Chapter 195

Ella

When Logan and I finally pulled apart, I was left breathless, my head whirling. Logan looked at me expectantly as the music came to an end and the other couples that were dancing around us began to disperse.

“Logan, I—”

“Just tell me you will,” he said, already taking a step back.

I nodded, my heart still racing from our kiss. “Of course,” I managed to say, my voice a bit breathless. “I’ll meet you.”

“Good.” Logan shot me a smile. “Now, I’ve got to talk to a couple of people. Will you be okay on your own, or do you want to join me?”

“I’m… going to get a drink,” I said, swallowing. “Thanks anyway.”

With a nod, Logan turned on his heel and disappeared into the throng. I was left there for a moment, my head swirling with thoughts before I came to my senses and stepped away from the dance floor. I didn’t want to look totally dazed and confused, after all.

I made my way to the bar, ordering a cocktail off of the menu. The bartender took my order with a polite smile, and as he made my drink, I turned to look at all of the paintings adorning the walls. It seemed as though Logan had quite the expensive taste when it came to artwork; everything from authentic Mucha prints to what looked like a Manet. I hadn’t noticed until now.

Hell, maybe I hadn’t been paying enough attention; but in an odd way, it felt as though it was all for looks, all to create a facade of this discerning man from an upper class lifestyle when in reality, he was an underground car racer and a mobster who just wanted out.

In the midst of my contemplation, Ema’s voice suddenly echoed in my mind.

“Tonight might be the night, Ella,” she said, her voice filled with excitement. “The night when your relationship finally becomes real, not just a charade.”

The bartender handed me my drink, and I took it from him, relishing in the feeling of the liquid warming my insides as I took my first sim. “Don’t be so sure, Ema,” I replied mentally. “This is just a networking event, after all. Or a holiday event, or whatever the hell is going on here.”

But Ema was insistent. “But can’t you see, Ella? Logan clearly cares for you. He bought you a dress, jewelry, introduced you to people from his past, danced with you… kissed you. And now he wants to meet with you in the garden at midnight. Maybe he wants tonight to be special, the night he finally confesses his true feelings.”

I glanced over at Logan, who was still engrossed in a conversation with another businessman, his charismatic smile and confident demeanor on full display. For a moment, I just allowed myself to look at him as I sipped my drink. He looked as handsome as ever in his tuxedo—although, for a moment, I let myself picture him in his racing uniform, the tight leather taut across his skin…

“See?” Ema chided, reading my thoughts. “You can’t stop thinking of him.”

I blushed. The thought of him confessing his love sent a shiver down my spine, and there was no hiding it.

And yet, at the same time, I couldn’t let myself fall victim to this sort of thinking. We had a deal, nothing more.

Right?

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, Ema,” I replied, returning my attention to the painting in front of me. “For the millionth time, it’s a networking event. He’s probably scheming up some way to stop Harry and Marina. Or, hell, maybe it’s just a regular old networking event and there’s nothing going on behind the scenes. Either way, it has nothing to do with me.”

“Or maybe, just maybe,” Ema said, “it’s both. Maybe he has his own agenda, and maybe you just so happen to be a part of that agenda. And would that be so bad?”

I sighed, torn between my doubts and Ema’s unwavering belief. Did I want Logan to confess his true feelings for me? Or was I just caught somewhere between loneliness and the irresistible pull of my fated mate?

I slipped away from the bar after that, choosing to carry my drink as I wandered around the perimeter of the room and looked up at the paintings. It was a foolproof way to avoid socializing, and at one point, I stopped to look at a particularly colorful painting of a landscape as I sipped my drink.

But as I studied the painting, lost in its beauty, I suddenly felt a tap on my shoulder. Startled, I turned to see Lyra standing there, her striking gray eyes fixed on me. She was dressed in an elegant black gown that accentuated her slender figure, and her presence exuded confidence. I instantly felt small beneath her gaze, even though I knew I shouldn’t.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” she said, nodding her head toward the painting.

I nodded, returning my gaze to the bright swirls of colors. “It is.”

Lyra and I were silent for a moment as we admired the painting. Then, glancing over my shoulder, I asked, “Are you enjoying the party?”

She nodded. “It’s nice. I heard whispers that Logan had become quite successful, so it’s exactly what I expected.”

“That reminds me,” I said, bolstered a bit by her openness and the alcohol, “you two used to date, right? I’m curious to know more about it.”

As I spoke, Lyra shot me an amused glance. “He didn’t tell you?”

“Well,” I said, taking another sip of my drink, “he told me a bit about it. About the arranged marriage and the… ‘cheating’.”

Lyra’s gaze turned thoughtful. “That’s pretty much it,” she said with a shrug. “We never really had feelings for each other; we were more friends than anything. Although, I think even if we never were forced into being together, we still wouldn’t have gotten along very well as romantic partners.”

“Why’s that?” I asked, curiosity getting the better of me.

“We’re just so different,” she said. “Back then, at least, he was so… serious. A bit cold, too. Always just focused on making money and impressing his father. He never wanted to have any fun.”

I raised an eyebrow, finding it hard to reconcile the Logan I knew with the description she had just given. Logan seemed cold in the beginning, but not so much now. “That’s odd,” I said. “Because he certainly acts like a jokester now. Sometimes to a fault.”

Lyra’s smile softened, and she nodded. “That’s because Logan is happy now, Ella. He found you, and you make him happy.”

I was taken aback by her words, unsure of how to respond. It wasn’t what I had expected to hear from Logan’s ex-girlfriend. “Well, I... thank you for saying that,” I managed.

Lyra smiled as she looked at me. “Sometimes people change for the better,” she said gently, returning her gaze to the vibrant painting in front of us. “It’s good to be fluid, to be dynamic. I never expected him to be the same as he was six years ago, but I also never expected him to seem so…”

She paused, her eyes searching the painting as though searching for the right words before she finally seemed to settle on one.

“...Happy.”

As she spoke, I couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt for having assumed the worst about Lyra. She was actually… sweet.

“Thank you, Lyra,” I said gently, raising my glass in a toast. “I needed to hear that.”

Lyra offered me a smile in return, and clinked her glass with mine. Then, she turned to leave. As she disappeared into the crowd, my gaze wandered across the room, and I spotted Logan from afar.

I watched him for a moment longer, and in that moment, Lyra’s words kept whirling around in my head. The way he smiled, the way he laughed with the business associates standing around him… was that really because of me?

Because of us?

Suddenly, our eyes met, and in that moment, I felt a powerful connection between us. I knew what it was: our wolves. It was an invisible force drawing me to him, and for the first time, I didn’t hesitate to follow.

I allowed my wolf to guide me, to pull me closer to Logan, and as I made my way through the swirling sea of guests, I couldn’t help but smile.