Chapter 63

Ella POV

“Several women have come forward in recent days to confess that their stories about Alexander Black were fabricated,” the female reporter said, her dark eyes fixed directly on the camera.

I wasn’t looking at the television; my gaze was locked on my mother, who stared at the screen, her mouth set in a firm line as she absorbed the reporter's words.

After the confrontation at the shopping center, Gretchen and Hyacinth posted apologies on their social media pages, confessing that they had no history with Alexander and that their stories had been planted. Cassandra had deleted all her social media accounts.

It seemed the confessions from the others had prompted some women involved in David's plot to step forward. Two more had confessed, guilt-ridden, that they had been paid by an unnamed person to spread rumors about Alexander.

They didn’t need to say it was David; I felt it was obvious, and it would only be a matter of time before everyone figured it out. David had never been as sneaky as he thought.

Satisfaction coursed through me as I listened to the reporter speak. Clearing Alexander's name was crucial, and I had not only managed to make that happen but also to portray him as the sympathetic victim of this smear campaign. People would feel empathy for him, which would help with his public support.

“Two women, confirmed ex-girlfriend’s of Alpha Black’s, will be speaking with him at a press conference set to begin in the next few minutes…”

The reporter's words faded into the background as my mother turned to face me.

“It seems you were right,” she said apologetically. “I may have judged Alexander too harshly.”

“Your concern is understandable,” I replied. “I shouldn't have gotten so upset about it. I know you only want what's best for me.”

She smiled and shook her head slightly. “You're not a little girl anymore,” she said. “I need to learn to trust your judgment. After all, you're going to be the leader of our pack someday.”

A wide smile spread across my face at her words. My father believed I was capable of leading, but I felt my mother had always held back slightly, less convinced of my ability. So to hear her say something like that was incredibly touching.

“You will get to know Alexander,” I said. “And you'll see that his reputation is not an accurate portrayal of him.”

“I suppose I should know better than to trust rumors and gossip,” my mother admitted.

“I’m only glad the truth has finally come out,” I replied.

My attention was drawn back to the television screen, where I saw the image of Alexander standing with Nadia and Miranda on either side of him.

Dressed in a light gray suit that complemented his bright eyes, he looked remarkably put together, his hands folded in front of him, a serious expression on his face. He stood back slightly, giving the two women better access to the microphone.

Alexander didn’t speak a word as Nadia nervously stepped forward and cleared her throat.

“Thank you for coming today,” she said, presumably addressing the assembled reporters. “I’m sorry to have to call everyone here under these circumstances, but it’s important that the truth be told.”

She took a shaky breath. “My name is Nadia Hernandez, and Alexander Black and I dated several years ago. I have made public statements about our relationship, which were all true, but I felt the need to clarify some things. While Alexander and I had a messy breakup, I want to make it clear that he was never violent with me, and I’ve never witnessed anything from him that could be described as cruel or criminal.”

Miranda stepped forward, her hands straight down at her side as she nervously leaned toward the microphone. “I’m Miranda Brown,” she said, her voice watery and thin. “The statements I made about my past with Alexander were also true, but I wanted to be clear that I have never witnessed any violent or criminal actions from Alexander. Nor have I been the victim of any violence from him. Considering the campaign of lies that has come to light, I felt it was important to clarify my statements.”

Miranda took a step back and glanced at Alexander, smiling slightly as she looked up at him. Alexander returned the smile and then stepped up to the microphone.

“Nadia and Miranda contacted me a few days ago after they became suspicious of some of the stories they were hearing from other women,” Alexander explained. “We spoke, and I have already privately apologized to both of them for my behavior when we were together. But I want to make it clear once again that I recognize I’ve made mistakes in the past in my treatment of women, and I take responsibility for the wrongs I have committed. I hope that those who are fabricating stories about me will come forward and take responsibility for the lies they have told. My hope is that this will be the last time any of us have to speak publicly about this.”

Alexander stepped away from the microphone, and the sound of reporters shouting questions flooded the air. He shook his head, and I could hear him say, “No questions, thank you,” before he directed Nadia and Miranda to walk away from the reporters, seeming to shield them from the invasive questions, just as he had protected me previously.

I couldn’t help but smile at his show of concern for them. I felt he had truly changed from the man they had described to me, and I hoped that after speaking with him again, they would believe in him too.

My mother turned her attention back to me and smiled slightly. “He’s certainly a good speaker,” she said. “Very charming. I can see why you’re drawn to him.”

I smiled. “Does that mean you approve?” I asked.

She shrugged slightly. “I’m not certain I would go that far, but I am willing to give him a chance.”

“That’s all I ask,” I said.

Silence fell between us as we both stared at the screen. Although I wasn’t watching the television anymore, I felt incredibly relieved that maybe this whole mess would finally be behind us.

After a few moments, my phone began to ring. I pulled it from my pocket and glanced at the screen.

I smiled when I looked at the caller ID and saw the name Black. I answered without hesitation and walked toward the staircase to head up to my room.

“I just saw you on TV,” I said.

“How did I look?” Alexander asked, a hint of teasing in his voice.

“You're very photogenic,” I replied, “but you seemed a bit nervous.”

“Did I really?” he asked, sounding surprised.

“A bit,” I said as I walked into my bedroom and shut the door behind me. I sat on my bed, feeling a rush of anticipation. “I wasn't expecting you to call so soon.”

“I wanted to talk to you about something that Miranda and Nadia told me,” Alexander said seriously. “I've confirmed with James that it’s true.”

“What is it?” I asked, a nervous flutter in my stomach as I wondered if I had somehow upset him.

“They told me that you defended me quite strongly when some of the women confronted you at the shopping center. James said you were almost frightening—you were so passionate about my innocence.”

I felt my face heat, and I was glad Alexander wasn’t there in person to see it.

“It made me angry to hear them lying about you,” I said softly.

“I’m sad I wasn’t there to see it,” Alexander said, an odd quality to his voice that left me unsure if he was teasing me or not.

“Why?” I asked, curiosity piqued.

“I think it would be quite interesting to see your dangerous side.”

I couldn’t help but laugh at that. “I’m sure it’s nothing compared to yours,” I replied.

A beat of silence hung between us—heavy, not awkward, as if we both had more to say but weren’t sure how to express it.

After a few moments, Alexander spoke again. “Considering the bad press is behind us, I thought it might be time for us to go on another date.”

“Oh,” I said, surprised. “Did you have something specific in mind?”

“Well, summer is drawing to an end soon,” he said thoughtfully, “and we have nice weather for the weekend. I wondered if you’d like to come with me to the summer carnival.”

I’d nearly forgotten about the annual carnival held in the capital each year. It was a popular destination for dates and a place where we would surely be seen together. Some positive press and a show of our solidarity was just the thing to finally put an end to the rumors about Alexander.

“I think that’s a great idea,” I said.

“Good,” Alexander replied. “Then I’ll see you on Saturday night.”

A little flutter of excitement coursed through me at his words, and I did my best to tamp it down. This was only business, after all—not a real date.

“I’ll be ready,” I replied.