Chapter 64
Elizabeth's POV
Gasps echoed around me, as if everyone was shocked that their unspoken secret had been exposed.
I looked at them, feeling incredibly ironic.
A woman who appeared beside Alexander would only be called a mistress.
But clearly, Alexander and I had nothing going on.
"I think you're the one who should apologize!"
"Exactly! Disturbing people's work first thing in the morning! You should apologize!"
"Let her go right now! If you can't handle it, then leave the company! We don't need you here!"
Just then, the elevator doors suddenly opened. Three or four bodyguards stepped out first, immediately drawing everyone's attention.
Someone in the crowd shouted "Mr. Garcia," and all the voices gradually died down.
Jasper was protected in the middle of the bodyguards. As soon as he stepped out of the elevator and made eye contact with me, he looked somewhat surprised and adjusted his glasses.
"Ms. Spencer, what's going on here?" Jasper walked toward me, his tone very polite.
The onlooking colleagues seemed stunned. Finally, someone recognized him.
"Isn't that Mr. Garcia? Why is he being so polite to her?"
"I heard he's planning to invest in businesses here. Why would he show up? I haven't heard about any collaboration with him."
"If Elizabeth can get this kind of treatment from Mr. Garcia, could there be some connection?"
The whispers around weren't loud, but enough to reach Jasper's ears. As someone who had been in business for years, he immediately understood the situation.
"I'm here today to find my business partner." He spoke calmly, his gaze sweeping over everyone with undeniable authority.
"Ms. Spencer is my business partner. We're about to work together on a three-billion-dollar deal."
This statement exploded like a bomb in the crowd.
"Three billion dollars? A deal of that size?"
"Didn't they say before that Mr. Garcia was just making a simple investment of a few hundred million at most? How did the project suddenly jump to such a high level?"
"And shouldn't the partner be The Windsor Family? How did it become just her?"
"What does this mean? Could it not be that kind of relationship? Is she some hidden wealthy heir?"
The crowd's eyes focused on me again, no longer with rude prying looks, but with cautious, almost reverent gazes.
Jasper's few words created ripples in everyone's minds.
Originally, everything about me in the company was just speculation. Now, with Jasper appearing before me with a huge project, all the rumors seemed to fall apart on their own.
"How could you possibly be..."
The two people I was holding turned uniformly pale, losing all their earlier momentum.
I let them go, my expression unchanged. "Now, can you apologize?"
Those who had been on their side moments ago all looked away, as if they couldn't see them at all.
Without their earlier confidence, the two lost their arrogance and bowed to me in apology.
"We were wrong. Please forgive us, Ms. Spencer."
"We just believed the company rumors about you. We're truly sorry."
Without getting my response, they didn't even dare to lift their heads.
I didn't respond to them right away. Instead, I looked around, dropped all expression, and spoke in a cold and distant voice.
"I know you're all curious about me, but I need to remind you - it's best not to say things without evidence, or one day when it backfires, you won't be able to handle it."
The cold words came from my mouth with undeniable authority.
At that moment, scenes from my childhood flashed through my mind.
As an only child cherished by my parents, I used to be very attached to them.
I loved following them when they went to work at the company. When I said those words just now, I felt my image almost overlapped with my tall father's.
So now I had become so much like my parents.
This natural aura of authority made even Jasper pause, a hint of relief passing through his eyes.
"Mr. Garcia, please follow me." After saying what I needed to say, I returned to a polite and measured attitude, guiding him to my office to discuss the collaboration details.
The figure he just mentioned far exceeded the initial amount, and I was quite concerned about this.
I very professionally led Jasper past each colleague, watching the changes on their faces gradually turn compliant.
That little incident might actually be a good thing. At least from now on, the rumors about me should die down.
Once in the office, I first thanked Jasper.
He waved his hand and looked around before speaking. "Where's Mr. Windsor? Is he really not coming to discuss this together?"
I hesitated, then asked, "About the collaboration amount you mentioned earlier."
"Yes, after all, it's a collaboration with The Windsor Family. Of course, I need to show my full sincerity."
I thought for two seconds and replied, "Then let me go find Mr. Windsor now. Please wait a moment."
After all, given the large amount, although Alexander had said to let me handle it, this sum was already beyond what I could handle.
I walked to Alexander's office and happened to see him talking with his assistant, Jasper, about something.
I knocked on the door.
"Come in."
Jasper stepped back to a normal position, glanced at me hastily, then left.
I didn't know what that look meant.
Just as I was about to mention Jasper's matter, Alexander spoke first. "I already know about the new collaboration amount."
I instinctively glanced in the direction Jasper had left.
Was Jasper just reporting this? Then does Alexander also know about me being bullied by those two female colleagues, and causing a scene?
As I was wondering, his tall figure approached me.
Alexander's angular, flawless face now looked gloomy, making him even more handsome.
He approached me step by step, his footsteps solid and real, landing on my heart. I couldn't help but clench my fists nervously.
"Elizabeth, can you explain - is what just happened the trouble you were talking about?"
"If you came to the company with me, would you still face that kind of trouble?"
I was stunned.
If I were standing beside Alexander, those people wouldn't dare to provoke me so easily.
And as for what they said, whether I stood with Alexander or not, as long as I was still in the company, the rumors wouldn't stop.
Refusing to come to the company with Alexander was originally meant to avoid trouble, but now it seemed I hadn't avoided anything at all.
I swallowed, completely unsure how to refute these words. Alexander had already walked up and stopped in front of me.
"Elizabeth, this collaboration was what you wanted to pursue in the first place. No matter the amount, it's your collaboration."
I couldn't help but be shocked and surprised by Alexander's trust in me.