Chapter 60

Ella POV

Alexander and I left his pack's headquarters through the back entrance, slipping directly into his car. He had the curious habit of driving himself around, which I found oddly endearing. With so many staff members constantly surrounding him, driving was probably one of the few moments he could truly be alone.

Tonight, he was driving me home, ensuring I made it safely to my parents' house. It was part of the agreement he had with my father—that he was responsible for my protection whenever I was with him. And Alexander seemed to take that responsibility very seriously.

"Thank you," he said as we pulled away from the building. "I appreciate you standing by me."

"Of course," I replied automatically. "It would look bad if I wasn’t there. It would only raise more questions."

"I know it's all for appearances," he said, glancing my way, "but I do truly appreciate the support. I hide it well, but I hate making statements like that."

"Really?" I asked, surprised. "It seems to come so naturally to you. I never would have guessed."

After a moment of silence, Alexander's voice softened. "I'm sorry the reporters upset you. I made it clear they weren’t supposed to direct any questions to you. I promise, there will be consequences for their behavior."

"That’s not necessary," I said quietly. "I was just caught off guard, that's all."

"I won’t have you subjected to their rude questions because of me," he insisted, his grip tightening on the wheel.

After that, silence settled between us. The drive back to my parents' home was long, giving me plenty of time to think.

Alexander’s protective behavior—it didn’t feel like it was just for show. Of course, I couldn’t be certain, but it seemed as though he was genuinely worried about something happening to me.

Maybe it was a result of the rogue attack that David had foiled, but deep down, I felt there was more. Something Alexander knew, something that kept him on edge.

I wondered if I was projecting my own paranoia onto him. David and Amanda were incredibly dangerous, and things had been suspiciously quiet. Too quiet.

They had to be planning something, but I had no idea what it could be. Worse, there was still the looming threat of a spy within my own pack. I hadn’t found any clues about who it might be, which meant I could never let my guard down.

Except when I was with Alexander. He didn’t know the full truth, but he knew enough, and I didn’t feel the need to constantly be on alert when I was with him. It was nice—relaxing in a way that I hadn’t felt in a long time.

Alexander pulled up in front of my parents’ house and put the car in park. He turned to me, his expression earnest. "Thank you," he said quietly.

"You’re welcome," I replied.

"If you need anything at all, just let me know. And if you get any more messages..." His voice trailed off, but I nodded. I knew if I heard from any more of his exes, I’d pass the information along to him.

"Stay safe, Ella. We’ll talk soon."

I smiled as I opened the car door. "I’ll hold you to that."

Alexander returned the smile, softer than I’d ever seen from him. There was a vulnerability there that I hadn’t noticed before. Then I stepped out, closed the door behind me, and walked into the house.

Inside, both of my parents were sitting on the couch, their expressions heavy with concern. The atmosphere in the room shifted immediately, and I felt a weight settle in my chest. Slowly, I made my way to the chair across from them and sat down.

"What’s wrong?" I asked, my voice quieter than I intended.

They exchanged a look, and my father cleared his throat. "We saw Alexander’s press conference."

"Okay..." I replied hesitantly. "And you wanted to talk about it?"

"Are you sure all these women are wrong?" my mother asked. “Some of their accusations are very concerning.”

I stared at her in silence for a moment, unsure how to respond. Then I felt my expression harden.

"I believe Alexander,” I said firmly. “He’s admitted to his mistakes, but some of these women are liars. I don’t know what their motivation is, but they’re painting him as a monster and he isn’t.”

"I think his statement was a good one," my father said. "I believe it will help, but it won’t clear his name entirely."

"I know," I admitted. "There will always be people who are bothered by his reputation and his past indiscretions."

I knew it was going to hurt his chances against David, making it an even tighter race for King. But that was in the future. For now, I felt Alexander was handling the situation well, and there was still plenty of time for him to find a way to win people back to his side.

“I have to admit, I’m concerned,” my mother said, her voice sharp with worry.

"You really don't have anything to worry about," I replied, trying to keep my tone steady.

"Don't take this the wrong way, sweetheart," she pressed, "but I’m afraid you haven’t shown the best judgment recently. Are you certain that Alexander isn’t just manipulating you into believing his lies?"

“Yes,” I confirmed it again calmly, but I could feel impatience rising inside of me.

I could tell they were worried about me trusting Alexander blindly, just as I trusted David.

Everything was different this time, but they couldn’t know that. I had experienced so much in my last life. And what was between Alexander and me was a solid contract, but not...love. There was no way for me to explain all of this to them.

“Darling,” my father began gently, “your mother and I love you, and we only want what’s best for you. We’re concerned that a relationship with a man who has a questionable history with women isn’t what's best.”

“And with the media still so interested in your life," my mother added, her voice tight, "jumping into this... it might not be the wisest choice. If David hadn’t dragged things out the way he did, maybe it would be different, but—”

“But what?” I interrupted. “I’m supposed to let David’s behavior keep controlling my life?”

“You know that’s not what we’re saying,” my father said firmly, but I could hear the tension building in his voice, too.

“Then what are you saying?” I snapped, shocking all of us.

“You don’t know him, Ella,” my mother shot back, her voice breaking slightly. “And with everything... you could be making a mistake. What if Alexander is lying to you just like David did?”

Silence fell, thick and uncomfortable. I thought at first that I just couldn't bear my parents worrying about me. But now I suddenly realized that my parents comparing Alexander to David was even harder for me to accept.

My father cleared his throat, but I refused to look at either of them, gripping the edge of my chair to keep from shaking. They didn’t know the truth. They couldn’t.

"I've thought it through," I said firmly, my voice tight. "And I will find a way to prove that to you."

"Ella, I trust you can find your proof for us," my father said, his tone calm but commanding. "But I think we're missing the most important factor here."

My heart raced. "What's that?" I asked, trying to keep the unease out of my voice.

"How do you really feel about Alexander?" His eyes locked on mine. "I know you were interested in him initially, but now that you’ve been seeing each other for a few weeks, how do you feel? Really."

I froze, my grip tightening on the armrest. The question rattled me. My emotions were tangled—there was the deal we had made, the stakes tied to his future, and my own growing feelings.

But what was I supposed to say? Could I even admit the truth to myself?

"I love him," I whispered, the words feeling heavier than I expected. "I really do."

My father's expression softened. "If that’s the case, then you have our full support."

My mother sighed, but it wasn’t with relief—it was resignation.

I could feel my nerves relaxed after the “confession”.

“I’m sorry for losing my temper,” I said softly. “I’m just not explaining myself well. The truth is, that I believe some of the women coming forward have been coerced to do so. I believe that someone is behind this and it’s an attempt to ruin Alexander’s reputation.”

“That’s a serious accusation,” my mother said. “Are you sure about this?”

I nodded. I knew without a doubt that it was true, even if I didn’t have proof.

“If that’s the case, then you have our support,” she said, although she still sounded uncertain.

“Thank you,” I said, my voice thick with emotion. “I’ll deal with this, I promise you. I know I’ll be able to get to the bottom of what’s really going on.”

I had to. If Alexander and I failed—if our plan fell apart—it wouldn't just be my future at stake.

My parents’ lives were on the line. The very people sitting here, trying to protect me from a man they didn’t fully trust, had no idea how dangerous the situation truly was.

Alexander had agreed to this earnestly, but he had no idea of what was truly at stake. It was up to me to deal with David and make sure that he could never come to power. It was the only way to protect everyone I cared about.