《The Trap Of Ace》 Chapter 0 Chapter 0 Read The Trap Of Ace [by Eva Zahan] Prologue ¨C I stared at the girl before me, and her nervous eyes behind those ck rimmed sses were also set on me. Tentatively, I tucked a strayed strand behind my ear and bit my lip. She mimicked. I blinked, so did she. ¡°You done with your staredown match with yourself, Em?¡± A huff came from behind me. ¡°For G*d¡¯s sake! You¡¯re doing this for thest five minutes! You¡¯re creeping me out now!¡± I nced at my best friend through the mirror. With folded arms on her chest, sitting at the edge of my bed, she scowled at me. My eyes went back to my reflection. ¡°I don¡¯t know, Beth. Do you think he- he¡¯ll like my look?¡± ¡°After we spent two hours to doll you up? Yes, we think that he¡¯ll like your look. And won¡¯t reject you when you announce your undying love for him,¡± said my other best friend, Casie, standing beside Beth. N?velDrama.Org content rights. Reject. The same word that has been haunting my dreams for years now. I¡¯ve been waiting for this day for six years. The day he said those words to me. I¡¯ve been waiting since. And if he rejects me today¡­ I don¡¯t know what I¡¯d do. shback~ ¡°Will you be my prince, Ace? I want to be your princess,¡± I¡¯d asked my brother¡¯s best friend when he gave me a Cindere dress on my ninth birthday. Heughed at my silly question, almost breaking my heart. But then when he saw my crestfallen face, he crouched down before me, looking into my turquoise eyes with his stormy grey. ¡°You¡¯re my princess.¡± ¡°Really?¡± I brightened up like a Christmas tree. ¡°That means you will marry me?¡± He bit his lip, his eyes lit up with amusement. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Rosebud! But I can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± I pouted. ¡°Because it¡¯s not the right time. You¡¯re still so young.¡± ¡°Then when will be the right time?¡± I gazed up at him with so much hope. ¡°When you turn into a blooming rose from a rose bud.¡± End of shback~ I¡¯d waited till that day to bloom into a rose. I didn¡¯t know what that meant at that moment. But to remember and understand, I¡¯d written those words into my personal diary. And Casie said at this age we were big enough to have a lover. Well she already had one at the age of fourteen, and is on her fourth at fifteen now. I knew whatever Ace had said that day was because he didn¡¯t want to break a nine year old¡¯s naive heart. But I didn¡¯t care. I think I was ready to confess my feelings to him today. For real this time. ¡°Em, you¡¯re looking stunning! Though I preferred your long wavy hair. But it¡¯s alright, this also suits you,¡± commented Beth. I¡¯d cut my waist length hair to my shoulder and tamed my wild waves into straight. Just like Tess, my sister. She and my brother, Tobias, were twins. So obviously, Ace was her best friend too. And I¡¯d once heard him say that he liked Tess¡¯s hair. So I turned my hair just like her. Though hers were blonde where mine was chestnut. ¡°Short hair is in fashion now. And Ace likes them short,¡± I replied, checking my manicured nails. Just like Tess¡¯. Just like Ace preferred. All of his girlfriends were just like my sister. Beautiful and ssy. Yes, I was jealous of them. But then they all were temporary. Once we¡¯d be together, then there wouldn¡¯t be anyone else in his life other than me. I blushed at the thought. So I decided to be like them taking inspiration from my sister. Maybe he would notice me then? And today¡¯s whole makeover was the proof. Dressed like Tess, styled like Tess. I even sneaked her favorite perfume from her room. ¡°Isn¡¯t this dress too short, Casie?¡± Though I wanted to wear something like Tess, I was ufortable in them. Well she looked good in those tight little dresses. She had a good amount on both front and behind. Where I was t in both ways. Well, a fifteen year old couldn¡¯t have more. ¡°Is not! You¡¯re wearing that and that¡¯s final! Don¡¯t you want to make Ace notice you?¡± She raised her brow. ¡°Fine!¡± I said, taking a deep breath. Come on, Em! You can do this! ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go now! Otherwise we will miss your brother and sister¡¯s grand entry,¡± she chirped, sauntering outside. Today was my older siblings¡¯ neenth birthday. And every asion at Hutton family was known to be grand. So no one wanted to miss this special event. Almost half of the renowned families were invited today. When we all reached the hall, I kept fidgeting in my ce. My hands were mmy and my chest thudded. I was nervous for tonight¡¯s meeting with Ace. And my too short dress made me more ufortable. I spotted my dad and mom in the crowd. They stood close to each other, as always. They¡¯d to be always by the hips. Even after twenty years of marriage, they were so madly in love with each other. And that made me hope. If I and Ace would be like that someday¡­ ¡°Emmy!¡± Mom¡¯s voice broke my daydream. I smiled and padded towards them. ¡°Oh my! Look at you! My little baby looks so beautiful today!¡± she gushed, her smile blinding. ¡°You think?¡± I blushed. ¡°Of course, baby! You should do it more!¡± Dad stayed quiet. He didn¡¯t seem to be pleased with me dressing up like that. Opposite of my nature. ¡°You didn¡¯t like the gown I brought for you, princess?¡± he asked. I did. Very much. But Ace wouldn¡¯t like that. ¡°Of course I did, Dad! But¡­ I couldn¡¯t find matching jewelry with it,¡± I lied. He nodded his head. Mom had a knowing look on. She knew, everyone knew of my crush on Achilles Valencian. But they didn¡¯t know that it was more than just a mere crush. He became my dream prince from the day he stepped into our house with Tobis when I was just seven. I still remembered that day clearly in my vague memories. But the day he saved me from some bullies in my school, he became my hero. And with time, he became my heart. I stopped the urge to cover my flushed cheeks. Where was he? I looked around. He should¡¯ve been here by now. Last month when he yed chess with me, he¡¯d promised me he¡¯d be here tonight. And he never broke his promises to me. He used toe here everyday. But after the tragedy his family faced a year ago, his visit in our home had lessened. He changed. Carefree yful Ace turned into a lost and always angry Ace. But he was always soft with me though. He¡¯de and see us once a month. And of course, to y chess with me. The crowd cheered as Tess and Tobias climbed down the stairs in a dramatic way with the spotlight on them. In a pink mid-t***h fairy dress, Tess looked like a real fairy, while Tobias looked good in his ck tux. They smiled down at the cameras and everyone as their group of friends pped and whistled wildly. But there wasn¡¯t still any sign of Ace. Excusing myself, I aimlessly wandered around the people. Where are you? ¡°Oww!¡± Colliding into a hard chest, I stumbled back. A pair of arms circled around my waist. ¡°I¡¯m so so¡­¡± Looking up, my breath hitched at my throat. Stormy grey eyes stared down at me. His dense stubbles were gone, showing his chiseled jaw. Jet ck hair gelled back and the ring on his right brow wasn¡¯t there today. Even though there were dark shadows under his beautiful eyes, and he¡¯d lost some weight than before, he still looked breathtaking. ¡°Rosebud?¡± His forehead creased as he straightened me on my feet. His eyes roamed up and down my body, his lips tightening. ¡°What¡¯re you wearing?¡± Greek ent in his voice came deep. And it happened whenever he was angry. My eyes widened. Didn¡¯t he like my appearance? ¡°Uh, why? Don¡¯t I look good?¡± I bit my lip. ¡°I thought you¡¯d like it.¡± His frown deepened as he watched my hair and heavy make-up. But then he shook his head. ¡°You don¡¯t need my approval in anything, Emerald. It¡¯s your choice to whatever you want to wear.¡± With that, he walked away. My heart fell. I looked down at myself. Was anything wrong with my look? Why was he so distant? He has been like this since his Dad died. Our families weren¡¯t that close, they always preferred their privacy. So no one really knew what happened to his dad. But whatever happened, it changed my Ace drastically. And it made my heart ache for him. Running upstairs, I changed into the white gown Dad had brought me and removed my makeup. Once satisfied with my new neutral look, I headed back downstairs. Ignoring Casie and Beth¡¯s raised brows, I went to find Ace again. My brother and sister were busy chatting with their friends, but he wasn¡¯t there. ¡°Hey, Em!¡± Tobias called out. Smiling, I walked to them. ¡°Aren¡¯t you forgetting something, little sis?¡± Chuckling, I hugged him tight. ¡°Happy birthday!¡± He lifted me off the ground, getting a squeal out of me. ¡°Where is my gift?¡± he asked, once he put me down. Tobias loved his birthday gift from me. Actually, he loved the red velvet cake I baked him since I honed my skills in baking. And so did Ace. ¡°You will get it after the party. It¡¯s in the fridge,¡± I replied, my eyes going back to the crowd for a moment. And there he was, standing at a corner, beside a table. With a drink in his hand, he looked deep in thought. ¡°Happy birthday!¡± Wrapping my arms around Tess, I wished her. ¡°Thanks!¡± She pulled back. ¡°You changed?¡± Her eyes raked over my gown. Mark, a boy in their group pped on Ace¡¯s back, greeting him. But he ignored him. And when Mark went to reach for the ss in his hand, Ace shot him a sharp look, making him back away. ¡°Uh, yeah! That dress was slightly ufortable,¡± I said absentmindedly. My eyes set on him. ¡°I will be back just in a minute.¡± When I went to move, she caught my arm and dragged me away from her friends¡¯ earshots. ¡°You¡¯re going to confess tonight, aren¡¯t you?¡± I let out a surprised gasp. How did she know? ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± she said in a sharp voice. ¡°You will only be heartbroken.¡± Frowning, I snatched my arm from her grip. ¡°How do you know? Who knows, maybe he likes me too.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be foolish, Em! Just because he is soft with you doesn¡¯t mean he harbors any kind of feelings for you.¡± Her voice was harsh. ¡°And you and I both know he only cares for you as a brother, not a lover. So don¡¯t embarrass him with your stupidness. He is already disturbed with his own problems.¡± Her words stung. I always feared that his kindness towards me might be just a brotherly love. But deep down, I felt there was more than that. It may be stupid and nonsense, but my heart told me not to lose hope. I won¡¯t know unless I confront him, right? ¡°I won¡¯t embarrass him. And you don¡¯t know everything. So why don¡¯t you just go and enjoy your party and let me be on my own?¡± My tone matched hers. Her blue eyes shed. ¡°Stay away from him, Emerald. He isn¡¯t the one for you.¡± Now my anger red. ¡°I will do whatever the h**l I want, Tess. It¡¯s none of your business! So, leave me alone!¡± Turning on my heels, I strode away. Once I¡¯d padded closer to where Ace stood, I took a calming breath and smoothed my hair. No one can stop me from telling you my feelings today. ¡°Hey!¡± My voice came out meek, gone the confidence into the air. Nervousness fluttered in my tummy. His grey eyes lifted to mine. This time his gaze didn¡¯t hold displease. But there wasn¡¯t any pleasure either. They were just, cold. He was actually in a bad mood. Should I do it today? But It had taken me so much courage to make up my mind. I didn¡¯t know if I could have that much guts anytime soon. ¡°Won¡¯t you y chess with me today, Ace? I¡¯ve been waiting for another match.¡± Maybe after the game, his mood turns good? He thought for a second and then nodded his head. ¡°Yeah, that sounds good. This party is boring me anyway.¡± My grin was face splitting. ¡°Alright, let me go and ready the board. In the library, as usual?¡± He nodded, taking a sip. ¡°I will be up in a few.¡± Failing to contain my excitement, I threw my arms around his neck and hugged him tight. His exotic scent with a tinge of smoke, made me giddy. ¡°I will be waiting for you.¡± My sudden act caught him off guard as he stood stiff. His touch on my back was almost non-existent. Inhaling a deep breath, he pulled me away by my shoulders. His lips in a straight line as he said, ¡°Go!¡± Nodding my head, I skipped off to our small library and started to make the board ready for y. I could barely contain myself from dancing around. I was finally going to tell him. Tell him that I love him. Ten minutes passed, and he wasn¡¯t still up. Then it turned into twenty. And there wasn¡¯t any sign of him. I even missed the cake cutting so that he wouldn¡¯t have to wait if he came here. He said he¡¯d be here in a few. Letting out a sigh, I got up and went downstairs again. The party was going on in a full swing. Most elders retired for tonight and there were only the youngsters, dancing and drinking wildly. I spotted Cassie dancing with my brother, and Beth drank with some girls. But I couldn¡¯t see him anywhere. The loud music and sharp smell of alcohol almost made me gag. Where is he? Making my way through the half wasted dancing poption, I padded towards the balcony. But he wasn¡¯t even there. Did he forget about our match and left already? But he never forgets our match. Sighing in disappointment, I decided to go back up to my room. Maybe another day. Just when I turned to go, I heard something. Some strange noises. I hadn¡¯t fully entered inside the balcony, I stood at the doorway. Curious, I slowly moved inside and looked at my right. I froze. My heart stopped in my chest as my breath hitched at my throat. My hands shook at my sides, as I took in the sight before me. His hands were wrapped tightly around her waist and hers were around his neck; one hand tugged at his hair as their mouth worked on each other in a passionate kiss. Not even an inch of space left between them. Their every moan and groan hit my heart like thousand stabs of knives, shattering it into millions of pieces. My feet stumbled back, tears fell from my eyes. His hands roamed around her body as he pulled her more close. My heart squeezed so hard that I had to clutch my chest. A sob threatened to escape my lips but I pped a hand over my mouth and ran away. I ran and ran until I was inside my room. Closing the door behind me, I let out an agonized sob. Tears blinded my vision as I still had a hand on my chest that pained physically. I felt my insides breaking, falling into irreparable pieces. I heard my best friends knocking on my door, their concerned voices reached my ears. But I couldn¡¯t speak, I couldn¡¯t move. All I could do was, lie on the floor in my dark room and cry my heart out. The visions of them tangled around each other¡¯s arms shed across my mind again and again, making it hurt more. He didn¡¯t know, but she did. Her betrayal just intensified the pain more. Betrayal of others could be tolerated, but betrayal of loved ones wasn¡¯t. How could she do this to me? How? I stayed on the cold floor for the entire night, cradling my heart, mourning the loss of my love. The love my own sister took away from me. Share Chapter 1 Chapter 1 Read The Trap Of Ace [by Eva Zahan] Chapter 1 ¨C I nced at my wrist. Nine-thirty. ¡°Ma¡¯am, please turn off your cell phone. The ne is about to take off,¡± said the flight attendant in her angelic voice. ¡°Yeah, just a minute.¡± I threw her an apologetic look. Nodding her head, she walked away. ¡°Mom, I need to hang up now. The crews have already warned me for the second time.¡± ¡°Alright, alright! I will let you go now. You¡¯reing to me in some hours anyway. We will be waiting outside the airport when you¡¯llnd!¡± Excitement dripped from her voice. A sudden homesickness filled my mind. It¡¯s been two years since I met them. ¡°And keep that boy at an arm¡¯s length,¡± Dad called out in the background. Shaking my head, I let out a chuckle. ¡°Alright guys! I will see you at the airport.¡± ¡°Love you, honey!¡± They intuned together. ¡°Love you too!¡± Sighing, I looked out of the window. Another ne took off the runway, flying high in the sky. It¡¯d always fascinated me. Though I always struggled with myself not to flip during the taking offs. A figure slumped beside me, making me turn my head. Letting out a huff, he settled against the seat. ¡°How¡¯s your stomach now?¡± I asked, seeing the perspiration on his forehead and flushed cheeks. ¡°Not good. I shouldn¡¯t have eaten the leftover macaronist night. G*d! I swear! I won¡¯t ever touch leftovers again.¡± He groaned. Poor guy! Even in this crisis, he had agreed toe with me to my home. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Warner. You have to travel with me in this state. You should¡¯ve stayed back, you know?¡± He shed me a boyish smile. ¡°Don¡¯t be. It was my decision to tag along even after knowing my condition this morning.¡± ¡°But it was me who asked you toe with me,¡± I said, guilt crashed on me. ¡°Don¡¯t be silly. I can do anything for you. And this is just a slightly ufortable journey. And it will go away just in a day. I¡¯ve already taken medicines.¡± He grasped my hand, entwining our fingers. I smiled, a grateful one. ¡°I love you,¡± he said, looking at my eyes. The smile threatened to fall, but I managed to keep it on and squeezed his hand in return. The announcement of the flight attendant for every passenger to fasten their seat belts, saved me from another awkward situation. We¡¯ve been dating for six months now. And known each other since I joined college. We were good friends from the beginning. After my several failures at keeping up on dating a guy for more than a week, I gave up on kindling any kind of rtionship with anyone. And when Warner one day asked me out at a friend¡¯s get-together, I couldn¡¯t put him down. He was everything a girl would want in an ideal boyfriend. Handsome, intelligent, humble, honest. And most importantly, he knew me so well. After all, we¡¯ve been friends for three years now. So when he¡¯d asked me to be his girlfriend, I had said yes. But even if he¡¯d confessed his feelings for thousands of times before me, I couldn¡¯t just bring myself to reciprocate. It¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t like him, I did. He was a great guy. Maybe it¡¯d take some more time for me to feel that deep for him. And I was waiting for that day. ¡°Ma¡¯am, would you like some coffee?¡± The air hostess¡¯ voice broke my trance. ¡°Do you have tea?¡± *** After a long four and a half hourster when we finallynded in California, I found my parents right where they told me they would be. Holding a card that said ¡®wee home¡¯, Mom met me with her more than usual enthusiastic hug, where Dad had a satisfacted look in his eyes now that I finally came home. Though it was just for two weeks until I would go back. This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. From the day I decided to shift to NY for my high school, he took the world of worry for me on his shoulders. They both did. It wasn¡¯t easy for me to stay that far from them, but it¡¯d have been more difficult for me to stay here in this city. I needed time to heal myself. So the distance was necessary. As soon as the memories of that night started to flood in, I shut off my mind, burying them at the pit of my brain. Just like I did for thest seven years. I¡¯ve moved on. ¡°Wee home, little mouse!¡± The moment I stepped into the threshold, I was tackled into a bone- crushing hug. ¡°Look at ya! You¡¯ve grown up!¡± I rolled my eyes at my brother. ¡°You just met me two months ago.¡± ¡°Yeah, but it feels like ages since I irritated you,¡± he said, eyes warm with nostalgia. I smiled. I¡¯ve missed him. Even though he visited me often in NY whenever he was on his business trips. ¡°You better keep your stupid a*s away from me, I¡¯m warning you!¡± I feigned a serious look. He chuckled, and then his gaze fell on Warner who looked blue in the face from his marathon to washrooms in every ten minutes. He seemed at the verge of fainting at any moment. He was extremely embarrassed when he had to run for the washroom before he could even shake Dad¡¯s hand. Way to impress my parents! I wanted their first meeting to be good. And Dad couldn¡¯t dislike him anymore for that. ¡®He is too good to be true¡¯, Dad had said once on the phone. I didn¡¯t know why, but he didn¡¯t approve of him the moment he heard us dating. ¡°Hey, Warner! It¡¯s good to see you, man!¡± Tobias gave him a side hug. ¡°You alright though? You look sick.¡± ¡°Nothing serious, just have a stomach bug. And it¡¯s nice to see you too.¡± Suddenly his expression twisted like someone had punched him in the gut. ¡°Uh, if you don¡¯t mind¡­¡± ¡°Go right and then straight up, the first door. You will find the guest room,¡± said Dad with a displeased tone. Heaving a ¡®thank you¡¯, he ran inside. I sighed. I will have to talk to Dad about this. Though Warner didn¡¯t notice his tone now, he¡¯d soon. ¡°Poor boy,¡± mom murmured, subtly sending Dad a look of reprimand which he proudly ignored and padded inside. Shaking her head, she looked at me. ¡°Honey, why don¡¯t you go to your room and freshen up. I will make something quick for you in the meanwhile.¡± Getting a nod from me, she followed Dad. Definitely to give him an ear. Tobias threw an arm over my shoulder as we climbed up the stairs. ¡°So? You¡¯re determined to keep this one, huh?¡± Like Dad, he also wasn¡¯t fond of my boyfriend. But when Dad was tant about it, he was sneaky. ¡°He is a good guy, Tobias. And the best thing is, he is my best friend.¡± ¡°Is it just it? You will keep him because he is a good guy and your friend?¡± He raised his brow. ¡°Isn¡¯t it enough?¡± He shrugged. ¡°What about feelings? I don¡¯t see you look at him the way you used to look at A¡­¡± I put a hand before him, not letting him finish the sentence. ¡°I like him. And I think it¡¯s enough for me to stay in a rtionship with him. And you should be happy for me, don¡¯t you?¡± Something shed in his eyes which I couldn¡¯t decipher. Then he smiled. ¡°If that¡¯s what makes you happy, Em.¡± My lips curled up. ¡°Thanks for understanding.¡± Once he left me in my room to freshen up, I left a message to Casie and Beth of my arrival and prepared for a long warm bath. It¡¯s been so long I haven¡¯t met them, though face-timing was regr between us. They¡¯d wanted to join me there for college, but Beth couldn¡¯t because her boyfriend was here. And Casie, well, she¡¯d left her study for her modeling career. Good thing that her decision was right. She was a sessful model now. And I couldn¡¯t be more proud of her. At the dinner, Warner looked much better than this morning. Tonight was our family dinner, so delicious dishes made by Mom were the speciality. If I missed all these years anything beside my family, it was her cooking. When she ced a te of apple-pies before me, I gaped at her, my face splitting into a greedy grin. ¡°My favorite!¡± Chuckling, she took her chair beside Dad. When Tobias tried to pick one, I pped his hand away. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare touch them, they¡¯re all mine.¡± He frowned. ¡°But that¡¯s not fair! I also love them!¡± ¡°Tobi, let my daughter have whatever she wants. You had them these years all by yourself, now it¡¯s her turn,¡± Dad said. ¡°This is partiality!¡± heined, making us allugh. Mom¡¯s eyes twinkled watching us banter like old times. Then her gaze fell on my left wrist. ¡°What a beautiful bracelet! When did you get it, honey?¡± I gazed down at it. An involuntary smile touched my lips. It was a thin golden chain, decorated with glittering emeralds and sparkling tiny diamonds, shaped like roses. ¡°Someone gifted it to me on my graduation day,¡± I replied. I still remember that day. Mom and Dad couldn¡¯t join because their flight got cancelled due to bad weather. No one from my family could attend. With a sunken mood when I returned to my t that night after a wild party with my friends, I found a small boxin before my door. It was from someone anonymous. No note or name. Though I didn¡¯t want to keep it, I just couldn¡¯t resist it. I fell in love with it at the first site. ¡°Who?¡± I shrugged. ¡°Don¡¯t know. There wasn¡¯t any name on the gift box.¡± ¡°Princess, you shouldn¡¯t ept anonymous gifts. It can be risky. And who would give you such an expensive bracelet and don¡¯t reveal their name?¡± Dad¡¯s forehead creased. ¡°It might be Tom. And I¡¯m sure he is the one who sends you roses on your every birthday,¡± eximed Warner. ¡°Who is Tom?¡± Mom looked at me. I sighed. ¡°No one, Mom. A guy from my college who once asked me out.¡± ¡°No one? He literally stalked you everywhere until something happened and he disappeared in the air. He must¡¯ve taken seriously my threat to hand him over to police,¡± Warner said, his face grim. ¡°Stalker!¡± Mom and Dad shrieked at the same time. ¡°All this happened, and you didn¡¯t even consider informing us?¡± Dad gave me a look of displease and disappointment. Warner shifted ufortably on his chair at my re. He had to open his big mouth right now, didn¡¯t he? ¡°Calm down, Dad! He was gone before I could even take any action.¡± ¡°Gone where?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. One day he just¡­ disappeared.¡± I shrugged. ¡°Maybe he got the idea of my disinterest and gave up.¡± ¡°He even disappeared from college,¡± Warner muttered, receiving another look from me. Honestly, I didn¡¯t care where he vanished. But I didn¡¯t think it was him who gave me this bracelet. Such a beautiful idea wouldn¡¯te into a psycho¡¯s head. ¡°Still, you should¡¯ve told us, princess.¡± Dad shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s alright, Mr. Hutton. I was there with her,¡± Warner chimed. Dad eyed hisck of muscles and went back to his food. And Tobias¡¯s lips twitched at the side in amusement. He knew about Tom, but didn¡¯t inform my parents because he knew how restless they could get about every tiny thing. Mom¡¯s eyes darted to the door. My sister was yet to join us. But as always, she had more important things to do than her family dinner. Just as I picked an apple-pie and brought it to my lips, the sound of clicking heels on the tiled floor reached my ears. She had a big smile on her face as she sauntered closer. ¡°Hey everyone! Sorry, got stuck with something.¡± Yellow sundress, high stilettos, shoulder length straight blonde hair, blue eyes and perfect make-up. As stunning and sophisticated as ever. ¡°Hey, little sis!¡± Lightly kissing my cheeks, she sat next to me. ¡°Look at you, you¡¯ve grown more beautiful than I rememberst time.¡± My lips turned up in a tight-lipped smile. ¡°Thanks. How¡¯re you?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve been good! More than just good, actually!¡± she chirped, her skin glowing under the light. When her gazended on Warner, she recognized him immediately. Though I wasn¡¯t in touch with her much, other than my one or two days visit sometimes at home, Tobias kept updating her about me on a regr basis. Even though she wasn¡¯t interested. After we were finished with our dinner, dessert was served. ¡°So, Em? You heard about the party tomorrow night?¡± asked Tess. Mom tensed at the mention of the party. I raised my brows. ¡°What party?¡± ¡°They didn¡¯t tell you? The party at Valencian house.¡± Now it was my turn to tense, where her eyes shone with excitement. ¡°A party will be thrown at the celebration of Valencian Corp¡¯sing on Forbes business magazine. They¡¯re ruling the country¡¯s business world now. Isn¡¯t it cool?¡± Tobias cast a concerned nce. So did Mom. At Tess¡¯ question, I just nodded my head. ¡°Yeah, that boy has worked hard for it. After his father, he handled their whole business single handedly,¡± commented Dad, gaze proud. ¡°Why not? After all, he is my best friend,¡± Tess said. shes of that night floated in my mind, my hand curled around the ss. ¡°And, another thing! In this party, I¡¯m going to announce something really important before the whole world. So you all must join.¡± As I was about to open my mouth to say no, Mom gasped. ¡°Is that a ring in your finger, Tess?¡± Another smile stretched across her lips as she shyly raised her hand for everyone to show. ¡°H-he proposed to mest night. And tomorrow, we¡¯re going to announce our official engagement date.¡± Everyone held a stunned face. Something churned in my stomach. ¡°When did this happen? I thought you guys weren¡¯t serious,¡± Mom queried. ¡°I know, we were on and off. There were some issues between us. Especially with him, you know, after what happened to his family? But he finally got the b***s and proposed to mest night! I can¡¯t exin how happy I am!¡± Her eyes shone with happy tears. And then my gaze fell on the letter that was engraved on her ring. ¡°What¡¯s the ¡®V¡¯ stand for, Tess?¡± My eyes glued to it. The grip of my hand tightened around the ss. She followed my stare. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s for ¡®valencian¡¯. Isn¡¯t it beautiful?¡± Share Chapter 2 Chapter 2 Read The Trap Of Ace [by Eva Zahan] Chapter 2 ¨C A knocknded on the door. ¡°You ready, honey? Your Dad is waiting downstairs.¡± ¡°Yeah, Mom. Just give a minute,¡± I replied, staring at my reflection in the mirror. ¡°Alright,e soon.¡± I ran my palm over the red material clung against my skin. It felt smooth. Everything was perfect. The nude make-up, the simple side-parted long hair, the off shoulder gown with a sweetheart neckline and a semi-high slit at the side, everything was in ce. ¡°I¡¯m ready,¡± I whispered at my reflection, and those big turquoise eyes of her stared back. Grabbing my ck clutch, I smoothed my hair once again and sauntered downstairs. Warner met me at the door. His mouth fell open, his light blue eyes looking up and down my body. ¡°Holy s**t! You¡¯re looking¡­¡± He shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ve no words.¡± I stretched my lips into a smile. ¡°Thanks. You don¡¯t look that bad yourself.¡± He did look good in his three piece suit and tie. ¡°Shall we?¡± I asked. ¡°Sure! G*d knows, no one can take their eyes off of you tonight.¡± Grinning, he gave me an arm, and I took it. Once outside, we met Mom adjusting Dad¡¯s tie as he grunted something. His face turned grim, spotting us together. After Mom gushed about my looks and being proud that I went after her, we all piled in the car. Though her subtle attempt of asking me if I was feeling good after I left the dinner in the middle, excusing of my jetgst night. I knew what she wanted to ensure, if I was okay, not physically, but emotionally. Everyone had avoided talking about the engagement as much as possible before me. They thought it could upset me as they all had an idea of my heartbreak seven years ago. Not all of it though. They weren¡¯t aware of what happened that night. But they didn¡¯t know I wasn¡¯t the fifteen years old Emerald anymore. I was going to face the man who broke my heart years ago, and see him announce his engagement with my sister before the world. But I was alright. It¡¯s been years since then. I had a boyfriend, I¡¯d moved on. Afterst night, I hadn¡¯t seen her. And honestly, I didn¡¯t want to. Even if I didn¡¯t care anymore, I still felt the anger and betrayal I felt that night. After knowing everything, how could shee and announce her engagement to me as if nothing happened? How could she¡­ I shook myself, not wanting to remember the past. I was stronger now. The past should remain in the past. And I should be happy for her. It¡¯s been years after all. And I¡¯ve ovee the past. It didn¡¯t affect me now. Not at all. The car screeched to a halt, along with my heart. Mom and Dad got out, and Warner followed behind. We were here. ¡°Em?¡± Warner called out, waiting for me outside. Deep breaths came out of me, my hands fisted my gown at my knees. Heart palpitating down the chest, my mouth turned dry. A drop of sweat trickled down my nape. It was slipping. The calm facade, it was slipping from my control. ¡°Honey? Come on, Tessa is waiting for us inside,¡± Mom probed. I can do it. Nothing happened. I¡¯ve moved on. Giving her a tight nod, I gritted my teeth and scrambled out with shaky knees. I caught Warner¡¯s arm in a vice grip as my eyes fell on the huge mansion I didn¡¯t remember when Ist visited. ¡°You alright? You look a little pale,¡± Warner asked as we crossed the threshold. The line I shouldn¡¯t cross. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± My nails dug into my palms. ¡°Are you sure?¡± I nodded, clutching him harder. He winced, but didn¡¯t ask any further. And I was grateful for that. I let him drag me across the mass of people dressed in sophisticated and branded clothes. The vast hall was sufficient to gulp the massive crowd alone. Everything was decorated the way a party of one of the most influential families should be. Elegant yet dazzling. As we passed the chatting and drinking crowd, we spotted Tess, standing beside some of her friends. Seeing us, she excused herself and rushed to us, the tail of her silvery sparkling gown dragged behind her. Tobias followed behind. If all of their friends were here, that meant¡­ Tugging my hand out of Warner¡¯s arm, I took a step back. My eyes nced around. My legs urged me to run. Go back to the safety of my room where someone couldn¡¯t reach me. Someone whom I buried at the pit of my memories. ¡°Oh my G*d! Look at my baby, you¡¯re looking so beautiful!¡± Mom¡¯s voice croaked as she nced at Dad. ¡°When did our daughter get so big, Wilson? Look at her wearing an engagement ring today.¡± She sniffled. I averted my eyes from her ring, and took a ss of wine from a passing waiter. My hand shook around it. Dad rubbed Mom¡¯s back while Tess rolled her eyes. ¡°Mom, we¡¯re just announcing our official engagement date. I¡¯m not getting married tonight!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about her, she just got a little emotional. Anyway, where is your fiance?¡± Dad asked, looking around. ¡°Oh, he is over there!¡± She pointed near the bar. And I froze. Slowly and steadily, I followed everyone¡¯s gaze. Four men stood together, one of them stood with his back to us. Is it¡­ him? If it was, then he was more tall and lean than Ist remembered. Seven years. After seven years, I will come to him face to face. I will have to look into those stormy grey eyes¡­ I let out a shaky breath. I needed air, I needed out. Just as I was about to slip away, Tess called out for him. ¡°Caleb?¡± This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. My steps halted. Caleb? I nced at the direction as that man turned around and a broad grin lightened his face. Striding closer, he kissed on Tess¡¯s cheek and greeted Mom and Dad. Their linked arms, gazing at each other¡¯s eyes with full of affection¡­ I blinked, a silent gasp slipped through my lips. That means, Caleb was the one Tess got engaged to? Achilles¡¯s cousin? Now that ¡®V¡¯ in her ring made sense. ¡®V¡¯ for Valencian. Caleb Valencian. A pressure in my chest suddenly disappeared, filling it with air. They weren¡¯t together. ¡°Em? Emerald? Is that you?¡± Caleb asked, recognition flickered in his brown eyes. ¡°Oh my G*d! It is the infamous Emerald Hutton who didn¡¯t even give a call to this poor abandoned man all these times?¡± I managed a smile. ¡°Hey, Caleb.¡± He engulfed me in a bear hug. And I couldn¡¯t help but return his endearment. He was like a big brother to me. But in the process of distancing myself with him, I cut ties with everyone involving the Valencians. He pulled away and put his hands on my shoulders. ¡°Did anyone tell you what a beautiful woman you¡¯ve grown up into?¡± Chuckling, I shook my head. The grip around my ss remained firm. Any moment now. ¡°If you¡¯ve stopped flirting with my sister, can I hug her now?¡± Tess raised her brow at Caleb. Grinning, he ced a kiss on her temple. ¡°You know I only have my eyes on you, right?¡± Rolling her eyes, she pushed him away and threw her arms around me. ¡°You¡¯re looking lovely!¡± ¡°So are you,¡± I said. Her gaze locked with mine. Something close to regret shed in her eyes, and then something else which I couldn¡¯t decipher. ¡°Emerald, I¡­¡± ¡°Alright! It¡¯s time for dance.¡± Caleb interrupted. His giving Tess a look didn¡¯t go unnoticed. What¡¯s going on? ¡°Shall we?¡± Blinking, Tess cleared her throat. She smiled and ced her hand on Caleb¡¯s and together they skipped off to the dance floor. Mom and Dad got busy in conversation with some other couple. Warner¡¯s phone rang, cutting him in the middle as he went to say something. Excusing himself, he walked away to attend the call. Tobias noticed my wary nces around. My uneasiness. ¡°Rx, everything will be fine.¡± ¡°What? Why did you say that?¡± I feigned confusion. He sighed, shaking his head. ¡°Nothing. You need another drink?¡± He jutted his chin at my empty ss. No, stay here with me. I wanted to say, but decided to go against it. ¡°Sure.¡± Nodding, he went to the bar to get us drinks. I didn¡¯t need anyone for support. I could deal with it alone. I wasn¡¯t still that naive teenager who will fall on his feet with just his one nce. Suddenly the hair at the back of my neck stood up. Goosebumps pricked on my skin. Turning around, I observed my surroundings. Nothing seemed unusual. Then why did I feel like someone was watching me? As the colorful lights moved around the mass of chattering people, my gaze went to the first floor and stuck there. At the furthest corner, a figure stood there; his face in the shadow. Hands in his pockets, he stood unmoving, his body facing mine. Even if I couldn¡¯t see his face, I could tell he was looking at me. And for some reason, it unnerved me. Even then, I couldn¡¯t tear my eyes. Who is he? ¡°Em?¡± Jumping in fright, I whirled around. ¡°Whoa! Whoa! Rx, it¡¯s just me,¡± Warner said, putting his hands up. Breathing out a sigh of relief, I turned back again. And he was gone. ¡°You okay?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine. You just startled me,¡± I replied, wetting my lips. ¡°Alright. Dance?¡± he asked, giving me his hand. I looked for Tobias. And there he was,ughing with some girls with two sses still in his hands. I shook my head at my brother. Giving Warner a small smile, I took his hand. I didn¡¯t want to be alone right now. Once at the dance floor, we started to sway under the dim lights and slow music. And then I felt it again. That stare, the burning gaze watching me from afar, following my every move. Warner tucked a strand behind my ear, but my ardent gaze was searching for something in the crowd. ¡°Em? You sure you¡¯re alright? You look a little disturbed sincest night.¡± He frowned. ¡°Yeah, everything is alright. Don¡¯t worry. Just the jetg,¡± I lied. I didn¡¯t want to. But I couldn¡¯t tell him why my nerves had been on haywire since I heard of this party. ¡°Alright. If you say so. But you know you can tell me anything and everything, I will listen, right?¡± This time my smile was genuine. I nodded my head. ¡°I know.¡± His lips turned up as he took one of my hands and ced a kiss on the back of it. A throat cleared at my back. ¡°May I have the chance to dance with this beautifuldy?¡± A deep hard voice asked, distant Greek ent. I stiffened. Warner looked up over my head, and his eyes widened slightly. Recognition shed into his eyes as a polite smile tugged on his lips. ¡°Sure.¡± Stepping away, he nced at me. ¡°I will wait for you at the bar.¡± And then he disappeared from the dance floor. No! I wanted to say. But I couldn¡¯t move or say anything. I didn¡¯t even turn around. Didn¡¯t dare to. My heart pounded in my chest as I felt his heat behind me. A pair of big calloused hands covered mine, cing them before me together, with his arms engulfing me. A gasp slipped through my lips at the electricity that ran in waves into my veins. When I didn¡¯t move, he took control and swayed us both with his enormous frame around me in slow moves. The headybination of his exotic cologne tangled with smoke filled my senses. Still the same. My brain stopped working. Hot breath tickled on my neck, making my knees weakened. An uncouth swarm of emotions crashed on me. Something squeezed in my chest as a shaky breath left my lips. Both of us stayed silent as we swayed under the music. All I could hear was the music, my deep breathing and the pounding of my heart in my ear. My hands trembled under his. I couldn¡¯t do this. I can¡¯t! I needed to go away! Moving his arms away, when I tried to pull away, he grasped my hand and swirled me around, pulling me in. My chest collided against him. Gasping, when I looked up at him¡­ My breath caught at my throat. Those stormy grey eyes. After seven years I was looking into them. And it was what I feared. They held me captive, just as they used to do years ago. Those grey pools peered into my soul,pelling me. His face was inches away from mine. Breathless, I took in his other features. And I was lost for words. Strong chiseled jaws, prominent chin, beautiful sharp nose, firm desirable lips and a wide forehead. Not even a strand of his jet ck hair was out of ce. He wore it long, the ends touched his neck. Just like a Greek g*d. Gone that charming boyish look, everything about him now screamed man. A powerful rough man. I was breathless, my gaze couldn¡¯t move from his face. I didn¡¯t know age made people that much beautiful. No, beautiful wasn¡¯t the word. Words couldn¡¯t describe Achilles Valencian. He was¡­ out of the world. Raising a hand, he brushed a single strand away from my face, and I didn¡¯t feel the shiver when Warner had done it earlier. His gaze roamed on every inch of my face, as if memorizing them. They seemed in some kind of trance. As if he couldn¡¯t help it, he brushed his knuckles against my cheek. A breathy murmur left his lips which I couldn¡¯t decipher. Subconsciously, I leaned into his touch, eyes not leaving his face. Skin eager for more, only those strong arms around me didn¡¯t suffice. My heart longed for something as it basked under his scorching gaze. The gaze I used to d*e for wishing it on me even for a second. My vision burned at the soaring emotions mming in my chest. My Ace¡­ But then his voice broke my trance, bringing me back to the present, the reality. ¡°Still won¡¯t talk to me, Rosebud?¡± His grey locking with my turquoise. Rosebud? So he still remembered someone of that name existed in his life? Then he also must remember the heartache he gifted her years ago. Share Chapter 3 Chapter 3 Read The Trap Of Ace [by Eva Zahan] Chapter 3 ¨C The name that used to give me flutters in my tummy, now only added fuel to something that was smoldering inside me for years. I didn¡¯t want to be called with that name anymore. ¡°I didn¡¯t think my Rosebud could stay mad at me for that long,¡± he drawled out as I kept quiet, eyes searching for something on my face. My Rosebud? Whatever you see on my face, Achilles Valencian, but you won¡¯t find the fifteen years old sister of your best friend there. Because she died that night because of you. And the irony was, it wasn¡¯t even your fault. ¡°Don¡¯t call me that!¡± My voice came out much like a snap. When he raised a brow, I tried to cool down my nerves. I couldn¡¯t show him my anger. And though how much right it seemed, he wasn¡¯t at any fault. He didn¡¯t even know. ¡°I- I¡¯ve a name. And I¡¯d prefer to be called by that. I don¡¯t like when someone calls me with nicknames,¡± I rified. The side of his lips quirked up. ¡°I know your name. But you will always be Rosebud for me.¡± He leaned in, his hot breath fanning my earlobe. ¡°Though this Rosebud of mine now bloomed into a beautiful rose.¡± My heart stuttered. Whispers of the past echoed in my mind. ¡°Really?¡± I¡¯d brightened up like a Christmas tree. ¡°That means you will marry me?¡± He¡¯d bit his lip, his eyes lit up with amusement. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Rosebud! But I can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± I pouted. ¡°Because it¡¯s not the right time. You¡¯re still so young.¡± ¡°Then when will be the right time?¡± I¡¯d gazed up at him with so much hope. ¡°When you turn into a blooming rose from a rose bud.¡± A shaky breath left my lips, a squeezing pain shot through my chest. My eyes stung with forbidden memories. He¡­ remembered? But then shes of that night floated across. My throat tightened, causing me to ball my fists. I gulped, it felt like acid burning inside me. I needed air! Moving out of his arms, I pushed him away. Surprise shed across his eyes, and then something like concern took over his features. Not wanting to stay there any longer, I turned around and walked away. As fast as I could without creating a scene. ¡°Rosebud!¡± He called after me, his voice closer. At my peripheral vision, I saw Tobias going to him, maybe to stop him from following me. ¡°Em? Where are you going?¡± Ignoring Warner¡¯s question, I ran out there and didn¡¯t stop until I was at the serenity of the huge balcony. Gripping the railing, I breathed in the cold night air. Up in the sky, hung the half curved moon, surrounded by gazillions of twinkling stars. They winked at me, as if mocking me for my pathetic feelings. A lone tear escaped my eye as the cool breeze touched my face. And then I let some more to fall free. Tears that I¡¯d been seeding to put in for years. My hand clutched my chest as I felt the same pain it felt that night. As if someone has sliced the old wounds open. Biting my lip hard, I attempted to stop those tears. Seven years. Seven freaking years! And here I was, still mourning over the heartache I got as a punishment of my foolishness. Seven years, and it still pained me physically to remember the loss. I was still afraid of meeting him. I was still a coward. That¡¯s why I tagged Warner along. I needed support. I knew one way or another, in these two weeks I¡¯d have to face him. I¡¯d been trying to escape from him after that night. I¡¯d avoided him like a gue. Even if it was impossible for some asions to avoid him before I went to high school to another city, I hadn¡¯t looked at him. I didn¡¯t look at his face or into his eyes, because I knew, I knew if I made the mistake to look up, he would see it. He would see it all. And he would find out how pathetic I was for believing in his words he said to a nine years old naive kid, not to break her fragile heart. I thought, I will forget him if I go away. So I went to live in a different city. I thought, if I dated other men, I would forget him. So I dated a lot of men. If I toughen myself up, I¡¯d be able to wipe him from my memories. But no. Just one nce, and some mere words threw me back to where I¡¯d stood years ago. All my attempts failed. ¡°Why?¡± I whispered, my voice quivering. Why can¡¯t I just move on?! After all these years, why can¡¯t I just not feel anything? Why does it still hurt? F**k you, Achilles Valencian! F**k you for f*****g up my life! I wiped my face when I felt a presence behind me. A ss of orange juice was held before me. ¡°Just give me a moment, Warner. I will be inside in a while.¡± ¡°Sorry to disappoint, but I¡¯m not your boyfriend. He is enjoying his drink very much with your brother inside.¡± I snapped my head to him. He followed me here? Stormy grey eyes were dark with¡­ anger, shadowed jaw was clenched. His charcoal suit gleamed under the moonlight as he towered over me. Even after these years, I could only reach his broad shoulders with my five feet four inches. And the way he pronounced the word ¡®boyfriend¡¯ with malice, didn¡¯t go unnoticed by me. I didn¡¯t like that tone at all. ¡°Why are you here?¡± I took a step back. His close proximity suffocated me. He covered the distance I created between us, handing me the ss. ¡°Came to see if you¡¯re okay.¡± You didn¡¯te to see me all these years. ¡°You don¡¯t need to be concerned about my well-being.¡± I ran my free hand over my arm as chilling air kissed my b**e skin. A muscle of his jaw ticked. Shrugging off his jacket, he ced it over my shoulders. I tried to go away from his overwhelming presence, but he held me in ce and secured it around me. His intoxicating scent filled my senses. ¡°I will always be concerned for your well-being, Emerald. I can¡¯t stop doing it even if I want. And I won¡¯t.¡± ¡°Why?¡± I looked up into his intense grey. His arms still around me. Why wasn¡¯t I pulling away? ¡°Because I care for you.¡± As a little sister? A sourness rose up my throat. ¡°And why do you care for me?¡± I asked, my tone bitter. Leaning in, he snuggled my hair against his nose, breathing me in. A shiver ran down my spine. Then he pulled away and peered into my soul, briefly ncing down at my parted lips. ¡°Let¡¯s keep the answer for another day. Let the time unfold the inevitable of its own.¡± Tucking a strand behind my ear, he turned around and strode away, leaving me standing there. Cold and confused. What did he mean by inevitable? Whatever, I didn¡¯t care. Looking back up at the sky, I took a deep breath to calm myself down. Once feeling more controlled, I sauntered back inside. I found him at the feet of the huge staircase, talking to a bald middle aged man. But his eyes were on me. Averting my stare, I stopped a passer by waiter. ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am? What¡¯d you like to have?¡± He gestured to the variety of drinks on his tray. ¡°Nothing, but I need you to do something.¡± Shrugging off the jacket, I handed it to him. ¡°Would you please return it to Mr. Valencian? He forgot it with me.¡± The waiter followed my gaze and seeing the tightness of his jaw, the color of his face drained. He fumbled in his ce with the tray and jacket in both of his hands. Before he could object, I thanked him and left. The more I¡¯d be away from him and things rted to him, the more it¡¯d be good for me. ¡°Em? Where were you? You okay? I was about to go to you, but Tobias said to give you some time alone. Did something happen?¡± Warner fired as soon as he saw me, standing beside him, my brother eyed me with concern. I gave him a tight smile. ¡°Nothing happened, everything is fine. Don¡¯t worry! I just needed some fresh air.¡± He didn¡¯t look convinced, but nodded his head anyway. That¡¯s what I liked about him, he never forced me to do anything I didn¡¯t want to. When I asked Tobias for the car keys excusing of not feeling well, he requested me to stay until the announcement and cake cutting. I agreed to stay until the announcement, only for Mom and Dad. I didn¡¯t want them to worry. And the entire time I ignored a pair of scorching gaze on me. I needed to get away if I wanted to keep my sanity intact. *** The ring of my phone rm woke me from my sleep that had came to me with much difficultyst night. The soft beams of morning glow fell into the room, causing me to squint my eyes. Letting out a yawn, I sat up. My head felt heavy. And soon my heart followed as the memories ofst night flew in. Closing my eyes, I pinched the bridge of my nose. Just a matter of a few days, and then I will be gone. A buzz of my mobile caught my attention. Must be one of the girls. Reaching out, I grabbed my phone and saw an unknown number. Good morning, my Rosebud! Hope you¡¯d a good night¡¯s sleep. A My heart skipped a beat. A? M-means, Ace? My hands curled around the phone. What does he want now? Was my behaviorst night wasn¡¯t enough to rify that I didn¡¯t want to do anything with him? Even though he didn¡¯t know the reason, I didn¡¯t care. I thought to reply to him with a ¡®back off¡¯, but then decided instead. Deleting the message, I threw my phone back on the bed and padded into the washroom. ¡°So? What¡¯re you gonna do now?¡± Casie raised her brow, when Beth munched on the chocte chips she brought with her. They came to hang out at my ce and together we¡¯d breakfast. And now was watching TV at the hall, sprawling on the leather couches. Mom and Dad went shopping right after breakfast for Tess¡¯s uing engagement party. And Warner tagged along happily. Good thing that I could share everything with the girls without fearing anyone¡¯s overhearing. ¡°I don¡¯t know. And it doesn¡¯t matter, you know? He is just being polite to me as a family friend, that¡¯s all,¡± I replied. ¡°And ¡®ow do you ¡®ow that?¡± Beth asked, her mouth filled with chips. I shrugged. ¡°Why else was he being so nice all of a sudden then? Before I shifted to NY, he was never around. And even he was, he never said a word to me, which I was grateful for. But now, after all these years, he is suddenly so nice to me. Calling me Rosebud like nothing happened.¡± Both of them listened to my bbering with utmost attention. ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s confusing,¡± Casie hummed. ¡°Maybe you¡¯re right. But then you said he remembered what he said on your ninth birthday?¡± I nodded. ¡°He did say those words. But I don¡¯t know if it was just a coincidence that he said those same words. Maybe he didn¡¯t even know what he was saying?¡± Did he really? ¡°He even said he cares for you and his behavior was strange,¡± Beth stated, then her eyes lit up with realization. ¡°Maybe he saw youst night and lost his heart to you? You know, love at first sight?¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°Shut up, Beth! Achilles Valencian isn¡¯t a man to fall in love with someone at one nce. Of all these years, did you see him with even a single girl around him?¡± Casie scoffed. ¡°Some even think he could be a closet g*y.¡± Not even a single girl? I thought if he wasn¡¯t with Tess, then there must be another girl in his life. N?velDrama.Org owns this text. Something burned in my chest at that thought. I ignored the feeling. It wasn¡¯t possible. He must¡¯ve someone in his life. ¡°He isn¡¯t and that I can guarantee you,¡± Beth retorted. ¡°Did you forget the amount of girls he used to tag along at school?¡± Casie flipped her a middle finger and slumped back on the couch. ¡°We don¡¯t know everything. Maybe he changed his preference after he¡¯d gone for Ennd for two years, right after Em shifted to NY?¡± I heard about him going to Ennd to pursue some degree. And in those two years, he didn¡¯t return home even for once. ¡°Whatever. And you said you moved on, right? You like Warner. Then why do you even care what Achilles Valencian does or not?¡± Beth queried. I was out of answers. ¡°Uh, of course I moved on! And I do like Warner very much!¡± I raised my chin in confidence. ¡°And I don¡¯t care what he does or doesn¡¯t. I was just sharing what happenedst night.¡± Both of them gave me a look, not convinced at all. I shifted my eyes to the television. The doorbell rang breaking the awkward situation. I literally sighed in relief as both of their gaze turned to the door. Casie went for it, and a minuteter she walked in. ¡°Well, I think it¡¯s a considerable matter now for you to care about,¡± shemented, with a bouquet of white roses in her hand. ¡°Whose is it for?¡± Beth raised to her feet. Casie¡¯s eyes locked with mine. ¡°Guess who?¡± Leaping up, I grabbed the bouquet and took out the note. A beautiful day should start with those beautiful flowers. Hope you like them. A My heart raced. ¡°Who sent them? And who is ¡®A¡¯?¡± asked Beth, frowning. Casie rolled her eyes. ¡°If not by the letter, then you should understand seeing these dozens of rosebuds between those flowers.¡± Beth¡¯s eyes went big as realization set in. ¡°So he sent flowers for you.¡± Her voice teasing. ¡°I didn¡¯t know people send their family friends good morning messages and flowers without any reason. But why white roses though?¡± I looked up at Casie as she said, ¡°White roses symbolize peace.¡± Her mouth turned up into a smirk. ¡°And a fresh start. So you better be start caring, Emerald Hutton. Because I think Achilles Valencian wants a fresh start with you. And as far as we all know, he always gets what he wants.¡± And my heart stopped in my chest. Share Chapter 4 Chapter 4 Read The Trap Of Ace [by Eva Zahan] Chapter 4 ¨C I cleared my throat, catching everyone¡¯s attention around the table. The noise of their cutleries and spoons stopped along. I knew what I was about to say would upset them. But it¡¯d to be done. So taking a deep breath, I said, ¡°I¡¯m leaving for NY this Friday.¡± Silence. The shock on Tobias¡¯s face and sadness that formed over my parents¡¯ were clear. ¡°But we thought as your college is finished now, you¡¯d stay with us again from now on.