Declan had never spoken to her harshly, but today he was dead serious. They were really freaking out that she hadn’t divorced yet.

“Dad, can I not go? I swear I’ll divorce Alexander,” Elizabeth pleaded.

Declan’s silence was a clear no.

“But I haven’t divorced Alexander yet. Does this guy not care?” Elizabeth asked, feeling annoyed.

“He doesn’t care!” Declan answered firmly.

Elizabeth forced a smile. Is this guy as clueless as John? she thought. He knew her husband was Alexander and still went ahead to date her. He must be nuts.

“Elizabeth, you know this guy. He really admires you. You two are a great match. Can you just listen to me this once?” Declan’s tone softened a bit.

Hearing his words, Elizabeth felt she might’ve been too stubborn. Declan was practically begging her. But she really didn’t want to date a stranger right now. She just wasn’t in the mood.

“Dad, I get it. You want me to bounce back fast. I’ll be fine,” Elizabeth said, trying to sound sincere. This whole relationship mess had drained her, and she just couldn’t deal with meeting anyone new right now.

Grant sighed, “Declan, if Elizabeth’s not up for it, don’t push her.”

“But Dad, she…” Declan started to argue.

Grant shot him a look, like, “What, my words don’t mean anything anymore?”

Declan slapped his thigh, sighed, and headed to the study.

“Thanks, Grandpa,” Elizabeth said, trying to be polite.

Grant shook his head, “Elizabeth, you can’t stay down forever. You need to move on.”

Elizabeth nodded, “Okay.”

Just then, her phone buzzed. She checked it and saw a new entertainment news alert: [Russell Group: Ms. Russell flaunts her love on Facebook, netizens call it super sweet!] She meant to ignore it but ended up clicking anyway. @Esme: My love. 1/4

Chapter 21

The picture showed her leaning against a guy’s chest, with the sea in the background. The guy was in a suit, one hand on her shoulder, and she was snuggled up in him. Though his face wasn’t visible, Elizabeth knew it was Alexander. She recognized his hand and his style. Alexander had taken Esme to see the sea. He was doing something Esme had always wanted to do. Elizabeth gripped her phone tightly, tears welling up in her eyes.

Grant patted Elizabeth’s shoulder, and she turned to him, eyes red. She really wanted Alexander to go to the beach with her, but he kept saying no. For Esme, though, going to the beach with her love was no big deal.

“That guy your dad mentioned is actually pretty good,” Grant reminded her.

Elizabeth looked up, a tear slipping down her cheek. “I get it, Grandpa.”

Meanwhile, by the sea… Esme was scrolling through comments on her phone, grinning. “Alexander, look! So many people are happy for us.” Alexander was reading a message from Nolan. He glanced at her phone and asked, “Did you post our picture on Facebook?”

“Don’t worry, I didn’t show your face,” Esme said, all cheerful.

Alexander frowned. He’d told her a million times not to post about him, but she never listened.

“Alexander, for Lily’s birthday, my family plans to give a rare ginseng,” Esme suddenly said.

Alexander looked up. Esme hugged his arm, serious now. “This time, I have to make your family accept me.”

Alexander felt bad for Esme. She hadn’t done anything wrong, but because of Elizabeth, the Tudor family never accepted her.

“Rare ginseng is hard to find,” Alexander said.

“Yeah, everyone in the Russell family is after it,” Esme replied.

Esme looked at Alexander, her fingers lightly brushing his cheek. “Alexander, I’ve put up with a lot for the past three years because I love you. I really hope this year, I can finally be your wife.”

Alexander met her eyes and nodded. “Alright.”

Esme’s face lit up with a smile. As she gazed into his eyes, a daring thought crossed her mind. She leaned in slowly, her lips almost touching his when he suddenly turned his head and hugged her instead. Esme froze, feeling awkward in his arms. Did he just dodge her kiss? In three years, he had never been intimate with her, never kissed her. She thought he was just being respectful, always protecting her. But now, when she made the first move and he still avoided it… What did that mean?

Alexander lowered his gaze, gently rubbing her hair. “Esme, you’re the daughter of the Russell family. Before we get married, I don’t want to disrespect you.”

Truth was, he didn’t feel that spark with Esme. He had tried to be close to her, but it never felt right. Even hugging her felt stiff. On the other hand, Elizabeth had this pull on him, making him lose control. Ever since that kiss with Elizabeth at the bar, he felt even more distant from Esme. Esme blinked, feeling a sharp pain in her heart.

She wrapped her arms around Alexander’s neck, her breath hot. “Alexander, I’m not afraid.” She was ready for him.

“Esme, don’t,” Alexander said, pulling her hands away, his brow furrowed, a hint of impatience in his eyes.

