The Shadow Lords & Their fake princess

Four

ADESSA POV

I stood there for a moment, staring through the towering iron gates.

This was Ridgeview University.

It looked less like a school and more like the estate of a royal family. Gothic buildings stretched across acres of perfectly landscaped grounds, towering stone archways connected each hall, and fountains lined the brick pathways leading toward the main campus. Luxury cars filled the parking lots while students dressed in tailored uniforms laughed as though they didn’t have a care in the world.

This was a world I had only ever seen on television.

And somehow… I was expected to belong here.

“Walk.” Dante’s voice pulled me back to reality.

I forced my feet forward. The moment we stepped through the gates, conversations around us began to die down.

Heads turned. Whispers followed.

I kept my eyes ahead, pretending not to notice the curious stares burning into my skin.

“They’re looking at me,” I murmured.

“They’re looking at Adessa Michaelson,” Dante corrected quietly. “Get used to it.”

Easy for him to say. He’d been born into this life. I was still trying to figure out how to breathe in it.

We climbed the wide stone staircase leading to the administration building. Before we reached the entrance, a woman in a navy suit hurried outside with a welcoming smile.

“Mr. Michaelson.” She extended her hand. “It’s an honor to finally have you back on campus.”

“The pleasure is mine, Dean Whitmore.”

She turned to me. “And you must be Adessa.”

I forced a polite smile. “Yes, ma’am.”

“It has been far too long. We’re delighted to welcome you to Ridgeview.”

“Thank you.” I prayed she couldn’t hear how fast my heart was pounding.

She gestured for us to follow her inside.

The administration building was every bit as extravagant as the campus outside. Marble floors gleamed beneath crystal chandeliers, portraits of former benefactors lined the walls, and students in expensive uniforms moved through the corridors with effortless confidence.

The dean led us into her office and gestured for us to sit.

“I’ve already finalized your enrollment,” she said, sliding a folder across the desk. “Your class schedule, dorm assignment, student identification card, and campus access pass are all inside.”

I reached for the folder.

“Your professors have been informed about your return after your accident,” she continued kindly. “If you struggle to remember names or places, don’t pressure yourself. Everyone has been instructed to give you time to adjust.”

I glanced at Dante.

So this was why he’d insisted I use memory loss whenever I didn’t know an answer.

It wasn’t just an excuse. It was part of the story.

“Thank you,” I said softly.

The dean smiled. “If there’s anything you need, my office is always open.”

Dante rose from his seat. “I believe that’s everything.”

The dean nodded.“I’ll have someone escort Adessa to her dorm.”

“No.” Dante answered before I could. “I’ll take her myself.” The dean didn’t question it. She simply smiled and wished me luck. A few minutes later, we stepped back into the hallway.

Dante looked at me. “This is where the performance begins.”

I tightened my grip on the folder. “I know.”

“You sure you know?.”His voice was calm, but firm.“Because you don’t, if you f**k this up I will mess with you and your family .”

He adjusted the collar of my blazer with the precision of someone fixing a business deal instead of preparing a girl to live a lie.

“From this point forward, every word you speak, every expression you make, and every person you meet will judge whether you’re Adessa Michaelson. Why many you went to high school with.”

He lowered his hand. “So don’t give them a reason to doubt you.” Without waiting for a response, he turned and continued down the corridor.

I followed close behind, trying to remember that I wasn’t walking as Adessa Scott anymore.

I was walking as the daughter of a man who owned half the room without saying a word.

And if I slipped… Everything would come crashing down.

We stepped back outside, the morning sun warming my skin as students hurried across campus in every direction.

Dante walked with the confidence of a man who owned every inch of ground beneath his feet.

Maybe he did. People greeted him as we passed. He acknowledged each greeting with nothing more than a nod.

I, on the other hand, could feel every pair of eyes following me.

“Keep your head up,” Dante said quietly without looking at me. “Confidence is far more convincing than perfection.”

I straightened my shoulders.

“You’ll make mistakes,” he continued. “Everyone does. The difference is that confident people don’t look guilty after making them.”

I glanced at him. “Easy for you to say.”

He looked ahead. “We all are pretending to something Adessa.”

Before I could ask what he meant, he stopped outside a large stone building covered in climbing ivy.

A bronze plaque beside the entrance read:

Hawthorne Hall

“This is your residence.”

I looked up at the four-story building. Students moved in and out carrying suitcases, laughing with friends and greeting roommates they hadn’t seen in months.

A woman in her early fifties stepped out through the front doors carrying a clipboard.

The moment she saw Dante, her smile widened.

“Mr. Michaelson. Is good to have you grace us.”

He shook her hand. “Mrs. Holloway.”

She turned to me. “And this must be Miss Michaelson.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“It’s lovely to finally meet you. We’ve prepared your room exactly as requested.”

“Thank you.”

She handed me a silver keycard.

“Room 312. You’ll have a private suite. If you need anything at all, my office is on the first floor.”

I accepted the keycard with a quiet thank you.

Mrs. Holloway excused herself to help another student, leaving Dante and me alone again.

He reached into the inside pocket of his jacket and pulled out a slim black envelope. “Take this.”

I accepted it. Inside was a platinum bank card.

My eyes widened. “I can’t take this.”

“You can.”

“I’ve never even seen a card like this.” I said surprised.

“You’ll have to get used to it.”

I stared at him.

“There is no spending limit,” he said. “Adessa Michaelson has never worried about money. Neither should you.”

I carefully slid the card back into the envelope. “This doesn’t feel real.”

“Well that’s one benefit you enjoy for being my daughter .”

His answer was so blunt it almost made me laugh.

“This is a role. You’re playing it until my daughter wakes up.”

There it was again. The reminder that none of this belonged to me.

Dante checked the time on his watch.

“I have a meeting in the city. I won’t be here when your classes end.”

He looked at me for a long moment.

“If there’s a problem, call me. Don’t try to solve it yourself.”

“I understand.”

He gave a single nod before turning toward the waiting SUV. After a few steps, he stopped without looking back. “One last thing.”

“Yes?” I said barely a whisper

“Whatever happens inside Ridgeview…” His voice was calm. “Never forget why you’re here.”

With that, he got into the SUV and the vehicle disappeared down the long driveway.

I stood alone in front of Hawthorne Hall, clutching my room key and the black envelope.

I was completely on my own.