! " Yvonne , bound and helpless , struggled furiously . Liam simply yanked the rope , dragging her further away . No matter how loudly Yvonne hurled insults , he held on tight , frowning in silence . " Lucy , " Alessia said evenly , " even without the Tate name , I'm still me . But if you lost the Summers name , would you still be you ? You always talk about high and low … but which of us is really above , and which is below? Want to find out ? " " You're only acting tough because Stella's backing you up . Do you really think , with your reputation in tatters , you're still good enough for Cole ? Please . Nobody in class is going to treat you the way they used to . They're just pretending to care - for their own benefit . " " Is that so ? How sad for you ," Alessia replied , her gaze tinged with pity . Somehow , without even realizing it , Lucy had lost the upper hand . Her emotions ran wild , and the outcome was already decided . " Go home and get some sleep . We're done here for tonight . If you want to stir up trouble , go ahead - just remember , that's only if you're still interested in staying Daddy's precious Summers heiress . Understood ? " " What's that supposed to mean ? You think you can threaten me with your status ? " " Threaten you ? " Alessia let out a soft , disbelieving laugh . " You're not even worth threatening . Call it friendly advice . The Summers family has a big contract on the table , right ? Think of this as a warning . Behave yourself , and that'll be the end of it . But if you don't … well , losing that contract will be the least of your problems . " Lucy's face drained of color . The Summers had landed a major deal recently - her father was so confident , he'd been in a good mood for weeks and had even given her a hefty allowance . If the deal fell through … 1/2 15:40 Chapter 35 " You expect me to beg you for mercy ? Don't make me laugh ! Alessia , you've got nothing left . You're bluffing about my father's deal ? Fine . Let's see what you can actually do ! " Lucy was practically shaking with rage , glaring at Alessia like she wanted to tear a piece out of her . She didn't believe Alessia could pull it off , but after years of being beneath her , there was a pit of unease in her gut she couldn't shake . Alessia didn't answer , just gave a faint , knowing smile , as if everything was unfolding exactly as she intended . " Stella . " " Yeah ? " Stella replied , immediately stepping forward . " Toss them out . " Stella's eyes lit up . She took the rope , grabbed Lucy by the back of her jacket , and moved so fast Lucy barely had time to react . Lucy struggled , but Stella's grip was iron - strong . Both Lucy and her mother were powerless , only managing to tangle themselves further . " Oh , and one more thing , " Alessia called out , and Stella froze mid - step . Everyone looked at her - some confused , some seething with hatred . " Remember , my name's Alessia . Next time , don't get it wrong . " Alessia's smile was sweet and gentle , like the girl next door - except for the shadow of black wings that seemed to flicker behind her . With that , Stella shoved the two outside . Lucy and Yvonne stumbled but managed to steady themselves , just as Stella slammed the door shut with a flourish . She looked down at the rope in her hand - the same one she'd just untied as she sent Yvonne tumbling out . 2/2