Ella POV My father was staring at me expectantly. I felt silly for how nervous I was, I knew that I had done nothing wrong. Facing his anger wasn’t something I was used to. I took a deep breath to calm myself. “Alexander and I spent the afternoon figuring out a use for the land we gained from Da
My father smiled, the kind of proud smile that always made me feel like I could take on anything. "That’s my girl," he said warmly. "Now, it seems to me you’ve had a very long day. Why don’t you go get some rest? You’ve got therapy in the morning, right?" "That’s right," I confirmed. "My occupatio
Ella POV Before I even opened the message from Amanda, I called Alexander. My hands were trembling as I waited for the call to ring through, and relief washed over me when his face appeared on the screen. “What’s wrong?” he asked immediately, his expression sharpening as he took in my obvious di
My eyes widened as I took in his words. He was right—David’s stunt put the entire kingdom in an awkward position, forcing people to choose between our wedding and his. It was a calculated move, but a reckless one. Unless he did something drastic to regain public favor, this gamble wouldn’t pay off.
Alexander POV My phone started to ring almost as soon as I ended the call with Ella. I glared at the screen as I saw it was the venue. They had a lot of nerve to violate a contract with me, but I had to keep my anger in check. I kept my voice calm and firm as I answered. “Have you called to ex
“Not exactly.” I grimaced at the thought of Amanda and shook my head. "I don’t want to vent to you about something like this." "Does it have something to do with David, though?" she asked in a hushed tone, her voice dropping as if she didn’t want anyone to overhear. "Because since our last convers
Ella POV “He is a difficult man to shop for,” Elizabeth said as we left our fourth stop empty-handed. “I think I’m making it more difficult than it needs to be,” I admitted, frustration seeping into my tone. “I just want to get something that will really make an impact on him, and nothing feels
I glanced at James, who nodded slightly, always ready to help. The idea was starting to feel more real, more possible. If I could pull this off, it wouldn’t just be a gift—it would be a memory. Something meaningful. Something perfect. The three of us began making our way toward the tailor shop. As
“I can’t,” he said weakly, his voice choked by tears.“Why?” I asked, frustrated.He looked away from me and I realized that I already knew the answer to that question. “Alexander is keeping something from me,” I said softly.He nodded, but couldn’t seem to meet my eyes.I could only imagine how har
Ella POVAugust paced across the living room, his brows drawn together in frustration. The tension in the room was thick.He and Alexander had a huge fight just a short while ago. I wasn’t in the room when it happened, but I could hear them shouting. I couldn’t make out any of the words, but it was
“I–” Sabrina looked at Lexie and sighed softly. “I’m very grateful. We’d be happy to stay with you until we’re able to find a safe place of our own.”My father smiled brightly. “Wonderful. We’ll be very happy to have you.”Overwhelmed with gratitude, I reached for his hand. “Dad…thank you. I didn’t
Ella POVThe warm glow of the restaurant’s chandeliers cast a golden hue over the elegantly set tables.I sat beside Alexander, my fingers absentmindedly tracing the edge of my wine glass as I watched Lexie beam with pure delight. The little girl twirled in her chair, the soft pink dress Alexander h
Alexander’s gaze softened as he considered the offer. “That… might actually be the best solution.” He reached across the table, taking my hand in his. “I can’t tell you how much it means to me that you’re thinking about her like this.”I squeezed his hand. “She’s important to you. That makes her imp
Ella POVThe bustling noise of the shopping center’s food court was drown out by the sound of Lexie’s excited voice. Her tray of food was mostly ignored in favor of conversation.Her bright blue eyes were filled with excitement as she rattled off every thought that came to her mind.“And then the pr
Alexander blinked in surprise, obviously caught off guard. "Alright,” he said. “Let’s play."I watched as Alexander followed Lexie into the play area, my chest tightening with emotion. I could see it so clearly—the bond forming between them, the way Alexander was already looking at Lexie like she wa
Ella POVAlexander sat on the couch, staring blankly at the darkened television screen. The soft glow of the city lights filtered in through the windows, but his mind was elsewhere.His fingers tapped absently against his knee, his body tense with restless energy. He didn’t even seem to notice that
Third Person POVArcher Gray tried to keep his breathing steady as he stood before Ironfang. The dimly lit chamber was suffocating, the air thick with the scent of damp stone and something more metallic—blood, perhaps.His palms were damp, but he refused to let his nerves show. He had dealt with dan