¡± Dad¡¯s forehead creased. Mom agreed with him. ¡°No Dad. I¡¯m not a kid anymore. I can¡¯t just c***h here just because my college is over. It¡¯s time to build my career. So I¡¯ve to go back,¡± I rified. ¡°But what¡¯s wrong with California? You could easily get any job here,¡± Mom argued. ¡°If you want your privacy, honey, then it¡¯s alright. But if you look for a job here, at least you can stay close to us.¡± Her voice broke. ¡°Why don¡¯t you help Tobias in our ownpany?¡± Dad suggested, and my brother bobbed his head eagerly. ¡°Yes, in that you won¡¯t have to work under anyone. You¡¯ll have a free will in your ownpany. You don¡¯t need to leave, Em.¡± ¡°Dad, Tobias, how many times do I have to tell you that I want to do something on my own? I want to prove myself that I can stand on my feet without anyone¡¯s support. I¡¯m extremely grateful to have you guys care for me. But- I can¡¯t work in ourpany. Maybe in the future, but not now.¡± What I said was true. I wanted to do something on my own ability. But it wasn¡¯t the main reason for me to leave right now. ¡°Alright, if you want to work somewhere else, it¡¯s fine by us. But you don¡¯t have to go that far from us, honey. You could look out for jobs staying here, near us,¡± said Mom. Guilt washed over me for hurting her like that. But if I stayed here, I wouldn¡¯t be able to take care of my heart. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mom. Staying all these years over there, my ns are revolving all around NY. And I¡¯d reconsider my ns if I already hadn¡¯t been called for interviews next week.¡± I¡¯d two interviews from two prestigious textilepanies in NY. And I couldn¡¯t miss them even if I wanted. ¡°And thesepanies who called me for interviews, they¡¯ve been my dream ce to work at. So, I¡¯ve to go this Friday. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Dad sighed and ced a hand on Mom¡¯s,forting her. ¡°If that¡¯s what you want, princess. We won¡¯t stop you. We¡¯re happy if you¡¯re. But if by any chance you change your ns, let us know.¡± I nodded, relieved that he understood. ¡°Thank you, Dad. But don¡¯t worry, I will visit time to time to see you guys.¡± ¡°But what about Tess¡¯s engagement? You can¡¯t miss that,¡± Tobias stated. ¡°It¡¯s in next month. Nothing to worry, I will figure something out when timees,¡± I assured him. But he didn¡¯t look pleased at all. Honestly, I didn¡¯t want to go away from them again. But I didn¡¯t have any choice. *** A knocknded on my door, and Warner poked his head in. ¡°You busy?¡± ¡°No really. Just checking some emails,¡± I answered. cing theptop on the bed from myp, I turned to him. ¡°How did your dinner go with your cousin?¡± He shrugged. ¡°Good. Just as usual. You tell me, how did your talk go with your family?¡± A sigh left my lips. ¡°They weren¡¯t happy. But they also know that I¡¯m not gonna budge from my decision.¡± I nced outside the window, gazing at the starry night. ¡°Hey, what is it?¡± he asked, turning me to him. I bit my lip, my throat tightening. ¡°Nothing, it¡¯s just¡­ it¡¯s difficult to go that far from my family. Even if I stayed away for years. But still, I wish I could stay here with them.¡± But for one person, it wasn¡¯t possible. ¡°Hey, look at me.¡± He grasped my hand. ¡°Everything will be alright. Don¡¯t be upset. It¡¯s just the beginning of your career. Once you get a good grip, maybe in future you can shift back in this city. And it¡¯s not that you won¡¯t visit them time to time. And they can also go and see you there. So, don¡¯t worry, okay? Everything will turn out good.¡± Nodding my head, I squeezed his hand. ¡°Thank you for being always there for me.¡± He smiled and pecked my lips. ¡°Anything for you.¡± *** ¡°Where¡¯re they?¡± I asked, adjusting my cap from the scorching sun. People buzzed with excitement around us as they rushed in and out of the auditorium. ¡°They will be here in no time, don¡¯t worry. Let¡¯s just go and grab our seats,¡± Tobias said, ushering me and Warner inside. We were at Castelo Track. The famous ce to enjoy horse racing. I didn¡¯t know we wereing to this game until my brother called this morning announcing his and Tess¡¯s n. Apparently, Caleb, Tess¡¯s fiance didn¡¯t get that much time to spend with me and Warner, so Tess thought it¡¯d be great to enjoy a horse race together; a way to catch up with us. I didn¡¯t want toe, but Warner was too excited for me to say no. Even though meeting my sister didn¡¯t appeal me that much, saying no would¡¯ve been rude to Caleb. So I agreed. Once we grabbed out pre-booked seats, we waited for the couple to arrive and the race to start. At least thirty or thirty five horses were lined up at the side, far from the auditorium. Their jockeys were preparing themselves and checking their horses to see if everything was alright. Their neighs were covered by the hubbub of the audience. A smile stretched at the side of my lips. Those horses were beautiful. I¡¯d always wanted to ride one, but didn¡¯t get the chance ever. When Warner brought popcorn and drinks for us, the announcement red across. The race was about to start in five minutes. ¡°Where are Tessa and Caleb? They should be here by now.¡± He moved his brown locks away from his forehead. ¡°There they¡¯re!¡± Tobias eximed. Following his gaze, I saw my sister and her fiance climbing down the stairs. In a yellow sundress and a matching hat, she looked stunning as ever. And Caleb chose to unt a white Tee and jeans. And here I was. In a ck tank and leather jacket, paired with worn out shorts and sneakers, I didn¡¯t even try to doll up a little. ¡°Sorry, guys! Got stuck with the traffic,¡± Caleb apologized, greeting Tobias with a side hug. And the same with Warner, but when it came to my turn, he engulfed me in a tight bear hug. ¡°I¡¯m d that you came, Em. Finally I will get to spend some time with my would be sister-inw and long lost friend.¡± I smiled. ¡°It¡¯s great to see you again. And don¡¯t worry, you¡¯re notte. The race is about to start.¡± This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I thought you wouldn¡¯te. But I¡¯m happy to see you here,¡± Tess said, giving me a hug. And I didn¡¯t reciprocate. Tobias and Caleb saw the act, but didn¡¯tment on it. Once we were all seated, in no time the race begun. Every one of the horses were extremely good and competitive. Their Jockeys were guiding them with brilliance. But the teeth and nail race was between two red and ck horses. They both were ahead in the race than the others. I was cheering for the red one, Jordan. Not because the ck one, Cage was any less good or beautiful. Because I just happened to love the color, red. ¡°Yes! Go Jordan, go! You can do it!¡± Tess yelled out beside me. She was also on my team, for the first time in our life. Where Tobias, Warner were encouraging a different one. And Caleb just watched all of it silently. ¡°Which one are you betting for?¡± I almost screamed over the loud cheerings. ¡°None! Because I know who is gonna win,¡± he shouted back, beside Tess. ¡°Really? Which one?¡± I ducked away from Tess¡¯s elbow. She was leaping with cheerings. ¡°Jordan. He is a winner,¡± he replied. ¡°How do you know? It can be a different one this time.¡± His brown eyes locked with me. ¡°I know because my cousin never loses. And that-¡± he pointed towards the horse that was now slightly ahead of the Cage. Even a white one now was giving thempetition, ¡°-is Achilles¡¯s horse. He always bets on Jardan.¡± My lips parted in surprise. Ace¡¯s horse? That means, he was here? My nerve pulsed, eyes looking around. He was nowhere in the auditorium. But the owner of the horses, the bettors never sat at the auditorium with ordinary people. Then my gaze lifted up. And there he was. High in the V.I.P section, shielded by ss, he stood even higher with his proud chest and powerful broad shoulders with hands in pockets. Some other suited people stood behind him, watching the race to unfold. I couldn¡¯t see where his eyes were as he wore sunsses. His name thoroughly did justice to his personality. I shook my head and fisted my hands. Get to your senses, Em! I didn¡¯t know he was gonna be here. Otherwise I wouldn¡¯t havee. Now I didn¡¯t like that red horse at all. I¡¯d rather support the white one as it now passed the ck one, Cage. My sister continued to dance. Now I understood why she was on Jordan¡¯s side. ¡°For a moment I thought Cage would surpass Jordan. D**n, he was good,¡±mented Warner, while Tobias munched on Popcorns. That brat! He definitely knew Ace was gonna present here, but he didn¡¯t even think of informing me. Noticing my re, he raised a brow. To avoid Warner¡¯s overhearing, I pointed to his phone. He is here. And you didn¡¯t care to inform me! He looked up at me, frowning and then went to typing. Tobias: Who? Me: Don¡¯t be so saint now! I¡¯m talking about Ace. Tobias: Oh, but I thought you already knew. After all it¡¯s a verymon thing to attend the race of his own ce. My eyes widened. Wait, what? Castelo Track was his? Howe? I thought his everypany or property¡¯s name started with Valencian. Me: He owns it? And why Castelo? Tobias: Yes. And it¡¯s his mother¡¯sst name. Oh! I didn¡¯t know much about his family other than him and Caleb, whom his family adopted at the age of eleven when his parents passed away in a car c***h. And they grew up together since then. I had only visited their home a few times. And most of the time his parents were missing. When I looked back up, he wasn¡¯t there anymore. My eyes then nced at the track. Cage took the ce of Jordan now. Exined why my sister had gone so quiet all of a sudden. Huh! The great Mr. Valencian couldn¡¯t handle his loss and ran away. Rolling my eyes, I stood up from my seat. The race was almost near the end but my stomach had the other n. Excusing myself, I climbed up the stairs and headed towards the washroom. ¡°Look, who is here!¡± A group of rugged looking guys whistled as I passed them just outside the washroom area. ¡°F*****g h**l, look at those legs, man!¡± I gritted my teeth, ring draggers at them. But I tried to control myself and not give them any attention. ¡°What¡¯s your name, babydoll? I¡¯ve two bundles of cash in my pocket right now, interested?¡± They laughed. That¡¯s it! As I turned to them, an arm wrapped around my shoulders and turned me around. ¡°Em, don¡¯t pay attention to them. They¡¯re dangerous. So just avoid them.¡± ¡°Avoid them? Did you hear what nonsense they were spitting out? Let me just go and teach them a lesson.¡± I wiggled out of Warner¡¯s hold and tried to go back to them but he dragged me away. They whistled and cracked jokes on us until we were out of the side, outside of thedies¡¯ washroom area. ¡°Em, please. If you go and say something, it will be worse. They were four and we were just two. So, please, don¡¯t make a scene here,¡± he talked logic in my head. ¡°So just go inside ande back down. And enjoy yourself, alright?¡± I sighed. Maybe he was right. Nodding my head, I went inside and to take a phone call, he went away. Men weren¡¯t allowed inside anyway. Finishing my business, I washed my hands and brushed my waves with my fingers a little. They went wild with the wind. Once satisfied with my hair, I grabbed my cap from the counter and exited the washroom. And when I turned¡­ A yelp left my mouth as a figure towered over me out of nowhere. I gasped. Who do you think it is? Want to know? I¡¯ll get back to you with the next chapter soon! Till then, stay tuned with Emerald and Achilles! And don¡¯t forget to hit a vote and write somements! With love, Eva Zahan. Share Chapter 5 Chapter 5 Read The Trap Of Ace [by Eva Zahan] Chapter 5 ¨C ¡°W-what¡¯re you doing here?¡± I couldn¡¯t even ask without stuttering. Stormy grey eyes roamed over my features, briefly ncing at my lips. They watched me as if they¡¯d waited too long¡­ I gave myself a inner shake. I was assuming things that weren¡¯t possible. ¡°Well?¡± Voice firm this time. How did he even enter indies washroom area? Oh yes, I forgot that he owned this whole d**n thing. ¡°Came to see if you¡¯re okay,¡± he said, deep Greek ent strong. Was he- mad? ¡°How many times do I¡¯ve to tell you that you don¡¯t need to be concerned about me? It¡¯s not your job to care for me.¡± ¡°Someone has to if that so called friend of yours can¡¯t even take a stand for you like a looser he is!¡± he mocked. Friend? So he knew what happened outside? My eyes narrowed. ¡°Excuse me? Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re crossing your limits here? You don¡¯t have a say in how my boyfriend is or not!¡± A muscle of his jaw ticked. ¡°I¡¯m just stating the truth. Only a loser leaves their friend alone after she just got targeted by some drunkards!¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t leave me. He- he just went to take a phone call,¡± I defended. ¡°And I¡¯m his girlfriend, not just a friend.¡± His eyes shed, nostrils ring as he cocked his head. ¡°Not for long.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked, confused. He came closer, making me step back. And then another until my back hit the wall, his towering figure blocking my escape. ¡°W-what are you doing? Step away.¡± The intense gaze of his had my heart skip a beat. His intoxicating cologne filled my lungs. He needed to create some distance between us. It was too much. cing his hands at the both side of my face, he leaned in; my heart thudded inside my chest. ¡°I meant, you will NOT be his girlfriend for long.¡± Determinationtched into his eyes. ¡°How do you know that?¡± I whispered. His close proximity was doing something to me. When he brushed my cheek with his knuckles gently, a treacherous shaky breath left my lips. And then the bruise of his knuckles caught my eye. As I was about to ask him of his injury, my breath hitched at throat when the pad of his thumb traced my bottom lip. ¡°You won¡¯t be, because-¡± leaning in, he whispered in my ear, hot breath tickled my skin, ¡°-you already belong to someone else.¡± My thoughts were everywhere, I couldn¡¯t think straight. To be able toprehend his words, I pushed him away, building some distance. ¡°D-don¡¯te that near me ever again! And what do you mean by I already belong to someone else? Whom are you talking about?¡± He stayed quiet. The look in his gaze sent a shiver down my spine. My throat clogged up. No, no! It¡¯s not what I was thinking. I must¡¯ve misunderstood his eyes. After all assuming wrong probabilities had ruined my entire childhood once. I wouldn¡¯t do the same mistake again. ¡°You will know, soon.¡± Again ipleted answer! I went to open my mouth to say something but the pompous cheering and loud announcement cut me off. The race was finished, and the winner¡¯s name could be heard from the gallery outside. I looked at him. ¡°Looks like the title ¡®loser¡¯ suits you more now.¡± My lips curved up at the winner¡¯s name while he remained monotonous. ¡°My condolences on your loose. Poor Jordan and the Jockey, they tried hard, you know? Sometimes fate just doesn¡¯t support you everywhere.¡± ¡°Em, you¡¯re done?¡± Warner asked, putting his phone in his pocket. When his eyesnded on Ace, confusion shed over his face. But then he smiled. ¡°Hello, Mr. Valencian.¡± And Mr. Valencian stood still as a rock. Jerk! ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s go!¡± I linked my arm with Warner¡¯s. Stormy eyes followed my moves. ¡°Better luck next time,¡± saying that, I turned to go, pulling Warner along. I didn¡¯t know why I did that, but when I nced back him, something flipped in my tummy. An almost non-visible smirk tugged at the side of his mouth. It whispered a secret I couldn¡¯t unfold. ¡°What was he doing there?¡± Warner asked once we were outside. I shrugged. ¡°Nothing. You tell me, how do you know him. Even at that party, it seemed like you knew him even before anyone introduced you two.¡± Heughed as if it was the silliest question someone has ever asked him. ¡°What doesn¡¯t know Achilles Valencian?¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°Is there any problem between you guys?¡± ¡°Why do you ask?¡± His shoulder lifted. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but¡­ whenever you¡¯re with him or hear about him, you always get tense.¡± I tried my best not to get tensed right now. ¡°Nothing. It¡¯s just¡­ we never got along,¡± I lied. And my tone told him not to query more. So he didn¡¯t. When we passed the ce where those drunk guys were, I didn¡¯t spot them anymore. But I did spot some drops of blood scattered on the ground. Frowning when I looked up, I found some guards dragging those guys away down the stairs to the exit. One of them were holding his b****y nose. He was the one who asked me if I was interested mentioning his money. Then the bruise on Achilles¡¯s knuckles shed in my mind. A silent gasp left my lips. Did he¡­ did he do that to them? But why? When we got back down to our folks, I was still lost in my thoughts. But my sister¡¯s gloomy face caught my attention. Of course! The horse she was cheering on lost. But Tobias, on the other side was grinning ear to ear as he pocked Tess. ¡°See, I told you Jordan will lose. Now you owe me a thousand dors!¡± ¡°But you weren¡¯t supporting Cage either! So howe I lose the bet?¡± Tess red. He shrugged. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. The bet was about Jordan¡¯s winning or loosing. And he lost. So the money is mine!¡± Huffing, Tess slumped beside Caleb as he shook his head in amusement. ¡°It¡¯s all Ace¡¯s fault! Why didn¡¯t he tell me that this time he was betting on Cage instead of Jordan? It¡¯s not fair!¡± My eyes widened. He betted on Cage? Not Jordan? But I thought¡­ My eyes met Caleb. He shed me a sheepish grin. ¡°Even I didn¡¯t know. But what I said turned out true, right?¡± That he never looses. Now I understood the meaning of his smirk back there. And here I was thinking that he lost, calling him a looser on his face. G*d! He must¡¯veughed at me in his head for myck of knowledge. I nced at the VIP section. He was in his previous ce, the dark sunsses were back. People were surrounding him, must be congratting, but his form was angled to us telling me his gaze¡¯s direction. My eyes set on his as I pulled Warner closer, hugging his arm. The tightness of his sharp shadowed jaws made my doubt clear. He was indeed looking at me. But about my sudden act, and his reaction¡­ I shut down my brain before some realization sets in my mind I couldn¡¯t handle. ¡°The race is over now. So why don¡¯t we go and eat somewhere? I¡¯m hungry,¡± I said, not wanting to stay there anymore. Nodding, Caleb stood up and pulled a grumbling Tess along with him. ¡°Em is right, even I¡¯m famished. Let¡¯s go honey, let¡¯s get you some cold drink so that you can cool down a little.¡± When we exited through the gate, this time I didn¡¯t dare to look back. Though I did feel the burning gaze lingering on me all the way until we were finally out of the exit. *** After a whole day of roaming around the city, the day was finally over. Though I did enjoy with Tobias, Caleb and Warner, the awkwardness of my sister¡¯s presence always hindered my pleasantry. Because whenever I see her face, I can¡¯t help but remember that night¡­ I closed my eyes, shutting the door of those memories. ¡°You okay?¡± Warner asked. We just stopped outside my house after a long walk. I decided to take a walk instead of Tobis¡¯s lift thinking it maybe would help me clear my mind off today. But it didn¡¯t. The heady scent of his still lingered at the back of my mind, that deep yet husky voice still murmured in my ear. My free hand balled in a fist. ¡°I¡¯m fine, just a little tired.¡± Smiling, he cupped my face. ¡°I can understand, you¡¯d a long day today.¡± Brown orbs shone with adoration and love as they flickered to my lips. ¡°You know, I¡¯m happy that I came here with you. I¡¯d miss this amazing day with you if I hadn¡¯t.¡± I stopped breathing when his lips met mine. Closing my eyes I waited for something, anything. But I felt nothing. Just a mingling of fleshes, that¡¯s all. A b**n felt behind my closed eyelids. Even a kiss from a guy whom I called my boyfriend couldn¡¯t spark even a little of the sensation I feel with just his eyes on me. Something built up in my chest. Frustration, guilt, and an overwhelming emotion I didn¡¯t want to give a name to.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. As his tongue parted my lips, I pulled away. Hurt shed across his eyes. ¡°I- I¡¯m so sorry, Warner. I¡¯m really tired right now. Can we go inside?¡± Even if he was hurt, he covered it with a smile. And I couldn¡¯t feel more terrible. ¡°It¡¯s alright, Em. I understand. Let¡¯s go in and freshen up.¡± With that, he turned around as I just watched him walk away in silence. *** Soft breeze touched my skin as I watched the dark clouds cover the light of the full moon. The stars weren¡¯t awake tonight. The b**e night offered nothing but the sounds of crickets. They used to soothe my mind other times, but not tonight. Even they couldn¡¯t tame the storm raging in my chest. A stab of guilt again hit me as I remembered Warner¡¯s face this evening when I rejected him, again. This wasn¡¯t the first time I turned him down on being intimate with him. Not only him, in those past years whoever I¡¯d dated, I¡¯d not gone anywhere past the kiss. I just couldn¡¯t. And no guy would want to do anything with a girl who couldn¡¯t even let them kiss her properly let alone getting physical. But Warner wasn¡¯t one of them. He respected my wishes and kept his distance. The most he touched me intimately was kiss me. Other than that, I couldn¡¯t give him anything. And he never comined even though I felt his desire to take our rtionship on a next level. But tonight, I couldn¡¯t even give him a kiss. A tear slipped down my cheek. I swear, I tried. I tried my best to get out of my barrier, but I failed. The more I tried the more I felt disgusted with myself. The more I felt my insides d***g. Even if I¡¯d closed a chapter of my life in my mind, those strings never left me. The feeling of doing something wrong never left me alone. And I did wrong to myself by forcing myself to feel something for those men I dated. But I couldn¡¯t make my heart beat for someone else like it did for him. So I stopped trying. When Warner had proposed me, he knew of my condition. Though he didn¡¯t know what happened in my past. But he knew of my broken heart. I told him I might never be able to love him back, but he said he wanted to give it a try. I didn¡¯t want to hurt him in the process, but his persistence gave me hope. That maybe, I could feel love again. But I didn¡¯t. Though he wanted a rtionship between us, I agreed for my own selfishness. And I hurt the man who was always there for me when no one was in the process. And all of this because of my stupid heart. It just doesn¡¯t know to react to anyone other than him. I gritted my teeth at the clench of my heart. Another tear fell free. I wish, I knew how to stop¡­ I wiped my eyes sensing a movement behind me on the rooftop. Her saldalwood perfume reached me even before she sat beside me. We stayed silent for some moments before she finally spoke. ¡°You¡¯re still mad at me for that night, aren¡¯t you?¡± Her gaze remained high in the sky, as the clouds slowly freed the moon. ¡°I can¡¯t be mad at anyone when I was the foolish one,¡± I said, eyes not moving from the sky. I saw her looking at me from the corner of my eyes. ¡°You weren¡¯t foolish, Em. You were just a young girl in love with someone at a wrong ce and time.¡± I let out a dryugh, my nails dug in my palms. ¡°Funny, you were the one who made me realize of my foolishness.¡± I still remember that day when I confronted her about it, and how sheughed it off on my face making me remember how naive I was to even think a boy like Ace would want me instead of someone like her. A soft sigh left her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Em. I know I¡¯d behaved with you like a b***h that night, instead of like a sister. But, trust me, I never wished anything bad for you.¡± After a moment of silence, she spoke softly. ¡°Because of misunderstandings and childishness, we¡¯ve lost a lot of years, Em. I- I missed my sister in these past time. Even if you visited sometimes, you were so distant that I couldn¡¯t reach you. And honestly, I never found that much courage.¡± The tremble of her voice made me turn to her. Blue eyes glistened under the moon. ¡°I want the rtionship we¡¯d before, Em. I want my sister back. Especially when the most important day of my life ising. Can¡¯t we just forget the past and start over? A new beginning?¡± ¡°Why did you do it?¡± I knew it wasn¡¯t the right time to ask her this when she was talking of a fresh start. But I¡¯d to know. It might be a teenage girl¡¯s breaking heart over a crush for her, but it was much much more than that for me. Looking away, she heaved another sigh. ¡°I know you hate me for that. But trust me, Em, I never wanted anything bad for you. I¡¯d always wished your well-being.¡± ¡°Can you answer my one question?¡± I¡¯d to know why she did it. Why she broke my heart after knowing everything. She seemed hesitant, but then nodded her head. ¡°Did you love him?¡± Happy Thanksgiving, guys! I hope you all had a good feast with your family and friends! I know I¡¯m a bit late to wish that, but I thought why not give you a treat? So here it is! I hope you guys enjoyed it! With love, Eva Zahan. Share Chapter 6 Chapter 6 Read The Trap Of Ace [by Eva Zahan] Chapter 6 ¨C The amber rays colored the horizon, manifesting a crown of crimson and pink above the setting sun. Lines of birds flew alongside across the sky in the direction of their shelter; melodic twittering of them felt like a announcement of the darkness to befall. I took in a deep breath, filling my lungs with the cool evening air. ¡°Beautiful, isn¡¯t it?¡± Dad said, sitting on the car hood beside me. I nodded, a smile curved onto my lips. ¡°Yes, very. Thank you for bringing me here, Dad. It¡¯s been so long I¡¯dst visited. I really missed our sunrises and sunsets.¡± We used toe to this medow at least once a week. Well, at least me, Dad and Tobias. Mom and Tess was toozy to join every time. It was like a tradition for us. The tradition my grandfather started with Dad. But after my shifting to NY, I couldn¡¯t join Dad and Tobias anymore. ¡°Me too, princess. Without you, our visits here didn¡¯t have the same meaning.¡± His tone filled with nostalgia. ¡°Yeah, that idiot had all the fun for himself,¡± I joked, mentioning my brother. He couldn¡¯t join us due to an important meeting this evening. ¡°But I¡¯m happy that you came here with me this time. It¡¯s my turn today to have all the fun.¡± I grinned. Chuckling, he shook his head. ¡°Nah, our time here became pretty boring as even Achilles stopped joining us after you left for you highschool.¡± My smile slipped at the mention of his name. He used to apany us regrly to watch the sunrises and sunsets. But after his father¡¯s d***h, his visits became less, until it stopped totally. I still remember my extra enthusiasm for the ride here even at four in the morning to see him. Meeting him was more important for me than watching anything else. I heard Dad heaving a sigh. ¡°Sometimes we¡¯ve to let go of the past to live our present, Emerald. Because until you live your present, you won¡¯t be able to ept your future.¡± I knew what he was trying to say. Though my family hadn¡¯t said anything, but I knew everyone¡¯d sensed my distance with Ace even after so many years. But I couldn¡¯t exin anything to them even if I wanted. They didn¡¯t know the whole truth, so they couldn¡¯t understand. ¡°But what if it¡¯s too difficult to let go of the past?¡± His blue gaze locked with mine. ¡°Nothing is impossible, sweetheart. Sometimes we indulge ourselves so deep in our pain that we can¡¯t see anything past that. All you¡¯ve to do is, open your heart a little more, be a little more greater, and let go of the grudges. Don¡¯t let the past hold you from your happiness of present.¡± I put my head on his shoulder, saying nothing. Could I do it? Could I be that brave to let go of everything and move on? I haven¡¯t been able to in years. The buzz of my phone cut my thoughts. ¡°Who is it?¡± I put my phone back. ¡°Casie. She and Beth wants us to have dinner together at our regr.¡± Nodding his head, his gaze turned back to the chromatic horizon. After spending some more time talking and refreshing memories, we headed back to home. Once dropping him off, I turned the car around and drove to Nova¡¯d Diner, where the girls were waiting for me. But all the way, the only thing that consumed my mind was, Dad¡¯s words. I knew he was right. I couldn¡¯t let go of the past because I held grudges. Grudges against my sister, grudges against Ace, grudges against myself. I could understand the reason I med Tess and myself, for being so naive. But Ace, he didn¡¯t deserve my hatred. He¡¯d never promised to take care of my heart that I¡¯d med him to break it. But the heart couldn¡¯t see anything else than its ache. And it knew, it¡¯d to hurt others if it wanted to prevent another ache. After talking to Tessst night, I decided to give us another chance. Maybe it was time to let go. Even if it was just a tiny step, but it was something. I couldn¡¯t just hold over something that happened years ago. And maybe, it wasn¡¯t all I thought it was. Last night¡¯s conversation shed in my mind. ¡°Did you love him?¡± Her eyes didn¡¯t flicker as she answered, ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then why did you do it? Why did you do it even after knowing that you¡¯d be hurting me by doing that?¡± I asked, my voice was desperate. A look of sorrow had covered her features. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to hurt you, Em. I¡¯d never hurt my little sister like that, no matter how much we were different from each other.¡± ¡°Then why?¡± She¡¯d casted me a look of apology. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Em. I can¡¯t tell you why. But you will know, soon.¡± She didn¡¯t exin anything after that, just told me to think over her request and left, leaving me alone and confused. What was she hiding? I didn¡¯t know. *** ¡°So you decided to forgive her?¡± asked Casie, raising a brow. I shrugged, twirling the fork into my spaghetti. ¡°I¡¯m happy that you¡¯re solving your problems with your sister, Em. Life is too short to hold grudges forever. I agree with your Dad.¡± Beth smiled. Casie scoffed. ¡°These things only sounds good in your stupid books. They¡¯re not that brilliant in real life. Once a b***h, always a b***h.¡± ¡°Casie!¡± I sent her a look of reprimand, causing her to roll her eyes and taking a sip from her smoothie. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t forgive my sister if she¡¯d done something like that to me. Thank G*d, I don¡¯t have one!¡± she remarked. Beth scowled at her. ¡°Don¡¯t listen to her, Em! You do whatever your heart says.¡± She wiggled in her seat. ¡°Uh, now that you forgave Tess, will you consider to do the same to Achi¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about him right now, Beth. Let me just enjoy my dinner right now with you guys, will you?¡± There was nothing to forgive Ace in the first ce, but trying to get my rtionship good with him meant sacrificing my heart again. And I knew better. Just some days more, and then I will be gone. Far away from him. ¡°Well, I see your wish didn¡¯t get granted at all,¡± Casiemented, looking at her right. ¡°What¡¯re you talking about?¡± My eyes widened when I followed her gaze to the furthest corner of the diner. Followed a gasp from Beth. ¡°What¡¯s he doing here?¡± Three suited men and a woman in her twenty something sat around the table. She sat right beside him, too close to just be a business associate. With fiery red hair, porcin skin and soft features, she was gorgeous. At something one of those men said, sheughed delicately cing a hand on his shoulder. And he too reciprocated with a soft smile he only disyed on rare asions. A pang felt in my chest, my eyes set on her hand on his shoulder. Turning around, I gulped the lump down my throat. ¡°Oohoo, I thought he didn¡¯t have any barbie in his life.¡± Casie whistled. ¡°Casie!¡± Beth hissed, throwing me a concerned nce. Casie straightened. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Em. I didn¡¯t mean to¡­ we can leave if you want.¡± I waved my hand in dismiss. ¡°No need. I don¡¯t care if he is here or not, or whom he brought here. We¡¯re here to enjoy our dinner, and we will just do that.¡± I casted another nce back at them. She was now whispering something in his ear; the grip on my fork tightened. ¡°You sure?¡± Beth whispered. I nodded, putting a spoonful of spaghetti in my mouth, not wanting to give them any attention. But it was difficult when her high-pitchedughter burned my ears. Beth and Casie sent draggers at them with their hostile looks. ¡°Look at him! Getting sofortable with that leech, and here I thought his sending you messages and flowers meant something.¡± ¡°Will you shut up, Cass?¡± Beth red and then looked at me. ¡°She could be just a friend. And after what he did and said at the race track, it proves that he likes you. I don¡¯t think he is that shallow that he¡¯d try to persue one and roam around with another.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so, look at them. They look too cosy to be just friends,¡± remarked Casie. Another pang made me grit my teeth. ¡°I don¡¯t care if they¡¯re friends or not. Why should I anyway? It¡¯s not that I¡¯m his girlfriend or something. And whatever he did yesterday, it didn¡¯t mean anything. So let¡¯s just forget about it.¡± My fork kept ying with the food, I seemed to lose my appetite. Even if I didn¡¯t want to, my eyes went back to them. Her arm was now linked with him and his hand patting hers. And my treacherous eyes stung, heart squeezed with something. Thunder cracked outside, announcing the uing downfall. I didn¡¯t look away when his eyes met mine. Surprise shed into them, and then something else that I couldn¡¯t decipher. Seeing hisck of attention, she followed his gaze. Her eyes widened slightly as she untangled her herself from him once she noticed the direction of my stare. But he remained as comfortable as he was. As if he didn¡¯t care. And why would he? It¡¯s not that he really did care for you or he¡¯d any soft corner for you anyway. Everything he said and did was just a pretence. All of a sudden, I felt suffocated. Turning away, I stood up abruptly, grabbing my purse. Casie and Beth went to follow me but I stopped them. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. ¡°You guys finish your dinner. I¡¯m done.¡± When they went to protest, I shook my head. ¡°Don¡¯t. I will see you guyster. Bye.¡± A storm was building in my chest, wanting to release. My fingers clutched my purse in a vice grip. My jaws right, holding the emotions that was threatening to surface. I needed to go away. I needed air. Just as I stepped out of the exit, a shoulder bumped into mine. ¡°Em? What a pleasant¡­ are you alright?¡± Caleb held my shoulder, his face morphed into concern. The sh of lightening fell onto us. Without giving him an answer, I moved away and walked into the open air. ¡°Wait, where¡¯re you going? It¡¯s raining!¡± he called out behind me, but I didn¡¯t pay him any heed. Drops of rain pped against my face along the gust of cold wind. Goosebumps rose across my arms as the water drops pricked my skin. But it didn¡¯t stop me, this storm was nothing before my inner one. The rage that boiled inside me, it didn¡¯t make any sense. But it did bother me. It did bother me to see him with that girl even if I didn¡¯t have any right over him. It hurt. It hurt like a b***h! And that¡¯s what frustrated me. I didn¡¯t want to feel, but I couldn¡¯t help it. My car wasn¡¯t parked where I left it. The valet must¡¯ve parked it in the parking lot. So ignoring the rain and howling wind, I strode towards the parking lot. What it¡¯d take for me to get over him? What¡¯d it take for my heart to heal the wound that I¡¯d given myself? The tear that slipped from my eye, the pouring rain washed it away. I hope it could take away the ache also. All of a sudden, a sh of blinding light fell onto my eyes, causing me to cover them with my hands. A shout of my name came with a screech of tires as a pair of strong arms moved me away from the way. The driver yelled out some curses driving away when my gaze remained in no particr direction with my heart pounding in my chest. ¡°What the h**l is wrong with you! Where was your attention? You could¡¯ve just died, G*d d**n it!¡± He shaking me by my shoulders got me out of my shock. Stormy grey eyes zed with fire under the cold raindrops. He was done with hisdy love that he came after me? ¡°So what?¡± I snapped, pushing him away. ¡°It¡¯s not that you¡¯d care if I died! Go enjoy your dinner with your girlfriend!¡± His jaw clenched, grabbing my arm. ¡°She¡¯s not my girlfriend. And don¡¯t you dare talking about¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care! Leave me alone! And DO NOT touch me again, I¡¯m warning you!¡± I jerked my hand from his grasp and turned to my car. A gasp left my lips as my chest collided against his, his one arm tight around my waist and another on my nape. ¡°I WON¡¯T leave you alone, get that into your beautiful head. And about touching you-¡± he leaned in, his nose brushing mine, ¡°-no one can stop me from touching you. Not even you, Rosebud. Because, you¡¯re mine to touch.¡± His forehead pressed against mine, noses touching, stormy grey shing with my turquoise, strong arms clutched me to them in a possesive grip. My breath hitched at my throat, heart racing. Even under the heavy cold rainfall, my blood streamed hot in my veins. My breathing came out ragged as he pulled me closer against him, one hand cupping my cheek. Raindrops rolled down his head to the thickshes of his eyes as they gazed at my lips with unmistakable dark desire. My own lips parted at the heat of his body against mine. My insides burned for something. ¡°Mine. Just mine,¡± he rasped, cing his hot mouth at the corner of my lips. My eyelids threatened to shut, drunk in his intoxicating warmth. My heart whispered his name. Lingering his mouth on there for a moment, when his lips went to meet mine¡­ a honk of a car jolted me out of my trance. As soon as I got back to my senses, I pushed him away. Surprise and something close to dissapointment shed across his hard features. He hand shot up to reach me again, but stopped him from doing so. Closing his eyes for a second, he opened them again. This time they held calm andposure. ¡°Emerald, I¡­¡± Shaking my head, I turned around and ran to my car. Fumbling with the keys with trembling hands, I somehow managed to get in and drove away. His silent yet rigid form grew distance in the rearview as I went far and far away until he vanished out of the sight. mming on the brakes, I stopped at a corner. I gripped the wheels tight as a sob left my mouth. I let the tears free cing my head against the seat. The pounding of my heart still didn¡¯t died down. My hands shook on the wheel. How could I let it happen? I could I let him so close to me? Even after everything, how I could I let myself sway? How? You¡¯re mine to touch! Mine. Just mine. His words rang in my head. I shook my head. No! No, no! I can¡¯t let it happen. I can¡¯t let myself get hurt again. I can¡¯t let him do this to me, again! I won¡¯t be able to live through another heartbreak. My phone red in my purse. Wiping my cheeks, I grabbed the purse and got the phone out. Tess. ¡°Hey, Em! Sorry if I¡¯m disturbing you. Dad told me you¡¯re with your friends,¡± she said from the other side. I¡¯ve to do something. ¡°Em? Emerald, you listening?¡± I blinked. ¡°Yeah, tell me.¡± ¡°Alright, so I called to tell you that we¡¯re having a family dinner at Caleb¡¯s ce tomorrow night. It¡¯d be a great chance to get our families together again. His uncle is alsoing. So I¡¯d be really happy if you join,¡± she exined. ¡°You wille, right?¡± Her voice full of hope. Silence. ¡°Em? You will join us, won¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Tess. I can¡¯t.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± I cut the call and dialed Warner¡¯s number. After two rings, he picked up. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Book two tickets and pack your bags.¡± ¡°What? Now? But why?¡± ¡°We¡¯re leaving. Tonight.¡± Share Chapter 7 Chapter 7 Read The Trap Of Ace [by Eva Zahan] Chapter 7 ¨C A pair of stormy grey eyes gazed down at me, my heart skipped at the intensity in them. I tried to move but as if I didn¡¯t have any control over my body. I couldn¡¯t do anything but to watch those grey poolsing closer. Then I felt hot breath fanning on my neck, sending goosebumps across my skin. My insides squirmed with anticipation. ¡°Mine¡­¡± Jolting awake from my sleep, I searched around for him. But there was no one. But, I felt as if someone just called me mine¡­ Running my palms over my face, I sat up. It was just a dream. He wouldn¡¯t leave me alone even in my dreams, would he? Three days had passed since that night and my returning back to NY, and his words still haunted my sleep. Shaking my head, I nced at the time. S**t! It¡¯s already eight! Scrambling out of the bed, I grabbed my clothes for the interview and ran inside the washroom. I¡¯d two interviews today, and the first one was at nine. If I wouldn¡¯t reach there in time, I¡¯d lose the chance to work at one of my dream work ces. Actually both of them were important to me. If I got a job at one of them, it¡¯d be a golden ticket for my career as a designer. And my first destination was Summer Clothing House. One of the most famous fashion houses across the city. *** ¡°What? But how¡¯s that possible? I was informed that I¡¯d have an interview today at nine.¡± The receptionist sent me a professional look of apology. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the hassle, but we¡¯ve found the perfect candidate for the post, so we¡¯d to cancel the interview. Didn¡¯t you receive the email, Miss?¡± I frowned. ¡°What email?¡± ¡°We¡¯d sent all our expected candidates an email regarding the rescission as an apology,¡± she informed. Oh! I¡¯d kept my phone off since I left home that night to avoid my family¡¯s questions and a particr person¡¯s messages. And I didn¡¯t even check my email for some days now. How could I be so careless? ¡°Uh, maybe it missed out from my eyes.¡± I bit my lip. ¡°Alright, my bad luck, I guess.¡± ¡°We¡¯re again sorry, Miss. Have a good day!¡± Nodding, I sent her a tight smile and got out of there. Time to go to my next destination. I just hoped everything will turn out good this time. Content ? N?velDrama.Org. *** Checking myself onest time in the rearview, I let out a breath, wiping my mmy palms on my skirt. Come on, Em! You¡¯ve got this! Chanting the mantra in my head, I got out of the car and looked up at the huge forty something floor building. A big Coopers Fabrics was hung at the top. I blew out a breath. I really didn¡¯t want this chance to get out of my hands. These two were my dream workce, and now one is gone, left thetter. I¡¯d try my best to impress them to take the ball in my court. Ignoring the nervous wreck in my tummy, I padded inside. Shoulders squared and chin high in confidence. But as soon as the crowd in the waiting area came into my view, my confidence melted into a puddle. All of them were sophisticatedly dressed, with CVs in their hands. Definitely for the interview. Of course, this was one of the most renowned textilepanies in the country. What did I expect? The receptionist guided me to wait with the others as there was still quite time for my turn toe. And getting among these sharp and talented looking people, my nervousness just rose into a new height. So choosing a vacant seat, I settled at the furthest corner of the waiting area and waited for my turn to come. My phone red in my purse, getting some eyes on me in irritation. Getting out the phone, I put it on silent. It was Warner. ¡°Hello,¡± I whispered. ¡°Em, thank G*d you finally switched on your phone. Your parents were k*****g me asking about you. They¡¯re really mad that you left all of a sudden and then kept your phone off.¡± I nced down at my nails, the sense of guilt was picking up on me. I hadn¡¯t given them that much of an exnation of my sudden leave, and then blocked any way they could connect to me. Just to avoid one person, I¡¯d to hurt so many loved ones. Since I switched on my phone this morning, I didn¡¯t even check the calls or messages. I¡¯m sure my notification box has been flooded. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m sorry that you¡¯d to handle my family¡¯s bombering. I will talk to youter about it, I¡¯m now at Coopers Fabrics for the interview. Do you¡¯ve anything else to say?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing, Em. It¡¯s just that even I¡¯m worried for your sudden change of heart. Anyway, I called you to give a good news. I will meet you tonight at your ce.¡± His voice dripped with excitement. ¡°What good news? And sure, I¡¯m free tonight.¡± I ignored his first statement. ¡°That¡¯s a surprise forter tonight. Now I gotta go. All the best for your interview!¡± I smiled. ¡°Thanks. See youter.¡± Sighing, I put the phone down. What good news he was talking about? ¡°Emerald Hutton?¡± Ady in her mid-thirties with a high tight bun and suit, looked around for the beholder of the name. ¡°It¡¯s me!¡± Raising my hand, I got up. ¡°You¡¯re next. Mr. Cooper is waiting for you inside,¡± she said. Tone professional with no hint of smile. Nodding my head, I grabbed my purse, CV, and followed behind her. Once we stopped before a pair of white doors, she knocked and waited. ¡°Come in!¡± barked a voice from inside. I cringed. G*d knew who was going to take my interview. I already had a feeling of doom. Tilting her chin, she gestured to me to go on and left. Taking deep breaths, I entered. Restless butterflies stormed in my stomach. A small round man in histe fifties sat opposite of the huge desk. With a big scowl, he continued to sign in some papers, muttering something incoherent under his breath. A loud noise echoed in the room as he slightly leaned at his right and then sat straight. Eyes wide, I stopped at my track. ¡°Would you stand there forever? Sit!¡± he grumbled, without looking at me. He didn¡¯t seem to notice that he just farted before someone. Trying not to crinkle my nose at the foul odor in the air, I took the chair opposite of his and ced the file of my CV on the desk. ¡°Hello, Mr. Cooper! I¡¯m Emerald Hutton.¡± I kept my tone as professional as I could holding my breath on. ¡°So? I¡¯m not here to y introducing ourselves with you. Give me your CV already, will you?¡± Brushing the arched moustache on his upper lip, he reached out for my file and I handed it to him. With narrowed eyes, he scrutinized my CV. Though I¡¯d topped in most of my exams and my other qualifications were also good, I was still at the edge of his judgement. Because the way he was looking at those papers, I got a feeling he was a judge in some time of his life. ¡°You¡¯re fluent in Spanish and Italian? Or you just added it out of excitement?¡± His tone was already calling me a fraud. But I remained calm. ¡°No, Mr. Cooper. I¡¯ve especially taken courses on Italian and my secondnguage was Spanish at high school. If you want, I could converse with you in one of them.¡± ¡°No need.¡± He waved his hand, grunting. ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯d understand anything anyway. You could bber to make a fool of me.¡± I gritted my teeth, but still kept myposure. This grumbling potato was now getting on my nerves. Who takes interviews like that? I wonder who even made him the CEO of thispany. ¡°You eat well?¡± For the first time he looked up. My brows creased. How did that rte to anything with the job. ¡°Uh, I do when I¡¯m hungry. Why?¡± He snorted. ¡°Girls of your generation are fond of keeping themselves empty stomached to staynky. And if your stomach is empty, so will be your head. How would you create designs if you¡¯re empty in the head?¡± I didn¡¯t miss how he mentioned fit asnky. Do I still want to work in hispany? Sadly, yes. ¡°No, Mr. Cooper. I prefer to be healthy than be¡­nky,¡± I replied. He cast a look, observing me. I fidgeted on my seat. Then all of a sudden, he closed my file and slid it to me. ¡°Get out now. And tell Lucinda to send the next headache.¡± I raised my brow. Did he just reject me? Then I understood that it was his way to say: you may leave now. And I assumed Lucinda was that woman who sent me in, and headache was the next candidate. Pressing my lips tight, I shed him an even tighter smile and stood up. The nervousness now turned into fear as I informed Lucinda and then walked away. She told me I¡¯d receive an email of the position of me in this interview: rejected or selected. Until them, I will have to wait. As I got out of the elevator, my shoulder bumped into someone. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so sorry!¡± Looking up, I found a man near Mr. Cooper¡¯s age standing there. But he was far from small and round, the opposite in fact. Tall and fit. Some grey hairs were peaking out of the dark strands. When he nced at me, something shed across his dark hollow eyes. Tilting his head, he gave me a look over. I didn¡¯t know why, but he looked familiar. And from just looking at his eyes, I got a sense of uneasiness. ¡°It¡¯s alright, my dear. People often stumble into their way when they don¡¯t see where they¡¯re going. Or¡­ crossing whom¡¯s path.¡± The edge of his voice evolved some secrets. Then the ominous look suddenly vanished and reced a bright smile that didn¡¯t reach his eyes. ¡°I hope your interview had gone well, dear.¡± I looked down at my CV. But still, they were in a file, how did he know that I came here for an interview? ¡°Uh, it was good. But, how do you know that I came here for an interview?¡± He¡¯d that look again. ¡°I know a lot of things, youngdy.¡± His eyes flickered over my shoulder. ¡°If you will now excuse me, I¡¯m in a hurry right now. I will see youter.¡± Nodding, he passed me and went into the elevator. ¡°But¡­¡± I turned around, but the doors already closed and he was gone. I frowned. Who was he? He talked as if¡­ he knew me somehow. But how? Whatever, I didn¡¯t want to see him around again. That man radiated some kind of negative energy. Heaving a sigh, I looked up at the sky once outside. First interview got cancelled and this one was terrible. Though he didn¡¯t give me an answer, his expression didn¡¯t seem to be impressed. But still, I¡¯d my fingers crossed. I didn¡¯t want this chance to slip away from my hand. It wasn¡¯t even noon. And I was already feeling tired. My phone beeped again. And this time it was my best friend. ¡°I¡¯ve found out. She isn¡¯t his girlfriend or anything like that. They¡¯re just friends! And if it still bothers you then, you should know that she¡¯s happily married,¡± Casie finished in one breath. ¡°Casie, what are you talking about¡­¡± Then it hit me. That girl with him at the diner. That red head. All of a sudden, irritation irked my skin. Wait¡­ what did she say? They¡¯re just¡­ friends? Not anything else? Why did I feel so light all of a sudden? I shook my head. ¡°Em, you there?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m listening.¡± I cleared my throat. ¡°Oh thank G*d! I thought you died out of relief.¡± She teased. I straightened up. ¡°It¡¯s nothing like that! I don¡¯t care if she¡¯s his girlfriend or just a friend. And you called me to inform this?¡± I could imagine her rolling her blue eyes. ¡°Yeah, right! That¡¯s why you vanished all of a sudden after that night. Don¡¯t lie to me, b***h! I know how much you care. So as a best friend, I just did my duty by applying balm on your b**n.¡± Now it was my turn to roll my eyes. ¡°Shut up! I¡¯m not lying. And right now when I¡¯m in fear that if I got rejected or selected for the job, I don¡¯t want to talk about that man.¡± Now that caught her attention and then I gave her a brief of everything that happened since this morning and all she did wasugh at my misery, wishing me luck with Mr. F**t Cooper. *** ¡°So? What good news are you going to give me?¡± I asked Warner, taking a bite on the pizza he¡¯d brought for us for dinner. ¡°You tell me first. How did your interview go?¡± He chewed on his piece. My shoulders lifted up. ¡°Peachy. The first one got cancelled and the second one was horrible.¡± ¡°Why? What happened? Your CV is excellent, everyone would want to give you a chance,¡± he stated. ¡°Thanks. But Mr. Cooper wasn¡¯t everyone.¡± Shaking my head, I exined everything. Except that creepy man I bumped into. Heughed so hard that he started to choke on his food. ¡°That¡¯s not funny! I¡¯m concerned over my whole career here!¡± Giving him a ss of water, I red at him. ¡°Sorry! It¡¯s just, I still can¡¯t believe he farted before you.¡± He chuckled, wiping his tears that he got from laughing his a*s off. Seeing my serious expression, he sobered up and smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Em. They will definitely get back to you soon. And trust me, the job will be yours. I know it.¡± ¡°I hope so. Anyway, will you tell me your good news now?¡± Setting the ss aside, he sat straight. Though his eyes sparkled with exhration, he seemed hesitant. ¡°Uh, you remember I applied for a jobst month?¡± I nodded. ¡°Well, I got epted to work directly under the general manager there.¡± ¡°What? That¡¯s amazing, Warner! Congrattions!¡± Leaping up from my ce, I gave him a tight hug. ¡°Thank you! But there is another thing¡­¡± Pulling away, I studied him. ¡°What¡¯s it?¡± ¡°Umm¡­¡± he scratched his head. ¡°Thispany is in Seattle. So, uh, I¡¯ve to go there and join from next week.¡± ¡°Of course you should go! Why are you so hesitant about it?¡± I queried. He huffed. ¡°That means I¡¯ve to go that far away from you, Em. And I can¡¯t do that.¡± I grabbed his hand. ¡°I know how you¡¯re feeling. I will miss you too, but just because you will have to shift to another city, you can¡¯t miss this opportunity. It¡¯s always been your dream to work at thatpany. And now that finally you got the chance, you should definitely take it.¡± ¡°But Em, I can¡¯t leave you here alone¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a kid, Warner. I can take care of myself. And we will talk everyday, so don¡¯t you worry. Just pack your bags already!¡± I punched on his shoulder making himugh and engulf me into another hug. My phone buzzed on the couch making me pull away. My heart skipped. Was it an email from them? Warner eyed me. He thought the same. Giving me an encouraging nod, he pushed me to check it. With both excitement and nervousness I picked up my phone expecting an email of good news. As I saw the screen, my heart stopped in my chest. And then started racing for a mile. It wasn¡¯t anything I expected it was. I gave you time. And now your time is over. You can¡¯t escape from me anymore. Share Chapter 8 Chapter 8 Read The Trap Of Ace [by Eva Zahan] Chapter 8 ¨C ¡°Come onnn, Em! You can¡¯t sit here with that gloomy face. Don¡¯t worry about the job, just ennjoy, girl! Everything will be fine,¡± Molly, one of my college friends, slurred, leaning against the bar counter. ¡°Here take this drink, you¡¯ll feel good.¡± I shook my head. ¡°I¡¯m not in a mood. So I¡¯d just pass.¡± She pouted. But as I didn¡¯t drink the shot she offered to me, shrugging, she gulped it herself. Kate and John, my other friends and circle¡¯s popr couple, shook their heads at her and went back to their cuddling. We were at a local pub with our college friends. After they got to know about Warner¡¯s getting the job, they wanted to celebrate it. So here we were, enjoying the night. Except me. Too many thoughts were ying in my head to get wasted with alcohol. ¡°Here, at least drink this orange juice. It¡¯s really good, I tell you.¡± Warner handed me a ss, sipping on his own. ¡°Thanks!¡± My eyes went around the dancing crowd and the moving lights. Even the booming music didn¡¯t make my mood better. ¡°Hey!