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Chapter 0265
Chapter 0265
Ella POV
“You’re back,” Alexander said as I walked into the apartment, his voice warm but tinged with curiosity.
“Yes, sorry I’m late for lunch,” I replied, setting my bag down. “My coffee outing ran long. I ran into Flona at the café, and we got to talking.”
“That’s good,” Alexander said, watching me closely as he set two fresh plates of food on the kitchen island. “So, you straightened things out then?”
“Yes,” I replied, pulling out a stool to sit down. “Fiona and have no issues between us. You were right–I was being silly before. However, I’m afraid our conversation raised some new questions.”
Alexander’s brow furrowed, and he sat beside me stiffly. “Why is that?”
I hesitated, choosing my words carefully. “Fiona seemed to find it… interesting that you were willing to run for Alpha King, considering the skeletons in your closet.”
“Skeletons?” Alexander repeated, his expression hardening. The warmth in his demeanor quickly gave way to sharp focus. “And what exactly does she think I have to hide?”
I had spent the entire walk back planning how I would handle this, but I’d already gone off script. I pressed Fiona as much as I could, trying to get a definitive answer, but all she said was that Diana might let slip some Indiscretions from his past.
Apparently, this was different from the women who had already come forward. The idea that something
potentially damaging to the campaign had been kept from me irritated me, especially since we were out of time to preemptively address it.
The election was starting. We had to bring our A–game, and I needed every piece of information to help us succeed. I racked my brain, trying to remember the original timeline. I knew there had been a big scandal with Alexander that cost him the election, but for the life of me, couldn’t recall the details.
“She wouldn’t say,” I admitted, watching his reaction closely. “She seemed to think you should have told me about it by now and looked embarrassed when she realized I had no idea what she was talking about.”
“You’re not the only one,” Alexander said, his tone tight. “I’m not sure what she could be talking about.”
I stared at him steadily, our eyes locked. I couldn’t tell if he was lying. His irritation seemed genuine, but his guarded expression told me there was more to this than he was admitting.
“There’s nothing that Fiona knows about that could be a scandal if it got out into the public?” asked slowly, watching his eyes for any change.
Alexander hesitated. “There’s one thing,” he said softly, “but it isn’t going to be an issue. And the fact that she would bring it up is… frustrating.”
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“She’s your best friend,” I pointed out, leaning forward. “And she thinks this is the kind of thing you should have told your wife. She also seemed concerned your mother might let it slip.”
“That won’t happen,” Alexander said firmly.
“I want to trust you,” I said, my voice softening but my resolve firm. “But it really feels like you’re keeping things from me that I should know about.”
“Look, I’m sorry I was out late and didn’t tell you where I was going,” Alexander said, sighing. “It was rude, and I’m sure you were concerned
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“This isn’t about that,” I interrupted, crossing my arms.
Alexander looked skeptical, his jaw tightening. “Then what is it about?”
“It’s about us being honest with each other,” I said. “If there’s something that could jeopardize this campaign I deserve to know.”
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“It’s not going to jeopardize the campaign,” Alexander said, his tone firm. “It’s none of Fiona’s business and not something Diana is going to comment on.” He hesitated, his expression shifting into something I’d never seen before–pained, almost vulnerable.
It made me pause, the irritation and anger I’d felt toward the situation dissolving quickly as I realized he was genuinely upset.
“I’m not trying to pry personal details out of you,” I said gently, softening my voice. “I just need to know what issues might arise during the campaign. The sooner we can address any potential scandals, the better. I thought we were on the same page about this.”
“We are,” he said, sighing heavily.
I glanced down at the plate of food in front of me, suddenly uncertain. It was clear Alexander was distressed- more than I had anticipated. Pressing him wouldn’t help; itwould only make him distrustful of me. I exhaled softly, making a decision.
“Okay,” I said after a moment. “If you think it’s no big deal, then I’ll trust your judgment. But if something does happen, I want you to inform me as soon as possible so we can deal with it together. Agreed?”
“Agreed,” Alexander said after a long pause, his voice steady but low. “I promise you, Ella, I wouldn’t do anything to compromise our success. We’ve worked too hard to get to this point. I do trust you it’s just that some pain is too personal to share, even with those you trust the most.”
I nodded slowly, understanding his words all too well. There were things I wished I could share–things I had carried with me for so long–but I knew I never would. Not with my parents, not even with Alexander.
It was a lonely feeling
We ate in silence for a while, each of us lost in thought, our secrets hanging heavily in the air. The challenges we faced were already daunting, and I knew they would only grow as the campaign moved forward.
The first time around, the campaign had been excruciating a blur of stress, fear, and relentless rumors. With only David by my side, I’d barely survived it. But this time was different.
I was different. And I had Alexander beside me. Still, I knew we couldn’t afford to make any mistakes.
The details of what had gone wrong in the original timeline were hazy–a mess of headlines and paparazzi photos of Alexander looking tired and frustrated. And then there was Diana.
Fiona’s lack of trust in her had rekindled my own doubts. I believed that Diana loved her son, but the way she spoke about him often felt offhanded, even reckless. It wasn’t unreasonable to worry that she might say something inappropriate to the wrong person, causing irreparable damage.
resolved to speak to Alexander about having a candid discussion with his family before we announced his candidacy. Everyone needed to be on board for this campaign to succeed–Diana included.
“It feels awkward to bring it up now,” Alexander said, breaking the silence and pulling me from my thoughts,” but I wanted to ask you on another date.”
“A date?” I asked, surprised.
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“Yes,”
“he said, a small smile playing on his lips. “To make up for last night. I thought we could go to the opera.”
“The opera?” I repeated, caught off guard. After our date at the racetrack, it was hard to picture Alexander enjoying something so formal and, frankly, stuffy.
“A lot of people say they don’t like opera,” Alexander said, his tone lightening, “but that’s because they haven’t truly experienced it. I promise it’s not what you imagine it to be.”
I hesitated, then smiled. “I’m open to trying. It’s good to experience new things, right?”
“Exactly,” he said, his smile growing warmer.
We shared a quiet moment, the strain of our earlier argument beginning to fade as we both silently resolved to keep moving forward–together.
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Chapter 0266
