Chapter 125

Ella

The party had long since quieted down. I had already said my goodbyes to Clara, Daisy had gone to bed, and now it was just me, my parents, and Logan. The air coming through the penthouse window smelled like rain; a storm was brewing on the horizon.

“Are you sure you don’t just want to stay here tonight, honey?” Moana asked, following my gaze out the window. “It’s supposed to storm.”

“I’ll be fine,” I said, not wanting to reveal the actual reason behind why I didn’t want to share a room with Logan. “Thanks, though.”

My mother was silent for a moment. Logan was off in the kitchen being fawned over by the two maids, who had taken an immediate liking to him. I could see him through the doorway, refusing another bite of food.

Selina was perched on a stool, watching him with her hawk eyes. But there was a softness to her gaze as she looked at him, something that was rare for her when it came to newcomers.

“Ella,” Moana started, lowering her voice, “I have to ask, because I’m your mother: are you okay with all this—being with Logan, I mean?”

Her words, spoken so earnestly, shattered the facade of calm I had been clinging to all evening. Edrick’s eyes scanned my face as if searching for clues, his protective instincts taking over, and he nodded in agreement with my mother.

“Honey, if there's something off here, if you’re being coerced into this relationship because of his family’s… influence, you can tell us. We’ll do whatever it takes to help you, sweetheart,” he added.

Their words made my heart do a flip. In that moment, the temptation to spill everything—to confess about the arrangement, the job I lost for refusing Logan initially, the night his men frightened me, and the day I was attacked by another gang—loomed large.

Here was another way out, being offered to me on a platter. It would be so easy. I could end it all here, go home, pick up the broken pieces of my life, and try to rebuild it far away from mafia messes and romantic entanglements.

But as my mouth opened, ready to release the floodgates to my parents, my wolf nudged me from the inside. “Don’t, Ella,” she cautioned. “You don’t want to do this.”

I snapped my mouth shut, the words dissipating before they were even uttered. “Why?” I shot back at her internally. “Why shouldn’t I?”

“Because you have feelings for him. Because you don’t want it to end, no matter how much you refuse to admit it,” she responded.

I sighed, struggling to quell the rising emotions. “Be quiet,” I told her for what felt like the millionth time that night, my internal voice tinged with irritation and another emotion that I couldn’t quite place.

Finally, I looked up, locking eyes with my parents. “Everything is fine,” I assured them, my voice sounding foreign even to my own ears. “There’s nothing to worry about. Logan’s been nothing but respectful. I’m… happy.”

Moana’s green eyes held a mix of relief and residual worry as she looked at me.

“Are you sure, honey?” she murmured, her gaze flicking to Logan, who was now telling some animated story that was making Lily and Amy giggle in the kitchen.

“Yes, mom,” I replied, trying to hide the smile that was threatening to tug at the corners of my lips. “I’m fine.”

My mom nodded and exchanged glances with my dad. She then pulled me into a hug, her arms wrapping around me as if she could shield me from some unforeseen evils.

“I love you, Ella,” she whispered.

“I love you too, mom,” I replied, reveling in the warmth of her embrace.

Edrick patted my back gently as he joined in on the hug. “I’m looking forward to the engagement party,” he said as he pulled away, meeting my eyes. “That’ll be a good time to meet Logan’s father. I want to make sure you’ll be safe, Ella. That’s all I ever want.”

I smiled, but it was barely concealing the tension that immediately bubbled up under my skin at the mention of Logan’s father. “I’m… looking forward to it too, dad,” I said, though my thoughts immediately flew to Leonard and Harry. Those two had a knack for ruining everything they touched, and the thought of them mingling with my family made my stomach churn.

“What if they ruin everything?” my wolf asked, her words mirroring my anxieties perfectly.

“We’ll cross that bridge if we come to it,” I told her, even as I felt the roots of worry begin to wrap themselves around my mind.

…

Logan and I sat in silence as we drove back to the hotel. The quiet that stretched between us was tense after our passionate kiss in my childhood bedroom, punctuated only by the sound of the car’s engine humming and the sound of the turning signal at almost every intersection.

The trip to my home city was short, but I was looking forward to going home. If anything, I was just looking forward to this weekend coming to an end so that I could go back to the way things were; to comfortable distance and pleasant exchanges with Logan, nothing more, nothing less. Too much had happened between us over the span of the past two days, and I wasn’t willing to let it go any further.

“Are you sure about this?” my wolf asked, clearly perturbed by my conviction.

I let out an almost inaudible sigh. “Hush, you,” I said for what felt like the millionth time that night. “You’re getting desperate.”

She growled. “I’m a part of you, Ella. I only feel what you feel, just tenfold.”

Her words made my throat clench. Choosing to ignore her, I decided to refocus my attention on the cityscape outside the car window.

Finally, we reached the hotel, and I felt like I could breathe. The elevator ride and the carpeted hallway both seemed to stretch on forever, but we finally found ourselves outside of our rooms.

“Well, here we are,” I said, inserting the key card into the slot and hearing the lock click open. “I’ll see you bright and early tomorrow. Our flight home is at 9 a.m., so don’t even think about being late like last time.”

Logan smirked, leaning casually against the wall, his eyes locking onto mine. “Wouldn’t dream of it. Although I’ll admit, waking up early isn’t exactly on my list of favorite activities.”

“I’m not particularly thrilled about it either,” I retorted. “But the sooner we get back, the sooner we can deal with the fun-filled excitement of planning an engagement party.”

His smirk deepened. “Ah, yes, an occasion I’m sure both our families are eagerly awaiting.”

“Yeah, about that…” I paused, my hand still on the doorknob. “My dad is ‘really looking forward’ to meeting your father.”

Logan’s expression momentarily shifted, something unreadable flashing through his eyes. “I’m sure Leonard will be on his best behavior.”

“I hope so. I just don’t want any surprises, Logan.”

“Do I look like the kind of guy who likes surprises?” He raised an eyebrow, his blue-eyed gaze still fixed on me.

“Yes, you do,” I quipped, finally turning the doorknob and pushing the door open. “Goodnight, Logan.”

He held my gaze for what felt like an eternity, his eyes searching mine as if looking for something before he finally seemed to give up on finding whatever it was.

“Goodnight, Ella.”