Chapter 0280
Ella’s annoyance was palpable. Without so much as a glanc in my direction, she redialed.
I watched her carefully. The phone rang again. And again. er frustration grew with every unanswered ring, her lips tightening into a thin line. When the call finally rang out for the second time, she practically threw the phone back onto the counter.
“Take a breath,” I said softly, stepping closer to her. “This is to be expected. She’s a coward–attacking you in secret and then running away in the night.”
Ella nodded slowly, “You’re right,” she said through gritted teeth. “It’s cowardly. But she’s very mistaken if she thinks she can hide from me.
Determination lit her face like a flame. Without hesitation, she picked up the phone again, set it on the counter, and redialed this time putting it on speaker.
“I’ll do this all night if that’s what it takes,” she said, her voice sharp and unwavering.
It was on the fifth attempt that the call was finally answered. A hesitant female voice came over the line, and I saw the recognition flash across Ella’s face the moment she heard it.
“The coordinates you sent,” Ella said, skipping any form of greeting. “Where will they lead me?”
“To me,” the woman responded.
“And where are you, Brianna?” Ella asked sharply, deliberately using the doctor’s first name to catch her off guard.
The tactic worked. There was a long pause, and when Brianna finally spoke, her voice lacked the confidence it had held a moment before.
“I’m in the Roguelands.‘
”
“You realize how much this sounds like a trap, don’t you?” Ella pressed.
“Yes,” Brianna replied easily. “I know exactly what it sounds like. And I know that’s not going to stop you from coming.”
Ella’s jaw tightened. “What makes you so confident?”
“The fact that you called,” the doctor said simply.
There was a moment of silence before Ella’s stern expression softened. A faint, almost wry smile tugged at her lips.
“You’re either brave or a fool,” she said. “But you’re right I’m not going to pass up this opportunity. I know you have information that will help me.”
“Not just you,” Brianna corrected. “I have information that will help the entire Southern Kingdom–if you know what to do with it.”
Ella’s eyes narrowed. “And why have you suddenly decided to share this information with me? You’ve poisoned me, stolen my wolf, and made my life hell for years. Why do all that just to turn around and offer help?”
“Because I’m not a fool,” Brianna said, her voice calm. “I know when I’ve lost. And I know when I’ve been fooled.”
Ella’s gaze sharpened. “Who fooled you?”
“I think you already know the answer to that,” the doctor replied, her tone bitter. “And I’m not going to let him
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Chapter 0280
get away with it.”
“So you’re using me to help you get revenge?”
“Do you have a problem with that?”
“Not at all.”
“So you’ll come, then?”
“I believe all the information I need is in the text,” Ella sald curtly before pressing the red button to end the call. I stared at her silently for a few moments as she set the phone down. Her eyes remained fixed on the counter, but then, as if suddenly remembering I was there, she glanced and offered me an awkward smile.
“It’s late. We should get some sleep,” she said. “We have alot to talk about tomorrow.”
I nodded in agreement but didn’t respond. I was too preoccupied with what I’d just witnessed. The way Ella had ́ spoken–with such confidence and authority–it was like seeing a side of her I’d never known existed.
الرقمية
For the first time, I could picture her as a leader. Maybe, just maybe, Ella did have what it took to become a Luna after all.