Chapter 140

Ella POV

At some point, I managed to fall asleep, though far too late. When my mother knocked on the door to wake me for the rehearsal dinner, I was beyond exhausted. It took several attempts for me to stir, let alone keep my eyes open long enough to respond.

Somehow, I forced myself out of bed and spent a little time getting dressed and doing my makeup. The result was passable—not glamorous, but at least I didn’t look like a zombie.

By the time I made my way downstairs, Alexander had already arrived. I paused at the end of the hallway, unnoticed for the moment, and took the opportunity to observe the way my parents interacted with him in my absence.

My mother, whose initial reservations about Alexander had been so evident, now smiled warmly and genuinely as they spoke. It wasn’t the polite smile she gave out of obligation; it was sincere, the kind that made the corners of her eyes crinkle.

Alexander, to my relief, returned her expression with equal sincerity, his charm understated but natural.

Seeing them like this lifted a weight from my chest. My parents’ concerns about my relationship with Alexander seemed to have melted away.

After everything that had happened with David, I’d feared that their trust in my judgment had been irreparably damaged. But now, it seemed, they were beginning to see Alexander as I did—someone who was not only trustworthy but who cared for me deeply.

"Did you sleep well?" Alexander asked suddenly, his voice drawing me out of my thoughts.

I laughed, realizing I'd been caught spying. "I don’t know about well," I said, smiling sheepishly, "but I did sleep, so that’s something."

"Well, you’re just in time," Alexander said as he walked over to greet me with a kiss on the cheek. "The guests have already begun to arrive and are enjoying hors d’oeuvres. It’s high time we start making our introductions."

I winced. "I didn’t realize I’d overslept so much. I’m so sorry."

"Don’t worry about it," Alexander said with an easy smile. "It was no trouble to delay a little while."

"I appreciate it," I murmured, glancing at my parents. They exchanged a quick, knowing look before slipping out of the room without a word, leaving Alexander and me alone.

The moment they were gone, Alexander’s smile faded, replaced by a look of concern. His eyes searched mine, his voice quieter now. "How are you really doing?"

“Fine…” I hesitated, but he pressed gently.

"I know you’re worried—it’s completely understandable—but on the phone this morning, there was something in your voice... I’ll admit, I’ve been concerned about you all day."

His words made my chest flutter unexpectedly, though I tried to push the feeling aside.

"I’m sorry to have worried you," I said softly. "I just can’t stop thinking about all of this. There’s a connection I can’t figure out—something that goes beyond David and his bizarre quest for revenge."

"I’ve had the same thought," Alexander admitted, frowning slightly. "Though I can’t imagine what the connection could be."

"No matter what resources we put toward finding answers, we keep coming up empty," I said, frustration leaking into my voice. "From the very first kidnapping—I know the answer is there. It’s right in front of us, and yet I can’t make sense of it."

At the mention of the kidnapping, Alexander’s expression shifted, and his jaw tightened slightly.

"You never did get to the bottom of who arranged that kidnapping, did you?" Alexander asked softly, his tone gentle but steady.

"No," I admitted, the familiar weight of uncertainty pressing on me. "It’s still a complete mystery—just like the person who saved us that day." I hesitated, the memory prickling at the edges of my mind. "I do wish I knew…"

My voice faltered as I was swept back into the past. The memory was sharp and vivid, a wound that hadn’t faded. The room had been stifling, the air thick with tension. The blade’s sharp press was still etched in my mind, but it was the voice that lingered most.

The voice of the man that had commanded our release was low, measured, and simmering with restrained fury. Even now, it sent a chill down my spine. At the time, the authority in those words had been inexplicable.

But now, I knew.

The realization struck me like a sudden bolt, leaving me momentarily breathless. I glanced at Alexander, the man beside me, his expression unreadable.

He was watching me closely, but I forced myself to school my features into neutrality. If he noticed the flicker of recognition in my eyes, he didn’t let on.

"I think you’re right," Alexander said, pulling me out of my thoughts. "There are answers, and I think we’ll find them sooner than you may believe." His voice softened, coaxing me back to the present. "For now, though, we have a party to host."

"Yes," I said hesitantly, "but I think maybe the party should wait just a few more minutes."

"Why is that?" Alexander asked. The tension in his voice was subtle but clear to me now—I’d come to know him so well in the past few months.

"Alexander," I said, forcing my voice to stay steady, "is there something you know about all of this that you’re not telling me?"

His eyebrows rose slightly, caught off guard by my bluntness. His gaze locked onto mine, and I held it even as my heart raced.

His eyes darkened, a flicker of something unspoken crossing his face. It wasn’t anger exactly—it was more like a calculated assessment, as though he were truly seeing me for the first time.

"If I knew something about it," he said slowly, his voice measured, "what reason would I have to hide it from you?"

The question hung between us like a challenge, and I had no strong answer. Yet his careful phrasing and the look in his eyes told me I was on the right track. My instincts screamed at me to tread carefully, but I couldn’t back down. I needed to know.

"I don’t know," I admitted, the words soft but firm. "But I can tell by your face that I’ve hit on something here. I just… don’t understand what it is."

"And do you want to understand?" he asked, his voice carrying a strange, almost dangerous edge that sent a shiver down my spine.

I hesitated, fear creeping in as a thousand possibilities rushed through my mind. What if there was some horrible secret about Alexander I could never guess? What if he wasn’t the kind, misunderstood man I’d come to believe he was? What if the worst rumors about him were true?

"Yes," I said finally, my voice trembling but resolute. "I want to understand."

The sudden sound of the door banging open shattered the tension between us. Someone had entered the room, their presence an unwelcome interruption.

Panic surged through me. The conversation Alexander and I had been having would undoubtedly raise questions—questions we couldn’t afford right now.

We had to present a united front, but my mind scrambled for a plausible excuse, and I came up blank.

Alexander, ever the quicker thinker, acted first. His arm slipped around my waist, pulling me close with a purposeful swiftness. Before I could process what was happening, his lips were on mine.

The kiss was intense, almost bruising, fueled by the frustration and tension that had been simmering between us moments ago.

My breath caught, stolen by the sheer force of his actions. Despite myself, I melted into him, my arms winding tightly around his neck as I returned the kiss with all the strength I could summon.

Whoever had entered the room was instantly forgotten. Alexander’s sharp inhale as our kiss deepened filled my ears, drowning out everything else.

My heart thundered wildly in response to his touch, a rhythm that had become increasingly familiar yet no less overwhelming. At this moment, nothing else mattered but that touch.