#Chapter 59: Collapsing

Ella & Alexander Ella The charity auction was everything I’d expected it to be—packed with socialites who were all dressed to the nines, elegant white linens and crystal chandeliers, and tables full of auction items lining the walls. Alexander and I had been making the rounds for about an hour, his hand never moving away from its position on my lower back as we moved from table to table, examining the various items up for bid. A weekend getaway to the mountains. A vintage wine collection. A private dinner with a celebrity chef. All of it felt hollow and meaningless when so many other couples were bidding on the more intimate options, and all the while I was wearing a fake mark and pretending to be madly in love with a man who could barely stand to touch me. “Smile,” Alexander murmured in my ear as a photographer approached. “Look interested in the jewelry.” I plastered on my Luna smile and leaned closer to examine a diamond tennis bracelet on the