#Chapter 225: Mine

Ella POV The rooftop was bathed in the soft glow of city lights, the distant hum of activity below drowned out by music playing softly from unseen speakers. The air was cool, but the view more than made up for it. As I sat at the table in the center of the roof, the patio heaters created a warm buble that I was happy to spend the evening in. Alexander had gone all out. A beautifully set table stood between us, adorned with flickering candles and a meal that smelled divine. A bottle of wine sat in a bucket of ice, the deep red liquid glistening in our glasses. It was perfect. It should have felt perfect. But my mind was elsewhere. This unexpected romantic gesture was sweet of him, but it felt wrong to be indulging when there was so much work for us to do. I sighed, swirling my wine in its glass as I tried to focus, to be present. It had been days since we’d had a quiet moment together, and I wanted—desperately—to enjoy it. But my thoughts