#Chapter 56: A Pretty Puzzle

Alexander POV I smirked slightly. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d swear you could see into the future.” An odd expression flickered across Ella’s face before she quickly lowered her gaze to her coffee. “That would be nice,” she muttered. “I mean it,” I said, watching her closely. “You seem to have this incredible insight into people’s motivations. It’s like you know what’s going to happen before it even unfolds. Sometimes it’s... unsettling.” Ella smiled weakly. “I’m sorry if it unsettles you,” she said, her fingers tracing the edge of her cup. “I’m just making an educated guess based on my understanding of the situation, as I’ve said before.” I watched as she toyed with the coffee cup, her eyes intentionally turned away. Something I’d said had clearly affected her, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on what. There were moments when I could read her like an open book, and others—like this—where she was a puzzle, impossible to solve. Oddly, I found