Chapter 205

Ella POV

Laughter filled the small room, drowning out the music that crackled through the overhead speakers. The private room at the back of the bar had been decorated with roses and gold to greet the bachelorette party.

I looked around the table at the five other women, all sipping their cocktails and giggling uncontrollably as they scrolled through images on the phone in the center of the table. The pictures were from the secret vacation Elizabeth and Damien had taken a week ago—when he had proposed.

I sat between Elizabeth and Fiona, while across from me were Damian’s younger sister, Penelope, and two of Elizabeth’s cousins, whom I had never met before.

I had been nervous about this outing, but it seemed my fears had been unfounded. Ever since we arrived, I had been having a wonderful time.

My location was turned on, so I knew Alexander could track me if needed, and James was somewhere nearby, keeping an eye on us.

Despite Elizabeth wanting this to be a low-key event without visible security, she had agreed when I voiced her concerns about being out unprotected.

James was working alongside a few people assigned by Elizabeth’s father, trailing us discreetly to ensure nothing went awry. They had strict instructions not to interfere with whatever mischief the group got up to.

From the way Elizabeth had described the outing, I had worried it would get a little too wild for me. But once again, my fears had been misplaced. Elizabeth talked a big game, but all we had done so far was split a few appetizers, sip cocktails, and giggle over memes.

It felt more like a high school slumber party than a bachelorette party—but that was fine with me. Elizabeth was hyper-aware of her reputation in the public eye, so she wasn’t going to do anything that could cause a scandal.

Still, she wanted the chance to go out and have fun like any other young woman, rather than celebrating in the safety of her father’s estate.

“You two are just so cute together,” Penelope said, leaning toward the phone to get a closer look at one of the images. “I mean, who would have thought Damien could be such a sweet boyfriend?”

“Are you saying he wasn’t always a sweet brother?” one of Elizabeth’s cousins asked, feigning shock.

Penelope laughed. “He’s better than some, I’m sure,” she said. “But we had our fights—just like any other siblings do. Of course, he always defended me if anyone ever tried to bully me.”

Elizabeth smiled proudly. “He does like to tease,” she admitted, “but he’s also very protective.”

“Oh yeah?” Fiona asked in a teasing tone, her words slightly slurred—she was a bit more drunk than the rest of them. “And how does he tease you?”

Immediately, Elizabeth’s cheeks turned red, and the whole table erupted into laughter.

This was the most normal I had felt in a long time. I happily joined in, though I didn’t contribute much to the conversation. But no one seemed to mind—there was enough laughter and teasing to fill any gaps, and my silence went unnoticed.

At least, I thought so—until Fiona slipped an arm around me and leaned in.

“Are you okay?” she asked quietly, her voice barely carrying over the laughter and chatter around us.

I looked at her in surprise and quickly forced a broad smile onto my face, nodding. “Yes, of course.”

“Are you sure?” she pressed. “You seem kind of high-strung, and you’ve hardly said a word all night.”

I was surprised that Fiona had been paying such close attention. But I supposed I shouldn’t have been—she was Alexander’s friend, and that alone spoke volumes about her intelligence and observation skills. I sighed and shrugged my shoulders.

“I’m just a little on edge,” I admitted.

“About the Amanda thing?” she asked, lowering her voice even further to avoid being overheard.

My shoulders tensed at the unexpected mention of Amanda, and I felt the smile slip from my face.

It had been days since the announcement of the manhunt, and still, there hadn’t been a single report. It didn’t make any sense. Amanda was well-known—people would recognize her.

I couldn’t understand where she had gone or how she was hiding so effectively. And that scared me. Amanda was unpredictable at the best of times, but now, she was desperate.

“It’s going to be okay,” Fiona said reassuringly. “You’re not alone—we’re watching your back.”

“Thanks,” I said weakly, picking up my cocktail and taking a deep drink. I had been trying to push Amanda from my mind, to ignore the anxiety coiling in my stomach, but clearly, I wasn’t doing a very good job of it if Fiona had picked up on it so easily.

“Let’s get out of here!” someone suddenly called out.

Fiona and I looked up to find one of Elizabeth’s cousins standing dramatically, already donning her coat.

“I think we’ve sucked all the fun out of this place,” she declared. “Let’s go find somewhere else to party.”

“Like where?” Elizabeth asked uncertainly.

“I know a place,” she said with a broad smile. “The DJ is great, and the dance floor is always packed.”

“That doesn’t really sound like my scene,” Elizabeth hedged.

“Oh, come on,” her cousin replied, rolling her eyes. “You only get engaged once, right? Let’s have some fun and celebrate! Cut loose a little. The world won’t end if you actually enjoy yourself for once.”

I opened my mouth to defend Elizabeth, but before I could speak, she slammed her hands down on the table and stood abruptly.

“You know what?” she said. “You’re absolutely right. We’re supposed to be celebrating. There’s no reason to hold back—let’s go dancing!”

A cheer went up around the table, and before I could fully process what was happening, everyone was grabbing their coats and heading out the door.

Fiona linked her arm through mine as we walked out together.

It was cold outside, and clusters of people huddled near the buildings, chatting and smoking. I let Fiona lead me as we followed the others, who giggled and did silly dance moves across the sidewalk.

At the crosswalk, the group paused to check for cars. Then, without waiting for the light to turn green, Elizabeth’s cousin—the one who had suggested we go dancing—giggled and dashed across the street.

Elizabeth, her other cousin, and Damian’s sister followed without hesitation.

Fiona urged me forward, but I hesitated. Sensing my reluctance, she released my arm and kept going, not wanting to be left behind.

I hurried after them, scanning the sidewalk on the other side of the street as I went. Then, a sound made my blood freeze—the screech of tires, followed by loud cursing and then screaming.

I turned my head just in time to see a car tearing up the street, swerving wildly from side to side, barreling straight toward me.

I tried to run, but my feet felt glued to the pavement.

Suddenly, a strong set of arms wrapped around my waist. Before I could react, I was lifted off my feet and thrown backward—just as the car sped past, missing me by inches.

I hit the ground, my palms scraping against the pavement as I caught myself. Panting, adrenaline coursing through me, I stared up in shock.

James was standing over me, his face a mixture of horror and relief.

“Thank God,” I whispered.

He nodded, as if in silent agreement.

The car continued down the street, taking a turn so sharply that for a moment, I could swear two of its tires lifted off the ground before it disappeared around the bend.

“What the hell was that?” Elizabeth cried in distress.

“That guy must have been drunk,” one of the other girls said.

I looked at James. I could tell we were thinking the same thing.

That wasn’t a drunk driver.

That was targeted.