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 .

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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 .