Didn't he love Monica? If so, why would he say that? Then again, if he didn't genuinely love Monica, it would make sense why he wasn't angry when he was humiliated on the altar. Before Alexa could question him, he leaned in and kissed her. His lips were soft and gentle, but Alexa was still repulsed at the thought of kissing a stranger.
She was about to push him off when she remembered why she was doing it in the first place. She fisted her hands by her side and endured through the strange tortuous feeling..
He pulled away after some time and smiled at her before taking hold of her hand. "Let's go home," he said. Alexa returned the smile and put her hand in his before walking down the aisle.
As Aiden and Alexa walked past Monica, she suddenly turned and pulled his hand, preventing him from moving forward.
"Aiden, are you sure about this? How about you take some time to reconsider? If you're doing this because you're scared you might lose face, you don't have to worry, I'll– "
"Miss Monica, are you in love with my husband? You rejected him and I married him. What else do you want from him?"
"You…" Monica's face flushed with second hand embarrassment and she subconsciously tugged Aiden's coat.
Suddenly, the smile on Aiden's lips faltered, but without a word said to Monica, he took off the overcoat and wore it on Alexa.
"It's winter. Your dress is inappropriate for the weather. You might catch a cold," he told her as he put the coat on her.
The black trench coat made Alexa warm. "Thank you," she uttered with a smile.
Monica froze as she stared at the overcoat. "A– Aiden– " Monica couldn't form an intelligible word. She suddenly noticed he hadn't said a single word to her ever since she called off the wedding. He had never treated her like this before. Aiden was someone that never shared his things with others. For him to give a stranger his overcoat because she touched it, meant that he was mad at her.
She felt indignation build up in her chest. She loved Aiden, but she could not marry him, not when he was a failure. She thought he'd be the CEO, but after finding out that all the shareholders voted for Aaron to be the CEO, she changed her mind and decided to accept Aaron's love...at least, that was what she made people believe, but the truth was far from that.
Monica watched with tears in her eyes as the newlyweds left the hall and marked the end of the wedding ceremony. Suddenly, a bold thought crossed her mind.
Yes, she can always do that! She told herself.
Inside one of the cars that just left the wedding venue, Alexa and Aiden were seen at the back seat, each minding their business — Alexa looking out the window while Aiden played with the ring on his finger.
After a long and suffocating silence, Aiden finally asked: "These rings look quite antique but it's cool on your finger… you said your grandmother gave it to you?" his tone sounded light, carrying a tinge of mockery that Alexa probably failed to catch.
Alexa spun her head to look at him as though she'd been expecting him to break the silence. She cleared her throat and explained. "Actually, it's my family's heirloom. It was passed down from generation to generation. So, as the only child, my mother passed it down to me."
It was a lie. She bought those rings from an auction house last week for her failed wedding.
Aiden nodded with a smile while stroking the one on his finger. After a few caresses, he took it off and observed it before commenting, "It seems to be very special. Don't you think that giving it to a man who loves you would make the heirloom more treasured?"
"It's enough that I love the person I gave it to. I don't expect love in return."
He looked at her and smiled as though he could sense she was lying. "Why a man that is in love with another– why me, Alexa?"
"Because you are kind and lovely. I liked you from the moment I set my eyes on you."
"When was that and where?"
Alexa suddenly went mute. She forgot to ask Nora about him. She didn't even know if he used to live in Sky City. Alexa tried to revisit the conversation she had with Nora to see if she could find something to save her ass but failed to get hold of a meaningful hint, so she went for an ambiguous reply.
"It was last winter. I saw you in a traffic jam. On that day, I was riding a bike while you were looking out the window of your car."
It's an everyday occurrence. Sky City has the most traffic jams in the Country, especially in winters. When she was going to Nora's house this morning, she saw a couple of bikes maneuvering their way through the jam-packed road.
It was likely that he was also stuck in a traffic jam last winter. If he ever did, then he'd believe her story, she assumed.
Aiden looked at her. His eyes couldn't be read, so she couldn't tell if he believed her. He dug his hand into his trouser and brought out an antique lighter. Although old, it looked quite luxurious.
As his finger massaged the lighter, he queried, "You said that I'm kind and lovely?"
"Yes."
"To you, what is good and what is bad?"
Alexa watched him for a while. He may be testing her, she thought. "What is good has been established and what is bad is distinct."
"How do you tell?" The lighter made a clicking sound as he flicked it to ignite blue flame. Without waiting for her reply, he continued:
"Roses are red and the sky is blue… but what if our ancestors were wrong? What if the colors were interchanged?... what if everything in the universe is wrong?"
"What do you mean?" Alexa frowned. How could someone talk like that with a straight face? The universe has always been under scrutiny. Everyday, there are either results that confirm what we already know or those that contradict what we know. But no matter how bad it is, no one can say that everything is entirely wrong.
He chuckled lightly. His deep-throated sound tickled Alexa's heart. "I'm simply telling you, never take what you see and hear at face value. I might be a serial killer, a vengeful spirit, or even… a psychopath. Jumping into a marriage with me could be your biggest mistake."
As if what he just casually pronounced wasn't enough to cause discomfort to Alexa, he did something else that sent a chill down her spine.