Chapter 50

Alexander POV

I stepped into the hallway, leaving the door open behind me, waiting for Ella to follow. She hesitated for a moment, giving me a strange, quizzical look.

I chose not to ask about it. We were in her pack’s territory, in her father’s house—there was no room for mistakes now. Our performance had to be flawless.

I had expected more resistance from Alpha Roman, if I were honest. The fact that he had so readily agreed to let Ella enter another relationship, especially after the disaster of her marriage, spoke volumes about just how much he doted on her.

I had heard plenty about that, of course—rumors that she was treated like a precious only child, given everything she desired without question.

Still, it surprised me.

Not that it was a bad thing for a father to care deeply about his daughter, but I couldn’t help wondering if that same overprotectiveness had led to Ella’s trouble with David.

If her parents never questioned her decisions or intervened when she was making obvious mistakes... well, it was no wonder she found herself tangled up with him.

Maybe that was too harsh. After all, Ella hadn’t told me much about how she ended up with David. I was working with second-hand information, whispers and rumors, public perceptions I knew better than most could be dangerously flawed.

Ella walked quietly beside me, her cheeks still pink with embarrassment. I resisted the urge to comment on it, though a smile tugged at my lips. There was something undeniably cute about her blushing, the way she seemed to shy away from acknowledging the tension between us.

For all her poise, Ella’s emotions were written so plainly on her face, and I found myself watching her more closely than I should. A warmth built inside me as I wondered what thoughts were racing through her mind in that moment. Her silence spoke more than words ever could.

Together, we stepped out of the house, walking down the path toward where my car was waiting.

"I’m glad that went well," I said, stopping at the end of the walkway to glance at Ella.

She smiled up at me. "Me too." Her eyes darted around nervously, and I could sense the tension building in her. Her family’s guards stood nearby, their watchful eyes making her uneasy.

I leaned in slightly, lowering my voice to a whisper. “I suppose we shouldn’t kiss goodbye with so many prying eyes.”

Her blush deepened, and she hesitated before opening her arms with a small, shy smile. “A hug will have to do.”

Her response caught me off guard, but I didn’t miss a beat. I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around her. The difference in our height made her chin rest awkwardly on my shoulder as we embraced. She felt warm in my arms, and to my surprise, my heart began to race.

I lingered in the hug longer than I should have, enjoying the closeness. When I realized it, I quickly pulled away, trying to compose myself. "We’ll talk soon," I said, stepping into the car.

“Drive safe,” Ella said, her voice soft, and I noticed the slight embarrassment in her eyes as she waved. I watched her through the rearview mirror as she walked back toward the house, her figure growing smaller with each step.

August glanced at me from the driver's seat as he began to drive. "I take it things went well?"

"Exactly according to plan," I replied, though a sinking feeling tugged at me.

“So, she agreed to the date tomorrow?”

My heart dropped, and my eyes widened. Somehow, in all the tension of the moment, I had completely forgotten to ask Ella out. How could I have made such a ridiculous mistake? Getting her father's permission to date her was only the first step—the next was making sure we were seen together in public.

August stared at me, and my silence gave him all the answers he needed. “Are you feeling all right, sir?”

“I’m fine,” I said quickly, pulling my phone from my pocket.

“You forgot to ask her, didn’t you?” August asked, raising an eyebrow.

“It’s not a big deal,” I replied, trying to brush it off. “I’ll just text her now.”

“It’s not like you to forget something like that. You’re acting weird.”

I couldn’t help but smile at his bluntness. It was just like him to say exactly what he thought, no concern for sparing my feelings.

It’s time to make our relationship public, I texted Ella. I’d like to take you on a date tomorrow.

Hardly any time passed before Ella's reply came through: a simple, joyful yes. I couldn’t help but smile at the words.

“What’s with that lovesick smile?” August asked, breaking my moment of bliss.

My head snapped up, shock evident on my face. “Lovesick?” I echoed, disgust lacing my voice.

“The way you behave around her... I’m starting to worry that you’re actually falling for her,” he said, a hint of concern in his eyes.

