Chapter 79
Elizabeth's POV
"Mr. Windsor, who is this lovely lady with you?"
"I don't believe we've seen her before."
"Anyone standing by your side must be quite special. Should we be expecting some good news?"
A small group of people approached us, their gazes still probing as they assessed me, yet the deferential tone they used with Alexander was a world away from how they regarded me.
I watched them draw near, a sense of weariness settling in my chest. It was hard to believe a single word they said was genuine; their presence was simply grating.
Aiden was squeezed to the back. He didn't dare to rush in directly; he just kept winking at me whenever my eyes met his. I frowned. If it weren't for the fact that he was looking at me so frequently, I would definitely have rolled my eyes at him immediately.
"Ms. Spencer, if I recall correctly, weren't you engaged?" Someone in the crowd asked, just after Alexander had made a brief introduction.
The gazes on me sharpened, their curiosity now more overt.
From the outer ring of people, Aiden seemed to seize his chance. He pushed his way in and called out directly to me, "That was me. I'm her fiancé."
His voice, loud and clear, silenced the surrounding chatter. Everyone turned toward him, their bodies shifting to form a new circle around this sudden development.
Aiden straightened his shoulders, puffing out his chest as if he had just accomplished something to be proud of. He walked right up to me, flashing that deceptively charming smile of his.
He held my gaze for only a moment before turning to address the crowd.
"The engagement between Elizabeth and me was never called off," he announced. "We had a few misunderstandings, but I believe they will be cleared up very soon."
As his words fell, an awkward silence descended upon the grand hall.
Had he not said that, things might have been fine, but his declaration effectively threw Alexander to the wolves.
Most of the guests attending this banquet had a general idea of the capacity in which I had accompanied Alexander.
For Aiden to make such a claim now was tantamount to publicly branding Alexander a homewrecker.
Consequently, even the most inquisitive guests who had been pressing us moments before now dared not ask another question.
Aiden himself seemed not to have anticipated that his words would bring the conversation to a dead halt.
He turned back to me, his eyes filled with a deep, manufactured affection. "Elizabeth, we've known each other for so many years. You understand what I mean, don't you?"
Watching his self-indulgent performance, I almost laughed out loud. Did he really think that now, after everything, I would be moved by this clumsy act, that I would fall for it like the naive little girl I once was and willingly return to his side?
How could that be possible?
Besides, I had come here with the explicit role of being Alexander's girlfriend. This was the perfect moment to prove it.
I offered Aiden a smile that was just shy of polite and said, "Mr. Smith, you really have a way with words."
"The engagement between us was nothing more than a joke. Besides, weren't you with another woman while you were engaged to me?" I continued, my voice steady. "Or do you need me to help you recall the details?"
There was a time when this engagement was all I had ever dreamed of, a fantasy I believed was the start of a happy life.
But reality had dealt me the cruelest of blows. It wasn't the beginning of happiness; it was the beginning of a nightmare.
Aiden's desire to marry me had been entirely motivated by the fact that the Spencer family had not yet fallen.
But even under those circumstances, he had still cheated on me and even tried to have me killed.
He was the one who had done all those unforgivable things. From the very start, Aiden had never felt anything for me.
Although I wasn't sure why he was so intent on pestering me now, I had a nagging suspicion it had something to do with Bianca. Was this his way of getting revenge on me? Or was there some other hidden reason?
"Elizabeth, how can you say that?" Aiden's voice suddenly took on a tearful quality. "I came here to explain everything to you. We were so in love. Can you really just throw all of that away?"
He reached for my hand, but I pulled away sharply. I took the initiative, linking my arm through Alexander's, and enunciated each word clearly for Aiden's benefit. "Look closely. I am in a new relationship now. If you continue to spout this nonsense, I will have no choice but to have security escort you out."
This banquet was hosted by the Windsor family. As Alexander's nominal girlfriend, I certainly had the authority to do so.
Just then, a laugh echoed from within the crowd. The faces of the few remaining onlookers changed, and they immediately parted to clear a path. The laugh was unfamiliar, but I noticed a flicker of irrepressible excitement cross Aiden's face the moment it sounded.
Slowly, a middle-aged man emerged from the end of the parted crowd. And Alexander, who had remained silent until now, visibly tensed.
I looked at the fashionably dressed man, a knot of nervousness forming in my stomach. He had managed to concern even Alexander.
Could he be some powerful figure? A member of the Windsor family? But Alexander was the head of the Windsor family; no one could truly constrain him. Unless he wasn't a Windsor.
My suspicion was confirmed as the middle-aged man drew closer. He smiled, addressing Alexander directly. "Alexander, it's been many years. You've grown up."
I understood at once. This man was his elder.
Alexander inclined his head in a respectful gesture. "Mr. Barnes."
Barry Barnes chuckled. "I remember when your father and I were traveling the world on business, we even brought you along for a few years."
Alexander maintained his polite smile. "Yes. How has your health been these past few years, sir?"
Barry waved a dismissive hand. "After your father passed, I lost my partner. I just found a quiet place to settle down, getting ready for retirement."
I noticed the reverent expressions on the faces of the surrounding guests as they listened to the exchange. Then I glanced at Aiden. Since Barry's arrival, his eyes had been gleaming with an almost feverish excitement.
"Mr. Barnes, I'm here as well," Aiden interjected suddenly. When Barry saw him, the smile on his lips widened.
"I only came because I wanted to see what your fiancée looks like."
At those words, my expression tightened. The looks I received from the crowd grew even more complicated. My arrival as Alexander's date was already enough to attract attention; now, a major figure had appeared and was entangled with my ex-fiancé. I had probably become the most problematic character in the room in their eyes.
"Mr. Barnes, my engagement to Aiden was nullified a long time ago. He has someone else he loves," I stated, my tone neither servile nor overbearing.
No wonder Aiden was able to get into an event like this and treat Alexander with a newfound lack of deference. He must have felt he had found a powerful backer, which explained his current arrogance.
Barry's gaze did not fall on me. Instead, he turned back to Aiden. "No matter what you decide, I will support you."