¡± He turned me to him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, alright? I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll get it.¡± I smiled and then he got busy with the others,ughing and joking. And I just concentrated on my juice in silence. You can¡¯t escape from me anymore. What did he mean by that? Whatever he said that night, at the parking lot, and then that message, what do I think out of it? Why all of a sudden he was behaving like he¡­ like he¡¯d some right over me or something. All these years, he didn¡¯t even ask about me to anyone. And now¡­ A sigh left my lips. He confused me. I confused myself, or should I say my feelings did. Even knowing he could give me an another heartache, why did I still feel so connected to him? ¡°Em? You¡¯re here with us, right? You seem lost,¡± Kate asked. ¡°My love, you know why she isn¡¯t in a good mood tonight. We¡¯re pestering her from the moment she arrived. Leave her alone,¡± John said, kissing her temple, and then pulled her for a kiss. The others gagged at their PDA,ughing. Something soared in my chest and subconsciously, my hand touched the corner of my lips. The ce where his scorching mouth was just nights ago. Warner¡¯s pocking me pulled me out of my reverie. Looking at his eyes, guilt washed over me like a cold bouquet of ice. My hand balled into a fist. How could I think of someone¡¯s kiss when I was sitting right beside my boyfriend? Shame befell on me. But I couldn¡¯t control my feelings even if I wanted to. The beeping of my phone distracted my sense of shame. My eyes widened when I checked it. An email from Coopers Fabrics! I squealed as soon as I read it, making Warner and others watch me with confusion. Grinning ear to ear, I leaped up from my seat. ¡°I did it! I got the job!¡± Whistles and cheers resonated around the group as they congratted me one by one. Warner seemed as happy as I was and engulfed me in a bear hug. Finally, after so many days something good happened in my life. ¡°Now that our dear Emerald got the job, it¡¯s time to double celebrate!¡± John yelled out. ¡°And you Miss-¡± he pointed at me, ¡°-no more gloomy face, enjoy with us now!¡± Kate and Molly bobbed their heads as they passed me sses of shots. And this time, I didn¡¯t hold myself back. And why not? It was a matter of celebration. After hours of drinking and spending time with everyone, I was swaying on my feet. I couldn¡¯t even walk properly without stumbling on my way. Once everyone called it a night, John and Kate offered to drop me and Warner. As the couple drank less and got cozy more. ¡°Careful, Em!¡± Warner cautioned when I got out of the car with wobbly legs. ¡°Bye, guys! We¡¯ll see you soon!¡± shouted Kate, even if we were just outside the car. I cringed at her high pitched voice. Waving at them, I hobbled towards my house. My eyes were about to shut down. ¡°You sure you don¡¯t want me to drop you to your home?¡± I heard John ask Warner. ¡°Nah, my ce is just two blocks away. Thanks, man! You guys can go now. It¡¯ste,¡± Warner replied. Again saying goodbyes, they drove off. The sound of car engine reverberated across the empty street. Only one or two dogs barking at distance could be heard other than our footsteps. ¡°Hey, hey! Careful there!¡± He held my shoulders before I could fall on my face before my main door. ¡°I¡¯m fine, Warner.¡± I giggled without any reason. ¡°You don¡¯t worry about me. You go home, I will just fly into my room from here in no time.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. You can barely walk straight, Em. Let me help you to your room,¡± he offered. ¡°I can walk just fine. And I¡¯m already at my home. So I will be fine. You go.¡± I insisted, fumbling the keys out of my purse. ¡°But¡­ you sure?¡± He seemed hesitant. I bobbed my head without looking at him. Sighing, he gripped my chin and pressed his lips against mine. I stood there still, not returning the affection. Something told me to pull away, but I didn¡¯t. Suddenly at the corner of my eyes, I caught a movement. Pulling away, I squinted my eyes to see clearly. There, at the furthest corner of the street, opposite of ours, stood a shadow under the damaged street light. Its body was angled to us. Goosebumps crawled up onto my skin as I felt its gaze on me. Though I couldn¡¯t make out anything out of it as it was in the darkness, but I could feel it. Its stare. ¡°What happened? What are you looking at?¡± Just as Warner turned around, it vanished totally into the shadow. ¡°Is something wrong there?¡± ¡°I think I just saw someone there.¡± ¡°But there is no one, Em. Who would be there at thiste night?¡± Warner frowned. ¡°But if you¡¯re not feeling good, I can stay the night if you want.¡± My head snapped back to him, blinking. ¡°Uh, no, it¡¯s fine. It could be my imagination. I think, I drank too much tonight. You go home, I will be fine.¡± Though it could really be just my imagination, but after that, I wasn¡¯t feeling that high right now. My head seemed to get cleared up. ¡°Alright, if you insist.¡± Yawning, he gave me a hug. ¡°I will go now. See youter. And call me if you need anything.¡± As he walked away, my eyes flickered to that spot where I saw that shadow, but there was no one. It must be my imagination. Shaking my head, I opened my door and closed it behind me. *** ¡°Em, you should sleep well, especially if it¡¯s the night before your first day at job,¡± Mom chastised over the phone for me not sleeping enoughst night properly. Well, after returning home at midnight, I only had two hours of sleep until I woke up with another dream of a particr person. And then the hangover came along. Even though after two pain killers, I got some relief, I couldn¡¯t fall asleep after that. Excitement and nervousness had kept me wide awake. It was six in the morning, and here I was, pacing around the hall out of anticipation. ¡°Anyway, when will your office start again?¡± ¡°At nine.¡± Three hours more to go. And I already could feel my hands and feets turning cold. ¡°There is still so much time. You could still take a nap for an hour, you know, honey? I don¡¯t want you to look like a zombie on your first day.¡± When I¡¯d informed her about the job, she was over the moon. She was way more excited for my job than I was. And I was happy about that. At least she wasn¡¯t upset with me for leaving all of a sudden anymore. ¡°It¡¯s alright, Mom. I¡¯m fine. I won¡¯t fall asleep even if I want. So I will just make some breakfast for me now and then get ready.¡± ¡°Oh, okay then. Don¡¯t forget to call me after your office, I want to know how did it go, alright? And eat something healthy,¡± she said. I smiled. ¡°Alright, mother. I will. Now can I go? I¡¯ve not even taken a shower.¡± ¡°Okay, okay. Go. Your father is waiting for me outside for jogging anyway. I will talk to youter. Love you!¡± ¡°Love you, too!¡± *** The doorbell rang, halting my movement around the kitchen. I nced at the clock. Seven-thirty. Who could be here so early in the morning? A grey head peaked through the peephole. ¡°Carole? What are you doing here today? I thought you¡¯d be at your daughter¡¯s ce on vacation,¡± I asked as the aged woman stood at my door with a box in her hand. Carole was the caretaker my parents hired for me when I shifted to this city. Since then she¡¯de and look after my needs every morning and evening. Even though I could handle everything myself, thisdy wouldn¡¯t budge from her duty to take care of me. ¡°Good morning, Ms. Hutton. It seems you¡¯re not happy to see me here,¡± she said, raising her brow. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Shaking my head, Iughed, giving her a hug. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m happy. I was just surprised to see you here as you still had two days off in your hands.¡± She walked inside, padding directly into the kitchen. Her primary responsibility, feeding me well. Well, because obviously, I sucked at cooking. It was never my forte. ¡°I was supposed to. Even Mindy was upset that I left so soon. But you see, dear, the cold weather didn¡¯t suit me well. So I cut it short and came backst night.¡± Mindy was her daughter, who lived in Canada. And once a year, Carole goes to visit her because her daughter can¡¯t make it here because of her job. ¡°You should¡¯ve taken the day off today and rest, you know?¡± ¡°So that you could eat these dry sandwiches for another day?¡± She nced at the leftover bread I was gonna make my breakfast with spread on the counter. shing her a sheepish grin, I hopped on a chair and eyed the box she brought. ¡°What¡¯s in that?¡± ¡°Oh, I almost forgot. I brought you some cookies I got from Canada. They¡¯re delicious, you will love them.¡± She smiled with affection in her eyes. Though she was a caretaker of me, she has be more of a family for me over those years. She loved me just as a grandma would to their grandkids. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to, Carole. But thank you!¡± Unpacking the box, I picked up a cookie and munched on it. And the moan that left my mouth, had her smile in acknowledgement. These were amazing! ¡°You eat them while I make you something for breakfast,¡± saying that she went to do her magic in the kitchen while I devoured the cookies. Who needed breakfast if you had these pieces of heaven? *** Blowing out a breath, I checked myself in the rearview onest time before getting out of the car. The huge building stood tall over me. It felt like a deja Vu. But I just hoped today wouldn¡¯t turn out likest time. Forcing my legs, I raised my chin high and walked ahead. But as soon as I crossed the entrance, my steps halted. People were like on a marathon around the lobby,ing in and out with boxes, racing around with loads of folders. No one left another even a single nce as they ran like headless chicken. Even the receptionist was having difficulties attending so many phone calls at a time. A frown set on my forehead. What was happening here? ¡°Hi! Actually it¡¯s my first day here, so can you tell me where Lucinda is¡­¡± The receptionist cut me off with her hand, and picked up another call. Her looks were disheveled compared to the other day. She looked miserable. ¡°Excuse me? Can please tell me¡­¡± She again ignored me for the third time of my asking, and then my eyes fell on the packed box on her left. Was she- leaving? Some other stuff were also carrying those same boxes with crestfallen faces. What was happening? ¡°Oh, Ms. Hutton! You¡¯re already here, I see. Good that I found you now, otherwise I don¡¯t think I¡¯d have any timeter to discuss anything with you. Now, follow me.¡± She didn¡¯t even let me speak as she turned around and stormed away, leaving me no chance but to follow her. ¡°You see, there is a lot of work today. So I won¡¯t take much time of yours. Sadly, Mr. Cooper is not here right now, otherwise he¡¯d inform you all neers himself,¡± she informed, not stopping her steps a bit. It was good that he wasn¡¯t here. I preferred my environment pure and breathable. ¡°Uh, what is going on here? And what information Mr. Cooper was supposed to tell us?¡± I queried, but that woman ignored me, walking inside a spacious cabin. ¡°Here!¡± ¡°What¡¯s it?¡± I eyed the white envelope she handed me. Something churned in my stomach. Oh no! Was I already fired for some reason? ¡°Your transfer letter,¡± she replied, no emotions on her face. ¡°You¡¯ve been transferred to another city in one of thispany¡¯s branches.¡± ¡°What?¡± I gaped. ¡°What do you mean by transfer letter? I- I don¡¯t understand. What¡¯s happening?¡± She sighed. ¡°We apologise for the sudden decision, Ms. Hutton. But Coopers Fabrics had been sold to a multinationalpanyst night. A lot of employees have lost their jobs, some even got appointed. You¡¯re lucky that the new owner didn¡¯t terminate the neers and decided to give them a chance.¡± My mouth was on the floor, eyes wide. Someone bought it overnight? But how was it possible? And about my transfer, I didn¡¯t have any idea of which corner of the country they¡¯ve shifted me. ¡°Is there no other way to change the decision? I mean, I can¡¯t just leave everything and move to a whole new city all of a sudden.¡± My voice desperate. ¡°Sadly, no. We¡¯re doing what we¡¯d been ordered to do. We¡¯re just doing our job, Ms. Hutton,¡± she said, ncing at her watch. ¡°Now, I¡¯ve something else to attend to. If you will excuse me. All the best for your future.¡± ¡°But, I¡­¡± And she was already gone. I just stood there, bbergasted. What the h**l just happened? I nced down at the letter. Only G*d knew. With shaky hands, I pulled the paper out and unfolded it. My heart stopped beating in my chest. G*d! It¡¯s not happening! It can¡¯t be. Now the crestfallen expression was pped on my face as I walked out of the ominous building and pulled my phone out, dialled the number. After some rings, he picked up. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°I¡¯ming back.¡± Share Chapter 9 Chapter 9 Read The Trap Of Ace [by Eva Zahan] Chapter 9 ¨C ¡°So, that means you will stay here now that you¡¯ve been transferred in this city?¡± Mom eyed me, stirring the soup on the stove. Her voice radiated felicity. Peeling another pea, I shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know know. I¡¯m thinking to apply for another transfer. Maybe they will consider it?¡± Staying here wasn¡¯t an option for me, but leaving this job, well, I couldn¡¯t take this risk. I¡¯d dreamed to work atpanies like this, and now that I finally got the chance, I couldn¡¯t just throw it away. The one thing that didn¡¯t make any sense was, Coopers Fabrics was one of the most sessful textile companies, then what happened all of a sudden that they had to sell it overnight? ¡°I didn¡¯t know you hate this city that much,¡± she said, her tone fragile. I sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t hate it here, Mom. It¡¯s just, I told you, all my ns are made around NY. And I can¡¯t just ignore them just like that.¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯m a fool?¡± Her brows rose. ¡°Do you think I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re so keen to stay away from California?¡± I opened my mouth and then closed it. She shook her head. ¡°Just because one person, you can¡¯t punish your whole family, Em. You¡¯ve to ept it sooner orter, you can¡¯t keep running forever.¡± Closing my eyes, I rubbed my neck. I didn¡¯t deny anything she enunciated. Because we both knew the truth. ¡°Anyway, what¡¯s the name of your new employeer? I want to thank him personally for transferring you here. I already like this person.¡± Sensing my unease, she changed the topic. I rolled my eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t know. And honestly, I don¡¯t have any wish to.¡± For that person I was here again, back to the city where the devil of my dreams resided. Mumbling something incoherent under her breath, she took the peas from me and added them into the boiling soup. ¡°Smelling good, what¡¯s for lunch today?¡± Tess strolled into the kitchen. Throwing her purse on the table, she took a seat beside me. ¡°d that you¡¯re back! I was really disapointed when I heard of your departure, you know? I couldn¡¯t even spend much time with you.¡± I casted her an apologetic smile. ¡°Something important came up. So i¡¯d to go. And sorry about the dinner, I hope it went well?¡± ¡°Do you really think we¡¯d have a family dinner without you?¡± At her question, my brows creased in confusion. ¡°I cancelled the dinner as soon as I heard that you left for New York. I want both my and Caleb¡¯s family toe together at this event. And without you, my family remains iplete.¡± I stared at her. Though I didn¡¯t want to, but her words touched something inside me. Where was that harsh and spoiled Tess I knew seven years ago? As if I was getting to know my sister in a whole new way. ¡°You could reschedule it again now that she¡¯s here,¡± Mom suggested. ¡°No, Mom. Caleb¡¯s uncle isn¡¯t in the town right now. You know what uncle Arthur means to Caleb and Achilles. After Achilles¡¯s father¡¯s d***h, he is the one who took care of them. So with his absence, arranging a family dinner isn¡¯t a good idea.¡± ¡°Arthur Valencian? He lived in Ennd, right?¡± He was the only rtive Achilles and Caleb had left after their family crisis. But due to a conflict between Achilles¡¯s father and him, he didn¡¯t live in USA. That¡¯s all I knew about him. I didn¡¯t know he returned to his homnd. Tess bobbed her head. ¡°Yes, but he returned after some years of his brother¡¯s d***h. To look after his nephews. He is an amazing person.¡± But what about his mom? Where was she when they needed someone to take care of them? ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ve to do some shopping today. You know, preparing for the engagement party? And I need my sister to help me with it. So go get ready, we¡¯re leaving in ten minutes.¡± Before I could object, Mom chimed in. ¡°Excellent idea! She needs some shopping to get her mind off things. Take her along, she needs it.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Em, won¡¯t you help your sister with her engagement shopping? I need you there,¡± said Tess, blinking her blue eyes. Shaking my head, I got up and went upstairs to get ready. And her squeal followed behind. Maybe Mom was right, going out could help my mind off the transfer. And this way, my rtionship with Tess could progress more. At least I¡¯d to try. Gliding down the stairs, I found Tess closing the door, holding a huge teddy with an adorable bow around its neck. A involuntary grin stretched on my face. It was so beautiful and big that she was having difficulties holding it. ¡°Who brought it? Is it yours?¡± I asked, admiring the teddy. ¡°Well, my fiance is too boring to send gifts like this! It¡¯s for you,¡± she joked, rolling her eyes. I frowned. ¡°For me? But who¡¯d sent it for me?¡± She shrugged. ¡°There¡¯s a note in there, check it out.¡± Though I was confused, but the excitement surpassed the confusion and curosity as I grabbed the teddy from her first. I took my time petting it, feeling its softness against my palms, and then I took out the note. Tess watched me with amusement. I¡¯ve always loved those. My room used to be filled with huge teddies. I couldn¡¯t even sleep without some beside me. I was so definitely going to keep it on my bed. But when I opened the note, I was doubting it. Wee home, Rosebud. A Three words, and my excitement drained into the drain, annoyance took ce instead. How did he know that I was back? Then my eyesnded on my sister, who was patiently awaiting to know who sent this enormous gift. Either her or my stupid of a brother. ¡°So?¡± She queried. ¡°There¡¯s no name on it.¡± I swiftly put the note in my pocket. An A wasn¡¯t a name. ¡°If you want, you can have it.¡± ¡°Why? You don¡¯t like it?¡± I shrugged. My arms had a firm grip around it. And when she came forward to take it from me, my treacherous body stepped back, holding the teddy tight against my chest. Her brows quirked, lips twitched at the side as she put her hands on her hips. ¡°Well, seems like your heart had a sudden change of mind.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a minute.¡± My ears turned hot. Not knowing the reason behind my own reaction, vexed, I turned around and ran upstairs to put it in my room. But I was sane enough not to ce it on my bed. *** ¡°What do you think about this one?¡± asked Tess, twirling around in front of the mirror in the eleventh dress she¡¯d tried this afternoon. And only two of them turned out lucky and got selected and bought. Apparently, she was shopping for every function of her wedding except her wedding gown. That¡¯s for another day. We even missed our lunch due to her infinite dress hunting. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful! I think you should take this one for your rehearsal,¡± I replied from the couch, stretching my legs before me. My legs was k*****g me from standing on my feet for hours. Only if I knew. I just hoped she¡¯d get satisfied with her shopping soon, or else I¡¯d just leave her here and go home. ¡°You¡¯re right! It fits in all right ces,¡± she gushed. Thank G*d! Once she got out of the changing room, she instructed the sales girl to add the dress to her list and dragged me along to another store. And when I caught the direction of her gaze, my eyes widened. Victoria Secrets. Though it wasn¡¯t a big thing, I was always shy of buying my underwear. Most of the time I order them online. ¡°Uh, Tess, why don¡¯t you just go in and see what you want for yourself? I¡¯d just find some shoes for me.¡± She gave a look. ¡°I know you¡¯re just using excuses to not go in there. Jeez, Em! It¡¯s not that you¡¯re going to buy underwear and lingerie with a man out there. It¡¯s just me. So drop your embarrassment ande with me.¡± I groaned as she dragged me into that store. G*d! I was now seriously repenting ofing with her. ¡°So Em? You didn¡¯t tell me why did you get transferred on the second day of your job?¡± she asked, running her hand on a silk lingerie. When a man in the same row nced at me, I turned more crimson with a small piece in my hands. ¡°Thepany got sold all of a sudden. And the new employer wished to transfer some neers to another city, and here I am.¡± Irritation filled my insides again. Curse whoever that person was! ¡°Oh? That¡¯s really unusual, but I don¡¯tin. At least you came back to us.¡± She smiled. ¡°So what¡¯s thispany¡¯s new name now?¡± ¡°OC Textiles,¡± I replied, remembering the name on the letter. She stopped whatever she was doing, her gaze snapping to me. Eyes wide, something shed across her face. ¡°Uh, you see if you like anything, I¡¯ll be back in a minute.¡± ¡°But where are you going?¡± She didn¡¯t wait to answer and rushed out of the store. What¡¯s wrong with her all of a sudden? As I was searching for matching bras with the panties I took for myself, avoiding the sales clerks, someone called out my name behind me. ¡°Emerald? Is that you?¡± Turning around, I froze in my ce. The red head with Ace at the restaurant that night. I still remembered howfortable they were with each other, even though Casie confirmed that they were just friends. Matching her hair, she looked stunning in her body hugging dress and heels, her blue eyes twinkling. Wait, how did she know my name?This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Before I could pronounce my thoughts out loud, she pulled me in a tight hug. ¡°D**n! I finally got to meet you.¡± Pulling away, she shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ve heard so much about you that it became my prime wish to know you personally. And I think my wish got just epted. Thank G*d! He won¡¯t just let me see you.¡± I frowned. ¡°Uh, nice to meet you too?¡± ¡°Oh, so rude of me! I¡¯m Le, Le Collins. Ace¡¯s friend.¡± She shook my hand. ¡°T-that¡¯s great. But may I ask, how do you know me? I mean, I haven¡¯t met you before, at least not personally.¡± My gaze fell on her ring finger. And indeed there was a diamond ring that screamed married. ¡°Yeah, we haven¡¯t. But I know everything about you. Achilles and Caleb talk so much about you that I almost feel like I¡¯ve known you for years!¡± She snorted, rolling her eyes. My heart skipped. He- he talks about me to her? ¡°Le? Hi!¡± Tess had a surprised look on. ¡°What¡¯re you doing here?¡± ¡°Hey!¡± She kissed her cheeks. ¡°Well, why do peoplee here?¡± Tess rolled her eyes, smiling. ¡°Well, I see that you already met Emerald? Em, she is¡­¡± ¡°Oh, she knows. I just introduced myself to her,¡± Le said, cutting Tess off. Then she looked at me from head to toe. ¡°I must admit, she¡¯s way more beautiful than A¡­¡± A nudge at her ribs halted her in the mid sentence. She looked at Tess with confusion, and then some realization set in as they talked with their eyes. ¡°Uh, I meant you¡¯re more beautiful in person than I heard about you from all of them.¡± Casting a look at Tess, she cleared her throat. ¡°I gotta go now. I¡¯m gettingte for an appointment. It was so nice meeting you, Em! I will see you soon.¡± ¡°Likewise,¡± I said, politely. Once she was out of sight, then Tess did rx a little. When I asked her why did Le look so out of ce before her exit, she just shrugged and told me she¡¯d an urgent appointment to catch on. Maybe she was gettingte. ¡°Where did you go, anyway?¡± She averted her eyes. ¡°To make a phone call. Now if your interrogation is over, can we continue our shopping? I¡¯ve still a lot of things to buy.¡± Letting out another groan, I strolled behind her as we left the shop and went to look for some jewelry. Though their odd interaction still bothered me. What was Le going to say before Tess stopped her? Share Chapter 10 Chapter 10 Read The Trap Of Ace [by Eva Zahan] Chapter 10 ¨C I¡¯d to crane my neck to look up at the huge skyscraper standing proud before me. Moulded with sleek ss, it reflected the whole city against it. And a huge OC Textiles was hung at the top of the building. My new office. I wasn¡¯t hoping for anything to turn out good, because from the past experiences, I knew my wish wouldn¡¯t get sanctioned anyway. But that didn¡¯t tame down the nervous flutters in my tummy. I wasn¡¯t even sure if I¡¯d have to work here or they¡¯d consider my request and transfer me elsewhere. Let¡¯s see what happens. Having my fingers crossed, I blew out a breath and walked inside. And I was left in awe. From the dark marble floor and ssy contemporary interior, to the polished dark wood ceiling, everything was stunning and spotless. I didn¡¯t know an office could be this beautiful. When I approached the receptionist, she was up to her feet with a bright smile stered onto her face, even before I could reach her. As if she was just waiting for my arrival. ¡°Wee to OC Textiles, Ma¡¯am! How may I help you?¡± Greeting me with a polite nod, she asked. ¡°Hi! I¡¯m Emerald Hutton. Today¡¯s is my joining here, so could you please tell me where should go first?¡± Her nod was eager. ¡°Yes, yes, of course! Can I see your joiningtter first, please?¡± ¡°Yeah, sure! Here.¡± I handed her the letter. She didn¡¯t even read it properly, just swiped her eyes over it and gave it back to me. ¡°Alright, kindly please follow me, Miss. Let me show you to the boss¡¯s office.¡± Nodding, I did what she said. But before we could even cross the lobby, we halted at our tracks. A frown set on my forehead as I stared at the man walking towards us with a happy face. When he gestured at the receptionist, she shed me an another smile and walked away. ¡°Caleb? What¡¯re you doing here?¡± I nced around. ¡°Are you here for any meetings or something?¡± He chuckled. ¡°First of all, wee to the office. And as for your question, no, I¡¯m not here for any meetings or anything else. This is my office.¡± I opened my mouth, processing his words. And then it hit me. ¡°Your office? That means, you¡¯re my boss now?¡± He shrugged. ¡°In a way, yes. I¡¯m the CEO of thispany. But you don¡¯t have to worry about that. Think it as your own.¡± ¡°Wait a minute, I¡¯m not catching up here. What¡¯s going on? I mean, you weren¡¯t even shocked to see me here.¡± With narrowed eyes, I tilted my head. ¡°Because he already knew of your arrival,¡± a voice stated behind me, a deep voice with hint of Greek ent I wanted to hate. Not loosing myposure, I turned around. And there he was. Towering over me in his three piece charcoal suit, he looked as heart-stopping as ever. I didn¡¯t even dare to show the effect on my face as the memories of that night hit me. Stay cool, Em. Focus on the current situation. But how could I when those stormy grey eyes stared at me like I was the only person around him in the entire office he could see? ¡°Hello, Emerald,¡± he said, a formal smile on his lips. Emerald? No Rosebud now? Ignoring him, I turned to Caleb. Seeing my questioning stare, he nodded, confirming his cousin¡¯s statement. Of course, he¡¯d know. Who will work in hispany, if the CEO wouldn¡¯t know, then who¡¯d? Then something hit me, my eyes widening. ¡°You¡¯re the CEO of thispany, that means- you transferred me here on purpose, didn¡¯t you? And how did you even know that I was one of the neers?¡± Everything turned more vogue for me. What was happening here? He shifted on his legs, ncing behind me. ¡°Uh, the decision of transferring some staffs was totally for official reasons. You were about to be transferred to another city. But when your papers caught my attention, I thought why not bring you back to the city? As we¡¯ve one branch over here. And you¡¯ll also be comfortable staying close to your family.¡± His reasons didn¡¯t convince me. And the burning stare at the back of my head didn¡¯t let me concentrate either. ¡°Such a coincidence, isn¡¯t it?¡± Was he telling the truth? But why would he lie to me? He coughed. ¡°Yeah, it is. But I¡¯m happy that you¡¯re here. Tess was missing you.¡± ¡°I hope you got your answers, Ms. Hutton?¡± I turned around. The side of his lips twitched, grey eyes twinkling with something. Ms. Hutton? Was he ying with me right now? Because I could see it in his gaze. They were weaving some web, but what? I couldn¡¯t figure it out. Suddenly he took a step closer and tucked a strand behind my ear. ¡°Did you like the office, Rosebud?¡± his rough voice whispered, eyes roaming on my face. My breath caught at my throat. First Emerald, then Ms. Hutton, and now back to Rosebud. What was he doing? I pped his hand away and stepped back, before I lose my sanity. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if I liked it or not. It¡¯s not that I¡¯m working here anyway.¡± I ran away from my home to NY just to stay away from him. I hurt my family and friends just to be away from him. And now my fate has brought me here, in thepany his cousin owned. I couldn¡¯t let this happen. Though it wasn¡¯t hispany, but it was one of his family member¡¯s. So avoiding him wouldn¡¯t be an easy thing for me if I stayed. And considering his weird behavior towards me recently, I didn¡¯t believe he¡¯d keep his distance. He tilted his head, giving me a challenging look. ¡°And who told you so?¡± I raised my chin, even that didn¡¯t help with his over six feet height. D**n man! ¡°I did. I won¡¯t work in this company. I¡¯m going back to New York.¡± At the mention of NY, he tensed. But only for a second. The next moment he was in utmost ease as he shoved his hands in his pockets. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to inform you, Ms. Hutton. But you can¡¯t.¡± ¡°What do you mean? You can¡¯t force me to work here!¡± ¡°Did you read the rules and conditions before you applied and epted the job?¡± I frowned. ¡°Yes?¡± A tiny smirk tugged at the edge of his mouth. Something dropped at the pit of my stomach. ¡°Then you must¡¯ve read about the three months contract. In which, you agreed to the condition that you can¡¯t leave this job at least for ny days while epting this job. So that means, Emerald Hutton-¡± he closed the gap again, staring at my eyes, ¡°-you can¡¯t leave thispany and this city at least for three months even if you want.¡± I gaped at him. Speechless. How could I forget about the use? Because at that moment, it wasn¡¯t a big deal for me. I wouldn¡¯t have left the job even if it was for some years instead of just some months. But now¡­ ¡°I don¡¯t care about any contracts. I¡¯m resigning and no one can stop me. And how do you know about this contract anyway?¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I know a lot of things. And you will have to care, Ms. Hutton, if you don¡¯t want a big red mark on your career.¡± ¡°I- I¡­¡± I didn¡¯t know what to say. He¡¯d point. Breaching this contract could be a big thumbs down for my career. The look of triumph in his eyes vexed me. And then I remembered his words. You can¡¯t escape from me anymore. No. I can¡¯t let that happen. I- but what can I do? Then I turned to Caleb and before I could ask for any help, he put his hands up. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Em. But I can¡¯t help you in this. The contract states that, just like the employee can¡¯t resign before the estimated time, the employeer even can¡¯t fire them until its for something major issue.¡± But it is a major issue for me! I wanted to scream. ¡°Please, is there nothing you can do? You could transfer me somewhere else,¡± I requested. He shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Em. And why transfer though?¡± ¡°Uh, nothing. It¡¯s just¡­¡± ¡°Are you scared of something, Ms. Hutton?¡± He stood before me. ¡°Is there anything that you think you can¡¯t handle?¡± He cocked his head. My jaws clenched. What was he trying to do? Was he challenging me? ¡°I¡¯m not scared of anything or anyone!¡± ¡°You sure about that? Because it seems like you¡¯re desperate to escape the city. What are you afraid of?¡± He fired back. Something squeezed in my chest. His questions pricked me. Did he really not know of why I wanted to escape this city so desperately? ¡°I- I¡¯m not escaping anything. I¡¯m not a coward you¡¯re sounding like I¡¯m!¡± My eyes burned as I defended myself. ¡°Yes? But you¡¯re behaving like one,¡± as soon as he said that, regret shed over his features. ¡°Emerald, I didn¡¯t mean¡­¡± ¡°You know what, Achilles Valencian? Go to h**l!¡± Sending him a re of wrath, I turned around and stormed out of there. *** Watching down the whole city from the balcony helped me cool down my nerves. When I found this balcony empty, I decided to take some breaths in the fresh air. And thought of all the things that just happened to me. Though Ace¡¯s words stung, he was telling the truth. I was running from someone, him. I was a coward. I just didn¡¯t have the courage to be around him more than I could handle. More than my heart could handle. But now that a challenge was thrown into my path by him and my fate, was I ready to ept it? My phone beeped. I¡¯m sorry. I red at my phone as if I was ring at him instead. Sorry my foot! He did it on purpose. To hurt me. Because he knew it was a sore subject for me. Though he never mentioned it, but I knew, somehow in deep down he knew of my feelings for him. That was years ago! Yes, years ago. I reminded myself. And I didn¡¯t know what changed, and why he was after me, but whatever he wanted, he won¡¯t get it. Achilles Valencian wouldn¡¯t get what he wanted this time. Be it if he wanted to hurt me or something else. Gripping the phone tight into my fist, I typed. Whatever you¡¯re trying to do, you won¡¯t seed in it. I won¡¯t let it happen. Just three months, and I will be free of this contract soon. You can¡¯t make me stay here forever. Yes, I decided to face it. It was high time to face my fears. I didn¡¯t even have any choice. Maybe, just maybe I could finally move on from the past hurt facing the my fears? Who knew? And in these three months, I could stay with my family. Plus there was Tess¡¯s wedding arriving. So in a way, there was a lot of positive sides if I stayed back and worked here. It was just a matter of three months, anyway. I could do it. Spending some time more sitting on the couch, I got back inside and found Caleb¡¯s assistant, Liza. After she gave me a whole office tour and exined my job here, we stopped at the management department. With dozens of cubicles where dozens of people were working tirelessly on their given tasks. ¡°So, Liza? Where will I work from?¡± I turned to the tall blonde. ¡°Your cabin is at the forty-eighth floor.¡± My eyes narrowed. ¡°Cabin? Shouldn¡¯t I get a cubicle like the others? I mean, I¡¯m just a new employee, assisting head designers.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. But the boss had made a cabin especially for you so that you don¡¯t have any kind of diforts. And trust me, you will love it.¡± She smiled. Caleb? But, wouldn¡¯t that be partiality? Then I shrugged. A personal cabin didn¡¯t sound so bad. I wonder, if Tess knew of my job in Caleb¡¯spany. When Liza took me to my cabin, she was right. I fell in love with it at the first sight. It was decorated in a combination of white and blue colors. Everything in the cabin was either blue or white. The couch, the shelf, even the beautiful paintings on the walls. It also had a floor to ceiling window from where I could watch the whole California. I breathed in awe as I took in the beautiful view of the busy city from the window. It was like a customized personal office. As if someone decorated every single thing with utmost care and affection. I must thank Caleb for this. Getting my own personal cabin kinda reduced the bitterness of the argument I¡¯d with his frustrating cousin. Once Liza left me on my own, I put my head into the work. All of it was a little difficult at first, but then it all turned manageable with time. But it needed hard work. Piles of files were stacked on my desk. I didn¡¯t even realize when the sun set in the jam of the work. And as a newbie at this, I wascking with speed. A knock on the door made me look up. My brother strolled in with a small box in his hand. ¡°What¡¯re you doing here?¡± I asked. ¡°Came to see how my little sister is doing at the first day of her office. Why? Is that a problem?¡± I rolled my eyes and jutted my chin to the box. ¡°What¡¯s in it?¡± ¡°Cupcakes. I thought you¡¯d like some after a day full of work,¡± he said, opening the box. The mouthwatering sweet aroma of them had me salivating. Only then I realized how hungry I was. ¡°Thanks!¡± Grabbing one, I took a bite. ¡°So? How was your day? Did you like the office?¡± he asked, putting almost half of one in his mouth. ¡°Other than the shock that I was brought here on purpose and who was the owner, everything else was pretty good. The people over here are very nice and humble.¡± He nodded in understanding. ¡°I heard what happened. But I don¡¯t have anyin against their decision. We can have you closer to us after all.¡± I shook my head. I knew none of my family members would see any problem in it. For them, whatever Caleb did, was right. I can¡¯t even stay upset with him for it, he didn¡¯t know my reasons. If I were in their ce, maybe I would do the same. ¡°Hey, I know what you¡¯re thinking. But don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m sure he won¡¯t do anything that will make you ufortable. I can talk to him if you want?¡± he offered, concerntched onto his face. ¡°No need. It¡¯s not that I¡¯ll have to face him everyday. Not that I care, but it¡¯s good that Caleb is the owner of thispany and not him. So there is nothing much to worry. I won¡¯t see him often.¡± ¡°Who told you Caleb is the owner of thispany?¡± He raised his brow. I frowned. ¡°What do you mean? He¡¯s the CEO, right?¡± He nodded. ¡°Yes, as a CEO, he manages everything. But he¡¯s not the owner. Achilles owns this company. He bought it.¡± Share Chapter 11 Chapter 11 Read The Trap Of Ace [by Eva Zahan] Chapter 11 ¨C A knock on the door put a break on my non-stop rejecting and selecting the designs from the heap of catalogues. I needed to deliver the final samples to the head designers for the new collection of OC Textiles. Liza¡¯s blonde head poked through the door. ¡°Sorry to disturb you, but the meeting is just about to begin. And your presence is required there.¡± My brows furrowed. ¡°But I¡¯m just an employee. What¡¯d I do in a board meeting?¡± His shoulders lifted. ¡°No idea. The boss¡¯s order.¡± Why¡¯d Caleb need me in a board meeting? Sighing, I nodded. ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll be there in a few.¡± ¡°Great! See you there!¡± With that, she closed the door behind her and left. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. I didn¡¯t even have any idea what the meeting was about. Nor did I know what to do there or say. Whatever happens, I just hoped he wouldn¡¯t be there. After yesterday¡¯s confrontation, I¡¯d tried my best to avoid him. But his being the freaking owner of thispany didn¡¯t make it easy. Since Tobis¡¯s revtion about it, I still couldn¡¯t get over the shock. The irony! I¡¯d to work in hispany under his orders. And here I was trying to escape him at any cost! Now i¡¯d this doubt that whatever happened to my job and transfer, he had something to do with it. Maybe it was his influence that Caleb put me in here? I let out a huff. I just couldn¡¯t make out what was brewing in his head. It was all so inarticte. When I entered the conference room, all entities in three piece suits¡¯ eyes trained on me. The head chair was still vacant and there was no trance of Caleb yet. shing a professional smile towards those mostly unfamiliar faces, I found an empty chair right next to the head of the table. All the other seats were upied other than the one I took and the one at the other end of the table. And the big bald man seated beside it with a creepy face didn¡¯t encourage me to go there. Once I took my ce, my eyes kept flickering to the door, waiting for the boss to arrive. Because the curious nces those people inside the room sent, made me fidget and ufortable. Though their reactions were legit as it wasn¡¯t a regr thing someone who¡¯s not one of the board members joining the board meeting. When the door opened, only then did everyone take their interest off of me and stood up as someone¡­ Achilles Valencian walked in, followed by Caleb and Liza. I sucked in my breath when his gazended on me immediately. Those powerful dominating stormy eyes. The whole room went silent: an effect of themanding aura he carried with him. Averting my eyes from him, just as I expected Caleb toe and sit at the head of the table, he changed direction and went to the chair beside that creepy big man. And thus, the head of the table was upied by the devil himself. Of course! He was the king of this kingdom. What was I thinking? Now I was regretting not sitting beside that bald man. Caleb sent his regr sunny smile from across the table which I couldn¡¯t return. I¡¯d just ask himter why he called me here. At the king¡¯s curt nod, everyone sat down. ¡°Everyone, I¡¯d like to introduce you to someone who¡¯d be joining in our every board meeting from now on,¡± spoke his deep voice, when I yed with the emeralds of my bracelet. A way to ignore him and the irrational fast beats of my heart due to his close presence. ¡°Meet, Miss. Emerald Hutton, a very special friend of mine. I¡¯d like you all to wee her in ourpany.¡± My gaze snapped up to him, eyes wide open. What the h**l? I¡¯d be joining board meetings with them? I was just a neer employee! ¡°Wee aboard, Ms. Hutton! It¡¯ll be a pleasure to get to work with you!¡± I turned to the woman next to me who greeted me with a kind smile. I barely could show her my enthusiasm in return. I was too perplexed for that. What the h**l was really going into his head? While some of the members weed me with professionalism, most of them remained quiet. They seemed to share the exact bewilderment like me. When they didn¡¯t respond well and expressions of displeasure etched onto their faces, great Achilles Valencian barked out, ¡°Any objections?¡± The shake of everyone¡¯s heads was immediate. ¡°N-no objections, Mr. Valencian. I¡¯m sure there must be some reason behind the decision you took and we respect it. We¡¯re just¡­ a little surprised, that¡¯s it,¡± said the man opposite of me, on the right side of him once his sharp gaze fell on that poor man. He nodded. ¡°Good. The sooner you¡¯ll get over your surprise, the better. Now, you all may proceed with the meeting.¡± My eyes kept shooting daggers to him as he leaned back in his chair, listening to whatever the members were saying one by one. And when his hand slowly slid to where mine were ced on the table, I jerked my hands down. The slight crease between his brows told me his dissatisfaction. He was trying to touch my hand in front of everyone? The nerve of him. My features formed into a scowl in disbelief. Sensing my re, his fleeting eyes met me for a second. And then the twitch at the corner of his lips made my fists into b***s. My attention wasn¡¯t on the meeting as I was too busy showing my displeasure. But a certain topic caught my ears. ¡°This is a matter of concern of how they seemed to have better ns than us in every presentation we¡¯re making in our recent deals. It seems like they exactly know what will be our deficiency and they will work right on there,¡± stated the bald man beside Caleb, a frown set between his joined brows. They were talking about a rivalpany of ours, some AR industries who werepeting in every deal thispany approached. Ace cocked his head at the side. ¡°What do you have in your mind about this?¡± That man shifted in his chair, clearing his throat. ¡°Umm, I think¡­¡± ¡°That we¡¯ve someone between us leaking information out?¡± He finished for him. It wasn¡¯t more like a statement than a question. His jaw ticked as the bald man nodded his head. ¡°Did you try to find out who it is yet?¡± The man visibly gulped. ¡°Uh, we thought to discuss it with you first. And we were not sure how to find out the culprit.¡± His lips curled into distaste. ¡°You weren¡¯t sure? Is that how you all have been running thispany with Mr. Cooper? Now I see why thispany was going down in the market day by day!¡± The board members¡¯ avoided his furious eyes, keeping mum. I cleared my throat. ¡°If you all don¡¯t mind, I¡¯d like to suggest something.¡± Nervous flutters erupted across my tummy when everyone¡¯s gaze turned to me once again. I¡¯d given interviews and presented presentations before the teachers and students back in the college, but talking here before all of them experienced business men professionally, was another thing. His sharp re softened as he gave me his sole attention. ¡°You don¡¯t need to ask permission to speak up, Em. Say whatever you want to say,¡± Caleb encouraged me from the other side of the table. Wetting my lower lip, I started. ¡°To find out who¡¯s behind this, we can do a discreet research of the backgrounds and recent activities of the people who¡¯re working directly with these projects? Because irrelevant stuff won¡¯t be able to know much of the presentations to disclose.¡± When no one said anything and listened to whatever I¡¯d to say, I continued. ¡°That way, if we find someone suspicious, we could easily rece them with someone more reliable and take legal actions against them once we get solid proofs regarding their offense.¡± An older manughed out. ¡°Good idea there, Ms. Hutton. But we can¡¯t just go and start searching everyone¡¯s full history and recent activities. It¡¯ll be too time consuming. And whoever is doing it isn¡¯t a fool, once they¡¯ll find out about the investigation, they¡¯ll get more careful with their moves.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I said the word ¡®discreet¡¯. Yes, it might be time consuming, but it¡¯ll be for the well-being of the company. Otherwise, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any way to find the culprit out.¡± ¡°Of course there¡¯s a way,¡± he argued. ¡°We could just change the whole team instead and appoint only the trustable ones.¡± I shook my head. ¡°Finding them out is an utmost need for us right now. Because if we let it go and don¡¯t do anything about it, it won¡¯t be difficult for the rivalpany to buy someone else again. An example of what happens to a traitor needs to be set before the others.¡± That man snorted. ¡°We know what to do or not right now in this situation. You don¡¯t need to point out anything. You¡¯re just a neer in here¡­¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what she said, Mr. Brooks?¡± snapped Ace. ¡°I¡¯d like you to start working on this as soon as possible without wasting anymore time!¡± ¡°But, Mr. Valencian¡­¡± ¡°Enough! No more discussions. You¡¯ll do what my¡­ Ms. Hutton says!¡± He sneered, cutting Mr. Brooks with his icy gaze. ¡°And from next time, keep your attitude in check while talking to her.¡± Swallowing, Mr. Brooks nodded his head, shifting into his seat. Though it was good that he supported me, but what¡¯s with the rage? As the meeting went on I again went back to silence, twirling my bracelet, only spoke when needed. Even that was difficult with his intense gaze on me most of the time. As if he didn¡¯te to join the meeting, but to stare at me! I literally sighed in relief when finally a clerk interrupted the long a*s meeting in the middle for a coffee break. With arge tray of mugs, he started distributing them around the table. And when my turn came, I shook my head at him with a polite smile. ¡°No thanks! I don¡¯t drink coffee.¡± ¡°No worries, Miss! I got some tea for you,¡± he replied, handing me the cup of steaming tea. I sent him a surprised look. How did he even know that I preferred tea over coffee? ¡°How do you know that I like tea?¡± I queried. The smile of his face threatened to fall as his eyes flickered around. ¡°Uh, I¡­¡± ¡°You may now go, Gabe. Thank you for these drinks,¡± Ace said, cutting him off; his eyes not moving from me. And Gabe didn¡¯t waste a second before hurrying out of the room away from my question. Casting another re at him, I sipped on my tea. And again, I was surprised. It was the same way I liked it. Less milk with no sugar. How did he even know about how I take it? I looked over Caleb. Did he tell that clerk of my preference? Maybe he found out from Tess? But I didn¡¯t think she even knew that I didn¡¯t like coffee in the first ce. Weird. *** ¡°G*d! I¡¯m so tired! Liza, why don¡¯t you ask someone to help me with these report sheets? Because I¡¯m running up dry here now. I need some help with it,¡± said Sierra, a girl from the finance department. After the meeting, Liza took me on another tour around the office. This time, to introduce me personally to everyone. And when we met Sierra, a good friend of Liza, at her desk, she startedining. ¡°Everyone is busy, Sierra. I can¡¯t just tell anyone to push their work aside and help you out. I¡¯m sorry!¡± Liza apologized. Sierra¡¯s shoulders slumped at that. ¡°I can help you with that if you want. I¡¯ve some experience of working on the sheets with my brother,¡± I offered. Her eyes widened as she sat straight. ¡°No, no! It¡¯s alright, Emerald. Thank you so much for your offer, but I think I¡¯ll manage.¡± ¡°No worries, I¡¯m free right now anyway. I¡¯ll be happy to help.¡± I have been free since the meeting. Because no one was literally giving me any work to do. Even choosing those designs in the morning, I¡¯d to request Liza to let me do that. Well, I told her to give me something and she handed me those catalogues. It didn¡¯t seem to even a work for me, but I took it anyway. At least I¡¯d something to do. When I figured out how to do things yesterday, I figured the stuff they gave me to do wasn¡¯t even that important. I understood that I was new, but that didn¡¯t mean they wouldn¡¯t give me any serious job. Even the other employees. They seemed to be too careful and polite around me. And I couldn¡¯t make any sense out of their treating me like a VIP and not one of them. ¡°But I can¡¯t just trouble you with my work¡­¡± ¡°Please, I insist,¡± I said, pleading her with my eyes. My hands were itching to do some real work. She nced at Liza behind me with uncertainty, and then slowly nodded her head. A hesitant smile slowly spread across her face. ¡°Oh, thank you! Tell me, where do you exactly need my help?¡± *** Once it was lunch time, only then we were finished with the work. Sierra was a fun person, so working with her was easy andfortable. I was d that apart from Liza, I found another easy to go along person in this office. ¡°You ready?¡± Sierra asked, getting up from her desk to go down to the canteen. Looking up from Beth¡¯s messages, I nodded my head. ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s go.¡± And just when we were about to get into the elevator, a voice stopped us. It was Carter, Ace¡¯s assistant. A red head with a slim figure. The dark patches under his eyes were the proof of his tiredness. Though I just knew him from yesterday, I pitied him. Due to some unknown reasons, his boss remained in this office all the time. And he, being his assistant, had to run back and forth between Valencian Corp and OC Textiles for him. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Miss. Hutton, I¡¯m sorry to stop you. But Mr. Valencian requires your presence in his cabin,¡± he said. I frowned. ¡°Why? What does he need now?¡± He shifted on his legs, pushing the specs up his nose. ¡°Uh, he wants you to have lunch with him.¡± Share Chapter 12 Chapter 12 Read The Trap Of Ace [by Eva Zahan] Chapter 12 ¨C I set the papers aside where my designs were printed on, and picked up my phone after it red for the second time. A smile etched into my face seeing the caller ID. ¡°It took you a whole week to call me?¡± ¡°And it took you two rings to pick up the phone?¡± I chuckled. ¡°I was working on some designs. Anyway, what¡¯s up with you? How¡¯s the job going?¡± Since Warner had left for Seattle for his new job and I returned to California, it was our first conversation in this whole week. ¡°You¡¯re working on weekends? And yes, everything is going smooth. Life has never been this good. Though, the work is hard.¡± ¡°d to hear that,¡± I said. If only my life was a little better. ¡°And yes, but it¡¯s not official work. Just some of my ideas I needed to polish.¡± ¡°About office, how¡¯s it going? I hope you still don¡¯t have any problem staying in California, do you?¡± he asked. He didn¡¯t know where I was working. And what do I tell him? All of this was still so confusing to me. ¡°Office is good. I¡¯ve to work here for at least three months until I decide to think of something else,¡± I replied, absentmindedly. Office was good because I hadn¡¯t seen him in the whole three days. Never even once he visited after that day, when he ordered me to have lunch with him. Of course, I denied. And the nerve of him, he sent Carter again to the canteen to deliver me the food he got for lunch! You should eat homemade food, canteen¡¯s stuff isn¡¯t good for health. It was the message I got with the food boxes. And the embarrassment I felt with every pair of eyes on me out there was a whole lot different thing! Though he didn¡¯te to the office for three days now, the food was always on time. At first, I gave them away to Liza and others, but then, well, I thought I shouldn¡¯t push away food like that. Okay fine! These dishes were heavenly. And now that I was home today, I missed it. From what pieces of information I¡¯d picked up from Liza and Caleb¡¯s conversation, he was busy hunting a new house and renovating it. Why Achilles Valencian needed a house all of a sudden? ¡°I don¡¯t understand what problem do you¡¯ve staying in that city,¡± he mumbled. ¡°Anyway, I will call you tonight. There¡¯s a day out with my office colleagues today, so gotta go now. And, I miss you, Em. I wish you were here.¡± I smiled. ¡°I miss you too. Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll meet soon at Tess¡¯s wedding, you¡¯reing, right? It¡¯s in this end of this month.¡± ¡°Of course, how can I miss it? I¡¯ll definitely be there.¡± ¡°Great. Alright, you go now. Talk to youter.¡± ¡°Alright, love you!¡± *** The car screeched to a halt and I got out of the car. The decorated gate weed everyone who entered though with a big bold ¡®Felicity Charity Event¡¯ hung above. An even for some people to genuinely donate for the poor, and for some people a way to show off. Dad and Tobias also piled out and walked to me. Our family has been donating to this foundation every year for the orphan kids for thest ten years. I used to attend this function every year in my childhood. And when I heard of it organizing another event today, I tagged along with Dad and Tobias. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Dad said, leading us inside through the red carpet. Once inside, the first thing that came into my view was a swarm of people roaming around and admiring the fine pieces of art that¡¯s been exhibited around the hall. A slow ssic music hummed in the background. ¡°This time they they¡¯re holding it differently. They will put these canvases and pictures on auction and whoever wishes to donate, will buy them. Their money will directly go to the charity fund,¡± Tobias exined. I nodded. ¡°It¡¯s a wise way, I must say. This way more people who loves art will donate. And it will be good for those orphan kids.¡± ¡°Yeah, and I think I¡¯m gonna jam my walls with some today. Look at those beauties.