Chapter 0214 Alexander POV Wedding planning was far more complicated than Iâd ever imagined. How anyone managed to do this on their own was beyond me.
Ella had mentioned, after I asked, that David had been no help at all with planning her first wedding. I wasnât surprised to hear it, but I was annoyed nonetheless. What kind of man left his woman to shoulder all the work while he sat back and reaped the benefits?
I shook the thought away. I couldnât allow myself to start thinking of Ella as my woman, not even fleetingly. That was a dangerous precedent to set for myself.
Still, the stress of planning this wedding was worse than I had anticipated, especially since Iâd taken on so much of the work myself. It felt like everything was conspiring against me. A small part of me wondered if fate was trying to stop this wedding from happening. It was a sham, after all...
But in reality, the problems werenât as mystical as fate. My motherâs constant meddling was irritating, Topherâs smugness was grating, and my lack of sleep only amplified my frustrations.
Letting them get under my skin was a mistake, but they seemed determined to test my patience. Topher, in particular, was enjoying himself far too much, knowing Iâd owe him for âsaving the day,â as he smugly called it.
âSir, you look miserable,â Augustâs voice cut through my swirling thoughts.
I glanced up from my laptop, where I had been rereading the same vendor email for what felt like the hundredth time.
âIs that supposed to be helpful?â I snapped, letting my irritation seep into my tone.
âYou need to take a night off,â August said, his voice carrying that familiar mix of sternness and concern he used when he anticipated resistance.
I sighed, glaring at the email on my screen. He wasnât wrong. I had read the same paragraph at least three times and couldnât recall a single detail. A clear sign that I was overtired and ineffective.
âI donât really have time to take a night off,â I muttered.
âI can handle whatever needs handling,â August said firmly. âBesides, it wouldnât do for you to show up to your own wedding looking haggard and exhausted. This whole thing is just for show, right? So you need to be camera- ready.â
I smirked faintly, though his logic was sound. âOh? And how will you handle it when my mother calls again?â I asked sarcastically.
My mother had been relentless, calling me constantly since sheâd gone dress shopping with Ella. Every stray question seemed to be treated as an emergency, requiring my immediate attention.
Her incessant interest was irritating, yet it reassured me in a small way. I hadnât expected her to care about the wedding at all, and her surprising enthusiasm felt strangel validating.
More than that, she seemed fixated on Ella. Every call brought a new inquiry about her what she liked, how she spent her time, even small details like her favorite flowers It struck me as odd, but I didnât dwell on it. Her interest, while uncharacteristic, was a good thing. It inade everything feel more tangible, more real.
âIâm serious,â August pressed, snapping me back to the moment. âYou need to rest. You only have a few days left Chapter 0214 before the wedding, and youâre running on fumes.â
âFine,â I relented with a sigh. âHold my calls unless thereâs an emergency.
+25 BONUS Relief washed over Augustâs face as he nodded in agreement. âIâll take care of everything, sir. Get some rest.
I shut my laptop with a sharp click and leaned back in my chair, exhaling slowly. As much as I hated to admit it, August was right.
If I didnât recharge now, I wouldnât last until the ceremony.
I gathered my belongings and stepped into the elevator, heading upstairs to my apartment. Despite my exhaustion âand the relief I felt at the mere thought of collapsing into bedâmy mind immediately wandered to Ella.
My sleeplessness, after all, wasnât solely due to stress.
Third Person PQV Diana couldnât understand the obsession with Ella Rowan.
The media seemed fixated on every aspect of the girlâs life. Sure, what had happened at her first wedding was tragic, and the viral videos of the incident were undeniably compelling. But the continued attention baffled Diana.
Ella was pretty, young, and smart, but she was also an Alphaâs daughter. She was supposed to be all of those thingsâit was expected. There wasnât anything about her that stood out from the other sons and daughters of powerful Alphas, at least as far as Diana could see.
The only logical conclusion, she reasoned, was that the fascination stemmed from the Rowan familyâs power and wealth. If Ellaâs father werenât as prominent as he was, people wouldnât care nearly as much about her life. It was as simple as that.
What puzzled Diana even more, though, was Alexanderâs interest in her. Ella was nothing like the women heâd pursued in the past, and Diana couldnât make sense of his attraction.
But whatever was between them, it seemed real.
Dianaâs usual tacticsâher needling and teasingâhad done nothing to change their course. Her attempts to undermine the match had failed. Even reaching out to Rebecca Rowan, Ellaâs mother, had been futile.
Rebecca had been polite, but resolute. And Diana knew better than to push too hard; crossing the Rowans would be a political disaster.
Now, with the wedding upon them, Diana was out of time.
She had expected the Rowans to be more cautious, especially after what Ella had already endured. Yet it seemed the rumors about Ella being spoiled by her parents were trueâtheyâd give her anything she wanted, warnings be damned.
Diana replayed her last conversation with Rebecca in her mind, still irritated by how it had gone.
âI have my own reservations about this,â Rebecca had admitted. âBut I think itâs best for everyone if we do our best to support our children. They seem happy together, donât you think? Donât you want to see your son happy?â
âOf course I do,â Diana had replied coolly, keeping her frustration masked, Rebeccaâs thinly veiled scolding had annoyed her, but Dian hadnât pressed further. It wouldâve been pointless.
Now, standing in front of her mirror, Diana scrutinized her reflection as she adjusted the strap of her dress. The gown was flawless, hugging her figure in all the right place. She turned slightly, admiring the way the fabric shimmered under the light.
+25 BONUS Chapter 0214 She looked incredible, but it did little to soothe her irritation.
Giving up didnât feel right, but she was at an impasse.
Even Jacob, her most trusted confidant, had warned her to tread carefully. âAlpha Black has a temper,â heâd said, his tone edged with caution. âIf you keep trying to drive a wedge between him and Miss Rowan, youâll anger him. And we donât want him targeting you, do we?â
No, of course she didnât want Alexanderâs wrath aimed at her. She wasnât foolish enough to push him too far.
But just because she couldnât stop the wedding didnât mean she had lost.
Divorce existed for a reason.
Adjusting the strap of her dress one final time, Diana frowned at the earrings she was wearing. They didnât match quite right.
Sheâd need to choose another pair. Perfection was her goal, after all.
She smiled faintly at her reflection. Perfection always took time, but she would achieve itâno matter how long it took.
+25 BONUS Chapter 0215