Chapter 277

Chapter 277 The Bright Side

Logan

I couldn’t shake the feeling of her lips against mine as I stood there on the balcony, the night air

cool against my skin. The city lights twinkled below, but their beauty was lost on me. All I could

think about was the kiss, the way Ella had reacted, the look of shock and confusion in her eyes.

It had happened so quickly, a moment of weakness, a lapse in judgment. One minute we were

talking, laughing, enjoying the serenity of the night, and the next, I was kissing her, my wolf

driving me forward, excitement and desire clouding my judgment.

But she hadn’t wanted it. She had pulled away, her face pale, her eyes wide. “What was that,

Logan? What are you playing at?” she had asked, her voice trembling.

“I don’t know,” I whispered, my heart pounding. “I just… I felt something, and I acted on it. I’m

sorry, Ella.”

I replayed the moment in my mind, trying to make sense of it, trying to understand what had

driven me to act so impulsively. I knew she had been regretting our fake relationship, I had seen

it in her eyes, in the way she had carried herself throughout the evening. But the kiss, that had

been real, at least for me. And now, I had ruined everything.

“Logan,” my wolf spoke, interrupting my brooding. “You know she liked the kiss.” “I know,” I

muttered, leaning against the railing. “But she’s hiding her true feelings. Why?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” My wolf’s voice was soft, almost sympathetic. “She’s afraid. Afraid of you, of

your family, of your life.”

I closed my eyes, a bitter taste in my mouth. “And she despises me. She despises everything I stand

for.” My wolf didn’t reply, and I felt a strange sense of loneliness, as if even he had abandoned me.

“When I first planned on meeting her, I thought it would be easy,” I said, my voice breaking. “An easy

way to upstage Harry, to get good business connections. But now… now that I know she’s my fated

mate, everything’s so much more complicated.”

“She’s more than just a spoiled princess, isn’t she?” my wolf said, his voice filled with understanding.

I nodded, feeling a strange mix of emotions. “She’s so much more. She has a strong heart, stout

morals. I can’t help but feel both attracted to and repelled by her. I want her, but I know I can’t have her.

Not really. Not when she looks at me the way she does, with fear and disgust.”

“But she’s also curious,” my wolf said, his voice gentle. “She’s drawn to you, just as you’re drawn to

her. You have to give her a chance to see the real you, the man behind the mask.”

I looked out over the city, my heart aching with longing. “I want to,” I said softly. “I want to show her that

I’m not just a monster, that I’m capable of love and kindness. But I’m afraid. Afraid that she’ll never be

able to see past my family, past my life, past the darkness that surrounds me.”

“Then you’ll have to prove her wrong,” my wolf said, his voice filled with conviction. “You’ll have to show

her that you’re more than your past, more than your family. You’ll have to show her that you’re worthy

of her love.”

I nodded, a new sense of determination filling me. “I will,” I said, my voice strong. “I’ll do whatever it

takes.”

But as I walked away from the balcony, one thing lingered on my mind. Did I really want the heir to the

Morgan family to love me, or did I just want to use her for my own gain?

The evening had drawn to a close, the final round of drinks signaling the end of yet another tedious and

exhausting social affair. I was preparing to leave, my mind still reeling from the events of the night,

when Harry approached me, a sly smile playing on his lips.

“Logan,” he said, his voice dripping with insincerity, “I must say, your little girlfriend seems a bit out of

her depth tonight. You think she’s going to be a problem?”

I looked at him with confusion, my heart. skipping a beat. “What the hell do you mean, Harry?” I

snapped, my voice sharp. He snickered, his eyes glinting with amusement.

“Come on, Logan, you can’t be that naive. I can tell she’s not comfortable with the ‘dark side’ of our

family business. You had better be careful, little brother. Otherwise, your pretty lawyer might only cause

trouble for our entire family instead of bringing in any benefits. And we don’t want that, do we?”

I felt a surge of anger, my fists clenching at my sides. He should know the strength of the Morgan

family. Ella came to help me instead of causing any trouble. How dare he talk about Ella like that?

He would definitely say the same thing to our father to make him doubt Ella and her family.

“It’s none of your business, Harry,” I growled, my voice low and dangerous. “I have everything under

control, so you can screw off. And I swear, if you try to pull anything, you’ll live to regret it.”

Harry simply shrugged, his expression one of mock concern. He was completely unperturbed by my

threat.

“If you say so, Logan. But remember, it’s your funeral.” He patted my shoulder, his touch making my

skin crawl, and then he sauntered off, leaving me standing there, my mind reeling.

I watched him go, my heart pounding in my chest, my thoughts a jumbled mess of anger and

confusion. Did he really think Ella was a threat? Did he really believe that she could bring down our

family?

I turned to look at Ella, my eyes finding hers across the room. She looked drawn and weary, the sparkle

in her eyes dimmed by the events of the night.

I felt a pang of guilt for a moment as I began to realize that I had dragged her along to something like

this when she already worked so hard, when she was already carrying the weight of her own

responsibilities.

I made my way over to her, my mind still spinning, my heart heavy with the weight of the night’s

revelations.

“Are you ready to go?” I asked, my voice as gentle as I could make it. She looked up at me, her

eyes filled with a mixture of relief and exhaustion. “Yes, Logan. I think I’ve had enough

excitement for one night.”

I smiled, trying to lighten the mood. “I don’t blame you. These parties can be a bit much.” She

smiled back, but her smile didn’t reach her eyes. “You can say that again.”

We made our way to the door, the sounds of the party fading behind us, but the echoes of

Harry’s words lingered in my mind. They were a nagging reminder of the delicate and

dangerous game we were playing.

The drive back to the city was tense and awkward, the silence between us heavy with unspoken

words. I glanced over at her, her face still pale, her eyes distant.

“I know you’re regretting this, Ella,” I said, breaking the silence. “But you have to look at the

bright side. By doing this, you’re free to achieve your goals.”

She looked at me, her eyes searching mine. “It’s fine,” she said softly, “so long as no one gets

hurt.”

I frowned, not entirely sure what she meant. “I’ll make sure of that,” I promised, my voice filled

with determination.

She nodded, but she was quiet for the rest of the way home. As we pulled up to her apartment, I

watched her walk inside, her graceful figure disappearing into the shadows.

I couldn’t help but check her out, my wolf appreciating the way she moved, the way she carried

herself. She looked stunning in that white dress, and I wanted to kiss her again.

But even as I drove away, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I had made a grave mistake, that our

fake relationship had become something more, something dangerous and unpredictable.

And as the city lights faded into the distance, I was left with the sinking feeling that I had set

something in motion, something that could not be undone.