Esme’s confidence took a nosedive. She’d made a move, and her fiancé shot her down. Did that mean he didn’t want her? Her eyes welled up. “Do you not like me?” If he loved her, how could he resist?

“Esme, stop questioning my feelings,” Alexander snapped, clearly annoyed. Every time this came up, they ended up fighting. The more they fought, the more Esme felt he was hiding something. Only guilt would lead to arguments, right?

Esme looked down, feeling hurt. “Alexander, I really love you. I’ve been understanding.”

“Don’t let me lose,” she said, her voice breaking.

Hearing this, Alexander’s mind raced back to Elizabeth. Elizabeth had once said, “I loved you for seven years, Alexander, and I lost.” His throat tightened, heart aching. He glanced at the scar on Esme’s back, a scar she got saving him.

“Esme, after Grandma’s birthday, I’ll divorce Elizabeth. Once that’s done, we’ll get married,” Alexander promised. He used to just say he’d marry her someday. But this time, he promised they’d tie the knot as soon as his divorce was final. For Esme, that was huge. The sea sparkled, and the summer evening breeze felt perfect. She leaned against Alexander, looking at the ocean, nodding eagerly, full of hope.

“Alexander, I found this awesome restaurant. Wanna go tomorrow night?” Esme suggested.

Elizabeth, seeing Alexander’s sour face, felt a mischievous spark. She sauntered over to Joseph, linking her arm with his. She gazed up at him, eyes full of playful affection, and teased, “Mr. Stewart, since Ms. Russell thinks we’re a good match, should we give dating a shot?”

Joseph squinted, glancing at Alexander and Esme. Alexander’s scowl deepened. Joseph caught on to Elizabeth’s game, and he decided to roll with it. He wrapped his arm around Elizabeth’s waist, pulling her close. His deep, velvety voice murmured, “Ms. Percy, does this mean you’re giving me a chance to pursue you?”

Elizabeth nodded, her fingers toying with Joseph’s tie, both flirtatious and charming. Joseph leaned in close to Elizabeth’s ear, grinning. It’d be my pleasure. He then looked up, locking eyes with Alexander. Alexander’s face was pale, his eyes like daggers, slowly shifting from Joseph’s hand to his face. Joseph’s smirk grew, a glint of victory in his eyes. To Alexander, this was a clear challenge.

Esme, sensing Alexander’s tension, clung to his arm and smiled, “I rarely see Mr. Stewart like this. Seems he really likes Elizabeth.”

Erme had hoped to show off her bond with Alexander in front of Elizabeth. But things didn’t go as planned; the situation slipped out of her control. Elizabeth stayed cool, her lazy gaze drifting over them.

Joseph adjusted his glasses and smiled, “Guys tend to lose their cool around someone they like. And yeah, I do like Ms. Percy, no doubt.”

Alexander felt a sting at Joseph’s words. Seeing Elizabeth’s sweet smile directed at Joseph made Alexander’s breath catch. Those smiles used to be just for me. She agreed to the divorce so quickly and moved on even faster. Is she really over me, or is this all for show? Alexander wondered.

Esme figured it was time to bounce and grinned, “We won’t bug you anymore. Alexander, let’s grab some food. I’m starving.”

Alexander glanced at Elizabeth and nodded at Esme, “Sure.” His face was a blank slate, and his tone was ice-cold.

Once they were gone, Elizabeth let go of Joseph. She watched them walk away, her eyes darkening. 1/2

To Elizabeth, Alexander’s indifference to her flirting with Joseph was nothing new. He was cool with his own fling with Esme but couldn’t stand her seeing other guys. She knew him too well; it wasn’t about caring for her, it was about his bruised ego as a husband.

“Young folks’ marriages are a real puzzle,” Joseph chimed in beside her.

Elizabeth snapped out of it and said, “Thanks, Mr. Stewart.”

“No worries. It’s my pleasure to help you, Ms. Percy.” He raised an eyebrow, looking at her, then leaned in. “But what I said earlier, I meant it.”

Elizabeth gave him a complicated look. “Maybe we should give dating a shot. What do you think?” Joseph’s smile was warm, like a spring breeze. He was so close that if he moved just a bit more, they’d be kissing. For a second, Elizabeth thought she saw high school Alexander. Both of them were kind but had a sneaky side.

“Are all guys like this?” she wondered. Her hand clenched by her side, a wave of sadness hitting her.

Noticing her silence, Joseph chuckled and tapped her head. “Just messing with you.”

Elizabeth laughed, “Mr. Stewart, stop teasing me.”

“Alright,” Joseph nodded, motioning for her to sit and keep eating.