Another Chance for the Luna Queen novel

Chapter 0156 Chapter 0156 Alexander POV Ella always managed to surprise me in ways I didnt expect When we met at the gym , it wasnt necessarily her strength or speed that caught me off guard Id expected her to have some athleticism .

What surprised me was her enthusiasm .

For someone who claimed she didnt exercise regularly , she threw herself into each part of the workout with an energy that was rare to see .

After she left , I met with each of the trainers to discuss her results , and though none of them openly praised her , I could see they were as impressed as I was .

It made me feel an odd surge of pride .

Of course , any public praise of Ella reflected positively on me due to our relationship , but that wasnt why I felt this way .

Ella had endured more in the brief time Id known her than most people face in a lifetime , and all of it at the hands of someone who claimed to love her .

Yet , despite the pain shed suffered , she continued to push forward , to improve herself , and to find ways to reclaim her life .

There was a quiet strength in her , a resilience that was rare .

In a way , I admired her .

She somehow balanced that strength with a gentleness that most people would have lost long ago .

It was a balance that very few people could maintain and one I struggled with myself .

Sir , Augusts voice cut through my thoughts .

Is there a reason you keep checking your phone ? I shook my head , looking up at him as I set my phone down on the desk .

I apologize , I said .

I distracted this morning .

I see that , he replied .

Is anything wrong ? little No , its nothing like that , I said dismissively .

Im simply waiting for a response from Ella .

Im trying to decide on my plan for the day , and her input is needed .

August raised one eyebrow at me but didnt say another word .

He didnt have to his disapproval was clear enough .

Hed already voiced his concerns about me becoming too attached to Ella numerous times .

His concerns were unfounded .

I was simply being thorough .

After all , I had to be careful to maintain the illusion .

of a close relationship with Ella if I wanted people to believe we were a couple .

I knew Ella had her first therapy appointment this morning Her hard work to reconnect with her wolf was only just beginning , and while she hadnt said it outright , I could sense her nervousness .

Hoping to encourage her and , admittedly , to open the door for a more substantial conversation I sent her a message early this morning .

The wedding needed proper planning , and Ellas input was crucial .

There was too much to sort out for me to handle it alone , and this arrangement wouldnt work without her full involvement .

It didnt surprise me that she hadnt responded right away .

Ella wasnt the type to be glued to her phone .

But as the minutes ticked by , I found myself growing more concerned by her silence .

Maybe concerned wasnt the right word .

It wasnt that I thought something was wrong , exactly , but I couldnt shake the feeling that something else was weighing on her or distracting her to the point where my message was the least of her worries .

Ella had the bad habit of taking everything on herself , even when she had allies ready and willing to support her .

She wouldnt even go to her father for assistance in situations where , to me , it seemed like the most logical solution .

Chapter 0156 +25 BONUS It was clear she was hiding something a secret she was afraid to let others get involved in .

Considering what David had tried to do to her at the hotel , I couldnt help but wonder if he had more blackmail material .

Perhaps it was something she was too embarrassed to share .

Then again , it could easily be something else entirely .

Ella didnt exactly confide in me , nor did I expect her to , but it would make things infinitely easier for both of us if I knew the full extent of what was going on .

Still , it would be hypocritical of me to press her for answers .

There were plenty of things I wasnt transparent with her about , things she hadnt asked , about yet .

Even so , her silence after my message bothered me far more than it should have .

As I was saying , August continued , pulling me from my thoughts once again , David Lake is getting a lot of attention in the public eye lately .

Hes being very showy about his wedding planning parading his mate around the capital in expensive dresses and buying her jewelry from the finest boutiques .

Thats not surprising in the least , I said .

Hes trying to maintain his reputation after losing all that land to Ella .

He doesnt want people to think its hurting him financially , although it obviously is .

He wont be able to sustain this kind of spending for long .

If he keeps it up , he wont be able to afford the actual wedding .

So , do you think the best approach is to wait and allow him to continue ? Hell damn himself if he does , but I think waiting might be a mistake .

We need to be strategic about this .

My contacts are already looking into his actual financial situation Ill have the figures soon .

And what exactly do you plan to do with that information ? August asked , his tone curious .

I havent decided yet , I admitted .

I want Ellas input on that as well .

But whats more curious discovered about Davids recent travel .

What do you mean ? August asked , leaning forward .

at Ive I pulled a paper from the stack on my desk and slid it over to him .

It was a timeline compiled using border crossing information .

Augusts eyes widened slightly as he scanned it .

It seems Mr.

Lake has been spending a lot of time in the northernmost regions of the kingdom , he said softly .

But what does it mean ? Maybe nothing, I replied : But maybe everything .

Im going to keep looking into it .

The sound of my phone buzzing drew my attention , and I couldnt help the small smile that spread across my face when I saw Ellas name in the notification bar .

I opened her message and quickly tapped out a response .

When I glanced up from the screen , August was giving me that concerned look again .

I ignored it .

I knew Ellas appointment hadnt started just yet , so it would be a little while before she called , but the mere prospect of hearing her voice warmed my heart .

I knew it shouldnt .

But I wasnt going to deny myself the small pleasure of speaking to her .

Id already allowed myself to get too attached to Ella , but as long as I could control my urges when she was near , it couldnt do any real harm .

Id never been a man who struggled with self control , so this shouldnt be any different .

Even as I thought that , a small part of me knew it wasnt entirely true .

As I smiled down at the screen , the weight of the truth pressed against the wall of denial I had built .

I was in danger of losing the battle against my feelings for Ella .

Maybe I was wrong to believe that I could manage it that I was stronger than these emotions .

Chapter 0156 .

But deep down , I knew better .

I was in too deep now to even consider cutting things off .