Chapter 128
Chapter 128:
“Care for a drink? I’m in quite a good mood and could use one,” Janice suggested.
“Sure.”
“Just wait here for me, then.”
Janice stood, straightened her attire, and walked back towards the event. Aiden remained seated alone, his gaze fixed on the small heap of ashes nearby, deep in thought.
“Mr. Green.” A woman’s voice came over.
Aiden snapped back to reality and turned to the voice, watching as Nellie approached slowly.
His expression hardened, his tone cold as he said, “Miss Ramirez, shouldn’t you be busy hosting? How do you find the time to roam around here?”
Nellie compressed her lips, sensing from Aiden’s tone that he was not in the mood for small talk. Yet, she pressed on with questions she felt compelled to ask. “Are you serious about your relationship with Janice?”
Aiden narrowed his eyes and smirked at Nellie. “What does that concern you?”
“If it’s merely a strategic marriage to acquire shares you’re after, I could serve that role too,” Nellie suggested, her voice tense. “She’s just a girl disowned by her family. What claim does she have to stand beside you? I believe my involvement could lend more credibility and expedite your acquisition of the shares.”
The very idea of Nellie stooping to partake in Aiden’s scheme was demeaning. If word got out, it would undoubtedly disgrace the Ramirez family. But driven by her fixation, Nellie was willing to gamble. She felt that if she didn’t express her feelings now, she might lose Aiden to someone else forever.
Aiden turned his wheelchair to squarely face Nellie, his look intensifying, cold, and piercing.
Nellie met his gaze and suddenly felt a surge of fear. Aiden hadn’t said a word yet, but his eyes communicated everything she feared.
Discover fresh tales on gαℓησν𝒆𝓁s․çо𝗺
“Nellie Ramirez, what makes you think you have the right to challenge my decisions?”
Aiden’s words struck Nellie like sharp needles piercing her heart. Her face turned pale, and her vision blurred as the weight of his cruelty sank in. How could the man she had admired for so long, the one she had held in such high esteem, be capable of saying something so devastating?
“Aiden, you’re going too far!” Nellie cried, her fists clenched, her voice trembling with a mix of anguish and fury. “Am I really worth less to you than a disowned daughter from the Edwards family?”
“What gives you the right to compare yourself to her?” That single sentence left Nellie reeling, her words stuck in her throat.
Aiden’s index finger lazily tapped against the armrest of his wheelchair, the soft rhythm echoing the finality in his tone. “I’ve already told you—who do you think you are to matter to me? We’ve only met a handful of times, exchanged nothing more than pleasantries, yet you dare to believe you deserve to stand by my side?”
Nellie felt her composure slipping. His words crushed her, grinding her pride and dignity into dust.
As fragments of the past flickered through her mind, she realized how shallow her connection to him truly was. Their interactions were fleeting: overheard conversations among elders, polite nods at events, stolen glances from across crowded rooms. Yet, even in those brief moments, she had fallen for him—drawn to his presence, captivated by the aura he exuded.
“Huh.” Aiden chuckled.
.
.
.