Chapter 41

Ella POV

Everyone was talking about setting up a security detail and arranging for me to have a guard at all time. I felt strange sitting there listening to the conversation. To keep myself occupied, I pulled my phone out.

With a few taps, I was able to update Alexander’s contact name. I decided to make the name something that wouldn’t raise any suspicion.

I went with Black Diamond Credit Company. Alexander’s last name was Black and he had gifted me diamonds, so it was a bit of a secret reference. Plus, anyone seeing it on my caller ID would think that I just needed to pay my credit card balance.

Just as I was about to put my phone away, it began to ring. The new contact name flashed across the screen. I couldn’t help but smile at the silly name.

Still, I didn’t answer the phone. I would have to talk to Alexander later.

My father was looking at me curiously as I returned my phone to my pocket.

“It seems your friends are concerned about you,” he commented. “Who is calling you?”

“I’ll deal with it later,” I said dismissively.

“That’s not what I asked,” he said.

I stared at him uncertainly. I didn’t know how to respond. I didn’t want to lie to him, and I had no good excuse to use anyway.

“Are you keeping secrets from me?” he asked softly.

“I...” tears filled my eyes without warning, and I looked away from him.

My father gently gripped my arm and led me out of the room. My mother and Oliver watched us go without a word. I knew that they would ask my father what had happened later.

We went into my father’s study, and he sat me down in my usual chair.

“Ella, you’re my little girl, and I know you better than anyone. I know that something has been bothering you since the moment David proposed. I wish that you would tell me what it is.”

The tears streamed down my face silently as my mind whriled with everything that had happened since my second chance began. I longed to tell my father everything, but I knew that it simply wasn’t possible. That didn’t mean I had to hide everything either.

“I knew that David and Amanda were having an affair,” I admitted. “I knew it from the start. That’s why I wanted to reject the proposal.”

My father clenched his teeth in anger. “Why didn’t you tell me that?”

“I had no proof,” I explained. “I didn’t want the pack to pay the price for breaking off the engagement.”

“So you went through with a marriage to a man that would dishonor you like that?” He sounded so disappointed, and it made my heart hurt.

“No,” I replied. “I planned to expose them. It was the only solution that I could think of. I knew that David would sneak away to see Amanda for her birthday, so I planned to catch them together.”

He stared at me silently as he considered my words.

“It hurts me to know that you would put all of the pressure on yourself and choose to take such a risk rather than confide in me and your mother,” he said softly.

“I didn’t want to put you into a difficult situation with alpha Derrick. It all got out of hand so quickly, I’m sorry,” I cried.

My father pulled me into a tight hug. I leaned into him and cried against his shoulder.

Everything had gotten out of hand. I had put so much at risk by handling things with David that way that I had. If my father knew about my deal with Alexander, I could only imagine how upset he would be with me.

There was no way that I could tell him anything more.

I don’t know how long I cried for before I finally regained my composure.

Why my crying finally stopped, my father kissed the top of my head and stood up.

“Go to your room and rest, and talk to whoever is calling you. You and I will discuss this later.”

“Okay,” I said weakly. I stood and walked to the door. I hesitated and looked back at my father. “I’m sorry,” I said. “I love you.”

“I love you too, Ella,” he said firmly. “I always will.”

I went up to my room and answered my phone, which had started to ring again.

“Alexander,” I said as I sat on my bed. “What on earth are you thinking calling repeatedly like that?”

"I'm glad that you weren't harmed," Alexander said. There was a tenseness in his jaw as he spoke, showing how angry he was about the situation.

“I’m sorry that you were concerned, but I was with my father. I couldn’t take your call,” I explained.

“The rumors about the attack spread quickly,” Alexander said. “I’ve heard so many versions, I didn’t know what was true.”

"News about the attack has spread quickly, I guess,” I said.

“Very,” he answered. “I was concerned that David was with you until I heard that your father had shown up shortly after the attack.”

"My father is so worried," I said. "It's going to be difficult for us to meet in person for a while. I know he's going to insist on having a guard accompany me again, at least while I'm in the capital."

"It's a reasonable response from him," Alexander said. "After all, you're his only child. It's only natural he should want to protect you from danger."

"I wouldn't need protecting if it weren't for David and Amanda," I said angrily. “I’m convinced now that they were also behind the kidnapping.”

A strange expression crossed Alexander's face. "How can you be certain of that?"

"It's too coincidental," I said. "Amanda was the one that arranged a ride for us, and the car that picked us up just so happened to be filled with rogue kidnappers."

"That is an odd coincidence," he agreed. "So if David and Amanda are behind all of this, what is their goal? I don't see how having you kidnapped would have improved your relationship with David, and I don't understand the motivation for this attack."

"According to David, Amanda had hired the rogue to assault me and take photographs. She wanted to embarrass and humiliate me publicly the way she has been embarrassed."

"Surely an attack like that would only gain sympathy for you," Alexander said.

"She planned to stage it to look as though I was having a romantic relationship with this rogue," I explained. "Of course, it's a ridiculous plan, and you're right—no one would have ever believed it."

"If she's willing to go to such lengths, then she must have a very good reason for it. I think that the explanation David gave was only an excuse."

"That's possible," I agreed, "though I can't think of a better explanation."

"Surely she just hired him to kill you."

I shook my head. "He didn't hurt me at all, and I didn't see any weapon on him. If he were going to kill me, why wouldn't he have done it from the start? The more time he spent, the more likely it was he would get caught."

"And yet he still escaped from the city guards," Alexander said angrily.

"The king is having it investigated," I said. "I'm sure they'll find something. There has to be camera footage of him, and that will allow him to be identified."

"It's not always so easy when it comes to rogues," Alexander said. "I wouldn't get my hopes up about the man being caught."

My heart sank at that. It was already difficult to feel safe, but knowing that yet another rogue who had attacked me was on the loose increased my anxiety.

"I don't know what to do," I said. "I feel like I'll never be safe with Amanda and David around."

Alexander’s bright eyes fixed on mine. “I will keep you safe,” he said earnestly.

My heart stuttered at his bold declaration.

I wanted to believe him. I really did. But even with all his strength and determination, how could he protect me from enemies who lurked in the shadows, pulling strings I couldn't even see?