Chapter 84
Elizabeth's POV
Aiden blocked my path, the panic in his eyes slowly dissolving until he managed a faint, unsettling smile. "Elizabeth, have you still not grasped the situation? Can't you see what's going on between Barry and me?"
Although I noticed the unusual intimacy between him and Barry, I didn't really take it seriously.
"Whatever special relationship you and Barry might have, what does that have to do with me?" I couldn't physically move past him, so I resorted to verbal counterattacks, my voice sharp with impatience.
Did he truly believe he could use Barry as some sort of leverage for revenge against me? The thought was as absurd as it was audacious.
Looking directly into his eyes, I held his gaze, refusing to be the one to look away.
He lifted his chin, a familiar, condescending confidence returning to his features. "Let me be more direct, then. I'm willing to give you a chance to come back to me."
Aiden's attitude softened, and I couldn't help but let out a cold laugh. "So what? When you said these words to me, did you consider Bianca's feelings? Haven't you and her already gone through it in front of everyone? Now you're coming to me again, aren't you afraid she'll go crazy?"
I had witnessed firsthand the depths of Aiden's supposed love for Bianca.
Even though he had been deceived by her fabricated illness, I didn't believe his feelings for her could simply vanish overnight.
This had to be about something else. He was trying to entangle me for some other purpose, one I couldn't yet discern.
A faint smile touched my lips as I watched him. "Or perhaps," I continued, my tone dripping with saccharine challenge, "you'd be willing to take me to Bianca right now, so we can all have a nice, clear chat about the three of us?"
If I couldn't immediately figure out his game, I didn't mind playing along for a little while.
My eyes locked with his, and I laid my intentions bare. "If you can't do that, then stop harassing me. I have no desire to have any relationship with you whatsoever."
With that, I stepped decisively around him.
This time, Aiden didn't try to close the distance as he had before, but I could feel the insistent weight of his gaze on my back, a persistent pressure that followed me through the opulent ballroom.
It was only when I merged into a denser cluster of guests that the feeling finally lifted, as if the crowd offered a shield he was reluctant to breach.
I glanced toward the far side of the room where Alexander stood, and a small breath of relief escaped my lips.
This was a public event, after all. It seemed even Aiden lacked the nerve to cause a full-blown scene here.
Still, his words had been a clear warning. I would need to remain vigilant, to handle every interaction with caution and ensure I never allowed myself to be cornered into a dangerous situation.
My gaze drifted back to Alexander, who navigated the swarm of socialites and business magnates with an effortless grace. I found myself lost in the sight of him, momentarily mesmerized by his composure.
Our eyes met across the glittering room. For a frozen second, I didn't react, my mind a blank slate.
"Ms. Spencer!" A clear voice at my side pulled me back. I turned to find Carter Windsor smiling at me, his eyes alight with a familiar, unsettling amusement.
An instinctive, subtle fear prickled at my skin. Being alone with him always left me with a sense of unease, and my first impulse was to step back.
Carter, however, acted with a disarming casualness, gesturing with a slight nod toward Alexander. "Take a look over there," he said smoothly. "See who's with Alexander."
I followed his gaze. At some point, an elegantly dressed woman had appeared at Alexander's side.
She smiled up at him, her entire posture radiating a graceful and confident poise.
And Alexander, who normally kept a polite but distinct distance from other women, was smiling back, the two of them creating a picture of striking harmony.
I had never seen him stand so close to another woman, and I couldn't help but stare for a moment longer than I should have.
"That's the only daughter and precious daughter of the FitzRoy Family. She has been deeply in love with Alexander since she was a child, and hasn't been engaged yet," Carter said quite casually, but his tone was smiling, as if he was saying that those two were a match made in heaven.
My brow furrowed as I fought to suppress a wave of discomfort.
Carter, ever perceptive, caught my flicker of resistance. He leaned in slightly, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial, teasing tone. "So? Do you think they make a good pair?"
In that instant, a dull roar filled my ears. My carefully maintained composure fractured, and I turned my head to meet Carter's probing stare. My mind, however, was flooded with the image of Alexander and the woman.
Did they look good together? Honestly, yes. They were a perfect match in appearance and in status.
But what did that have to do with me?
My relationship with Alexander was a pretense. It shouldn't matter who he truly fell for; I had no right to care.
Any strange pang of emotion I felt had to be a consequence of getting too deep into my role. In this ballroom, for all intents and purposes, I was Alexander's girlfriend.
A complete lack of reaction would be more suspicious than a hint of jealousy, wouldn't it? What girlfriend wouldn't feel a sting of possessiveness?
"Yes, they do," I said, affecting a wistful sigh. "But I trust Alexander. I know he would never do anything to hurt me."
I thought the performance was a decent one, and I turned back to Carter with a small, brave smile. "Mr. Windsor, I'm sure you would respect Alexander's choices as well, wouldn't you?"
Although I'd only heard that the situation of The Windsor Family was complicated, now that Alexander could come to this banquet and there's no friction with Carter, it could be confirmed that these two wouldn't fall out easily.
That gave me the confidence to push back, knowing Carter was unlikely to call my bluff and tear away the facade.
Just as I predicted, a shadow of annoyance passed over Carter's features, though he quickly masked it with another smile.
This one was even more chilling than the last. I fought the urge to shrink away, forcing myself to stand my ground.
"It seems your relationship with Alexander is even stronger than I imagined," Carter remarked, his voice smooth as silk.
I simply nodded.
"But," he continued, "I couldn't help but notice you were speaking with Aiden for quite a while. Is it possible you two are rekindling an old flame?"
"Of course not," I denied instantly. "Aiden is the one harassing me. I'm long past having anything to do with him."
I decided a stronger reaction would be more convincing, letting a flicker of genuine indignation color my tone.
Carter watched me, a slow, knowing smirk playing on his lips. Then, he subtly gestured forward again.
I looked, and my breath caught. The woman who had been standing beside Alexander had somehow stumbled, falling directly into his arms.
Their bodies were pressed together in an intimate embrace, and a low murmur of playful encouragement rose from the surrounding guests. The whole scene felt staged, unnatural.
The carefully constructed expression on my face began to crumble. I was acutely aware that Carter was still watching me, gauging my every reaction, waiting to see if I truly cared.
Realizing this, I took a deep, steadying breath and began to walk forward with purpose.
Staying here would expose the entire charade.
Carter was too sharp; if I remained passive while my supposed boyfriend was in the arms of another woman, he would see right through our act. We were supposed to be a devoted couple. I had to do something.
As I strode toward them, my determined advance parted the crowd. Onlookers stepped aside, their faces alight with the anticipation of drama.
I saw Alexander instinctively steady the woman in his arms, his hands on her waist as their faces drew closer.
"What do you think you're doing?" My voice rang out, sharp and loud, laced with feigned shock. I pitched it just right, to sound like a woman utterly and completely wronged.