Chapter 139

Ella

Logan pulled up in his sleek, black car, and the moment I opened, I could feel his eyes on me.

“You look... wow,” he said, clearly searching for the right word. “Would you mind doing a little spin?”

Feeling my cheeks flush, I spun around, the fabric of my blue dress swishing around me. I had worn my hair down, curled perfectly, with just the right amount of lipstick and eyeshadow. I wore a dainty gold necklace, golden earrings, and matching golden shoes, a perfect understated look for an engagement party.

When I faced him again, I noticed his own cheeks had turned a shade of red.

“You clean up pretty well yourself,” I shot back, eyeing his well-tailored suit with his matching blue tie.

Logan grinned. “Shall we?”

As we drove to the restaurant, the atmosphere inside the car was palpable, like a low hum of electricity. We didn't say much, but then again, we didn't need to. The tension spoke volumes. It had been another two weeks since our fateful shopping trip, and the waters had only warmed to a tepid temperature, if only because both of us had been too busy with work since then to see each other.

We arrived at an upscale restaurant that Logan had reserved for the event. Stepping out of the car, I adjusted my dress and glanced at Logan.

“Ready for this?” he asked, a hint of apprehension in his voice.

“Are you asking me or yourself?” I retorted.

Logan chuckled as he offered his arm. “Both, I guess.”

I took his arm, hoping that he couldn’t notice that I was shaking. We walked towards the entrance, and just before pushing through the double doors, Logan stopped us. “Listen, Ella, you should know—my father invited a lot of his friends and business partners. And since your father will be here, expect a lot of mobsters.”

I looked up at him, my eyes narrowing. “I can handle myself, Logan. But thanks for the heads-up.”

“I know you can,” he said, “but still, it’s better you know what you’re walking into.”

We finally entered the restaurant, and it was as though we had stepped into a different world. The chandeliers glittered overhead, casting a soft glow on the sea of well-dressed people milling about, most of whom I didn’t recognize.

“So, yet another nest of vipers,” I said under my breath, barely audible over the music and chatter.

“A very well-dressed nest of vipers,” Logan corrected with a sly grin.

I chuckled. “You’re not wrong.”

We navigated our way through the crowd, each step feeling heavier than the last. I could feel eyes on me, sizing me up, evaluating me. Some were familiar faces, others complete strangers, but all wore the same inscrutable expression.

Logan must have sensed my unease because he leaned in closer, his lips grazing my ear and making me shiver. “Ignore them. I’ll do the talking if you need me to.”

I felt my cheeks warm up, but I didn’t look at him. “I think I’ll be okay. But thanks.”

“Just know that I’m here,” he murmured, and I felt my heart do a flip in my chest.

Suddenly, my phone buzzed in my purse. I pulled it out and read the text from my mother: “Flight got delayed, so we’re just landing now. We still have to check into the hotel, but we’re going as fast as we can. Is an hour okay?”

“No rush,” I replied, then sighed and slipped my phone back into my purse, glancing around nervously.

“You alright?” Logan whispered, pulling me closer to him.

“Of course,” replied, though I couldn’t hide the slight tremor in my voice.

“Are you really?”

I shrugged. “They’re late. That’s all.”

Logan pulled me a little closer. “Don’t worry. They’ll get here.”

He probably thought he was just putting on a good show for the guests, but damn, did I feel safer in the crook of his arm.

His lips curled into a half-smile as he navigated us through the crowd. The room was lavish, just as I had expected, but the black, white, and gold theme had pulled together well. Waiters moved deftly between groups, silver trays of champagne and delicious-looking hors d’oeuvres in hand.

Logan snagged two glasses of champagne from a passing waiter and handed one to me. “Here,” he said. “For your nerves.”

I gratefully toko the glass and took a sip. The liquid courage cooled my nerves, if only just a little.

For a while, we mingled and made small talk with an array of characters—everyone who Logan introduced from Logan’s father’s old school friends to newer associates in their circle.

I felt oddly detached from the conversations, more like Logan’s arm piece than the ‘bride-to-be’. I didn’t know anyone here, except for Marina and Harry, who were in the midst of a lively conversation with another couple that I didn’t recognize in the corner.

“Ah, Logan, Ella, enjoying the evening, I hope?” said a voice that was all-too familiar.

It was Leonard, Logan’s father. Dressed in a crisp tuxedo and sporting a smile that never seemed to reach his eyes, he was the epitome of a man who knew too much but said too little.

“As much as one can, Leonard,” Logan replied, perhaps a little coolly.

“It’s a lovely party,” I added, because it felt like the right thing to say.

Leonard’s eyes flicked me, then to the empty space beside me. “Is your father here, Ella? I was hoping to meet him.”

Logan and I exchanged glances before he spoke. “Edrick should be here soon. What’s the saying? Fashionably late?”

Leonard chuckled, a sound that had the same warmth as a glacier. “Ah, yes. Well, he’s a busy man, I’m sure. Going on overseas vacations and all that.” His eyes slid over to me, and there was a knowing glint behind them. I was transported back to the last party, when I told Leonard that my father was overseas when he wasn’t. He must have known.

“Like father, like daughter,” I chimed in, smiling. “Busy bees.”

A waiter passed by, and Leonard grabbed a glass of champagne. “Well, when he arrives, be sure to let me know. There are matters we should discuss.”

“Will do,” Logan said, his grip on my waist tightening ever so slightly.

“Until then, try to have some fun, you two,” Leonard said before turning and disappearing into the crowd.

Logan let out a deep breath, as if he'd been holding it in during the entire exchange. “You okay?”

“Define ‘okay.’”

Logan chuckled. “Fair enough.”

Another couple came by, and Logan and I were thrust back into the same rehearsed conversations, nodding and smiling at all the appropriate moments.

But my mind kept drifting back to Leonard’s question about my father. What ‘matters’ did they need to discuss? And why did the question linger like an itch I couldn’t scratch?

“Earth to Ella,” Logan said, waving a hand in front of my face.

I snapped back to reality. “Sorry, what?”

“I asked if you wanted to go out for some fresh air,” he repeated.

I was about to tell Logan that yes, I would absolutely like to go outside. But before I could, Leonard’s voice once again broke through the din, and I whipped around to see him standing behind me with that knowing look in his eyes once again.

“Ella—Your father is coming tonight, correct?”