Chapter 105
Elizabeth's POV
This place was the cage Aiden customized just for me, and the power gap between us was real.
Which meant I had been in danger this whole time. While I plotted my escape, I also had to do everything I could to protect myself.
I looked straight into his eyes and said, slow and clear, "Aiden, if you really wanted me to forgive you, you'd better keep your hands to yourself. I do have boundaries."
He suddenly laughed. "Boundaries? Then go on, tell me, what are your boundaries, Elizabeth? Since you're the one who wants to get back together with me, shouldn't you show some sincerity too?"
He moved closer, those predatory eyes fixed on me.
I could feel how serious he was, how much he was testing me. I knew that whatever I said had to be chosen carefully, or I could trigger consequences I couldn't predict.
"Aiden, do you even know how you hurt me in the first place? It was the lies. If you chose to be with me, then why did you still do that with Bianca?"
I forced my voice to be as firm as I could and continued, "I'm never making the same mistake again. If you want to be with me, you have to show some sincerity too."
"What do you mean?"
Aiden picked up the phone I had been obsessing over and waved it lightly in the air. "You want me to hand over my phone? That's the only way you'll be with me?"
"That's right." I answered without hesitation, my gaze almost glued to his phone.
If he couldn't even do that, then anything we talked about was pointless.
"Sure. Since you want to see my phone that badly, I can definitely let you take a good look."
When he agreed, I almost thought I had actually pulled it off. I watched him bring the phone toward me, only for him to pull it back at the last second.
"Elizabeth, how would that prove anything? I could just delete every message before I hand it over."
I frowned as he pulled his hand back again, then heard his "suggestion" in my ear. "How about I call Bianca over and we confront everything face to face? How's that?"
For a split second, I almost couldn't hide my reaction. My brows knit as I stared at him.
Aiden looked absolutely serious, like he honestly didn't think there was anything strange about that idea at all.
'Call Bianca over?'
Did he really think the three of us could still stand in the same room together?
Or had he already picked up on the fact that I just wanted to see his phone, and now he was starting to get suspicious of me?
Whatever the reason was, I couldn't let my guard down. I absolutely could not let him sense that anything was off.
"Fine. If you say you can get her here, then call her. There are things I want to hear her say to my face anyway."
His eyes settled on me, and he was, just like I expected, studying me.
I met his gaze head-on without flinching, doing my best to look like I had nothing to hide.
I didn't know how long had passed before the suspicion and scrutiny in his eyes finally eased, and when he looked at me again, his gaze wasn't as sharp as before.
He gave a little laugh and leaned in like he wanted to pull me into a hug, and I dodged him outright.
"Elizabeth, I've decided I want to start over with you. How could I still be in contact with her? You want me to call her, but I don't even have her number anymore. How am I supposed to get her here?"
Listening to him, I almost couldn't keep my face from betraying me.
He said it so convincingly, like he really hadn't betrayed me at all.
I narrowed my eyes, knowing that if I kept tangling with him like this, it wouldn't be smart. So I pretended to be pissed and walked away.
Aiden didn't call after me. I hurried back to my bedroom and slammed the door shut.
That whole conversation, I hadn't gained the upper hand even once. I almost let him catch on to what I was really trying to do.
Only when everything outside went quiet did I finally let myself breathe, pulling in huge, unsteady lungfuls of air.
Thank God, in the end, Aiden hadn't pressed too hard, or he really might have noticed something.
But from then on, I had to be even more careful, more alert. I'd need to come up with another excuse to get my hands on that phone.
I slept badly that night, tossing around and even dreaming about Aiden.
If he could fabricate all those illusions for me, it meant he had been planning this for a long time, just waiting for me to take the bait.
But if the place where he had tied me up was actually the Windsor Family estate, was he really not afraid Alexander would find me right away?
Or had he gotten someone inside the Windsor Family to help him? Was that why he was daring enough to do all this?
My heart wouldn't settle down at all.
Aiden was just like before the next morning, making breakfast for me, even looking weirdly pleased as he watched me eat like I was supposed to be enjoying it.
I frowned and said, "Aiden, my attitude is still the same as before. I never said I was just going to forgive you and move on."
"I have to prove what's going on between Bianca and me before you'll take me back, is that it?"
I nodded. "Either you let me go through your phone, or you have Bianca come see me in person. I want to talk this through with her."
To keep him from getting suspicious, I deliberately repeated the options he had brought up last night.
Aiden immediately pulled a pleading face and looked at me. "Elizabeth, I know I was wrong. Can't you just let this go? I swear I'll only be good to you from now on."
Those disgusting words almost killed my appetite on the spot. I could only try my best to block out everything related to Aiden and focus on getting food down.
He could say all that, and yet there was still not a single crack in his story.
I didn't want to wait too long. I wanted answers as soon as possible. If I stayed trapped in there indefinitely, everything outside was going to blur out of existence.
Once I had filled my stomach, Aiden did the same thing he had done yesterday—he stayed glued to me. When I sat down on the couch, he immediately came over too.
He had said before he'd leave the apartment, but he hadn't made a single move to do that. He still had that constant-watchdog look about him, like he was there to monitor me.
"Do you need something?" I turned my head and met his stare, not bothering to soften my tone. "If you've got something to say, just say it. I don't like people staring at me like that."
He wouldn't let me see his phone, so I might as well treat him with the same coldness.
Aiden gave this performative little sigh. "Elizabeth, you're even more ruthless than I imagined. Isn't this when you're supposed to be the one coming to me?"
I let out two dry, humorless laughs and didn't bother answering.
I kept my eyes on the TV, and sure enough, something felt off. The show playing now was the same as yesterday's.
Which meant the "live" TV was preloaded too.
So that news report could easily be fake. The Windsor Family might be perfectly fine.
I stared at the screen for a long time. Suddenly, Aiden reached out and pulled me into his arms, and the space between us disappeared, inch by inch.
"What are you doing?" I shoved him away on reflex and, in the same motion, slapped him across the face.
My hand landed solidly. His head took the impact, but there was no real anger on his face. I stared at him, feeling my fingers start to tremble.
After all that, he still wasn't mad?