Chapter 0155
Chapter 0155
Ella POV
Message notification from Alexander Black.
The words flashed across the top of my phone screen as I checked the time, but I forced myself to ignore them.
Keeping busy was my best defense against wandering thoughts, and I was certainly making sure to stay occupied. I spent the previous evening working on pack affairs with my father, diving into every detail to keep my mind from straying.
Early this morning, I was off to my first occupational therapy appointment, determined to keep moving forward.
I hadn’t dreamed that night–or, if I had, I didn’t remember it. Yet, the earlier dreams of Alexander lingered in my thoughts. The memory of his heat, the way he looked at me, and, most of all, his words.
We could never have a stable relationship.
He was right. Things were far too complicated in both our lives to imagine an easy future together. That was a fantasy I had to abandon, no matter how painful it was to let go.
I needed to focus on what truly mattered the problem at hand. The growl that had slipped from me the previous day was proof that hope wasn’t lost. My wolf was still there still a part of me, waiting to emerge.
Stopping the medication that had kept her dormant had been the first step, but now it was up to me. I needed to get stronger, mentally and physically, to ensure she returned.
There was no time for distractions. My path forward had to be clear and unshakable. For my sake, and fveryone depending on me.
The therapy office was housed in a small, unassuming building. The waiting room exuded calm with its soft lighting and soothing decor. I should have felt the same, but my nerves were frayed.
I stared blankly at the stack of paperwork in front of me. Starting with any new doctor or treatment always meant a mountain of forms, but I couldn’t focus. My mind kept drifting to my phone. That notification–Alexander’s message–still lingered in my thoughts.
The moment I saw his name, the dream from yesterday had come rushing back, vivid and unwanted. I hadn’t even unlocked my phone to read his words. I couldn’t.
I was still trying to ignore it, though I knew how childish that was. Alexander hadn’t done anything wrong. The fault was entirely mine for letting my feelings spiral out of control.
Yesterday, I wasn’t even sure if he noticed how I’d been looking at him—but it didn’t matter. Things between us had to remain professional. I needed to manage that.
The problem was that every interaction made it harder to maintain the distance I so desperately needed. Yet, I couldn’t sever ties completely. That wasn’t an option. I was caught in a web of my own making, unsure of the right way to proceed.
There was no one I could ask for advice. No one could know the truth about my arrangement with Alexander–that the relationship was not real. I had to keep up the illusion. The stakes were too high to falter now.
But as I sat there, pen hovering over the first line of paperwork, I couldn’t help but feel I’d trapped myself in an impossible situation. And it was far too late to turn back.
My phone buzzed in my pocket again, a persistent reminder of the notification I was steadfastly ignoring. I shook my head, scolding myself softly, and returned to the paperwork. It didn’t take long to finish, but I’d arrived early,
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and the doctor seemed to be running late.
After what felt like an eternity of staring at the clock, I caved. I pulled out my phone and dismissed the message notification without opening it. Instead, I launched one of my social media apps, hoping for a distraction.
That hope was short–lived.
The feed was dominated by news about David and Amanda, rolled my eyes as I skimmed through the headlines and comments. Apparently, the two of them were flaunting their wealth around the capital, visiting lavish boutiques and top–tier bridal shops as they prepared for their wedding.
It was laughable. Neither of them could afford such extravagance–not without running themselves into financial ruin.
I couldn’t be too confident about that though. They had been so unpredictable lately. There was a possibility that this was part of some bigger plan of theirs. I had no idea what they might be trying at accomplish, but I couldn’t afford to ignore them.
For all I knew this was some kind of a ploy to lure me into action. Maybe they hoped that Alexander would spend just as foolishly to compete?
They were stupid if they thought that would work. Alexander had no need to throw his wealth around to show off. The entire kingdom already knew that he was successful and well off. His wedding gift to me had established that for anyone that didn’t already know it.
Still, maybe Alexander and I showing up at their announcement had shaken them more than I’d realized. David had lost that land fair and square, in full public view, and it seemed he was now determined to prove that the loss hadn’t affected him.
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If anything, his recklessness presented an opportunity. If he spread himself too thin, the consequen would catch up to him. I had no doubt that Alexander would know exactly how to exploit the situation to our advantage.
That was the thing about Alexander–he was brilliant when it came to PR. Far better than I was. He had an uncanny ability to get the media and public on his side, turning even the smallest details into victories. It was one of the reasons we worked well together, professionally at least.
Thinking of him again made me sigh. I was being ridiculous, avoiding his message like this. Childish, even. I was trying my best to leave childish tendencies behind, and this.. this was not helping.
Alexander probably hadn’t even noticed I was ignoring him, but that didn’t change the fact that it was rude of me.
Reluctantly, I opened the messaging app and pulled up Alexander’s thread. The message stared back at me, simple yet thoughtful: “Good luck at your appointment.”
My heart twisted with guilt. He hadn’t done anything wrong, yet here I was, overthinking everything to the point of absurdity.
Before I could overthink it further, I sent a quick reply to Alexander:
“Thank you. We should talk soon–we’re planning a wedding, after all, and there’s a lot to discuss.”
His response came almost immediately, simple yet potent enough to make my heart race:
“Call me when your appointment is over.”
The flutter of anticipation in my chest felt impossible to ignore, like a swarm of butterflies set loose. I caught myself smiling at the thought of hearing his voice again, and the realization sent a pang of frustration through me.
It was pointless to deny how I felt about him. I’d tried, over and over again, but those feelings refused to be
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silenced. Still, I had to stay strong. There was too much at stake–too many moving pieces in this elaborate charade.
I just hoped that I was strong enough to keep my emotions from ruining everything.
