Another Chance for the Luna Queen by Aurora Starling

Chapter 0156

Chapter 0156

Alexander POV

Ella always managed to surprise me in ways I didn’t expect When we met at the gym, it wasn’t necessarily her strength or speed that caught me off guard–I’d expected her to have some athleticism. What surprised me was her enthusiasm.

For someone who claimed she didn’t exercise regularly, she threw herself into each part of the workout with an energy that was rare to see.

After she left, I met with each of the trainers to discuss her results, and though none of them openly praised her, I could see they were as impressed as I was. It made me feel an odd surge of pride.

Of course, any public praise of Ella reflected positively on me due to our “relationship,” but that wasn’t why I felt this way.

Ella had endured more in the brief time I’d known her than most people face in a lifetime, and all of it at the hands of someone who claimed to love her. Yet, despite the pain she’d suffered, she continued to push forward, to improve herself, and to find ways to reclaim her life. There was a quiet strength in her, a resilience that was rare.

In a way, I admired her. She somehow balanced that strength with a gentleness that most people would have lost long ago. It was a balance that very few people could maintain–and one I struggled with myself.

“Sir,” August’s voice cut through my thoughts. “Is there a reason you keep checking your phone?”

I shook my head, looking up at him as I set my phone down on the desk. “I apologize,” I said. “I‘ distracted this morning.”

“I see that,” he replied. “Is anything wrong?”

little

“No, it’s nothing like that,” I said dismissively. “I’m simply waiting for a response from Ella. I’m trying to decide on my plan for the day, and her input is needed.”

disapproval was clear

simply being thorough. After all, I had to be careful to maintain the illusion. of a close relationship with Ella if I wanted people

said it outright, I could sense her nervousness. Hoping to encourage her and, admittedly, to open the

and Ella’s input was crucial. There was too much to sort out for me to handle it alone, and this arrangement wouldn’t

away. Ella wasn’t the type to be glued to her phone. But as

“concerned” wasn’t the right word. It wasn’t that I thought something was wrong, exactly, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that

least of her worries.

on herself, even when she had allies ready and willing to support her. She wouldn’t even go to her father for assistance in situations where,

Chapter 0156

+25 BONUS

had tried to do to her at the hotel, I couldn’t help but wonder if

did I expect her to, but it would make things infinitely easier for

answers. There were plenty of things I wasn’t transparent with her

message bothered me far more than it should have.

“David Lake is getting a lot of attention in the public eye lately. He’s being very showy about his wedding planning–parading his mate around the capital in expensive

his reputation after losing all that land to Ella. He doesn’t want people to think it’s hurting him financially, although it obviously is. He won’t be able to sustain this kind of spending for long. If he keeps it up, he won’t be able to afford the actual wedding.”

is to

a mistake. We need to be

you plan to do with that information? August

Ella’s input on that as well. But what’s more curious discovered about David’s recent

mean?” August

at I’ve

pulled a paper from the stack on my desk and slid it over to him. It was a timeline compiled using border