“I have to admit, I’m concerned,” my mother said, her voice sharp with worry."You really don't have anything to worry about," I replied, trying to keep my tone steady."Don't take this the wrong way, sweetheart," she pressed, "but I’m afraid you haven’t shown the best judgment recently. Are you cer
Ella POVI had been spending so much time in the capital lately that my father had offered to get me an apartment. The upper levels of our family’s small pack building had bedrooms, and one could easily be converted into a space for me. I had declined, though I knew it might be useful in the future.
Ella POV“You're delusional!” The fifth woman, a short redhead, finally pushed her way to the front of the group, her eyes blazing with rage as she locked onto me. “You're either completely delusional or you know the truth about Alexander and don't care. Is that it? Are you just trying to help him h
Hyacinth seemed to grasp the weight of my words as her gaze bore into mine, searching for any hint of mercy. After a long, tense moment, she blinked heavily and finally looked away. “I’ll write up an apology,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper, before turning and rushing off in the same dir
Ella POV“Several women have come forward in recent days to confess that their stories about Alexander Black were fabricated,” the female reporter said, her dark eyes fixed directly on the camera.I wasn’t looking at the television; my gaze was locked on my mother, who stared at the screen, her mout
Alexander stepped away from the microphone, and the sound of reporters shouting questions flooded the air. He shook his head, and I could hear him say, “No questions, thank you,” before he directed Nadia and Miranda to walk away from the reporters, seeming to shield them from the invasive questions,
Ella POVI hadn't attended the carnival in the capital in a very long time. In fact, I hadn't even realized it was coming up until Alexander invited me to go with him.At first, I couldn't picture someone like him at a carnival—with children running around, people eating cotton candy, and playing si
Alexander POVI gasped in surprise as Ella put her arms around me.I hadn’t expected it. I thought she'd call my bluff, put her hands out and push me away, or pull back in some way. But instead, her big, dark eyes had closed with anticipation.The soft press of her lips against mine, the warmth of h