¡± He pointed to the beautiful canvases around. ¡°Who can say no to them?¡± I giggled. ¡°I agree.¡± As Dad went busy conversing with an older man, I let myself explore in the sea of people and arts. Beautiful arts that each demanded attention. Even if I wasn¡¯t a big fan of them, they were extremely eye- catching. I roamed around to admire each one of them. The colors were blended so well, it felt they¡¯de alive at any moment. A small boy was gaping in wonder at a picture standing beside his mother where a crimson skinned dragon fumed ember mes through his nose and mouth, its eyes sparkled with rage and menace. On the other hand, a middle-aged man stared at the highlighted cleavage of a woman with half of face covered with her raven hair in a canvas. Shaking my head, I passed him and turned to another row. But a certain painting caught my eyes. A painting of a single rose, as crimson as blood, bloomed with its velvety petals spread around, a couple of rosebuds facing in directions adorned it. And those tiny drops of water sparkled on the petals reminded me of diamonds. It was gorgeous. ¡°Em! See this,¡± Tobias called out, beckoning me to him. He stood before a painting of a mermaid with the upper half of her floating on the water. ¡°What do you think of this? I think she will glorify my bedroom wall with her beauty.¡± I sighed at my brother. Thank G*d that the mermaid¡¯s chest was covered with her hair. There were children roaming around for G*d¡¯s sake! ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s beautiful,¡± I said, agreeing anyway. A friend of his called him from among a group of men. ¡°I¡¯ll be back!¡± As he strode to the group, I stayed back and appreciated the painting. Suddenly I felt a presence behind me. And the wisp of the familiar cologne that tingled my nostrils had me frozen in my ce. My heart stuttered as I felt his body heat behind me. ¡°You like it?¡± a deep voice rasped into my ear. An involuntary shiver ran down my spine. ¡°What¡¯re you doing here?¡± I whispered, not turning to him. His house hunting was finally over? Wait, why do I care if he was busy the whole week? Right, I don¡¯t. Deep chuckle. ¡°I see, my Rosebud isn¡¯t happy to see me here.¡± I frowned. ¡°You didn¡¯t answer my question.¡± I felt him stepping closer. ¡°Why do peoplee to events like these?¡± I shrugged, feigning not to be affected by his close proximity. ¡°Well, most of theme to show off.¡± A sharp intake of breath. And then I felt his breath on my neck. The atmosphere suddenly rose higher in the room. Wait, did he just smell me? Creep! This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Trust me, sweetheart. I didn¡¯te here to show off. I¡¯ve much more important things to do than wasting my time on that.¡± He brushed his fingers on my hip, making me jolt. Not being able to bear the tension, I stepped away from his overwhelming presence and touch, sent him a re and walked away with flushed cheeks. But his persistent gaze didn¡¯t. When the bell of the auction rang, we all gathered in the backyard of the building, under the open sky. Rows of chairs were lined up before the huge stage for people to sit. We took our seats in the second row. And a particr person was missing. Was he already gone? Good for me. A man cleared his throat in the mike, snatching everyone¡¯s attention to the stage. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen! Wee to the ¡®Felicity Charity Event¡¯ one more time! We all know the holy purpose we¡¯re gathered here for. So without any adieu, let¡¯s begin the auction right away.¡± A painting of a phoenix was first put for sale on the stage as the auctioneer began calling for bids. And as the auction went on, things got heated between the bidders to win over a piece of art. Tobias was extremely disappointed when someone else brought his mermaid¡¯s painting with a much higher price than him, where Dad was satisfied with a picture of mother Teresa. And when the canvas of that blood rose got on the stage, I really wanted to bid for it. But well, my pockets weren¡¯t full enough to do that. I could easily ask from Dad, but if I wanted to help someone, I wanted to do with something that I owned. So I decided to just pay them a little amount that I could afford in checkter. ¡°And who wants to hold onto this gorgeous velvety rose over here?¡± the auctioneer asked. ¡°The bid starts with five thousand dors!¡± ¡°Ten thousand dors!¡± a man yelled out from the crowd. ¡°Ten thousand dors! Anyone else wants to take it home with a higher price?¡± queried the bid caller. ¡°Fifteen thousand dors!¡± shouted a woman. ¡°Fifteen thousand! Anyone else? Fifteen thousand dors! Going once! Going¡­¡± ¡°Seventeen thousand dors!¡± cried out the previous man. ¡°Excellent! Seventeen thousand!¡± Everyone started murmuring about the outrageous price for only a mare picture of a rose. I was even surprised. That man must¡¯ve liked it a lot. Though it was a masterpiece. ¡°Going once, going twice, and so¡­¡± ¡°One million!¡± a voice spoke over the babbles of the crowd from somewhere behind us. Everything went quiet, gasps of shock echoed around as everyone nced back to see the insane person wasting a million dors on a simple painting. I turned around, and there he was. At thest row, sitting with his utmost ease, not a slight of care that he just spent a load of money after a mare canvas. Was he crazy? Even the auctioneer watched him with bafflement. ¡°A-are you sure, Mr. Valencian?¡± He stood up and nced down at his watch. ¡°Get it ready.¡± Leaving ast look at my way, he went to sign the check his secretary handed him as every pair of eyes ogled him with awe and disbelief. Once the auction was over, we met him outside. Dad was proud of him that he donated that much for those kids while Tobias also appreciated him with a still sullen mood. And then I was left alone with him. He watched me as I eyed the beautiful canvas lying on the backseat of his car. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were interested in art that much,¡± I said. ¡°Why this one though? There were a lot of paintings out there from famous artists who¡¯d have been worth the money.¡± I didn¡¯t know he¡¯d do it just out of kindness. ¡°But these weren¡¯t what I wanted. I wanted it-¡± he pointed to the painting, ¡°-so I got it.¡± ¡°Why it? Anything special you saw in it?¡± Shouldn¡¯t I just walk away? But here I was, asking questions to him out of my stupid curosity. As far as I knew, he had never been on any charity functions, let alone donating a million in a day. He stepped closer, his stormy grey peered into mine. ¡°What do you see in them?¡± I titled my head, my brows creasing. ¡°I- umm, a rose?¡± I uttered, ncing back at the painting. ¡°And?¡± he probed. ¡°And¡­¡± My eyes flickered in the backseat again. ¡°And some rosebuds¡­¡± My eyes widened as realization set in. ¡°Exactly. Rosebuds and rose, that¡¯s bloomed into a beautiful flower,¡± he whispered, easing closer. ¡°Rang a bell, Rosebud? Or, should I say, my Rose?¡± My breath hitched at my throat at his words. He- he remembered. He remembered what he said to me on my ninth birthday. A shaky breath escaped my lips. If he remembered, then he also knew of the feelings I¡¯d harbored for him for all these years. I was right, he knew. He knew everything. ¡°You¡­¡± My gulped the lump down my throat, my heart pounding. ¡°Yes, I remember everything. You know why I bought it?¡± I shook my head, still reeling from his revtion. ¡°Because the moment my eyes fell onto this rose, it became mine. And I don¡¯t let go of anything that belongs to me.¡± A gasp slipped through my mouth. Because even though someone else would think that he was talking about the painting, I knew he wasn¡¯t. Because those intense grey eyes of his were on me as dered his im. And I don¡¯t let go of anything that belongs to me. Something ticked in my head as I remembered my message to himst week. It was his reply for me. Just three months, and I will be free of this contract soon. You can¡¯t keep me here forever Share Chapter 13 Chapter 13 Read The Trap Of Ace [by Eva Zahan] Chapter 13 ¨C ¡°So you mean, he literally dered that he wants you? That you¡¯re his?¡± asked Cassie, with her jaw on the floor. ¡°He didn¡¯t exactly say that.¡± ¡°But this is what he meant with whatever he said. Even a kid can see through it!¡± she argued. I threw the cards we were ying on the table and sat back against the couch, huffing. After the auction I got a call from her to meet at her ce. With a feeble flu, she was getting bored out of her mind. So I came to give herpany. ¡°G*d! I¡¯ve seen people being crazy in love before. But this? This is insane!¡± She shook her head in disbelief. ¡°Buying an entirepany just to bring you closer to him, forcing you to join the board meetings so that he could meet you more and wasting a million over just a canvas?¡± At the mention of the ¡®L¡¯ word, I sat up straight. ¡°There¡¯s no love! It¡¯s- it just could be a want of possession or obsession of his. I don¡¯t know. But there is nothing like that you¡¯re implying!¡± She raised a brow. ¡°Even Jeff Bezos wouldn¡¯t do something as crazy as buying an entirepany that would cost him a fortune just to bring a girl close to him he wants.¡± I rolled my eyes, but the skip of my heart didn¡¯t go amiss. After I found out from Tobias that OC Textiles¡¯ owner was Ace, and not Caleb, I was shocked. I even had a doubt that he¡¯d something to do with my transfer, it wasn¡¯t just Caleb. Though, I wasn¡¯t sure. And when I told Cassie identally about this, she got this illusion that he bought thatpany from Mr. Cooper for me. Even though I didn¡¯t want to believe her, but it did make some sense. ¡°He must¡¯ve had some other agenda behind it. And it could be a pure coincidence that he found out I¡¯d be working in thatpany, and so he told Caleb to transfer me here. That¡¯s it.¡± I still denied. ¡°Really? And what about the message he sent you just the previous night? That you can¡¯t escape from him anymore? Your time was over and h h? Can you exin that?¡± I opened my mouth and then shut it. Crossing my hands over my chest, I shrugged. She gave me a look. And to my utter surprise, she changed the subject. ¡°How¡¯s Warner?¡± I cocked my head. ¡°Uh, he¡¯s good?¡± What was she trying to do now? She nodded. ¡°You guys talk everyday?¡± ¡°No. Both of us were really busy the entire week. But he did call this morning.¡± I checked my phone but there were no calls or messages from him. ¡°He was supposed to call me again tonight.¡± ¡°So long-distance is already at its work,¡± she hummed. My brows creased. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Her shoulders lifted as she grabbed her coffee mug and took a sip, sniffling. ¡°Isn¡¯t it simple? Even strong rtionships don¡¯t work with long-distance most of the time, and here we¡¯re talking about your one sided rtionship.¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t one-sided.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± She raised her brow. ¡°So you love him?¡± Silence. ¡°Knew it. Look, Em-¡± cing the mug back on the table, she leaned in, ¡°-you and I both know that what you and Warner have, isn¡¯t gonnast long. And now that you¡¯re worlds away from each other, and with your a new, sh old lover is back in the picture, you should take a decision on your rtionship with Warner now. You and he, both are aware that you were never in this. You never had any feelings for him other than seeing him just as a friend. Yes, maybe he does like you, but trust me, in deep down, he also knows that you won¡¯t be able to love him no matter how much he tries.¡± I looked down at myp. ¡°It¡¯s not my fault that I can¡¯t do it. I tried, I tried my best to love him. But¡­¡± ¡°But your heart still belongs to someone else?¡± My eyes snapped up to her. ¡°No! I don¡¯t have any feelings for him anymore. Yes, he does effect me still, but¡­ it¡¯s just the awkwardness. Nothing else.¡± I averted my eyes from her piercing ones. ¡°And I and Warner are doing good, you don¡¯t worry about that.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me. I know you more than you know yourself, Em. You still want him as much as you did back at you siblings¡¯ birthday party that night. You¡¯re just scared to get hurt again, that¡¯s why your denying your feelings, aren¡¯t you?¡± she asked. When I didn¡¯t answer, she sighed. ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re doing wrong to Warner? Even if he was the one who insisted to try, but you know that you won¡¯t able to love him no matter it¡¯s because of Ace or not.¡± Closing my eyes, I put my head on my hands. I knew I wasn¡¯t doing fair with Warner. It¡¯s been eating me out for a long time now. But I was too selfish to let him go. Though I didn¡¯t love him, but his friendship did give a huge support. Truth to be told, him being my boyfriend helped my mind a little bit to assure myself that I¡¯d moved on. I could show it to the world, to him. But in deep down, I knew the truth. I knew I was using Warner for my own selfishness. My eyes pricked as guilt cut through me. Though even I was thinking to talk about it with him forst some months, I couldn¡¯t do it. My selfishness, fear, fear of facing him alone stopped me from doing it. ¡°Hey!¡± Rounding the table, she sat beside me, cing a hand over mine. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I know what you¡¯re feeling. But don¡¯t. It¡¯s not your fault. Though Warner doesn¡¯t know about Ace, but he does know that why you agreed to be his girlfriend. Talk to him, I¡¯m sure he will understand. He deserves to know the truth, Em. Tell him everything.¡± I nodded. ¡°I will talk to him. But not now, I need to do this when we¡¯re face to face. He¡¯sing at Tess¡¯s wedding.¡± ¡°Will you tell him about Ace?¡± ¡°No. There¡¯s nothing to tell him about Ace.¡± I casted her a nce. ¡°I will just talk to him about us. I just hope he will still be my friend after everything is over.¡± She squeezed my hand. ¡°He will, I¡¯m sure!¡± After a silence, she shifted and cleared her throat. ¡°So?¡± I turned to her. ¡°So what?¡± ¡°Now that the issue of Warner is sorted, will you give Ace a chance?¡± I shook my head in disbelief. ¡°So you talked me into breaking up with Warner so that you can pair me up with Ace? I can¡¯t believe you!¡± She rolled her eyes. ¡°Oh, please! It¡¯s not that you weren¡¯t going to do that in some time anyway. Specially now that Ace is here.¡± I scowled at her. ¡°What? I¡¯m just helping my best friend with her love life dilemma. You and I both know what¡¯s is your heart¡¯s desire. And I know, in deep down, beside the fear of another heartbreak, you were stopping yourself from leaning towards Ace because of Warner. You didn¡¯t want to cheat on him. But that¡¯s now sorted now, right?¡± ¡°Are you for real? I¡¯m not going to do anything with Ace. And about Warner, i still haven¡¯t broken up with him. He¡¯s still my boyfriend.¡± She waved her hand. ¡°He will be out of the picture soon. It will be better for his own good anyway. Because assessing your Valencian¡¯s obsession with you, I don¡¯t think he would take this nicely if he has anypetitor in the way of getting you.¡± ¡°You know what? I¡¯m leaving. I¡¯m not talking to you anymore about this!¡± Red in the face, I got up and collected my purse and phone. ¡°Do whatever you want, girl. We both know that Achilles Valencian has yed his card. And now, you¡¯re stuck in his trap. No matter what you want, you can¡¯t escape him. And you know why?¡± I stared at her, waiting for her to finish. ¡°Because you don¡¯t want to escape. Your heart won¡¯t let you.¡± *** The elevator pinged, opening up for another person to reach their destined floor leaving only me and Liza inside. My one hand was filled with files and the other upied with a cup of tea. After the small talk with Cassie, her words didn¡¯t let sleepst night. Some of my own realization haunted my night. I was beginning to ept my fate, the change and him around me again. It didn¡¯t scare me as it did the first couple of days. And it scared me the most. It¡¯s just been not more than twenty days I met him again, and I was already thinking about him more and more. I was turning weak again. Just like years ago¡­ No, Em. Don¡¯t go there. You can¡¯t fall weak this time. Be strong, use your head. Don¡¯t let yourself fall into his trap. You don¡¯t know what happened seven years ago. Even if he knew about your feelings, you don¡¯t know if he really had anything for you in his heart. But that wasn¡¯t possible, if he did feel something, then he wouldn¡¯t do that with your sister. But Tess did say that she didn¡¯t love him¡­ Then why did they do it? If there was nothing between them, then why? Or there was? Or it could be a moment of heat between them? But do best friends do that? I blew out a sigh. It was all so confusing. I didn¡¯t know what to think anymore. All my life I had been thinking that my sister betrayed me, but the truth was she didn¡¯t. Or she said she would never hurt me. I wanted to ask Tobias about it. The truth of what actually happened seven years ago. But I didn¡¯t know how to start this conversation with him. Did he even know what happened that night? ¡°G*d! It¡¯s not even noon and I¡¯m already so tired! The preparations for the meeting with Arabs is taking a real troll on me,¡± Lizained. ¡°What¡¯s so important about this meeting though? I mean, the way everyone is taking it over seriously, it¡¯s not usual.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a very big deal the boss wants to crack with them. He doesn¡¯t want it to go to our rivalpany. These chipmunks now started a new clothing line when they found out about our new business in this field.¡± She shook her head. ¡°I tell you, these people can¡¯t take any sess of thispany.¡± Oh! So that¡¯s all the fuss about. Then something caught my eyes as we reached thest stop, forty-ninth floor. It was a fifty floor building, then why there were only forty-nine buttons on the elevator panel? ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± she announced, once the doors opened. ¡°Wait, why there are only forty-nine buttons? It¡¯s a fifty floor building, right?¡± I asked, strolling out behind her. She bobbed her head. ¡°Yes. The boss¡¯s penthouse is on the fiftieth floor, and no one can go there other than his closed ones. So themon elevator doesn¡¯t have ess there. They go there by the VIP one.¡± Her chit jutted towards the other elevator beside the ordinary one. The golden one. I did know that that was for VIPs, but I didn¡¯t know only that one had ess to the fiftieth floor. Once we were with the team that was working on the presentation for the meeting, we d*****d our heads in the work to finish the final touches. As Liza said, the boss, meant Caleb didn¡¯t want any deficiency with anything. I didn¡¯t know these people were that terrified of Caleb. Even the word, ¡®the boss¡¯ was enough to drain color from their faces. ¡°Phew, finally done! How much time is left for the meeting?¡± asked Matt, a guy from the management department. He was always paranoid with every little thing. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Matt. There¡¯s still one hour left,¡± said Sierra, checking her watch. ¡°Yeah, not that much of time. The boss can arrive at any moment and demand a recheck himself.¡± He huffed. Content ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Anyways, let me print those papers in the meantime,¡± I said, gathering the sheets. ¡°Alright, but be fast. We¡¯re leaving in fifteen minutes. You know Matt and you¡¯re joining us in the meeting, right?¡± Liza asked. ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t worry. It will need only five minutes,¡± I told her, getting up from my chair. But my hand identally bumped with the tea mug I had put at the side and the cold content spilled on the table, sshing half of it on my clothes. ¡°S**t!¡± ¡°Here!¡± Liza passed me some tissue papers, but it was already ruined. The stain marked my white blouse dark. D**n! Did I have to wear white today? Cursing under my breath, I threw the tissues in the bin. ¡°Oh G*d, we¡¯re leaving in fifteen minutes. You need to clean this up fast!¡± Sierra was up to her feet. ¡°There¡¯s no time to clean it. Even your jeans have some stains. You¡¯ve to change your clothes.¡± Liza eyed my appearance. ¡°But where would I find clothes at this moment? I don¡¯t have that much of time to go home now.¡± I bit my lip. Suddenly her eyes lit up as she spoke, ¡°Why don¡¯t you go up to the penthouse? Your sister had stayed there a couple of times. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s some clothes of her in one of the rooms.¡± ¡°Penthouse? But what if Cale¡­¡± ¡°The boss wouldn¡¯t mind at all! At least not for you. Just go and change your clothes. We don¡¯t have much time left.¡± Cutting me off, she pushed me out of the door. ¡°I¡¯ll print those papers. You go on.¡± Heaving a sigh, I went to the golden elevator and hopped in. There must be some guards up there to control the unwanted esses. They know Tess, but not me. Would they even let me pass? Should I call Caleb for permission first? Toote, I was already there. As the doors opened, my suspicion was right. There indeed were two huge built guards hovering outside. But much to my surprise, when they saw me, something shed across their faces as they stood straight and greeted me with a polite nod. Well, I was allowed? shing a smile to them, I walked through the spacious corridor. But there stopped me a second barrier. A fingerprint scanner beside the door. D**n it! Now how would I go inside? I should just go back and try to get these stains off somehow without wasting my time here. Just as I turned to go, one of the guards appeared before me, his eyes on the floor. ¡°My apologies to block your way, Miss. But if you don¡¯t know, you¡¯ve ess in the penthouse. You just have to press your thumb on the scanner.¡± I frowned. I¡¯d ess inside? But how? When did Caleb collect my finger print for it? Confused, I turned around and ced my thumb on the scanner. And it did recognize my identity and unlocked the door. Whoa! Strange. Still surprised, I thanked the guard and walked inside before closing the door. And I just stood there for a moment. The entire penthouse did justice to Valencian¡¯s name. Stunning would be an understatement. The white marble and dark panelling, and thebination of white and grey ssy furniture just enhanced its beauty. Remembering the shortage of my time, I walked upstairs not knowing where to go and entered in a master bedroom. Not even a single piece of a thing was out of ce. It felt like no one really ever lived here. It definitely wasn¡¯t the room Tess visited. Because she wasn¡¯t one to keep a ce that tidy like this. Not wanting to waste my time anymore, I padded inside the walk in closet. Seeing the tons of ironed suits and jackets lined up in the rack, I assumed it was Caleb¡¯s room. The closet was filled with the smell ofundry. Even the clothes seemed untouched. I couldn¡¯t wear his suits, so I searched for some t-shirts or something that I could fit into. And I did find one in the back. Though it seemed too big for me but I would just adjust myself into it. Going back into the bedroom, I ced the ck t-shirt on the bed and collected some more tissues to pat on the stains my jeans had. They weren¡¯t that noticible, so I just rubbed on the wet patch a few times and let it be. The t-shirt was big enough to cover them anyway. Throwing the tissues into the silver bin, I went back to the bed and removed my sticky blouse off. Once I was done wiping the dampness on my chest with it, I flung it on the mattress. And just as I grabbed the t- shirt in my hand, the door of the bedroom flung open, and soon followed a curse under someone¡¯s breath making me freeze in my ce. S**t! Share Chapter 14 Chapter 14 Read The Trap Of Ace [by Eva Zahan] Chapter 14 ¨C Clutching the t-shirt tight against my chest, I whirled around and my breath caught into my throat. There, he stood rigid beside the door, hand clenched around the k**b as his darker than ever stormy grey gaze preyed on my almost half naked body. Even with the t-shirt before my chest, I felt naked under his scorching stare. Curse the moment I decided to go braless due to the thick cotton blouse! ¡°W-what are you doing here? Get out!¡± I screeched, as he stood there immobile, staring at me shamelessly. My outburst seemed to pull him out of his trance. Closing his eyes for a moment, he took a deep breath. Once those grey pools opened again, instead of leaving, he closed the door behind him and stalked towards me. Eyes like saucers, I stepped back. ¡°W-what are you doing? Get out of the room! Right now!¡± Only when he was inches away from me, then did he stop. Jaws clenched, his gaze went back to roam on my b**e shoulders to my b**e waist, leaving a tingling sensation behind in their wake. I was frozen in my ce, my head screamed to run to the washroom, but my legs weren¡¯t moving. I didn¡¯t flinch when he raised his hand and tucked a strand behind my ear. Because even if in this whole penthouse I was alone with him, there wasn¡¯t any fear in me. ¡°You¡¯re telling me to get out from my own room, Rosebud?¡± rasped his deep Greek ent. ming stare set onto my parted lips. Only then I noticed how his shirt was half done, disying the fine ripped muscles of his chest. I bit my lip. ¡°Don¡¯t do that if you want my hands to stay away from you.¡± A groan reverberated into his chest as he pulled my lower lip out with his thumb and touched it sensually. A jolt shot through me, making me stumble away. With my heart at my throat, I managed to say, ¡°D-do not touch me. Get out or else¡­¡± He stepped closer. ¡°Or else?¡± Eyes flickering around, I kept backing away. ¡°I- I will¡­¡± What could I do? Moving away from him, I ran for the washroom and closed the door behind me. A boomingughter followed behind. I cursed under my breath. In the mirror, I found myself all hot and red, out of anger, embarrassment and¡­ and something else. Something that I felt when he watched me with those eyes and touched my lip. Something that I didn¡¯t want to address. What was he doing here anyway? He said it was his room. That meant this was his penthouse, and not Caleb¡¯s? But then why did Liza say it was Caleb¡¯s¡­ oh! So ¡®the boss¡¯ meant, Achilles? I thought she was Caleb¡¯s assistant, so she might refer to him as the boss. G*d! I¡¯m such an idiot! And then something clicked. If Ace was ¡®the boss¡¯, that meant, he made that cabin for me? That beautiful cabin I was sofortable working in? And here I thought it was Caleb. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. I didn¡¯t know if I was ttered or irritated. That man vexed and confused me, and at the same time wondered me. What does he actually want from me? Those roses every morning and gifts, why¡¯s he doing all this? Still weak in the knees, I put on the t-shirt and looked at myself in the mirror. The t-shirt engulfed me whole into it. It was his¡­ Without realizing, I took the fabric and sniffed. A disappointment filled me as onlyundry powder¡¯s smell was what I got. I shook my head. What was I doing? I had to be strong. I couldn¡¯t let him affect me in that way. With a new determination set, I took a deep breath and walked out. He wasn¡¯t in the room anymore, so was my stained blouse. Where did it go? Once I was in the hall, he was still nowhere to be seen. Good for me, I just wanted to disappear from here without facing him again. I could justeter sometimes and grab my blouse. I almost let out a sigh of relief when I reached the door without any hinders. And just as I touched the k**b¡­ ¡°Going somewhere, Rosebud?¡± I stilled. Turning around, I sent him a re. He was now changed into a white shirt and dark suit jacket. ¡°Yes, any problem?¡± My eyes widened as the door didn¡¯t open when I pulled it. I tried again, but no vail. What was wrong with it now? Then I remembered about the fingerprint scanner. But there wasn¡¯t anything like that beside the door either. ¡°Why isn¡¯t it opening?¡± A smirk tugged at his lips. ¡°Because I locked it.¡± ¡°What? But why?¡± I scowled. ¡°Open it, I¡¯m gettingte for the meeting.¡± He shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m sure your boss wouldn¡¯t mind if you reach there a little bitter.¡± The nerve of this man! He talked about my boss as if he was referring to someone else and not himself! ¡°Open this door right now, Ace.¡± Something shed over his eyes. Closing the distance, he stood before me. ¡°I missed hearing my name from your lips all these time,¡± he said, tone soft with emotions as his eyes raked over my face with such tenderness. Something squeezed my chest as the memories we spent together seven years ago when he used to visit our home regrly flooded my mind. Aposure suddenly took over his features, turning him unreadable. Clearing his throat, he cocked his head. ¡°I will let you go only if you ept a condition of mine.¡± ¡°Everyone is waiting for me. I don¡¯t have time for this,¡± I said, not wanting to ept any of his conditions. I knew, it would be something wicked, just like his intentions. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m suggesting you to ept my condition and I¡¯ll let you go.¡± He wouldn¡¯t budge, would he? Pressing my lips tight, I red at him. ¡°Fine! What is it?¡± A triumph look took over his eyes, though he didn¡¯t let it show on his face. ¡°You¡¯lle with me, in my car to the meeting.¡± ¡°What! No! I won¡¯t go with you!¡± No way I was staying alone with him in his car. Right now was more than enough to give me sleepless nights. I didn¡¯t want more. ¡°Then you aren¡¯t leaving,¡± his tone spoke finality. I gaped. ¡°But¡­ you can¡¯t do that. If you don¡¯t open this door then you can¡¯t leave either, you know that right?¡± His mouth twitched. ¡°Nice try, Rosebud. But trust me, I don¡¯t have any problem spending some more time with you here, alone.¡± He stepped closer. I raised my hands before me, stopping him. ¡°Alright, i- I¡¯ll go with you. Just, open this d**n door!¡± It was better to be in a car with him than stay locked in this penthouse. G*d! I hated him! But when a breathtaking smile appeared on his lips, brightening everything around me, I doubted myself. It felt like I was seeing the same old Ace again. Soft and carefree. Not this rough and cold. I went speechless when he closed the gap, pressed a kiss on my forehead and whispered a ¡®let¡¯s go¡¯ in my ear. He opened the door for us clicking on something on his phone. I didn¡¯t know how to react as he held my hand and led me out of the penthouse. And I let him, until we stepped out of the elevator and met my other colleagues down at the lobby. *** The car ride was quiet all the way to the meeting. I barely looked at him as my eyes were outside on the road most of the time, ignoring the brooding man. But his overwhelming presence wasn¡¯t an easy thing to ignore. The whole time he was tense, his knuckles were tight on the steering, ncing at me time to time. As if he wanted to say something to me, but held himself back. The only thing he asked was if I wanted to listen to some music. But I said no. I wanted to ask him how he got my fingerprint for the scanner. But even I chose to stay silent. Because I didn¡¯t trust myself, once I started asking, I feared I¡¯d ask something that I shouldn¡¯t. Once we were at our destination, together we walked inside the sea-faced restaurant where the Arabs would meet us. The whole terrace was booked for the meeting. And the first thing as we stepped onto the terrace was the fresh ocean air greeting us, blowing my long brown locks along. The Arabs were already there, discussing something in their ownnguage around the big roundtable, four men and two women. And thedies weren¡¯t from there for sure, seeing their western dresses. Liza and Matt were seated at a smaller table beside them. Smiling, when I tried to approach them, a big hand held my elbow. ¡°You¡¯ll stay with me. Come,¡± he ordered- though his tone was soft, and steered me towards the Arabians. ¡°And why would I listen to you?¡± I had to crane my neck to look up at him. His shoulder lifted an inch. ¡°Because I¡¯m your boss.¡± The teasing in his fleeting nce didn¡¯t go amiss. I huffed silently as the Arabs approached us, all smiling broad. ¡°As-smu ykum, Mr. Valencian! Pleasure meeting you!¡± the older one of them said, shaking his hand with Ace. Just like other three men, he also unted their traditional long white tunic and a chequered head-dress on his head. ¡°Likewise, Mr. Hakimi! I¡¯m d you all specially came here for this meeting,¡± he replied. Though a smile stretched across his lips, his eyes were back to nk. A hollowness that resided into those grey pools even if he was with his closed ones. Another thing that changed in all these years. I wonder what caused him to turn like this. Well, except me. With me, he was someone else, he¡¯d emotions in his eyes. The emotions that scared me. After Mr. Hakimi introduced his partners, he then introduced his assistant over this country, Cindy, the girl in a red dress and eight inch stilettos. Eyeing Ace up and down, she shed him a red lipped smile, batting her fake eyshes. ¡°I¡¯ve heard so much about you, and finally I¡¯m here, standing right in front of you, the infamous Mr. Valencian. It¡¯s such a pleasure!¡± she cooed, shaking her hand with him. I didn¡¯t miss how her hand lingered in his more than usual handshake times. My stare hardened. But it seemed he didn¡¯t care at all. Retracting his hand, he dismissed her with just a curt nod. Her smile threatened to fall. ¡°And who is this gorgeous youngdy we have here?¡± asked Mr. Hakimi. Turning to me, Ace pulled me closer by my waist, surprising me. ¡°Meet, Emerald Hutton. A very close friend of mine.¡± Close friend? I didn¡¯t think we were even friends, let alone close. Giving him a look, I smiled at the Arabs. ¡°I¡¯m a designer at OC Fabrics. And just a family friend of his.¡± All of them greeted me with smiles while he just watched me, which made me uneasy. His closeness and touch was already too much for me. ¡°Shall we proceed now, Mr. Hakimi?¡± he asked the old man. But his assistant was too excited to proceed than her boss, as she said, ¡°Of course, Mr. Valencian! Please sit.¡± Annoyance pricked my skin as she unnecessarily crouched down to pull a chair beside her for Ace to sit there, disying her scary cleavage in the process. Nodding his head, as he went to ept her offered chair, I went ahead and sat there instead. Surprise shed across her face but she covered it with a fake smile. I smiled back with equal enthusiasm. ¡°Easy, Rosebud. I¡¯ve my eyes only for you,¡± his sudden whisper in my ear had me flush. Him talking to me like that still managed to shock me. Even though he cleared his intentions from the day one. Taking the vacant chair beside me, he threw me an amused nce. G*d! He must be thinking I was jealous. Which I wasn¡¯t! I just didn¡¯t like that girl. And like that, my eyes again went to re at her, but subtly this time. As the meeting went on, that red witch continued tough and flirt with him. She would even ask irrelevant questions throughout the conversation leaning forward over the table to see him properly, as I was in the way. Even his stoic face didn¡¯t discourage her. My hands were tight in fists whenever her eyes shamelessly devoured him in front of everyone. I didn¡¯t know how I resisted myself from wing those eyes out of her. When a handnded on my t***h, I looked up at him, surprised, even confused. But when he squeezed gently, I turned red again realizing that he noticed my reactions, all of them. Even that old man sent me a mischievous smile, his aged eyes flickered from me to Ace. Embarrassed with my reactions and disturbed with my own feelings, I excused myself and left down to the washroom. As the cool water touched my hot face, it felt soothing. But the ugly green monster still raged inside me. I didn¡¯t know I¡¯d react like that seeing some other girl even eyeing him with interest. And it wasn¡¯t the first time, I felt the same when I saw that red head friend of his with him that night. Even more to say. I was getting tired of fighting off my own feelings. But I didn¡¯t have the strength to ept them. I just couldn¡¯t. Tapping my face with a tissue, I rechecked my appearance in the mirror, blew out a breath and went out. The washroom on the terrace had some work going on, so I had toe downstairs. As I walked through the busy restaurant, a fuss behind me made me halt and turn around. A tray filled with food was spilled on the tiled floor as the waiter gaped at the scene with h****r. The man standing beside him, apologized. Getting out some cash, he handed it to the baffled waiter and hurried out of the door, his movement tensed as he kept looking over his shoulder. Wait, I knew him. I saw him before somewhere. But where? Scrutinizing, my eyes followed him even outside as he walked to the parking lot. The walls were made of ss, so I could see him properly. Tall frame, grey hair peeking out of dark locks. Yes, it was the man I bumped into back in NY, at Mr. Cooper¡¯s office. How could I forget that strange man? What was he doing here? Share Chapter 15 Chapter 15 Read The Trap Of Ace [by Eva Zahan] Chapter 15 ¨C I shook my head. Why did I care about what he was doing here? I should just go back to the terrace. Once back upstairs, I found the meeting was over and everyone was now enjoying their drinks, except Ace. He simply drank a ss of in water. And¡­ that witch was now in my seat! But his attention wasn¡¯t on her, instead those stormy eyes were searching around for something. Until theynded on me. Was that relief that shed over them? He beckoned me to him with his head, but I turned around and went to Liza who was talking to two of the Arabs beside the railings. Matt wasn¡¯t here, he went to attend a phone call right after me when I left for the washroom. ¡°Hey, where did you go?¡± Liza asked. ¡°Washroom,¡± I replied, standing next to her. Nodding her head, she returned to the conversation. One of the Arabs¡¯ eyes locked with mine as he shed me a smile. I remember his name was Fazza. At twenty something, with dark hair and tanned skin, he didn¡¯t look bad. But the interest in his brown eyes didn¡¯t match mine. But out of politeness, I smiled back. ¡°How long are you working for Mr. Valencian?¡± he asked. ¡°Umm, it¡¯s been just a week.¡± I averted my eyes from his awkward stare. ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re new here,¡± he stated. ¡°Though mine working in this field isn¡¯t that old either. I just joined some months ago.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a designer too?¡± He nodded. ¡°Yep, loved doing these drawings with paper and pencils from my childhood.¡± This time my chuckle was genuine. ¡°Well, I still draw the designs with them. Doing it on theputer doesn¡¯t feel connected.¡± A grin spread across his face. ¡°Looks like we¡¯re on the same page then.¡± He nced at my hand. ¡°You¡¯re not having anything. You need a drink?¡± When I was about to answer, an arm around my waist cut me off. A gasp slipped through my lips as I was pulled against a hard frame. ¡°Sweetheart, what took you so long? I was waiting for you,¡± he said with jaw tight as stone, casting a look of frost at Fazza. And I just stood there dumbfounded. ¡°You- you guys are together?¡± Fazza¡¯s eyes fell where the arm that was wrapped around me possessively. ¡°Yes, she¡¯s taken,¡± Ace replied, but it came out much like a hiss. Though his expression was cool, his eyes were hard, as if warning him off, staking his im on me. Fazza put his hands up, eyes wide. ¡°No bad intentions here, Mr. Valencian. I was just talking. Anyways, I¡¯ll just take your leave now.¡± Once he was gone and so did the others, I tried to wriggle out of his hold but he only tightened it. Huffing, I red up at him. ¡°What are you doing? And what did you mean by I was taken?¡± He cocked his head. ¡°Because you¡¯re. You¡¯re mine.¡± My heart stopped at my chest, breath caught at my throat. The intensity of his eyes held me speechless. And then my heart started racing, blood ran hot in my veins as something soared into my chest. I gulped. ¡°I- I¡¯m not yours.¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t?¡± He leaned closer, stormy grey eyes held me prisoner. The shake of my head was vague. ¡°You sure, Rosebud? Because your eyes are saying otherwise.¡± His hot breath fell on my lips as his fingers dug into my flesh, sending shivers down my spine. *** ¡°Why did we stop here? We were supposed to directly go to the office, right?¡± I asked, ncing at the mall standing tall outside of the car window. ¡°At least you said something,¡± he remarked, eyes amused. Pressing my lips, I scowled. After he dered his im on me back at the terrace, all I could do was get out of his arms and run away from him. Then my n to return with Liza and Matt failed as they already left me assuming I already had a ride. And I¡¯d no way but to get into his car with him again. Throughout the whole ride I hadn¡¯t spoken to him. Even when he tried to grab my hand ¨C the nerve of him! ¡°Well?¡± I crossed my arms over my chest, snatching his smoldering gaze on there. Blood rushed to my ears. Inhaling a deep breath, he brought his eyes back to mine. ¡°Caleb and Tess¡¯s engagement is on this Sunday night. And I need your help to choose a gift for them.¡± I raised my brow. ¡°It¡¯s your cousin and best friend you¡¯re talking about. You don¡¯t know what to get for them?¡± A sour feeling appeared in my mouth as the picture of him and Tess from that night shed in my mind. Did they really have anything at all between them? If they did, then he should¡¯ve at least felt some difort that the girl he used to date was going to marry his cousin, who was more like a brother to him. But it seemed like it didn¡¯t affect him, at all. And if there wasn¡¯t anything like that, then what was that I saw? The intensity between them, the passion¡­ My hands balled into fists, my chest constricted. But I managed a calm facade before him. Years of practice, how could I not manage? ¡°I¡¯ve got something in my mind for Caleb, but I don¡¯t know what to get for Tess. Yes, she¡¯s my best friend, but as her sister, and a girl, you¡¯d know better.¡± He regarded my face with assessing eyes, as if searching for something in there. Did he know of my inner turmoil? The turmoil that was getting more difficult day by day to cage in. I stayed silent, lost in my own thoughts. You¡¯re mine. What did he mean by that? All of a sudden, after years, the years he maybe didn¡¯t even care where his best friend¡¯s little sister was. And now out of nowhere he called me his? He wanted me? When did this happen? Because I didn¡¯t believe he just fell for me after just seeing me at that party. *** ¡°Here, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll love this one, Ma¡¯am. This is one of the best pieces of ne in our store,¡± said the manager himself of this renowned jewelry outlet. And why not? The great Achilles Valencian was in his store. I rolled my eyes in my head. Yes, I was here with him, helping him find a gift for my sister. I thought of declining, but I couldn¡¯t just say no to those in need stormy grey eyes. I knew, I was being stupid and weak. But¡­ I couldn¡¯t help it. And we were here because Tess was obsessed with diamonds and clothes. Shaking my head, I passed another piece of ne. They were too heavy. ¡°Show me something light and contemporary.¡± At Achilles¡¯ nod of head, the manager took off to show me some more of their collections that I finally might like. I didn¡¯t know much of Tess¡¯s choice, but I knew she was fond of trying the brand new designs in the market. Twirling the bracket on my wrist, my eyes went around to the jewelries on disy. Then something caught my eyes. A simple pendant with a diamond cut emerald in the middle with tiny rubies adorned around it. It was gorgeous. I wasn¡¯t that fond of emeralds before, but the tiny ones in my bracelet had won my heart. I wonder who¡¯s left this beautiful bracelet before my door that day¡­ ¡°You like something for yourself?¡± Came his deep voice close to my ear. My step away from him was swift. This man just didn¡¯t know of personal space. ¡°No. We¡¯re here for Tess, not me, remember?¡± He watched me for a moment and then nodded his head. ¡°Mr. Valencian, please take a seat. Let us show thetest collections of our store,¡± the manager urged, with two assistants behind him carrying dozens of boxes in their hands. With a curt nod, he wrapped his arm around my waist and led me to the sitting area. I tried to wiggle out of his arm, ring at him. But he kept a firm hold, pulling me more into his warmth. I huffed, giving up, not wanting to create a scene. And the thing that I felt in his arms, his scent, could be another reason why I didn¡¯t pull away. He was tampering with my head, as well as my heart. After I was done choosing something for Tess, finally, he maneuvered me to another store. This time, I was thrown to hunt for a dress for her. When I told him our dressing style was a lot different, I couldn¡¯t help him in that. He said, ¡°I trust your decisions, Rosebud. I¡¯m sure, whatever you choose, will be the best. And don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll help you make the decision.¡± I had just frowned in confusion. Whatever he said, had gone over my head. What did he know of my decisions and choices anyway? Though I wouldn¡¯t admit it, I was thankful that this woman who helped us find a dress wasn¡¯t staring at him like a puppy craving for a bone, like the other shops we visited. She was polite and professional, not dancing her eyes around. And when I told her what type of dress I wanted, she¡¯d handed me over two dozens of expensive gowns. For wedding asions, they¡¯d be best: suggested the woman. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. I ran my hand over a pink satin, checking its florid designs. Suddenly it was snatched from me. Looking up, I found a displeased Ace ring holes onto that dress. ¡°We¡¯re not taking it.¡± ¡°Why? What¡¯s wrong with it? I think it¡¯d be perfect for Tess. And pink is also her favorite color.¡± He raised his brow. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? It¡¯s too short.¡± ¡°So? She has no problem with short dresses.¡± ¡°But I¡¯ve!¡± His lips tightened. Something nagged inside me. Why did he care if Tess wore short dresses or not? My temper suddenly red as I grabbed the dress back from his grasp. ¡°I liked this dress for her, so we¡¯ll be taking this. You told me to help you and I¡¯m just doing that. And if you don¡¯t like my choice, then be my guest and help yourself of your own!¡± My sudden outburst didn¡¯t seem to bother him as he was too busy eyeing me up and down. ¡°What¡¯re you doing?¡± I frowned. ¡°How do you know Tess¡¯d look good in it? You didn¡¯t see it on her, did you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need to see it on her. I can tell, this will be perfect for her.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m not that certain,¡± he said, tilting his head. ¡°Why don¡¯t you try it on you, and see if it really looks good?¡± My eyes widened. ¡°What? Why¡¯d I do that? And how can you decide if she¡¯ll look good or not seeing it on me? I¡¯m not her!¡± He shrugged. ¡°But both of your height and weight are almost the same. So I don¡¯t think there¡¯d be a problem.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°No buts. You¡¯re only wasting our time arguing over this. Just try this out, let me see you and get done with it,¡± he cut me off. But when he mentioned of seeing me, a goosebump crawled up my arms. And it didn¡¯t help as his stormy grey eyes were a lot more stormier. ¡°Fine! Let¡¯s just get over it!¡± ring, I walked to the changing room. There were people around the shop, men more than women in our section. G*d! I¡¯d have to walk out in this t***h length sleeveless dress. mming the door shut, I cursed under my breath for agreeing to help him and started undressing. I didn¡¯t even know if it¡¯ll fit. It looked tight. It did fit. And it was tight, as h**l. I could barely breathe in it. He was wrong. Tess and I weren¡¯t of the same weight. She was thinner than me, where I was the curvier one. Well, it was obvious as she was the girl who spent hours at the gym. Once I was ready to go out, I tugged at the ends to somehow drag them a little lower and opened the door. I didn¡¯t find him outside the door as I expected. In fact I found him sittingfortably on a couch, with his elbows on his knees. And the most surprising thing was, the whole shop was empty except the sales girls of the shop Share Chapter 16 Chapter 16 Read The Trap Of Ace [by Eva Zahan] Chapter 16 ¨C Where did everyone disappear all of a sudden? I was looking around in confusion, until I felt a pair of scorching eyes on me. Turning to him, I found his gaze following every curve of mine and cuts of the dress, that exposed my sudden ultra sensitive skin to him. I bit my lip, not wanting to fidget under his stare. ¡°Is it okay?¡± With a tight nod, he beckoned me to him. Confused, I glided near. Still his eyes on my body, he handed me a ck dress. ¡°Try this.¡± When I unfolded it, my eyes widened. It was even shorter than the one I was unting right now. And as a cherry on the top, it was off shoulder and backless. What the h**l? He could just instead pick a b****i for her! ¡°I¡¯m not wearing it!¡± One of his eyebrows arched. ¡°Why not? It¡¯s a ssy branded gown. I think Tess will definitely love it.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s too short!¡± I argued. I wanted to p the tilting of his at the side. Whenever he did it, I sensed a challenge was thrown towards me. ¡°Why? Now you¡¯re having problems with short clothes?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t. I just¡­ I can¡¯t wear it before you,¡± I stuttered. ¡°Are you being shy before me right now, Rosebud?¡± The warmth of my cheeks were embarrassing. Yet again, I rose my chin high. ¡°I¡¯m not being shy or anything. You know what, let¡¯s just get over with it.¡± I knew I was going to regret it, but I clutched the dress and turned around. And I was indeed, regretting once I looked at myself in the mirror. It fitted perfectly, not too tight, not even loose. The end of the dress reached just an inch above my mid t***h. The long cut neckline disyed my cleavage on show, where the back cut just stopped three inches from my butt! Though it was out of myfort zone, it did look good on me. I looked¡­ s**y. The smooth fabric clung to me like a second skin, manifesting every curve and dip of mine. Even at the thought of going before him with this on, flutters erupted in my tummy. I didn¡¯t know why I was even doing it. A knocknded on the door. The salesdy¡¯s voice floated in, asking if the dress fitted or if I needed a hand. ¡°No, everything is good. Just a second,¡± I replied, tugging the neckline a little higher. Come on, Em! You can do it. Taking a deep breath, I opened the door and walked out. I found him assessing a beautiful red gown disyed on a d***y. But I couldn¡¯t decipher the look he¡¯d on as he brushed a finger on the fabric, gaze intense. And then his eyes tore from the gown and fell on me. His shoulders tensed as the muscle of his sharp jaw clenched. His hands fisted in b***s. The storm in his eyes turned wild with his smoldering gaze touching every inch of my body, lingering longer on the deep neckline. Blood rushed to my cheeks and ran hot through my veins under his ming stare. It had me squirming in my ce. ¡°Turn around,¡± he said. The dominance and huskiness of his rich deep Greek ent made me obey. And as soon as I turned, a low curse reached my ear and followed a sharp intake of breath. When he didn¡¯t speak for a moment, I fidgeted my fingers. ¡°A-ace?¡± Even the sales woman was nowhere to be seen. We were alone in the whole section. And then I felt him behind me. His hot breath fanning my b**e shoulder making my breath hitch. A brush of warm fingers glided down my b**e back, erupting goosebumps across my skin. My heart pounded as his hand slipped to the curve of my waist, to the front of my stomach, to my b**e shoulders. A slow rumble reverberated his chest. Struggling not to close my eyes and feel his touch, I let out a shaky breath. ¡°W-what are you doing?¡± I whispered, as big hands fell on my hips. I should¡¯ve asked the question to myself. Why was I still not pulling away? I heard a murmur under his breath. Though I couldn¡¯t pick out most of the words, I caught something like: driving him crazy. When I was at the verge of leaning into him, the woman strolled in, making me jump away from his heat. Her eyes widened, flickering back and forth to me and Ace. ¡°Uh, I¡¯m sorry! I didn¡¯t mean any interruption.¡± My cheeks turned crimson, when all he looked was, extremely disturbed. The woman turned pale under his hard re. What¡¯s wrong with him? ¡°I- i¡¯ll be back in a minute¡­¡± ¡°No! It¡¯s alright. You didn¡¯t interrupt us at all. We were just about to call you anyway.¡± I cut her off. When he didn¡¯t speak and kept scaring that poor woman, I cast him a look. He gave a curt nod, still ring. ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re done here. Pack that pink dress, and¡­¡± Turning to me, he raked his eyes on me one more time. I shivered. ¡°This one also.¡± He¡¯d give it to Tess? Again, the same nagging feeling rose in my chest. Though I knew it was ridiculous. She was getting married to his cousin. But still¡­ Once I was back in myfortable jeans and his t-shirt, I padded out and waited for the woman to hand us the bags. Then my eyes fell on the d***y where that red gown was on. It was now gone. No one was here in the shop, then who took it? When he told me to wait for him in the car while he did the payments, I didn¡¯t wait a second longer. I was d***g to get some fresh air. His consistent presence around me was overwhelming me. I needed some space to keep myself in check. Once he was back, we got in the car and drove away. But after a while, when he didn¡¯t turn to the road that would lead us to the office, my brows creased in confusion. ¡°Where are we going? We were supposed to turn Right.¡± ¡°We¡¯re on the right path. Don¡¯t worry,¡± he replied, eyes on the road. Can he ever answer a straight question? ¡°We¡¯re supposed to go to the office. No, actually home, because it¡¯s almost night.¡± ¡°I know. But I want to show you something.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll get to see it yourself, soon.¡± What was running in his head? ¡°But where are we going?¡± I asked, dreading inside for the more time I¡¯ll be spending with him. It wasn¡¯t good for my heart. And as an answer, I only got a smirk. ¡°Patience, Rosebud. We will be there soon.¡± Groaning, I sat back against my seat and looked outside. *** ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± he announced, making me open my eyes. I was almost at the verge of being asleep after half an hour¡¯s drive. It¡¯d been a long day. Getting out of the car, he opened the door for me while I stretched my legs and let out a yawn. But the sleepiness cleared out of my eyes the moment my gaze fell onto the structure that stood across the vast lawn. A beautiful two story modern vi. One whole side of it was covered with ss, while the other side was abination of dark wood and white marble. Thewn was surrounded by a colorful rose garden, a small adorable sitting area was situated in the middle. It was gorgeous. ¡°You liked it?¡± Came a low voice close to my ear. I nodded, eyes still not moving away from the beauty. ¡°Whose house is it?¡± He stayed silent, I could feel his gaze on me. Once I looked up at him, he said, ¡°I bought itst week.¡± ¡°It¡¯s yours?¡± I turned to the vi again. So this was the house he was busy buying and renovating. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful. But why did you need to buy a house when you already had so many?¡± He watched me, intent gaze locked with mine. ¡°They were just houses. I wanted a home for myself. So I bought one, for the near future.¡± I blinked. For his future? A family home? ¡°Come, let me show you inside.