Chapter 30
Elizabeth's POV
Alex was back. Strangely, the tense, threatening aura that usually clung to him seemed to have dissipated. Sharing the same space with him suddenly felt less like walking on eggshells and more manageable.
Since he had already seen my design sketches, hiding them any longer felt pointless. I decided to take the initiative, to ask him for a diamond I could carve myself.
Alex froze for a moment, his gaze sharp and undisguisedly analytical. After a long, assessing pause, he finally asked, "What kind are you looking for?"
His agreement, however tentative, was a surprise.
"I want a stone of good quality, I can pay for it myself."
This was, after all, intended as a gift for him. It was only right that I demonstrate sufficient sincerity, and I was prepared to pay whatever it cost.
My offer seemed to startle him. His eyes narrowed slightly. "You have the money?"
"I was Ms. Spencer of the Spencer family for a while, It's only natural I'd have some savings."
Besides, the jewelry I had co-designed with Julia over the years had sold remarkably well. Money, for the moment, was not a concern.
"I don't know the first thing about this, you can contact the seller yourself."
My eyes lit up instantly. "Does that mean I can have the seller deliver the stone and the tools here as well?"
The security in this affluent neighborhood was notoriously stringent, making it nearly impossible for outsiders to gain entry. If I could get someone I trusted approved for access, it might be a crucial step toward my eventual escape.
Alex's suspicious gaze immediately fell upon me. A jolt of alarm went through me, and I quickly masked my excitement, pressing my lips together to school my features into an expression of harmlessness. "I'm not planning anything," I said, a little too quickly. "It was just a casual question."
"Is that so?" Alex's lips twisted into a cold smirk. "I didn't say you were."
Was that not the very definition of a self-incriminating denial?
I cleared my throat, attempting to dispel the awkward tension. Adopting an almost pleading tone, I pressed on, "So, do you agree?"
To amplify my innocent act, I even fluttered my eyelashes at him.
His brow furrowed in response, and his rejection was merciless. "Have it sent through a courier service. That, or you get nothing."
"Fine." I lowered my head in feigned dejection, muttering under my breath, "I'm just trying to give you a gift. Why do you have to be so mean about it?"
Alex's gaze settled on me again, his brow still creased, and the intensity of his stare made my stomach churn. I coughed lightly and averted my eyes, a flush creeping up my neck.
Still, no matter how difficult the process, he had ultimately agreed. The situation wasn't entirely a loss.
Once the materials arrived, I threw myself into the work. Soon, the rough shape of a protective tablet, intricately carved with the figure of a horse, began to emerge.
Lisa drifted over to watch, her praise effusive as she examined the piece in my hands. "Ms. Spencer, the horse you've designed is so powerful. It's a perfect match for Mr. Windsor's temperament."
"Isn't it?" A smile I couldn't suppress tugged at my lips as I continued to refine the details, meticulously following the sketch.
There were very few people for whom I would create something by hand. Each one of them had been important to me.
Aiden, too, had once been on that short list. It was a shame he had never cherished anything I'd given him; my gifts were likely tossed aside and forgotten in some dusty corner.
I had once naively believed he treasured them too much to wear them. Looking back, the foolishness of my younger self was almost laughable.
"Ms. Spencer, Mr. Windsor is just all bark and no bite," Lisa advised gently. "As long as you don't try to run away again like last time, I'm sure he won't stay truly angry with you."
"She's right, Ms. Spencer," Anna chimed in. "Isn't it nice to stay here quietly? At least you're completely safe."
I listened to them, offering only a small, noncommittal smile in return.
It was true that staying here was safe, a sanctuary from a world of troubles. But this wasn't what I wanted.
Confined here, I was powerless, forced to watch from the sidelines as Aiden and Bianca lived out their happy life together. That was a conclusion I would never accept.
I had to make Aiden taste the same pain I had endured, to make him pay for everything he had done. Only then could I truly let go of the past.
The gift for Alex served a dual purpose: one part was to placate him, but the other, more critical part, was to lull him into a false sense of security, to lower his guard just enough to create an opportunity for my escape.
My goal had always been singular and unwavering: to be free of everyone's control.
I became so absorbed in my carving that I didn't notice the time until Lisa reminded me it was time for dinner.
"Ms. Spencer, have you seen the news?" Lisa asked, wiggling her eyebrows conspiratorially.
I took her phone. The screen was filled with articles about my disappearance, detailing the escalating public suspicion aimed squarely at Aiden. Reporters were now camped out in front of the Smith Group's headquarters around the clock, desperate to corner him for a comment.
"Now this is good news," I murmured.
I reflexively opened my messaging app, where the notification bubble showed 99+ messages from Aiden. I had muted his contact long ago, precisely to avoid this kind of harassment.
The tone of his messages had devolved from frantic demands to suspicious accusations, and finally, to something bordering on pathetic begging. It was clear my absence was driving him to the brink of a breakdown. He was pleading with me to send any reply, even a single letter.
Just then, a new message popped up. My expression froze. I stared in disbelief at the photo Aiden had just sent.
The background was unmistakable: the Spencer family villa. And scattered across the floor, trampled beneath Aiden's feet, were the heirlooms my parents had left me. My most treasured possessions. A voice message followed immediately.
Aiden's voice, raw and menacing, crackled from the phone's speaker: [Elizabeth, if you keep playing dead, I'll sell every last one of these things! You care about this junk more than anything, don't you? If you don't show your face, don't blame me for what happens next!]
'Sell every last one.'
The words echoed in my mind, a sharp, twisting blade in my heart. My hand clenched around the phone, my knuckles white as I stared at the desecrated image.
Aiden was using my parents' legacy to blackmail me into appearing. But I was trapped here, a prisoner of Alex's. Even if I wanted to leave, a clean escape was impossible.
"I have to get out of here! I have to go, let me go!"
Panic seized my brain, leaving room for only one thought: I could not stand by and watch Aiden destroy what little I had left of my parents. I had to stop him. Now. Immediately.
Lisa and Anna, startled by my sudden outburst, rushed to my side, each grabbing an arm. "You can't, Ms. Spencer! Mr. Windsor will never let you leave! Please, calm down. We can tell him about this. He'll help you!"
"Aiden is at the villa right now! If I don't get there, what if he sets it all on fire?"
Told Alex? He was just a collateral member of the Windsor family. Whether he could truly stand up to Aiden was a massive unknown. Worse, I had just recently earned his displeasure; he was undoubtedly still annoyed with me. Betting everything on him was a risk too great to take. I couldn't gamble with this.
I wrenched myself free from their grip and bolted from the room, only to collide a second later with a wall of solid muscle.
I stumbled directly into Alex's chest, the impact knocking the wind out of me. Startled, I tried to recoil, but his hand shot out, clamping around my wrist. His face was a mask of cold fury. "Where do you think you're going?"
Lisa and Anna scrambled to explain. "Mr. Windsor, Ms. Spencer was threatened! She didn't mean to run out like that!"
Alex's gaze dropped to my face, his eyes narrowing as he registered the pure panic written there. His grip on my wrist loosened slightly.
"Threatened? Who would dare threaten you?"
Deciding to take the gamble after all, I thrust the phone toward him. "Mr. Windsor, I think you, of all people, can understand how I feel. That bastard Aiden, he's touching my parents' things."