Chapter 321: Chapter 322

X Chapter 0322 Chapter 0322 Ella POV James stood beside me, his posture tense and alert. I felt a pang of guilt for asking him to join me for a walk after everything that had just happened, but he had agreed easily enough.

He didn’t try to chat with me like he normally would, and the silence hung heavy between us. It didn’t bother though I needed time to clear my head and sort through my thoughts.

I knew I owed James an apology, and I would make sure he got it... eventually. But not today.

me, Too much had happened in the past few days. Part of me wondered if this was all some crazy, twisted dream. The truth about Alexander... the kidnapping... It all felt surreal.

But the bruises on my body were real enough, and the ache in my bones with every step reminded me that I wasn’t dreaming.

The stares from passersby as they noticed my bruises and my slight limp were real enough too.

“What do you think of Alexander?” I asked suddenly, breaking the silence.

James looked at me, confusion clear on his face. “What?”

2 “Not as your Alpha. Just as a person. What do you think of him?” I pressed, searching his expression.

James was down–to–earth, and I trusted his opinion. Maybe I was too blinded by my feelings for Alexander to think clearly.

Maybe I shouldn’t be giving him the benefit of the doubt after everything he’d confessed.

I needed a second opinion, but it wasn’t as if I could tell anyone what I knew. I felt lost and unsure of what to do, and asking James seemed like the only option.

“What do I think of Alexander... as a person?” James repeated, his tone thoughtful.

“Yeah, like... do you think you’d be friends under different circumstances?” I struggled to find the right words, trying to explain what I meant.

James was silent for a long moment before he finally spoke. “I honestly don’t know how to answer that. I don’t know if we’d be friends, but... I think my respect for him would still be there. Truth is, I don’t have much in common with him, but... I think he means well, if that makes sense.”

I nodded slowly. “I think I understand what you mean,” I said.

“Why are you asking all of a sudden?” James asked, his brows knitting together. “Did something happen between you two?”

I shook my head. “No... It’s just... I’m doubting myself,” I admitted. “I don’t trust my own judgment sometimes. It makes me wonder if the choices I’ve made were really the right ones.‘

>>

“For what it’s worth,” James said, his voice earnest, “I’m glad you and Alexander are together. You seem like a good fit. And frankly, his attitude has improved drastically since you moved in.”

“Really?” I asked, my disbelief evident.

James nodded, a hint of amusement in his expression. “He’s less... touchy, you know? He’s got more patience when people screw up, and he even works a little less. Which is nice for everyone, because when he’s burnt out and stressed, he can be a lot.”

I smiled. “Is he really working less? That’s hard to believe.

“And yet it’s true,” James said with a laugh.

173 “I’m glad I’ve been a good influence... at least a little,” I said softly.

“You shouldn’t doubt yourself so much,” James said, his tone sincere. “It’s easy to make mistakes, but when you trust your gut, things usually turn out okay.”

I looked down at my feet as we continued walking. Trust my gut... People usually told me to trust my instincts or trust my wolf, which always rubbed me the wrong way since, until recently, my wolf had been out of my reach.

But trusting my gut? For some reason, those words were comforting.

My gut told me that everything Alexander had said was true and that his feelings for me were real, just as mine were for him. My gut told me that I was exactly where I needed to be.

I looked up at James and smiled. “Thank you. You have no idea how much that helps.”

“I’m glad I can help,” he said, his cheeks tinged pink as he looked away, clearly embarrassed.

I smiled and turned to look down the sidewalk again. It was a beautiful day and I was finally feeling the warmth of the sun.

Alexander had told me who he really was, but it changed nothing. I love him and that was what mattered most of all.

Third Person POV Amanda felt numb as she stared at the phone. Her contact had called with news that the kidnapping had failed. Alexander had shown up out of nowhere and rescued Ella at the last second.

She gritted her teeth, imagining how happy Ella must have been when her knight in shining armor arrived.

Every attempt Amanda made to get back at Ella only seemed to make her stronger, gain more positive attention, and make people like her more. It was infuriating, and it filled Amanda with disgust.

“So how do we proceed?” the woman on the other end of the line asked.

Amanda ground her teeth together.

There was a long pause before the woman spoke again, her voice careful. “I have a suggestion, if you’re open to it.

11 “What?” Amanda demanded, barely containing her irritation.

“I understand your desire to kidnap Ella and control the situation, but clearly that isn’t working.”

Amanda grunted in response, unwilling to admit that the woman was right, even though she knew it was true.

“So my suggestion is, we make it look like an accident.”

“What?” Amanda’s voice sharpened.

“You want Ella dead, don’t you?” the woman said, her tone shifting to something darker, a strange joy lacing her words. “I know that’s what I want.”

“Yes, that’s what I want,” Amanda agreed, her voice flat. “What’s your point?”

“Why does it matter to you how she dies?” the woman asked, her tone casual, almost playful.

Amanda thought for a long moment. It was true–she had wanted control over how Ella suffered.

She wanted Ella to feel fear, to know she was being punished. But maybe that didn’t matter anymore. Maybe her 2/3 Chapter 0322 own emotions were clouding her judgment. Maybe her need for control was what had been holding her back from getting rid of Ella altogether.

“What are you saying?” she asked, her voice laced with skepticism.

revenge “Let me handle it,” the woman said with confidence. “I’ll do it my way, and it’ll get done. You’ll have the you wanted, but you’ll be the only one who knows it was at your command. Can you handle that?”

Amanda wanted to argue, but she knew it was irrational. Getting Ella out of the picture was all that mattered now.

David was in prison, and so was Archer. The Alpha King was going to judge them, and Ella’s testimony would be the most damning of all. She had to get rid of Ella before she had a chance to speak to the King and condemn Amanda’s brother and her husband.

“Fine,” she said, feeling defeated. “Just make sure it doesn’t fail this time.”

She could practically hear the woman smiling on the other end of the line. “Don’t worry. This time, Ella Rowan is going to get exactly what’s been coming to her.”