¡± Securing my hand in his, he took me within the building he wanted to make a home out of. And I let him, still admiring the structure. And again I was left speechless. The interior was more stunning than the exterior. Though not much furniture was spotted there. Only some stuffid on the hardwood floor, yet to unpack. As he led me upstairs, still holding my hand, I asked, ¡°How many rooms exactly are there?¡± ¡°Five bedrooms, two guestrooms, two extra for library and office, and another for gym. In total, ten. Six downstairs and four upstairs. And yes, three more in the basement.¡± Thirteen rooms! This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°What in G*d¡¯s name will you do with so many rooms?¡± I gaped. Letting out a husky chuckle, he opened the doors of a room. A master bedroom. ¡°I want a big family, Rosebud. And children need a big home to y and grow up.¡± At the image of him with little Ace¡¯s running around the house, my heart bloomed with an unknown emotion, but it withered away as soon as I thought of some girl who¡¯d be the mother of his children. ¡°This is where my beautiful future wife will be living with me. Our very own personal bedroom,¡± he said. My chest squeezed as my eyes roamed around the beautiful vast bedroom with a round bed in the middle. She¡¯d be living here with him, sleeping with him on this bed¡­ But he said he wanted me¡­ Just because he was interested in me didn¡¯t mean he¡¯d see his future in me. The nails digging in my palms brought me back to my disturbing thoughts. The possessiveness and hurt I found in my inner thoughts unnerved me. Why did he even bring me here to see his future home? One moment he dered that I was his, and the next moment he showed me his and his future wife¡¯s bedroom? ¡°Is there anything else you want me to show? Because I want to go home now. I¡¯m hungry and tired.¡± My tone clipped. A small crease formed on his forehead sensing my sudden change of mood. And then something shed over his eyes, the corner of his mouth twitched. ¡°Yes, there¡¯s. Come with me.¡± Even after my protest, he dragged me to the adjoined balcony. And when I saw the view, myints died down. The balcony was right above the rose garden. Soft night breeze blowing across the open meadow ahead of us, touched my face. I took a deep breath, filling my lungs with the sweet mild fragrance of roses. The full moon hung high right up in the sky. ¡°It¡¯s more beautiful during the day. Even the meadow is filled with flowers,¡± he spoke, standing close behind me. Suddenly I wanted toe here during the daylight. But with what right? The right of a family friend that he might be interested in and gonna forget soon enough? A pressure built at my throat, choking me. My eyes burnt with emotions crashing on my chest. I shouldn¡¯t havee here. ¡°I arranged dinner for us. Let¡¯s go downstairs.¡± When he aimed for my hand, I stepped back, crossing my arms over my chest: suddenly feeling cold. A frown etched between his brows. ¡°I want to go home now. Can we just do that?¡± ¡°Emerald, you¡­¡± ¡°Please, Ace. I¡¯m tired.¡± I cut him off. I was tired of my emotions, myck of control. I was tired of my constant fighting. With jaw tight, he nodded his head and led me outside. Again, holding my hand in his. It seemed to be his habit. I tried to get away, but again, he didn¡¯t have any of my protests. On our way back outside, I saw a huge portrait leaning against a wall, in the open room he said will be his office. The portrait was covered more than half with a white sheet, but I could see the end. Only a pair of feminine hands could be seen, a ring of blue diamond adorned her ring finger. Whose picture is that? I wanted to ask him, but chose to stay quiet instead. I just wanted to get away from here right now. *** A gasp slipped through my lips as I was pulled against a hard frame. Strong arms wrapped around my waist, crushing me against his solid chest. Soft warm lips touched the curve of my neck, sending shivers down my spine. Rough stubbles poked my skin, making me giggle. ¡°Ace! Don¡¯t!¡± Iined, but my eyelids went shut as his warm mouth sucked on my skin, big hands roamed around my body. A whimper left my lips as hot sensations ran through my veins. ¡°You like it, Rosebud?¡± his husky voice murmured in my ear. And my arching my body towards his touch was the reply. A low chuckle vibrated at my back. I took a deep breath as another kissnded just behind my ear. ¡°Ace¡­¡± And then all of a sudden I was cold. Alone standing in the middle of his master bedroom. I looked around in confusion. Where did he go? A moan snatched my eyes to the bed which wasn¡¯t there a while ago. Two figures were wrapped around a white sheet, tangled with each other in a passionate kiss. More groans followed. And when his face peeked out of her shoulder, my breath hitched. Her hands were roaming over his chest, while he had his one hand around her in a possessive hold, and the other gripped the blonde locks of her as he pulled her for another kiss. Her moans filled the room. I choked out a gasp as I felt someone gripped my heart and squeezed it hard. I felt the same pain I felt years ago. My heart shattered in a million pieces, and at the same time I wanted to destroy something. Destroy her. The scene before me. But I couldn¡¯t move. As if I was p*******d in my ce. I tried to close my eyes but I couldn¡¯t move a muscle. Panic started to rise in my chest. I wanted to scream, but no vail. I opened my mouth, but nothing wasing out. And then his stormy grey eyes met mine, and all of a sudden, he was right in front of me. That girl was nowhere to be seen. He gave me his hand to take, but I couldn¡¯t move my hand. I didn¡¯t want to let him go. Go to that woman again. I wanted him to stay with me. Tears ran down my eyes as I struggled with the force that held my body. I wanted to ask him for help, but I couldn¡¯t. I wanted to call out for him, but I failed. When I didn¡¯t take his hand, he gave me a sad smile and stepped backwards, slowly vanishing in the air. My eyes widened. No, no, no! Don¡¯t go! Don¡¯t leave me alone! Not again! More tears ran as I tried to reach out to him but I was still in my ce. And then he vanished in the air. I couldn¡¯t see him anymore. He was gone. ¡°Ace!¡± I jerked awake, frantically looking around. A tear had slipped down my eye. ¡°Emerald? Jeez, are you alright?¡± I found him right beside me, looking back and forth to me and on the road. Concerntched into his face. ¡°What happened, baby? Are you okay?¡± I let out a shaky breath. My heart thudded in my chest. Closing my eyes, I ran my palms over my face. I was dreaming. What kind of dream was that? ¡°Rosebud?¡± I looked at him. He threw me worried nces, forehead creased. He was right here. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Just a bad dream.¡± His frown deepened. ¡°What was it?¡± I turned away. ¡°Nothing.¡± I didn¡¯t even want to rey it in my head. ¡°You called out my name.¡± ¡°So? I could call out anyone¡¯s name. Not everything is about you! So that¡¯s none of your business!¡± My temper red. I didn¡¯t have any control on it. His jaw clenched, his eyes hard on me. ¡°You¡¯re pretty shaken up. What did you see?¡± ¡°I said that¡¯s none of your business!¡± ¡°D**n it, Emerald! Can¡¯t you just answer my question? I want to know what scared you that much!¡± he snapped, gaze on the road. I didn¡¯t answer. Instead, I looked out of the window. ¡°Emerald!¡± Silence. With a curse, he cupped my chin and made me turn to him. His touch was soft as he brushed his thumb on my cheek. ¡°What happened, Rosebud? Please, tell me. What did you see?¡± His gentle tone soothed something in me, as his patient eyes watched me. Those grey eyespelled me to admit. Gulping, I opened my mouth. He nodded in encouragement. ¡°I, I saw you with¡­¡± A light fell on my eyes, blinding my vision, followed by some re of loud horns. Cursing under his breath, he turned the wheel to the right. The tired screeched on the pitch as the car lost its bnce, before crashing against something, hard. Share Chapter 17 Chapter 17 Read The Trap Of Ace [by Eva Zahan] Chapter 17 ¨C A knock descended on my door. ¡°Coming!¡± Putting the lipstick down on the dressing table, I attended it. Judy, our house help stood there with a white box in her hand. ¡°Sorry to disturb you, dear. But this hase for you,¡± she said, handing me the parcel. For me? ¡°What¡¯s in it? And who sent it?¡± I nced down at the box. Her shoulders lifted. ¡°I¡¯ve no idea, dear. A courier boy just gave me the parcel and left. Anyways, I¡¯ll leave you to this. A lot of chores are on the hand.¡± Nodding, I shed her a smile along a thank you and closed the door. I searched for a name on the box, but there wasn¡¯t any. Who could¡¯ve sent it? Biting my lip, I unpacked it. A gasp slipped through my lips as my eyesnded on the red gown lying in it. Taking it out, I unfolded it. It was the same gown I saw him checking out that day. A note that was ced beneath the gown, caught my eye. With a skip of my heart, I picked it up. This one was left out from trying. So I want to see it on you tonight. A So, he¡­ bought it for me? A warmth surged through my chest as I ran my hand on the beautiful cold shoulder gown. The fabric felt smooth under my palm. Holding it against me, I stood before the mirror. It looked¡­ beautiful. But why did he get it for me? shes of that night on the road floated in my mind. That horrible night we¡¯d almost faced the d***h¡­ My hands clutched the dress tight. A car had lost bnce and strayed up in our way. To save us, he¡¯d to avoid a collision and our car ended up hitting a streetmp. I closed my eyes as the fear of that moment hit me back. How he¡¯d put his arm over me to save me from getting hurt, not caring for himself. Even after the seatbelts, I was about to hit my head with the window ss if not for him. The hit was that severe. Good thing that both of us didn¡¯t get any major injuries. I got a small scratch in my leg. But his shoulder was hurt. The jerk of the c***h and the way he stretched to protect me, had his shoulder a muscle injury. I was so rattled after the incident that he¡¯d to clutch me to his chest for almost half an hour until I gained someposure. I hated that feeling. The fear I felt at that moment. The fear of d***h, the fear of losing him¡­ I shook my head, shaking off the inauspicious thoughts. I shouldn¡¯t be thinking of that. Everything is alright now. Today is Tess¡¯s official engagement night, so I should just concentrate on that. I looked back at my reflection. This dress. Shouldn¡¯t I be mad that he sent another gift for me? But I wasn¡¯t. The red tint on my cheeks proved that. A sigh left me. What was I doing? I was wandering away from my goal: avoid him until the three months passes and I can finally go back to NY, away from him. But¡­ it¡¯s just a dress¡­ I bit my lip. ¡°Em? You ready?¡± Mom called out from downstairs. ¡°Just give me five minutes!¡± I yelled back, my gaze returning back to the gown, admiring it. Should I? *** Securing my hand in Dad¡¯s arm, I took a deep breath and walked down the red carpet that led us inside the Valencian Mansion. It should¡¯ve been called a castle instead, because that¡¯s the vibe I get every time I visit here. The party was in full swing. A typical rich, ssy, sophisticated, yet contemporary and dazzling atmosphere. And why not, after all it was Tessa Hutton¡¯s engagement. In the swarm of all dolled up people and rushing waiters, we found her at the tail of the grand staircase at the middle of the vast hall, surrounded by a group of her friends. unting a sea green mermaid gown, she looked gorgeous. And the groom stood along, with a three piece posh suit. He didn¡¯t look any less. As soon as her gaze caught us approaching her, she rushed to us followed by Caleb and threw herself on Mom and Dad. Both of my parents had moisture in their eyes as they hugged their elder daughter with love and affection. I smiled, standing beside. And then came my turn. ¡°Em!¡± Instead of her regr sandalwood, the fragrance of Jasmine filled my ambience as she engulfed me in a hug. Pulling away, she eyed me up and down. ¡°This isn¡¯t fair! Only the bride should look that gorgeous in her engagement, not her little sister!¡± sheined, frowning. But then an involuntary grin stretched across her lips. Mom, Dad and Calebughed along. I couldn¡¯t help but smile back, shaking my head. ¡°Yes, and that¡¯s why you¡¯re the one who¡¯s radiating the evening with your beauty. You look stunning!¡± Then my eyes fell on her neck. She wore the ne we chose for her, it went good with her attire. ¡°Especially this-¡± I pointed towards the piece of jewelry. ¡°You¡¯re looking beautiful in it.¡± ncing down, she grazed the oval shaped diamond that dangled down the slender tinum ne. ¡°All thanks to you! I¡¯m sure if only Achilles had chosen it, it wouldn¡¯t be that beautiful. He wouldn¡¯t even go to the mall, just order an expensive one randomly online!¡± She rolled her blue orbs. He told her? Seeing my surprise, she nodded her head. ¡°He told me how you chose it for me. Thank you, Em! Otherwise I don¡¯t think I would be wearing my best friend¡¯s gift tonight.¡± I chuckled, my eyes sneaking around to get a glimpse of someone. The flutters that have been dancing in my tummy since we left home still stormed around. Where is he? ¡°How did you like the dresses? I hope they weren¡¯t that bad,¡± I asked, remembering those outfits. Confusion fell over her face. ¡°What dresses? What¡¯re you talking about?¡± I frowned. ¡°The dresses he got for you along your ne. He made me try them to see if they¡¯d look good on you.¡± She shook her head. ¡°No, he didn¡¯t give me any dresses.¡± If he didn¡¯t give them to her, then what did he do with them? Did he¡­ buy them for someone else? I bit my lip, clutching the purse tight in my hand as a pang burnt in my chest. ¡°Oh, umm, maybe he had some other ns with them,¡± I said, forcing a smile on my face. Something shed over her eyes as they widened a bit. Mumbling something under her breath, she put a hand on my shoulder. ¡°Maybe he wanted to give them to me on other asions? You know, he bought all the gifts altogether so that he could give me one by one at my other wedding ceremonies?¡± That made sense. A heaviness in me suddenly lifted off as I nodded my head. Why couldn¡¯t I just not care? She mustn¡¯t have missed the sudden change of my mood. A clear of throat behind Tess pulled everyone¡¯s attention. And when Tess moved and that person appeared in sight, my lips parted in surprise. The man I bumped into at Coopers Fabrics, back in NY, and saw at the restaurant that day. What was he doing here at this engagement party? Dark eyes stared right back at me with a smile on his face as Tess and Caleb weed him with side hugs. ¡°Hello, Mr. Hutton. It¡¯s been a long time!¡± He said, shaking his hand with Dad. Dad smiled. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s been months. You finally got free of your busy schedule, huh?¡± He shrugged. ¡°Work is work. You can¡¯t avoid that.¡± ¡°True,¡± said Dad, as that man shared pleasantries with Mom. ¡°Em, meet Arthur. Achilles and Caleb¡¯s uncle.¡± She introduced him to me. ¡°And Arthur, this is Emerald, my sister.¡± ¡°Ah, the infamous Emerald Hutton. I finally got that lucky to have the pleasure of meeting you!¡± He grinned. Taking my hand, he ced a kiss on the back of it. Ace¡¯s uncle? What a coincidence that I already met him twice before our official meeting. I gave him a hesitant smile. ¡°Nice to meet you too! By the way, we¡¯ve already met if you forgot.¡± Tess and Dad raised their brows at that. ¡°You guys already met? Where?¡± queried Caleb. ¡°Oh? We did?¡± He titled his head, dark eyes puzzled. Why did it look so fake? ¡°Yeah, at Coopers Fabrics, NY?¡± Thinking for a moment, he then shook his head. ¡°Sorry, dear! I¡¯m a little lost here. Maybe I forgot. It¡¯s the proof that I¡¯m getting old now.¡± Everyone cackled withughter, but I couldn¡¯t. I didn¡¯t know why but, something was off about him. When he looked at me again, something shed over his eyes. But it was gone as soon as it came. Averting his gaze, he went back to the conversation. *** ¡°Where¡¯s your prince charming tonight? I don¡¯t see him anywhere,¡± asked Casie, sipping on her drink. She arrived just minutes after we did, and without Beth. Again, she¡¯d her boyfriend problems. I threw her a look. ¡°He¡¯s not my prince charming,¡± I replied, holding back the urge to look around myself, for the upteenth time. It¡¯s been almost an hour, and he wasn¡¯t still here. I didn¡¯t like the frustration building inside me at all. I¡¯d be happy that he wasn¡¯t here. But¡­ he wouldn¡¯t miss his cousin and best friend¡¯s engagement, would he? Then where the h**l was he? Is he alright? ¡°Yeah, right! Do me a favor and go see your face in the mirror. The dullness in your eyes due to your missing lover is unmistakable.¡± She snorted. Pressing my lips together, I red. ¡°They¡¯re not dull at all!¡± When she noticed someone familiar in the crowd, raising her hand, she waved. ¡°I think I got my prince charming for the night. Why don¡¯t you just call him and ask where he is instead of ying ¡®I don¡¯t care¡¯?¡± My brows creased as she bounced off to a pretty guy and disappeared through the mass of people. I wasn¡¯t ying any game. He was. I was just trying to protect my heart from getting another heartache. Swiping my eyes around for one more time, I walked towards the bar and grabbed a cocktail for me. The night did feel dull tonight even after the chatter,ughter and music around me. While sipping on my drink, I caught Arthur, Ace¡¯s uncle, at the other side of the hall talking andughing with some suited men. And then his gaze locked with mine. A smile stretched across his face as he gestured cheers with his ss. Even from afar, I could tell his facade. The smile of his didn¡¯t reach the eyes. But I smiled back anyway and turned around. From what I knew, him, means Ace¡¯s uncle handled a lot of important loads of thepany. He was one of the liable persons at Valencian Corp and Ace¡¯s life. But even then, I couldn¡¯t just getfortable around him like I should¡¯ve. That day at the meeting with Arabians, we were all at the terrace, then what was he doing downstairs? Did he have any other work at the same ce? Maybe. It could be just a coincidence. I was thinking too much. Then all of a sudden, I felt it. Goosebumps crawled up my skin as I felt his gaze on me. He was here. The abrupt silence around the hall and whispers of girls, the annoying sound of their giggling proved my suspicion right. The party was back in life after some moments while I just kept standing there, fidgeting in my ce, forcing my eyes not to look behind. I don¡¯t care! I don¡¯t care! I won¡¯t look. Chanting the mantra in my head, I managed to glue my attention on my drink. I was stronger than this. ¡°If I knew you¡¯d look that beautiful in white, I¡¯d have chosen this color instead of red for my Rosebud,¡± a deep voice rasped in my ear. I stilled, my heart stopped in my chest. Deep breath, Em! Deep breaths! Inhaling deep, I searched for my voice. ¡°You were mistaken if you thought I¡¯d wear the dress you sent for me.¡± I decided to wear another dress I¡¯d bought with Tess the second day I returned here, instead of the one he bought for me. Even how much I¡¯d liked that gown. Wait, did he just call me his Rosebud again? ¡°And I¡¯m not yours!¡± Tilting my head, I looked up at him over my shoulder. And it was a mistake. My breath hitched as soon as my eyes struck on him. He wore both of his hair and beard longer tonight. I hadn¡¯t seen him in two days, and his thick stubble was so grown today, giving him an extra look of edge and roughness. His dark hair touched the cor of his shirt. My hands itched to run over his covered jaws and smooth hair. While his stormy eyes remained the same, intense on me, dark and dominant. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. His heady sharp cologne with his signature smell of a hint of smoke along, tingled my nostrils. Something tugged in my lower region as I filled my lungs with him. Suddenly I felt him against me, his arms caging me around the bar. When did hee so close? A groan reverberated into his chest as he brushed a strand away from my face; his intense gazetched onto my parted lips. ¡°And again I¡¯m going to repeat that, Rosebud.¡± Leaning in, he brushed his lips on my earlobe. ¡°You¡¯re mine.¡± A shiver ran down my spine, another tug in the forbidden area had me mortified. Averting my eyes, I tried to break his cage and fly away, but he only pulled me closer, binding me in his arms again. The music began in the background indicating the dance had started while I continued to scowl and wiggle in his arms. And he just watched me in amusement. The look in his eyes did something to me. He watched me as if he was looking at the most precious and beautiful thing in the world. His usual hollow eyes had light and¡­ happiness. A serene tiny smile was etched on his lips. When my struggle finally died down, he took my hand in his. ¡°Dance with me?¡± ¡°No,¡± I said, but not moving away from him. I was turning weak again, I knew. I couldn¡¯t help it. He made me like this, he made me weak for him. Ignoring my answer, he gently kissed my hand and pulled me into the dance floor among the other couples who were already swaying under the slow music. And all the time, I felt a pair of eyes on me. And this time, it wasn¡¯t a warm feeling. The shiver that ran down my spine was chilling. Share Chapter 18 Chapter 18 Read The Trap Of Ace [by Eva Zahan] Chapter 18 ¨C ¡°This is not a way to dance. No one dances like this,¡± Iined, huffing. ¡°I¡¯m not anyone, Rosebud. I¡¯m Achilles Valencian. I don¡¯t follow rules, I make them,¡± he said, pulling me deeper into his arms. Sighing, I gave up. While the others moved around the dance floor, he didn¡¯t let even an inch of distance between us. When his one hand should be in one of mine and the other on my waist, both of his strong arms were firmly wrapped around me, keeping me against his chest. And mine were locked around his neck. He wouldn¡¯t even move freely, just slow sways. As if no one in the world was watching us. But the res of both single and taken women were unignorable. When my neck started to hurt, craning to look at him all the time, I rested my cheek on his chest. Closing my eyes, I let him move us around in slow waves. His scent with every intake of breath lulled me to peace. I remained silent as he yed with my hair. ¡°Don¡¯t cut those hair ever again.¡± My eyes opened, but I didn¡¯t move my head from his warmth. He was talking about that time when I¡¯d cut them short, assuming he liked it that way. ¡°Why?¡± I whispered. I didn¡¯t have any ns to do something I¡¯d done years ago out of my naivety. I was my own person now. ¡°Because it looks beautiful on you. And, this is the real you. I don¡¯t want you to change for someone else.¡± I froze. So he did notice my change for him? He noticed how I became into someone else just to catch his eyes? His words touched something deep inside me. He didn¡¯t want me to change for anyone, even for him? Not that I was gonna do anything for him. His fingers brushed against the fabric of my dress after he was done ying with my hair. Even if he did mind me not wearing his gift, he didn¡¯t show it. Though the appreciation in his eyes for my appearance was clear. And I hated to admit it, but I liked it. I liked the way he looked at me every time we met. I hated to love it all. His gaze on me, his touch, his warmth, his scent, his dominance, everything single thing. And I¡¯d no idea how to stop myself from adoring these feelings. My hand snaked to his left shoulder. ¡°Does it still hurt?¡± ¡°No. Just a little sore, that¡¯s it.¡± I nodded, still roaming my hand from his shoulder to his chest. The sharp inhale of his pulled me out of my trance. Pulling away from his chest, I once again tried to maintain some distance. And this time, he let me. But just to some inches. It was better than nothing. I could at least breath. ncing over his shoulder, I caught Caleb and Tess moving with the rhythm of the music. Love and adoration shone in their eyes as they whispered andughed among each other, lost in their own world. Some unsought memories again crawled back into my mind. I moved away from his grasp, making him narrow his eyes. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± ¡°I need to use the washroom,¡± I mumbled, already walking away, not waiting for his response. He didn¡¯t follow, but his gaze did until I was out of the sight. Dodging the strolling people and rushing kids, I kept moving. I didn¡¯t know where I was going. But I didn¡¯t want to stay near him anymore either. Why do I always forget that what pain he can cause me again? His unintentional act urred irreparable damage to my heart. And what¡¯d happen when he¡¯d do it on purpose? No, I can¡¯t live through another one. Gulping the pressure in my throat as I turned the corner, a hand grabbed my elbow, turning me around. ¡°Stop running away from him, Em. You¡¯re hurting yourself by doing so.¡± I shook my head. ¡°I¡¯m protecting myself, Casie. If I don¡¯t run away, I will definitely get hurt. And this time, I don¡¯t know if I can handle it.¡± When I turned to leave, she stopped me again. ¡°You can¡¯t know what¡¯ll happen until you give it a chance. And for that you¡¯ll have to stay. Stay and see where your heart takes you this time,¡± she said, eyes serious. ¡°I can¡¯t!¡± I snapped. Why didn¡¯t she understand my point? Didn¡¯t she know how much I suffered? ¡°Yes, you can. Just because something bad happened in the past, doesn¡¯t mean it will happen again. You don¡¯t even know the whole truth of what exactly happened that night and why. You¡¯re having this doubt that something is missing here, don¡¯t you? Then why all of this?¡± She exhaled a long breath, eyes softening up. ¡°Look, Em. You know really well what your heart desires. Even after years you couldn¡¯t move on from him. And now that your life is giving you another chance, don¡¯t let it go.¡± I clutched the bracelet, and blinked away the tears that threatened to well up. She ced a hand on my shoulder. ¡°He already took his steps towards you. It¡¯s your turn now. Don¡¯t let your fears steal the one thing that will worth it in the future.¡± I looked at her. ¡°When did you be so sensible?¡± The side of the lips twitched as she lifted her shoulders, her strawberry blonde locks bouncing along. ¡°I was born sensible. Now don¡¯t change the subject. You¡¯re getting what I¡¯m trying to say?¡± I sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do, Casie. I¡¯m confused.¡± ¡°Then clear your every confusion. Go and talk to him. And if not, then talk to Tess. I think other than Achilles, only she can answer your every question.¡± *** After I was done in the washroom, I rechecked my appearance and decided to join the party again. I¡¯d taken extra moments than I needed considering the advice Casie provided. I didn¡¯t know what fate would bring out of Ace and my rtionship, even if there was something, but I wanted to know everything that had happened in the past. Because hearing Tess¡¯s confession that night on the rooftop and observing Ace¡¯s behavior and hints of knowing of my feelings years ago, forced me to think beyond. There was definitely something I didn¡¯t know. And even there wasn¡¯t. Even if whatever I saw was true, maybe they¡­ could have something in them, or maybe it was just a heat of a moment, whatever it was, I wanted to know everything. Because until I didn¡¯t know the truth, I¡¯ll continue to suffer thinking of the possibilities. Maybe I should just talk to Tess. Walking down the hallway, I stopped at my track. When everyone was enjoying the night, he stood there before the huge window, alone. Hands in his pockets, he stared out into the dark sky. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes illuminated an emptiness¡­ loneliness. My heart tugged at this. I wanted to reach out and wash away the emptiness in him and bring back the light I used to see in his eyes. A long sigh caught my attention. Caleb and Tess stood aside the pir situated near the staircase. They watched Ace just as I was a moment ago. Tess put a hand on Caleb¡¯s shoulder as a sadness washed over his face, his gaze fixed on his cousin. ¡°It¡¯s my fault. I shouldn¡¯t have been forcing him again and again toe here. Even after knowing how much this ce gives him pain, how much he hates this mansion.¡± She rubbed his back. ¡°Don¡¯t me yourself, Cal. You just wanted your brother to stand beside you in your happiness, that¡¯s all. And see, even after everything he came. Maybe he¡¯s finally ready to move on from his past? He can¡¯t always live into that darkness, can he?¡± A light chuckle left him. ¡°We both know why he came here both at that celebration night and this evening.¡± Her lips turned up into a smile. ¡°Yeah, for his Rosebud.¡± My heart stopped in my chest. F-for me? And they knew about it? When I nced back at him, he was gone. Where did he go? My eyes roamed around the vast mansion that he grew up in. How could the ce he spent most of his life give him pain? And what past they were talking about? Then I remembered. His father¡¯s s*****e. His father k****d himself when he was just eighteen. Though he was never that close to his dad, I remembered how he looked up to him as his hero, an inspiration. And after his sudden d****e, his life changed, he changed. I still remembered how he grew distant with everyone, even with Tobias and Tess after that incident. Maybe that¡¯s why he chose to leave this mansion when Caleb decided to stay back. He didn¡¯t want the memories of his father to haunt him. Something squeezed in my chest. I couldn¡¯t even understand how much he must have gotten hurt coming back here. But he did. For me. My legs started to move even before I knew, eyes searching around for any glimpse of him. I wouldn¡¯t give any exnation why, but I wanted to be there for him right now. Maybe I could give him some comfort? But where was he? He wasn¡¯t anywhere in the party. Looking up, I got a fleeting shadow of his disappearing into the first floor. Not wasting anymore time, I followed. Climbing up the stairs, I strode to the way he went. But all I found was an empty hallway. I just saw hime here. Where did he go all of a sudden? My eyes searched for him some more, but there was no trace of him. Then the east wing came into my view. Maybe he went that way? Not hesitating, I entered into the east wing. Even the shadowed corridors didn¡¯t stop me. Though it did look eerie. I didn¡¯t know how Tess and Caleb stayed here alone in this huge Pce.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. From what I remembered fromst time I came here, everything was changed now. From the antique furniture, to the colors of the walls, everything was reced with modern contemporary interior. Gone the old house that they got from their ancestors. I halted in my steps as something caught my peripheral vision. Stepping back, I stood at the head of the hallway. And there he was. What was he doing in front of that door? His hands still remained in his pockets as he stood there immobile. But this time, his frame was rigid, eyes darker than I ever encountered. The hatred his gaze held as he stared at the door sent shivers down my spine. But other than hatred, there was¡­ pain and something else that I couldn¡¯t decipher. Another tug in my chest urged me to go near him. But I stayed still. Something about his tensed demeanor warned me to stay away. But I couldn¡¯t just stay back and watch him like that. So I moved. But as soon as I started to approach, he turned around and stormed away. ¡°Ace!¡± running ahead, I called out for him. But he was already gone. I nced at the door he was staring at with such hatred. While all the other doors were reced and new, this one remained the same, old crafted dark wood door. And¡­ it was locked. Whose room is it? And why is it locked unlike every other room around here? This can¡¯t be a storeroom either, because storerooms are in the basement. Touching the lock, I tried to budge it knowing it was useless. ¡°I¡¯m afraid Achilles wouldn¡¯t like it very much if he finds out you¡¯re snooping around in a ce, where you shouldn¡¯t.¡± Share Chapter 19 Chapter 19 Read The Trap Of Ace [by Eva Zahan] Chapter 19 ¨C Jumping in fright, I whirled around, with my heart at my throat. Dark eyes met mine as he stood right in front of me. I sighed in relief. ¡°Oh, Arthur. It¡¯s you.¡± My gaze flickered around, no one was nearby. The hallway lied eerie. What was he doing up here? This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. A small smile tugged at his lips, expression tight. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be wandering here and there alone, dear. Especially in this wing. Achilles isn¡¯t very fond of it if someone enters here.¡± My head titled. And why was that? ¡°Uh, actually it¡¯s been years since Ist visited here. So I thought to take a look around.¡± I shrugged. ¡°Whose room is that anyway?¡± ncing at the door, something washed over his face. But he masked it soon enough, not letting me understand anything. But whatever it was, it was¡­ dark. ¡°It was his mother¡¯s room,¡± he said, attention back on me. Was? ¡°You mean, Ophelia?¡± He nodded. I remembered that woman. Though she was sweet, I never saw her spending much time with Ace and Caleb. Both her and his father would be away from home most of the time. I wondered where she was now. ¡°Where is she?¡± With an empty look, he replied, ¡°Away.¡± Just as I opened my mouth again to ask for an exnation, a voice hindered me. ¡°Here you are, Arthur. I was looking for you everywhere. Thank G*d a waiter saw youing this way,¡± said Caleb, sending me a brief nce. ¡°The Simpsons are asking for Achilles, handle them, will you? Because I¡¯m so done giving excuses to everyone of where he suddenly got missing leaving the party.¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Turning to me, Arthur nodded at me. ¡°I¡¯ll see youter, Emerald. And remember what I told you.¡± That this ce is not for wandering. At the corner of my eye, Caleb¡¯s attention peaked at that as his brows furrowed. ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind,¡± I said, tone polite. What was in this room that they literally marked this wing as restricted? And if everyone was prohibited toe here, then what was he doing here in the first ce? shing me another of his vague smiles, he walked away. ¡°What was that?¡± asked Caleb, watching his uncle¡¯s retreating form. ¡°What did he say to you?¡± The subtle look of his at the locked door didn¡¯t go missed. ¡°That Ace won¡¯t like it if he finds out of my being here, in the east wing.¡± Rubbing his neck, he looked at me. ¡°It¡¯s not like that, Em. It¡¯s just that, a lot of his memories are connected to this ce. Good and¡­ bad. And he doesn¡¯t want anyone to peek into them.¡± He meant peek into this room? ¡°Anyway, the ceremony is about to begin. Let¡¯s go!¡± The sudden change of topic hinted that he wasn¡¯tfortable talking about this subject. So I let it go and epted the arm he offered me. Walking away, I nced back over my shoulder onest time at that room. What so bad happened here? And in his mother¡¯s room? After the engagement was done, the cake was cut and served. And thest dance of the night began. My eyes still looked around for him. He wasn¡¯t there even during the engagement. Did he already leave? He did look extremely roused back in the east wing. ¡°This isn¡¯t fair, Dad! You won¡¯t dance with your daughter at her engagement party?¡±ined Tess. She has been pestering Dad to dance with her so that she could take some pictures, but Dad kept denying due to hisck of experience. ¡°Sweetheart, you know I can¡¯t dance. Why don¡¯t you go and dance with Caleb?¡± ¡°Right, we just got officially engaged and she already got bored of me,¡±mented Caleb, earning a scowl from Tess. ¡°I¡¯ve already danced with him twice. Now I want my dad to dance with me. Come on, just one dance, Dad!¡± She fluttered her puppy eyes. He let out a sigh. ¡°Alright, but for only five minutes. No more.¡± ¡°Done! Thank you so much!¡± Squealing, she gestured to the photographers to get ready and dragged Dad along after her. ¡°Now that my fiance left me alone here, can I ask my gorgeous sister-inw for a dance?¡± Iughed as Caleb bended a little and gave me his hand. ¡°Sure! Who can say no to my handsome brother-inw.¡± Rolling my eyes, I took his offered hand. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m ttered!¡± Grinning, he led me to the dance floor. As the song continued, we started to move with the rhythms. A lot of other couples also joined at thest dance. Even Tobias and Mom went along with the beat. While dancing, Caleb¡¯s eyes went to Tess every few seconds. And the same went with her. In between talking to Dad, she threw adored nces at her fiance. Felicity radiated off her face. And I was happy for her. At least someone got the love of their life. ¡°You know, even just some months ago, I never imagined that I¡¯d be living my dream one day,¡± he said, eyes still on her. ¡°What do you mean?¡± His chin pointed to where Dad was swirling Tess in an awkward way. ¡°Tessa. Due to someplications and my idiocy, we were always on and off. There was no certainty between us. And at one point, we thought that we¡¯d have no future together. Until six months ago when we decided to give us another chance. And I finally got the b***s to ask for her handst month.¡± I heard he¡¯d problemsmitting in rtionships. And Tess needed one. They had a lot of misunderstandings and argument over it, until everything turned out good. I didn¡¯t know why he¡¯d such fear ofmitments, but I was d he sorted it out and gave Tess what she wanted. ¡°That¡¯s because you never stopped believing in your love. It¡¯s your heart that brought you guys together again.¡± I smiled. ¡°I¡¯m really happy for you guys. Tessa is lucky to have you. And I hope you won¡¯t disappoint me in the future for feeling that.¡± He shook his head, eyes genuine. ¡°I won¡¯t, I promise. And it¡¯s the other way around, trust me. I¡¯m the lucky one to have her.¡± I shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Heughed, looking back at my sister. Then something struck my mind as I cleared my throat. ¡°Umm, when did you guys start dating?¡± He turned back to me. ¡°I liked her the moment Achilles introduced her to me. And after a time, I got to know that I wasn¡¯t alone in the boat, she also had some feelings for me. And just a month before her neenth birthday, we started dating.¡± ¡°You guys were into each other for that long? Howe I¡¯d no idea?¡± I asked, surprised. ¡°Like I said, we were never sure of anything. So we decided to keep it quiet to see where it goes.¡± I raised my brows. ¡°Secret rtionship, huh?¡± He chuckled. ¡°You can say so.¡± Shaking my head, Iughed along. And then realization hit me, threatening the fall of my smile. A month before her neenth birthday? Meant, a month before that night? Something churned in my stomach. She was already in a rtionship with Caleb when she kissed Ace that night? My eyes fell on her. She wasughing at something Dad said. Did she¡­ cheat on Caleb? *** Some continuous vibrations pulled me out of my raw sleep. Groaning, I pulled my phone out from beneath my pillow. Who¡¯s it calling at the middle of night? After rubbing the sleep off my eyes, I squinted at the screen. Ace? Every ounce of drowsiness left from my body with the skip of my heart. Why was he calling me at this hour of the night? Should I receive it? Of course I should! But just as I swiped the green sign, the call went d**d. Disappointment filled my chest as I stared at the screen, hoping it¡¯d ring again. But it didn¡¯t. I nced at the clock. It was twelve thirty. Why was he calling? Was everything alright? I couldn¡¯t sleep until a while ago. Thoughts of him didn¡¯t let me. Everything that happened in the night. His past, his mom¡¯s room, Tess and Caleb. So many things were nagging my mind continuously. I even thought of calling him when I heard he left without informing anyone. But then I decided against it. What¡¯d I say? I couldn¡¯t just show how much I was concerned for him. And right now I was in the same dilemma. Should I call back? Maybe he¡¯ll call back if it¡¯s necessary? My thumb hovered over the dial option, my insides urging me to tap on it. But then I threw my phone in its previous ce. I couldn¡¯t just call him like that. I¡¯d to remember that I wanted to keep my distance. Maybe he just wanted to irritate me again? Biting my lip, I lied back. But my eyes set on the phone, heart awaiting, hand ready to grab it if it rings again. Receiving the call wouldn¡¯t go against my decision, right? And I kept waiting, but the phone didn¡¯t ring again. Even after an hour he didn¡¯t call. And eventually darkness slowly pulled me back into a dreamless sleep. *** Tapping my feet on the floor I tried to locate any faults into the new designs we got for next season¡¯s fashion. But all I could think was about him. When I woke up this morning, I¡¯d immediately checked my phone. There were five missed calls from him. And all of them were early in the morning. And then I couldn¡¯t hold myself back. I¡¯d called him. Again and again. But his phone was unreachable. And since then, concern was rattling in my mind like a hurricane. The thought of if he was okay ate me out. Even in the office, I sat in my cabin with one single catalogue in my hand for half an hour. He didn¡¯t evene to the office today. ¡°Will you stop doing that? It¡¯s disturbing,¡± said Liza, ncing up from her files. We¡¯d to finish some work together on the uing project, so she decided to work from my cabin today with me. And while she was so lost into her job, I was lost into my own world. ¡°What?¡± She pointed her eyes to my still tapping feet. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I was actually thinking of something,¡± I apologized, halting the dancing of my leg. cing the pen down she ced her elbows on the desk, giving me her full attention. ¡°What¡¯s it? I¡¯ve been seeing you lost since the morning.¡± ¡°Nothing. Just some stuff,¡± I lied. Now how could I ask her about him? She must¡¯ve had some information. Oh yeah, right. The meeting. ¡°Uh, when is the meeting again? Is everyone prepared for it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s after lunch. And yes, everything is done,¡± she said. ¡°Are you sure there¡¯s no issue?¡± I shed her a smile. ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t worry.¡± Nodding her head as she went back to her work, my mouth opened again. ¡°But how would the meeting take ce if Ace is not here. He was supposed to be present there, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, but since he¡¯s not present here today, Caleb will handle the meeting,¡± she replied, not moving her eyes from those files. Couldn¡¯t she just say where he was? ¡°Do you have any idea where he is?¡± I probed. She shrugged. ¡°Not entirely sure. I¡¯d called his PA this morning and he said the boss would be away for a couple of days. He left early this morning.¡± Something dropped at the pit of my stomach. Left? For a couple of days? Where? And why? Was everything alright? Looking up, a thoughtful expression etched over her face. ¡°Maybe he went to the UK again.¡± ¡°UK? How do you know that he went to the UK?¡± Something dimmed inside my chest. He¡¯d be missing for days? ¡°He often goes there and stays for some days. I don¡¯t know why though, maybe for vacations. He actually needs it. Most of the time all he does is work.¡± A shake of head. ¡°Does he have any business over there? Or any friends?¡± I don¡¯t think he¡¯d go there for vacation. ¡°Nope. He¡¯s a very closed person, you should¡¯ve known that as you¡¯re his close family friend. He doesn¡¯t have any friends other than your siblings. And nor does he have any business over there. It¡¯s all in America.¡± Nodding my head, I looked down at the catalogue again. Now I was feeling more guilty for not responding to his call sooner, and not calling him backst night. Maybe he wanted to tell me something? What happened all of a sudden that he¡¯d to leave like that? Yes, he did this often, but I didn¡¯t feel it right. He was so disturbedst night. After finally finally finishing with the work at hand, I delivered it to Matt and called him again. But again, his phone was switched off. A heavy sigh left my lips. Where are you? Thendline on my desk rang snatching my attention. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Emerald, hey! It¡¯s Matt. Can you please get me the files I sent to you this morning? I¡¯m a little busy here. It¡¯d be a great help,¡± he said from the other side of the phone. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll be down in a minute.¡± ¡°Alright, thank you!¡± Putting the phone down, I grabbed those files and walked out of my cabin. But my steps halted spotting Tobias talking to Linn, a girl in the HR department. ¡°Tobias!¡± I approached him. Excusing Linn, he met me in the middle of the way. ¡°Hey! How¡¯s day going?¡± ¡°Do you know where Ace is?¡± I was straight forward, not wasting my time even asking what he was doing here at this time. ¡°Whoa! Calm down there,¡± he said, watching me. ¡°What happened? Why are you so riled up?¡± Calm down, Em! Compose yourself! I scratched under my ear, clearing my throat. ¡°Uh, actually he called me many timesst night. But I couldn¡¯t answer them as I was sleeping. And now he¡¯s his phone switched off. So I was just wondering if he¡¯s alright.¡± A gentle smile tugged on his lips. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about him, Em. He¡¯s alright. He left for the UK at four this morning and will stay there for some days. Though he doesn¡¯t keep any contact when he¡¯s there, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll call you no matter what.¡± So Liza was right. He did go to the UK. ¡°Do you know why he left all of a sudden?¡± I asked, ignoring thest line he said. A somber look crossed over his eyes. ¡°He always goes there whenever he needs some time alone. But don¡¯t worry, once he thinks he¡¯s ready to return, he¡¯lle back.¡± ¡°Oh. I was just asking because¡­¡± ¡°Em,¡± he cut me off, peering into my eyes. ¡°I understand. You don¡¯t need to exin anything.¡± Gulping, I nodded my head and silently walked away. So the reason behind his leaving was he needed some time alone. And it must have had something to do with hisst night¡¯s visit to the mansion. Did he want to share something with mest night? And being me, I didn¡¯t even return his calls. With the pressure in my chest, I went down to the third floor and handed those files to Matt and returned back to my cabin. To bury my head into the loads of work that was thrown into pending by me since this morning. I needed to busy myself into them unless I wanted to lose my sanity in thinking of him. When I was halfway finished with my pending work, it was already dark outside. But I didn¡¯t have any time to think of the time if I wanted to go home before midnight. My phone buzzed on the desk. Without looking away from the sheets, I put the phone on speaker. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I¡¯m at the studio for another of my ad shoots. And guess who the producer turned out to be?¡± Came the chirpy voice of my best friend. ¡°Who?¡± I went along, not really interested in the answer. ¡°Trent, Le¡¯s husband.¡± That red head friend of his? ¡°What a coincidence. You called me to inform this?¡± She snorted on the phone. ¡°Of course! It is a surprising news. And I thought you¡¯d be interested in knowing her more as he¡¯s a special friend of his?¡± Her tone teasing. Yeah, he¡¯d another friend other than my siblings. ¡°I¡¯m not. You told me they were just friends. So what¡¯s more to know in there?¡± I shook my head, going back to my work. And here I was trying to distract myself from his thoughts. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re so boring!¡± And then she started to ramble on how she met him and introduced herself as a close family friend of Ace to make some connections with him. It could get her new offers. ¡°And I got to know that she¡¯s a physiotherapist. I¡¯m thinking about how a film and ad producer met a doctor. What an interesting pair. But I¡¯m wondering how they manage their so long distance rtionship. When he and his job is here, his wife is oceans away in the UK.¡± I stopped whatever I was doing. Now that caught my attention. UK? Share Chapter 20 Chapter 20 Read The Trap Of Ace [by Eva Zahan] Chapter 20 ¨C The aroma of fresh spices and sauce wafted across the kitchen, proiming the deliciousness getting ready for the special Italian dinner. And the provoking sweet goods that baked inside the oven had me salivating. The hunger of my tummy spiked more at that. The result of not eating the whole day. And how could I when all my mind was spiraled with one suddenly vanished man¡¯s thoughts? ¡°I¡¯m happy that you came here, Em. In all the preparations of the marriage, we couldn¡¯t get enough time to spend,¡± said Tess, adding some basils in the spaghetti. I nodded. ¡°Yeah, but don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not going anywhere for sometime. So we¡¯ve a lot of time to fix that.¡± Something flickered over her eyes, but then she smiled. ¡°Right. Anyway, how was your day?¡± This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°It was good.¡± Not good. At all. Afterst night I hadn¡¯t got any peace. What Caleb said, about their rtionship, about her involvement with Ace kept my mind busy. And then he suddenly vanished from the country. In the evening when I got Cassie¡¯s call and got to know about Victoria¡¯s being in the UK, it¡¯d raised a lot of questions in my mind. Like he¡¯d literally no one out there except her, so the suspicion that she could be one of the reasons for his frequent visit there wasn¡¯t unrealistic. Even if I didn¡¯t have any right to feel vexed about it, but I did. But then, somehow I knew that he wasn¡¯t there for her. There was nothing between them like I thought at first they had. They were just friends. That¡¯s what you thought about Ace and Tess too. That was the main reason for my being here. I wanted answers to my questions. And at this moment, only Tess could enlighten me. I¡¯d lose my sanity if she didn¡¯t. Fidgeting in my seat, I cleared my throat. ¡°Uh, I was thinking to ask you something¡­ umm, I¡­¡± She looked up from sds. Observing my hesitation, an understanding etched into her features. ¡°You can ask me anything, Em. I¡¯d try to answer them as long as it¡¯s about me.¡± I took a deep breath. There was no point to beat around the bush now. ¡°Did you cheat on Caleb with Ace seven years ago?¡± A gasp slipped through her lips as her eyes widened in fraction. ¡°What? What are you talking about, Em? I never did such a thing!¡± ¡°Look, I¡¯m sorry. I know I shouldn¡¯t ask you these questions. It happened years ago and I should just keep it there. But I¡­¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s years ago or not! I¡¯ve always loved Caleb. I know we were never sure of anything, and also dated other people after our first break up. But I¡¯d never cheated on him. And especially not with Ace. He was my best friend for G*d¡¯s sake!¡± She cut me off, disbelief filled in her eyes. ¡°So, there was nothing going on between you two?¡± ¡°Of course not! Why¡¯d you think that?¡± A frown set between her brows. And then realization hit her as she went quiet, guilt shing over her eyes. ¡°I saw you kissing, Tess. If there were nothing between you two, then what was that?¡± I queried, a sudden desperation rolled my insides. ¡°Caleb told me you and him started dating just a month ago before your neenth birthday. Means you were with Caleb when you¡­ what do I think of that?¡± I¡¯d no right to ask her these personal questions. It was all in the past. But I needed to know. Both of them knew of my feelings. That other night on the terrace, she told me she¡¯d never hurt me on purpose. Ace¡¯s words and actions proved that he remembered every word he said to me and somehow meant it, that¡¯s what I saw in his eyes every time he called me his. I wasn¡¯t sure if he did harbor any real feelings for me back then, but he didn¡¯t think I was a fool in love with him. He cared and respected me and my feelings. That¡¯s what I understood from his all crazy actions and other things. And even if they didn¡¯t have anything between them, then why would they do that? Why¡¯d I found them wrapped around in each other¡¯s arms like that? What was the reason he became so distant with me all of a sudden and didn¡¯t even call or ask of me once after that night? Not even when I shifted to NY. Yes, after his father¡¯s d***h, he did get distant with everyone, but he never did with me. Even for once in a while, he used to visit me. Until one day, it stopped. And then came that ominous night. The night my heart broke. All these things have been nagging me after Ace suddenly out of nowhere began to appear in my life, dered his im on me, after my talk with Tess that night, and finally after what Caleb told mest night. ¡°Tell me, Tess. Why did you kiss the boy you knew your sister had lost her heart to?¡± Tightness clogged up my throat, burning my eyes. ¡°Even after loving someone else, even after Ace was just your best friend, even after you didn¡¯t want to hurt your little sister as you imed that night. Why?¡± Closing her eyes, she rubbed her face. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you that Em.¡± ¡°Why?¡± My voice rose. Couldn¡¯t she see how desperate I was to know the truth? The truth they were hiding. ¡°Just as I said, I will answer your questions as long as it¡¯s about me. And it¡¯s not about only me here, Em. Nor is it my secret to tell. Only Ace can give you these answers.¡± She blinked away the unshed tears in her own eyes. ¡°But know that Em, there was never anything between me and Ace except just friendship. And I¡¯d never, ever cheat on Caleb. It¡¯s not always what it appears to be. Sometimes, you need to see beyond it.¡± Her eyes pleaded me not to ask anymore questions as I sat there silently, taking in her words. What did she mean? It was not what it appeared to be? Then what was it? Maybe Ace had the answer to this question. Though my confusions still remained unsolved, her stating that there wasn¡¯t anything between them ever did something to my heart. ¡°Em?¡± Her voice snatched my gaze back to her. ¡°I hope you understand why I can¡¯t tell you anything. It¡¯s not my ce to tell you this. I¡¯m sorry.¡± I nodded. ¡°It¡¯s alright. I understand.¡± She ced her hand on mine. ¡°I know how important for everything to clear up to you to take your next decisions of your life, Em. So I¡¯d suggest you ask him yourself. I think the time hase for you to know everything.¡± Surprised, I watched her in perplexion. Did I really want to know everything to take my next steps in my life with him? Was I really considering Casie¡¯s words to give us another chance? And what did she mean by it was the time for me to know everything? Why did it feel like the truth that I was going to know soon would change my life forever? The re of my phone distracted me from my thoughts. It was Beth. ¡°Hello,¡± I said, picking up the phone. ¡°Hello, is it Em I¡¯m talking to?¡± a male voice spoke from the other side of the phone, some hubbub buzzed at the background. ¡°Yes? Who is it? And why are you calling from my friend¡¯s phone? Where¡¯s she?¡± I frowned. ¡°Miss, I¡¯m calling you from Dakota¡¯s Bar. Your friend here is drunk and alone. She¡¯s refusing to leave and we don¡¯t know her address. So we got your number from her emergency dial list and called you. We¡¯d be grateful if youe and get your friend, she¡¯s in a pretty bad state and we don¡¯t know what to do with her.¡± ¡°Oh G*d! How long has she been there?¡± I asked, getting up from the chair. ¡°Approximately four hours, miss,¡± replied the man. ¡°Alright, can you please have an eye on her until I reach there? I¡¯ll be there as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Of course, but be quick, miss. We¡¯re about to close our bar for the night.