EllaAs we pulled up to the lookout point, the dazzling city lights sprawled out beneath us like a twinkling tapestry.The vastness of the view was breathtaking, and I felt a small shiver run down my spine, not from the cold, but from the sheer beauty of it all. Logan parked the car and turned off the ignition. The silence of the night was only punctuated by the faint hum of the city below.“Come on,” he whispered, gesturing for me to follow. We clambered onto the hood of the car, the cool metal pressing into my legs, and sat side by side, staring out at the shimmering skyline.The vast city lights stretched out before us, flickering in a rhythmic dance of night. It felt as if we were suspended between two worlds—the serenity of the elevated viewpoint and the bustling city below.“It looks so small from up here,” I murmured, my fingers absentmindedly tracing patterns on the cool metal of the car hood beneath us. “But when I’m in it, it feels endless.”Logan chuckled softly, his eyes c

EllaThe 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 fi

EllaThe brisk evening air sent shivers down my spine as I approached the entrance to my apartment building. The echo of my heels on the pavement seemed louder in the silence, a rhythmic pulse of my own agitated heartbeat.“You were rather tough on him just now,” a deep voice murmured within my mind. My wolf. Her presence was a gentle hum in the background, a second consciousness that had always been a part of me.Ever since I could remember, she had been there. We were flip sides of the same coin, often bickering, but always there for each other.“He had it coming,” I shot back, pushing open the main door. The lobby was dimly lit, casting soft amber glows across the polished marble floor.“Look, I’m still wary, too. But he was trying to make amends, Ella. It was evident in his actions, in the very way he looked at you.”I rolled my eyes. “I don’t need a lecture from you. It’s not just about today. It’s the principle of it all. He said he wanted to move away from illegal dealings, and

EllaThe soft rays of dawn filtered through the curtains as I stretched, pulling myself from the depths of sleep. After climbing out of bed and slipping my robe around my shoulders, I tentatively cracked open my bedroom door, expecting to see Logan there.I glanced around, my eyes falling on the crumpled blanket on the couch. There was no sign of Logan. Instead, on my coffee table, lay a neat note, written in his sprawling handwriting.“Ella,” it began, “Thanks for a memorable evening. Apologies for overstepping. - Logan.”I sighed, folding the note and tucking it into my pocket. Regardless of the emotions last night had brought, it was a new day, and I had a routine to stick to. Quickly, I changed into my hiking gear — a pair of durable leggings, a lightweight shirt, and sturdy boots. Pulling my hair into a ponytail, I grabbed a bottle of water and headed out, intending to lose myself in nature.The park’s hiking trails were my favorite Saturday morning getaway, a place where I could

Logan“Ready to go?” I finished clasping the necklace onto Ella’s delicate neck, taking note of how my hands threatened to shake just from our close proximity.Ella nodded, grabbing a small purse. She followed me out the door and down the steps of her apartment building, her heels clicking in the quiet atmosphere of the building’s hallways.“So,” I said as we descended through the narrow stairwell, “that dress looks lovely on you, just as it did when you bought it.”Ella blushed slightly. “Thanks. And thank you for the necklace.”I shrugged. “It’s nothing, really. Consider it an… apology.”“An apology?” Ella chuckled wryly as we walked down the stairs. It was an oddly charming sound that I had gotten all too familiar with over the past weeks, ever since I met her. The Alpha Princess had a sarcastic air about her that was honestly a nice reprieve from all of the giggling and useless conversation I had become used to with the sort of women who were interested in me.“Yes, an apology,” I