Chapter 95
Elizabeth's POV
Walking into the restaurant with Alexander, countless eyes tracked our every move, and my mind went completely blank.
The scrutiny was absolutely torturous, yet the man beside me acted as though he hadn't noticed a single stare.
Alexander seemed lost in his own thoughts, and ever since Tiana had shown up, his entire demeanor had shifted into something I couldn't quite read.
"Mr. Windsor, why don't you order?" Once we were settled into our private booth, I handed him the menu, keeping my tone rational and polite.
At least we'd made it inside without incident—now I just needed to let things unfold naturally.
Alexander's gaze met mine, those eyes holding an expression I still couldn't decipher.
I offered him a small smile before adding, "I'm not really familiar with this place, so I wouldn't know what to order."
The Alexander sitting across from me felt like a stranger in that moment, so I figured my best bet was to observe and avoid doing anything that might set him off.
He took the menu and ordered smoothly, speaking to the server with ease.
As I watched him, surprise flickered through me—he'd considered every dietary need relevant to pregnancy.
I hadn't expected Alexander to be this attentive in everyday life.
The realization made me duck my head, the tips of my ears warming despite myself.
Lately, I'd been acting strange too, my thoughts taking odd turns whenever I was around Alexander.
"Do you want to add anything special?" After finishing the order, Alexander turned his attention back to me, his eyes softening with unexpected tenderness.
Nerves fluttered in my chest as I quickly shook my head. "Actually, I don't eat that much—this is already plenty."
Alexander glanced at me, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly. "Of course, I know how much you eat. It's fine if you can't finish everything."
His tone had grown even gentler than before, which only made my nerves worse.
It hit me that I'd been living in Alexander's home for quite some time now.
He'd been handling most things related to me personally, so naturally, he'd be familiar with my habits.
But was I receiving this special attention simply because I was carrying his child?
Or would anyone in my position be treated with the same careful consideration?
These strange thoughts kept bubbling up in my mind, and I had to forcibly redirect my focus entirely to the lunch in front of me.
The food arrived quickly, and I didn't bother with excessive politeness, settling into the meal across from Alexander.
Moments like this had once seemed unimaginable, but after sharing so many meals at home, I'd grown more comfortable.
This time, however, Alexander's gaze kept drifting toward me, intentionally or not.
At first, I thought I was imagining it, but the weight of his stare grew increasingly impossible to ignore.
"Mr. Windsor, is something wrong?" I blinked at him. "Do you need anything?"
Alexander's expression tightened for a moment before he let out a soft laugh. "Just eat your food."
He'd given me a response I had absolutely no idea how to reply to, so I simply lowered my head and focused on finishing what was on my plate.
Maybe silence was better anyway—Alexander and I didn't really have much to talk about.
Halfway through the meal, my phone suddenly rang. It was sitting right there on the table, and Alexander had a clear view of the unknown number displayed on the screen.
"Whose call is that?"
Maybe it was my imagination, but his tone seemed to turn cold in that instant.
I quickly picked up the phone, thinking for a moment before saying, "An unknown number like this is probably Aiden calling."
Aiden had harassed me repeatedly before—I'd lost count of how many numbers I'd blocked.
But Aiden apparently didn't understand the concept of giving up, always managing to call from some new number he'd gotten from who knows where.
And now, right in the middle of lunch, he was calling again.
I was about to hang up immediately when Alexander suddenly stopped me. "If he's calling you like this, don't you want to hear what he has to say?"
His gaze turned intense, yet in that moment, I sensed danger.
I swallowed hard, looking at him. "Someone like him doesn't deserve any attention, Mr. Windsor. Let's not let this interrupt your meal."
He watched me, his expression slowly fading into what looked like impatience.
The phone continued ringing silently as I held his gaze, finally pressing the answer button as though conceding defeat.
Alexander gestured with his eyes for me to put it on speaker, and I complied.
Aiden's voice immediately poured through the phone, dripping with false charm. "Elizabeth, have you eaten yet? Are you hungry? Want me to take you somewhere nice for food?"
Every time I heard Aiden speak in that careless tone after calling me, I couldn't help but marvel at just how thick his skin must be.
He seemed capable of resetting everything that had happened in the past, talking to me as naturally as if nothing had ever gone wrong.
My expression darkened immediately. If Alexander weren't sitting right across from me, I probably would have started cursing Aiden out the second he opened his mouth.
But because I had to consider Alexander's presence, I forced myself to stay calm.
"Aiden, stop causing trouble and stop calling me," I said.
Aiden suddenly let out a shriek on the other end, his voice tinged with mock alarm, "Elizabeth! Don't you want that investment anymore? Or do you think there's nothing you can get from me?"
The mention of the investment made anger surge through me. Aiden had deliberately called at this moment and said these things—it was obvious he was trying to start something.
"Aiden, stop pestering me."
Ever since I'd told him the truth about Bianca, he'd become increasingly insufferable.
He'd been unable to handle the truth at the time, yet he still continued his relationship with Bianca as if nothing had changed.
Then again, someone like him couldn't be judged by normal standards to begin with.
He and Bianca, the fraud, were practically a match made in heaven.
The only unfortunate thing was that I hadn't been able to make him feel the same heartbreak and pain I'd once experienced.
Aiden suddenly laughed. "Elizabeth, I don't think our relationship needs to be this tense. After all, we really did love each other once, didn't we?"
"Shut up!" Just hearing those words made my entire body uncomfortable.
The time I'd spent with Aiden was the most humiliating chapter in my memories.
That period was something I never wanted to revisit.
And now, despite supposedly being deeply in love with Bianca, Aiden still insisted on coming to pester me.
Someone as rotten as him didn't deserve to possess anything in this world capable of producing happiness.
"Don't be so angry—I'm calling to help you, of course." Aiden's tone grew increasingly self-righteous.