“You don’t need to worry about that,” I replied, forcing the words out with a firmness I didn’t fully feel. “It’s never going to happen because there’s no such thing as love.”

A tense silence fell between us. I knew August was speaking from a place of concern, reminding me to keep my guard up and not lose myself in the charade Ella and I were playing. But it stung. He understood my history with love and should have known better than to bring it up.

Still, the reminder was likely needed if he felt compelled to broach a subject that unsettled me. Ella and I were playing a game—nothing about it was real.

Ella POV

“I should have guessed that you were interested in Alexander,” Elizabeth said in an amused tone.

I had arrived in the capital early before my “date” with Alexander, and it felt good to catch up with her before meeting Alexander for our date.

“What are you talking about?” I asked with genuine surprise. I thought I had hidden my reaction to Alexander quite well.

“When he gave you those diamonds at your wedding, it looked like you were ready to pass out,” she teased.

“Was my reaction really that strong?” I asked.

“Well, most people may not have noticed,” she admitted. “After all, the outrage on David's face was impossible to miss. But I was paying attention to you, and I could tell that you were truly touched by his gift.”

“Of course I was,” I replied. “It was so generous.”

“As was his offer to buy your wedding dress and his engagement gift to you,” Elizabeth pointed out. “He's been quite generous to you all along, hasn’t he? I suppose it was his way of making his interest known.”

“I don’t think it was anything like that,” I said dismissively.

“Then perhaps you don’t know that much about men,” Elizabeth joked.

“I don’t, really,” I admitted. “David is the only person I’ve ever seriously dated. Do you really think I missed some signs from Alexander?”

“Yes,” Elizabeth answered seriously. “I think he was doing what he could to make his interest in you known without overtly insulting David.”

“You might be right,” I said. “Now I feel silly for not knowing.”

I found myself smiling fondly as we chatted. None of this was real, but it was fun to pretend it was. Elizabeth was genuinely excited for me, and I relished the chance to gossip with her a bit.

It made me feel like a normal person—an exhilarating sensation I hadn’t experienced in a very long time.

"So where are the two of you going?" Elizabeth asked as we exited the cozy café.

"I don't know," I replied, glancing down. "He wanted it to be a surprise."

"What a romantic!" Elizabeth teased, a playful smile lighting up her face. "You’re a lucky girl."

"I am?" I raised an eyebrow, unsure. "Is that what you think, or have you been reading online gossip again?"

"People have reacted with quite a bit of surprise at the news that the two of you are seeing each other," she said, taking a sip of her coffee. "It's all over social media."

“People aren’t still talking about me like that, are they?” I asked. “They talk as though I’m some kind of movie star.”

“In a way, you are,” Elizabeth pointed out. “You’re the daughter of a very prominent Alpha.”

“I suppose you’re right,” I admitted. “Oh, I don’t like the attention.”

“It comes with the territory,” she said. “You’ll get used to it.”

“I don’t know if I will,” I replied. “It makes me uncomfortable, feeling like people are constantly watching and judging me.”

That was my honest feeling about the matter. Even in the original timeline, when I had become the Luna Queen, I was miserable with the constant attention.

That was all in the past now. This time around, I knew that I could use the attention to my advantage.

“So tell me,” Elizabeth asked, “what’s Alexander really like?”

“He’s very funny,” I said thoughtfully. “I don’t think you would guess that from the way he acts in public, but he likes to make jokes and tease.”

“It seems the two of you are falling for each other quite fast,” Elizabeth commented.

I felt my face heat and I laughed nervously to distract from it. “Lets talk about something else,” I said. “I’ve heard rumors about you.”

“Me?” she said in surprise. “What have you heard?”

“I’ve heard that Damian Rose has been sending you flowers,” I said.

Elizabeth smiled brightly and shrugged one shoulder. “That might be true,” she said. “But I guess you’ll have to find out later. Here comes Alexander.” She pointed down the sidewalk.

I turned to see Alexander walking toward us, my heart fluttering at the sight of the vibrant red roses in his arms.