Chapter 285

Chapter 285 Sound Counsel

Ella

The door to the conference room had clicked shut behind us, muffling the sounds of hushed

discussions from inside. The empty stairwell that we found ourselves in was silent, save for the

faint hum of the air conditioning.

Logan’s blue eyes met mine, his expression unreadable. But I could feel the simmering tension

in the air, thick enough to cut with a knife.

“Why are you acting like this?” I demanded, my voice shaking with anger and disbelief. He

blinked in surprise. “Acting like what?”

“Like some…some greedy, opportunistic landlord! Just grabbing the first offer they throw at

you because it’s in cash, without a thought to the illegal dealings behind it. That’s not the Logan

you said you wanted to be.”

He exhaled deeply, rubbing his temples. “Ella, I’m going to handle the illegal side of things,” he

said matter-of-factly. “But not by doing the most blatantly stupid thing-rejecting rent from a

tenant who’s willing to pay. That’s just bad. business.”

I stepped closer, poking a finger into his chest. “This goes against everything you’ve told me.

You said you wanted to step away from the underworld dealings, to start fresh. This…this isn’t

it.”

Logan’s eyes darkened, his patience evidently wearing thin.

“You think I’m being two-faced? Ella, you’re being naive. You might be an excellent lawyer, but you

know nothing about the dynamics of being a mafia head here.”

I scoffed. “I’m not asking you to teach me Mafia 101. I’m asking you to stick to your word, to have some

integrity. I thought we had a deal. Or have you forgotten our contract already?”

We glared at each other, a storm brewing between us. Every part of me wanted to storm out, but this

was too important. I needed to understand why he was acting this way.

The silence stretched, and just when it felt like the atmosphere would combust, Logan’s demeanor

shifted. His features softened, and he looked away. “Look, I want to take this deal, sort out the issues,

and move onto the next case.”

“Next case?” My voice cracked. “When did we get another case?”

He smirked, a glimpse of the old, cocky Logan I was already becoming all-too-familiar with. “I’ve got a

bunch of them lined up. And believe me, if you just…just listen to what I want, we’ll win them all. Your

career will skyrocket. But for that, Ella, you need to trust me.”

“Trust?” I echoed, my voice rising with incredulity. “How am I supposed to trust you when you just

blatantly lied to my face?”

The weighty silence that had settled after those words spilled out of my mouth was palpable. Logan’s

steely gaze was fixed on the window as he readjusted his collar, attempting to regain his signature

composed demeanor.

“There are much bigger fish to fry, Ella,” he murmured, finally breaking the silence. “Accept the deal,

and I’ll sign whatever papers you have for me.”

I wanted to argue, to scream at him for disregarding the principles he had-supposedly -once held. But

practicality won over. My own rent was due, and I needed the income from this case to cover it. Still,

resentment simmered beneath the surface.

“Fine,” I spat, maybe a little sharper than I intended. “But not for your sake. For mine.” His eyebrows

knitted together, a silent question forming, but he said nothing. Instead, he followed me back to the

conference room.

“Well?” the other lawyer asked, giving both of us a quizzical look as we returned. “Have you made your

decision?”

“Logan…” I cleared my throat, pushing down my anger. “My client… Will take the deal.”

“Very good.” The tenant stood, extending his hand. This time, Logan shook it, and I didn’t stop him. All I

could do was watch in a state of numbness as Logan took the offered pen and scrawled his signature

on the dotted line.

Once the meeting was over, the rhythmic tapping of my heels against the marble floor echoed in my

ears as I strode from the room, heading straight to my office. My wolf paced restlessly inside, feeling

Logan’s lingering anger

“The mention of his mother seemed to have hit a nerve,” she said. “That’s why he’s in such a mood. It

has to be. But why? Why was he so sensitive about her? Why did he shut down last night when she

was mentioned?”

“I don’t know why you care, Ema,” I replied. “He’s clearly a lying, no-good idiot. He’s a… a criminal.

Why should we care if he’s mad about his mommy?”

“Well…Ella,” Ema hissed. “I don’t like it either, but remember that he’s our mate-”

“He is not our mate.”

My words came out of my mouth out loud, echoing in the space of my small office. I sighed, passing a

hand over my face. “I’m sorry, Ema,” I continued. “It’s just.”

“I know. You don’t have to say it.”

As I took a deep breath, attempting to calm the raging emotions inside me, the image of Logan

from that first night surfaced the arrogant, dismissive man who was supposed to be my fated

mate.

Had I been wrong in thinking he was actually planning on changing? Was he just taking

advantage of me to get what he wanted after all?

Sitting behind my desk, I began to sort through the paperwork, the mechanics of my job.

serving as a distraction from the chaos of my emotions.

But every now and then, a memory would creep up-a soft touch, a stolen glance, a whispered

word. It reminded me of the Logan I had come to know so far, or at least, the man who I thought

I had come to know. The one who was complex, layered, and far from the brutish man I had first

encountered.

But now, I wondered if all of that was just a facade. A way to gain my trust, to twist things in his

favor. A wealthy Alpha daughter of a billionaire, a good lawyer, and his fated mate? It was the

perfect way to one-up his scheming brother, wasn’t it? Maybe the two of them weren’t so

different after all.

A gentle knock pulled me from my musings. It was Clara, the secretary. She carried a bouquet

of white roses. “These just came in for you,” she said with a knowing smile. Taking the flowers,

I found a card nestled within. “I’m sorry,” it read in Logan’s rushed handwriting.

Of course, he was. I sighed, placing the bouquet on my desk, imagining that he probably

sprinted to the nearest flower shop to pick out the first bouquet he could find in order to win my

favor again.

Did he really think I was that stupid? The roses were beautiful, and the gesture was sweet, but it

couldn’t erase the doubts clouding my mind.

For the rest of the day, I tried to focus on work, but it was a challenge. Logan’s conflicted

demeanor, the unresolved tension between us, and the looming questions about his past kept

intruding on my thoughts.

When the workday finally drew to a close, I gathered my things, mentally preparing myself for

the confrontation that awaited me at home. Logan didn’t seem like the type to let things fester.

He would likely want to talk, to clarify, to explain. But was I ready to listen?

As I stepped out of the building, the cool evening air brushed against my face, offering

momentary relief. I began the walk to my apartment, lost in thought.