Chapter 140

Ella

Logan’s grip on my waist tightened as Leonard appeared again, his eyes more calculating than ever. “Ella, your father is coming tonight, correct?”

I swallowed hard, my eyes darting around the extravagant room as if it could offer me a way out of this situation. “Yes, they got caught up in traffic, but they’re on their way.”

Leonard smirked, sipping his champagne. “And what about your little sister? Will she be gracing us with her presence as well? I’ve heard so much about her, you know.”

My jaw clenched. There was something in his tone, something that went beyond a man simply asking about my sister. He was probing, although for what, I couldn’t be sure. “I wouldn’t invite my sister to a gathering like this, Leonard.” I stopped myself short, sensing the edge in my voice. I was about to add something more but bit back the words.

The glint in Leonard’s eyes was unmistakable. “I see.” He looked at Logan. “Well, I do hope tonight won't be a disappointment. Edrick and I have some matters to discuss.”

With that, Leonard turned, his tuxedo tail swirling behind him as he melted into the sea of glittering gowns and crisp suits. The tension he left in his wake was enough to cripple me.

Logan looked down at me, his eyes searching mine. “You okay?”

“What does he mean by that? ‘I hope tonight won’t be a disappointment?’” I shot back, a bit more harshly than I intended.

Logan sighed. “You know my father. Always with the veiled messages.”

“Yeah, well, some of us aren’t fluent in ‘veiled messages,’” I retorted.

“I know, I know,” he said, lowering his voice. “Just try to ignore him.”

“But how can I?” I hissed, shaking him off. “Your father is practically foaming at the mouth to meet mine. God, I know this isn’t a real engagement, but isn’t it a little… I don’t know, boorish?”

Logan sighed and passed his hand over his face, nodding. “I know,” he said quietly. “He thinks they’re going to strike up some business deals.”

“And what will happen if my father refuses?” I asked. “Will he take away your right to the fortune? I wasn’t expecting this, Logan.”

“Me neither.” He paused, straightening. “Look, Ella, just… let’s just be careful tonight, alright?”

I rolled my eyes. “Careful indeed. I need another drink if I’m going to withstand these people,” I muttered, feeling the weight of too many eyes on me.

Before I could head toward the bar, though, Logan grabbed my arm, pulling me slightly to the side, away from the curious gazes. “Ella, seriously; you have to be careful tonight. If everything goes as planned, I could be named the heir to my father’s fortune. This can all be over. Tonight.”

Over? Tonight? I was torn between relief and a sense of loss I couldn’t quite name. “Fine, I’ll control myself,” I said quietly. “But if anyone brings up my sister in that creepy tone again, I can’t promise anything. And I can’t stand the way all of these mobsters keep looking at me, like fresh meat ripe for tasting.”

Logan’s eyes, always so hard to read, seemed to soften. “Nobody will touch you; I’ll make sure of it. I meant what I said to your father that day.”

My cheeks flushed, the memory of that promise making me feel simultaneously cherished and vulnerable.

“Thank you,” I murmured.

Logan nodded. “Same goes for your sister,” he said, touching my shoulder gently, his touch sending a shiver down my spine. “I’ll do everything in my power to keep both of you separate from whatever anyone tries.”

His words, though reassuring, weren’t quite enough to make me feel at ease. I stared down at the floor, feeling all too nervous for a night like this. And to think that I had spent the past month preparing myself, readying myself for the onslaught of probing questions and thinly veiled threats.

Suddenly, there was a tap on Logan’s shoulder. We both turned around to see a man and a woman standing there—the same couple who had been talking to Harry and Marina earlier.

“Beatrice—Charles,” Logan said, a tense smile coming over his face. He put his arm around me and gestured to them. “Ella, these are my distant cousins, Beatrice and Charles.” As he introduced them, his voice slipped into that formal tone he used for these occasions.

Beatrice stepped forward, her hand outstretched in a delicate gesture that felt calculated to appear casual. “Charmed,” she said. “I was just talking to Marina—Harry’s fiancee. She said you’re a lawyer. How splendid!”

“Yes, I am,” I replied cautiously. Marina? Telling others about my merits instead of breaking them down?

“Marina mentioned your business really took off after taking Logan as a high-profile client. It must be quite the boon for your career,” Beatrice continued, her smile a bit too fixed.

Ah, so there it was. Marina hadn’t been lauding my accomplishments; she had been sowing discord, as she always did.

I hesitated, a knot of discomfort tightening in my stomach. It was true that my practice had gained traction, but her implication hung heavy in the air, making me feel like a leech who was just using Logan for career advancement.

“But really,” Beatrice went on, clearly reading my silence as an invitation to delve deeper. “A successful man can elevate those around him. You must be ever so grateful to Logan.”

That was it; I felt a biting retort building up, ready to snap. But Logan intervened before I could unleash it.

“Actually, Beatrice, it’s quite the opposite,” he said, his tone stern but respectful. “Without Ella’s legal expertise, I would be nowhere. She’s a highly intelligent, well-versed woman of the law. Having her as a partner in both business and life is an honor.”

I looked up at Logan, my eyes widening in surprise. He had defended me before, but never with such unreserved admiration. My heart swelled; he was being so incredibly sweet, standing up for me like that.

Charles, who had been quiet all this while, chimed in. “Well, it sounds like a partnership of equals then.”

“Absolutely,” Logan affirmed, putting his arm around me, as if solidifying his words with that simple gesture.

Beatrice appeared momentarily flustered, her composed smile twitching just a fraction. “Well, it’s wonderful when things work out so… synergistically,” she said, clearly reconsidering her previous assumptions.

“Synergy is a good word for it,” I agreed, suddenly feeling like I had regained my footing, thanks to Logan.

“Speaking of synergies,” Charles ventured, attempting to change the subject, “have you two thought about working on any business endeavors together? A couple with your combined resources could make a killing.”

Logan looked at me, as if considering the idea for the first time. “We haven’t discussed it in detail. You know, too focused on the wedding.”

“Yes,” I chimed in, putting on a tense smile. “The wedding. It’s the most important thing to us right now.”

There was a slight silence. I could feel Logan’s arm tighten around me ever so slightly. We both knew we were lying, and yet we had done it so well that I began to wonder: were we lying?

But no. There was no ‘wedding’ on the horizon. Just business transactions and the end of a contract.

“Well,” Beatrice said, offering a stiff smile. “It was lovely meeting you, Ella.”

“And you,” I replied. Logan and I watched as they left, each of us letting out a breath that neither of us knew we were holding.

I looked up at Logan, prepared to say something, anything, to fill the silence. But before I could form the words, the grand doors of the ballroom swung open with a sense of drama only money could buy.

Moana and Edrick walked in, and the room fell silent.