Chapter 53
Alexander's POV
In the afternoon, I had someone take Elizabeth to get ready.
As evening approached, I went to see her myself.
She was still making final preparations.
The curtain pulled back, and the woman in a pink mermaid dress smiled at me.
Elizabeth's makeup wasn't heavy, it was just right, enhancing every feature of her face and completely captivating me.
"Mr. Windsor." She lifted her dress and walked toward me, moving carefully because she wasn't used to wearing high heels.
I couldn't help but put my arm around her waist, letting her body lean against mine.
The party was being held at an estate. The host was an international tycoon named Jasper Garcia, who came here looking to invest in suitable projects.
For the Smith Group, which was going through turbulent times, securing this partnership was a top priority.
Originally, I wasn't really interested in this, after all, an investment of that scale didn't matter much to me.
But Elizabeth cared about it.
I couldn't help but look at her sitting beside me. Her eyes were full of determination and confidence.
She wanted to destroy Aiden's chance at a comeback, and I wanted to make that happen for her.
The car stopped, and Elizabeth was clearly nervous for a moment. She gave me a small smile.
She took my arm, though her movements were a bit stiff.
"Mr. Windsor, thank you for bringing me here." I heard her thank me quietly.
Just then, two familiar voices came from ahead.
I could clearly feel Elizabeth tense up beside me. She immediately looked in that direction.
Aiden and Bianca were surrounded by several people chatting, their expressions quite animated.
"Mr. Windsor."
I felt my arm being gripped tightly, then Elizabeth looked away.
"Aiden is right there. Don't you want to go over?"
Elizabeth's reaction surprised me. I thought she would rush over when she saw Aiden, but instead her first instinct was to avoid him.
A strange feeling spread through me. I frowned, unable to help caring about this.
Could Elizabeth still have feelings for Aiden?
The next second, Elizabeth pulled me in the opposite direction. I heard her say through gritted teeth, "The party hasn't officially started yet. Starting a conflict now would be too stupid. I want to let him see hope first, then personally crush his dreams."
Her slightly sweet voice made me look at her a few more times. That delicate, beautiful face had a fox-like charm.
Her cherry-red lips were especially eye-catching, drawing people's gaze.
"Your hatred for Aiden hasn't lessened."
Elizabeth looked up, confused. "Of course not. My hatred for him will only grow. It will never stop."
For some reason, hearing this made me feel strangely reassured.
The party began, and everyone's attention focused on Jasper, the tycoon hosting the event, a middle-aged man who looked refined and easygoing.
He was surrounded by people, accompanied by two female companions.
Among them, the most watched was Aiden.
He wore a dark suit and walked toward Jasper, carrying an elegant gift box while everyone watched.
"Mr. Garcia, this is a gift I prepared for you. Please take a look."
His words drew everyone's attention, and Jasper looked curious too.
"Is this wine?" Jasper's eyes lit up when he saw what was inside.
Elizabeth frowned and said, "He really knows how to please people. Once he knows what someone likes, he acts on it."
I don't know why I got interested and asked, "When he was pursuing you, did he also find all sorts of things you liked?"
As soon as the words left my mouth, I regretted it and stiffly looked away.
I had so easily spoken my thoughts, caring so much about her past.
Those things were clearly all in the past between Elizabeth and Aiden, but looking at the current situation, I actually wanted to know more.
Elizabeth looked at me with confusion, frowning and shaking her head. "I've forgotten most of what happened before. I can't remember anything clearly."
Jasper was very satisfied with Aiden's gift and invited him to meet privately.
Elizabeth finally couldn't hold back anymore and pulled my hand, walking in that direction.
Obviously, we were stopped.
Because I decided to attend so suddenly, I could get in just based on my face, but not many people knew my true identity.
The security guard who stopped me clearly didn't recognize who I was.
Just as I was about to prove my identity, Elizabeth suddenly tugged at my tie, her face showing some annoyance, "Do you know who he is, and you dare to stop him?"
Her presence was strong, even making me pause.
The security guard was clearly scared. He looked at me suspiciously and asked quietly, "Who is he?"
"Someone from the Windsor Family."
Those few words successfully brought unease to the guard's face.
"Someone from the Windsor Family... I was told that person from the Windsor Family would be coming." The guard said while looking me over, then fear clearly appeared on his face.
"Could it be..."
I reached out and pulled Elizabeth into my arms, looking down at him. "If you're smart, you'll move aside."
Since I could already prove my identity, the other party was very sensible and made way.
I brought Elizabeth successfully into the lounge in the back.
"Mr. Windsor, you actually don't want too many people to know your true identity, right?"
I looked at the woman in front of me, who was visibly nervous, and narrowed my eyes without answering.
Elizabeth continued, "Thank you for helping me to this extent. I'll protect this child as you asked."
Right now, Aiden and Jasper were behind the door in front of us. I didn't move, wanting to see what she would do.
Elizabeth didn't hesitate and knocked directly on the door.
An annoyed voice came from inside, "Who is it?"
It was Jasper's voice, full of anger at being disturbed.
I watched Elizabeth, more and more curious about her reaction. After all, in this situation, most people would feel nervous.
But Elizabeth had no reaction. She still knocked on the door.
Security guards were drawn over, but were scared off by my look.
The person inside finally lost patience and opened the door directly.
The person who opened it was Aiden. The first second he saw Elizabeth, he actually tried to reach out and grab her.
Elizabeth stepped back in time and bumped into my arms.
Only then did Aiden see me standing behind her, and fear instantly appeared in his eyes.
"Mr. Windsor, why are you here?"
Aiden trembled nervously, his hand reaching toward Elizabeth, completely frozen in mid-air.
"Why can't I be here?" I replied.
Jasper's confused voice came from inside, "Aiden, what's going on? Who's outside?"
Aiden wanted to block us and quickly escape.
Elizabeth took the initiative to grab him. "Aiden, what good thing can't you let me and Mr. Windsor see? For your ex-fiancée, aren't you being a bit too distant?"