Chapter 96

Ella POV

I would be starting my new exercise regimen with Alexander in the morning, which made me more nervous than I wanted to admit. But I didn’t have time to dwell on it—after meeting the trainers, getting a tour of the gym, and putting together a workout schedule, I needed to head home. Elizabeth was coming over for lunch today, and I didn’t want to be late.

We hadn’t seen each other much recently, and I was eager to catch up. Still, I wasn’t sure how much I could really tell her. After all, it was that text, supposedly from her, that had led me to the hotel where David attacked me.

Though I knew now that the message wasn’t from her, a seed of hesitation lingered. Elizabeth had always kept a good reputation, and being close to me seemed to complicate things for everyone. I genuinely liked her; the last thing I wanted was to drag her into my chaos.

I was surprised to find Elizabeth already at the house when I arrived. She sat in the living room with my mother, sipping tea, looking perfectly at ease.

“Am I late?” I asked, stepping in and glancing between the two of them.

“No,” Elizabeth replied warmly, her smile welcoming. “I just decided to come early. I didn’t realize you’d been in the capital.”

“Where she usually is these days,” my mother chimed in, a playful glint in her eye. “She and Alexander are becoming quite inseparable.”

“That’s an exaggeration,” I said, a little flustered.

“Is it?” my mother challenged, raising an eyebrow. “You’ve been there every day this week.”

“And I’ve been here every day this week too,” I countered, hands on my hips.

“Just long enough to have dinner and sleep,” she teased, a smirk tugging at her lips.

It was all in good fun, but I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks.

Elizabeth jumped in, her eyes sparkling. “It seems we’ve both been busy. I’m glad we could finally meet up. We have so much to catch up on.”

“Should we go up to my room until lunch is ready?” I suggested.

“That sounds perfect.” Elizabeth stood, thanking my mother with a sweet smile. “Thank you for the tea, Luna Rowan.”

“Anytime, dear. You two have fun catching up,” my mother replied warmly.

As soon as we entered my room, Elizabeth flopped onto my bed with a dramatic sigh. “Finally! We have so much to gossip about.”

I rolled my eyes, stifling a laugh. “Gossip is exactly what I need after a morning filled with doctor’s appointments and setting up gym memberships.”

“Gym membership?” Elizabeth repeated, giving me a curious look. “Trying to get into wedding shape already?”

“Something like that,” I replied, feeling a familiar heat creep into my cheeks. “Alexander wants us to start training together, so he took me to his gym today and introduced me to a few personal trainers.”

“Training together, huh?” Elizabeth arched an eyebrow, her tone thick with skepticism. “Sure…”

“Oh, it’s not like that,” I said quickly, waving a hand dismissively. But my cheeks betrayed me, growing warmer at her implication.

“Are you sure?” she teased, leaning in closer with a mischievous smirk. “Maybe that’s his way of… keeping things interesting.”

“Alexander doesn’t need an excuse to flirt,” I muttered under my breath.

“Aha!” Elizabeth laughed, her eyes sparkling with triumph. “I knew it. He’s so effortlessly charming; it’s practically a talent. And that kind of charm? You can’t fake it.”

I sighed, considering her words. “You’re not wrong about that,” I admitted, sinking down beside her on the bed. “But enough about me. What about you? You’ve been so busy lately—I feel like we haven’t had a proper catch-up in ages.”

Elizabeth’s gaze flickered, and she looked up at the ceiling, a blush creeping over her cheeks. She bit her lip, as if weighing something carefully. Finally, she turned to me, a gleam of excitement and nervousness in her eyes. “Can I tell you something? You have to swear not to breathe a word to anyone.”

“Yes,” I replied instantly, a thrill of anticipation sparking through me.

She looked around the room, her voice dropping to a whisper. “I mean it, Ella—absolute secrecy. If this gets out, I’ll know it was you. No one else can know.”

“Alright, you have my word,” I assured her, my heart pounding a little faster, sensing something big.

Elizabeth took a deep breath, then leaned in, her voice barely audible. “I’ve been dating Damien Rose,” she whispered, her tone carrying both a hint of exhilaration and fear.

My mouth fell open, a shock jolting through me.

I’d heard rumors that Damian had been sending Elizabeth flowers and gifts, but I hadn’t realized they were actually dating.

“That’s so exciting!” I said, genuinely happy for her. “But why keep it secret?”

She let out a small sigh, glancing away. “Because I’m the daughter of the king,” she said quietly, a hint of sadness in her voice. “If people knew… there’d be so much scrutiny. And if things don’t work out, it would be a huge scandal. I like him, and I love spending time with him, but I just want to take things slow. If we’ve got people following us, shouting questions, scrutinizing every little thing…”

She trailed off, and I nodded, understanding completely. I got enough scrutiny over my relationships, and I was only an Alpha’s daughter. For Elizabeth, it would be a hundred times worse.

“So, tell me,” I asked, trying to lighten the mood. “What’s he like?”

Elizabeth’s face softened, a smile spreading across her lips. “He’s incredible. Kind, patient… and he plays the guitar.”

I nudged her playfully. “Sounds perfect for you. I’m really happy for you. I’ll even forgive you for blowing me off to hang out with your boyfriend.”

“Oh, you’re one to talk,” she shot back with a smirk. “You’ve been spending all your time with your fiancé.”

I shrugged, unable to suppress a smile. “What can I say? I like being around him.”

Elizabeth’s gaze softened. “You don’t have to justify it to me. When you find someone who makes you feel at home… it’s hard to leave their side.”

I hated how right she was. Thinking of Alexander, I realized how comfortable I always felt around him. Or at least, I did when I wasn’t fighting against my attraction to him. Just the thought of him made me drift into a daze.

“Getting lost in thoughts of him already?” Elizabeth teased, snapping me back to the present.

“Actually,” I said, seizing the opportunity to change the subject, “I’ve been thinking about getting Alexander a gift. He’s always buying things for me, and I’d like to surprise him with something thoughtful. I just have no idea what he’d like. Maybe you could help me think of something?”

“A gift for Alexander Black?” Elizabeth raised her eyebrows thoughtfully. “That’s a challenge. What do you get for a man that has everything? Nothing comes to mind immediately, but I’ll think on it. If I come up with anything brilliant, you’ll be the first to know.”

“Girls! Lunch!” My mother’s voice called up from the hallway.

“Well, that’s all the gossip we get for now, I guess,” I said, standing and moving toward the door.

“There’ll be plenty of time for more after we eat,” Elizabeth replied with a grin. “Besides, the food here is amazing. No point letting it go cold.”

“Can’t argue with that.” I opened the door for her. “Let’s get down there before they eat it all.”

My thoughts lingered on Alexander as the two of us headed downstairs. I found myself wondering how different things between us would be if there wasn’t so much public scrutiny on our relationship.

I had to remind myself that we wouldn’t have a relationship if it wasn’t for the public attention. Our relationship wasn’t real.