Chapter 56
Elizabeth's POV
Jasper reached his hand toward me, his wrinkled face contorting with a smile that made him look even more sleazily than before.
My heart skipped a beat as I wondered whether I should dodge.
Just then, a well-defined hand reached out in front of me and directly blocked Jasper's hand.
A dull thud sounded. Jasper staggered back two steps from the sudden move, nearly falling over.
He froze for a few seconds before realizing what had happened, his expression immediately filling with impatience.
"I'm offering you a business opportunity in exchange. You should be satisfied with that, right?"
I looked at Alexander. The aura around him was so cold that even Jasper seemed to sense it and didn't dare approach.
He swallowed. "Don't tell me she's really your girlfriend?"
The word "girlfriend" echoed in my ears, making me suddenly self-conscious.
How could Alexander and I had that kind of relationship?
"No." The icy voice came immediately. I wasn't surprised and turned to look at him.
Alexander's face showed no emotional change whatsoever. His words were so calm they bordered on indifferent, as if he were talking about something completely insignificant.
In fact, that was exactly the case. Alexander and I only had a transactional relationship.
But somehow, the contrast between Jasper making moves on me, harboring ill intentions toward me, and Alexander's complete indifference at this moment—it stuck in my heart like a thorn.
My family went bankrupt, and my relatives scattered. I gave my whole heart to Aiden, only to be brutally betrayed and nearly lose my life.
Alexander only valued the child in my belly. He kept me confined at home but didn't mistreat me in daily life, and even stood up for me against Aiden.
You couldn't judge a person by what they said, but by what they did. Alexander had indeed done things to protect me, making me unconsciously feel he provided me with considerable security.
Perhaps without realizing it, I had developed some kind of expectation toward Alexander, which was why I felt uncomfortable when he was so decisively cold.
Jasper didn't approach easily again. He looked at Alexander and me with an assessing gaze, as if thinking something over.
"If you're not in that kind of intimate relationship, then she doesn't really matter to you, does she?"
He moved half a step closer, seemingly certain that Alexander would go along with what he said.
I thought the same, lowering my eyes to calm my racing heart.
Alexander would surely go along with what Jasper said, wouldn't he?
Just as I was thinking this, my shoulder was suddenly pulled in. That hand drew me into an embrace, and the familiar scent of cedar filled my nose.
I looked up to see Alexander staring directly into Jasper's eyes, those deep eyes still showing an expression I couldn't read.
"You want to make a move on her?"
Jasper frowned, clearly very dissatisfied with his action. "I made my intentions clear from the start, and I even rejected Aiden for this. Doesn't that show my sincerity to you?"
"She's not someone you can touch." Still that calm tone, yet the words were so firm they made one worry.
I stared at Alexander in a daze, the strange feeling in my heart growing stronger.
It seemed I finally understood in this moment where exactly the problem lay, where that odd feeling came from when facing Alexander.
The problem was that although Alexander had no other feelings for me, what he did was genuinely good for me.
The more this was true, the stronger that sense of disconnect became.
Jasper clenched his fists, as if suddenly realizing that although he was standing, though it should have been him looking down, when facing Alexander, he seemed to be the one being looked down upon.
"Why can't I touch her? She's just a woman."
Jasper didn't approach abruptly again, but sat down on the opposite sofa. His hand, however, was on his phone as if contacting someone.
I immediately felt something was wrong.
This banquet was hosted by him, and everyone inside and out was his person.
Jasper clearly didn't know Alexander's true identity yet. If things didn't go his way, he might use some forceful means to get what he wanted.
In other words, at this moment, we were in a very passive position.
I was still being held in Alexander's embrace, warmth enveloping my whole body, forming a stark contrast with that uneasy feeling.
I secretly tugged at Alexander's sleeve, wanting to remind him about the other party calling for help, and received a reassuring look from Alexander.
He lowered his head and smiled at me slightly.
Jasper placed his phone face-down on the table and stopped saying those frivolous things, switching to a half-smiling expression as he looked at me.
"Ms. Spencer, why don't you choose for yourself—stay with me or with me?"
Alexander's gaze fell on me with interest, as if he too was looking forward to my answer.
"Do I have to choose?" I was at a loss for words. That feeling of being humiliated really wasn't pleasant.
Jasper laughed. "I'm being very respectful to you. Stay with me, and I guarantee you can have anything you want."
Just then, the door was knocked twice.
The people outside entered directly. Several unmistakable footsteps came together as six or seven well-trained bodyguards entered at once.
They went to stand in two rows behind Jasper, eyeing Alexander and me menacingly.
Looking at those muscular men, no matter how calm I tried to appear, I couldn't stay composed anymore. I gripped Alexander's clothes even tighter.
Jasper straightened his back. "Now we can start talking about cooperation. My idea is still the same—leave this woman behind, and the business opportunity is yours directly."
The door was slammed shut with a loud bang, making everyone's nerves even more tense.
I wanted to break free from Alexander's embrace, but when I made that move, I was held in place.
The subtle movement directly angered Jasper. His face turned cold. "Looks like this woman is more important to you than the business opportunity?"
Alexander said nothing, but the answer was self-evident.
Jasper reached out his hand directly. Two bodyguards immediately approached, flanking Alexander from left and right.
"Don't..." I panicked first.
But Alexander showed no sign of tension despite being in danger. I placed one hand on my lower abdomen and quickly spoke up, "Do you know who he is? All of you, back off!"
My voice came out shrill from nervousness. Those two bodyguards who had stepped forward completely ignored me and instead reached their hands toward me.
I hadn't been treated well at Aiden's place, and my weak body had little strength to begin with. The bodyguard easily pulled me away with just a light tug.
Leaving Alexander's embrace, coldness instantly enveloped me.
But the next second, Alexander suddenly moved. The force gripping me vanished abruptly.
In that instant, I only saw a dark shadow flash before my eyes.
Two muffled grunts reached my ears as both bodyguards simultaneously clutched their stomachs and crouched down.