Chapter 65


    Read The Trap Of Ace [by Eva Zahan] Chapter 65 – Once in the newly organized study, I found it much


    simr to his cabin in the office, and of course, decorated with my chosen furniture.


    Except one thing.


    A huge picture frame on the wall, covered with a white sheet. The same one I saw in this room during my


    last visit. I still remembered that blue diamond ring in her finger that was left unconcealed. But this time


    the sheet hid it whole.


    I had the same question again. Whose picture was that?


    Still securely clutching my hand in his, he stood before the picture. A soft sigh left him.


    “Ace?” My voice came out as a whisper.


    Rising his hand, he tugged at the sheet, letting it fall on the floor. My eyes widened slightly.


    It wasn’t a picture. It was a painting. Painting of his mother, Ophelia.


    As graceful and sophisticated as ever, she stood there with her head held high and confidence sparkling


    in her blue eyes. The navy blue velvety gown hugged her petite body perfectly when dark red lipstick sat


    on her lips, bringing her smile more into life. Then the blue diamond on her finger. It was evidence of her


    high ss status and taste.


    Whoever drew this painting was a h**l of a talented painter. They brought this painting to life so


    beautifully. One could easily mistaken this as a picture instead.


    “She’s looking beautiful, as always,” Iplemented.


    He nodded. “She always wanted to get herself a painting of hers. And she finally did it on my sixteenth


    birthday.” With his gaze fixed on his mother’s face, he spoke in a low voice, “She was very happy that


    night.”


    Though it sounded like he was telling a happy story, I could hear the pain behind his voice. The way he


    let out a defeated sigh, my heart clenched for him. He missed her.


    I ced a hand on his shoulder. Turning to me, he gave me a close lipped smile.


    “She loved this canvas, and always kept it in her room. But since… since she didn’t take it with her when


    she left, it remained in that dark old room. So I thought why not bring it here.” One of his shoulders lifted


    into a shrug. “As much as I didn’t want to open the memories of my past, I couldn’t leave this like that. I


    had to bring at least one of the things rted to her over here.”


    I squeezed his hand. “You did the right thing. Just because of some bad memories, we can’t just


    abandon the ones we spent in felicity. I’m d you’re starting to cherish those memories even if you


    don’t want to think about your past.”


    I was happy that he was opening up to me. He had never talked to me about his mother before like that.


    But he was doing it now. Yes, it wasn’t much, but it was a beginning. I hoped he’d let me in properly


    soon.


    He kissed the back of my hand. “Honestly, even though I brought it here, I wasn’t nning to hang it


    here. My first n was to lock it in the basement. But then,” his eyes met mine, “I remembered your


    words. The same ones you had told me at Tess’s rehearsal. I thought over it. You were right, until I can’t


    ept my past, I can’t move on with my present. I can’t be at peace. So I…”


    “So you decided to keep it here?”


    Nodding, he took my hands to his lips again.


    “It’s one of the best decisions you took, you know?” I said.


    He smiled. “Come, there’s more.”


    Curious, I followed him closely as he went around his desk that sat in the middle of the room and got out


    an album. An album full of his and Caleb’s pictures, there were even Tess and Caleb’s pictures along


    them.


    “These are from our highschool and college,” he said, standing beside me as I flipped the pages. Some


    of them were even from their childhood. Two little chubby kids were grinning at the camera with their


    mouths smeared with chocte. And I didn’t have any difficulties pointing out which one was my man,


    with the gorgeous stormy grey eyes he had.


    I stared at the picture in awe. “You were so adorable back then.” He looked barely three or four in the


    picture.


    “What do you mean? I’m not adorable right now?”


    Iughed at his yful using tone. Shaking my head, I pecked his lips. “No, you’re not adorable now.”


    At his raised brow, I winked at him. “You’re hot.”


    Amusement danced across his eyes as he let out a chuckle, circling his arms around my waist.


    “When did you get this picture?” I asked, looking at a photo of him and Caleb eating cookies with both of


    their mouths and hands full.


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    A look of nostalgia crossed over his features. “When grandma used to babysit us. When we would be


    alone in the house, Mom used to call grandma over to look after us before leaving for work. And being


    the kind woman she was, she always used to make cookies for us even after Mom told her many times


    not to spoil us.”


    Although I never met that woman, the fondness in his tone made me like her immediately.


    “Where is she now?”


    With a somber look, he shook his head.


    “Oh, I’m sorry,” I whispered.


    “It’s alright. Here, look, here she is.” He pointed at a picture of a woman smiling at the camera with her


    grey hair tied in a bun on the top of her head and two little kids on herp. “After the d***h of Caleb’s


    parents and mine’s being busy all the time, she took care of us. She’d have loved to meet you, you


    know? She’d be proud of my choice.”


    With his gazing lovingly at me, a blush crept up my cheeks.


    “I’d have loved to meet her too! She sounds like an amazing woman.”


    He nodded, kissing my head. “She was.”


    Then came an old picture of a couple. I didn’t know them.


    “Caleb’s parents,” he answered my confusion. They were a beautiful couple.


    Among so many pictures, I didn’t find even a single photo of his father. And only one photo of his mother


    was there, even not alone, it was with his grandma and Caleb’s parents. I knew that he purposely


    avoided keeping his parents’ photos in there. Especially his father’s. From what I got to know, he had a


    strong dislike towards his dad. That’s why even if he talked about his mom to me, he never mentioned


    his father. His parents’ subject was a sore one for him. That could be the reason why he kept his mom’s


    picture still covered with the sheet.


    But I was d that he was at least trying to cope up with his past.


    After sharing some of his memories with his grandma, he showed me some of the trophies he won at his


    college. Those shining trophies were proof of his being active in sports, he was a born winner in


    everything. He even told me how sports and gym helped him with his d**g addiction. He spent most of


    his time behind them to keep his mind busy and away from d***s.


