Chapter 298 Ella’s Got A Gun
Ella
The bar was dimly lit, its ambiance intensified by the low hum of conversations, clinking glasses, and the soft strains of ambient music. Golden chandeliers, casting sporadic glows, adorned the room, contrasting the otherwise dark woodwork.
I felt the cool leather of the bar stool beneath me as I observed the people around, each of them engrossed in their own narratives, oblivious to mine.
It’s amazing how, even in a room full of people, you can feel alone, disconnected. My fingers. absentmindedly played with the stem of my wine glass as I lost myself in my thoughts, waiting for Logan to return.
“Is this seat taken?” The voice was suave, a touch too smooth. Turning slightly, I found myself looking up at a tall man, his finely tailored suit hinting at wealth and power. I gave a noncommittal shrug. “It’s free.”
He grinned, revealing perfectly aligned teeth. “You’re Logan Barrett’s, aren’t you?” There was a knowing glint in his eyes, as though he believed he had already figured me out. I arched an eyebrow, choosing my words carefully. “I’m with Logan tonight.”
The man chuckled. “With Logan’? So diplomatic of you.” He leaned in closer, the scent of his expensive cologne mingling with the aroma of alcohol. “I’ve got more to offer than Barrett does. What do you say? Spend the night with me instead.”
It was not the first time I had encountered such brazenness, and I doubted it would be the last. Maintaining my composure, I offered him at polite but detached smile. “Thank you, but I’m good here.”
He studied me for a moment, seemingly trying to find some sign of faltering in my stance. Eventually, he let out a breathy laugh and leaned back, defeat evident in his eyes.
“Escorts these days,” he mumbled under his breath, just loud enough for me to hear, “too loyal, even when there’s a hefty wad of cash on the line. Wasn’t like this in the old days.”
A fiery surge of indignation bubbled within me. Ema howled in my mind, urging me to snap back, to correct his misconception and assert my dignity. “Tell him! Tell him you’re not some paid companion!”
But I quelled the urge, calming the restless. spirit within me..
“It’s safer this way,” I whispered back to her internally. “If he thinks I’m just an escort, he won’t dig deeper. If he knew I was Ella Morgan, daughter of Edrick Morgan, and the adopted kin of the Golden Wolf…”
I shuddered to think of the potential consequences. It was paramount that my real identity remained cloaked. The world I had walked into was fraught with dangers far worse than this man’s misplaced assumptions.
Ema seemed unsatisfied with my decision. “Seems a bit cowardly,” she remarked, a hint of disappointment tingeing her voice.
“Look, you know as well as I do that sometimes, it’s the small sacrifices that keep us safe,” I replied gently, not letting the sting of her words affect me.
The man, with a final, disdainful look, departed, leaving me once again alone with my thoughts. I took a sip of my drink, allowing the cool liquid to soothe my frayed nerves. Tonight had already proven to be more eventful than I’d expected, and the night was far from over.
The hum of conversation and the fading music formed a gentle symphony around me, but I felt like an outsider, an observer of a scene that was just out of my reach. The bar was bustling with activity, the lights glinting off crystal glasses and silver trays. Yet, as much as I wanted to drown myself in the distractions, my eyes kept drifting back to Logan.
He was speaking with two figures, one clearly older, the towering oak that was his father, and the other a younger man with the same dark hair and slightly less sharp jawline-Harry, Logan’s brother.
Harry’s smile, as he spoke to Logan, was eerily enigmatic, a facade of cheer that didn’t quite reach his eyes. That smile sent chills down my spine.
And then there was Logan, standing tall and firm, though there was a tension in his jaw and a distant look in his eyes as if he were a world away. I could tell he was in his element, playing the part of the loyal Barrett son, but there was an undercurrent of unrest, a shadow that reminded me of our dance moments ago. A dance so charged, I still felt its electricity. tingling on my skin.
But it wasn’t Harry, Logan, or even their father who held my gaze. It was Marina. She was wearing a tight red dress, much like the one she wore at the family dinner. Red certainly was her color-the color of blood.
I couldn’t quite put my finger on why she made. me so uneasy. Maybe it was the cloying sound of her voice. Maybe it was the way she sauntered wherever she walked, like a marionette that had been freed of its strings and was now free to roam on its own, having gained its own life.
Or maybe it was her eyes. Her narrow, knowing eyes. The way that her body and her voice created the impression of a dimwitted heiress, but her eyes knew everything. Saw everything. Saw straight through not only me, but everyone else around her.
And she was looking right at me with those eyes, and a smirk on her face. I quickly looked away, feeling my cheeks flush red. As I tried to busy myself with a fresh drink, Logan finally approached, his face more serious than I had seen all evening.
“Logan?” I asked, my voice laced with concern.
“You look like you just saw a ghost.” He took a deep breath. “My brother’s throwing an after-party on his yacht tonight. He wants us to join.”
I blinked in surprise. “Are you serious? After that… that display on the dance floor? I’m exhausted, Logan. I just want to go home.”
Logan’s gaze was steady, unwavering. “There are cabins on the yacht. We could spend the night.”
My eyebrows shot up. “Spend the night? On a boat? With him?” I gestured vaguely in Harry’s direction. “Do you really trust him enough for that after he tried to kill you?”
Logan hesitated for a split second before subtly lifting the hem of his pant leg, revealing the gleam of a pistol.
“I’ve got protection,” he whispered, lowering the fabric again. “And I’ll be bringing bodyguards.”
His determination was evident, but his reasoning still eluded me. “Why is this so important?” I asked.
He sighed. “It’s about perception, Ella. Refusing an invitation-especially one from Harry-would be seen as a slight, after our little… performance earlier. And with you by my side, from the light side no less, I’d be pegged as a traitor almost immediately.”
I made a face, annoyance flaring. “This is ridiculous, Logan.”
He chuckled, though there was little mirth in the sound. “Yes, it is ridiculous. But sometimes, with the Mafia’s games, ridiculous things are necessary.” He paused, running a hand through. his hair. “Besides, the yacht is luxurious. There’s a pool, and it’s expected to be crowded. It’s unlikely things would go south.”
My heart raced as I weighed the decision. The stakes were high, and while the idea of attending a party on a lavish yacht was tempting, the company was not.
Logan seemed to sense my apprehension. “We don’t have to,” he murmured, his gaze searching mine. “I just think it could be beneficial for us.”
Biting my lip, I finally nodded. “Alright, we’ll go. But…”
“But?” he prompted. I looked him straight in the eyes. “Give me a gun.” Logan’s eyes widened in surprise, momentarily taken aback. “You want a… gun?”