¡± ¡°Alright, thank you!¡± I put the phone in my purse. ¡°What is it? Who was that?¡± asked Tess, concerntched into her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s Beth, she needs me right now. I¡¯ll tell youter everything, I¡¯ve got to go now,¡± saying, I grabbed my coat and hurried out. ¡°Call me once you¡¯re free. And stay safe!¡± *** Turning to another turn, I took the car through an almost empty street, my gaze continued their connection with the GPS tracker of my phone. I¡¯d never heard of that bar¡¯s name before, and after tracing Beth¡¯s phone, I found it was at Northern Avenue. The street infamous for old buildings, illegal casinos, small cafes and bars. And most importantly, hundreds of alleys. I¡¯d no idea what the h**l she was doing here at nine of the night! And seeing the eerie silence around, I felt people of this area called it a night much earlier than others. Once I was finally outside at the destination at the middle of a narrow road, I double checked the location and the bar¡¯s name. A big ¡®Dakota¡¯s Bar¡¯ was written on a white board, red fairy lights lit at the edges. And the wobbly two rugged men that stumbled out of the bar rose the scale of my ufortness higher. I¡¯d just pick her up and flee out of this uncanny area. When I was about to park my car at the small parking lot at the corner, I found it full. And the c****o beside it exined the reason. I¡¯d just park my car outside the bar, but a big no parking sign stopped me. Sighing, I went ahead and turned to another narrow road and found there a ce to park. Keeping my car there, I took my phone and went back to the bar. Cold air pricked my skin as I walked along the footpath, brown locks of mine swayed with the breeze. Distant musicing out from the c****o¡¯s closed doors was the only sound I could hear other than some dogs barking afar. As soon as I entered the bar, her sprawled figure came into my view. With arge bottle in her hand, she sang something in her not so pleasant slurry voice; her dark curly head rested on the rounded table at the corner. It was a small bar, so finding her wasn¡¯t a hassle. When I approached her, a man in white shirt and red bow around his neck greeted me. ¡°I guess you¡¯re the friend of hers I called, right?¡± he asked. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s me. Thank you so much for informing me about her! I¡¯d no idea she would be here at this moment,¡± I said, genuinely grateful. At ces like this, she could fall into a wrong man¡¯s hand. Thank G*d, this man, who must be a bartender here, turned out to be a gentleman! ¡°No problem, Miss. She¡¯s actually here for thest four hours, drinking and crying non-stop. And when it was our time to close the bar, we asked her to leave but she wasn¡¯t in a state to leave alone, so we¡¯d to call you.¡± Crying? What happened to her? ¡°Alright! Again, thank you so much for taking care of her until I arrived,¡± saying, I hurried to her and called out her name. Blinking her red swollen eyes at me, recognition flickered over her face as an uneven smile stretched across her lips. ¡°Emmm! You¡¯re ¡®ere! I was soooo lonely.¡± She tugged at my hand. ¡°Come, sit ¡®ere! Now we¡¯re going to drink together!¡± I brushed her unkempt hair out of her forehead, her cheeks were streaked with dried tears and smudged mascara. She looked like a mess. What happened to her? G*d, I hoped everything was alright. I¡¯d talk to her once she was sober. But I needed to get her out of here first. ¡°No, Beth. You¡¯d had enough drinks for tonight, you aren¡¯t having any more. Let¡¯s go, we¡¯re leaving.¡± I tried to get her up by her shoulders but she shrugged me off. ¡°Nooo, I don¡¯t want to go! Need more drinks, an¡¯ you¡¯ll drink with me,¡± she slurred. ¡°Hey, you! Gimme another bottle!¡± The man shuffled in his ce, eying his wrist. The whole bar was empty, he was just waiting for us to leave so that he could close the bar. ¡°Beth! Come on, get up! We need to go!¡± Forcing her to stand up, I wrapped one of her arms around my neck and snaked mine around her waist. ¡°No! I want a drink!¡± sheined, but walked along me with swaying legs anyway. ¡°I¡¯ll give you one once we¡¯re back home. Now let¡¯s go,¡± I said to her and then nced at the man. He offered if I needed help but I denied. Paying her bill, I thanked him again and carried her out of the bar. Once outside, I nced around, leading her the way my car was parked. Some wobbling figures appeared and disappeared around the corners. In the whole area, only us two girls could be seen on the street. As I dragged her along, she started crying again, mumbling something incoherent under her breath. ¡°Shh, Beth. It¡¯s alright. We¡¯re almost there.¡± A sudden shiver ran down my spine as I felt eyes on me. My gaze flickered around, but there was no one. Only two dogs passed across the road. I tried to ignore it, but it was too strong. And when I heard footsteps behind me, i¡¯d to turn around. A fleeting figure moved behind a ck car, making my heart skip. Someone was following us. And then my gaze fell onto the other ck Range Rover standing at the other end of the street. But there was no one in there. It was the same car that was behind me most of the time during my arrival here. W-was someone following me even before I came here? No, it must¡¯ve been another car. There wasn¡¯t only one Range Rover out there. But that man¡­ With my heart at my throat, I turned around and urged Beth to walk faster. But her being drunk hindered our pace. When we passed the head of an alley, I almost ran when a whistle reverberated across the street. Some middle-aged men huddled under the shadow, I could feel their gaze set on us. When one of them pushed against the wall, standing straight, I tightened my grip on Beth and dragged her as fast as I could. ¡°Come on, Beth! Walk faster! We need to move fast!¡± I urged her. She groaned. ¡°I don¡¯t wanna go home!¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to my ce, don¡¯t worry. Now walk faster!¡± I said, ncing over my shoulder. No one there. As we turned to the road I had my car parked on, I almost sighed in relief. Until footsteps behind us reached me. And this time, there wasn¡¯t only a pair, there were several. My heart pounded in my chest as I walked as fast as I could with her along. With another hand, I fished out my pepper spray and phone from my pocket and kept it in my hand. S**t! I shouldn¡¯t havee here alone. I at least should¡¯ve taken the bartender¡¯s help. The footsteps sounded more closer when we were almost near my car. My brain screamed at me to run, but I knew I couldn¡¯t. Fear gripped my chest in a tight grip, making my knees wobble. But I didn¡¯t stop walking. I almost screamed when one of them yelled out something in a foreignnguage as they neared closer and closer, their footsteps faster now. Tugging the door open with shaky hands and pounding heart, I pushed her inside and whirled around, the pepper spray ready to blow out. But to my utter surprise, I found no one. As if they suddenly vanished into the thin air. Just like that. The entire street echoed silence. What the h**l did just happen? Not wasting any more time standing there and waiting for another trouble, I ran inside the car and drove off. And when we were out of that area, away from those alleys, only then I let myself to breathe in relief. While Beth slept next to me, I messaged Tess about us heading home. I was so definitely going to talk to this friend of mine about the stunt she pulled tonight tomorrow morning. While I felt like I just escaped a heart failure, she was sleeping in peace. It was just sheer luck that we got out of there safely. But what I wondered was, where those men suddenly got missing all of a sudden? *** ¡°Good morning, Alfred!¡± I greeted the old doorman as I entered through the ss doors inside of OC Textiles. A warm smile pulled on his face, the sides of his eyes crinkling. ¡°Morning, Ms. Hutton! Have a good day!¡± Smiling back, I hopped into the elevator and pressed button number forty nine. Sipping the tea in my hand, I checked my phone again. Yet no calls or messages from him. Is he ignoring my calls on purpose? I¡¯ve even called him this morning after waking up, but again, it was switched off. Sighing, I typed a message to Beth instead, about our pending discussion after my work. When I took her homest night, Mom and Dad were stunned seeing her in that state. Among three of us friends, she was always the sensible one and never really drank. So it was really a matter of shock for them to see her like that, and the matter wasn¡¯t any different for me. When I left home this morning, she was still asleep. So I couldn¡¯t talk to her. I¡¯d informed Cassie of her conditionst night and she said she¡¯d pick her up from my ce after breakfast. Even she¡¯d no idea what happened to her. Once I reached the forty-ninth floor, I headed directly to my cabin, but Liza met me on the way. ¡°Morning!¡± I smiled at her. But it slipped when I saw the paleness of her face. ¡°Thank G*d, you¡¯re here! I was just about to call you to ask what¡¯s taking you so long!¡± she said, eyes wide. I frowned. ¡°As far as I know, I¡¯m exactly on time. Why? What¡¯s wrong? You¡¯re looking pale here. Is everything alright?¡± She shook her head. ¡°Forget everything. You need to go to the penthouse this instance.¡± My heart skipped a beat at the mention of the penthouse. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°The boss is here. And he demands your presence, right now!¡± Share Chapter 21 Chapter 21 Read The Trap Of Ace [by Eva Zahan] Chapter 21 ¨C Turning to another turn, I took the car through an almost empty street, my gaze continued their connection with the GPS tracker of my phone. I¡¯d never heard of that bar¡¯s name before, and after tracing Beth¡¯s phone, I found it was at Northern Avenue. The street infamous for old buildings, illegal casinos, small cafes and bars. And most importantly, hundreds of alleys. I¡¯d no idea what the h**l she was doing here at nine of the night! And seeing the eerie silence around, I felt people of this area called it a night much earlier than others. Once I was finally outside at the destination at the middle of a narrow road, I double checked the location and the bar¡¯s name. A big¡¯ Dakota¡¯s Bar¡¯ was written on a white board, red fairy lights lit at the edges. And the wobbly two rugged men that stumbled out of the bar rose the scale of my difort higher. I¡¯d just pick her up and flee out of this uncanny area. When I was about to park my car at the small parking lot at the corner, I found it full. And the c****o beside it exined the reason. I¡¯d just park my car outside the bar, but a big no parking sign stopped me. Sighing, I went ahead and turned to another narrow road and found there a ce to park. Keeping my car there, I took my phone and went back to the bar. Cold air pricked my skin as I walked along the footpath, brown locks of mine swayed with the breeze. Distant musicing out from the c****o¡¯s closed doors was the only sound I could hear other than some dogs barking afar. As soon as I entered the bar, her sprawled figure came into my view. With arge bottle in her hand, she sang something in her not so pleasant slurry voice; her dark curly head rested on the rounded table at the corner. It was a small bar, so finding her wasn¡¯t a hassle. When I approached her, a man in white shirt and red bow around his neck greeted me. ¡°I guess you¡¯re the friend of hers I called, right?¡± he asked. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s me. Thank you so much for informing me about her! I¡¯d no idea she would be here at this moment,¡± I said, genuinely grateful. At ces like this, she could fall into a wrong man¡¯s hand. Thank G*d, this man, who must be a bartender here, turned out to be a gentleman! ¡°No problem, Miss. She¡¯s actually here for thest four hours, drinking and crying non-stop. And when it was our time to close the bar, we asked her to leave but she wasn¡¯t in a state to leave alone, so we¡¯d to call you.¡± Crying? What happened to her? ¡°Alright! Again, thank you so much for taking care of her until I arrived,¡± saying, I hurried to her and called out her name. Blinking her red swollen eyes at me, recognition flickered over her face as an uneven smile stretched across her lips.¡± Emmm! You¡¯re ¡®ere! I was soooo lonely.¡± She tugged at my hand. ¡°Come, sit¡¯ere! Now we¡¯re going to drink together!¡± I brushed her unkempt hair out of her forehead, her cheeks were streaked with dried tears and smudged mascara. She looked like a mess. What happened to her? G*d, I hoped everything was alright. I¡¯d talk to her once she was sober. But I needed to get her out of here first. ¡°No, Beth. You¡¯d had enough drinks for tonight, you aren¡¯t having any more. Let¡¯s go, we¡¯re leaving.¡±¡® I tried to get her up by her shoulders but she shrugged me off. ¡°Nooo, I don¡¯t want to go! Need more drinks, an¡¯ you¡¯ll drink with me,¡± she slurred. ¡°Hey, you! Gimme another bottle!! The man shuffled in his ce, eying his wrist. The whole bar was empty, he was just waiting for us to leave so that he could close the bar. ¡°Beth! Come on, get up! We need to go!¡± Forcing her to stand up, I wrapped one of her arms around my neck and snaked mine around her waist. ¡°No! I want a drink!¡± sheined, but walked along me with swaying legs anyway. ¡°I¡¯ll give you one once we¡¯re back home. Now let¡¯s go,¡± I said to her and then nced at the man. He offered if I needed help but I denied. Paying her bill, I thanked him again and carried her out of the bar. Once outside, I nced around, leading her the way my car was parked. Some wobbling figures appeared and disappeared around the corners. In the whole area, only us two girls could be seen on the street. As I dragged her along, she started crying again, mumbling something incoherent under her breath. ¡°Shh, Beth. It¡¯s alright. We¡¯re almost there.¡± A sudden shiver ran down my spine as I felt eyes on me. My gaze flickered around, but there was no one. Only two dogs passed across the road. I tried to ignore it, but it was too strong. And when I heard footsteps behind me, i¡¯d to turn around. A fleeting figure moved behind a ck car, making my heart skip. Someone was following us. And then my gaze fell onto the other ck Range Rover standing at the other end of the street. But there was no one in there. It was the same car that was behind me most of the time during my arrival here. W-was someone following me even before I came here? No, it must¡¯ve been another car. There wasn¡¯t only one Range Rover out there. But that man¡­ With my heart at my throat, I turned around and urged Beth to walk faster. But her being drunk hindered our pace. When we passed the head of an alley, I almost ran when a whistle reverberated across the street. Some middle-aged men huddled under the shadow, I could feel their gaze set on us. When one of them pushed against the wall, standing straight, I tightened my grip on Beth and dragged her as fast as I could. ¡°Come on, Beth! Walk faster! We need to move fast!¡± I urged her. She groaned. ¡°I don¡¯t wanna go home!¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to my ce, don¡¯t worry. Now walk faster!¡± I said, ncing over my shoulder. No one there. As we turned to the road I had my car parked on, I almost sighed in relief. Until footsteps behind us reached me. And this time, there wasn¡¯t only a pair, there were several. My heart pounded in my chest as I walked as fast as I could with her along. With another hand, I fished out my pepper spray and phone from my pocket and kept it in my hand. S**t! I shouldn¡¯t havee here alone. I at least should¡¯ve taken the bartender¡¯s help. The footsteps sounded more closer when we were almost near my car. My brain screamed at me to run, but I knew I couldn¡¯t. Fear gripped my chest in a tight grip, making my knees wobble. But I didn¡¯t stop walking. I almost screamed when one of them yelled out something in a foreignnguage as they neared closer and closer, their footsteps faster now. Tugging the door open with shaky hands and pounding heart, I pushed her inside and whirled around, the pepper spray ready to blow out. But to my utter surprise, I found no one. As if they suddenly vanished into the thin air. Just like that. The entire street echoed silence. What the h**l did just happen? Not wasting any more time standing there and waiting for another trouble, I ran inside the car and drove off. And when we were out of that area, away from those alleys, only then I let myself to breathe in relief. While Beth slept next to me, I messaged Tess about us heading home. I was so definitely going to talk to this friend of mine about the stunt she pulled tonight tomorrow morning. While I felt like I just escaped a heart failure, she was sleeping in peace. It was just sheer luck that we got out of there safely. But what I wondered was, where those men suddenly got missing all of a sudden? *** ¡°Good morning, Alfred!¡± I greeted the old doorman as I entered through the ss doors inside of OC Textiles. A warm smile pulled on his face, the sides of his eyes crinkling. ¡°Morning, Ms. Hutton! Have a good day!¡± Smiling back, I hopped into the elevator and pressed button number forty nine. Sipping the coffee in my hand, I checked my phone again. Yet no calls or messages from him. Is he ignoring my calls on purpose? I¡¯ve even called him this morning after waking up, but again, it was switched off. Sighing, I typed a message to Beth instead, about our pending discussion after my work. When I took her homest night, Mom and Dad were stunned seeing her in that state. Among three of us friends, she was always the sensible one and never really drank. So it was really a matter of shock for them to see her like that, and the matter wasn¡¯t any different for me. When I left home this morning, she was still asleep. So I couldn¡¯t talk to her. I had informed Cassie of her conditionst night and she said she¡¯d pick her up from my ce after breakfast. Even she had no idea what happened to her. Once I reached the forty-ninth floor, I headed directly to my cabin, but Liza met me on the way. ¡°Morning!¡± I smiled at her, But it slipped when I saw the paleness of her face. ¡°Thank G*d, you¡¯re here! I was just about to call you to ask what¡¯s taking you so long!¡± she said, eyes wide. I frowned. ¡°As far as I know, I¡¯m exactly on time. Why? What¡¯s wrong? You¡¯re looking pale here. Is everything alright?¡± She shook her head. ¡°Forget everything. You need to go to the penthouse this instance.¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org. My heart skipped a beat at the mention of the penthouse. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°The boss is here. And he demands your presence, right now!¡± Share Chapter 22 Chapter 22 Read The Trap Of Ace [by Eva Zahan] Chapter 22 ¨C Stepping out of the VIP elevator, I blew out a breath eyeing the doors of the penthouse. And the big guards stood at the both sides of the elevator like a statue, statues with dark sses. My heart drummed down my chest as I approached the entrance, standing before the fingerprint scanner. I still couldn¡¯t know how he got my fingerprint. Though the nervousness of meeting him after that night was overwhelming, the eagerness to see him and find out if he was alright won over my hesitation. Once I was inside the doors, to my surprise, it automatically closed behind me. And the feeling of getting locked with the devil of my dreams was knee weakish. But I walked ahead, the memories of myst visit here rushed into my mind. Oh, I forgot about the blouse I left here. I made a note in my head to grab it before leaving. When I entered the living area, I stopped at my track. There he was. Sitting onto the grand couch, his form was bent over, elbows resting on his knees with hands joined together before him. And his stormy eyes were set on me, freezing me in my ce. Those grey orbs were dark today. Shoulders tensed. ¡°Took you long enough, Miss. Hutton.¡± Greek ent deeper than usual. The boss was extremely mad for some reason. But that didn¡¯t stop me from running my eyes on his face. It oddly was like an ice to my burning heart. ¡°Well?¡± Again that tilt of his head. But today it didn¡¯t irritate me. ¡°I could ask you the same,¡± I said, walking closer. ck full sleeved high neck t-shirt fit him well, manifesting the cuts of his hard muscles to me. ¡°What took you so long toe back?¡± Surprise shed over those grey pools, but it was fleeting. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you cared if I were here or not.¡± He observed me, as if waiting for my answer. Another skip of heart. The words ¡®I do care¡¯ was at the tip of my tongue, but I held myself back. ¡°It¡¯s not suitable for a businessman to leave hispanies behind for days like that.¡± He stayed quiet. The anger behind the calm facade threatened to blow out as he watched me. But I could tell he wasn¡¯t mad at myment, it was something else. Come on, Ace. Get out with it. When he managed to keep calm for another half a minute, my patience ran out. He couldn¡¯t just stay quiet when I was in a constant h**l worrying my a*s for him. ¡°Why did you leave like that?¡± I spilled. ¡°You weren¡¯t even picking up your phone! I called you like hundred times! What the h**l were you doing?¡± Are you okay? I wanted to add, but held myself back. Both surprise and shock flickered over his face. But again, he was quick to cover it. D**n him for such control where I was a mess here. He stood up, strolling towards me making my legs urge me to step back. Grabbing my chin gently, he peered into my soul. ¡°And may I ask you what the h**l you were doingst night, sweetheart?¡± The edge of his deep voice sent shivers down my spine. Grey eyes shed with rage. ¡°I was away just for one f*****g day, and you manged to get yourself into trouble already?¡± My eyes widened. Last night? How did he know about that? ¡°How- how do you know?¡± I blinked. ¡°Do you really think I¡¯d leave you behind just like that? Without anyone to watch over my Rosebud?¡± A gasp left my lips. ¡°You had someone to stalk me around? How dare you!¡± ¡°And how did you dare to put yourself in such a risk by going in that shady ce alone! Anything could¡¯ve happened out there and nobody would even get to know where you¡¯re! D**n it, Emerald! What h**l were you thinking?¡± His nostrils red, stepping back. ¡°Thank G*d, my men were there watching over you! Otherwise- I¡­¡± His hands balled into fists as his intimidating form shook with rage, jaws clenching and unclenching. The ming of his eyes told me he wanted to destroy something, a volcano inside him wished to unleash. I never saw him that furious before. Rememberingst night¡¯s event sent chills down my neck. He was right, anything could¡¯ve happened to us over there if those men suddenly didn¡¯t get¡­ So it was his men who did the miraclest night. Though it was ridiculous for him to hire bodyguards for me, I was grateful deep down. But I¡¯d definitely talk to him about itter when he¡¯s calm. ¡°I¡­ uh, I went there to get Beth. She needed me.¡± ¡°Then you could¡¯ve just informed Caleb or Tobias. Why did you go there all by yourself?¡± A muscle of his jaw ticked. Pressing my lips, I narrowed my eyes. ¡°I know I shouldn¡¯t have gone there alone. But I didn¡¯t know where that bar was exactly located, alright? I¡¯d no idea that area would be that eerie at that time.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Letting out a sigh, he pinched the bridge of his nose. Then my gaze fell onto his knuckles, they were bruised. ¡°What happened to your hands? How did they cut?¡± Rushing near him, I took his hands in mine. ¡°They¡¯re nothing!¡± He tried to retract them but I held them firm. ¡°Hold still! Where¡¯s your first aid kit?¡± I asked, checking the bruise and cuts. They turned blue and badly injured. How did he get them? When he stayed quiet, watching me in silence, I cast him a look. A sigh left him. ¡°In my bedroom.¡± Dragging him in his bedroom, I made him sit at the edge of the bed and got out the first aid kit from the washroom cab as he mentioned. Sitting beside him, I grabbed his hand and sanitized them first and then applied balm on the spots. And during the whole process, he didn¡¯t even flinch for once; he just kept watching me with something intense swirling in his gaze. ¡°How did you get them? And why are they still unattended?¡± I tried my best not to look into his eyes. ¡°They weren¡¯t that serious. So I let them be,¡± he replied, not answering my first question. ¡°And I¡¯m d I didn¡¯t, otherwise you wouldn¡¯t be here treating me.¡± This time I did look up into his grey pools. ¡°T-that¡¯s ridiculous! You could get infected!¡± A shrug. ¡°I¡¯m used to them.¡± Used to these pains? Why? ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me why you left all of a sudden.¡± I wrapped the bandage around his right hand. After a moment of silence, he answered, ¡°I needed some time alone.¡± ¡°For what?¡± I whispered. ¡°To clear my head and think straight.¡± Just as I thought talking to him gently gets him to give straight answers, he proved me wrong. He was back with hisplicated replies. ¡°Is- is everything alright?¡± I cast him a hesitant nce,pleting his bandaging. Silence. And then a gasp slipped through my lips as he hauled me onto hisp. ¡°Ace!¡± Snuggling his face into my neck, he inhaled deep. ¡°Now, everything is alright.¡± With blood rushing up my cheeks, I wiggled into his arms. ¡°W-what are you doing? Let go of me!¡± His hold tightened around me. ¡°Never. I¡¯m not letting you go away from me, never again.¡± Again? A shiver ran through my whole body when his hot lips touched the sensitive skin of my neck. ¡°My Rose,¡± a groan left his mouth as his hand roamed around my curves, littering sensual kisses behind my ear. As embarrassing as it was, a whimper sneaked out of me. ¡°A-ace,¡± I wanted to stop him, but my voice came out much like a moan with his hot tongue directly against my burning skin. My hands gripped his strong shoulders when he turned me to him and our eyes met. The intensity and desire in his stormy grey eyes had me stop breathing. ¡°Those turquoise eyes of yours, they¡¯ve captured my heart and locked it under their spell the moment they fell on me,¡± he whispered, kissing my closed eyelids one by one. And then on my forehead, then both of my cheeks, sending my heart on skyrocket. When he pulled me whole against him, not even an inch between us, I closed my eyes, snuggled my face against his. Warmth and many emotions soared into my chest. My arms around his neck as a whisper left my lips. ¡°Ace.¡± ¡°My Rose.¡± A breath escaped my lips when he ced a lingering kiss at the corner of my lips. Sagging against him just as I let myself loose into his warmth, the re of my phone pulled me out of my bubble. Blinking, when I jerked away, he didn¡¯t let me. His brows furrowed in disturbation. Fighting with him was useless, so I fished out my phone from my pocket and checked the name of the caller. Guilt hit me like a truck seeing Warner¡¯s name shing on the screen. We were still in a rtionship when I was¡­ I felt Ace getting tense against me, his eyes set on the phone, strong jaws locked tight. ¡°I¡¯ve to take this,¡± saying, I leaped up from hisp. But a hand stopped me, grabbing my hand. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± he asked, voice rough. I was surprised seeing the sudden malice in his eyes. Was that- jealousy? ¡°To talk to Warner.¡± ¡°Ignore it.¡± I frowned. ¡°I can¡¯t. He¡­¡± ¡°He¡¯s more important to you than our moment?¡± Eyes shing, he cut me off, his grip tightened on my hand. ¡°He was always important. He¡¯s my b¡­¡± I squeaked when he tugged me to him and the next thing I found was, Iy t on the bed, with him above me. ¡°Ace! What¡¯re you doing¡­¡± And again he cut me off. But this time, with his lips. Right against mine. ¡°He¡¯s nothing to you, you understand?¡± he growled against my lips, biting my lower one hard. ¡°Nothing! You¡¯re f*****g mine!¡± My mind was on a haywire. Shock, surprise, rage, warmth and¡­ desire shot through my veins like a wildfire. Pushing against his hard chest, I attempted to snatch my lips from the capture of his scorching ones, but he only deepened the kiss. Grabbing my wrists, he ced them above my head with one hand, while the other went to run over my body with freedom, raising a painful tug in my abdomen. ¡°Only mine!¡± An unintentional moan left my mouth as he sucked my lower lip into his mouth with ferocity. My body was on fire. His free hand ran down my leg and then my t***h. And then sneaking behind, he grabbed my butt, getting another gasp from me. He took this chance to enter his tongue in my mouth, devouring me. Just as his hot tongue touched mine, a jolt of pleasure ran through me, my body hummed into delight. My eyes closed on its own as I kissed him with equal urgency and desperateness. I¡¯ve never been kissed like this. Never this deep, rough and intense. My hands struggled into his hold. This time not to get away, but to pull him closer, to feel him. It wasn¡¯t enough. I wanted more. I needed more. ¡°Ace,¡± I managed to whisper out in between his earth shattering kisses. And he understood as he released my hands. And then there was no going back. I clung to him like I was falling and he was the only thing to grab on in this whole world. Moulding our lips around each other, we got tangled into a momentum of want and desire. And then another ring of my phone reverberated across the room. At first both of us didn¡¯t acknowledge it, but then senses started to kick start in my brain. Disbelief and shame fell over me as I realized what I just did. How could I do this?This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Pushing him away, I grabbed my phone and ran out of the room, not even waiting to see his expression. ¡°Emerald, wait!¡± He called out behind me, but till then I was already out of the room. I heard himing after me, but I didn¡¯t stop. I ran and kept running until I was safe in the four walls of the elevator. Clutching my chest that was still pounding from his touches and kisses, I leaned against one of the walls and closed my eyes. A tear slipped down my cheek. I cheated on Warner. Though it was unintentional, though I didn¡¯t love him and soon was going to reveal it before him, it didn¡¯t justify my actions. I did wrong to him. I did wrong to the person who was always there for me in good and bad. Why couldn¡¯t I just control myself? Why couldn¡¯t I just push him away? Because I can¡¯t. I can¡¯t resist him. I never could. With still weak knees, I let out a choked breath and rubbed my face in frustration and guilt. It was wrong. I couldn¡¯t do this anymore. I knew it could happen again. Because my heart just didn¡¯t know where to stop around him. I¡¯d have to fix this. I¡¯ve to talk to Warner. As soon as possible. Wiping my cheeks, I dialled his number. But it went busy. I dialled again, but it still was busy. Getting out of the elevator, I sent him a message. Sorry, couldn¡¯t receive your call. I called you but it went busy. Call me as soon as you¡¯re free. I need to talk to you. It hurt to even think of breaking his heart, but I couldn¡¯t lie to him anymore. I needed to tell him everything about my feelings, about Ace and¡­ about the kiss. I hope he can forgive me. Because I don¡¯t want to lose a friend like him. Putting back my phone, as I was about to walk away, I caught a figure around the corner that led to another hallway. Half of their body could be seen from where I stood, other half covered by the wall. Nearing slightly, I recognized her. It was Liza. She was on the phone with someone, eyes flickering her left and right. As I was behind her, she didn¡¯t see me. I frowned at her tensed shoulders and alert movements. I took a few more steps ahead. ¡°Yes!¡± she hissed over the phone. ¡°The job is done. Everything happened just as you wanted. Now I want you to fulfill your promise.¡± She listened to whatever the other person said and then nodded her head. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll call youter. I¡¯ve to go now. Bye!¡± Disconnecting the call, she nced around again. I squinted my eyes when she took out something from her purse with shaky hands and threw it into the bin. As she rushed away from there, I went to the ce where she was just a second ago, my eyes still on her. What¡¯s wrong with her? She looked extremely nervous and tensed. Looking down into the dustbin, I saw a big white crumbled stic packet. Some white substance lied at the bottom corner inside it. My eyes narrowed. What¡¯s that? My gaze went back to where Liza just disappeared. Something was wrong with her. Maybe I¡¯d just talk to herter at lunch. Then my mind went back to what just happened upstairs. My hand went up and touched my still tingling swollen lips. Warmth and guilt washed over me at once. The worst thing was, I loved every second of it. And I hated myself for that. Letting out a sigh, I headed back to my cabin, with a lot of thoughts jumbled into my brain. When I was just outside my cabin, I saw Tess rushing in my way. My eyes widened seeing her disarranged state. ¡°Tess?¡± She grabbed my hands with her cold ones, her face pale with panic. ¡°Em! Where¡¯s Achilles? I¡¯ve been calling him for twenty minutes but he¡¯s not picking up his phone! Where¡¯s he?¡± ¡°Hey, shh, rx first. What happened? Why are you so riled up?¡± I grabbed her shoulder, trying to comfort her. She shook her head, her blue eyes moist with unshed tears. ¡°Caleb¡­¡± A bad feeling loomed over me. ¡°What? What happened to him?¡± Her lips quivered as tears left her eyes. ¡°He¡¯s in j**l.¡± Share Chapter 23 Chapter 23 Read The Trap Of Ace [by Eva Zahan] Chapter 23 ¨C ¡°What?¡± I gasped. ¡°How? How did this happen?¡± She shook her head, wiping her tears. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I just got a call from the police station a while ago. And since then I was calling Achilles non-stop, but he wasn¡¯t picking up his phone! Even ourwyer called him. Where¡¯s he?¡± A while ago, means we were in his bedroom then¡­ Blinking away those thoughts from my mind, I said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Tess. Everything will be fine. He¡¯s in his penthouse right now.¡± ¡°Alright, let¡¯s¡­¡± Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. The ring of her phone cut her off. Receiving it, she listened to whatever the other person said and then cut the call. ¡°It was him. He¡¯s waiting for me outside in the car. I gotta go!¡± ¡°Wait! I¡¯lle with you!¡± I insisted. I didn¡¯t want to leave her alone right now. She nodded, sniffling. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go!¡± Once we were outside, we found him in the driver¡¯s seat with a rigid form. Though his grip on the wheel was tight, his expression gave nothing away. Ignoring the memories of what happened up in his penthouse and the flutterings in my tummy, we got into his car and then drove away. When the car came to a stop outside the police station, shes of blinding lights blinded my vision. A small crowd of people with cameras in their hands huddled outside of the car, throwing bunch of questions at once. ¡°W-what the h**l? Who called them here?¡± Tess eximed, some more anxiety paled her already pale face. After a moment of silence, he spoke with his jaws tight. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°But Achilles¡­¡± He turned to Tess who sat beside him, features softening. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, everything will be fine.¡± At his assurance, she nodded her head and got out after him as four bodyguards that came along us- I didn¡¯t even notice them earlier- and protected them from the crazy paparazzi. And as soon as I got out behind them, an arm immediately wrapped around me, pushing my face into a warm chest. ¡°What¡¯re you doing!¡± I was ready to pull away as he guided me through the chaos with his protective arm around me, but then I decided against it. His hold and the way hid my face from those hungry cameras told me the reason behind his act. And I really didn¡¯t want my face to be printed in tomorrow¡¯s newspaper anyway. Even in this situation, he didn¡¯t forget about my safety. He didn¡¯t go to Tess, but he came to me¡­ A warm sensation spread across my heart. Once we were inside, I created some distance between us. The officer behind the big desk was up on his feet as soon as we strolled in, or should I say Achilles Valencian walked in. Because the draining color from his face was instant. Carter and a middle-aged man in a ck coat and a white shirt with some files in his hand ¨C maybe the lawyer ¨C was already present there. Tess rushed to Caleb who stood behind the bars. With a disheveled shirt, messy hair, and dimmed eyes, he looked pretty shaken. When Tess reached him, he wrapped his arms around her as much as he could with the bars in between. ¡°Oh G*d! They put you behind the locker. Are you alright, baby?¡± she asked, eyes sparkling with tears. He nodded, kissing her hands. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Even after his statement, he¡¯d an edge in his voice. ¡°Achilles is here, he¡¯ll get me out of here. Everything will be fine.¡± The urgency in his eyes confused me. I knew staying behind the bars wasn¡¯t a good thing, but his desperation of getting away from here hinted to something else. ¡°How did it happen? Why did they arrest you?¡± she asked, wiping her wet cheeks. A long exhale left him as he rubbed his face. ¡°They found d***s in the trunk of my car.¡± Both of us gasped at that. ¡°D***s? But how did they get into your car?¡± I queried. ¡°I don¡¯t know. They stopped my car at the road out of nowhere and started searching. And when they found them in the trunk, they used me of d**g dealing and brought me here,¡± he replied. ¡°I don¡¯t believe this! Someone is trying to trap you!¡± Anger shed into Tess¡¯s eyes. He nodded. ¡°I know. But they won¡¯t just listen to any of my justification.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you sit first, Mr. Valencian. We can talk then.¡± The timid voice of the officer made me turn around. With hands in his pockets, Ace stood before the desk, melting the officer under his steely gaze. ¡°Why don¡¯t you release my cousin first? And I¡¯m not here to chat with you. Let¡¯se to the business, shall we?¡± ¡°Yes, yes, of course!¡± The officer eagerly nodded his head and instructed one of his men to let Caleb out. ¡°I¡¯m extremely sorry, Mr. Valencian. I just got here and got to know that our junior officer charged your cousin with d**g dealings. If I knew earlier, I wouldn¡¯t have let him do it.¡± The moment he mentioned d***s, the sudden stiffness of Ace¡¯s shoulders didn¡¯t go missed by me. But he managed a nk face. ¡°Then what was he still doing behind the bars when I came here? I believe my assistant andwyer arrived much before me, am I right? What were you doing until then?¡± He cocked his head, a muscle of his jaw ticked. ¡°Uh!¡± The officer gulped. ¡°Actually, Mr. Valencian, it¡¯s a case regarding d***s. So we¡¯ve to do some procedure before releasing the used.¡± ¡°Very well then. Mywyer is here. Read the papers and release him.¡± He pointed to the ck coat man as he came forward and showed some papers to the officer. That man didn¡¯t even read them properly before returning them back. No one could with Achilles Valencian¡¯s stormy eyes set on them like a tiger ready to jump. Once Caleb stood beside him, he gave him a look and they both exchanged nods among them. The always happy Caleb didn¡¯t have his smile on today. Though Ace was a closed off person, even with his family, his love for them wasn¡¯t any less. His actions spoke it more than his words. Looking down at his watch, he nced at the officer. ¡°Where is your phone, officer?¡± The dark blue uniformed man frowned. ¡°Why?¡± And then his phone rang in his pocket. When he fished it out, his eyes widened seeing the name shing on the screen. And they literally came out of his sockets after he heard what the other person had to say on the phone. ¡°I hope you understood what you¡¯re instructed to do?¡± Ace asked, cocking his head. The nod was hesitant. ¡°Y-yeah, Mr. Valencian. The termination letter will be sent to our junior officer as soon as possible.¡± Termination? Of course! The result to cross Achilles Valencian¡¯s path. I shook my head. ¡°Good! Now find out who nted them in Caleb¡¯s car and get back to me within two days,¡± he ordered. ¡°And you know what to tell the media, don¡¯t you, officer?¡± ¡°Yes, of course, Mr. Valencian! Your family¡¯s name will be cleared, don¡¯t worry. And, we¡¯ll try our best to find out who was behind it as soon as possible,¡± the officer replied. Nodding his head, he put his sses back on and grabbed my hand in his. But before we were out of the door, he stopped and looked over his shoulder again. ¡°And yes, Mr. ke. Be careful of whose family you¡¯re dealing with from now on. Because next time, who knows, it could be you in your junior¡¯s ce.¡± As all the color drained from the officer¡¯s facepletely, he pulled me into his chest again and walked out of the door. *** Once we were secured in the car and drove away, I turned to Caleb who sat on the back seat along Tess with her arm clutched around him. She got really scared about all of this. ¡°Do you know who could be behind this? Who tried to frame you?¡± Though we didn¡¯t meet for years, I trusted him enough to tell that he wasn¡¯t a person to be tangled with such issues. He was this happy and positive person, not a d**g dealer. His gaze met his cousin through the mirror for a fleeting second. ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but it could be Antonio Reymond.¡± ¡°It is him! I¡¯m sure!¡± Tess hissed. ¡°This time he has crossed all of his limits!¡± I frowned. ¡°Who¡¯s Antonio? And why¡¯d he do that to you?¡± ¡°He¡¯s the owner of our biggest rivalpany, AR Industries. That man lives with the agenda to destroy our fame and image to get back to the top in the market, the ce that was snatched by Valencian Corp from them.¡± The samepany who waspeting with our every deal and using the leaked information? Now it all made sense. ¡°We¡¯re in progress with the Arabians regarding a mega project. If we get this, our clothing market will spread across the whole middle-east. And that¡¯s what bothering him. So maybe he wants to defame us by this and turn the Arabians to them,¡± he continued, lips pressed tight in displeasure. The whole time Ace remained quiet. But the white knuckles of his on the steering was the proof of the storm brewing in him. This whole incident was bothering him a lot. I wanted to reach out and hold his hand, but I held myself back. ¡°But he couldn¡¯t do it of his own, right? He must¡¯ve used someone to do this.¡± I pointed out. ¡°Did you see anyone suspicious around your car today?¡± Maybe we could find out who¡¯s leaking information from the office if we get a hold on this person? He shook his head. ¡°No. I just left home this morning and wasing directly to the office until they stopped me in the middle of the street.¡± ¡°You were at homest night. They must¡¯ve done it either at night or this morning before you left,¡± said Tess, her brows furrowed. ¡°But who could that be?¡± I looked at Tess. ¡°Did someone visit youst night or this morning?¡± She nodded. ¡°Yes, some people I called to resize my wedding dress and do some changes. They needed to see it on me before they fixed it. So they dropped in this morning.¡± ¡°Maybe one of them did it? What about the watchman? I mean, he stays there all the time¡­¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t do it,¡± stated Ace, casting me a look. ¡°He¡¯s been working for us for years now. He¡¯s reliable.¡± Caleb nodded, agreeing. ¡°Yeah, Jordan wouldn¡¯t even think of it in his wildest dreams.¡± ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Then something clicked in my head. ¡°What about the CCTV cameras? I saw them installed in your house. You¡¯ve one outside, right?¡± Tess sighed. ¡°Yes, we¡¯ve. But it wasn¡¯t working since the party night, and I was too busy to call someone and repair it.¡± From the party night? When a lot of people were present there? ¡°That means¡­¡± ¡°It was all nned. They did it on purpose so that they could execute their n easily.¡± Ace finished for me, his nostrils ring. ¡°Oh G*d! And we were so clueless about it,¡± Tess whispered. ¡°Did you notice anything weird about those people who came for your dress repair?¡± She shook her head. ¡°No, all of them were there with me all the time.¡± Then a realization crossed over her features. ¡°Yes, Liza came this morning to collect some files.¡± ¡°Liza?¡± I was shocked. ¡°No, babe. Don¡¯t go there. I told her toe and collect those files for a meeting I wouldn¡¯t be able to attend at Valencian Corp. Because I¡¯d some urgent work at OC Textiles. And she is one of the most trustable employees of ourpany. She can¡¯t do this,¡± Caleb said. Even I agreed. She was a good person and had been a great friend of mine from the days I knew her. Honest and hardworking¡­ And then something shed in my mind. Her weird behavior this morning around the corner and¡­ I set back against my seat and stayed quiet waiting to reach the office, while Tess and Caleb whispered sweet things to each other at the backseat. And Ace matched my silence. But I could feel it, it was the silence before the storm hit. *** As soon as we reached office after we dropped off Tess and Caleb to their house, I ran inside. Taking the elevator, I went directly to the forty-ninth floor and went to the ce where I saw her talking to someone on the phone. The bin! Thank G*d it was still here and no one took the rubbish out. Crouching down before it, I moved some coffee cups and tissues aside. My nose crinkled as I touched those tissues only G*d knew why was used for. But I¡¯d to do this. I just hope it¡¯s still there. With my fingers crossed, I moved some more things until it came into my view. The stic bag with some white substances at the bottom corner. She threw it in here. With shaky hands, I picked it up. I hope it¡¯s not what I¡¯m thinking it is. Opening the bag, I slowly took a sniff. I froze. It was indeed d***s. Share Chapter 24 Chapter 24 Read The Trap Of Ace [by Eva Zahan] Chapter 24 ¨C That means¡­ Liza? My suspicion was right. She did it. She was the one who put d***s in Caleb¡¯s car and maybe, leaking information outside. My shoulders slumped as disappointment washed over me. How could she do it? She was such a nice person and worked with Caleb for years. What could make her betray all of a sudden? I¡¯ve to inform Ace about it. Getting up, I clutched the packet tight in my hand and rushed to his cabin. My heart thumped in my chest. As I approached his cabin, I found Carter outside on his desk. ¡°Is he inside? I¡¯ve to see him right now.¡± Looking up, he smiled. ¡°He is. Though he¡¯s a little busy, as ordered, you¡¯re always free to go in and out without any permission.¡± Huh? I could just walk in just like that? Not wanting to waste anymore time, I threw a thanks at him and barged inside. But I was shocked to witness the scene before me. ¡°-asking you for thest time, Liza. You better speak up now!¡± Arthur was seated on a chair, and Ace stood at the middle of the cabin, his clenched jaw was a deration of his mood. And a trembling Liza stood right before him with her gaze on the floor. Silent tears were streaming through her eyes non-stop. What¡¯s happening? Did they get to know the truth already? When their eyes fell on me, I didn¡¯t know what to say. His stormy gaze softened as soon as they met mine. ¡°Rosebud? What¡¯re you doing here?¡± Gulping, I nced at Liza. Her eyes didn¡¯t lift up from the floor. Her shaking state raised pity in me, she was my friend after all. But I couldn¡¯t just let go of what she did. It was a crime. ¡°I- I want to say something.¡± All of a sudden his whole attention was on me as concern filled into those eyes. Forgotten the serious issue before him. Nodding his head, he looked at his uncle over his shoulder. ¡°Arthur, please take Liza outside. I¡¯ll be meeting you in a moment.¡± eding, as Arthur stood up, my voice stopped him. ¡°No!¡± Every pair of eyesnded back on me, even Liza¡¯s. ¡°It¡¯s about the d***s. I found something.¡± Liza¡¯s face paled dramatically when she saw the packet in my hand. Hanging the stic before her face, I asked, ¡°See those white powder at the bottom, Liza? I found it from the dustbin you threw it in this morning. Guess what it is?¡± She remained silent, not meeting my gaze. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Ace touched the packet, taking a closer look. ¡°D***s,¡± I replied. His hand jerked away from the packet as if it burnt him. Stepping away, his hands clenched into b***s, shoulders tensed. I frowned. What¡¯s wrong? I tried to search for something in his eyes, but he was swift to move his gaze from my questioning one and turned to Liza. ¡°So it¡¯s proved then. It was you who nted those¡­ d***s into Caleb¡¯s car.¡± His expression tightened even while saying the word. ¡°Why?¡± Her sob became loud, her hands shook at her sides. ¡°I said why?¡± His deep voice boomed across the cabin. Flinching, she scurried back. ¡°I- I was being ckmailed. H-he told me he¡¯d frame my brother for a crime he didn¡¯t even do! It was his friend. But- but somehow he got to know about it and started to threat me. If I didn¡¯t do what he said, he¡¯d sent my brother to j**l. A-and, h-he is just a kid. I-i couldn¡¯t let it happen. So, I¡­ I¡¯d no other choice. I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m so sorry!¡± She spilled everything in one go, shaking, sobbing and stuttering. For a moment I wanted to reach out to her, but then whatever she did it for, it didn¡¯t justify her actions. She couldn¡¯t just harm someone else to save her brother. Ace¡¯s lips curled into a sneer, the vein of his temple popped up. ¡°So you decided to ruin my brother to save yours?¡± ¡°I-i¡¯m sorry, boss! I¡¯m so sorry! I didn¡¯t know what to do. I¡¯d no other way! Please forgive me,¡± she pleaded, her lower lip trembling. ¡°Forgive you?¡± Ace took a threatening step towards her, making her stumble back. ¡°After what you did and were doing G*d knows for how many months, you dare to tell me to forgive you? One thing you should know working for me these years is that, I hate betrayers, Liza! And you just did that.¡± When Liza could barely stand up on her feet, Arthur was too rxed on the chair, watching the whole drama to unfold. Shouldn¡¯t he be as mad as Ace after knowing what she did? Putting a hand on his chest, I tried to hold him back. He seemed like he was about to burst. ¡°Ace, calm down. Let me talk to her.¡± When his furious eyes met mine, I held his gaze. ¡°Please?¡± My tone soft. His lips thinned in displeasure. Sending Liza another look of wrath, he nodded. ¡°Thank you,¡± I said, before turning to Liza. ¡°You said someone was threatening you about your brother?¡± She nodded, sniffling. ¡°Who¡¯s he?¡± Whoever it was, he was definitely someone who was working for Antonio Reymond, or¡­ it was Reymond himself. Everyone knew how blindly everyone trusted her. So targeting her to make out their interest was a smart move by them. She averted her eyes, hands fidgeted before her. ¡°I- I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you dare lie, Liza. Trust me, you don¡¯t want to see my dark side,¡± Ace said, warning dripped from his words. She swallowed. ¡°Give us the name, youngdy. Maybe we¡¯ll consider reducing your punishment.¡± Arthur came up and stood beside us, his expression matched Ace now, almost. For a fleeting second, we our gazes met, those dark eyes remained indifferent. ¡°Liza, who¡¯s he?¡± I asked again. She shook her head, tears rolling down her cheeks. ¡°Trust me. I don¡¯t know. H-he used to talk to me on the phone. Never had he met me in person or told his name. I don¡¯t know who he is.¡± Her nails dug into her palms as she looked at me with something in her eyes. Pleading? I went to ask her again, but the terror in her brown eyes stopped me. ¡°Another lie. You¡­¡± ¡°Ace.¡± I stopped him again and shook my head. ¡°It¡¯s alright. We now know she did it, now let¡¯s end this right here.¡± His brows furrowed, eyes shing. ¡°So you¡¯re telling me we let her go? Just like that?¡± ¡°No, she¡¯ll get punished for whatever she did. I¡¯m just saying it¡¯s not our job to punish her.¡± ¡°I want that name, Emerald.¡± The muscle of his jaw ticked. ¡°We both know who¡¯s it. Directly or indirectly, Antonio is behind it. So let¡¯s just drop it.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Ace, please,¡± I whispered. Taking his hand in mine I squeezed it, trying to give him my message. Staring at our joined hands, with clenched jaw, he gave a curt nod. ¡°Arthur, you know thetter.¡± Nodding, Arthur replied, ¡°I already called the police. They¡¯ll be here soon.¡± A whimper left Liza¡¯s lips at the mention of the police. I didn¡¯t want to feel bad, but I did. Though she was wrong, she did it for her family. Yes, I was judging her actions, but now putting myself in her ce, maybe I¡¯d do the same if put in her situation. Why didn¡¯t she just inform Caleb or Ace about it? They could¡¯ve helped her. Arthur grabbed her arm and dragged her out of the cabin. But before walking out of the doors, she nced at me over her shoulder and threw me a look of gratitude. ¡°Why did you stop me?¡± ¡°Because if we¡¯d forced the name out of her, there was a risk of the ckmailer harming her family.¡± I turned to him. ¡°If they could n something that big, they can also go that down for their revenge.¡± He pondered for a moment. ¡°But I would¡¯ve protected her family if she gave us the name. If she gave the statement, we could get proof against him.¡± ¡°But what if it¡¯s not Antonio himself? What if it¡¯s someone else he¡¯s using?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about.¡± He looked into the eye. ¡°There¡¯s a middle man working for him, who knows everything about us and the people rted to us. And if we got a hold on him, we could use him against Antonio.¡± Oh, I didn¡¯t think like that. All I thought at that moment was Liza¡¯s fear for her family. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t think of that.¡± I bit my lip.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. He shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. You were just thinking of her family¡¯s safety. Don¡¯t worry, I will find out about the man myself.¡± I nodded. Running his hand through his hair, his gaze went to the distance. His shoulders were still tense, eyes disturbed. And the five o¡¯clock shadow on his face gave him an edge. He needed some rest. I don¡¯t think after arriving in California, he¡¯d even a pinch of sleep. Because he was too busy being furious about my recklessness. I sighed. ¡°Let me get you some coffee,¡± saying, I turned around and walked towards the door. Suddenly a hand grabbed my arm and pulled me back. And the next thing I found, I was wrapped around his arms, my face under his chin and his at the crook of my neck. ¡°What¡¯re you doing?¡± I gasped. Brushing his nose against my skin, he took a deep inhale. ¡°Hugging my Rosebud.¡± ¡°You¡¯re tired. All you need is a cup of coffee and some rest.¡± I tried to wiggle out. But as always, he only tightened the grip. ¡°You being in my arms is everything I need,¡± he rasped into my ear, kissing the junction of my neck and shoulder. A shiver ran down my body along the warmth that spread across my chest at his words. ¡°Stay with me for a moment, baby. I need you.¡± His hot breath tingled my skin as he let out a tired sigh. ¡°I will if you don¡¯t call me ¡®baby¡¯. Because I¡¯m not your baby,¡± I said. But my arms slowly went around him as I rested my face against his chest. And my eyes went shut that instance soaking into his warmth and scent, as if they had their own mind. Hugging someone to providefort wasn¡¯t wrong, right? A deep chuckle rambled into his chest. ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡± Share Chapter 25 Chapter 25 Read The Trap Of Ace [by Eva Zahan] Chapter 25 ¨C We¡¯ll see? This infuriating man! ¡°I¡¯m just letting you hug me because you needed it. Don¡¯t think of something else. I¡¯m still mad at you for what you did up at your penthouse¡­¡± My cheeks med at my slip of tongue. Why did I need to mention it right now? My lips tingled recalling the earth-shattering kiss on his bed. He put his nose into my hair. ¡°And don¡¯t think I forgot what you didst night. It was a really reckless move. And about kissing you,¡± he rasped, arms tightening around me, ¡°I don¡¯t regret a second of it. I¡¯ll do it again and again even if you don¡¯t like it!¡± A gasp slipped through my parted lips as he ced an open-mouthed kiss on my neck and then on my throat. ¡°And I know, you loved it,¡± the deep husky voice of his said, brushing his lips on my jaw. My heart raced down my chest as hot desire shot through my veins the touch of his scorching mouth. A tug in my lower region made me want to seek those sinful lips again, the same lips that were on mine just this morning. My skin burned with his bold touch over my curves. But even if I wanted to b**n in his mes for the rest of my life with pleasure, with all the strength I¡¯d in me, I untangled myself from him and stepped away. I couldn¡¯t do this again. I couldn¡¯t let my control slip again. I¡¯d to go. When I turned around to run, his arms again shot out to me. Holding my shoulders, he pulled me back against him. ¡°Stop running away from me, my rose. We both know what we want. Stop escaping the truth,¡± he murmured in my ear, stroking my mid-section. His touch was making me unable to think. My body reacted to him strongly every time he touched me, my mind warned me to keep distance, but my heart longed for him every time he was away. His closeness was a sweet poison to my brain. Because it loved it even if it made it numb. Keep it together, Em! ¡°I¡¯ve to go. Leave me,¡± came out my b**e whisper. He pulled me more into his powerful arms. ¡°Never. I¡¯ll never let you go!¡± Huh? He¡¯ll keep me in his office forever? ¡°I¡¯ve work. Let go!¡± I huffed. ¡°No work today. It¡¯s your free day.¡± ¡°What? Why?¡± I turned to look up at him. ¡°It¡¯s been a long day for you and even a terrible nightst night. So it¡¯s your off day.¡± He brushed some tendrils away from my face. He was so close¡­ ¡°Can you keep some personal distance? Move!¡± I wiggled, pping on his strong arm. Amusement etched into those grey eyes. ¡°Why? My closeness bothers you, Rosebud? It makes you all hot for me?¡± he teased. My eyes widened. The arrogance! ¡°Not at all! I don¡¯t feel anything! Now let go!¡± ¡°Only on one condition.¡± My eyes narrowed. ¡°No conditions!¡± He shrugged. ¡°Then no leaving.¡± I groaned. ¡°Fine! What¡¯s it?¡± The corner of his lips twitched as he kissed my forehead. My heart stuttered at the gesture. ¡°Have lunch with me?¡± When I didn¡¯t answer, he continued. ¡°Let¡¯s talk. And I even ordered your favorite dish.¡± At the mention of food, my stomach growled. I didn¡¯t even have breakfast this morning in a hurry. I tried to ignore the amusement in his eyes. What? Everyone had tummy. ¡°Okay. But only because I¡¯m hungry.¡± My turquoise eyes challenged his stormy grey to say instead. Nodding his head, a smile spread across his face. A genuine one, which I saw very rare. Only when with me. ¡°Only because you¡¯re hungry.¡± *** I stared at the cheesy garlic shrimps with extra sweet and sour sauce before me. Exactly how I liked to take it. Not a usualbo, but it used to be my favorite. Our favorite. Whenever he used to visit our home, he¡¯d brought it for me. It was our regr thing after our chess matches. ¡°You remembered?¡± I whispered, looking up at him. Leaning forward, he put some prawns on my te and then poured the sauce onto it. ¡°It¡¯s not possible for me to forget even a single thing about you even if I want.¡± The look in his eyes was so intense it left me breathless. I¡¯d to avert my eyes. I couldn¡¯t let him see the moisture that old memories fetched in them. Picking a prawn dipped with the sauce, I put it into my mouth. Exceptional! Just as I remembered. The sweet and savory taste sted on my tongue. A moan left my mouth as I grappled another one. ¡°It¡¯s so good!¡± I¡¯ve missed it so much. In these years, in the process of avoiding him, I¡¯d avoided everything rted to him as much as possible. Even this sweet and sour heaven. It awakened too many memories. A smile danced across his lips as he watched me, still not touching the food. ¡°You¡¯re not eating it with your hand anymore.¡± Embarrassment rose up my neck to my ear. I used to hate using forks to eat them. Using my fingers, it was easy to lick the cheese and sauce. I¡¯d do the same right now, but self-consciousness held me back. ¡°You don¡¯t need to be embarrassed, Rosebud. It¡¯s just me. I want you to be yourself when you¡¯re around me,¡± he said, taking my fork from my hand. When I didn¡¯t proceed, still hesitating, he also put his fork aside and picked a prawn using his hand. I watched him with surprise. He never used to use his hand while eating. He thought it was d***y. But now¡­ ¡°What? You want me to finish them all alone?¡± he asked, when I ogled him like a dumb. Shaking my head, I happily dug in using my fingers. Now it tasted even better. ¡°Since when did you start eating with your hand?¡± Taking a piece of pepperoni pizza, I queried. ncing up, he watched me with a strange emotion in his eyes, while sucking the sauce off his thumb. My eyes fell onto his wicked mouth before I shifted my attention on food again. ¡°Since it started to help me in keeping me sane.¡± I frowned. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Nothing. Why don¡¯t you taste those bava? My chef is from Turkey, so it¡¯s the authentic recipe. Here, take some. You¡¯ll love it.¡± He put some of the dessert on my te, clearly changing the topic. I¡¯d so many questions preserved for him, and here he wasn¡¯t even answering the simple thing. ¡°No, thanks!¡± I snapped, my temper suddenly ring. ¡°I¡¯m full.¡± I pushed the te away. His brows furrowed. ¡°What happened to you all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Nothing. Why don¡¯t you eat those bava? I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll love it,¡± I phrased his line. He pressed his lips together. ¡°I don¡¯t need to eat them to know if I¡¯ll love them. I do love them. Now will you tell me what¡¯s wrong?¡± I wanted to ask the questions I did to Tess, but I didn¡¯t know how to approach, and that is wrong. Looking away, I replied, ¡°Nothing is wrong. I¡¯m done, so I gotta go.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t leave without having the dessert with me and answering my question.¡± ¡°Excuse me? And who¡¯re you to order me that?¡± He titled his head. ¡°Your boss.¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°Oh yeah! I forgot. No one can deny the king here. Only he can order around people, not the other way.¡± ¡°Nobody except my queen.¡± My gaze snapped up to his, his stare intense. Pushing the dishes away, he tugged my onto hisp, emanating a gasp out of me. ¡°And as you¡¯re my queen, you¡¯ve every right to order and deny me around, my Rosebud.¡± My breath hitched at my throat and heart pounded down my chest as I stared at the significance in his eyes. Cupping my face, he spoke, ¡°I¡¯m sorry if anything I said displeased you. I didn¡¯t mean it. I¡¯d never do anything intentionally to hurt you.¡± ¡°I- I¡¯m not you queen,¡± I mumbled, not knowing what to say. cing a kiss on my forehead, he peered down into my soul. ¡°You are. You can deny anything you want, you¡¯ve the right to do it. But you don¡¯t have the right to deny this one thing. So get that into your beautiful head. YOU ARE MY QUEEN. My every f*****g thing. My world.¡± I let out a shaky breath as a fierce emotion mmed into my heart, making me breathless. His every word was like an arrow to my heart, breaking the bricks one by one of the wall I made around it all these years. I wanted to ask why. But I feared I wouldn¡¯t be able to handle his answer. ¡°I- I want to ask something,¡± I said, not trusting myself to break out if I didn¡¯t move the topic. He sighed. Kissing my eyelids, he nodded. ¡°How did you know that Liza was the one who put the d***s into Caleb¡¯s car?¡± ¡°Like you suggested at that board meeting, I had people look into the recent activities of the staff having direct connection to the projects. And I just got the reports after we returned from the police station.¡± His features tightened. ¡°And Liza¡¯s phone records raised suspicion, she was also one of those people who went to Caleb¡¯s house this morning. So it was pretty clear that it was her. And your proof just confirmed it.¡± Nodding, I took in the information. Then something else caught my mind. I wanted to ask him about it since then. ¡°Are- are you okay?¡± I bit my lip. A crease set between his brows. ¡°Why do you ask that?¡± Clearing my throat, I said, ¡°You were disturbed regarding something since this morning. And I can tell it¡¯s not just Caleb, it¡¯s something else. What¡¯s it?¡± Silence. ¡°Your reaction was strange when I told you it was d***s in that packet.¡± I still remember how he flinched away from the packet. His jaws clenched as his grip tightened on me.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. ¡°It¡¯s a very vile thing, Emerald. People should stay away from it as much as possible,¡± he replied, eyes hard. What you¡¯re hiding from me? ¡°Any other questions you have for me?¡± he asked, brushing his fingers on my cheek. My heart skipped. This is the chance, Em. Say it. Ask him. ¡°Will you tell me the truth if I ask?¡± He watched me for a moment, and then gave a slow nod. ¡°I- I want to know everything, Ace. Everything that I should know. Everything that¡¯s hidden from me,¡± I whispered. ¡°I- I want to know what happened that night, seven years ago.¡± He stilled. Share Chapter 26 Chapter 26 Read The Trap Of Ace [by Eva Zahan] Chapter 26 ¨C I knew that he knew what I was asking. He knew really well what I wanted to know. His feelings couldn¡¯t grow just in these days. It had to be from our past. And if he really did feel something for me, then why did he do that? Why did he push me away like that? ¡°I want to know, Ace. Will you tell me?¡± Not only about the night years ago I wanted to know about, what happened to his mom and his hatred for his old house also nagged at the back of my mind. I didn¡¯t forget the venom and pain reflected in his eyes when he stared at the doors of his mom¡¯s former room at Tess¡¯s engagement. There were so many things I¡¯d questions about. But the answers weren¡¯t anywhere in my sight. Taking a deep breath, he took my hands and brushed his lips against my knuckles. ¡°I will. I will tell you everything you want to know. You¡¯ve every right to. But not now. At least not today.¡± Suddenly a heaviness lifted off my chest. I felt relieved. At least he didn¡¯t deny. ¡°Then when?¡± Just as he was about to answer my most awaited question, a knock on the door halted him. I jumped off hisp as Carter poked his head through the door. His eyes widened seeing my flushed cheeks and Ace¡¯s murderous re. ¡°You better have a valid reason behind the interruption, Carter.¡± The gulp of the secretary was visible. ¡°Y-yes, boss. I¡¯ve got the reports on-¡± taking a nce at me, he stopped, ¡°-uh, project CA.¡± Ace stood up on his feet as soon as Carter mentioned about the project. The ambience around us veiled itself into staid all of a sudden. Project CA? It must be something really important. Noticing Carter¡¯s hesitance of talking openly due to my presence, I cleared my throat, ncing at Ace. ¡°Uh, I gotta go now. I¡¯ll see youter.¡± When I turned to go, he again grabbed my hand for the third time. Pulling me closer, he left a peck on my forehead. ¡°We¡¯ll talk, soon.¡± Staring in his grey pools, I nodded my head and then walked out of the room, leaving an awkward smile at Carter¡¯s way. G*d, I don¡¯t know what he might be thinking catching us in that position! But I was more frustrated than I was embarrassed. He was just about to tell me when he was going to unravel the past before me. But Carter ruined it all. The nagging desperation to know the truth vexed me. Leaning my back against a wall, I closed my eyes. A sigh left me. I had to know everything before making a decision. I was falling weak. I was finding myself giving up every time he was around me. One look at his stormy gaze, and I¡¯d be that fifteen years old Emerald again. How long can I resist? Not for long. I have to talk to Warner. And just as I thought of him, my phone rang. His name shed on the screen. ¡°Hey!¡± I tried to smile, but failed miserably. Nervousness and guilt swirled inside me at once. Nervousness, because I¡¯d no idea what to tell him. And guilt, because I didn¡¯t want to hurt him, but I¡¯d no choice. It was for the well-being of both of us. ¡°Hi! I¡¯m so sorry, I couldn¡¯t pick your calls then. It¡¯s such a busy schedule today. When I finally got some time, I thought to call you, but you didn¡¯t answer.¡± ¡°Yeah, I was¡­ uh, a little busy,¡± I lied, clenching my fist. ¡°No problem. By the way, I called to inform you that I might not be able to attend Tess¡¯s wedding. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s up with my boss¡¯ a*s, he just hates the word ¡®leave¡¯. I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll allow me to attend the wedding. It¡¯s too much work here,¡± heined. ¡°What? But you can¡¯t just miss Tess¡¯s wedding!¡± He¡¯d toe. Otherwise how¡¯d I confront him? I couldn¡¯t keep it in for that long. This guilt will k**l me alive. ¡°I¡¯ll try my best, Em. But I can¡¯t guarantee anything. And don¡¯t worry, we could always meet anytimeter, right?¡± I took a deep breath. ¡°Warner, listen to me. I need to see you. I¡­¡± ¡°I know, I miss you too! But¡­¡± ¡°We need to talk. It¡¯s really important.¡± I cut him off. He went quiet. ¡°I- I¡¯ve something to tell you. I can¡¯t tell you on the phone. I need to talk to you in person.¡± Silence. Just when I thought the line went d**d, he spoke up. ¡°It¡¯s about Achilles, isn¡¯t it?¡± A gasp slipped through my lips. How did he know? ¡°H-how¡­¡± A humorless chuckle reverberated through the phone. ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? Whenever he¡¯s around, your eyes only draw to him even if your boyfriend stands right next to you at that moment. You think I didn¡¯t notice at that party and at that race track?¡± He scoffed. ¡°And now that you work for him, I should¡¯ve seen thating. But I was too foolish to think of trusting you.¡± Biting my lip, I looked down. Shame and guilt burned my vision. ¡°It¡¯s not what you think. I didn¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°How could you do this to me, Em? You¡¯re ready to leave me now that you found your lost love? You forgot how I was there for you when no one was?¡± His voice croaked. ¡°How do you know that he¡¯s the one I loved?¡± Heughed. ¡°Your ufort around him and the look into your eyes whenever you gazed at him, it said it all. Childhood love, a family friend. Now it made all sense. He¡¯s the family friend who broke your heart seven years ago, isn¡¯t he?¡± I gulped the lump of my throat. ¡°Warner, please. Listen to me. I tried my best¡­¡±This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. He again cut me off. ¡°That¡¯s the point. You tried your best to manage to look happy with me. But you never were, were you? You were always in love with him. No matter how much I loved you, you never reciprocated my feelings. Because you never loved me, you never even tried to.¡± ¡°Warner¡­¡± ¡°This is not done, Em. You shouldn¡¯t have yed with me like this!¡± And then the line went d**d. I stared at the phone as a lone tear fell down my cheek. I just did what I was afraid of. Hurting one of my best friends. The person who always supported me in everything. I didn¡¯t think he could ever forgive me. I felt like the worst person in the entire world. Wiping my tears, I tried to call him again but it went unanswered. And the next time, it was unreachable. Deciding to give him some time, I let out a breath and walked away. I didn¡¯t know what I¡¯d tell him once he¡¯s calmer, but I have to sort it out. Convincing him won¡¯t be easy, but I didn¡¯t want to lose a friend like him forever. Maybe I¡¯d just go and meet him myself? Because I didn¡¯t think he¡¯de here after our conversation. And I didn¡¯t want him to confront Ace. That¡¯s what I feared right now. A possessive man and a hurt ex- boyfriend¡¯s face off won¡¯t be good. It¡¯d be a chaos. *** When I went to collect some files from my cabin I needed to take home along to work on them, I found Matt on my way out. With a heavy carton box in one hand and another small white box on the other, he struggled to walk out of the elevator. The ruffled hair of his and perspiration on his forehead told him misery. ¡°Matt? What¡¯s all this? Where are you going with these boxes?¡± approaching him, I asked. He huffed. ¡°To my new cabin.¡± ¡°Why? Are you shifting?¡± ¡°Yeah, after whatever Liza did, she got terminated immediately. And now the boss wants me to take Liza¡¯s ce. Though I¡¯m happy that he showed such trust in me, but d**n! My job was much easier than the secretary¡¯s job.¡± He shook his head. Yeah, I remembered how Liza didn¡¯t even used to get a minute to take a breath of break most of the time. She was best at her job, but unfortunately, everything got ruined. ¡°Yeah, I understand. But hey, look at the positive side. Your position and sry would now be doubled.¡± I winked at him. Even though I was joking with Matt, the talk with Ace and Warner lingered at the back of my mind. I gave myself an inward shake of head. I wouldn¡¯t get any peace until everything gets fixed. Heughed. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s why I didn¡¯t waste a moment to say yes!¡± Chuckling, I nced at the boxes. ¡°You need any help with these? I¡¯m free right now if you want.¡± The eagerness was lucid on his eyes. ¡°Yes, please! I¡¯d be more than grateful if you do.¡± Smiling, I took the smaller box that he handed me and apanied him to Liza¡¯s old office. Doing small chattings with him andughing at something he shared of his first day at job, when we were just outside the empty cabin, Ace and Carter had us stop at our track. Carter was exining something to Ace as he strode with his longer step, much ahead to his almost running assistant. The tense jaws and clenched fists of his dered of the storm that was raging inside him. He was¡­ furious. When he saw us, he came to a halt. ming grey eyes came to a smolder when they met mine. The strange swirl of intense emotions that ran in them were unknown to me. My smile faded. What happened to him all of a sudden. Even Carter was pale and out of breath. When Ace¡¯s gaze moved to Matt from me, his jaws tightened more before they moved back to me, eying the boxes in our hands. In my peripheral vision, I saw Matt taking a step back, fumbling with the box as the boss red daggers at both of us. Slightly moving his head, he pointed Carter to the white parcel in my hands and in seconds it was taken from me. ¡°I- I¡¯ll help Matt from here. Don¡¯t worry,¡± said Carter, casting a nervous nce at his boss. I narrowed my eyes at his boss as he came closer. ¡°What¡¯s with you now? And do not give me those looks, I¡¯m not scared of them!¡± I said, even if I found difficulty not to step back under his towering figure. cing a hand on my waist, he cupped my chin as if Carter and Matt weren¡¯t standing there, watching us. ¡°I told you to go home and rest. Then what are you doing here? And with-¡± he threw another sharp look to Matt, ¡°-one of my employees?¡± ¡°I was just helping him with these stuff,¡± I replied, confused. What¡¯s wrong with that? ¡°He can help himself. And if he can¡¯t, then he can just take someone¡¯s help. You don¡¯t need to help him.¡± ¡°And what¡¯s wrong with me helping him?¡± I gave him a challenging look. Pressing his lips together, he kept silence. ¡°Umm, uh¡­ I should go now. A lot of work is pending,¡± Matt stuttered. ¡°You better!¡± Ace hissed, not looking away from me. Throwing a thanks at my way, he fled away inside the cabin, followed by Carter. And all the while, our gazes didn¡¯t break. We did the staring down match for some moments, until he took a deep breath and closed his eyes, calming himself down to some bits. Once opening them back, he pressed our foreheads together. ¡°You always make me lose my sanity, Rosebud.¡± With my brows still furrowed, I said, ¡°And you drive me insane!¡± His lips twitched at the side. ¡°Do I?¡± I nodded, slowly melting. ¡°Why so angry?¡± Expression back to serious again. ¡°I¡¯m a very possessive man, Rosebud. And I don¡¯t like my woman laughing with some other man.¡± My eyes widened at the ridiculousness. ¡°He¡¯s just a friend! Stop behaving like a caveman! And I¡¯m not your woman!¡± His eyes darkened as he pulled me closer, his nostrils ring. ¡°You are. You¡¯re mine, Emerald Hutton. The sooner you ept it the better.¡± He took a swift nce at his wrist, with his hands still around my cheeks. ¡°I¡¯ve somewhere to go right now. I¡¯ll talk to youter. This talk isn¡¯t over yet.¡± ¡°But this is ridic¡­¡± My words died down at my throat with his mouth iming mine in a punishing kiss. As If thousands of electric shocks ran down my entire body the moment his lips touched mine. Delicious shivers shot through my insides as his expert tongue explored every inch of my mouth. Instead of fighting him, a whimper left me as my eyes closed of their own. And just as I was about to clung myself to him, he pulled away. No¡­ Still dazed from the euphoria of his scorching kiss, my treacherous eyes cast him irritated eyes. Why did he pull away? ¡°Nobody can take you away from me!¡± he growled close to my yearning lips, his eyes shing with rage. Carter came out of the cabin and stood behind him but I was too busy thinking of his words. Giving me ast deep kiss, he said, ¡°I¡¯ll see youter. Go home.¡± And then he was gone. Leaving me there unsated and confused. Nobody can take you away from me! What did he mean by that? Somehow I knew he didn¡¯t say it because of Matt. There was something else. I saw it in his eyes. Rage, hatred, desperation, and¡­ fear. What was that? Letting out a sigh, I touched my bruised lips ring at the way he went. Intolerable man! How dare he behave like he owned me? I¡¯ll definitely kick his a*s if he kisses me once more without my permission! Huffing, I turned around and walked down the hallway back towards my cabin. And just as I turned to another corridor, I stopped at my track when Sierra came out of the main conference room. The thing that had my brows knit, was her trembling state. With her arms around her, she silently wiped her cheeks, her dark hair hiding her face from me. Without looking anywhere, she put her head down and rushed away around the hallway. What¡¯s wrong with her? As far as I knew, there was no meeting today. Then what was she doing in the empty conference room? Then the door of the conference room opened again, and came out a person I knew quite well. Arthur Valencian. With nk expression on his face, head high in confidence, as usual, he shoved his hands into his pockets and followed the way Sierra just took. He didn¡¯t notice me standing at the other corner of the corridor. Confusion webbed inside me. What the h**l he was doing inside an empty conference room with Sierra? She looked pretty shaken. Was he threatening her about something? Or there was something else? Share Chapter 27 Chapter 27 Read The Trap Of Ace [by Eva Zahan] Chapter 27 ¨C ¡°G*d, girl! You should seriously dump that a*s boyfriend of yours! I thought he was a nice guy, but I didn¡¯t know what a mommy¡¯s boy he is!¡± cursed Casie, shaking her head while Beth grabbed another tissue from the tissue box on herp and blew her nose. ¡°It¡¯s not that easy, Cass. I love him. We¡¯ve been together for three years.¡± Beth sniffled, wiping her cheeks. ¡°Just because you guys have been together for three years, doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯ll take his mother¡¯s s**t! You deserve much more than this!¡± Casie snapped. After getting the early leave, I came directly to Casie¡¯s ce. And though I didn¡¯t find Beth in the same state I found herst night, she wasn¡¯t any better. She was still a mess. After asking Casie of what happened to her, she told me everything. Beth and her boyfriend, Mason, were happy in their little world. Until his conservative Catholic mother stepped into the picture once she got to know that her one and only son was going to marry a non- catholic girl. His mother¡¯s displeasure of their rtionship was creating problems between them. And being a mommy¡¯s boy he was, as Casie mentioned, he didn¡¯t have the guts to go against his mother and stand by Beth and their love. And now Beth feared that he might as well break up with her, heeding his mother¡¯s advice. And that¡¯s why I found her at that bar, drunk out of her mind. Looking down at the ring on her ring finger, Beth whispered, ¡°You won¡¯t understand. I can¡¯t just leave everything like that. I- I can¡¯t live without him.¡± Casie scoffed. ¡°But it seems like he definitely can. Otherwise he wouldn¡¯t let you leave his house so easily. He didn¡¯t even fight for you! And here you thought he¡¯de after you if you left the house.¡± ¡°Now I¡¯m repenting it. His mom will definitely use this situation against us,¡± Beth said, her lower lip trembled. cing my hand on hers, I squeezed gently. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Beth. I know Mason. That guy really loves you. Maybe he¡¯s confused between his mother and you right now. But I¡¯m sure, as soon as he realizes his mistake of letting you go, he¡¯lle after you. I know he¡¯ll.¡± ¡°Huh, I can¡¯t second that. Not everyone is Achilles Valencian,¡± Casie stated, rolling her eyes. Though a blush burned my cheeks, I sent a re at her way. That girl never knew when to shut up. She shrugged. ¡°What? Don¡¯t give me that look. I support those men who know how to treat their women. Not some mommy¡¯s boy who lets go of his fiance just because his mom doesn¡¯t approve of it.¡± Sighing, I shook my head. ¡°I¡¯m not siding him. But we should give Mason some time, right? We all know how much he loves his mom. Maybe he needs some time to convince his mother and then get back to Beth? Yeah, letting Beth go like that wasn¡¯t appreciated at all, but Beth shouldn¡¯t just give up on her rtionship like that.¡± She raised her brow. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m d that you think that one shouldn¡¯t give up on something so easily.¡± I averted my eyes quickly, getting her hint. ¡°Okay, enough talking about my life today. I really don¡¯t want to discuss it anymore. I need some time to think. And Em?¡± Beth said, turning to me. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry forst night. Because of me you¡¯d to carry so much trouble. I don¡¯t remember much, but Casie told me everything. I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t even realize how much drink I was having.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. You don¡¯t have to say sorry,¡± I said. ¡°But you definitely should¡¯ve thought twice before going to that shady ce. It could be risky, you know? Why did you even go to such a ce? As far as I know, we¡¯ve never visited there before.¡± She blew out a breath. ¡°I just wanted to go somewhere where nobody could find me. When I went there, I was already drunk. I didn¡¯t even realize where I was going. And when I saw this bar at the side of the road, I just got in.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t do that again. It¡¯s not safe.¡± She didn¡¯t know what trouble we were about to fall intost night. If Ace¡¯s guards weren¡¯t there¡­ She nodded, giving me a small smile. ¡°I won¡¯t, I promise.¡± ¡°Alright, anyone needs some coffee? Because I definitely need one. All of these are giving me a headache,¡± Casie eximed, raising up on her feet from the couch we all were sitting on. ¡°Tea, please,¡± I said. ¡°Of course!¡± Chuckling, she sauntered into her kitchen to get us some hot drinks. Once she was back with the coffee and tea mugs, she got herself busy discussing her uing modeling project with Beth, while I, one the other hand, thought of everything that happened today. It was a really hectic day. No matter how much hurting Warner perturbed me, my treacherous mind went back to the kiss we shared in his bedroom this morning and then in that hallway. Another blush rose up my neck to my ears. Goosebumps crawled up my skin recalling the sinful sensations I¡¯d felt with his scorching mouth on mine. My heart missed the warmth of his arms around me, or the husky murmurs of his in my ears. A sigh slipped through my lips. ¡°Where are you so lost? Mind a penny of your thoughts?¡± Casie¡¯s voice pulled me out of my trance. Even Beth had her concerned eyes trained on me. Shrugging, I looked down at my wrist, twirling my bracelet. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m being selfish doing this to Warner?¡± I¡¯d talked to her about my and Warner¡¯s phone conversation beforeing at her home. ¡°Of course not! Whatever you¡¯re doing is good for all three of you. And even if it¡¯s not for Achilles, you would¡¯ve done it sooner orter.¡± She held me gaze. ¡°The rtionship was only one-sided, Em. And one- sided rtionships don¡¯t go for long. You and Warner both knew it, even though he¡¯s being an a*s right now.¡± ¡°His reaction is justified. Anyone would¡¯ve reacted like this in his ce. I shouldn¡¯t have hurt him like that.¡± I¡¯d tried to call him again, but his phone was still unreachable. He didn¡¯t even reply to any of my messages. ¡°You don¡¯t love him, Em. It was supposed to happen sooner orter. Even he knew it deep down. So the sooner he¡¯ll ept it, the easier it¡¯ll be for him to move on.¡± ¡°Casie is right. Don¡¯t fret yourself that much. It¡¯s not your fault. You can¡¯t make yourself fall for him forcefully now, can you?¡± said Beth, cing her mug on the table. She was right. But I couldn¡¯t just shake off the guilt. Even after knowing that I wouldn¡¯t even be able to love him, I got into a rtionship with him. Even if it was him who convinced me to give us a chance, I shouldn¡¯t have agreed with him. This day wouldn¡¯t havee if I denied him that day. ¡°So, what did you think? Will you go to Seattle to talk to him if he doesn¡¯te here?¡± Beth queried. I nodded my head. ¡°Yes. Honestly, I don¡¯t want him toe here. I don¡¯t want him to meet Ace, which there¡¯s a possibility if he really shows up here.¡± I¡¯d no doubt that that Ace wouldn¡¯t take it lightly if he sees Warner around me again. I still remember the rage and jealousy in his eyes this morning when he saw Warner calling me. And then the way he frightened Matt with his murderous re, G*d! This man seriously knew how to get on my nerves. ¡°Oh, let hime here. I want Achilles to beat some sense into him for using you of betraying him. I mean, how dare he? Now he can¡¯t force you to stay with him in a rtionship, can he?¡± Casie fumed, her lips curled into displeasure. ¡°Aren¡¯t you siding Ace too much these days, Casie? What¡¯s the matter?¡± I asked, narrowing my eyes. ¡°Because I know what¡¯s good for my best friend. And who knows, maybe he bribed me with something to ship you guys?¡± she replied, wiggling her brows. Shaking my head, I chuckled at her words. And Beth joined me. Actually, it wasn¡¯t impossible that Ace would do something like that. He¡¯d done even way more craziest things before. Our mirth took a break when my mobile buzzed. A message popped up on the screen. Seeing my sudden change of mood, Casie sat straight. ¡°Who¡¯s it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Warner,¡± I replied, my eyes locked on the screen. ¡°What did he say?¡± I looked up at her. ¡°He¡¯sing.¡± *** Once I was done blow drying my hair, I padded into my closet to choose a dress for tonight¡¯s event. Tonight, ourpany will sign the final contract for the uing deal with the Arabs. The defamation Antonio Reymond had tried to stamp on Valencians, was cleared sooner than it was even possible. Ace didn¡¯t even let the news of Caleb¡¯s getting arrested spread across the media. Though some of the journalists were present there that day, clearly, Achilles Valencian knew how to deal with troublemakers. Now that Liza epted her crime, everything went back to normal. The Arabs were too eager to work with ourpany. And on the asion of ouring together with a project, they invited us to a small dinner with them at the hotel they were staying at. Mr. Hakimi especially requested my presence at the dinner with Ace tonight. And to my surprise, the boss wasn¡¯t happy to tag me along. He didn¡¯t want me to go there. But he couldn¡¯t dictate me in this matter. I was too excited to try the traditional Arab dishes to heed to his grumbling. So he¡¯d to agree atst, but only on one condition. He¡¯de to pick me up and during the entire time of our stay there, I¡¯ll have to cling to him. Not to forget, I¡¯m not allowed to talk to any Arabian guy about anything that doesn¡¯t doncern work. Freaking crazy man! Shaking my head at his ridiculous behavior, I searched for a suitable outfit for the night. Lots of choices, but not impressive enough for me to decide. Then something caught my eye between those heaps of clothes. Pulling it out, I ran my hand on it. An involuntary smile tugged on my lips. His t-shirt. The same one I borrowed to change into after my blouse incident. I still didn¡¯t return it to him. I didn¡¯t want to. One secret maybe I wouldn¡¯t ever tell him, that I sometimes wear it at nights when I can¡¯t sleep. Oddly, itforted me. He was never gonna get it back. Though I didn¡¯t think he¡¯d mind if I didn¡¯t return this one shirt, he didn¡¯t have any shortage of clothes. Folding it, I ced it in its previous ce and took out the ck dress from the back of the row. It was a dress Tess forced me to buy when I went shopping with her. A t***h length, sleeveless dress with sweetheart neckline. Simple yet ssy. This was a bad choice for this cool weather like tonight, but¡­ Content ? N?velDrama.Org. I bit my lip to hold back the smile that threatened to spill. Walking back inside my room, I began to get ready for the evening. My heart skipped when the doorbell rang. He was here. Blowing out a breath, I checked myself onest time on the mirror and grabbed my clutch and phone. At the mention of the phone, I remembered I didn¡¯t check my phone the whole day due to my busy schedule at the office. It¡¯s been two days since I got that message from Warner, but after that I didn¡¯t hear anything back from him. I did a quick check on my phone. No calls or messages from him. I didn¡¯t know what was going on in his head. Was he really gonnae? I¡¯d call him againter. I have to hurry now. He was waiting for me. Putting the phone inside my purse, I rushed downstairs, as much as I could with my high heels. And once I was before the closed door, I smoothed my hair once more. My heart raced at the thought of his reaction after he¡¯ll see me. Nervousness and excitement burst through my veins. I wonder what this night has in store for me. Then taking a deep breath, I opened the door and stepped outside. Share Chapter 28 Chapter 28 Read The Trap Of Ace [by Eva Zahan] Chapter 28 ¨C When I was finally outside, I was frozen in my ce. And the cold breeze wasn¡¯t the main culprit for it. It was him. Looking like just dived out of a magazine, he stood there leaning against his car, waiting impatiently. The crease between his brows was the proof. Evenparing him to those models printed on magazines would be an insult to his beauty. He was¡­ beyond gorgeous. unting a three piece navy blue Armani suit, paired with a charcoal ck shirt beneath and a pair of polished expensive shoes, he took my breath away. As always. Noticing me, he stood straight. ¡°You¡¯re five minuteste.¡± And then his eyes went to the rest of my body. My skin burned under those heated stormy gaze of his as they raked over me. With shaven strong jaws clenched, nostrils ring, he let out a curse. Grey eyes deepened two shades darker. ¡°You aren¡¯t seriously going to wear that in front of all these men, are you?¡± asked his now deep Greek ent, pointing at my dress. Oh boy! He was mad. His eyes flickered to the small disy of my cleavage and legs again, hands curling into b***s. ¡°Why? What¡¯s wrong with this dress?¡± I feigned innocent. Striding closer, he pinned me with his hard stare. ¡°You did this on purpose, didn¡¯t you? You wanted to get on my nerves.¡± My eyes widened slightly. Oh, so he figured out? Now you feel Mr. Valencian, how does it feel when someone irritates you out of your mind? I gave him a look of h****r. ¡°What¡¯re you talking about? Why¡¯d you think like that? I wore it because I liked it. I didn¡¯t think of you when choosing this dress! Don¡¯t be that delusional!¡± Stepping more closer, he gently cupped my chin. ¡°Let¡¯s not waste anymore time arguing, shall we? Go and change it. We¡¯re gettingte for dinner.¡± My eyes narrowed. ¡°I¡¯m not changing this dress.¡± ¡°Until you¡¯re changing this dress, we aren¡¯t leaving.¡± Tone serious. Crossing my arms over my chest, I shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m fine with curling under my nket right now and watch Netflix.¡± ¡°Rosebud.¡± With warning etched into his voice, he waited for me to abide. But I was toofortable in my ce. His lips curled into displeasure as he let out a curse. ¡°Fine! Let¡¯s go! But I swear, It won¡¯t be my fault if someone goes to their early grave tonight.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t dare!¡± Casting him a look, I passed him and sauntered into the warmth of the car. Thank G*d, he couldn¡¯t see through my skin. Otherwise he¡¯d definitely notice how badly my bones were shivering with cold. Irritating him had cost me too much than I thought. Once inside the car, he shrugged off his coat and put it around my shoulders, still scowling. ¡°I- I don¡¯t need it!¡± ¡°I can see that very well. Now put it on and stay quiet,¡± ordering me with a grunt, he adjusted the heater and then drove away. And I didn¡¯t argue anymore. Once we were outside of The Blue Paradise, the hotel the Arabs were staying at, he got out and opened the door for me. Stepping outside, when I was about to give him his coat back, his hands stopped me. ¡°No, keep it on.¡± Securing the jacket around me, he took my hands in his. ¡°They¡¯re cold.¡± I didn¡¯t pull my hands from his much warmer ones as he rubbed them in his. My heart fluttered with warmth. My silence remained even when he took my hands and kissed them, mumbling how I needed a pair of gloves. I wished I could just hide myself from the cold into the cocoon of his arms and never pull away. ¡°Mr. Valencian!¡± At the voice of Mr. Hakimi, I jerked my hands away from him and took a step away. Composing myself, I shed the approaching old man a smile. ¡°Wee, Mr. Valencian and Ms. Hutton! I¡¯m d you both could join us tonight for dinner.¡± He shook hands with Ace followed by me. ¡°Our pleasure, Mr. Hakimi. It wasn¡¯t possible that you invited us with such respect and we wouldn¡¯t show up,¡± said Ace, wrapping an arm around me. A blush kissed my cheeks when the old man¡¯s observing eyes caught the gesture. ¡°I¡¯m d you did. Now please,e in. It¡¯s freezing outside.¡± But before we could even move, a sh of red engulfed him into a hug, causing his arm to fall away from my shoulder. ¡°Oh my G*d! You¡¯re finally here, Mr. Valencian! I was waiting for you for so long. I almost thought you wouldn¡¯t show up!¡± Pulling away, she threw him a red lipped seductive smile. My fists clenched. The witch of a secretary of Mr. Hakimi, Cindy. How could I forget her? My eyes cut through her from head to toe. She wore a red gown with a high slit and neckline so low that if she lowers herself a little, her assets would spill out. Was red her favorite color? Even that day she unted all red. The nickname was perfect for her. Red witch! With a hardened face, Ace gave her just a curt nod before turning to pull me back into his arms. But his disinterest seemed to do nothing to her shamelessness as her cat eyes eyed him up and down. My nails dug into my palms. ¡°Pleasee inside, Mr. Valencian, Ms. Hutton,¡± said Mr. Hakimi with a tight smile before turning to Cindy, his eyes harboring warning. ¡°And Cindy, why don¡¯t you recheck everything in the meantime, so that our guests don¡¯t have to face any inconvenience?¡± Tearing her gaze from Ace, she looked at her employer and nodded her head, before sauntering away. Her hips swayed as she walked. Where did Mr. Hakimi even find this witch? Once we were inside, we met the other Arabs and Arthur was already present there. I didn¡¯t know he was supposed to attend. After all the Arabs weed us with warm regards, drinks were served. As always, Ace didn¡¯t have any. And the whole time his arm was around me, clutching me to him firmly. ¡°You don¡¯t need to tie me with you all the time, you know? I¡¯m not a kid. I won¡¯t get lost,¡± I whispered, as another man came up to us and started a conversation. His form tensed for a fleeting second before heposed himself. Even though it was just for a second, I noticed it. What was that? He nodded at something the man said and tightened his hold around me. ¡°I know. But you¡¯ll have to stay in my clutch no matter whether you like it or not. Think of it as your punishment for wearing this ridiculous dress. You should be happy that I¡¯m not pulling every man¡¯s eyes out of their sockets in this room for staring at something that¡¯s mine!¡± his words came out as a hiss as he murmured into my ear. This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. I shook my head at him. ¡°You¡¯re a crazy man, do you know that, Achilles Valencian?¡± Holding my gaze, a smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve no idea.¡± Something flipped inside me at the emotion that shed across his eyes. It was totally unknown to me. The more time we were spending with each other, he was opening up to me. He showed me his emotions, his state of mind. But I always felt there was still something I was left into darkness with. Something that hid inside him I didn¡¯t know. He held himself back every time he was around me. As if hiding a vast part of him. And this emotion that just washed over his eyes, it was a sh of that side he still kept as a secret from me. And I couldn¡¯tprehend the emotion his gaze held. Whatever it was, it was profound enough to send a shiver down my spine. Our gazes broke away from each other at the voice of Mr. Hakimi as he invited us to join them in the entertainment room. And I was surprised to see that they¡¯d specially organised a belly dance in our honor. Though I didn¡¯t like those stunning beauties in their provoking dance attire, I was excited to behold this famous traditional dance. Traditionally their dance clothes weren¡¯t that revealing, but on foreignnds, things tended to change a little. Because it has be one of the most popr dance practices among folks. The dance started once we took our respective seats. Me of course beside Ace, when Artur enjoyed the show with Mr. Hakimi and others. In between the dazzling dance and enticing Arabic music, I kept ncing at Ace from time to time to see if his eyes were watching more than the dance. And I didn¡¯t know what I should feel about it, he was too busy ying with my hair and taking a whiff every once in a while. He didn¡¯t even pay any attention to the show. And to my utter surprise, I didn¡¯t mind him doing that. I was happy that he wasn¡¯t even looking at those beautiful dancers. Even at that witch, who was ring holes at me standing afar, and watching Ace¡¯s attention on me. An involuntary smirk etched on my lips as my eyes locked with her. Her facial features only twisted more. As soon as I realized what I was doing, I looked away and concentrated on the dance. What¡¯s wrong with me? I shouldn¡¯t be behaving like a jealous girlfriend. But I couldn¡¯t help it. This ugly sensation seemed to rise its head and snare every time some other woman whirled around him like a bee. I wanted to just hide him somewhere every time one of these bees came into my sight. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Rosebud? You seem to have lost interest in the dance,¡± he asked, his voice close to my ear. I didn¡¯t turn to him. ¡°What told you that?¡± ¡°That adorable scowl on your face. It looks like you¡¯re nning to m****r someone in a very innocent way.¡± His tone was filled with amusement. This time I did turn to him, frowning. His face inches away from mine. ¡°It¡¯s nothing like that! And no one can m****r in an innocent way. A m****r is a m****r. And it¡¯s always vicious.¡± A deep chuckle left his lips. Leaning in, he kissed my nose. ¡°My Rosebud can.¡± ¡°How?¡± I asked like a dumb. ¡°With those turquoise eyes of yours.¡± His voice turned husky as he pinned me with his hot gaze. ¡°Just like they did to the conscience of my heart and turned it into a ve of theirs.¡± My heart stopped beating down my chest as I sucked into my breath. A delicious shiver ran down my entire being. Those stormy eyes of his engulfed me whole into his mes. And then my heart started racing with the realization of his words. Of what meaning they hid behind. A shaky breath left my lips when he tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear. ¡°Mr. Valencian!¡± Mr. Hakimi¡¯s voice tore his attention from me. ¡°Sorry for the interruption, but if you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯d like to have a word with you.¡± The old man threw me a nce of apology while I just turned crimson out of the situation. And I didn¡¯t miss the unreadable look Arthur gave me from the other corner of the room. His face nk of any emotions. ¡°Sure, no problem,¡± replying politely, Ace turned to me. ¡°Stay here. Don¡¯t go anywhere. I¡¯ll be back in a minute, alright?¡± I rolled my eyes, my wild heart still thumping under my rib cage. ¡°I can take care of myself. You go.¡± Still hesitating, he nodded. ¡°Just don¡¯t go anywhere alone. If you need anything, just call me.¡± When he was finally assured that I wouldn¡¯t go anywhere, he left with Mr. Hakimi. But not before leaving me another nce. I let out a deep breath I didn¡¯t know I was holding. His words still affected like wires to my heart and body. Grabbing my purse, I got up and asked the passing server where the washroom was. And once I was away from the hubbub, into the washroom, I let the cool water calm the haywire of my nerves. Closing the tap, I grabbed some tissues and dabbed onto my face. My eyes met the reflection of mine. With every passing day, he was breaking my walls. The boundaries I made around my heart to keep everyone away from it. Especially him. But I was finding them crumbling. Crumbling with his presence, actions and words. How long could I hold myself from falling again? ¡°Tsk, tsk! Look who has I got here!¡± Share Chapter 29 Chapter 29 Read The Trap Of Ace [by Eva Zahan] Chapter 29 ¨C Whirling around, I came face to face with the red witch. With arms crossed over her chest, she sized me up and down with her cat eyes. Her nose crinkled with disgust. ¡°I don¡¯t know what he saw into you, but I¡¯ve to say, you trapped him pretty well in your web.¡± Biting my inner cheek, I cast the tissue into the bin and turned to her. ¡°And guess what? I didn¡¯t even have to throw myself on him like a shameless woman to trap him. Seems like that trick got quite old now.¡± Her face turned red matching her dress, eyes shing. ¡°So you used the bed then? Otherwise a man like him wouldn¡¯t even look at you if not you pleased him well. Am I right? Where did you take your sses to please a man like that anyway? He seemed so lost into you.¡± My hands fisted into b***s, trying my best not to punch her stic face. ¡°From the same ce you took your PhD. I¡¯m sure you now got your answers. Now if you¡¯ll excuse me, I need to go back inside. He must be looking for me.¡± Leaving her flushed with rage, I walked out of the washroom. B***h! How dare she? Oh how I wanted to pull her hair out of her scalp right now! Fuming in anger, I passed a couple wrapped around each other, pulling at their partner¡¯s clothes out of desperation. Noticing me, they jumped away from the other like even the mare proximity burned them. Their faces med crimson as they shuffled into their ces. Saving them from the embarrassment, I got out of the corridor as fast as I could. Even my own cheeks grew hot at someone¡¯s personal spectacle. Half of it was from my anger. Just as I passed the huge window, something caught my eye. Halting, I neared the window ledge and peeked outside. Two figures stood there under the shadow, down in the hotel garden. I squinted my eyes. I¡­ knew them. Was that- Arthur? When he ran his hand through his hair, the numerous rings on his fingers lustered under the moon. It was indeed him. Along him was a figure of a woman, but I couldn¡¯t make out her face properly from this far. Who was he talking to? The woman¡¯s shoulders shook as she ced her hand over her face. I didn¡¯t know Arthur could crack a joke. All I saw him do was stay emotionless and cold. Deciding it wasn¡¯t any of my business, when I was about to go back inside, the woman stepped behind and walked away from him with her arms wrapped around her. And when the hotel¡¯s walkway¡¯s light fell on her face, a gasp slipped through my lips. Sierra? When she wiped her cheeks, I understood that she wasn¡¯tughing, she was crying. What was she doing here with Arthur? As far as I knew, her presence wasn¡¯t required here at all. And nor was she invited here. Then why was she here? Even the other day I saw her with him. After that day, when I went to talk to her about it I found out that she took a week¡¯s leave due to sickness. And now she was here. She didn¡¯t look sick to me at all. Though she looked, exhausted. Strange. What was going on between them? I definitely had to talk to her. Something was wrong, I could feel it. I watched her as she rushed into the parking lot and then got into her car, before driving away. And when I looked back at Arthur, his gaze was already on me. My breath caught at my throat. His dark nk eyes sent an ominous shiver down my spine. But I didn¡¯t let it show on my face as I held his gaze with my chin high. A small smirk tugged at the edge of his lips. As if¡­ mocking me. Shoving his hands into his pockets, he turned around and left. What was it about this man that always unnerved me? He sounded a really kind and helpful person from Tess, Caleb and Ace¡¯s mouth. But he didn¡¯t feel like that to me. Still processing the meaning of his smirk, I pulled away from the window and walked back inside. Once I was back in the hall, the dance was over. But Ace was nowhere in the sight. He was warning me not to go anywhere, and here he was the one who disappeared. I found Mr. Hakimi and two more Arabs conversing at a corner. Approaching them, I cleared my throat, getting all the eyes on me. ¡°I apologise for the interruption, Mr. Hakimi, but did you see Ace¡­ I mean, Mr. Valencian?¡± A kind smile appeared on his face. ¡°He¡¯d an urgent call to attend. Don¡¯t worry, your man is still here.¡± He winked. My eyes widened at his words as a blush crept up my neck. My man? I wrung my knuckles, ncing around. ¡°Uh, can you please tell me which way he¡¯d gone?¡± He nodded, chuckling at my bashfulness. Following his pointed way, I left to find him after I thanked the old man. Everyone was here, but I couldn¡¯t find a glimpse of him. Getting out of the hall again, I continued my search. Even to one of the empty hallways, until I bumped into someone at the head of a corridor. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡± My words caught into my throat realising who the person was. The red freaking witch. And¡­ with her eyes filled with tears? Her eyes widened as soon as she saw me. And the crestfallen face was gone all of a sudden. Reced a smug smile as she wiped the slight red smudge from the corner of her lips. I frowned. shing me a smirk, she nced over her shoulder and then walked away. And my eyes didn¡¯t move from the person standing far at the end of the corridor. His gaze was fixed on me, expression unreadable. With my heart palpitating down my chest, I walked to him. My legs hesitated, an ill feeling rose into the pit of my stomach. As I neared him, my eyes fell onto his ruffled locks, and then¡­ the red marks on his neck. My heart stopped in my chest. I didn¡¯t even flinch with the nails piercing into my palms as my eyes didn¡¯t move from the marks of lipstick. Lipstick of that freaking b***h! ¡°Wherever the gears of your brain are turning to, stop right there. It¡¯s not what you¡¯re thinking it is,¡± he said, not even an emotion shing over his stoic face. The clench of my heart made my eyes b**n as my blood boiled into my veins. My teeth gritted, mind screaming to k**l someone. Them. That b***h! ¡°These marks of her lipstick are proof that I¡¯m thinking just fine! You don¡¯t need to hide anything, Mr. Valencian. After all, you¡¯re a single man free to do anything with anyone!¡± I spat out the words. A muscle of his jaw ticked, his eyes darkened. ¡°I said it¡¯s not what you¡¯re thinking it is. Nothing happened between us. She threw herself at me and I pushed her away. That¡¯s it.¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± I snapped, stepping closer. My voice rose. The raging fire in me didn¡¯t let me process his statement. I was too mad for any kind of understanding. ¡°She threw herself at you and you pushed her away? Just like that? Your hair and these marks came just like that? Do you think I¡¯d believe that?¡± ¡°Rosebud,¡± he warned, expression hardening. ¡°I¡¯m telling you for thest time. Nothing happened between us. She tried to kiss me but I pushed her away. Nothing more.¡± The word kiss had me see red. ¡°S-she tried to kiss you?¡± All of a sudden a whole different emotion ran through me. Insecurity. Though whatever I called her, she was a stunning woman. More beautiful than me, more poised than me. She was everything a man would ever want in a woman. He must¡¯ve felt something. My heart squeezed at the thought. I gulped the thickness of my throat as I pushed down on my anger. I¡¯d no right to feel that way. ¡°W-whatever. I don¡¯t care what you do or not.¡± I averted my eyes. ¡°It¡¯s your personal life. I don¡¯t have any say in this. Forget that I even reacted any way. Let¡¯s go inside. Everyone is waiting for us.¡± His eyes shed as I turned around and began to stride away. A gasp slipped my mouth when I was pulled back and pinned against the wall, his body flushed against mine. My breath caught at my throat with our faces just an inch away. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what I told you? Nothing happened between us!¡± he growled, lips curling into a snarl. ¡°And don¡¯t you dare show me your back after you just indirectly used me of cheating on you! F**k! I can¡¯t even think of another girl, let alone letting onee close to me!¡± His hands had my hands pinned at the both sides of my head, his hot breath falling on my lips. Pressing our foreheads together, he closed his eyes. Taking a deep breath, he opened those grey oceans again. ¡°How can I be single when I¡¯ve my Rosebud in my life?¡± My lower lip trembled as a lone tear escaped my eye. Jealousy and insecurity burned my heart. ¡°Y-you didn¡¯t feel anything when she touched you?¡± He kissed the tear away. ¡°Her hands were only for some seconds on me before I put her in her ce. And to give your answer, no. The only feeling I felt was disgust.¡± Cupping my cheeks, he peered into my soul. ¡°This heart only beats for you, my rose. It only knows to react to your touch, no one else¡¯s. I belong only to you, just like you belong to me.