Chapter 103

Ella POV

The silence that followed was so pronounced it felt heavy. Alexander didn’t respond, and the seconds dragged on long enough that I glanced at my phone to make sure the call hadn’t dropped.

"Alexander?" I said softly. "Did I say something wrong?"

"No, not at all," he answered quickly, though there was a slight edge to his voice. "You’re right, of course. You should have met my family by now. It’s an oversight on my part that you haven’t."

“I don’t want to pry,” I said uncertainly.

“No, of course not,” Alexander said, his tone steadying. “You’re not prying at all. I’ll speak to my mother and make arrangements.”

I nodded, even though he couldn’t see me. “All right,” I said softly. But something about Alexander’s tone left me uneasy.

I couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t quite right. Alexander had never struck me as embarrassed by his family. He’d spoken of them before—briefly—but I hadn’t gotten the sense he was hiding anything. So why had the thought of me meeting them drawn such a reaction from him?

Surely, it was obvious that if he and I were going to get married—even if it was fake—I would eventually have to meet his mother.

Then again, I’d been nervous about Alexander meeting my parents too. Maybe I was just overthinking it. Things would probably be fine. Probably.

"Are you sure nothing's wrong?" I asked, my voice soft but insistent. "I'll be honest, your reaction is concerning."

"I'm simply distracted," Alexander said with a slight laugh, though it didn’t quite reach his usual confidence. "There’s a lot of work to be done."

"Yes," I said hesitantly. "I guess that’s normal for you."

"Maybe I haven’t been sleeping enough," he said dismissively. "At any rate, everything is fine. There’s no need for you to be concerned."

"I’m glad to hear it," I replied, though his tone didn’t fully ease my worries.

"I owe you for reminding me, actually. My mother’s going to be furious if I leave her out of the wedding planning. I can’t believe I overlooked something like this."

"We certainly don’t want her to be upset," I said with a faint smile.

The fact that Alexander had forgotten about his mother when it came to the wedding planning told me they mustn’t be particularly close. I supposed that wasn’t unusual for a grown man, especially one who had been more or less on his own in the capital for the last few years. As much as Alexander worked, I doubted he had much time to go home for a visit.

Still, I couldn’t help feeling sad for him. He’d lost his father and wasn’t close to his mother. Other than August, I hadn’t met anyone who could be considered Alexander’s friend. His life seemed consumed by work, leaving little room for anything else.

At least we managed to have some fun together, I thought. Maybe when this was all said and done, he’d have learned to balance things a little more. If I could help him with that, then all of this trouble we’d gone through together might at least have a happy outcome.

"You'll have to come to our packlands," Alexander said suddenly. "It'll be the easiest way for you to meet the whole family and for me to properly introduce you to the pack."

"Oh," I replied, startled. It hadn't even occurred to me that visiting Alexander's packlands would be part of this arrangement. I'd never been that far north before. Alexander spent so much time in the capital that I’d just assumed that was where we’d stay.

"Is that going to be a problem?" he asked, his tone curious but cautious.

"Not at all," I said quickly. "I look forward to it."

"Really?"

"Yes," I assured him with a smile. "Who knows, maybe I'll even learn a little more about you—break through that impenetrable shell of yours."

Alexander chuckled, a rich sound that made the corners of my mouth twitch upward. "I'd be impressed if you did," he admitted. "But perhaps I shouldn't underestimate you. You do have a tendency to surprise me."

I couldn’t help but smile at that. The fact that I could surprise a man like Alexander—a man so composed and unreadable—was no small feat. And knowing that it amused him made my heart flutter just a bit.

Third Person POV

David’s happiness never seemed to last long. Sure, he’d handled the situation with the land Ella had demanded from him, and he was quite pleased with how clever he’d been.

He made damn sure that land would be utterly useless—devoid of profit for her or anyone else. His pride swelled at the thought of it, his chest puffed with the certainty that he’d outsmarted her.

It felt secure enough to indulge Amanda a little, spending extra to flaunt his financial strength. Besides, it smoothed things over with her. She was desperate to take him back, of course, but still wounded by how publicly he’d rejected her to pursue Ella.

Amanda understood the necessity of gaining Ella’s power, but the sting lingered, and David couldn’t bear to see her hurt. He truly cared for her, after all.

Spoiling her to make up for it didn’t bother him—until he saw the headline.

The article hit like a punch to the gut. David had gone to great lengths to move money around, hiding the strain his spending on Amanda had placed on his finances. He’d even managed to keep it from his father. Yet somehow, some nosy journalist had dug up the truth.

How they got that information, he didn’t know—but he would find out. Someone had betrayed him, and they would pay.

First, though, he had to manage the public fallout. That was the real threat. He needed to keep the people on his side, to prove he was worthy of the crown. A broke king? Laughable.

David would deny the accusations, of course, no matter how true they were. But mere denial wouldn’t be enough. He needed something big, something drastic, to shift the narrative.

Originally, he’d hoped to save money on the actual wedding, explaining it as a desire for privacy and intimacy after the public fiasco of his first marriage. The leaked video of Amanda had only bolstered that excuse. People would understand.

But that plan wouldn’t work anymore. Not after this.

Now, his wedding would need to dazzle. It had to be the event of the year. But the wedding was months away, and he couldn’t afford to wait that long to counter the rumors. He needed something sooner—something extravagant.

An engagement party. That was it. A lavish affair, inviting every Alpha and Luna across the land.

He’d showcase his wealth, his power, and his unity with Amanda. The rumors would be silenced, and his image restored.

His blood boiled as he glared at the comments section of the article. People wouldn’t stop comparing him to Alexander Black. It enraged him.

Alexander was nothing—a spoiled playboy, a heartless cutthroat who had only swooped in on Ella to embarrass David.

Why couldn’t Ella see that? It was painfully obvious Alexander didn’t love her. No one did. No one except her parents.

But her parents would be out of the way soon enough.

David clenched his fists, a malicious smirk creeping across his face. He’d have Ella’s land, her power, everything. One way or another, she’d pay for humiliating him.

It was only a matter of time before all his plans came together, and he won.