Chapter 83
Elizabeth's POV
I watched Carter, the subtle but unmistakable hostility still radiating from him. He clearly wasn't finished with me; it was as if he was actively searching for another reason to cause me trouble.
I clenched my jaw, my patience beginning to fray. If this continued, I couldn't guarantee I wouldn't lose my composure.
"That's enough," Alexander said, his hand finding mine and pulling me to my feet. "Uncle Carter, if you insist on obsessing over these tedious issues, then you can deal with Aiden yourself. Right now, I'm leaving with Elizabeth."
The familiar, commanding presence was back. Alexander's grip was firm, leading me away with a force that left no room for protest.
I glanced at his profile, a strange, undeniable flutter stirring deep within me. In that moment, Alexander created a peculiar ripple in the quiet waters of my heart.
He was simply leading me away from the unpleasantness.
Just as I was about to say something, Alexander suddenly released my hand. "Don't pay any mind to what Carter said."
I looked at him and nodded. "Of course I won't. After all, I'm with you now."
The words were a plain and simple statement of my position, a deliberate dismissal of Carter's attempts to undermine it.
Alexander seemed pleased with my response, a rare smile gracing his lips once more. "I have some things to attend to. If you're uncomfortable out here, wait for me in the lounge. I'll come find you shortly."
With that, he turned and left, effortlessly melting into the crowd of business luminaries. It was perfectly understandable.
A party of this scale was the prime opportunity to network, and I recalled Carter's pointed mention of Barry Barnes's connections.
It was beginning to dawn on me that the real challenge wasn't Barry himself, but the powerful figures who stood behind him.
So, had Alexander not intended to mingle at first? Did he only decide to do so after hearing what Carter said?
The question surfaced, and I frowned, telling myself I was overthinking it. It couldn't be possible, could it? That in his calculation of risks and rewards, Alexander had somehow chosen me?
As I stood there lost in my own chaotic thoughts, a warmth crept up my neck and into my cheeks. I was actually blushing at the mere possibility that he cared.
"Elizabeth!" The last voice I wanted to hear called my name from behind. In the blink of an eye, Aiden was standing in front of me.
He reached out a hand, and I instinctively recoiled, my eyes flashing with a mixture of wariness and disgust.
Aiden was just as repulsive as ever, but his objective had shifted from wanting me dead to something else—something equally unsettling.
"Aiden, will you ever give it up?" I snapped.
He shook his head, closing the distance until he was just outside the personal bubble I would fiercely defend. His gaze was intense. "Elizabeth, I know I've done a lot of things to hurt you. That's why I'm here now, to sincerely beg you to come back to me. Can you do that?"
He delivered the lines as if they were a heartfelt declaration, but the sight of him made me want to vomit.
My expression remained cold as I stared him down, shaking my head. "Impossible. And if you say anything like this to me again, I'll tell Alexander. Do you have any idea what happens to men who covet his woman?"
Aiden froze, clearly stunned. He hadn't expected me to be so blunt, to weaponize my relationship with Alexander so openly.
A small, sharp smile touched my lips. "If you don't know, then you can just try it. And don't you forget, that patron you found for yourself also has ties to the Windsor family. Are you truly arrogant enough to believe he would choose you over them?"
This was, in part, a test. I wanted to see his reaction, to gauge his response.
Carter's claim that Barry would choose Aiden over the Windsors still sounded absurd to me.
In all the time we were together, I never knew Aiden had access to such a network; there might be another conspiracy at play here.
As soon as the words left my mouth, Aiden let out a soft, sudden laugh. He studied me with an all-knowing look, a hint of mockery in his eyes.
"Elizabeth, are you asking that on purpose? Trying to figure out my relationship with Mr. Barnes?"
His gaze flickered meaningfully toward the lounge behind me, a clear indication that he knew exactly what had just transpired. "Did the Windsors corner you? Did they decide you're a threat and try to convince you to come back to me?"
Surprise flickered within me, but I kept my face a placid mask, my brow furrowed as if in confusion.
He had guessed everything correctly. The question was how. Was his connection to Barry Barnes deeper than I thought, or had he already been in contact with Carter? Both seemed plausible, but I couldn't voice my suspicions.
Aiden's new motive for approaching me wasn't entirely clear, but I could tell he had no immediate intention of causing me physical harm. If that were the case, then I wouldn't hold back.
I took a deliberate step closer, lowering my voice so that the atmosphere between us grew heavy and tense.
I began, my tone direct, "So, is Bianca faking her illness or not? Have you figured out her little secret yet?"
As expected, the moment I brought up Bianca, his entire demeanor shifted. The cool, confident facade crumbled, and his eyes turned icy. "And? What are you trying to say?" he sneered.
"Don't be so tense," I cooed, my voice dripping with false concern. "I'm just worried about you. Bianca is the love of your life, after all. Caring about her is the same as caring about you, isn't it?"
His agitation was palpable; he even took an involuntary step back. I pressed forward, matching his retreat. "No need to be so nervous. You just have to tell me how Bianca is doing. She put on such a good show, acting like she was at death's door. And yet, here she is, still alive and well, isn't she?"
The memory of my betrayal, raw and sharp, surged through me—the moment I realized Aiden had been willing to sacrifice our child and me for Bianca.
That was a hatred time could never erase, a debt I would make him repay in full.
"You know, Aiden," I continued, my voice low and venomous, "I think Bianca really is sick. Not a physical illness, but a mental one. Does she have some kind of personality disorder? Does she get off on pretending to be a fragile, helpless woman?"
His face flushed with anger and embarrassment. He opened his mouth to retort, but no words came out. I saw the struggle, the effort it took for him to restrain himself.
I let out a cold snort. "What is your real purpose for approaching me? I'm telling you now, Aiden, I will not be fooled by the same man twice."
"Elizabeth!" He called out as I turned to leave, his voice laced with desperation. "I know that's not what you really mean! You still have feelings for me, don't you? You're only with Alexander because you have no other choice!"
The words were so ludicrous I couldn't stop the look of utter disdain that crossed my face.
He still thought I was in love with him? How could he not hear how absurd he sounded?