Chapter 0255 +25 BONUS Chapter 0255 Ella POV The image of Alexanderâs wedding photo from the original imeline flashed vividly in my mind. The beautiful woman standing beside him, her bright smile radiating joy was the same woman standing before me nowâFiona.
Fiona was talking, laughing, her voice warm and polite, just as it had been all along. But I couldnât hear her words. All I could hear was the thunderous pounding of my own heartbeat, far too loud, far too fast.
Heat surged through me, boiling anger washing over every inch of my skin. My stomach twisted, and the realization struck like a blowâI was jealous. Intensely, painfully jealous.
Was Alexander waiting for his chance to marry Flona? Had my proposed deal been the only thing standing in his way? If that was true, why hadnât he rejected the deal outright? The answer was obviousâhe needed me to help him become king. Of course, he wouldnât refuse.
But my thoughts refused to settle. There was nothing between usâor so I told myself. There wasnât supposed to be anything real between Alexander and me. And yet...
The terms of our contract rose in my mind, as sharp as a blade. From the very beginning, Alexander had insisted we divorce as soon as the election was over.
At the time, it had made perfect sense. Now, doubt crept in insidious and unwelcome. Had he demanded the divorce so quickly because he wanted to be free to marry Fiona?
Was the reason he claimed he couldnât fall for anyone because he already had?
âAre you alright?â Fiona asked, her voice tinged with concern. The softness in her tone cut through my swirling thoughts. âYou look pale.â
âIâm feeling a bit faint,â I replied, trying to steady my voice. âI think Iâd better call it a day.â
âThatâs probably a good idea,â Fiona said gently. âNothing good comes from pushing yourself too hard.â
I laughed despite myself. She had no idea how rich her words were. âYouâre right,â I said. âI think itâs best if I hit the showers and head home.â
âOkay,â she replied with a warm smile. âAnd tell Alexander I said hello.â
âOh, I will,â I answered, forcing a lightness into my tone. âDonât worry about that.â
Without another word, I turned and hurried toward the showers. As I cleaned up and changed, my mind remained fixed on Alexanderâs face from the night beforeâhis hesitation, the flicker of uncertainty in his eyes.
He was hiding something. Of course, he had every right to. But if he was in love with someone else, didnât he owe it to me to be truthful? Before things between us became even more complicated?
By the time I was taking the elevator up to our apartment, my anger had cooled, leaving an ache of confusion in its place. I was being ridiculous. None of this was supposed to be real.
So what did I have to be jealous about? Alexander had been very clearâanything physical between us was casual, driven by mutual attraction, not deeper emotions.
Besides, I had no proof of anything between him and Fiona. It was entirely possible that in the original timeline, their relationship had only developed after the election. And I had to remember: I was years ahead of that timeline now.
So many things were different. There was no reason to believe that Alexander and Fiona were destined to be 1/3 Chapter 0259 together.
Surely, If they were fated, they would have acted on it already, it woedd cay buy later ve allâand wasnât that the very reason for our marriage in the first phar I sighed as I scanned my fingerprint to unlock the apartmet down. It didnât help to think in circles the ride, the amount of logic could ease the sting I felt. Alexander hadnât done anything wrong, either had fou bad you, my feelings were hurt.
It was absurd. Childish. I needed to get over it.
Perhaps my reaction was heightened because of last night. Because weâd crossed a line thudeft expected vs to cross. And there was no one to blame for that but myself, I wanted it, after all.
I walked inside, kicked off my shoes, and dropped my duffel bag near the closet, Iâd clean it out and repack it later for my next trip to the gym. Right now, I didnât have the energy to care.
Collapsing onto the couch, I ran my fingers through my hair. I needed to get my thoughts under conted. There was no reason to feel so worked up. Maybe it was because things seemed to be going so well lately.
After months of one crisis after another, my brain didnât know how to switch off.
If that was the case, I needed to retrain myself. Constant vigilance, hyperâfocusâit wasnât heality. It would only lead me to make a mistake out of fear, something reckless that could ruin everything, And I couldnât afford that Not now.
âHow was the gym?â Alexanderâs voice startled me, and I turned to see him entering the room. His damp hair and the steaming coffee cup in his hand suggested heâd showered and shaken off his hangover.
âFine,â I answered simply, keeping my tone neutral. âFiona says hello.â
âOh, you ran into her?â he asked, his tone carrying a hint of surprise.
âShe goes to that gym, doesnât she?â I replied, my voice carefully controlled.
âI guess,â Alexander said with a shrug. âHer scheduleâs unpredictable with her work. Itâs hard to keep track of where she spends her time.â
âBut that is the kind of thing youâd keep track of, isnât it?â The question slipped out before I could stop myself. Alexander gave me a strange look. âNot really,â he said. âIâve just run into her there once or twice, so I know she has a membership. When sheâs in the capital, that is.â
âOf course, âI murmured, turning my gaze to the blank wall across the room.
âIs something wrong?â he asked, his voice cautious. âYou seem upset.â
âIâm not,â I replied too quickly.
âOkay.â He didnât sound convinced, but he didnât press. âI was just about to make lunch. Are you hungry?â
âYes.â
Silence settled between us, tense and awkward. Finally, Alexander broke it. âIâll let you know when itâs ready,â he said, walking toward the kitchen.
As he turned, he cast one more curious glance over his shoulder before disappearing from view.
I leaned forward, pressing my palms to my temples. My head throbbed. I hadnât drunk enough water during my workout, and Iâd barely eaten. Maybe that was why I felt so off.
2/3 +25 BONUS Chapter 0255 Maybe I was just a little hungover, after all. There had to be a logical reason for my behaviorâthis wasnât like me. Fiona hadnât done anything wrong. She hadnât been rude or impolite. If anything, I was the one who had been cold. I needed to be more careful. Iâd have to apologize to her somehow, make sure she didnât think Iâd faked feeling ill just to avoid her. The last thing I needed was for rumors to start, painting me as some crazy, possessive wife who wouldnât let Alexander have female friends.
That must be it, I just wasnât feeling well. Surely after I ate something I would feel more like myself and I would see that my jealousy was misplaced.
I couldnât be jealous of Alexander because I knew that he wasnât really mine and he never would be.
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