#Chapter 137: Surprise

Ella POV The rest of the tasting passed in quiet tension, though I didn’t think Alexander was mad at me. We eventually agreed on a red and a white wine. Alexander filled out the form and handed it to the employee as we made our way out. When we reached the car, he opened the door for me, placing a gentle hand on my back as I stepped inside. The light contact was reassuring, but I still kept my eyes down as he got in and shut the door. For several minutes, silence filled the car, stretching between us like a fragile thread. “Are you all right?” Alexander asked finally, breaking the stillness. “Fine,” I said automatically, though my smile felt tense and unnatural. “Oh, that’s convincing,” Alexander said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. I couldn’t help but laugh, despite myself. “I just feel like I made a fool of myself, that’s all. I didn’t mean to get drunk.” “You’re not really supposed to swallow the wine at a tasting,” Alexander replied