Chapter 187

Ella

The morning sun filtered through the sheer curtains, casting a warm golden glow across the room. As sleep released its grip on me, however, I became acutely aware of the fact that I was…

Not in my own bed.

Slowly, the memories of last night began to return.

“Would you—possibly—consider maybe… staying with me? At least for tonight?”

As soon as I had uttered those words, I felt myself cringe. I released my grip on Logan’s arm and quickly looked away, clearing my throat.

“Seems like someone’s lovestruck,” Ema said, her mental voice laced with a slightly mocking tone.

My cheeks flushed red. “I’m not,” I replied internally. “I’m just… not good with sleeping away from home.”

“Are you sure you want me to stay?” Logan asked, glancing around the room. “I mean, it’s pretty cozy in here. But if it’s too big for you, I can move you to another room—”

“Actually, this is fine,” I said, shaking my head with a chuckle. “I can stay here. Thanks for everything.”

Before Logan could answer or view my embarrassment any longer, I went to close the door in his face. But he stuck his hand out and stopped the door from closing. My face turned an even brighter shade of red as I looked at his palm pressed into the wood, then looked up to meet his blue-eyed gaze.

“I’ll stay.”

I blanched a bit at his words. “No, it’s really fine,” I stammered out. “I can—”

“Ella. I’ll stay.”

Neither of us said much more after that. We got ready for bed, and soon enough our heads were hitting the pillows. I made sure to keep my distance… Or so I thought.

My heart skipped a beat as I realized where I was now. I turned my head slightly, and there he was; Logan, still asleep beside me, his face relaxed in slumber. We must have moved closer during the night because now I was nestled in his arms, my head resting on his chest.

For a moment, I simply lay there, taking in the peaceful scene. I couldn’t deny the fact that I felt safer here, cocooned in Logan’s strong arms. It was a stark contrast to the fear and uncertainty that had plagued me for weeks. And for the first time in all that time, I felt as though I had finally had a good night’s sleep.

Eventually, Logan began to stir. His eyelids fluttered, and then his vibrant blue eyes met mine before I had a chance to move away. He looked down at me with a soft, almost tender expression in his sleepy eyes.

“Morning,” he murmured, his voice husky and gravelly with sleep.

I couldn’t help but smile in response. “Hey there,” I whispered back. I cringed again at my choice of words, my face flushing red. God, I was acting like a lovestruck teenager. This wasn’t like me. Was I really that enthralled?

However, despite my embarrassment, we didn’t pull away from each other right away. Instead, we lay there for a moment longer, caught in a comfortable silence, our bodies pressed close. I could feel Logan’s steady heartbeat against mine, his warmth enveloping me beneath the sheets.

But eventually, Logan shifted without a word, untangling himself from me. He sat up on the edge of the bed, running a hand through his tousled hair.

“So, I have some work I need to do,” he said, his voice still gravelly from sleep. “I’ll be in my office if you need me.”

I watched him go, a pang of sadness tugging at my heart no matter how much I tried to deny it. My bed felt colder now, and this room felt more foreign.

“Ooh,” Ema said in that mocking tone again, “look who misses him already? Maybe you should’ve asked him to stay.”

“Stop it, Ema, you’re being—”

“Come on, Ella,” Ema interrupted. “You can lie to yourself, but not to me.”

As she spoke, I let out an audible sigh. There was no point in trying to argue.

After a little while, I decided to get up as well. I pulled some of the clothes that Logan bought for me out of the bags, and was pleasantly surprised over the choices. A cardigan and a pair of tailored trousers called to me, and I put them on before combing my hair out and brushing my teeth.

But as I got ready, I realized that I wasn’t entirely sure what to do. Was going to work even an option? What if Marina showed up? What if she had her suspicions?

“I should talk to Logan,” I whispered more to myself than to Ema.

I made a point to leave my tapped phone in the bedroom, not wanting to risk any sensitive conversations being overheard. With a deep breath, I headed to Logan’s office, located at the other end of the sprawling mansion.

I knocked lightly on the door and entered. Logan was seated behind a massive oak desk, poring over some documents. He glanced up when I entered, raising an eyebrow in mild surprise.

“Ella,” he greeted me, his tone neutral. “Shouldn’t you be at work?”

I blanched a bit, realizing that I was acting a bit like a lost puppy.

“I... I feel a bit lost right now,” I admitted, my voice soft. “I’m not sure what I should do; what’s safe and what’s not safe.”

Logan nodded understandingly. “Phone?” he asked, nodding his head toward my pocket.

“I left it in my room.”

He nodded, clearly realizing that it was safe to speak freely. “I should’ve been more clear,” he said, his gaze softening. “But you should continue going to work as usual. It’s the best way to avoid arousing suspicion.”

I nodded in agreement. “Right, I’ll do that.”

Logan regarded me for a moment longer before he spoke again, his expression serious. “Ella, I need you to understand something,” he said, leaning forward slightly. “It’s crucial that you continue adding to your ‘secret dossier’, the one meant to incriminate me. Marina can’t get suspicious, and we need to maintain the illusion.”

“What if she gets ahold of it and somehow uses it against you?” I asked, cocking my head to the side.

With that, a slight smirk spread across Logan’s face; there was the Logan I knew. Not serious, not cold, but maybe a little mischievous. “Don’t worry,” he assured me. “She won’t.”

I nodded stiffly, my cheeks turning a bit red as he smirked at me. “Okay. I’ll tet to work on that.”

He nodded, seemingly satisfied with my response. “Good,” he said.

With that, he returned his attention to the papers in front of him. I took it as my opportunity to leave, and turned on my heel, grateful for the chance to hide my blushing face. But as I reached the door and my hand touched the door knob, his voice carried across the room again.

“Ella?”

“Hm?” I asked, turning to face him one last time.

He paused, licking his lips as though considering his words carefully. It felt as though he had something to say, but he seemed to change his mind about it at the last moment.

“I appreciate your trust,” he said, his voice low as he leveled his blue-eyed gaze with mine. “It means a lot.”