Chapter 86
Elizabeth's POV
Tiana was clearly unwilling to believe in the relationship between Alexander and me. After failing to get the answer she wanted, she stuck close to my side.
Originally, I could have made my exit with Alexander directly, but her persistence was gradually ruining that plan.
Watching her follow behind me like a tail, I finally couldn't resist speaking up. "Ms. FitzRoy, the party is about to end. Don't you think you can stop following us now?"
I could tell Tiana didn't harbor much hostility toward me, so my tone was polite, hoping she would know when to back down.
She cleared her throat, her gaze flickering between Alexander and me as she feigned indifference. "Well, it hasn't ended yet, has it? I'd like to spend a little more time with Alexander."
Alexander had no objection to this, which was precisely what made the situation so difficult for me.
If Alexander had rejected her outright, I could have been more forceful in making her leave. But his current ambiguous attitude left me uncertain.
He hadn't explicitly shown any dislike for Tiana. It was entirely possible that, having grown up together as childhood friends, their bond was much stronger than I had imagined.
If I drove Tiana away too easily, I was afraid I might anger Alexander.
But letting Tiana trail us like this wasn't a solution either. With her around, I had to constantly pretend to be Alexander's girlfriend, unable to relax for even a moment.
"Ms. FitzRoy!" I lowered my head, feigning a shy expression as I dropped my voice. "Actually, I was hoping to have some private time with Alexander. Could you please try to understand?"
As I said the words, I could feel my cheeks growing hot. Even though it was just an act, Alexander's gaze turned to me, and that profound look left me with nowhere to hide.
It was his gaze that made me feel shy.
Tiana was slightly taken aback by my words, and her eyes slowly filled with sadness. I could even see the desolation in their depths.
"I didn't consider that. Since you and Alexander are in that kind of relationship, you would of course want to spend time with him."
Tiana's pained expression was so obvious that it left a sour taste in my own mouth.
She took two steps back voluntarily and turned her head away, as if feigning composure, no longer intending to look at me.
"Alexander, let's head back to the room, then." My gaze lingered on her unconsciously, but I knew this was the perfect opportunity. I quickly took Alexander's arm and led him away.
Although seeing Tiana's hurt expression made my heart ache a little, I knew I had to seize this chance.
Finally, I pulled Alexander into the room in front of her. The moment the door closed, I let out a sigh of relief.
"Mr. Windsor, are you really sure there's nothing between you and Ms. FitzRoy?"
I fanned my face with my hand. It wasn't actually hot, just a little awkward.
"No," Alexander's reply was simple. "Just a childhood playmate."
I narrowed my eyes and leaned closer. "Just a childhood playmate? So, childhood sweethearts? She calls you Alexander directly. You two must have been quite close when you were young, right?"
"Are you jealous?"
Alexander's words were blunt, his deep eyes seeming to see right through me. My own eyes widened, and I furrowed my brow slightly. "Why would you suddenly say that? What's this about being jealous? It's as if you and I actually have that kind of relationship."
Just now, in front of everyone, I had to act intimately with him. Although I kept telling myself it was all an act, I couldn't help but feel shy when I got close to him.
I couldn't distinguish the source of this feeling; it was as if my feelings for Alexander were slowly changing.
The realization startled me, and I quickly put some distance between myself and Alexander.
"Um, we don't need to pretend anymore, right? My performance just now was pretty good, wasn't it?"
As I spoke, the awkwardness grew more intense. I could only force a smile, trying to dispel the strange feeling.
I prayed internally to leave this place as soon as possible. After all, staying any longer carried a certain risk; it was better to leave quickly.
"Want to go back?" Alexander smiled at me.
I nodded repeatedly, not daring to hesitate for a second. "Can we?"
"Of course." He took out his phone and started doing something. "I've called a driver for you. He'll take you back first."
I couldn't help but ask, "What about you? Aren't you coming back with me?"
Alexander made a soft "tsk" sound and looked at me. "Is this you caring about me?"
A moment ago, during the topic of jealousy, Alexander hadn't shown much emotion, and I couldn't read anything from his expression.
Now he was suddenly asking if I cared about him. The awkward feeling that had surfaced in my heart began to magnify, and I opened my mouth, only to be at a loss for words.
"Mr. Windsor, aren't the things you're saying a bit inappropriate? After all, our relationship is just one of mutual cooperation, isn't it?"
I lowered my head, my gaze falling on my slightly rounded belly.
If it weren't for this child, I probably would never have had any connection with Alexander in my entire life, let alone hear him say such things.
"It is." Alexander's gaze followed mine, and his eyes gradually became placid.
The driver he had called escorted me to the car and sent me home first.
As we were leaving, Aiden was standing not far away, but with Alexander right there, he didn't dare to actually rush forward.
I closed the car window, shutting everything out, and returned to Alexander's villa.
I didn't know when it started, but Alexander's villa had somehow become a place that made me feel at ease.
Alexander had asked me to pose as his girlfriend, and I had originally expected to be ostracized by the rest of the Windsor family. Unexpectedly, it had all ended with surprising smoothness.
"Ms. Spencer, hasn't Mr. Windsor returned yet?" Lisa came to greet me, immediately helping me to remove my makeup and get settled.
I looked at her and shook my head. "He probably had other things to attend to. He had me come back first."
Lisa didn't seem surprised at all. She spoke as she usually did, "I thought Mr. Windsor would come back with you. He never used to like those kinds of occasions. No matter what party he attended, he always came back very early."
Listening to Lisa's words, I let her help me with my makeup while I tentatively inquired, "Do you know a lot about Alexander? Do you know Tiana?"
The number of women who could appear by Alexander's side was few and far between. Since Alexander had arranged for Lisa to take care of me from the beginning, he must trust her implicitly.
When Lisa first started looking after me, she hadn't let her guard down completely, but things were different now. We had spent more time together, and I was confident I could get some information out of her.
I watched Lisa in the mirror and, sure enough, saw her expression change slightly.