CHAPTER TWENTY SIX

Background color
Font
Font size
Line height

Truly Splitsville

Aiden Carlisle and Caroline Baxter are no more!

When the engagement was self-made billionaire Aiden Carlisle, and pageant winner, Caroline Baxter was announced earlier this year, it was expected to be the wedding of the century.

In a dramatic turn of events, the couple seem to have called it quits.

In an exclusive interview with Aiden Carlisle, himself, he confirmed that the earlier rumours are indeed true and he and his fiancée – or should we say ex-fiancée – are no longer together.

Carlisle, however, did not disclose the reasons behind the split, nor the whereabouts of Caroline Baxter in this instance, but he has confirmed beyond reasonable doubt, that the couple's highly anticipated wedding, will not happen.

What does this mean for the young pair?


"Are you sleeping?!"

Jenna's voice pierced through any dreams that I could have possibly been having and I sat up so fast that I got whiplash.

"I awake," I said, quickly, defensively.

She sat on the edge of my desk and smirked at me.

I lifted my eyes too look at her and just dropped my head back on to my desk.

"Why do you look so cocky?" I asked her, my voice echoing in the cocoon that I had made with my arms.

"Oh, nothing," Jenna said, in a singing voice. I could practically picture her tossing her hair over her shoulder. And I knew it definitely wasn't nothing so, I rolled my eyes even though she couldn't see me and waited for her to offer me an explanation. "I just thought you'd like to know that I figured it out."

"Figured what out?" I asked, almost bored.

I heard a scuffling noise, but I didn't raise my head.

"I figured out who your lover boy is," Jenna sang.

I raised my head, confused. "Are you talking about Ian?" I asked. Jenna would never refer to Ian as lover boy, though.

She shook her head. "God, I don't care about that idiot. You know how much I hate him. I'm not talking about him."

"Then, who are you talking about?" I asked, genuinely confused.

Jenna smirked and raised an eyebrow at me. "A certain billion-dollar lover boy," she amended, looking extremely happy with herself.

My heart began to race at the thought of Aiden, but I gave her a questioning look.

Jenna's smirk deepened. "Aiden."

I felt my eyes widen, but I immediately toned it down. It was too late, though. Jenna already had a look on her face that told me she caught me. I brushed it off. "What about Aiden?" I asked.

"Oh, you tried, Rosalie, you really tried on that one," she said, in between laughing, "But I've known you for years. Look at you. You're all pink."

"What are you talking about?" I asked, offhandedly, wiping my face even though I knew there was nothing I could do to wipe the blush off.

"Ro," Jenna sighed and leaned over the table, "I know you, babe. I couldn't place exactly what it was, but the pancakes and you began singing to yourself. I'm not complaining about the singing, babe, you're not a bad singer. I mean, you're no Adele, but you're not screeching in my ear, either. It's just that Ian never had you singing, ever. The pancakes in the unmarked box did concern me and you telling me that their wedding was off did set off some alarm bells, but the icing on the cake was when I saw this article in the paper."

She tossed the paper on to my desk and I looked at it.

My heart had swelled a little knowing how Aiden had gone out of his way to sit down for an interview to make sure that everyone knew he was no longer with Caroline.

"I mean, it was pretty easy to see that those two just were not right for each other. They would have killed each other. Or Caroline would have eaten his head on their wedding night after mating, like the praying mantis that she is."

I scoffed at that comment.

"But everything put together, I have come to the conclusion that Aiden and Caroline had been broken up for a long time and Aiden finally came to his senses and I don't know – did you get some?"

"Jenna!"

Jenna shrugged. "What? You're both consenting adults who aren't in other relationships. Babe, if you're going to get some, you should get some from a hot billionaire. It's just what you deserve."

My mouth was hanging open.

Jenna reached over and closed my mouth. "Close that Venus Fly Trap of yours and tell me that I'm right."

I leaned back in my chair and stared at her. "I'm sorry, is your name Jenna Holmes? I don't remember hiring a detective."

Jenna laughed. "Babe, I've known you long enough and I know you well enough. Don't you think you could tell if I had a boyfriend and didn't tell you?"

"Jenna, I love you, but your mouth has no filter that you'd literally scream it while you walked in the door, if you had a boyfriend," I told her.

She nodded. "Fair enough, but anyway, that's not the point. Tell me; how big is Mr. Billionaire?"

"Jenna!"

She held her index fingers an inch apart and kept moving them further away. "Just tell me when to stop."

