Chapter 127

Ella POV

When I reached the end of the hallway, Diana came into view. She noticed me immediately, and a guilty look flickered across her face.

“What are you gossiping about?” I asked, my tone sharp as I fixed her with a steady gaze.

Diana straightened her posture and gave a tight smile. “Oh, nothing of consequence, dear. Just a little light conversation.”

“That’s good to hear,” I said evenly, though my voice carried a warning edge. “I’d hate to think you were still worrying about old rumors. We’ve discussed all of that already.”

I could feel my mother’s eyes on me, but I didn’t take my gaze off Diana. My anger simmered beneath the surface, threatening to spill over. Alexander and I had worked so hard to win my mother over. Her hesitancy about him was just starting to fade, and now this.

Diana’s smile turned sweeter. “We’re just chatting,” she said, her tone light. “You’ll understand one day when you have children. You never stop worrying about them.”

I bit the inside of my cheek to hold back my temper. I wanted to argue against Diana’s statement, to call out how her comments didn’t show concern for Alexander at all. In fact, they felt more like an attempt to turn people against him.

But that didn’t make sense—why would she want to do that? I knew I must be wrong about her intentions, but whatever her motivation, I didn’t like hearing her talk about him that way.

And I wasn’t going to allow it to continue.

I knew now that I had no choice but to tell Alexander about the things she had said—both at their house and what I had overheard today. That was a conversation I wasn’t looking forward to having, but it couldn’t be avoided.

My irritation simmered, growing stronger with every second of silence.

“I’m starved,” my mother said suddenly, breaking the tension in the room. “Do we need to take care of anything else while we’re here, or are we ready to head off to meet Alexander for lunch?”

I let my breath out slowly and turned to my mother. Concern was evident in her eyes, though, as always, she remained calm in the face of difficult situations. Her composure was both comforting and grounding.

“I don’t think there’s anything else we need to take care of today,” I said, forcing a steady tone. “And I think we could all use something to eat.”

“Yes,” Diana agreed quickly, her tone light. “Tempers can certainly flare on an empty stomach, and I know none of us mean to upset each other.”

I smiled tightly at her. “Of course. I think we can be on our way, then. Alexander should be waiting for us, right?”

“When he texted me back, he said he was leaving the office, so he should arrive around the same time we do,” Diana replied. She added with a faint laugh, “You know him—always at the office, always working.”

“It’s admirable,” I said. “Very few people have the kind of work ethic that Alexander does.”

Diana gave me a strange smile, one that made my irritation flare again. “Yes,” she said, her tone oddly measured. “Very few people work the way Alexander does.”

There was something in her voice—an undercurrent of meaning I couldn’t quite place—but I was too tired of the tension to press her on it. Instead, I let it go.

“Is the car ready?” I asked, turning to my mother.

“Yes,” she confirmed. “Let’s not wait any longer.”

She put an arm around me, giving me a quick, reassuring squeeze. Together, the three of us headed toward the exit.

As we stepped outside, a sudden wave of anxiety swept over me. Memories of our last wedding dress trip flashed through my mind—the fear, the chaos, the moment we were kidnapped on our way home.

I knew it wasn’t going to happen again. The kidnapping had most likely been Amanda’s doing, even though I’d never been able to prove it. This time, there was no betrayal lurking among us.

My mother had arranged everything, and we were perfectly safe.

But logic couldn’t stop the fear that gripped me as we stepped onto the sidewalk.

My mother must have sensed my unease, because she kept her arm firmly around me as we walked to the car. Her silent support was enough to keep me steady.

Diana, however, didn’t seem to notice the tension—or, if she did, she chose not to say anything about it.

We got into the car, and the driver started heading toward the restaurant.

I didn’t want to appear rude by pulling out my phone, but the thought of making conversation with Diana after what had just happened made my anger flare again.

I didn’t trust myself not to say something sharp, so I focused my attention out the window instead, letting the quiet hum of the car soothe me.

After a few moments of silence, my mother spoke up. “So, how has Michael been?”

I could practically feel Diana’s face light up at the mention of her younger son.

“He’s wonderful, thank you so much for asking,” Diana said warmly. “You know, he’s really become quite popular recently and has been spending a lot of time in the neighboring packlands. I wouldn’t be surprised if we have another wedding coming soon.”

“Is he seeing someone?” my mother asked, her tone curious.

“Not that he’s told me, but you can always tell,” Diana replied with a knowing smile.

My mother nodded slightly, a small smile on her lips. “You’re probably right. He keeps a low profile, doesn’t he?”

“He’s a good boy,” Diana said, her pride evident. “He likes to focus on his own business. He knows he’ll have to take on more responsibility at some point, so he’s enjoying his freedom while he can.”

“What do you mean?” I asked, unable to hide my confusion.

What responsibility could Michael possibly have to worry about? Alexander was the Alpha, and he seemed to be doing a great job running both the pack and the family businesses. I was sure any help from Michael would be beneficial, but Alexander had never seemed eager to ask his brother to step up.

“Oh, you know,” Diana said with a wave of her hand, her tone casual. “Part of growing up is taking on more responsibility, that’s all.”

Her answer seemed deliberately vague, and it left me feeling unsettled. Diana’s words always seemed to carry a double meaning, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something she wasn’t saying.

The car slowed as we approached the restaurant, and I had to push the unpleasant thoughts aside. Whatever Diana was implying probably didn’t mean much to me. I didn’t know enough about Michael or the rest of Alexander’s family to read between the lines.

But still, the unease lingered, and I found myself thinking again about the conversation I’d have to have with Alexander about the strange comments his mother had made.

I really didn’t want to have that conversation. It wasn’t my place, and I knew it could lead to tension I wasn’t prepared to deal with.

Yet, I had promised Alexander that I would do everything in my power to help ensure his position—his power, his status. That had to include warning him about comments that his mother was making publicly.

Whether it was intentional or not, her words could damage his reputation, and I owed it to him not to keep quiet about this, no matter how uncomfortable the conversation might end up being.