Chapter 231

Ella POV

The bustling noise of the shopping center’s food court was drown out by the sound of Lexie’s excited voice. Her tray of food was mostly ignored in favor of conversation.

Her bright blue eyes were filled with excitement as she rattled off every thought that came to her mind.

“And then the princess had to fight the dragon, but she didn’t have a sword, so she used magic! I think that’s way cooler than a sword, don’t you?” Lexie’s little hands waved animatedly as she told her story, her gaze locked on Alexander, who listened with rapt attention.

“Magic is definitely useful,” Alexander agreed, nodding seriously. “But what if the dragon had magic, too? What would she do then?”

Lexie gasped, as though the idea had never occurred to her. She leaned forward, considering.

“Maybe she’d have to make friends with the dragon instead,” she decided. “That way, they could be magical together!”

Alexander chuckled. “That sounds like a smart princess.”

“She is!” Lexie beamed at him. “You know, you’re really fun to talk to. You like all the same stuff as me! Can we play together again?”

Alexander’s expression softened, and without hesitation, he reached out to take her small hand in his. “Of course we can,” he promised. “Anytime you want.”

Lexie grinned, hooking her little finger with Alexanders and shaking. “It’s a pinky promise,” she said. “That means you can’t take it back.”

“I would never,” Alexander said seriously.

I watched the exchange from across the table and felt a warmth settle in my chest. Alexander was already attached, I could see it in the way he looked at the little girl. It wasn’t just duty that tied him to her; it was something deeper, something real.

A few minutes later, Sabrina stood from the table and gently took Lexie’s hand. “Come on, sweetheart. Let’s go wash up.”

“Okay, Mommy!” Lexie bounced to her feet, but not before giving Alexander one last look. “Don’t leave without saying goodbye!”

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” he assured her.

As soon as they were out of sight, Alexander let out a deep breath, leaning back in his chair. “She’s incredible.”

I smiled, watching him carefully. “How are you feeling?” I asked gently.

Alexander rubbed the back of his neck, his gaze distant. “It’s… a lot. But in the best way. She’s amazing. And I want to be part of her life.”

I nodded. “I think that’s a good thing. She clearly already adores you. And I can tell how much this means to you.”

He turned his full attention to me, his expression serious. “But it’s not just about what I want. There are complications—big ones. The election, my position, my enemies… Bringing Lexie into my life means bringing her into all of that.”

I exhaled slowly. “Yeah. And I’m worried about how this could be used against you. Archer and Diana will do whatever they can to twist this into something ugly.”

Alexander’s jaw tightened, and he nodded. “I’ve thought about that. The only way to get ahead of it is to be honest.”

I studied him carefully. “Do you really think that’s an option?”

“It has to be,” Alexander said firmly. “Sabrina would need to agree, of course, but if we don’t release the truth ourselves, then Diana or Archer will leak it. They’ll spin it however they want, make it seem like I was hiding her.”

I frowned. He was right, but I hated it. “And how do we keep Lexie safe from all of it?”

Alexander hesitated. That, more than anything, seemed to weigh on him the most.

“What if she and Sabrina went somewhere safe?” I suggested carefully. “Away from the capital, away from all the chaos. My parents have room in the packhouse, plenty of security. She’d be protected.”

Alexander’s gaze softened as he considered the offer. “That… might actually be the best solution.” He reached across the table, taking my hand in his. “I can’t tell you how much it means to me that you’re thinking about her like this.”

I squeezed his hand. “She’s important to you. That makes her important to me.”

Alexander’s lips parted as if to say something more, but before he could, Sabrina and Lexie returned. The little girl bounded over to him, hugging his side. “I’m back!” she declared, as if he might have forgotten she existed in the short time she was gone.

Alexander chuckled, ruffling her hair. “I see that.”

I met Sabrina’s gaze and saw the quiet exhaustion in her eyes. There was a long road ahead for all of us, but as I looked between Alexander and Lexie, I felt certain of one thing—this was just the beginning of something bigger than any of us were prepared for.

After our prolonged goodbye, Alexander and I returned to the office. I went upstairs to get started on dinner, but he wanted to stop by his office first.

I decided to use the few minute I had along productively.

As I filled a pot with water to start our rice, I called my father.

He picked up on the second ring, his voice tight. “Hello, Ella.”

“Hi dad,” I said. “I have a question.”

“Sure,” he replied. “What’s up?”

“Do you think you and mom could come to the capital soon for dinner. Alexander and I have something we’d like to talk to you about.”

There was a brief pause before he asked, “is everything alright.”

“Yes,” I said smiling. “Everything is fine. I just want to talk to you about something and I think it would be better to do it in person.”

“We can come tomorrow night,” he offered.

“That would be perfect,” I said. The sooner the better. We had to figure things about before Diana or Archer had a chance to leak the information to the press.

The idea of reports following Lexie around, taking photos and shouting questions at her, made my blood boil.

“I’ll text you the restaurant after I confirm it with Alexander,” I said.

“Okay sweetie,” he said. There was something odd in his tone, but I didn’t question it too much. We hadn’t talked much recently outside of me reassuring him about the headlines.

“I’ll let you go dad,” I said. “I love you.”

“Love you too,” he said.

“Who are you talking to?” Alexander asked curiously as I ended the call.

“My dad,” I said. “He offered to come to town tomorrow so we can talk.”

“That’s perfect,” Alexander said. He stepped up behind me and wrapped his arms around me. “The sooner we work this out the better. I’ll text Sabrina after Lexie goes to bed.”

I leaned into his embrace, enjoying the warmth. Quiet moments were rare and I was glad to have one.

“Are you sure that was okay?” he asked softly, pressing a kiss to the top of my head.

“Yes,” I said. “Alexander, I love you. Lexie is part of you, so I care for her too.”

He tightened his grip slightly. “I don’t deserve you,” he whispered.

“You do,” I said firmly. “In fact, you’re stuck with me.” I put my arms over his, holding him in place. “I’m not letting you go, ever.”

Alexander chuckled, the sound warm and gentle. “I’m going to hold you to that.”

“You’d better,” I replied.

I wasn’t going to let anyone tear us apart, and that included Alexander. I understood his concerns about being a father changing things between us, but I knew that it wouldn’t. Nothing would.