#Chapter 57: Shadows of the Past

Ella

The familiar scent of mahogany and fresh ink greeted me as I walked into the firm, but something felt different that day.

It wasn’t a physical change in the surroundings, but a shift in the atmosphere—the type of shift that instantly lets you know you’ve become the topic of whispered conversations.

Conversations halted mid-sentence, eyes diverted, and the atmosphere grew noticeably cooler. Jane from the legal research team was suddenly very interested in her coffee cup, while Peter from corporate had suddenly taken an intense interest in his shoe laces.

My inner wolf, always keen and alert, sensed the discomfort instantly.

“It’s because of Logan”, she growled softly in the back of my mind. “It’s because of him and your association with him.”

I gave a forced smile to Diane, the receptionist, trying to brush off the internal chatter of my wolf and the external coldness of my colleagues. “Morning, Diane,” I greeted cheerfully, though I could feel the strain.

“Ella,” she replied, her