Chapter 112

Ella POV

Even before I fully processed what I was seeing, an uneasy feeling settled in my chest. Beside me, Alexander stood silent, either gauging my reaction or caught in disbelief himself.

The ground was ruined. Deep furrows crisscrossed the earth in jagged, uneven lines of soil and stone. Mixed throughout were patches of white.

I moved cautiously toward the fields, crouching to scoop up a handful of the soil. Rubbing it between my fingers, I noticed its hardness and coarseness. Without thinking, I brought it to my lips and tasted it. The harsh sting was unmistakable.

I dropped the dirt and turned to Alexander. My voice was hoarse and uneven as I forced out the single word.

“Salt.”

Alexander stared at me, his expression unreadable for a moment before fury darkened his features.

“That rotten little cheat,” Alexander said, his voice thick with outrage as he yanked his phone from his pocket and began dialing. “He’s not going to get away with this.”

“Slow down,” I said, stepping toward him. “What are you doing?”

“Calling my lawyers,” he replied without missing a beat. “We have a contract, and I’m certain it includes provisions guaranteeing the state of the land. I want to confirm the exact wording before I go down to Alpha Derrick’s and confront him.”

“Confront him?” I repeated, startled. “No, we can’t confront him.”

“Why the hell not?” Alexander demanded, turning to face me with disbelief blazing in his eyes. “Look at what he’s done! This land was rightfully yours after everything he put you through. He owes you far more than this, and now he’s destroyed it. You can’t grow anything on salted land. It’s useless—it’ll never be fertile again, not in our lifetimes. He has to pay for this!”

“I understand all of that,” I said, trying to keep my voice calm, even though my own anger simmered just beneath the surface. “But storming down there and confronting him isn’t the smart move.”

Alexander’s fiery gaze held mine, his jaw tight. He didn’t interrupt, but it was clear he was waiting for an explanation.

“This is a challenge,” I said, glancing back at the ruined field. “This is David daring us to escalate. He knows as well as we do that everything between us is under intense public scrutiny. Yes, he’s in the wrong here, but he’ll never admit it. He’ll claim the land was vandalized by someone else. And if we take legal action, he’ll twist it into a narrative that paints me as bitter and vengeful, trying to sabotage his so-called ‘newfound happiness.’ It’ll hurt us more than it’ll hurt him.”

Alexander’s jaw clenched tighter as he absorbed my words. His frustration was obvious, but I could see in his expression that he knew I was right.

“It’s unsatisfying, I know,” I continued, folding my arms across my chest. “I’d love nothing more than to make him pay for this, but it would be a bad move for us.”

“I hate that you’re right,” Alexander muttered under his breath. His gaze drifted back to the field, his fists balled at his sides. “So what do you propose we do? Leaving this useless land to sit here untouched after the very public way we acquired it will look just as bad.”

“I don’t know yet,” I admitted honestly. “But I’m confident we can come up with something. There has to be a way to make use of this land—maybe not as profitable as the farm would’ve been, but something beneficial. And, if we’re smart, it’ll be something that’ll make David absolutely furious.”

Alexander’s lips twitched in the faintest hint of a smirk, though his anger hadn’t fully abated. “You’re devious when you want to be.”

I smiled faintly, letting the satisfaction of his comment temper my own frustration. “Only when it counts.”

I pulled out my phone and began snapping photos of the ruined farmland.

“What are you doing?” Alexander asked, a frown creasing his brow.

“Documenting,” I replied, my tone clipped. “Even if we can’t use this against David right now, this will be useful in the future. Combined with everything else he’s guilty of, it helps establish a pattern—lying, stealing, doing everything in his power to hurt me. Don’t you agree?”

“I do,” Alexander said, stepping up beside me. His gaze swept over the field, the anger in his expression still sharp. “Start filming. Let’s take a walk around the field and see just how bad the damage is.”

“That’s a good idea,” I said, switching my phone to record mode.

We walked silently across the uneven ground, the crunch of our footsteps breaking the stillness. The damage stretched as far as I could see—deep furrows scarring the earth, the soil peppered with white grains of salt. There wasn’t a single plant left standing.

As I filmed, my mind raced, trying to think of ways to salvage this disaster. Building anything commercial here wouldn’t make sense—not this close to Lunar Lake.

A school or community center was out of the question, given how isolated the area was. Housing was also a nonstarter; I’d never put new homes so close to the border.

But I wouldn’t let David win. There had to be a way to make something out of this land, something worthwhile.

With Alexander by my side, I felt a flicker of hope. He was resourceful and sharp, with a proven track record of successful projects—not just on his own land but in the capital as well. If I couldn’t come up with a solution, I knew he could.

I clung to those thoughts, willing myself to stay calm and not let my anger overwhelm me. I should have expected this the moment the land transfer was finalized. I should have posted someone to guard it, but I hadn’t thought David would stoop this low.

Yet, here we were.

There was no predicting his next move, no telling the lengths he’d go to in order to come out on top.

And yet, this wasn’t a game—not to me. Lives were on the line, even if David didn’t realize it yet. I’d seen the worst-case scenario play out in the original timeline. If I allowed this to escalate further, I knew exactly how bad things could get.

“This is frustrating,” Alexander muttered, setting his teacup down with a quiet clink.

We were seated in my father’s study, surrounded by bookshelves and the faint scent of old paper. After returning from the farmland, we’d launched straight into brainstorming possible uses for the land, but an hour later, we were no closer to a solution.

Alexander was texting back and forth with his consultants, while I pored over maps of the area. A tray of tea and sweets sat between us, largely untouched. Neither of us had much of an appetite, due to our frustration.

“You’re right about that,” I said, glancing at Alexander. “Frustrating doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface. I’m not sure if I want to scream or cry.”

“You’d be justified in doing either,” he replied, his tone softening as he met my gaze.

"I wish my dad was home," I said, breaking the silence. "He might be able to help us think of something."

Alexander leaned back, his expression thoughtful. "We’re not actually in a rush," he pointed out.

"I know," I said with a sigh, "but I also know I’m not going to be able to relax until we come up with a solution for this. I can’t stand the idea of David winning this round."

I felt the frown deepen on my face and pressed my hand to my forehead as if I could smooth away the worry lines.

"Giving yourself a headache over it isn’t going to help," Alexander said gently. "You should try to eat something. You haven’t eaten all day. Besides, it’s hard to think clearly when your brain doesn’t have any fuel."

"You’re right," I admitted, glancing at the tray of untouched sweets. I picked up a plain-looking sugar cookie and took a small bite. It was surprisingly delicious, and I realized just how hungry I was.

I sat back in my chair, eating the cookie and then another. After a few moments, Alexander stood and walked to the window, opening the shades and letting sunlight pour into the room.

The light instantly lifted my spirits. I let out a laugh, unable to stop myself.

"What’s so funny?" Alexander asked as he returned to his seat.

"I feel like a plant," I said, grinning. "A little sunlight and a snack, and I suddenly feel much better."

"Sunlight can do wonders," Alexander said with a chuckle, glancing down at the map. "You shouldn’t underestimate just how powerful it is."

I nodded in agreement, my gaze on the map. Alexander’s words lingered in my mind—the power of sunlight.

Suddenly, an idea sparked.