Chapter 81: Chapter 82

Chapter 0082 Alexander POV I smirked slightly. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d swear you could see into the future.”

An odd expression flickered across Ella’s face before she quickly lowered her gaze to her coffee. “That would be nice,” she muttered.

“I mean it,” I said, watching her closely. “You seem to have this incredible insight into people’s motivations. It’s like you know what’s going to happen before it even unfolds. Sometimes it’s... unsettling.”

Ella smiled weakly. “I’m sorry if it unsettles you,” she said her fingers tracing the edge of her cup. “I’m just making an educated guess based on my understanding of the situation, as I’ve said before.”

I watched as she toyed with the coffee cup, her eyes intentionally turned away. Something I’d said had clearly affected her, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on what. There were moments when I could read her like an open book, and others–like this–where she was a puzzle, impossible to solve.

Oddly, I found comfort in that. I had plenty of my own secrets, and despite the nature of our relationship, it seemed we were a perfect match in that regard.

“So, who was on the phone?” Ella asked, clearly eager to change the subject.

“August,” I replied.

She looked concerned. “Is everything all right?”

I nodded. “Yes, he was just confirming details about a business transaction. It wasn’t urgent, but I had to take the call to be sure.”

“I understand,” she said, seeming to relax a little. “He’s your beta–you need to keep communication open and clear. My father is the same way with his beta.”

“I’m glad you understand,” I said.

It was clear that something in Ella’s demeanor had shifted. I wasn’t sure what exactly bothered her was it the warning from my ex or my comments about her apparent precognition? Either way, she seemed uncomfortable.

I wanted to ask, to dig deeper into whatever was weighing on her mind. There was an undeniable urge within me to help her with whatever burden she carried.

I couldn’t seem to help myself when it came to Ella. There was something about her that intrigued me endlessly. I wanted to understand her–what made her tick, what drove her. At first glance, she seemed so simple, but I knew better. Under the surface, she was calculating and careful, with secrets of her ownL If revenge for a lover’s betrayal was truly her only motive, she wouldn’t have gone this far. There had to be more to her than met the eye.

“So,1 asked, leaning in slightly, “tell me, what would you like to do for the rest of the day? The choice is yours- anything at all.”

She looked at me and smiled, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. I could sense that something was still weighing on her.

“I’ll pick something for us to do,” she said softly, “but first I need you to give me your word.

“About what?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

25 BONUS Chapter 0052 “Promise me that you’re going to plan for this,” she said, her tone firm. “For how you’re going to handle it when more women come forward with stories about you. This isn’t something we can just ignore. It’ll be a disaster if we do.”

I stared at her in silence for a moment, caught off guard. She was surprising me yet again, her serious expression and the warning in her voice was unlike anything I’d seen from her before.

There were so many layers to Ella, and the more time I spent with her, the more I realized I might never fully understand her.

“I promise,” I finally answered, “I’ll prepare a strategy to deal with it.”

Relief flickered across her face, and she smiled at me–this time, a genuine smile that made my chest tighten. ” Good,” she said softly. “I think there’s a farmer’s market today. We could go pick up something for lunch.”

“That sounds quaint,” I replied, amused. “Do you like that sort of thing?”

She nodded enthusiastically. “I think it’s fun. You get to meet so many interesting people. I used to go to the farmer’s markets back home all the time. It’s a good way to get a feel for how the pack is doing.”