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.”

me but didn’t say another word. He didn’t have to–his disapproval was clear enough. He’d already voiced his concerns

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

and while she hadn’t said it outright, I could sense her nervousness. Hoping to encourage her and, admittedly,

input was crucial. There was too much to sort out for me to handle it alone, and this arrangement

be glued to her phone. But as the minutes ticked by, I found myself growing

wasn’t that I thought something was wrong, exactly, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that something else was weighing on

least of

bad habit of taking everything 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, to me,

Chapter 0156

+25 BONUS

she was hiding something–a secret she was afraid to let others get involved in. Considering what David had tried to do to her at the hotel, I couldn’t help but wonder if he had more blackmail material. Perhaps it was something she was too embarrassed to

in me, nor did I expect her to, but it would

press her for answers. There were plenty of things I wasn’t transparent with her about,

bothered me far more than

pulling me from my thoughts once again, “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

the least,” I said. “He’s trying to maintain 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.”

you think the best approach is to wait

We need to be strategic about this. My

to do with that information? August

on that as well. But what’s more curious discovered about David’s recent travel.”

August asked,

at I’ve

my desk and slid it over to him.