LOST

Chapter 12

Ella's POV

The Hunt... What was that? I asked myself for the umpteenth time. My mind kept circling back to the strange text message I had seen on Arthur’s phone. It had been bothering me ever since. Was Arthur involved in illegal hunting? Because I knew for sure that hunting was a crime in this state, and Arthur was not the kind of man to break the law. Yet, why would he be receiving messages about the Hunt? The thought made me uneasy.

I tried to push the worry away, but it clung to me stubbornly. What if he got caught? What if the police found out and he ended up in jail? I shivered at the thought. No, I couldn’t even allow myself to imagine that happening. I scolded myself immediately for letting such dark thoughts take hold. Arthur was nothing like that. He loved me, and I trusted him.

Just as I was about to lose myself in these troubling thoughts, Arthur walked into the room with a bright smile on his face. The moment I saw him, all my doubts and fears seemed to fade away. I forced a smile and decided not to ask him about the text just yet.

“Your phone was ringing,” I said, hoping my voice didn’t betray my nervousness. I lied to cover up the fact that I had looked through his messages.

Arthur chuckled and took the phone from me, tossing it casually onto the bed. “Yeah, I don’t care who’s calling right now. I want to take care of my queen,” he said with a playful smirk. The way he said those words melted my heart all over again.

I forgot all about the strange text message and the worries it had stirred inside me. Arthur had a way with words, always knowing exactly what to say to make me feel special. He was so good at charming me that I sometimes wondered if I was dreaming.

“My queen, your soothing bath awaits,” he said in a teasing tone. Just as I was about to step into the bathroom, he suddenly scooped me up bridal-style and carried me inside. I laughed and tried to wiggle free, but he held me tightly, grinning like the mischievous man I loved.

After my bath, Arthur served me the best meal I had ever tasted. He knew exactly how to take care of me in every way imaginable. When I say every way, I really mean every way you could ever think of. He was the perfect partner, attentive and loving. Sometimes it all felt too good to be true. I found myself waiting for the other shoe to drop, expecting him to wake up one morning and say that he didn’t want to marry me after all.

But that never happened. Instead, Arthur continued to show me how deeply he cared, and every day I found new reasons to fall even more in love with him. He was my very own prince charming, the man who had brought love back into my life when I thought it was gone forever.

Still, even in the midst of all this happiness, that text message lingered in my mind. I wanted to ask him what the Hunt was, what it meant, and why he was involved. But every time I tried, the moment wasn’t right. Something always interrupted us, or I lost my nerve. So I kept putting it off, telling myself that I should focus on the wedding plans and not worry about things I didn’t understand.

(*)

The wedding preparations were finally coming together. Every detail was in order, and in just two weeks, I would be Mrs. Logan. The thought was both exciting and surreal. I could hardly believe how fast everything had happened.

“I just can’t believe it. It’s almost here!” I squealed to myself one morning as I looked around at the beautiful decorations and the stack of invitations waiting to be sent out.

“Excited, aren’t you?” Alex whispered in my ear. I jumped in surprise, not expecting her to sneak up on me like that.

“Oh my goodness, Alex, you scared me!” I laughed, and she smiled as she sat down beside me.

“That was the plan,” she said with a sly smirk and rolled her eyes at me.

“You know, I still can’t believe that in just two weeks you’ll be Mrs. Logan,” she said excitedly.

I smiled softly and nodded. “Yeah, it feels so unreal.”

Alex seemed to notice the change in my mood. She moved closer and asked gently, “Ella, what’s wrong?”

I tried to brush it off quickly. “Nothing’s wrong. I’m okay,” I said, hoping she would let it go.

But Alex was not convinced. “Are you serious right now? You can tell that to people who don’t know you. I know you, Ella. I know when something’s wrong. You’re not okay. I can see it.”

Her words hit me hard. Damn, Alex knew me too well. I wanted to tell her everything, to share my fears and doubts, but the words stuck in my throat.

“I’m just tired,” I finally admitted. “Planning a wedding is harder than I thought. And there’s... something else. I saw a message on Arthur’s phone. It mentioned the Hunt. I don’t know what it means, but it’s been bothering me.”

Alex’s eyes widened. “The Hunt? What do you think it means?”

“I don’t know. It sounds serious, and it’s got me worried. I don’t want to jump to conclusions, but I can’t shake the feeling that there’s something Arthur’s not telling me.”

Alex took my hand and squeezed it reassuringly. “You have every right to be concerned. But remember, Arthur loves you. He wouldn’t keep secrets that would hurt you. Maybe you should ask him directly before you let your mind run wild.”

I nodded, grateful for her advice. “I want to, but every time I try, something gets in the way. I don’t want to ruin our happiness before the wedding.”

Alex smiled gently. “I get it. But trust is important. Don’t let fear take over.”

Her words made sense, but I still felt uneasy. The closer the wedding day got, the more I felt this nagging worry tugging at my heart.

(*)

The next days passed in a whirlwind of activity. Dress fittings, flower arrangements, and endless lists of things to do kept me busy, but my mind always wandered back to that mysterious text. I tried to ignore it, to bury it beneath layers of excitement and joy, but it was always there, whispering in the back of my mind.

One evening, as I sat quietly in the living room, Arthur came over and sat beside me. I took a deep breath and decided that tonight was the night to ask.

“Arthur,” I began hesitantly, “there’s something I need to ask you.”

He looked at me with his warm eyes, waiting patiently.

“It’s about the text I saw on your phone. It mentioned the Hunt. What is it?”

Arthur’s expression changed slightly, but he quickly masked it with a smile. “It’s nothing bad, I promise. It’s just a project I’m involved with. It’s complicated, but it’s not illegal or dangerous.”

I wanted to believe him, but a small part of me still felt uncertain.

“Can you tell me more about it?” I asked softly.

Arthur took my hand and squeezed it gently. “I will, when the time is right. Right now, I just want you to focus on us and the wedding. Everything else will come out in due time.”

I nodded, feeling a mixture of relief and lingering doubt.

For now, I decided to trust him. After all, love is built on trust, and I was ready to believe in us.