Chapter 177

Ella

As I stood by the window, tears streaming down my cheeks, I watched Logan get into his car and drive away. I felt like I had failed him, and truthfully, I had. Here I was, his ally despite of everything, and yet I was plotting his downfall.

And I couldn’t even tell him.

Logan’s car faded into the distance, and I watched the empty street for a while until my eyes met my own reflection in the window. I looked haggard and tired, like I had been taken apart and put back together. And I felt that way, too.

Then, Ema’s voice echoed in the back of my mind.

“How could you just let him walk away like that?” she growled, sounding just as frustrated as I felt.

I bit my lip, my heart aching. “I couldn’t tell him. Not with Marina listening to everything. I never know now if she’s listening. Even when I’m not at home, I don’t feel safe.”

As I spoke, my eyes flickered over to my phone where it lay on the coffee table. Was my phone tapped? Were there hidden listening devices in my purse, my jacket, anywhere? The thought of it made me shudder, and I turned away to look out the window again, hugging my arms around myself.

Ema let out an exasperated sigh. “You had the perfect opportunity, Ella. You could have used your Mindlink with Logan. You could have told him everything without saying a word.”

I blinked, stunned by the realization. Ema was right. As mates, Logan and I could communicate through our Mindlink without speaking, so long as we were kissing. But we hadn’t been romantic in that way for so long that it didn’t even occur to me.

I felt like such a fool.

“I don’t know,” I admitted, feeling the weight of my mistake settle in. “I didn’t even think of it, Ema. I was just... overwhelmed.”

Ema’s voice softened, and I could feel her concern. “Ella, you can’t let fear and doubt control your actions. You and Logan are meant to be together, to support and protect each other. You can’t afford to make these kinds of mistakes, especially now.”

I wiped away my tears, feeling a sense of regret wash over me. “I know, Ema. I messed up. But I don’t know how to fix it. Logan is angry with me, and I don’t blame him. And besides, what if he didn’t even want to kiss me?”

Ema was silent for a moment, as if considering her words carefully. “You’ll have to find a way to make things right, Ella,” she said gently. “Talk to him, explain everything through your Mindlink. He deserves to know the truth, and you can’t keep him in the dark any longer. He already knows something is off.”

I nodded, a newfound sense of determination blossoming in my chest. Ema was right. I couldn’t let fear and doubt hold me back any longer. I had to face the consequences of my actions and do whatever it took to protect both Logan and my family.

“I’ll find him,” I said. “I’ll use our Mindlink and tell him everything.”

Ema’s presence in my mind felt comforting, and I knew she was there to support me. “That’s the spirit, Ella,” she said. “You’re stronger than you think. Now go find Logan and set things right.”

With a renewed sense of purpose, I left the window and rushed to grab my coat. I couldn’t let Logan stay angry with me, not when there was so much at stake. If only I had thought of this just a few minutes earlier, everything would have been different. But I was determined to set everything right now.

But then, just as I was grabbing my coat off of the hook my phone rang. I froze, my heart pounding in my chest. My legs felt heavy as I walked over to the coffee table, and my eyes widened when I saw it.

An unknown number. Marina.

For a moment, I considered my options. If I answered, there was no telling what she would say, what she had heard. But if I didn’t answer… there was no telling what she would do.

Finally, swallowing, I picked up the phone with a shaking hand and swiped to answer.

“Ella,” she purred on the other end of the line before I even had a chance to speak, “I heard the whole argument. Quite the lover’s quarrel you two had there.”

My heart sank further, realizing that Marina had indeed been watching and listening to everything.

“Why are you doing this?” I demanded, my voice trembling with a combination of anger and fear.

Marina chuckled, and her tone was chilling. “I can’t have you and Logan getting too close, Ella. You might accidentally spill the beans about our little arrangement. Don’t think I’m oblivious to what just crossed your mind.”

My eyes widened slightly. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Oh, I think you do,” she said with another chuckle. “It’s common knowledge that two mates can use their mindlink while kissing; and you two have done it in the past, right in public, haven’t you? What makes you think I’d let you go around doing anything like that again?”

As I stood there, my mind whirled with thoughts. I didn’t know how she knew what I was planning; perhaps my movements were too obvious.

I clenched my fists, my frustration becoming too much to bear. “You’re a manipulator, Marina.”

Her response was nonchalant, as if she took pride in it. “Guilty as charged.”

I took a deep breath, trying to find a way out of this mess. “Fine,” I hissed. “I won’t tell him. But if you want me to keep Logan as my client, you need to come up with something.”

Marina’s laughter was unnerving. “Oh, Ella, you think you can make demands of me? You’re in no position to negotiate.”

I couldn’t let her intimidate me. “This is your mess, Marina,” I growled. “Why did you even hint at anything to Logan? You could have just kept your mouth shut.”

Her voice turned cryptic. “Call it a… test,” she said with that wry chuckle of hers. “But if it’s so important to you, fine. I’ll come up with something. Be ready for a little gift within the next day or two.”

Before I could respond, Marina hung up, leaving me with a sinking feeling in my chest. I knew she was capable of anything, and I had to be careful.

As I paced around my living room, my mind raced. I had torn this entire apartment up, and yet she had heard and possibly even seen everything. And she had already said that closing the curtains wouldn’t make a difference, which made me certain that my phone was tapped, and there also had to be hidden cameras in the walls.

Then, suddenly my phone buzzed again. It was a message from an unknown number, but I already knew exactly who it was.

I opened the message, and there it was.

A picture of my little sister fast asleep in her bed, wearing her pink pajamas. My heart stopped.

“Sweet dreams,” the message read. “You wouldn’t want this lovely pink color to be stained with red, would you?”

Tears welled up in my eyes, and I clenched my phone in my hand, my anger boiling over. Marina had pushed me too far, and I couldn’t let her continue to threaten my family.

But for now, I was trapped, forced to play Marina’s dangerous game.