Chapter 195: Chapter 196

Chapter 0196 “It does seem like you’ve been busy every minute of the day” she said, a hint of sadness in her tone. “We’ve hardly had a chance to talk.”

“Oh, that reminds me,” I said, seizing the moment. “As long as we have a chance now, I wanted to ask you about dress shopping.”

“Oh?” she said, raising an eyebrow. “I wondered if you’d want to make a big deal about that again or if you’d just end up using the dress you chose last time that went unused.”

“I had considered it,” I admitted. “But I decided against it. It feels like bad luck to wear a dress I’d chosen with David in mind.”

“I hadn’t considered it from that angle,” she said thoughtfully. “That’s probably a good decision. Well, I’d love to go shopping with you again,” she added, her smile kind. “As long as we arrange for our own transportation.”

We shared an unsteady laugh, both remembering the chaos of last time. The kidnapping with Amanda still loomed over our memories, a shadow we had yet to fully understand.

“Maybe this will be the redo we need–to erase that bad memory with a pleasant one,” I said hopefully.

“I hope so,” my mother agreed. “Will it just be the two of us?”

“Well, if it’s okay with you, Alexander’s mother, Diana, has asked to join us. I don’t think you two have ever met, and she expressed a desire to get to know you before the wedding.”

“Diana Black,” she said thoughtfully. “We’ve never officially met, but I’ve heard a lot about her. It only makes sense that we should meet, since you’ll be marrying her son.”

“It’s okay, isn’t it?” I asked hesitantly. I could sense her hesitation and didn’t want to pressure her.

“Of course,” she said, her smile reassuring. “I’m only thinking of how quickly things have changed. Let me know when you want to go shopping, and I’ll make sure I’m available.”

With that, she stood and walked over to me. I stood, too, and she wrapped me in a tight hug.

“Now, you need to get cleaned up for dinner,” she said warmly. “You’re going to the gym in the morning, aren’t you?”

“Yes,” I answered.

The rest of the evening was pleasant and quiet. I helped my father with some paperwork on the solar farm proposal before we enjoyed a nice dinner.

Later, I texted with Alexander, who was amused that my mother had teased me about forgetting to check in.

I had the distinct feeling the two of them were starting to get along.

The next morning, I ate a light breakfast and then headed directly to the capital to meet the trainers at the gym. I was making good progress and decided to focus on cardio for the day.

An hour into my workout, Alexander walked in. My heart skipped a beat as I caught sight of him. Memories of the last time we were in the gym together flashed through my mind, and I felt my cheeks grow warm.

He went straight to one of the bench presses, the muscles in his arms flexing with each lift. It was almost too much for me to handle.

This was the first time he’d been at the gym with me since that first day, and I didn’t think it was intentional. He 1/2 +25 BONUS Chapter 0196 hadn’t even glanced my way.

I felt like a creep staring at him without his knowledge, but I couldn’t help myself. My eyes lingered on him, my thoughts drifting to how effortlessly captivating he always seemed to be.

Then his head turned and our eyes locked. My heart sped up as a slow smirk spread across his face.

I averted my eyes, feeling heat course through me. I had promised myself I wouldn’t go to the gym with him again for exactly this reason, but it seemed that fate had other ideas.

What should I do now? I thought as I glanced back at Alexandler who was still staring at me with a sly smile on his face.