#Chapter 141: In the Face of Darkness

Ella

The moment my eyes found my parents making their entrance into the grand hall, I felt like I could breathe a little easier.

Shaking off Logan’s hold on my arm, I weaved through the maze of socialites and mobsters, until I reached them.

“Dad, Mom,” I greeted, my arms wrapping around them in a fleeting embrace that made all of my worries melt away, even for just a moment.

“Ella, you look beautiful,” Moana, said, pulling away to study me. Her eyes carried a mix of pride and concern. Classic mom.

My dad, along with her, gave me that fatherly once-over. “You okay, Ella? You look a bit tense.”

Before I could reply, a looming shadow descended upon our intimate circle. Leonard. He was like a vulture circling roadkill on the verge of dying, just waiting and biding his time for it to take its last breath.

“Ah, Mr. and Mrs. Morgan, I presume,” he said, stepping in with that air of confidence that only heightened my anxieties. “Leonard Barrett. Very pleased to meet the esteemed