Chapter 87
Elizabeth's POV
Lisa pressed her lips together, her voice hesitant when she finally spoke. "Ms. FitzRoy and Mr. Windsor have quite a good relationship. I heard they were close to getting engaged once."
I couldn't help but clench my hands. Lisa noticed my unusual behavior and quickly said, "Ms. Spencer, please don't be sad. Those are all things of the past; they have nothing to do with the present."
I was taken aback for a moment before quickly denying it. "Don't misunderstand. I'm not upset, just a little surprised. I saw Ms. FitzRoy at the banquet today, and she seemed to be on very good terms with Alexander."
Lisa scanned my face several times, apparently searching for any sign of sadness, and only relaxed when she found none.
"So, Ms. Spencer, you ran into Ms. FitzRoy," Lisa said, a thoughtful expression crossing her features. "Their relationship is decent, but Ms. FitzRoy has never been here."
She leaned in closer, her whisper carrying a hint of conspiratorial intimacy as she added, "To this villa."
Tiana had never been to this house.
The words echoed in my mind, and despite myself, I couldn't stop my thoughts from racing. Was I, in some way, special to Alexander? Even without the child I carried, could I still be considered unique to him?
"I can finish up myself!"
The more my mind spun with these wild thoughts, the more I noticed my reflection in the mirror, my cheeks flushing a deeper shade of red. I quickly placed a hand over Lisa's to stop her.
I didn't want anyone to see me in this state, not even her. The thought repeated itself, a frantic mantra in my head, and I firmly ushered Lisa out of the room.
Though she didn't seem to fully grasp my sudden need for solitude, she left without asking any further questions.
Only then, in the quiet of the empty room, could I finally draw a deep breath and allow the coolness of the air to calm my racing heart.
I never knew what time Alexander returned that night, but I slept with a sense of peace I hadn't felt before.
At the very least, when he needed someone to pose as his girlfriend, I was the first person he thought of.
No one else had gotten this close to Alexander. Clinging to this budding, shifting emotion I felt for him, I gradually drifted into sleep.
When I awoke the next morning, Alexander had already left for the office. I quickly got ready and headed out by myself.
Work couldn't stop. Alexander had granted me so much authority out of genuine trust, and I was determined to prove my capabilities through this project; I would not treat it lightly.
I had barely settled into my office when two people burst in, their faces etched with anxiety.
"Ms. Spencer! It's terrible! The investment Mr. Garcia promised hasn't come through on time! We have a funding issue!"
The team lead I had appointed rushed forward, thrusting a folder of documents at me. His usually steady voice was hoarse with strain.
"What happened?" I frowned, taking the file and forcing myself to remain calm. "Don't panic. Let me see."
Jasper's inexplicable decision to reduce the investment had been surprising enough, but now he was breaching the contract entirely. There had to be something more going on. The documents clearly showed that, indeed, Jasper had failed to make the scheduled payment.
"For now, don't worry," I told them, my voice more confident than I felt. "Continue with your work according to the original schedule. Leave the rest to me."
The immediate priority was to contact Jasper, confirm the situation, and then formulate a response. The more my team spiraled into panic, the more composed I needed to appear. I could not afford to lose my own footing.
"Alright! We'll proceed as planned, but Ms. Spencer, if the investment money doesn't arrive, everything we've done will be for nothing."
"Yeah, I gave up a project I'd been following for a long time to join this team. Ms. Spencer, can you take responsibility for the consequences?"
I understood their meaning perfectly.
If the project failed, their transfer to this team would be a career setback, a waste of their time, and a significant loss in terms of their professional trajectory.
From a practical standpoint, it was a terrible deal for them.
And the primary reason for it all would be me. I would have to bear the full responsibility. "Don't worry," I repeated, my voice firm. "Just do as I say. I will find a way."
My hand clenched into a fist under the desk. I watched them leave the office before finally letting out a sharp exhale.
To say I felt no pressure would be a lie, but I had to overcome these feelings and act immediately.
I dialed Jasper's number directly, but the call went unanswered. I tried again, and then a third time. Finally, after ten minutes, the call connected.
Jasper's guilty silence on the other end of the line only fueled the fire simmering in my gut. My tone became sharp, devoid of its usual courtesy. "Mr. Garcia, I believe you owe me a reasonable explanation. We both signed a contract. Are you planning to breach it now?"
If he had simply followed the agreement, I was confident I could have shown him a tangible return on his investment in the shortest possible time.
His failure to honor his commitment was, from a legal perspective, a clear disadvantage for him.
Jasper was a businessman; he understood the pros and cons of such a situation better than anyone. His abnormal behavior had to have a deeper cause.
"Ms. Spencer, it's not that I'm unwilling to give you the money," Jasper began, his voice laced with the pretense of some unspoken trouble. "It's just an unexpected situation has arisen on my end. My hands are tied."
His feigned helplessness made me frown. "An unexpected situation? What happened?"
Was it possible he was telling the truth? But the probability of something like this happening to him seemed incredibly low. For an investment magnate like Jasper, the likelihood of such a "situation" was practically nonexistent.
"Mr. Garcia, I believe cooperation is built on a foundation of integrity," I said, my gaze falling on the project proposal I had finalized just yesterday. "I would appreciate it if you told me the truth. I want to know the real reason."
I took a deep breath. The worst-case scenario was that I wouldn't get the money from him, forcing me to use my personal backup funds.
Although using that money would certainly raise questions, I wasn't about to let all this effort go to waste. More importantly, I refused to betray the trust Alexander had placed in me.
Another long silence stretched over the line, followed by a heavy sigh.
"Alright," Jasper's voice finally came through, resigned. "Since it has come to this, I'll tell you the truth. Someone doesn't want me to give you this money. And as much as I'd rather not offend the Windsor family, offending him is something I want even less."
As he spoke, his tone grew lighter, as if a burden had been lifted, and a realization began to dawn on me. If there was one person who wouldn't want me to secure this funding, the answer was simple. It had to be connected to Aiden.
"Mr. Garcia, when you agreed to this investment, I promised you a significant return. If you refuse to honor our contract now, my only recourse is to sue you for damages."
Since Jasper had already made his choice, he had undoubtedly prepared for the penalty. As expected, he agreed immediately after I finished speaking.
"Fine. I will pay the breach of contract fee. Please, just convey my apologies to Mr. Windsor."
"Tell him yourself," I retorted, and hung up.