    In just some moments, I got to know so much about him. The more I knew him, the more close I felt to


    him. And I couldn’t be any happier that he was opening up to me, letting me peek into his life.


    As the day passed, we yed some matches of chess; of course, I made him promise that he wouldn’t


    let me win on purpose. And obviously, I lost in every d**n match! So to make up my ruined mood, he


    made me lunch. My favorite, cheesy garlic shrimps and chocte cupcakes. Though this time I helped


    him make the food in the beautiful fancy kitchen. Now who would miss ogling a half naked Greek g*d


    cooking while his delicious abs were on disy?


    After he made me sit on hisp and feed me my lunch, he took me out to the open meadow that was


    filled with roses. The same one he showed me from our bedroom’s balcony during ourst visit.


    And he was right. It was breathtaking in daylight. The beauty of the freshly bloomed roses, the green


    meadow, the lush grass and the gentle breeze filled with faint fragrance of flowers just blew my mind


    away. I could definitely spend the rest of my life over here without anyint. And the thing that he


    groomed this ce with rose nts for me, only made it more special to me.


    Then he took me to explore the backyard. The backyard woods. It wasn’t dense, nor there were any wild


    animals, so I thought it’d be a great ce for children to y around. Of course, I didn’t voice out my fast


    forwarded thoughts and let him guide me through the uneven ways with my hand tightly secured in his.


    ***


    Tying the belt of the robe around my waist, I bit my lip, staring at my reflection in the mirror.


    Mr. Valencian was waiting for me in the pool. The rooftop swimming pool I was quite excited to swim in.


    After the whole afternoon exploring the woods and roaming around the small market nearby, we decided


    to take a dip in the heated pool.


    Though I didn’t bring any swimming suit as I wasn’t aware where he was taking me or we were gonna


    swim, I did wear matching ckcy underwears. Thank G*d for that!


    And I looked quite good in those, s**y to say. I was just wondering what his reaction would be seeing me


    in them.


    Grinning, I padded to the rooftop where he was patiently waiting for me. With his back facing me, he


    stood in the water with a ss of fruit champagne we bought from the market earlier this afternoon in his


    hand. Gaze set in distance, he took a slow sip on his drink.


    Even though he smiled andughed with me throughout the day, I could see his stress beyond. His


    shoulders never rxed even when he was teasing me or kissing me. His grip on me was firmer than


    ever, his need to keep touching me was stronger than ever. Even when I told him to wait for me here, he


    didn’t look pleased.


    He said he’d tell me tomorrow. And as the day passed, his stance grew more tense.


    Hearing my footsteps, his stormy grey eyes turned to me, making my heart skip. His hair was wet and


    swiped back, water droplets rolled down his broad shoulders and strong back. My mouth watered at the


    sight.


    Will this man ever fail to amaze me?


    “Took you long enough…”


    His words stopped as I untied my robe and let it fall around my feet. The cool breeze pricking my b**e


    skin wasn’t the reason for the goosebumps that crawled across my body. It caused the heated and now


    darker gaze of his.


    His lips parted as he let out a sigh, intense stare roaming up and down my body. My cheeks med hot.


    Licking those firm pink lips sensually, he ced his ss of champagne on the edge of the pool and


    beckoned me with his head. And my feet obeyed.


    The moment I was in the warm water, he pulled me flush against him. My heart thudded under my


    ribcage at the suddenly very awake hard organ of his against my lower abdomen.


    “F*****g h**l, Rosebud! Do you want to k**l me?” Letting out a curse, he ran his hands at my sides while


    undressing me with his eyes. They were glued on my chest that was barely covered with thecy bra.


    I let out a breathy moan when he pressed his lips against my neck, hands feeling my behind. A shiver


    ran through me at the feel of his hot tongue on my jaw and the calloused hands cupping my flesh


    roughly.


    “So f*****g soft,” he murmured into my ear, biting my earlobe. “You’ve no idea how much I craved to feel


    this velvety soft skin against me, to touch you, to taste you.” The husky groan of his directly hit my lower


    region, causing me to close my thighs. But he opened them soon with his leg in between them.


    “Ace…” I whimpered at his sucking on my neck. One of his hands yed with the edge of my panties.


    “I had to take countless cold showers thinking of you every night. You were so close to me but I couldn’t


    touch you. Those nights and days were a torture for me.” He groaned. Pulling me forward, he moved me


    against his hard on. My lips parted at the sensation. “You feel that, my rose? What you do to me? What


    pain you make me go through everyday f*****g day with just a simple nce of yours?”


    Closing my eyes, I leaned into him and felt his touch, his kisses, his warmth.


    “You tortured me for years in my dreams,” he murmured.


    At this, my eyes snapped open as a very troublesome question popped up in my head. Moving away


    slightly, I looked at him.


    “How could I torture you in these years?” I felt a squeeze in my heart at the thought of some other


    woman touching him. “You- you didn’t have anyone to…”


    Cupping my chin, he stared deep into my eyes. “There was no one in my life since college. Not even a


    single date. There was only you in my heart, baby. Only you.”


    I was both touched and surprised at his admission. But then couldn’t stop myself from asking another


    one.


    “H-how many girls were you with in college and highschool?” I knew I shouldn’t be jealous of the affairs


    he had in his past, but it still pricked me.


    A brow of his raised. “Now where this conversation ising from? I thought we were going to do


    something hot…” His hand crawled up to my chest, but I pped it away.


    “Answer my question!” My eyes narrowed. I wanted to know how many girls he slept with where he was


    the only man who touched me. I just hoped the number wasn’t too high. But with his Greek g*d looks, I


    didn’t think girls were decent enough to keep distance.


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