Chapter 396 Curiosity Knows No Gender
Elizabeth was equally stunned by his words.
She had never imagined that while he remained silent on the surface, he had been carrying this burden in his heart all along. He had never forgotten his hatred for the Guise family—not for a single moment.
Who dared call him heartless and cold-blooded? Alexander was the most loyal and righteous man she knew.
In that moment, Elizabeth's gaze softened as she looked at him with something approaching adoration, settling beside him with quiet grace like a devoted admirer.
"I heard Declan personally escorted the Guise family to Star Island?" Calvin asked Alexander, seeking confirmation.
Alexander nodded curtly. "That's correct."
"Gideon!" Calvin turned his attention to their companion. "What's the situation here? We all know Declan's power base is in Pariz, and his most trusted lieutenant is your relative—Molly and Katherine's father, Marshall, isn't it?"
Gideon responded with casual indifference. "Why should you fear him?"
"I'm not afraid of him!" Calvin retorted gruffly. "I'm concerned he might sabotage Alexander's plans. Now that Declan has sent that family to the island, do you really think he'll just stand by and watch Alexander take Star Island? He'll definitely intervene."
Gideon's smile turned cold and predatory. "Then we'll see who proves more formidable—him or me."
He fixed his gaze on Alexander. "Whatever support you need from me, Alexander, it's yours. That classified document Robert delivered to you last time—any weapon listed there is at your disposal. A mere Marshall doesn't even register on my radar."
Alexander placed a reassuring hand on Gideon's shoulder. "I appreciate that, Gideon, but you won't need to get involved. I don't need you to deal with Marshall—I can handle him myself."
Handle him alone? Gideon, Caspian, and Calvin exchanged surprised glances. However, knowing Alexander's track record, if he claimed he could resolve something single-handedly, there was rarely any room for doubt.
Alexander continued, "Though I will need those weapons displayed—they'll serve as an excellent deterrent. And Gideon, it would be beneficial if you could stage a public falling-out with Marshall. That would give the Guise family on the island false hope that they might survive this."
Gideon's grin widened with understanding. "Ah, Alexander, you're planning to take the Guise family alive."
"Absolutely alive," Alexander confirmed, then turned to Elizabeth with unmistakable devotion. "Once we capture them, I'm handing that entire family over to my wife. They'll be entirely under her jurisdiction."
Elizabeth's eyes shimmered with gratitude. "Alexander, I'll stand by you through life and death, through triumph and disaster. Whatever the outcome, we must protect ourselves first. Even if—God forbid—the Guise family somehow prevails, I'll fight them tooth and nail. I'm not some helpless woman."
She was far from helpless—she was the kind of woman who remained composed and unbreakable even in the face of adversity.
Her fierce determination drew envious glances from the other women in the private dining room. Unlike Elizabeth, the companions of Gideon, Calvin, and Caspian rarely spoke during these business discussions. Though these women were all serious about marriage prospects, they understood that silence was golden when their men conducted affairs with this particular circle.
Elizabeth, however, was clearly the exception. Her confident demeanor made it obvious that she held significant influence with Alexander.
"You're absolutely radiant," Nicole, Gideon's companion, said with genuine warmth. "You seem so much more confident now. I heard you're making quite a name for yourself in architecture?"
Nicole's tone carried unmistakable admiration.
Elizabeth smiled graciously. "I genuinely love the profession."
"Architecture must be male-dominated, isn't it?" Nicole inquired further.
"Our design department has about ten to fifteen men and only three or four women—roughly a three-to-one ratio," Elizabeth replied honestly.
"That's truly impressive," Nicole said with sincere appreciation.
When Nicole smiled, her eyebrows curved beautifully, enhancing her already striking features. She possessed the kind of carefully cultivated beauty of a woman who had been cherished and protected, yet she wore her privilege without arrogance. Her clothing rivaled Elizabeth's in sophistication, and Elizabeth could immediately recognize her as someone who, while thoroughly spoiled by her man, remained gracious and unpretentious.
Nicole embodied gentle refinement and natural elegance, whereas Elizabeth carried herself with sharper edges—even in silence, she radiated a certain steely determination. Now, however, much of Elizabeth's former coldness had melted away, replaced by the confident independence of a successful professional. This transformation fascinated Nicole.
Nicole found herself genuinely drawn to Elizabeth, and the feeling appeared mutual. Perhaps this stemmed from Gideon's early kindness toward Elizabeth—back when she was unemployed, he had been the one to encourage her to pursue a career.
Looking back, Elizabeth felt genuine gratitude toward Gideon, which naturally extended to his companion.
The two women connected instantly and quickly exchanged contact information.
"We should go shopping together sometime," Nicole suggested enthusiastically.
"I'd love that," Elizabeth agreed readily.
"I hope to learn so much from you," Nicole added meaningfully.
"Learn what?" Gideon interjected, unable to contain his curiosity. "You've never studied architecture. What exactly do you plan to learn from Elizabeth?"
Nicole's cheeks flushed pink. "That's women's business—we're not telling you!"
Gideon fell silent, clearly perplexed.
After a moment, he turned to Alexander. "Alexander, she's your wife—what could she possibly teach Nicole?"
Alexander remained equally mystified. Truthfully, he was curious too. Before finding Elizabeth, he had been a man who paid no attention to women's affairs. Now he found himself genuinely intrigued by what his wife might teach his friend's partner.
Alexander's questioning gaze found Elizabeth, who looked just as bewildered. Honestly, she had no idea what Nicole wanted to learn either.
Nicole then leaned close to Elizabeth's ear and whispered something that made Elizabeth burst into delighted laughter—much to the men's complete bafflement.
Nicole proceeded to share the same secret with the other two women, sending all four into fits of giggles that left their male companions exchanging helpless looks and silent agreements that they would extract this information from their respective partners once they got home.
Men's curiosity, it seemed, was every bit as intense as women's.
After concluding their business discussions, the group dispersed to their respective homes. Alexander, Elizabeth, and Alice returned together, and after putting Alice to bed, Alexander's first priority was pinning Elizabeth to their bed with playful authority. "Alright, out with it—what exactly does Nicole want to learn from you?"
Elizabeth's cheeks turned crimson as she leaned close to his ear and whispered, "She wants to learn how to..."
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