Chapter 177: Chapter 178

Chapter 0178 Chapter 0178 Ella POV I looked up at Alexander, my eyes wide as my thoughts took form. I knew what to do with the land.

He was already watching me, a grin spreading across his face.

I propped my chin on my fist, staring seriously at the map of the border region. The Lunar Lake land adjacent to the farmland was mostly forested. On the Rowanwood side, power lines stretched for miles, but there was little else–just an isolated tract of land rendered nearly useless by David’s actions.

Farming was out of the question, and livestock wouldn’t fare much better without viable vegetation. I had briefly entertained the idea of digging out man–made ponds to create a fish farm, but so far from any natural water sources, that felt like a desperate stretch.

Eckingtones I’m thinking?” asked, the excitement in my voice unmis But with this idea in mind, the land suddenly looked more valuable than ever. It was big enough, and with the powerlines nearby, we could easily tie it into the power grid.

thinking what “I think so,” Alexander replied, his eyes gleaming with the same realization.

“Solar power,” I said happily.

In the original timeline, the kingdom had been facing an energy crisis. Many alphas had competed to find a solution, but rather than supporting their efforts, David had resisted change.

Finally, the alpha of Briar Rose had come up with the idea of a solar farm. No one pack had the land available to try it out, so the plan hadn’t gone anywhere. Now, with this stretch of unused land, it was possible.

I laughed and tapped my finger against the map. “It’s perfect! All this clear–cut land just waiting to be used, and do with it.”

now I know exactly what”

“It’ll be even more profitable than the farm would have been,” Alexander said, his tone brimming with pride.

“Hand me that pen,” I said, pointing to a cup at the edge of the desk.

Alexander passed it to me and then moved to stand beside me. Together, we began sketching our idea over the map. It would take an initial investment, sure, but if things worked out the way we envisioned, it would be the perfect solution to our problem.

When we were done drawing, I stood back and looked proudly at the plan.

“I wish my dad was home,” I said. “I need to go over this with him. If he approves of the plan, we can get started right away.”

“Do you know when he’ll be back?” Alexander asked, his tone curious.

I shook my head. “He has some kind of meeting today. He’s on the other side of the territory and probably won’t be back for a few more hours.”

We spent another hour going over the plans, with Alexander consulting his team and gathering the technical information we’d need. We wrote all of the details out on a notebook that my father kept near his office phone.

Before I knew it, the day had flown by, and it was getting late. Alexander had to head back to the capital, and it was a long drive home.

“Have your father call me tonight,” he said as I walked him to his car.

1/3 +25 BONUS Chapter 0178 “I will,” I promised. “I know there’s a lot of work to do if we want to start building by spring.”

“That’s right,” he agreed. “In the meantime, get some rest. You’ve earned it,” he said, smiling with a mix of satisfaction and exhaustion.

Despite the challenges David had thrown our way, I felt proud of what we’d accomplished. We had a solution–a good one–and for the first time in weeks, I felt like I was one step ahead.

After he left, I went into the kitchen and made myself something more substantial to eat, finally realizing how hungry I was.

As I was putting together a sandwich, my father walked into the room. There was an irritated look on his face. I recognized the expression; his meeting hadn’t gone well. It was best to give him some time to unwind before trying to talk to him.

“Hi,” I said.

“How was your day?” he asked in a tense voice as he walked to the fridge and grabbed a drink. It was a beer, which meant the meeting had been very bad. My father rarely drank.

“Mixed,” I answered, keeping my tone light. I did want to talk to him about things, but I would have to wait until he was in the right headspace. “What’s your plan for the night?”

“I’m going to take twenty minutes to myself,” he responded. He popped the lid off of the bottle and took a deep drink from it. He was looking off into the distance, clearly focused on something else.

I nodded. I had expected that answer; it was his custom when he wanted to think something through. Without another word, he left the room.

I made my sandwich and then sat at the kitchen counter to eat it. It made me feel immediately better, and I silently scolded myself for going all day without a real meal. I should know better than to be so irresponsible.

Maybe I had overreacted this morning by refusing to eat with Diana and Michael. At the time, the thought of sitting across from her and making pleasant conversation after her comments about Alexander was just unimaginable. I frowned at the thought but tried not to dwell on it.

Once I finished, I headed to the living room, hoping to unwind.

“Ella,” my father’s voice called, firm and filled with concern.

I turned toward the sound, startled, and saw him emerging from the hallway leading to his office. The tension in his expression was unmistakable–something was wrong.

“Yes,” I said, standing to meet him. “What’s up?”

“Come with me,” he said sharply, his tone tinged with suspicion.

“Yes,” I answered hesitantly, a sense of unease building as I followed him back to his office. The notes Alexander and I had taken and the map we had been working on still lay scattered across the desk.

“What is this?” he demanded, gesturing toward the desk.

“I’m sorry I forgot to tidy up,” I said quickly, trying to gauge the source of his frustration.

He frowned, his expression hardening further. “What is this all about?”

a I blinked at him, confused by the edge in his voice. He’d always been fine with me using his office, especially for pack–related work. Was this because Alexander and I had been in there alone? But we were engaged—what difference could that possibly make?

2/3 +25 BONUS Chapter 0178 “Did I do something wrong?” I asked cautiously, my voice small under his intense scrutiny.

“I don’t know,” he said, his arms crossing over his chest. “Why don’t you tell me what those notes are all about?”

Realization hit me like a bucket of cold water, and I sighed. Of course, he was worried. He thought I was hiding something again, that I hadn’t learned my lesson after what had happened at the wedding. His concern was understandable, but the anger in his tone stung all the same.

The way he was looking at me brought back a flood of childhood memories–those rare times I’d been caught breaking a rule or sneaking off without permission. I suddenly felt small, like a child being reprimanded.

But I wasn’t that little girl anymore. I needed to handle this calmly, to explain myself in a way that would put his fears to rest.

“Well?” my father said impatiently. “Explain yourself!”

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