Chapter 54
Elizabeth's POV
I grabbed Aiden, and the hatred in my heart almost instantly consumed me.
I could tell he wasn't just guarding against me, he was nervous, even scared.
He didn't want me to ruin his plans and was desperate to get Alexander and me out of here.
"Let go, let go of me!" Aiden was still trying hard to shake me off, saying in a lowered voice, "I don't have time for this, Elizabeth. We'll deal with our issues later."
"Later? How about we deal with it now. You know exactly what you did to me."
I looked around but didn't see Bianca anywhere.
I clearly saw him with Bianca earlier, which meant she was probably in the room too.
In the past, it was always Aiden and me who came to these events to discuss business deals.
What, now that he was left me, had Bianca taken my place and was helping with business deals too?
At this thought, I couldn't help but mock him, "Aiden, you really haven't changed at all. Still the same useless man who can't do anything without a woman."
Almost instantly, Aiden's face turned red with rage, anger spreading through the air.
He stared at me hard, his eyes seeming to shoot flames.
"What do you mean by that, Elizabeth?"
He grabbed my wrist.
A voice came from inside the room - Jasper's displeased tone, "What's going on out there? Aiden, didn't you say you were going to introduce me to other fine wines?"
Footsteps approached. Aiden suddenly remembered something and panicked, trying even harder to push me away.
I bumped into Alexander's arms again.
Just as he was about to close the door, Alexander reached out and blocked it.
The absolute sense of pressure made Aiden freeze in place, and me stiffen up too.
"What's going on here?"
Too late, Jasper had already reached the entrance and saw Alexander and me.
Aiden tried to block me, but I pushed him away directly.
"Hello, Mr. Garcia, I have something I need to discuss with this Aiden." I put on a friendly smile and beamed at Jasper.
Jasper was clearly stunned for a moment.
Jasper narrowed his eyes, his gaze constantly roaming over my face. I felt a very subtle, uncomfortable feeling.
This kind of scrutiny was like looking at prey.
"I didn't expect there to be so many interesting people here. Aiden, hurry up and move aside, let this lady come in too."
With things at this point, Aiden had no reason to keep blocking the door.
Reluctantly, he nodded and made way.
I walked past him openly and didn't forget to take Alexander's arm.
Aiden became the last person, following behind us.
"Miss, what's your name?"
Jasper personally gestured toward the sofa and smiled at me proactively.
That uncomfortable feeling became more and more obvious. I held back my displeasure and, pretending to be calm, sat down and said, "My name is Elizabeth Spencer."
Jasper seemed to want to sit beside me, but didn't expect Alexander to be quicker, sitting right next to me.
His face clearly showed dissatisfaction. He wanted to challenge this, but seemed to find Alexander intimidating. He coughed lightly and changed the subject, "And who is this?"
"Mr. Garcia, don't you recognize him?" I found it surprising yet also normal.
As someone at the very top of the pyramid, Alexander wasn't someone just anyone could meet in person.
It was normal for this Jasper not to know him, after all, his assets couldn't compare to even a corner of The Windsor Family's wealth.
Jasper shook his head and casually asked Aiden, "Aiden, do you know?"
Aiden stammered, unable to speak properly, when Jasper added, "But he's probably just here to ask me for investment, right? Investment is something that depends on my personal preference, not everyone can gain my approval."
As soon as he said this, I immediately felt a strong sense of hostility.
It wasn't my imagination, this Jasper had been carrying a hint of hostility from the first moment he saw Alexander.
I sneaked a glance at Alexander beside me, but didn't feel confident.
My purpose in coming here was to sabotage the cooperation between him and Aiden. If there was profit to be made, working with The Windsor Family would be a good thing.
But if Jasper didn't like Alexander, or even deliberately chose to work with Aiden out of spite, that would be a real headache for me.
"Mr. Garcia, We are indeed here to discuss cooperation with you, but mainly it's me who wants to work with you."
I sat up straighter, putting on a serious expression as I looked at him. "If I've caused any offense, I apologize."
A cold air pressed in from beside me. Without even looking at Alexander, I could feel the chill emanating from him.
Alexander seemed very unhappy about what I was saying.
Jasper also seemed a bit confused, frowning as he looked at me with an appraising expression.
"You?" Jasper sat down across from me and patted the empty spot beside him. "If you're the one who wants to work with me, then come sit next to me. Let's talk properly, take our time."
His flippant tone carried arrogance, making me frown.
Sure enough, this man had some bad intentions toward me.
I pressed my lips together, hesitating internally.
I'd encountered plenty of situations like this before when discussing business deals with Aiden, and I'd gradually gotten used to it after the initial unease.
I knew how to maintain distance and boundaries, and how to retreat safely after achieving my goal.
"Mr. Garcia, I'd like to hear your thoughts first."
I couldn't help but clench my fists. I didn't follow his demand to sit over there, but instead looked up into his eyes.
Jasper seemed unhappy with my choice. He smiled with narrowed eyes. "Of course, this kind of thing requires both parties to be willing, don't you think?"
His voice deliberately slowed down, the implications becoming more and more obvious.
Jasper stood up and came right in front of me, extending his hand, "Actually, cooperation doesn't really matter much to me."
"I have plenty of cash flow. It's up to me to decide who gets it."
When it came to the business deal itself, Aiden couldn't stay calm no matter what. He stepped closer and couldn't help but speak up.
"Mr. Garcia, weren't we just talking about cooperation? How did it suddenly..."
Jasper looked at him with a smile, "I really like your knowledge of wine, and I really like the gifts you gave me, but cooperation can't be decided based on these things alone, can it?"
Aiden's face turned pale. The look he gave me carried some unease. "Mr. Garcia, Cooperation certainly can't be based solely on personal feelings, but please give me a fair chance to compete."
His words weren't taken seriously, because at this moment, Jasper's eyes were only on my face.
Filled with an inescapable greedy desire.