Chapter 57

Ella POV

My phone buzzed, and I glanced at the screen. It was another direct message from a young woman I had never met, someone whose name I didn’t recognize. Her profile picture showed a pretty blonde, smiling in a way that made me feel uneasy.

I didn’t have to read the message to know what it would say.

Are you dating Alexander Black? You should dump him. He’s bad news. You can’t trust him! You have no idea what he’s really like. Please believe me—I don’t want him to do to you what he did to me.

It was the sixth message like this I had received in the last two days. Nadia had only been the first. More women, each with their own warnings, seemed to be coming out of the shadows to "protect" me from Alexander.

I had to admit that it bothered me, even though I had known it would happen.

“You’ve gotten popular lately,” Elizabeth said, glancing at my phone as it buzzed again. “It just keeps going off.”

I smiled apologetically. “I should just silence it. It’s nothing important.”

“Are you sure?” she asked, her voice laced with obvious concern.

Alexander had an important meeting and was busy all day, but I had come to the Capitol anyway, hoping to spend a little time with Elizabeth.

We texted constantly now, and our conversations had become a bright spot in my day. It was comforting to have a true friend to rely on when everything else felt so strange and complicated.

“It’s really nothing,” I insisted, brushing it off.

“Is it… more of those women?” she asked softly.

I turned my gaze away, unable to meet her eyes.

I should have known things with Alexander were going too well. We’d had so much fun together in the first couple of weeks of our fake relationship—more fun than I ever imagined when this whole charade began.

Then, Nadia approached me in the food court, and the reality of everything came crashing down. Alexander had a past, one he couldn’t just outrun or pretend didn’t exist.

Many women who had been involved with Alexander were coming forward, sharing their experiences with the media. Most of the stories were minor complaints—that he was selfish, flighty, forgetful, just not a good boyfriend. But some were more damaging.

I had a hard time believing that Alexander could be the violent, vindictive man they described. I had attempted to do some research on the women, but some of them had no social media presence, which struck me as suspicious.

I read the stories about Alexander’s odd behavior—how he would disappear for days without a word, refusing to explain where he had been. How he always seemed too busy with work, even when he had made plans and promised he’d show up for a particular date or event.

Many of these women had warned me that they believed Alexander had been cheating on them.

It was the only explanation they could find for his strange behavior. I had to admit, I couldn’t think of a better one.

I knew Alexander worked hard, and running a large, powerful pack came with immense responsibility, but that didn’t explain him vanishing in the middle of the night. It didn’t explain staying away for days on end, without so much as a word of explanation.

It bothered me to think that Alexander might be the kind of person who could do that. I couldn’t help but wonder if I had chosen the wrong person to aid in the campaign for king. After all, if Alexander really could betray his lover, why would be be loyal to the kingdom?

It shouldn’t bother me, of course. Our relationship wasn’t real. But I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

I didn't want to believe I had traded one cheater for another.

“Ella,” Elizabeth said gently, interrupting my spiraling thoughts, “do you want to talk about what’s going on with you and Alexander?”

“Nothing’s going on with us,” I said quickly. “Everything’s been great between us, honestly. He’s better than I could have imagined. It’s just… these stories that are coming out about him. I’m not sure how I should feel about it all, you know?”

“Of course, that makes sense,” Elizabeth said. “You have feelings for him, but you don’t want to be a fool and ignore the warning signs. I’m sure it’s a very complicated position to be in.”

“It is.” I nodded. “I feel ridiculous. On the one hand, I feel like I’ve gotten to know Alexander quite well, even if it’s only been a short time. What they’re saying just doesn’t fit with the man I know. But on the other hand, I know they’re probably telling the truth. So, do I just hope he’s changed and move forward as if nothing happened?”

“Have you talked to him about it?” Elizabeth asked.

“Yes, of course,” I replied. “We’ve talked about everything. He’s been very transparent. He admitted to dating all of these girls and told me there’s some truth to what they’re saying. But he insists he was young, foolish, and going through some things. That’s all he’s really said about it.”

“I don’t know if that’s reassuring,” Elizabeth said, thoughtfully. “But honestly, I don’t have much experience with romance. I think when it comes to things like this, you have to trust your own judgment. Don’t you agree?”

“Maybe,” I said, sighing. “But maybe not. Look where my judgment got me with David.”

“What happened with David wasn’t your fault,” Elizabeth said quickly. “He used you. He was manipulative and greedy.”

“And according to all these messages, so is Alexander,” I said ruefully. “But it just doesn’t match the man I know.”

“It’s been a while since Alexander’s dated anyone publicly,” Elizabeth said. “Sometimes, with public figures, people from the past come forward to ruin your success or happiness. Maybe these women believe they’re being helpful, but their motives might be more selfish than they realize. Does that make sense?”

“Yes,” I said softly. “I think it does. I’m so glad I have you to talk to about this. It’s all so new to me, and I get overwhelmed.”

“I understand,” Elizabeth said, offering me a reassuring smile. “It can be frightening to be the subject of so much attention and gossip. But you’ve got me on your side.”

I smiled at her, grateful for her friendship.

After Elizabeth and I parted ways, I went to Alexander’s office building. He had texted earlier in the day, asking me to stop by when I had the chance. A flutter of nerves grew in my chest; I wasn’t sure what he wanted.

When I entered the lobby, Alexander’s beta, August, was waiting for me.

August was tall, with a stern face and sharp eyes that seemed to scrutinize everything. He’d always been polite, but I could sense he didn’t entirely trust me.

"Welcome, Miss Rowan," he said, his tone as neutral as ever. "Alexander is waiting for you in his office. I’ll escort you up."

"Thank you, August," I replied softly.

We stepped into the elevator, and as it ascended, a sense of unease settled over me. There was something about August’s presence that felt different today—his usual stony expression seemed tinged with something else. Was it smugness? I couldn’t tell for sure, but it put me on edge.

He led me down the hallway and opened the door to Alexander’s office. As I stepped inside, I saw Alexander sitting behind his desk, his usual bored expression replaced by something much more serious.

"Hello, Ella," he greeted me with a tight smile. "Thank you for coming."

"Of course," I said, approaching him. "What is it you wanted to talk to me about?"

Without a word, Alexander pulled a stack of papers from his desk drawer and slid them across the desk towards me. Then, he held out a pen.

"I think it’s time we make this deal official," he said, his eyes locking onto mine.

A knot tightened in my stomach as I stared at the pen in his hand, his expression unreadable. I didn’t need to see the papers to know what this was. But as I reached for the pen, a cold certainty washed over me—something had changed, and it was far more than just a contract.

And for the first time, I wasn't sure if I was ready for what came next.