Chapter 117

Logan

The drive to the restaurant the next morning was a tangled mess of tension and silence.

Ella was visibly nervous, her hands darting to her hair every so often, running her fingers through the wavy strands as if that simple act could calm her racing heart. From where we sat in the back of our cab, I wanted to reach out and comfort her in some way.

But after everything that had happened the night before, I was hesitant.

“Don’t do it again,” she had said after I kissed her.

It really wasn’t intentional. I wouldn’t have done it if it weren’t for the way that she looked so beautiful beneath the theme park lights, if it weren’t for the way that the powdered sugar stuck to her lips and made her look all the more sweet.

My wolf had pulled me closer then, and I wasn’t able to resist. She had tasted just as sweet and delicious as she looked, and I could tell that she wanted to kiss me, too. But when we had pulled away, she was colder than ever.

She was cold, too, on the balcony, even though it was obvious to me that she wanted more.

“She wants you,” my wolf had said, his voice a growl in the back of my mind. “Why won’t she just admit it?”

“Because,” I answered as I slipped back inside my spacious—and infinitely lonely—hotel room, “she thinks we would never work out. That we’re too… different.”

“That’s bullshit, and you know it.”

“Of course I know it,” I said, scoffing slightly. “Trust me, I think about it every day.”

But at the same time, no matter what I thought or said, there was a part of me that wondered if Ella was right; if our lives, our upbringings, and our futures were set on paths that were just too different.

And right now, there was no guarantee that I would walk out of this mafia lifestyle unscathed, or even alive. Hell, my brother might just take me down with him, I thought. If he couldn’t have the fortune, then maybe no one could.

And in a way, because of that, I was somewhat grateful that Ella was keeping her distance. She wouldn’t need another heartbreak if something happened to me. And I sure as hell didn’t need another heartbreak if something happened to her.

I glanced at her in the back of the cab, my gaze lingering on the way her blue dress clung to her figure, enhancing her beauty in an almost ethereal way. I couldn’t hold back my thoughts anymore.

“You look good, Ella,” I said, my voice soft but sincere. “The blue dress and your hair down—it suits you.”

She blinked, her eyes meeting mine for a fleeting moment before she looked away, the hint of a blush tinting her cheeks. “Thank you, Logan. You look good as well.”

That simple affirmation was enough for now. It was better than nothing. I found myself looking out the window again at the city as it passed by, trying to bury the slight reddish tinge to my cheeks.

“What are you going to tell my dad when he finds out who your father is?” Her voice was filled with worry, pulling me back to the inside of the cab.

I exhaled deeply, my grip tightening around my knees. “I’ll tell him the truth. I want to distance myself from my family’s criminal activities. I’m aiming to lead a legitimate business life, different from my father’s.”

She looked at me, her gaze probing, as if she didn’t fully believe me. And I didn’t blame her, if I was being honest. How could she fully believe me yet? But finally, she nodded. “Stick with that, and I don’t think my father will have too much against you. You two will be business partners in no time.”

Her words should have comforted me, but they were actually anything but that. Truthfully, I didn’t just want to be business partners with her father. I wanted to be more involved with her family. Hell, I wanted to be more involved with her.

“Here it is.”

The driver stopped in front of a posh-looking restaurant with a large patio area overlooking the city. I felt my heart leap ever so slightly, but I quickly calmed it. I had spent a lifetime preparing for moments like this.

As we stepped out of the car, I couldn’t shake off the cloud of uncertainty that loomed over me. I was about to meet her parents. We were about to take this whole fake relationship to the next level, and it very well could end in disaster.

But as I caught a glimpse of Ella in her blue dress again, walking beside me, I felt myself grow calm again. I decided then and there that whenever I felt nervous today, I would look at her. She was like a light in a storm.

We walked towards the restaurant, each step feeling like an eternity. When the door opened, I was met with the scent of gourmet food and the sound of conversation, laughter, and cutlery.

Just as we were about to approach the hostess, a stunning red-haired woman came out of nowhere, her eyes lighting up as she spotted Ella.

“Ella! Darling!”

In one fluid motion, she wrapped Ella in a tight hug, a whole host of emotions reflected in her vibrant green eyes.

“Hey, mom,” Ella cooed, hugging the red-haired woman back. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too, sweetie,” she said, pulling back from the hug. As they pulled away from each other, the woman’s eyes flicked toward me, the faintest hint of curiosity lighting up her features.

“Logan, this is Moana, my mother,” Ella said, her voice a mixture of emotion that I couldn’t quite place.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” I managed, extending my hand for a handshake. “I’ve heard so much about you.”

Moana grinned. “Hopefully only good things.”

The moment our palms met, something extraordinary happened. A warmth spread through me, a sense of belonging that I had seldom felt. My wolf spirit stirred within, resonating with the Golden Wolf that Moana was known to be.

A flood of respect washed over me, filling me with a tranquility that almost made me forget the tense circumstance of our meeting.

Moana’s eyes widened for a split second before she smiled. “I always knew Ella would bring home a handsome man, but you, young man, exceed expectations.”

Ella’s cheeks flushed a deep red. “Mooom,” she whined, rolling her eyes but smiling stiffly. I couldn’t help but smirk, catching a glimpse of the child she must have been, all innocent and bashful under her parents’ praises.

“Sorry, sorry,” Moana said, taking a step back and flicking a lock of curly red hair over her shoulder. “I know how embarrassed you get. But really, Logan, it’s wonderful to meet you.”

“Same to you,” I said, feeling oddly comfortable around this woman I had just met. Maybe it was because she was the Golden Wolf, or maybe it was because I saw a bit of Ella in her.

Even though Ella was Moana’s adoptive daughter, they still had uncanny similarities in their mannerisms. If Ella hadn’t told me that Moana was her stepmother, I would have wholly believed that they were biologically related.

“Where’s dad?” Ella asked, standing up ever so slightly on her tiptoes to peer through the restaurant.

Moana grinned. “He’s at the table. Come on, let’s go. He can’t wait to see you.”

We navigated through the restaurant toward the table where Ella’s father, Edrick, was seated. As we approached, my heart rate quickened.

Edrick stood up, his frame emanating an authoritative aura that left no doubt about his Alpha status. A billionaire and the heir to not only a family fortune but a renowned company, he was the epitome of a man who had fought for his kingdom and earned it well.

“Dad,” Ella breathed, closing the distance between them. She almost seemed to melt into his arms as he pulled her in for a tight hug, planting a kiss on the top of her head. He whispered something into her ear, something which I couldn’t make out, but Ella nodded and pulled away, smiling before turning back to face me.

“Dad, this is…”

“No need,” Edrick said, extending his hand. “Logan. And I’m sure you know my name already.”

I swallowed imperceptibly, immediately taken aback by his commanding yet not unfriendly nature. “Yes,” I said, taking his hand. “Nice to meet you, sir.”

We exchanged handshakes, and his grip was firm, unyielding. But it was his eyes that struck me the most—intense, assessing, yet protective. It was as if they held an unspoken warning: ‘Hurt her, and you answer to me.’

When we finally pulled away, my hand almost ached.

“So, this is the man who’s stealing away my little girl,” Edrick finally said, his words both an acknowledgment and a challenge.