I got up. "I haven't seen it yet."

"Yet being the keyword," Jenna said, nodding suggestively.

She and I laughed.

"Does he treat you good?" she asked.

"He took me to the house he built to move into, which I thought was so sweet. And Jenna, he listens to me, you know? Ian never listened. He always talked over me. Aiden listens and he thinks I'm interesting and he treats me like I'm a human who he's interested in and not like someone who's there when it's convenient," I told her.

She smirked. "You love him."

"Stop!" I told her, whacking her with a file.

She laughed. "It's okay to love him," she told me, "I associated him, too and he's one of the nicer grooms that I've come across. When Sarah walked in laden with boxes one day, he literally ran over to help her with them. And he gave an interview to this paper; that guy never gives interview to papers unless it's for business. He must really like you."

"I'm glad I have your approval," I told her.

"Yeah, now get out and go for that gala. I'm sure Mr. Billionaire will be waiting for you in a tux," she said, "And wear that dress of yours that's red and glittery. He'll be putty in your hands and you can pull him into one of those unisex bathrooms at the Chateau and tell me tomorrow where I can stop my fingers."

I threw a paperclip at her as she walked away, cackling to herself.

Collecting my things, I headed home to get ready for the gala.

When I looked at the dress that Jenna mentioned in my closet, I wondered whether it really would have the effect that she thought it would. Sighing because I had been wanting to wear that dress, I pulled it on.

When I was close to the Chateau, I texted Aiden.

Almost there, I'll see you soon.

Aiden's response was almost immediate.

I'm waiting.

I smiled to myself.

Once I got to the Chateau, I stepped out of the car and looked at the grand building. It was like a mansion that had been converted into a sort of casino, but also a classy location to host the best events in the city.

I walked in, earning glances from various people.

I greeted the ones I knew and spoke to them.

When I finally got to the main hall, I looked around, marveling at the decorations. The interior of the Chateau always impressed me.

Slowly, I looked around trying to find the only person in the room that I cared about.

I found Aiden, standing on the other side of the room, looking at me like he had never seen me before. I smiled gently and looked away.

We hadn't told the world yet and I didn't want an appearance at the Chateau to be the way we told the world.

Knowing it would probably drive him crazy, I stepped over towards some of the people I knew from the hotel industry.

We spoke about the various events that had happened. Fiona, one of the general managers of a hotel laughed so hard at an anecdote that she splashed me with some of her wine.

"Oh my God, Rosalie! I'm so sorry," she cried, turning to me.

I was laughing too hard to be upset, so I shook my head at her. "Don't worry about," I laughed, "I'll just go to the bathroom and clean this off."

I excused myself and headed out of the hall on to the landing and walked to the bathroom in the far corner, knowing it wouldn't be crowded.

Inside, I dampened some tissues and wiped my arm where the wine had spilled on to me.

The door to the bathroom opened while I wiped my arm. Disregarding it, I went on with my work, hearing the sound of stilettos against the tile.

Once I was done, I raised my head and looked in the mirror and almost jumped.

"Caroline," I sighed, glancing at her through the mirror.

She looked back at me and smiled, sweetly.

"Rosalie," she said. Her voice had a certain edge to it, "How nice to see you."

I turned to face her. "Yeah, it's nice to see you, too."

There was an awkward silence.

"I'm sorry about the wedding," I told her.

Caroline raised an eyebrow. "Oh, are you?" she asked, pointedly.

I glanced at her. "Yes," I breathed, "I'm sorry it didn't work out."

Caroline took the three steps she needed to come so close to me that I could see the difference between her real eyelashes and the set that she had put on.

"Don't play dumb with me, Rosalie," she spat, "You and I know well enough that you're overjoyed by this."

"What?" I asked.

She smirked. "Don't think I don't know that it's you that Aiden's seeing. That necklace. The one on the counter in his living room. I know that it's yours. I knew it was familiar, but I forgot whose neck I had seen it around. Don't worry, I remembered."

"Caroline, I –"

"Did you have fun stealing my man from me?" she sneered.

I shook my head. "Caroline, nothing happened when you were together."

"You've done enough, Rosalie. You've ruined my life. Aiden was my whole world. He and I were in love. He picked my engagement ring for me because my birthstone is an emerald. And you've taken him from me. I'll make sure that you rue the day you ever thought to cross me."

*

What is Caroline up to now?

Don't forget to vote and leave a comment.

You are reading the story above: TeenFic.Net