Chapter 22
Elizabeth's POV
Once Alex took me, it would be over. I would have no control, no agency, nothing.
But convincing him to let me go felt like an equally impossible task, especially when confronted with a face that betrayed no emotion whatsoever.
"Mr. Windsor, I'm no threat to you," I pleaded, my voice softer than I intended. "Just agree to it, please?"
Finally, he moved. He lifted my chin, forcing me to look directly into his eyes.
"And what makes you think my trust is so easily earned?"
"Keeping you by my side is, for me, the most straightforward solution."
"Elizabeth, you've told your share of lies, haven't you?"
The three consecutive questions sent my heart into a frantic, uncontrolled rhythm against my ribs.
I couldn't refute a single word; everything he said was the unvarnished truth. Any attempt at a defense would be meaningless to him. Since that was the case...
I clenched my jaw, forcing the words out through gritted teeth. "Based on the child I'm carrying!"
His hand on my chin froze, and for a fleeting moment, a flicker of hesitation crossed his eyes.
I seized the opportunity, pushing his hand away as my tone hardened with newfound resolve. "You want to take me away for the sake of this child, nothing more. But its safety is my decision to make. I'd advise you not to push me into a corner."
The threat was unmistakable, If Alex insisted on taking me by force, I would resort to the most extreme measures.
"You!" In a flash, Alex closed the distance, pinning me against the doorframe. His fingers clamped onto my jaw, the force astonishingly strong. "Threatening me? You have some nerve."
"I wouldn't dare," I muttered, turning my head to the side, my words a hollow denial.
A dry, humorless laugh escaped him. "Fine. Since you've put it that way, I can agree. But you'll have to give me something in exchange. Something you value most."
"Something I value most?" My gaze instinctively dropped to the gemstone bracelet on my wrist.
His eyes followed mine. Instantly, I covered the bracelet with my other hand, trying to hide it behind my back.
But it was a futile gesture. He simply captured my wrist, his grip unyielding. My strength was nothing against his, and the bracelet was exposed to his view once more.
"How can I trust you, if you don't offer collateral of sufficient weight?"
But this bracelet, it was the only thing my mother had left me.
To place it in his hands meant I would be forced to seek him out again, placing myself completely under his control. He was a difficult, dangerous man to be indebted to.
The pressure on my wrist didn't lessen in the slightest, yet his expression remained placid, as if the outcome was already a foregone conclusion, everything unfolding exactly as he'd planned.
"I agree," I said, the words tasting like defeat.
He let go of me and watched me take off the bracelet.
"But you have to keep it safe, If it gets chipped or scratched, I will never forgive you."
Alex's expression faltered for a second, as if he hadn't expected to be threatened back. He took the bracelet, its weight settling into his palm.
"Can I leave now?" I asked, my eyes lingering on the precious bracelet in his hand. When he didn't answer, I turned, ready to walk away.
"Wait." He stopped me, then took out his phone. "Your contact info."
My brow furrowed. I started to question him, but immediately understood the logic. We had no way of communicating, which would be a complication.
I, who had desperately wanted nothing more to do with this man, was now tethered to him by my mother's legacy. I had no choice but to comply.
"Can I go now?" I asked again after we had exchanged numbers, my impatience growing.
Aiden was likely with Bianca right now, somewhere in this hospital, getting her checked. I wanted to follow them, discreetly, to see if I could get any proof.
Consumed by grief and rage, I had forgotten the most crucial thing: evidence.
At my grandmother's gala, the way Aiden had shielded Bianca had already set tongues wagging. But it was all just gossip, whispers and speculation.
Without concrete proof, I couldn't touch him. If I could just capture evidence of their affair, expose Aiden's true face to everyone, and then reveal that Bianca was a liar too.
Only by making him feel the same sting of betrayal could I begin to soothe the gaping wound in my own heart.
The moment I stepped out of the room, I heard footsteps behind me.
I couldn't help but glance back, a flicker of apprehension running through me. "Mr. Windsor?"
His presence trailing me felt unsettling, but he simply strode past, his gaze fixed on the end of the corridor without a sideways glance. I'd almost forgotten; he had no reason to linger here either.
I unconsciously took a few steps in his direction, but a sudden roar from behind stopped me dead in my tracks.
"Elizabeth!" Aiden's voice, sharp and penetrating, shot down the hallway. I froze and turned around.
His face was a mask of fury. He stormed toward me, grabbing my arm. "Who was that man?" He demanded, his tone venomous. "Why were you coming out of the same room as him?"
I froze for a moment, glancing toward the empty space where Alex had vanished, then back at Aiden's bloodshot eyes. In an instant, I understood. He must have seen Alex and me leaving one after the other and jumped to the worst possible conclusion.
His accusation drew stares from passersby, and I wanted nothing more than to de-escalate. I wrenched my arm free. "What are you talking about? I don't know what you mean."
"You don't know?" Aiden sneered. "I saw it with my own eyes. You and a man, coming out of that room. Do you take me for a blind man?"
"You're getting this worked up just because we came out of the same room? I don't even know him!" I hissed, unable to comprehend his logic.
When had Aiden become so paranoid and suspicious? Was his own betrayal making him see deceit in every shadow?
It seemed he couldn't even be bothered to maintain his gentle facade anymore. He was ready to burn everything to the ground.
More and more eyes were on us now. Aiden grabbed me again, yanking me back toward the room. "Get in here!"
Alarm bells screamed in my head. Being alone with him in a confined space felt incredibly dangerous. I dug my heels in, clinging to the doorframe to stop him from closing the door.
"Aiden! Did you even think about how I felt when you abandoned me at the gala to run off with Bianca? And now you're accusing me of these ridiculous things? Do you even care about me anymore?"
I deliberately feigned a wounded tone, my voice cracking with controlled emotion.
My words seemed to strike a chord, and his fury visibly subsided a fraction.
He narrowed his eyes, his gaze still raking over me. "Elizabeth, you'd better not be thinking of messing around behind my back."
The tone was unnervingly serious, as if he genuinely feared it.
A muscle in my cheek twitched. For a moment, I was speechless.
My silence, however, was a confession in his eyes. The anger flared back into his features. "I knew it! You did something! What's your relationship with that man?"
Aiden lunged, slamming me against the door.
The loud bang startled a nurse passing by, who let out a stifled gasp.
"Elizabeth!" He roared, his voice a crazed explosion in my ear as a large hand suddenly closed around my neck. "You are mine! I won't allow you to have contact with any other man!"
He was completely unhinged.