Chapter 96
Elizabeth's POV
I wanted to hang up as quickly as possible, but Aiden still had that clingy attitude.
I kept glancing at Alexander across from me, terrified that all of this might upset him.
Aiden, on the other end of the line, didn't matter at all. Nothing he said mattered to me—I only cared about Alexander.
Maybe I'd already realized what this strange feeling in my heart was, but until I could take responsibility for it, I had to protect everything as much as possible.
Everything about me, everything about Alexander.
"Aiden, I'm giving you one last piece of advice. Stop harassing me like this, or I won't let you off easy." The coldness in my tone was no longer hidden.
I could sense the silence on the other end of the line, and Alexander, who had been calm all along, looked at me with something complicated in his eyes.
This time I didn't dodge at all. I smiled at Alexander across from me quite openly.
Alexander returned to that expression I couldn't read, eating the food on the table with perfect elegance.
Aiden was startled for a moment, but quickly recovered his usual manner and snorted, "Elizabeth, you should be grateful I'm staying calm while talking to you."
"Do I need to remind you? You don't have any investment backing right now."
"You're working in front of Alexander? You directly threw away a collaboration opportunity—do you think he'll let you off?"
"I'm calling you proactively to solve your problems. I'm the last person who's actually good to you."
The more Aiden spoke, the more superior he felt. Even though I couldn't see him, I could imagine him in my mind, chin raised, looking incredibly proud.
'See? This was Aiden. From beginning to end, he'd always been like this. He'd never changed.'
It's just that his information was way too outdated.
I'd already solved all the problems, and only now did he know to call and mock me.
"So what?"
My response was so casual that Aiden lost it the next second, his voice becoming rushed and rambling.
"What do you mean by 'so what'? Is that any way to have an attitude? Don't you want money?"
I watched Alexander continue eating lunch with perfect elegance, confirmed he wasn't affected by me, then replied with a light laugh.
"How I am has nothing to do with you. Besides, my relationship with Alexander is much better than you imagine."
Saying these things in front of Alexander made me quite hesitant.
That embarrassed feeling surged up again. Originally, I'd dared to steal glances at Alexander's position, but now I could only keep my head down, trying to ignore my own existence.
After dealing with Aiden, I'd also picked up on some of his thoughts.
What Aiden cared about most was that I could stand beside Alexander and receive his attention.
It was precisely because of this that Aiden kept clinging to me.
Perhaps it was because Aiden already felt inferior in front of Alexander. Now seeing me, whom he loved least, being cherished by Alexander like this, it made him very dissatisfied.
"Elizabeth, stop pretending. You have no relationship with Alexander at all."
He said this more definitively than ever before, though I had no idea where he'd gotten his information.
My patience was running out. I didn't want to keep tangling with him.
"That's just what you think, Aiden. Admitting you can't compare to Alexander, admitting you're an idiot—it's not that embarrassing."
"What do you mean?"
Aiden no longer had his earlier composure. He became agitated, practically shouting.
I smiled. "Exactly what you think it means. Do you think I'm wrong?"
I picked up my phone, about to hang up directly.
Alexander, who hadn't moved until now, suddenly raised his hand.
Once again stopping my action.
On the other end, Aiden was saying something or other, then changed his tone, "I'm telling you, people with Alexander's status care most about profit. You ruined the project—that's your problem. I'll say it again: come meet me alone, and I can help you solve this."
I was about to speak when Alexander gently patted the back of my hand.
He looked at me with softness, then nodded at me in a way I could hardly believe.
Then I heard Alexander's voice in my ear, "How much do you know about Elizabeth?"
The other end of the line instantly fell silent.
Aiden seemed to slowly realize that everything he'd just said had been heard by Alexander.
After about half a minute of silence, Aiden's voice came through again.
"Windsor, Mr. Windsor, have you been there the whole time?" As he spoke, his tone filled with collapse.
I almost laughed out loud.
So he only now noticed something was wrong?
"Aiden, Alexander and I are having lunch, and your phone call has interrupted both of us."
Since this was what Aiden cared about most, I certainly couldn't let it go. Besides, after I'd said those things, Alexander hadn't shown any displeasure.
Which meant that in this situation, I could take full advantage of my relationship with him.
This time Aiden really didn't dare speak directly. His words seemed to circle in his mouth before coming out frantically, "I was just stating facts."
Even now, Aiden absolutely refused to believe how good my relationship with Alexander really was.
He was still delusional, trying to use the project issue against me.
I was about to argue back.
Alexander spoke again, "Do you think I lack money?"
This time, Aiden immediately denied it, saying, "Of course not, I don't think that at all. How could you possibly lack money?"
Watching his fawning, obsequious manner, my face was full of mockery.
Sure enough, when provoking me he had no scruples, but when actually facing Alexander, he turned into this cowardly mess.
Every time, Aiden had this attitude—treating people differently based on who they were. I was never the one he respected.
"If there's nothing else, hang up."
As soon as Alexander finished speaking, Aiden panicked again. "Wait a moment!"
Afraid he'd lose his chance to speak, Aiden laid everything out directly, "Don't you care at all, Mr. Windsor? She directly caused you to lose money."
I heard Alexander snort lightly, his tone mocking. "So what? Even if Elizabeth took my money and scattered it on the street, I wouldn't feel bad about it."
With that, Alexander hung up the phone directly.
And I sat there stunned, staring at Alexander in front of me, not knowing how to react.
That sentence he'd just said was too domineering.