My Ultimate Goal, My Ultimate Bride

4. Plans gone wrong

Elizabeth found herself engrossed in her work, leaving her no time for lunch. However, on Friday, she decided to take a break and have lunch, hoping to run into William and explain her busy schedule. Waiting at the diner, she grew impatient as William was nowhere in sight. On her way back to the office, she spotted him walking with a familiar figure. As she approached, she realized the man was none other than Mr. Bingley, her manager.
"Hey there, Beth," Mr. Bingley greeted.
"Hi," Elizabeth replied awkwardly, her mind racing to understand the connection between Mr. Bingley and William. "This is my friend, Fri-" he began, but William interjected.

"She knows who I am," William said, flashing Elizabeth a smile as he turned towards his friend, subtly indicating that he should refrain from saying more. Mr. Bingley appeared utterly perplexed as he shifted his gaze between the two, attempting to grasp the situation.

"I waited the entire week for you," William told Elizabeth.
"Truthfully, I had an overwhelming amount of work to tackle. I was hoping to catch you today and, perhaps, secure your contact information. This way, we could go over the plans for tomorrow's event," Elizabeth explained.

"I understand now," Mr. Bingley chimed in, giving William a knowing smirk.
Ignoring his friend's presence, William retrieved his phone and began entering Elizabeth's contact information.

"Thank you. I'll give you a call later today, if that works for you," Elizabeth said.

"That's fine. I'll see you tomorrow, then," Elizabeth concluded, leaving them and heading back to her office.

"What was your intention there? You could have potentially blown my cover. I already mentioned she doesn't recognize me, and you went ahead and said something that could've exposed me," William confronted his friend.

"Look, I had a suspicion that girl might be playing you, but considering Elizabeth's personality, I'm now convinced she genuinely doesn't know who you are. She's reserved, avoids crowded places, and I doubt she pays any attention to gossip magazines," Charles sighed, explaining his reasoning.
"You should really consider being honest with her before she learns the truth from someone else," Charles advised.

"I know, I will. It's just that when I'm around her, I struggle to keep my emotions in check. The plan seemed straightforward, but it's not unfolding the way we had anticipated," William admitted to Charles.

For almost two decades, William had been participating in a family event organized by his grandmother. Beyond being a mere project, he understood that this festival held a deeper significance for his grandparents. Despite his desire to secure the chairman's position during the festival, a part of him was plagued by concerns about the potential consequences of executing his plan and proposing marriage in front of his family.

When the next morning arrived, she headed to the office with the hope that her manager would grant her a half day so she could partake in the festival. Elizabeth returned around three. Jane was already at her apartment, ready to assist her with makeup. Elizabeth's hair was styled in a loose side braid. Her icy blue studs beautifully matched her navy blue ankle-length dress, accompanied by silver stilettos.

"Well, it looks like you'll finally get a chance to talk to William tonight," her friend remarked.

"I suppose so," Elizabeth replied, grabbing her black coat and scarf.
"You could have waited for the guy indoors, you know. It's quite chilly out here."

"I'll be alright. You should head back inside and get warm."

"He's on his way, Beth. Why do you seem like you're getting stood up for prom?"

A large black car pulled up, and William emerged from it. Jane's mouth hung open in shock, unable to believe that her best friend was going out with none other than Mr. Darcy.

"See you later, Jane," Elizabeth said as she approached the car. William opened the car door and assisted Elizabeth inside.
William then approached Jane.

"I suppose my presence caught you off guard, but please allow me to be the one to explain things to her."

"So you're the William she's been mentioning. Well, well, who would have thought," Jane remarked in surprise.
"You'd better do it today, because I won't lie to my best friend on your behalf."

"Don't worry, I'll tell her," he assured before heading back to the car.

The night commenced on a positive note for Elizabeth. They enjoyed their time secluded in a corner of the hall, away from the Darcy family.

However, the pleasant atmosphere shattered when someone took William away. Elizabeth stayed at a distance from the crowd, awaiting his return. Then, a stunning woman named Natalia approached Elizabeth, introducing herself as the owner of a modeling agency. Natalia began discussing her connection with William, referring to him as Liam. She disclosed that she doubted William's ability to win the girl's heart on his own, as he had hired her to find a suitable candidate.

"Wow! Liam really did it. So when is the grand performance happening? Will he make a speech before proposing, or will the proposal take place during dinner?" Elizabeth felt utterly lost. The conversation only began making sense when another lady joined them.

"I'm ready, Natalia, but it seems Mr. Darcy is too busy to even dance with me."

"It appears he's found someone else now. It's a good thing he did, because he can now pull off his scheme with this innocent girl. Hopefully, his grandfather will accept her as his future daughter-in-law for a few months," Natalia said, just as William joined them.

"Ladies," he greeted, acknowledging Natalia and his friends.

"Elizabeth, is it? Come on let's leave these two to their business, so you can work on your act. Good luck, Darcy," Natalia added before Elizabeth pieced everything together. The realization struck Elizabeth as she connected the dots.