Chapter 215: Chapter 216

Chapter 0216 Chapter 0216 Ella POV I answered the phone as I walked through the upper levels of the shopping center. Alexander’s warm voice greeted me, and my mind drifted for a moment to the first day we officially met. It had been in his office building, on the day this very shopping center opened.

Back then, Alexander had no reason to trust me. He didn’t truly know who I was, yet he had agreed to the terms of my offer–to help me get revenge against David.

In exchange, I would help him achieve his ultimate goal: becoming king. So much had changed since that day, and yet that was still what tied us together. That, and the contract Alexander had drawn up.

The contract guaranteed his loyalty to me for the duration of our “relationship.” It was an odd thing to promise someone you weren’t actually involved with, but I understood why he’d done it.

Alexander was determined to protect me from any potential scandals that might tarnish my reputation. It had been a thoughtful gesture to calm my fears, yet every time I thought about it now, I couldn’t help but feel... uncomfortable.

“Ella?” Alexander’s voice pulled me back to the present. “Can you hear me?”

“Yes, sorry,” I answered quickly. “I was just lost in thought for a moment.”

“That’s understandable,” he said gently. “There’s a lot to think about right now. In just a few more days, we’re going to be married.”

“That’s right,” I said, feeling a little awkward. “What were you calling about?”

I could hear August’s voice in the background of the call. There was another voice responding to him, but I couldn’t place it. I was sure I had heard it before.

It was probably nothing; I’d spent enough time at the office now that I had likely heard every employee speak at least once.

“The wedding, naturally,” he said, a slight chuckle in his tone. “There’s one last detail we need to decide on before the big day.”

“There is?” I asked, surprised. “I thought we’d taken care of everything–the flowers, the clothes, the decorations, the music-”

“The wine,” Alexander interrupted. “We haven’t chosen the wine yet.”

“Oh! How could I be so thoughtless?” I said, shaking my head in disbelief. “I completely forgot.”

“Well, luckily, I’ve arranged a wine tasting for us. That is, if you’re available to join me tomorrow?”

“Of course,” I answered with a smile. “I think it’ll be good for us to see each other in person one more time before the wedding ”

“That’s a bonus,” Alexander said, his voice carrying a hint of amusement. “What are you up to right now?”

I could still hear voices in the background, but I couldn’t make out any words. August sounded annoyed, though. I was curious, but I didn’t want to pry so I didn’t ask about it “I’m just leaving the tailor at the shopping center,” I answered. “I’m meeting my parents for lunch, and then we’re going to meet with the DJ to go over the music detail one more time. You’ve already arranged for the string quartet to play during the ceremony, right?”

+25 BONUS Chapter 0216 “All taken care of,” he assured me. “Tell your parents I say hello. How’s your father? Has he made any progress on the Solar Farm plans?”

“It’s progressing well,” I said, lowering my voice slightly as I glanced around. “But he wants to keep the plans a secret until we’re ready to start construction. He doesn’t want to tip David off in case he tries to vandalize the land again before we can place guards.”

“That’s smart,” Alexander said, his tone genuinely impressed. “If there’s anything more I can do to help, let me know.”

“Of course,” I replied, smiling at his sincerity. The voices in the background grew louder. I hesitated before asking, “What’s that sound?”

“What sound?” Alexander replied, a hint of something unreadable in his tone.

“I think I hear voices,” I said hesitantly. “It sounds like August.”

There was a brief pause before Alexander responded, his tone calm but clipped. “I have a meeting that’s about to start. Don’t worry about it.”

Chapter 0217