Chapter 141

Ella

The moment my eyes found my parents making their entrance into the grand hall, I felt like I could breathe a little easier.

Shaking off Logan’s hold on my arm, I weaved through the maze of socialites and mobsters, until I reached them.

“Dad, Mom,” I greeted, my arms wrapping around them in a fleeting embrace that made all of my worries melt away, even for just a moment.

“Ella, you look beautiful,” Moana, said, pulling away to study me. Her eyes carried a mix of pride and concern. Classic mom.

My dad, along with her, gave me that fatherly once-over. “You okay, Ella? You look a bit tense.”

Before I could reply, a looming shadow descended upon our intimate circle. Leonard. He was like a vulture circling roadkill on the verge of dying, just waiting and biding his time for it to take its last breath.

“Ah, Mr. and Mrs. Morgan, I presume,” he said, stepping in with that air of confidence that only heightened my anxieties. “Leonard Barrett. Very pleased to meet the esteemed parents of my future daughter-in-law.”

“Likewise,” my father responded, meeting Leonard’s handshake with a firm grip. A silent battle of wills seemed to transpire in that moment, and I found myself holding my breath.

“An extraordinary event, Mr. Barrett,” my mom chimed in, her voice a perfect mix of grace and charm, as always.

Leonard beamed. “Why, thank you. It is my son’s engagement party, after all. I’d hope for it to be a night to remember.”

His gaze turned to me, ever so briefly, before returning to my father. And even in that split second, I could sense it—the underlying tension, a snake lying in wait beneath the facade of platitudes.

Leonard was sizing up my father, and Edrick, with his decades of business experience, was doing the very same.

After a few more moments of pleasantries, Leonard excused himself, and we were alone again. My father looked around, seemingly unphased by the company he was in.

I watched him, marveling at how well he carried himself despite the ominous air that took over the room. He laughed with a couple of strangers, even tossing back a glass of whiskey with a man I recognized from one of the previous parties as one of the city’s most notorious mobsters.

My mother and I managed to steal a moment to ourselves, standing off to the side, amidst a small forest of potted plants that looked more expensive than they should be.

“Ella, darling, you look a bit distracted. Is everything alright?” Moana’s voice was tinged with a motherly intuition that I could never escape.

“I’m just worried about dad,” I said, my eyes scanning the crowd until they landed on Edrick. “He’s good at putting on a face, but he’s being bombarded with business proposals left and right.”

My mom chuckled. “Oh, darling, your father has been in the business world long enough to handle much more than this. The only difference between our usual galas and this one is the guest list. And trust me…” She leaned in closer, lowering her voice into a conspiratorial whisper. “Sometimes there’s not much of a difference between mobsters and businessmen.”

I laughed softly, the tension easing from my shoulders. “So, you’re saying I shouldn’t worry?”

“Never worry about a lion in a room full of cats,” she said, her eyes sparkling with that unquenchable fire I had always admired.

Feeling significantly lighter, I hugged my mom tightly, whispering my thanks into her ear. “Thank you for talking me down from a high place.”

Moana squeezed me back, her warmth enveloping me like a protective shield. “That’s what moms are for, my love.”

As we broke the hug, I glanced across the room, catching sight of Logan. Our eyes met, and for a fleeting second, I allowed myself the fantasy that this charade was real.

But it wasn’t long before I shook off the feeling, reminding myself of the reality lurking just beneath the surface of this extravagantly deceptive evening.

“Come,” my mom urged, hooking her arm through mine. “Let’s go join your father. You know how he hates to be left alone at these things for too long.”

“Yeah.” I sighed, allowing her to guide me back towards the den of vipers. “Let’s do that.”

…

As I mingled through the sea of people, feeling both seen and invisible at the same time, Logan’s eyes met mine from across the room. It was as if he had sent out a magnetic pull, and before I knew it, I found myself drifting towards him.

“Ella, may I have this dance?” He extended his hand towards me, his voice soft and low.

With a nod, I placed my hand in his. As we joined the other couples on the dance floor, the orchestra switched to a slower song.

He wrapped his arms around me, and we moved as one. Or bodies became pressed close together as we swayed back and forth, and although I hated to say it, it made my worries melt away.

“I always forget how much of a natural you are,” he whispered, his lips inches away from my ear. His breath smelled like champagne, and for a moment, I felt as though we were back in the hotel room, just moments away from a life-altering decision.

“I could say the same about you,” I replied, a bit startled by my own candidness.

A soft smile touched his lips as he looked down at me. “You’re still nervous, aren’t you?”

I shrugged. “I guess you could say that.”

He sighed. “You’ve got nothing to worry about, Ella. Your dad’s winning over my father. After today, it’ll all be over.”

“Is that supposed to comfort me?” I couldn’t keep the edge out of my voice. “Knowing that I’ve deceived everyone I care about?”

“It’s a necessary evil,” he murmured, his eyes searching mine. “Besides, my father is so impressed with Edrick that I’m almost certain he’ll name me his heir after today. You won’t need to ‘deceive’ anyone for much longer.”

Hearing those words—that it was almost ‘over’—almost made me sick. But I swallowed that feeling, deciding to pack it away to deal with at a later point, probably in the privacy of my own home with a bottle of wine.

“And what happens when we ‘break up’? How are you going to keep your position then?” I shot back, as though trying to find cracks in his facade.

“That’s not your concern. You’ve done your part.” The look in his eyes told me he wanted to say more, but he held back.

I wanted to argue, to unleash the whirlpool of emotions I was feeling. But I held back too. Instead, my thoughts turned inward, to my wolf that had gone so oddly quiet ever since Logan and I had become entangled. I missed her voice, her insight. I felt alone in this.

The music swelled to a crescendo, and Logan executed a perfect dip, lowering me until I was parallel with the floor.

The world turned upside down, and my eyes locked onto his. In that moment, I felt a tear form at the corner of my eye. The complexity of it all—of Logan, of me, of this whole messed-up situation—threatened to overwhelm me.

With an unexpected amount of grace, Logan brought me back up, and our faces were so close that I could kiss him. His voice was low and husky as he spoke. “Ella, I—”

“I have to go,” I cut him off, stepping back and untangling myself from his arms. It was the only way to keep my composure, to maintain the illusion that I was unaffected.

“Ella, wait—” he started, but I was already walking away, the tears in my eyes becoming too much to handle.