¡± With waves of emotions crashing into my chest, another tear rolled down my cheek as I mmed my lips against his. And as soon as our lips touched, my eyes closed on their own. His arms wrapped around me while my hands snaked around his neck, one hand going into his thick hair as our mouths molded into an intense passion of assertion for each other. Fingers digging into flesh and hands tugging the hairs, we were lost into a bubble of desire and possession. I pulled him as much closer as I could, there wasn¡¯t even an inch of space between us. I showed with my actions what my words couldn¡¯t say. Waves of pleasure ran down my entire being when our tongue joined the other. My moans were desperate when his groans just intensified the tug in my lower stomach. Seeming to losing his control, his hand sneaked to my back and cupped my behind, pulling me more closer if possible. ¡°My rose,¡± he groaned as his hand roamed around my curves. ¡°You¡¯re driving me f*****g crazy!¡± Even if I didn¡¯t want to pull away, my lungs gave up. Detaching my lips from his, I rested my forehead against his, closing my eyes I took erratic breaths. My heart drummed into my chest. He kissed the corner of my lips and then on my neck. Giving him more ess to my neck, I leaned against him. After cing ast kiss on my shoulder, he wrapped his arms around me, my face into his chest. The fast rhythm of his heart almost lulled me to sleep. When sense started to kick back into my head, though I was shocked that how I initiated the kiss this time, I didn¡¯t pull away. Instead, hugging him tight, I snuggled my face more into his warmth. We stayed in that way until I broke the silence. ¡°Why did you do that seven years ago?¡± His shoulders tensed at the mention of that night. ¡°What do you mean exactly?¡± His voice tight. I slightly pulled away, enough to look up at him. Gathering some courage, I finally asked, ¡°D-did you know of my¡­ feelings for you?¡± With a clenched jaw, he nodded his head. ¡°Yes. I knew everything.¡± My heart skipped. Even if I knew of his acknowledgement, his admission up front was a whole different thing. Now I detached myselfpletely from him. Balling my fists, with a tightness around my throat, I asked him, ¡°Then why did you break my heart?¡± Silence. He watched me with some unrecognizable emotions in his eyes. ¡°I- I saw you with Tess that night. I know, just because I¡¯d feelings for you doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯d also feel the same. But¡­ your words, your actions said that you did feel something. Then why? Why did you do that?¡± I was scared. Uncertain. Maybe everything I presumed was wrong. Maybe I got the wrong meanings out of his actions. I was afraid that he¡¯d startughing at my face at any moment and call my illusions off. But he didn¡¯t. The only thing he did was stare at me with utmost silence. ¡°I know, I can be wrong. Maybe I just assumed everything and¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re not wrong.¡± He cut me off. My breath hitched at my throat. ¡°I¡¯d always wanted you.¡± His eyes darkened as he said, ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted you for myself.¡± I opened my mouth and then closed, too shocked to say anything. ¡°Then why?¡± I asked. Again silence. ¡°Why Ace?¡± He titled his head. ¡°You want to know?¡± I nodded. Content ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Come on a date with me. And you¡¯ll get all your answers.¡± Share Chapter 30 Chapter 30 Read The Trap Of Ace [by Eva Zahan] Chapter 30 ¨C Twirling the spoon into the mug, I mixed the sugar with my tea. Steam stopped dissipating from the beverage, but my moving the spoon didn¡¯t halt. I was too lost into my thoughts. I¡¯ve always wanted you for myself. Come on a date with me. You¡¯ll get all your answers. His words haven¡¯t left my head sincest night. Even at night, I couldn¡¯t sleep due to his revtion and proposal. Proposal to go on a date with him. And as usual, not being able to give him any answers or make a decision, I ran away. After returning home, when I recalled everything that happened out there at the hotel, I was stunned by my own doings. The jealousy, the kiss, and then demanding answers from him. Last night I was too brave to pull off the stunts I¡¯d never thought I¡¯d do. But the bravery didn¡¯t stay long when it was an actual time to do something. It wasn¡¯t my fault. First I kissed him, and then I asked him the questions that had been running in my head for so long. Yes, I was going to do that sooner orter, but I wasn¡¯t prepared for that yet. It just came out of me. And when he opened his mouth, I was shocked and surprised. And his condition to disclose the truth had me dumbfounded. Being confused and overwhelmed with emotions, I didn¡¯t know what to say. I still didn¡¯t know. I¡¯d ignored his calls and messages. I was even k*****g the time so that I didn¡¯t have to go to the office early today. Why? Because I was too nervous to face him. The re of my phone snapped me out of my trance. My heart skipped. Is it him again? Disappointment and relief flooded over me at once when I read Casie¡¯s name shing over the screen. Disappointment because it wasn¡¯t him, relief because I didn¡¯t have to force myself to ignore him again so that I could get more time to think of an answer. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s up?¡± Setting the spoon away, I took a sip of the cold tea. ¡°Should I take the disinterest of your voice that you aren¡¯t happy getting my call?¡± Her tone using. I rolled my eyes. ¡°It¡¯s nothing like that. Just having a bad day.¡± She hummed, ¡°Had a fight with Romeo?¡± ¡°Whom are you talking about?¡± ¡°Duh! Who¡¯d be the Romeo of our Juliette other than Achilles Valencian?¡± I shook my head at her. Even being sassy and sarcastic, in secret she was into Shakespeare¡¯s romance. ¡°No, we didn¡¯t have any fight. But¡­¡± I sighed. ¡°Spill!¡± Then I did spill everything to her. And she listened without any interruption. ¡°I don¡¯t know, Casie. I¡¯m so confused. I can¡¯t just go out on a date with him. And I know him, he wouldn¡¯t tell me anything if I don¡¯t agree.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with going out with him? You guys are jumping on each other¡¯s bones any chance you get, then what¡¯s the issue?¡± My cheeks burned at her remark. ¡°We don¡¯t jump on each other! And¡­ definitely not me! It¡¯s always him!¡± She snorted. ¡°Yeah, right! And who initiated the kissst night?¡± I bit my lip. ¡°I- the situation was different then. I¡­ I was¡­¡± ¡°Jealous?¡± She finished for me. ¡°Yes,¡± I said, swirling the liquid in the mug. What was the point of hiding? She knew everything, anyway! ¡°That means you admit that you still want him?¡± My heart stuttered. Did I? The fuzzy feeling in my tummy gave me the answer. ¡°It¡¯s not that easy, Casie. I still didn¡¯t have the talk with Warner,¡± I uttered the main reason I was facing so difficulties to give Ace the answer. And wasn¡¯t it too soon? I mean, we were just getting to a level of understanding each other, even not there yet if saying frankly. Even if Warner wasn¡¯t the issue, wouldn¡¯t it be too soon to go out with him? Everything was going so fast between us that it overwhelmed me. ¡°Now where did Warnere from? I thought he already knew of you and Ace,¡± she squeaked. I didn¡¯t know what problem she had with Warner. She just hated the idea of him being between me and Ace. ¡°He has an idea about us, but we still didn¡¯t have an official break-up. So, technically, he is still my boyfriend,¡± I exined. ¡°And I can¡¯t just go on a date with someone else while still being in a rtionship with another.¡± ¡°F**k this s**t! This ain¡¯t a rtionship! You don¡¯t love him and he knows it, end of story. Don¡¯t spoil your real opportunities for the fake ones!¡± she snapped. ¡°Casie,¡± I cautioned. ¡°Though I wasn¡¯t ever really in the rtionship, our friendship was real. And I already did wrong enough to him by letting Ace close to me. I can¡¯t do more. I can¡¯t start something new keeping the former hanging.¡± ¡°So where the h**l is he? He was supposed toe here and talk to you, right? When is heing?¡± I set the mug down and rubbed my neck in frustration. ¡°I don¡¯t know. He¡¯s still mad at me. All he told me was he¡¯d be here soon. That¡¯s it. We hadn¡¯t had any contact since that day.¡± I didn¡¯t even know where he was. He wasn¡¯t receiving my calls or responding to any messages. I even called his cousin but even he¡¯d no idea when he wasing to California. ¡°Then what are you gonna do now?¡± she asked. I shrugged, sighing. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t just ignore Achilles for long, you know that, right? You¡¯ll have to face him today or tomorrow. He¡¯s not gonna wait for your answer that long. Knowing his obsession with you, you should be lucky that he isn¡¯t already knocking your doors down to get a yes out of you.¡± A giggle bubbled up my throat as I shook my head. I definitely felt relieved of the fact that he didn¡¯t do any such thing. My eyes fell on the fresh flowers in the kitchen vase that arrived for me this morning, just like everyday. Even when he must be mad that I was ignoring him, he didn¡¯t forget to send those red roses for me. At first Mom and Dad were curious about those flowers, but now they kinda got used to it. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll talk to youter.¡± I nced at the watch. ¡°I guess, I can¡¯t be anymorete today. Gotta go to the office now.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll let you go now! But don¡¯t forget to keep me updated.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± *** The first thing I did arriving at the office, was to ask the watchman if Ace was present in the office. And I¡¯d to curse my luck knowing that he¡¯d arrived at the building more early than his usual time. And already one of the unlucky employees got fired due to his extremely sour mood. I was certain that I was the reason behind his ill temperament. Gulping the nervousness down, I kept my chin high and walked inside the building. Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. I just hoped I wouldn¡¯t have to face him today. But as soon as I wished that, the elevator¡¯s doors slid open and he walked out of it. Running behind him were some ck suited men, busy in exining something so desperately. The tight set of jaws and a day¡¯s old stubble announced his mood. Anyone with a sane conscience wouldn¡¯t want to cross his path today. With widened eyes, I turned around and ran to the staircase before he could notice me. Climbing up the stairs was a good exercise anyway. But of course, my legs didn¡¯t let me listen to my mind and took the elevator to the fifth floor. Once I was at my destination, for the first time, I pushed the thought of him at the back of my mind. I had something else important to do. I went to look for Sierra. Even in between so many things, her exhausted pale face didn¡¯t manage to slip my head. Nor did Arthur¡¯s mocking smirk that he threw me as a challenge. Even though I could be wrong, I could feel it in my guts that something wrong was going on. And I needed to find it out. But again, I didn¡¯t find her at the office. Matt being the closest friend of her after Liza in the office, I asked him her whereabouts. But even he didn¡¯t know much about her, except her not being herself for the past few weeks. ¡°What do you mean by not being herself?¡± I asked him, outside of his current cabin. He shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know exactly. But her always bubbly personality was gone, as if something was really troubling her.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you ask her what was it?¡± My brows furrowed. I¡¯d this doubt that whatever it was, Arthur had something to do with it. ¡°I did. But she didn¡¯t tell me anything, Em. She can be really secretive when ites to her personal life,¡± he replied, seeming in wonder himself. ¡°Anyway, why do you ask?¡± ¡°Uh, nothing. I didn¡¯t see her for some days at the office. I heard she is sick. So I thought to ask you as you¡¯re quite close to her,¡± I lied. I couldn¡¯t tell him my doubts. Because Arthur was a very reputable man in the office. I couldn¡¯t just bluff anything without a solid proof. Even I didn¡¯t have any. It was just my intuition that he wasn¡¯t a person to be put trust on. He nodded. ¡°Yeah, due to ill health, she took a few days off. But don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll get better soon. I¡¯ll let you know if I get to hear anything from her.¡± I smiled. ¡°Please do. Anyways, I¡¯ll see youter. Gotta some work to do.¡± Again nodding his head, he went inside his cabin and I was left to wander around the hallways. My head swirled with Matt¡¯s words. I did try to call herst night, but she didn¡¯t receive her phone. She even ignored my messages and emails. It wouldn¡¯t bother me this much if I didn¡¯t see her with Arthur. And seeing tears in her eyes at both times I found her around him, didn¡¯t sit well with me. She looked, scared. What was going on? I let out a breath. I wished she would tell me. Shaking my head, as I pushed the door of my cabin open and padded inside, a gasp slipped through my lips. My eyes widened in fraction. I was running away from the devil, and here he was waiting for me in my own cave. With one hand in his pocket, he stood before my desk, touching a picture of me and Tobias. Putting the frame in its previous ce, he turned around. Dark stormy grey eyes fell on me. ¡°W-what are you doing here?¡± His head tilted to the side. ¡°Did you really think you could escape me for that long? In my own office?¡± I gulped. Share Chapter 31 Chapter 31 Read The Trap Of Ace [by Eva Zahan] Chapter 31 ¨C ¡°What are you talking about? I¡¯m not escaping you,¡± I excused, not really meeting his eyes. ¡°Really? Then what was that at the lobby?¡± Gaze hard. Surprise lit in me. He saw me? D**n! I knew I¡¯d gained weight. My fat a*s couldn¡¯t even run faster! ¡°W-what was what? What did I do now?¡± I feigned innocent. His lips pressed together in annoyance. ¡°You ran away seeing me.¡± I shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. I was alreadyte for office. And a lot of work was piled up. I was busy. You¡¯re just mistaken.¡± ¡°Busy talking to my employee?¡± he asked, nostrils ring. My eyes widened. How did he know that I was talking to Matt? Was he keeping an eye on me now? Could this man be anymore weird? ¡°You don¡¯t have time for me but you do have time to talk to another man?¡± I staggered back as he took slow steps towards me, like a predator approaching his prey. ¡°How many times do I have to tell you I don¡¯t like seeing you with other men? You seem to be fond of him too much.¡± A muscle of his jaw ticked, hands curled into tight fists. In another time I¡¯d have told him off, saying that he didn¡¯t have any right to decide whom I will talk to and whom I wouldn¡¯t. But at this moment, I decided to cool him down first. ¡°I- I was just talking to him about work. And yes, I do like him. But just as a friend. Nothing else.¡± My heart skipped when my back hit the wall and I realized that I¡¯d no other way to escape anymore, with him standing just a hand away from me. I was stuck between him and the wall. Closing the rest of the distance, he put his hands at the both sides of my head on the wall, trapping me completely. Leaning closer, he said, ¡°And it¡¯s better if it remains that way. It¡¯d be good for him.¡± I frowned at his warning. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? You¡¯re behaving like a caveman!¡± My breath hitched as he pulled me flush against him, resting his forehead against mine. The heady scent of his had me light-headed. ¡°You¡¯re mine, Rosebud. And I can be worse when ites to you.¡± Staring in his stormy grey, I went speechless at the intensity of his words. ¡°I was going mad sincest night, thinking what¡¯d be your answer. And you weren¡¯t even picking up my calls or answering my messages.¡± He sighed, brushing his thumb on my cheek. ¡°I was even outside of your housest night, but seeing the lights of your room off, I¡¯d to go back.¡± I gasped. ¡°You were outside my house? Why?¡± ¡°For your answer.¡± Oh! I averted my eyes from his piercing ones, biting my lip. ¡°I- I can¡¯t go on a date with you just like that.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Tone somber. ¡°Because¡­¡± I trailed off, not knowing how to give him an answer. His shoulders tensed all of a sudden as his nostrils red. ¡°Is it for that boyfriend of yours? That boy is still in your life?¡± I remained silent. With his lips curling into a sneer, his arms tightened around me. ¡°When will you stop denying us? When will you let that sham of your rtion go and ept the truth? The truth that you belong to me?¡± When I still didn¡¯t say anything, closing his eyes, he let out a breath. When those grey pools were open again, it wasn¡¯t anger that I witnessed. It was pain and exhaustion. My heart clenched for being the reason for his pain. Cupping my cheeks, he grazed his lips at the curve of mine. I let out a shaky breath at the tingling sensation that his touch left behind. My heart pounded beneath my chest. W-was going to kiss me again? ¡°Tell me you don¡¯t feel what I¡¯m feeling right now. Tell me you don¡¯t feel anything for me, for us. Tell me your heart still doesn¡¯t beat for me,¡± he said, grazing his lips against mine. Just a slight brush and I was leaning for more. ¡°Ace¡­¡± a breathy whisper left me. With his intent eyes on my lips, he rasped, ¡°I¡¯m going to kiss you right now. If you kiss me back, I¡¯d take it as a yes that your heart still belongs to me and no one else¡¯s. And if you don¡¯t¡­ then I¡¯ll take that as a no.¡± My eyes closed on their own as his soft firm lips pressed against mine and moulded around me into a slow passionate kiss. My whole body trembled at the sensations that ran through me at just our mare lips touching. Fireworks exploded in my nerves. I didn¡¯t know what would happen when he¡¯d do more¡­ I tried my best not to respond to his kiss. But when he sought out my lips like they were his salvation, the words he said turned vogue in my head. Throwing my arms around his neck, I pulled him closer and returned his affection with equal urgency and passion. Groaning, he pinned me against the wall and put my hands above my head with one of his hands, keeping them in ce. And with the other one, he felt my curves. My body arched into his touch, wanting more. But as if fate had some issues with my wishes, he pulled away, leaving whimpering. The wordse back was at the tip of my tongue, but I was certain my eyes were enough to disy my desperation. With a tiny smirk tugged on his lips, he cupped my chin, his breathing still ragged. ¡°So it¡¯s a yes then. Now I assume you shouldn¡¯t have any problem to go out on a date with me.¡± Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°I- I¡­¡± I was still recovering from the sensations he made me feel, my mouth couldn¡¯t form words. My heart still thumped wildly down my chest. I did kiss him back¡­. But it wasn¡¯t fair! How could I stay sane when he had his mouth and hands on me? His mare proximity was enough to make my thoughts jumbled. Gripping my neck, he smashed his lips against mine into another hard but fast kiss. Pulling away, he peered into my gaze. ¡°Now that it¡¯s cleared who owns your heart, I want my answer before evening. You¡¯ve only some hours to give me a yes. Because I won¡¯t wait for long.¡± With finality engraved into his voice, he nced at my mouth for onest time before walking out of my cabin. And I just stood there like a statue. Still reeling from everything he just did and said. He wouldn¡¯t wait for long? What did he mean? What would he do if I didn¡¯t say yes? Drag me out on a date with him? I shook my head. Who knew, Achilles Valencian was capable of anything. It was my fault! I shouldn¡¯t have kissed him back. Now what do I do? My hand subconsciously rose and touched my swollen lips. Heat crept up my cheeks along the flutterings in my tummy as the recollection of him wrapped around me flowed into my mind. I sighed. Even if it was wrong, it felt the most right thing to be into his arms. His embrace felt home. A home I never wanted to leave. *** Gathering the pile of files against my chest, I strutted out of my cabin, towards the conference room. Another important meeting would be held in some time, and even after being an ordinary employee, the boss needed me beside him. I just hoped the evening wouldn¡¯te soon. Even though I didn¡¯t have to answer him anything just because he demanded me to, but¡­ if I wanted the answers of my own questions, I¡¯d have to give him a yes. But it wasn¡¯t that simple. I couldn¡¯t just go out with him when I didn¡¯t have a proper conversation with Warner. As I neared the meeting room, I saw Tobias standing there, busy in discussion with Matt. ¡°Hey! I didn¡¯t know you were gonna drop by,¡± I said, when he turned to me. Smiling, he shrugged. ¡°Thought to surprise you. And maybe you¡¯ll keep getting these surprises more often now.¡± I quirked a brow. ¡°More often? What do you mean?¡± Seeing me approaching, Matt¡¯s eyes widened slightly as he excused himself and scurried away. What¡¯s with him? ¡°Do you know what¡¯s the meeting about?¡± Tobias asked. I shook my head. ¡°Well, apart from our family business I thought about opening something of my own. As you know I always had an interest to do something in the clothing line. So I¡¯m nning to do so now. And Achilles decided to invest in my newpany, helping me with theunch.¡± His face brightened up with a grin. My mouth formed into an ¡®O¡¯. I had no idea about his ns. Though I always knew of his dream. It was great that he was finally doing something to achieve it. And Ace was helping him? He didn¡¯t mention anything about it to me. Ignoring the warmth that surged through my chest at his gesture, I gave my brother a bone crushing hug. ¡°That¡¯s great! I¡¯m so happy for you! I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll kick asses even in this field.¡± Heughed, reciprocating the affection. Patting his back, I pulled away. ¡°Does Dad know?¡± He nodded. ¡°Yes, he said he¡¯d be always there if I needed any help or support.¡± As usual. Dad never stopped any of our siblings to chase our dreams. He always supported us. Just like Mom. ¡°Uh, Ms. Hutton?¡± Carter slipped through the conference room¡¯s door, his face weary, shoulders slumped. ¡°Could you please do me a favor and inform the boss that the meeting is about to start? I¡¯d do it myself but I need to take care of some urgent issues before the meeting starts.¡± I¡¯d told him thousand times to call me by my name, but he seemed to be adamant on calling me formally. So I just stopped objecting. I nodded my head. ¡°Sure, no problem! I¡¯ll go and get him.¡± My mind screamed to say no. I really didn¡¯t want to be alone with him right now again. But I couldn¡¯t just deny Carter. It¡¯d be rude. shing a relieved smile, he thanked and rushed away down the hallway. ¡°It¡¯s him again, isn¡¯t it?¡± At Tobias¡¯ question, I raised my brow. ¡°His being around you still troubles you.¡± I shook my head. ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that.¡± ¡°Then why you¡¯re procrastinating?¡± he queried. When I didn¡¯t answer, he sighed. ¡°I know how you might be feeling, Em. I can see your resistance. But don¡¯t. We both know how he still affects you so much. Give him a chance at least. Maybe you don¡¯t know, but trust me, that man¡¯s world revolves around you.¡± My eyes snapped to him, breath catching at my throat. That meant, whatever Ace said was true? He did have feelings for me. And even Tobias knew it. Then why didn¡¯t any of them tell me? This time I didn¡¯t deny his iming that fact that what Ace meant to me. Instead I asked, ¡°You knew? And yet didn¡¯t care to tell me?¡± A sadness washed over his blue eyes. ¡°Everyone knew except you, Em. Everyone knew what you meant to him. You still do. But fate doesn¡¯t always have the same n.¡± I frowned, my throat tightening. What did he mean by that? ¡°Both of your happiness are with each other. Life has given you another chance, so don¡¯t let it go. Achilles has suffered a lot in his life, Em. He needs you,¡± he said, his tone soft. A distant look came over his eyes, as if recollecting the past. My heart clenched at the thought of him suffering. I knew his father¡¯s d***h put him into a lot of agony, but hearing Tobias¡¯ words, I could feel there was a lot more. A lot that I didn¡¯t know. ¡°What suffering?¡± My gaze searched for answers. He shook his head. ¡°Ask him yourself. But know this one thing, Em. His past is a sore subject for him. Especially¡­ his mother. So be careful with your questions.¡± His mother? I¡¯d this idea that his mother had to do something with his pain. I saw the hatred in his eyes when he looked at his mother¡¯s former room. What happened with him and his mom? Where was she? Taking in his warning, I nodded my head and walked away to find him. I could ask Tobias about his mom, but I knew he wouldn¡¯t tell me. Because it was another of the few secrets Achilles Valencian had locked inside him. And the only way to find out was, ask Achilles Valencian himself. And for that, I knew what to do. Share Chapter 32 Chapter 32 Read The Trap Of Ace [by Eva Zahan] Chapter 32 ¨C When I was outside of his cabin, the door was slightly ajar. Voices wereing out through the gap. As I raised my hand to knock, I heard him. ¡°I¡¯m d you took care of the police regarding the d**g case when I was¡­ busy. Thank you, Arthur. I knew you¡¯d handle them well.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to thank me, Achilles. I myself wanted to sort everything out with them as soon as possible. Because I know how you and Caleb don¡¯t do that well with the¡­w.¡± Came Arthur¡¯s voice. ¡°The more they stay away from us, the better.¡± A crease formed between my brows. Ace and Caleb had problems dealing with police andw? Why? ¡°But we have to do something to stop Antonio. Because the way he¡¯s adamant to dig up our past, I¡¯m afraid if he gets his hand on something¡­¡± ¡°He won¡¯t!¡± Caleb was cut off by Ace¡¯s sharp voice. ¡°People don¡¯t get anything out of ashes.¡± Everything went silent for a moment, until Ace cleared his throat and spoke again, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about him. I will handle him myself.¡± His voice dripped with venom. What do they have in their past that Antonio wants to find out so badly? Not wanting to be caught eavesdropping, I knocked on the door and stepped inside. All three pairs of eyes fell on me. Caleb shed me a warm smile when Ace¡¯s hard gaze softened up to a friction. ¡°Hello, Emerald. How are you?¡± Arthur asked with a polite smile. The smile that never reached his eyes. What¡¯re you up to with Sierra? This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. I wanted to ask. But instead, I returned his fake greeting, stering a smile as well. ¡°I¡¯m good, Arthur. Thank you.¡± ¡°Rosebud? What¡¯re you doing here?¡± Striding closer, he ced a hand on my waist. Grey eyes waited for my reply. Couldn¡¯t this man keep his hands to himself? With flushed cheeks, I threw nces at Caleb and Arthur. While Caleb hid a simper, Arthur wore a nk face. ¡°Uh, I¡¯vee to call you for the meeting. It¡¯s about to start.¡± His lips pressed tight. ¡°Where is Carter? He sent you here instead of doing his job himself?¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°He¡¯s busy. That¡¯s why he sent me. It¡¯s not a big deal.¡± ¡°Of course, it is! He doesn¡¯t order you to do anything, it¡¯s the other way around!¡± I frowned. ¡°He didn¡¯t order me. He requested me. And what do you mean? Howe I can order him around? As far as I know, he¡¯s my senior. So technically, he can order me to do something.¡± If possible, his features twisted more as he watched me, frown deeper. Caleb coughed into his hand. ¡°Uh, let us go to the conference room, everyone must be waiting for us. Don¡¯t take much long.¡± Nodding at Ace, he walked outside, dragging Arthur along. Though the tick of Arthur¡¯s jaw didn¡¯t go missed. What got him breaking his teeth now? Turning to Ace, I raised my brow, cing my hands on my hips. D**n this man! Due to his towering height, I felt like a toddler looking up at a pir. ¡°Well?¡± I urged for my answer. ¡°He can¡¯t order his boss¡¯ girl, now can he?¡± My eyes widened at his remark. With still a furrowed forehead, he pulled me closer. ¡°And he has to answer for that. Now we¡¯re gettingte for the meeting, let¡¯s go.¡± I didn¡¯t argue after that as he led me out of his cabin. No matter how many times he¡¯d dered his im on me openly, I still managed to get shocked and all fuzzy whenever he did that. Instead of getting irritated, I get¡­ well, dumbfounded. *** I eyed Mr. Johnson as he fidgeted in his ce beside the head of the table. Well, it should¡¯ve been my position to sit right beside the chair of Ace¡¯s. But I insisted him to swap our seats today. On our way to the conference room, Ace had to attend an urgent phone call, and I took that situation to flee from his clutch and arranged a new chair for myself. Far away from him. At the end of the table. Why did I do it? Well, because his close proximity didn¡¯t let me think straight. And I needed to stay tight on my decision. I didn¡¯t want to sway by his stormy grey eyes. I averted my gaze when Mr. Johnson spared me another uncertain nce. Poor man! But someone had to be the scapegoat. And I wouldn¡¯t be the one today for sure. When the door opened and walked in his majesty, his already crinkled brows creased more the moment his eyes fell on my supposed to be chair. Sharp jaw ticked as he froze Mr. Johnson with his icy re. Everyone stood up at the respect of the king, except me. I just sat there with my arms crossed over my chest. Caleb bit his lip, shaking his head at me in amusement. Tobias beside me raised a quearing brow at me. While Arthur didn¡¯t seem to be pleased at the situation at all, checking his phone again and again. ¡°Be seated, everyone. And Mr. Johnson, I¡¯d like you to return to your usual ce,¡± said Ace as he settled over his chair, casting me a look. While everyone took their seats back, Mr. Johnson still stood there with his petite height, unsure of what to do. He threw me another helpless look, but again, I tore my eyes away. ¡°Uh, actually, Mr. Valencian, Ms. Hutton requested me to¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like to repeat myself twice, Mr. Johnson. You very much know who seats here in every meeting. So go and sit in your own ce. Everyone is waiting for the meeting to start.¡± At his sharp tone, Mr. Johnson scurried away from my seat and rounded up the table, standing beside me. His expression was pained, sneaking a nce at the displeased king. ¡°Ms. Hutton, as you heard what Mr. Valencian said, uh, could you please go back to your chair?¡± His request was humble, aged brown eyes pleading. Everyone¡¯s gaze was set on me, waiting for my adamant a*s to move. Can¡¯t I even sit somewhere of my own choice? Caleb threw a helpless shrug and my brother literally turned away from me. I let out a huff. Scowling at the king, whose hawk eyes were set on me, waiting for me to go near him, I stomped over the chair beside him and plopped down. When I was finally in my usual ce, his form rxed. His tensed jaw eased. And the moment his heady cologne hit my nostrils, the warm fuzzy feeling returned inside me. My resistance again threatened to fall weak. But I couldn¡¯t just let myself sway so easily. He nodded to everyone. ¡°The meeting may proceed now.¡± His beautiful devilish features didn¡¯t hold any remorse that he again dictated me with his orders. Instead, he seemed at total ease now, inching his chair closer to mine. Pressing my lips together, I typed on my phone. What¡¯s wrong with my sitting on some other chair? It¡¯s notpulsory to sit beside you always, is it? His phone buzzed on the table, snatching his attention. With long lean fingers, he picked the phone up and checked the message. Without giving me any nce, his hand started typing. My phone vibrated. A queen¡¯s ce is always beside her king. Not anywhere else. My heart skipped at the text. Butterflies erupted in my tummy as heat crept up my cheeks. But not wanting to show him the effect of his message on me, I managed a stern face as I narrowed my eyes at him. This time he did look at me, his gaze roamed slowly all over my face before meeting my eye. Not being able to hold his intent stare, I turned to the conversation of the meeting. Though my mind ran to the opposite way. To him. His queen? I bit my lip as I felt the sensation his gaze left as they roamed over me, pouring water to my concentration on the meeting. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t want to sit beside him. His eyes would never leave me during the whole conferences. And the curious stares I got from around the table was a whole another thing. Irritating man! Then I remembered that I only had some hours before his given time would be over. Though I knew what my answer was, I didn¡¯t think I could give him my answer personally alone with him. He somehow would tamper with my head and change my decision. So again grabbing my phone, I messaged him. Yes. My phone beeped. Yes what? You agree that you should always be beside me? My eyes widened. What? No! I meant, yes, I¡¯d go out with you. After tapping sent, I typed another one hurriedly. But don¡¯t think of it something else. We¡¯ll go out together, but just as friends, not as a couple. His jaw clenched as his eyes hardened. When his gaze snapped up to me, I held it. Another message. We both know that we¡¯re anything but friends! We¡¯re going on an actual date, as a couple. And that¡¯s final! I groaned in my head. G*d! Why was it so difficult to convince him? I wanted him to agree. That was the only way I could get all my answers. Because now I wanted to know more than what happened seven years ago. I wanted to know more about him, his past, his pains. Everything. And if I didn¡¯t go on a date with him, he wouldn¡¯t tell a thing to me. And going to a date with him right now wasn¡¯t possible for me. Not until I¡¯d everything settled with Warner. And to be honest, going out with him as a couple, scared me. The thought of starting something with him officially had me nervous. The fear of getting hurt held me back. I needed him to agree. Going out as friends was the only option for me right now. So I typed. I will only go anywhere with you if it¡¯s just a friendly date, not something else. It¡¯s your decision now. Yes or no. Putting down the phone, I crossed my fingers on myp. Please say yes, please say yes! I needed my answers! Grey eyes shed as they read my message. With vice grip around the phone, he turned it off and put it down. Not leaving me even a nce, he turned to the meeting. My heart fell. What? He won¡¯t say anything? But¡­ I thought he¡¯d argue more. Disappointment filled me as he didn¡¯t even look back at me. With his steely features, he joined the conversation. He wouldn¡¯t take me out with him? Yes as friends, but what¡¯s wrong with that? Did he already give up? My hands itched to take back my words and surrender to his wishes, but then I decided instead. I wouldn¡¯t move from my decision this time. Letting out a huff, I turned my body away from him and focused on the meeting, not giving him any attention. Just like he did for the rest of the hour. *** ¡°So you guys aren¡¯t going on a date anymore?¡± asked Beth, over the phone. ¡°D**n, Em! Why did you stamp that ¡®as friends¡¯ mark on this? Now you lost all your chances to get your answers!¡± Cassie¡¯s discontent voice said from the other side of the conference call. Holding the phone in between my shoulder and ear, I washed my hands in the basin and then dried them with some tissues. Walking out of the washroom, I grumbled, ¡°I thought he¡¯d say yes. At least I agreed to go out with him, right? He should be happy!¡± ¡°After you stamped the ¡®friends¡¯ on his face when he wants you more than just friends? I don¡¯t think anyone would be happy in his ce. And we¡¯re talking about Achilles Valencian here.¡± I could imagine her rolling her blue orbs. ¡°But he also should understand her situation, right? She needs some time before taking any serious decision about their rtionship,¡± argued Beth. Always the sensible one. I nodded my head, as if they could see me. In the middle of their banter, when I turned to another hallway, I found Arthur outside on the balcony. With his phone in his ear, he was engrossed into a heavy conversation. With his dark eyes ming, nostrils ring, he hissed something into the phone. Due to the ss door between us, his words couldn¡¯t reach me. Who is he talking to in such manner? I¡¯ve always seen himposed and calm. Not this furious and anxious. Closing his eyes, he ran his hand through his almost grey locks. And then listening to something the other person said, he slowly nodded and a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. A sinister smile. ¡°Em? You¡¯re listening to us?¡± Cassie¡¯s voice called out to me, but my gaze was set on him as he turned at his left and his eyes met mine. The sinister smile slowly faded and a deadly look took over his features. A shiver ran down my spine. Not wanting to be there anymore, I walked away down the corridor. Something was going on in his head. But I couldn¡¯t find out what. But what if I¡¯m just assuming things? I shook my head. I couldn¡¯t decide anything until I talked to Sierra. ¡°Em? You there?¡± inquired Beth. ¡°Yeah!¡± I cleared my throat. ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡± ¡°Where were you so lost to? Saw your devil charming again?¡± Cassie whistled. A chuckle sneaked my mouth. ¡°No. I wasn¡¯t lost to anywhere. Anyways, what were you talking about?¡± ¡°I said go and ask him directly. Maybe bat your eyes a little. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll agree. He can¡¯t deny his Rosebud. And in that way, you can get your answers also,¡± she suggested. I sighed. ¡°It¡¯s not that easy. He was pretty mad when he read my message. He didn¡¯t even look at me after that. I don¡¯t think he¡¯d agree.¡± ¡°Maybe give him a kiss?¡± Her tone was teasing. Beth chuckled along. ¡°G*d, no! No kissing! Keep your perverted thoughts to yourself. I¡¯ll think of a way out myself!¡± I said, exasperated. When they started to argue again, I almost cut the call when my phone buzzed. My heart did a jump when his name popped up on the screen. I opened the message. My legs stopped at my track, but my heart started racing to miles. Share Chapter 33 Chapter 33 Read The Trap Of Ace [by Eva Zahan] Chapter 33 ¨C Ace¡¯s POV Sweat trickled down my neck to my spine, the thriving heat in my body elerated my speed, and the hum of zeal flowing through my veins encouraged me to force myself more. Even the cuts on my knuckles didn¡¯t stop me from going for another hit into the hard punching bag. The more pain I got, the more I could keep myself in check. The more my head would concentrate on my physical agony, and not my heart¡¯s desires and¡­ fears. His brown eyes never left me from the corner of the gym as I worked on my pain and salvation. Until I didn¡¯t get my actual redemption. Her. ¡°Achilles, stop it. Your knuckles are bleeding! What¡¯s wrong with you tonight?¡± Caleb¡¯s voice reached my ears. But the anxiousness of his tone couldn¡¯t halt my movements. Intense working out every night to help me sleep and keep myself sane was a routine of my life, but the pain and exhaustion became a necessity for me since I had her in the same city as mine. Not being able to see her and have her into my arms even after her being so close to me, drove me crazy. But not to scare the light of my life away from me by revealing the intensity of the craving I had for her, I had to bind myself back with everything I had. Red stains smudged on the grey punching bag as I went for another fist. ¡°You¡¯ll have to meet her tomorrow evening, you remember that, right? What exnations will you have after she asks about the cuts?¡± And that had me halt my hand in the mid air, going for another shot. My gaze fell onto my wounded knuckles. He was right. She already asked me once. Though those wounds were from showing those b******s their ces who tried to hurt my Rosebud. My jaw tightened at the recollection of that night when some vile drunkards followed her, the night she went to rescue her friend not thinking of her own safety. Only I knew how I stopped myself from destroying them to bits for even thinking of harming her. Running my hands through my wet locks, I let out a curse. Frustration and anger raged through me. I was away for just one day from her, and she got herself into trouble. And it wasn¡¯t the first time she pulled that kind of stunt, she tended to be careless of her safety even back in NY. If I hadn¡¯t put guards after her for her security, I didn¡¯t know what nightmare she would bring me to. I wished I could keep her with me twenty four hours, so that I could just hide her into my arms and never let anyone even touch her, let alone hurting her. My fists clenched. Glimpses of that ident that day shed into my mind. A volcano swirled inside me to be released. No one will touch even a strand of you. I promise you that. ¡°Let me bring the first aid kit, your hands need some bandaging.¡± ¡°No need. I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°But you could get infection if you don¡¯t get them treated,¡± he argued, a frown etched between his brows. While I was just into my workout shorts, he stood there fully dressed with a formal ck shirt and grey trousers. ¡°They won¡¯t. I¡¯m used to them.¡± Last time I let someone treat my wounds was my Rosebud. Because she was the only person who could heal me. Just her mere presence was enough for my pain to fade away. ¡°But¡­¡± He was cut off with a sharp look of mine. Letting out a sigh, he ran his hands over his face, shoulders slumping in defeat. Concerning about me became his habit for years now. Be it cousin or adopted brother, it seemed he was the older one among us, not me. Whilst I respected his concern for me, I didn¡¯t prefer anyone¡¯s meddling into my life. Unless it¡¯s my Rosebud. I wiped myself with my towel and took some swig from the water bottle. After a moment of watching my movements, he opened his mouth again. ¡°Do you¡­ do you think this date is a good idea? I mean, once the truth of that night seven years agoes out, a lot of the past will be at risk.¡± I tensed at the mention of the past. The past I buried at the furthest corner of my memories. ¡°I know what I¡¯m doing. She has the right to know everything,¡± I said, gazing out of the window, at the night that matched the color of my past. His response was hesitant. ¡°You can lose her forever if she finds out the truth, you know that right?¡± Something snapped inside me as my whole form turned rigid. But I managed to keep my calm. ¡°If I don¡¯t tell her anything, I won¡¯t get her either.¡± ¡°But once she knows about your¡­¡± A knock on the door interrupted him. ¡°Come in!¡± Poking his head in first, Carter walked inside, a file in his hand. ¡°Hello, boss. I, uh, got some reports on project CA.¡± Car ident. Not losing my cool, I nodded at Caleb. Getting my dismissal, he let out a breath and walked out of the gym, closing the door behind him. I turned to Carter. ¡°Did you get your hands on that driver yet?¡± Averting his gaze, he fidgeted in his ce. ¡°Umm, no boss.¡± My jaw clenched. ¡°I tried to locate him everywhere I could, but it feels like he just disappeared from the face of the earth. Antonio did good to cover his traces.¡± He added. I took some deep breath, trying not to lose it. The volcano roared to be released inside me. My hands itched to k**l. K**l that b*****d who hired that driver to harm me the day I was returning from my new house with Emerald. Antonio Reymond. If I was alone in that car, I¡¯d have considered giving him back what he gifted me, but unfortunately for him, my Rosebud was with me. My fingers dug into the bottle in my hand. Anything could¡¯ve happened to my precious rose. He did many of his little tricks in the past, but this time, he crossed all his limits. He even framed Caleb with¡­ d***s. And the same day I found out that the ident wasn¡¯t an actual ident, it was nned. And that was the line he shouldn¡¯t have crossed. And now, he was going to pay. I still remembered the way she shook with fear and shock in my arms after that c***h. The way she clutched onto me. Antonio was going to pay for every tear that left my Rosebud¡¯s eyes. He was going to regret the day he took birth in this world. ¡°Did you get the names of his recent involvements?¡± My question came out more like a hiss. I wouldn¡¯t get any peace until I crush him like an insect. He bobbed his head, handing me the file. ¡°Here are their names and backgrounds. But boss, I don¡¯t understand. What will you do with his one night stands? Most of them just stayed with him for money. They don¡¯t share any more rtion with him to know about his ns or deeds that you can use against him.¡± Confusion crossed over his features. Flipping the pages, I ran my eyes through the lists until one name caught my attention. She was one of those few who had more than just one night with him. They even went on some dates in thest month. Perfect. I pointed at the specific name. ¡°Call her. Tell her to meet me at my penthouse back at Valencian Corp. And make sure no one knows about it. Not even Caleb.¡± Giving him a look, I asked. ¡°Am I clear?¡± Perplexed, blinking twice he slowly uttered a yes and took the file from me. ¡°You may go now,¡± I said as my phone buzzed beside my towel. Nodding, he turned around and strode away. Grabbing the phone, I read the message. I felt the corner of my lip stretching up. You¡¯re clear. *** Sitting inside my car into the darkness, I waited at the side of the road, awaiting for her signal. The ck cars parked not far away from their main gate had me reassured once again. Though due to the murk, I couldn¡¯t see them. But I knew, they were in there. Watching. Just as I instructed. The screen of my phone lit up into the darkness. Time to go. The door opened, revealing a pair of blue eyes. Ushering me inside with her head, she slowly closed the door behind me once I stepped in. Following her, I climbed up the stairs silently. My heart sped up when we stopped before a pair of doors. Twisting the handle, she opened the barrier between me and my salvation. My Rosebud. I took a sharp intake of breath at the view. My beautiful rose curled into a ball with her silk like chestnut locks spread across the pillow. Even in the dimmed light, I didn¡¯t miss those luscious lips formed into a slight pout. ¡°After lots of twists and turns on the bed, she finally fell asleep. I almost thought she wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep in anxiety and nervousness,¡± Tess whispered, not wanting to make any noise. ¡°She tried her best to hide the date with you tomorrow from me, you know?¡± She giggled. With difficulties, I tore my gaze away from my rose and turned to her. ¡°Thank you, Tess. For helping me tonight, like you did every time I needed you.¡± Just so I could see my rose tonight, she decided to stay with her family today. Even convinced her sister to share a bed tonight, so that they could relive the memories of their childhood. A smile grazed her face. ¡°No need to thank me. What are best friends for after all?¡± And then she nced back at her sister who was sleeping peacefully. ¡°She is still your Rosebud, you know? Years passed, but her heart still belongs to you.¡± She pointed with her chin to the giant bear I¡¯d gifted Emerald the day after she returned from NY. A warmth surged through my chest as I watched how tightly her small arms were wrapped around the vast doll. And then the t-shirt she wore caught my attention. It was the same shirt she borrowed from my penthouse. ¡°Even through her resistance, she can¡¯t help herself from the things connected to you.¡± Her blue orbs flickered over me. ¡°Promise me you¡¯ll always take care of her heart, Achilles.¡± Putting a hand on her shoulder, I gave it a firm squeeze. ¡°Forever.¡± This was a promise that I did to myself years ago. I¡¯ll d*e before I hurt my Rosebud ever again. Sniffling softly, she nodded her head and then left us alone. ¡°Don¡¯t take much long. I¡¯ll wait outside, watching over,¡± saying, she closed the door behind her. Striding closer to her bed, I sat beside her. My eyes bathed into her enticing beauty. Those turquoise eyes that had stolen my heart were firmly closed now. Long eyshes shadowed over her rosy cheeks as her eyelids fluttered asionally. Raising my hand, I tucked some strayed strands away from her angelic face. As if in a trance, my fingers glided over her soft skin. From her cheeks to her pouty lips, and then down her slender neck. She slept soundly as I watched her. I could do it for the rest of my life without getting tired. In fact, I¡¯d want more. Leaning down, I buried my nose into her hair and inhaled deep. As if like a touch of ice, her presence distinguished the fire of my soul. My heart finally found its serenity. My beautiful Rosebud. Now turned into a tempting rose. Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. A groan left me. Her sweet scent, like honey and citrus, her silky porcin skin, and her soft breaths fanning my skin were tempering with my senses. My lips touched the ce where the vein of her neck pulsed. My eyes followed the curves she hid beneath that too big for her t-shirt of mine. Not being able to control myself, my hands roamed around her tiny waist, to her hips, down her legs. My little vixen didn¡¯t wear any pants under that t-shirt. The ends of that material ended just below her mid thighs, showing her long k****r legs. Clenching my fist, I moved my hand away from her inviting legs before I lost total control on myself. But I couldn¡¯t help but feel her soft lips against mine. A sigh left through her lips as soon as mine met them. Pulling away, my thumb brushed over her cheek. Mine. If I hadn¡¯t seen her tonight, I wouldn¡¯t be able to equip myself to reveal everything before her tomorrow. I needed her touch to keep myself sane from my fears. Fears of losing her. Resting my forehead against hers, I shook my head as a steely determination cut through me. I won¡¯t lose you. I can¡¯t. Not again. Not if I wish to live. I let out a shaky breath. ¡°Without you, my life is iplete, my rose,¡± I whispered, kissing her forehead. I won¡¯t let anythinge in between us ever again. Everything will be destroyed that will try to be a hindrance to my way of getting you. I won¡¯t allow anything to take you away from me, not even my past. I need you like I need my next breath, and I¡¯ll make you mine at any cost. Because this Achilles Valencian, is obsessed with his Rosebud. Share Chapter 34 Chapter 34 Read The Trap Of Ace [by Eva Zahan] Chapter 34 ¨C cing my hand over my chest, I took deep breaths. He wasn¡¯t even here yet, and I felt like my heart would jump out of my ribcage at any moment. The vicious war of butterflies in my tummy didn¡¯t help either. Calm down, Em. It¡¯s just a date. A friendly date. It¡¯s not that it¡¯s the first time you¡¯re going out with a guy. Yes, but this time it¡¯s the guy I lo¡­ My breath hitched at my throat. Shock and surprise crashed on me. Was I just about to admit my¡­ feelings for him? I shook my head. No, no! Yes, he did affect me a lot, but I didn¡¯t do the ¡®L¡¯ word. Not wanting to chew over my treacherous mind, I padded into my closet and reached for the maroon dress Cassie sent for me. A very short, and backless one she wanted me to wear on this date. Give him some tease. Were her exact words. Though the dress was beautiful, I didn¡¯t know where he was taking me. I did ask him so that I could wear something ording to convenience, but he said to get into anything decent I wanted. He didn¡¯t care as long as I was with him. A blush rose up my cheeks. Mr. Valencian could be cheesy sometimes. I didn¡¯t know he had it in his bones. But of course, I wasn¡¯t going to listen to him. But as I didn¡¯t know if it¡¯s a public ce or not, I opted for a jacket along it. Then my eyes fell on the red gown he¡¯d gifted me. It called me to wear it like, but like every other day, with difficulties, I gave it my back and walked out of the closet. Once I was ready with light make-up and a low bun just above my neck, I inspected my look once again in the mirror. Brushing away some loose curls from my face, I tugged the ends of my dress a little lower. A breath sneaked through my lips. I was ready. And just at that moment, the doorbell rang. So did my heart. I nced at the watch. Seven pm sharp. My mouth went dry, my hands turned mmy. G*d, why was I so nervous? It¡¯s okay, Em. You can do it! Chanting the mantra in my head, I grabbed my purse and trudged downstairs. Once at the door, I found him tackled into Mom¡¯s bear hug. As surprising as it was, a soft smile was stretched across his face as he returned Mom¡¯s affection. unting a ck tux and his usual rough look, he didn¡¯t fail to take my breath away. He never did. ¡°I thought you forgot the way to our house. The only times we get to meet you is only if there¡¯s some asion or party,¡± she said, pulling away. Affection shone into her eyes. ¡°Though I¡¯m extremely happy to see you here after so many years, can I ask the reason for your sudden visit?¡± Before he could answer, I butted it. ¡°We¡¯ve a business party to join, Mom. That¡¯s why he¡¯s here, to pick me up.¡± Along Mom, his stormy grey eyes also moved to me. And they stilled on my face, until they traveled to the rest of my body. Slow and lingering touch of those intent gaze had me breathless. ¡°Oh my! Look at you! My baby is looking so beautiful, isn¡¯t she, Ace?¡± she gushed, taking a nce towards him. She was the only one who called him by his nickname other than me. And he didn¡¯t mind. But it was only reserved for the two of us. Not removing his stare from me, he gave a slow and tight nod. ¡°Indeed, she is.¡± Heat crept up my neck at his words. While mom watched the interaction with her wicked eyes. ¡°Well, honey? You didn¡¯t mention any parties like that to me,¡± she queried, her tone teasing. Of course she got some hints from all the flowers everyday and gifts. And only a fool will believe my lies with me turning all red at her question. I cleared my throat. ¡°Uh, it was a sudden invitation. So we have to attend.¡± ¡°Oh, alright then. I won¡¯t keep you guys any longer.¡± She put a hand on Ace¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I would like to ask you for coffee, but clearly, you¡¯re on a run right now. So go, and¡­ take care of her.¡± Giving her hand a firm squeeze, he nodded, sincerity engraved into his eyes. ¡°I will.¡± *** ¡°Where are we going?¡± Fastening up the seat belt, I turned to him. Something tugged at my lower region when I found his darkened gaze on my legs. With a slow rumble into his chest, he put his big callus hand on my knee. ¡°You enjoy torturing me like that, don¡¯t you?¡± he groaned. A shiver ran down my skin, raising goosebumps across. Noticing it, his hand raised up, sensuously to my t***h. With my breath hitching at my throat, I removed his hand away. My heart thudded down my chest. The temperature of the car ambience suddenly peaked. ¡°K-keep your hands to yourself, will you? And don¡¯t think that high of yourself. I didn¡¯t wear it for you.¡± I gulped. ¡°I wore it because I liked it.¡± Liar. And the twitch of the corner of his lips was the evidence of my lie getting caught. Biting my lip, I averted my eyes. ¡°You didn¡¯t answer my question. Where are you taking me?¡± Ignoring my warning, he took my hand in his and ced a kiss at the back of it. ¡°It¡¯s a secret. So let my secret surprise you, shall we?¡± Huffing, I tried to snatch my hand from his, but his grip was firm. And then his knuckles caught my attention. They were littered with cuts and bruises. I gasped, taking a hold onto his hands. ¡°What happened to them?¡± Howe I didn¡¯t notice them before? His demeanor changed. Pulling away, he gave a nonchnt shrug. ¡°Nothing, just got carried away with exercise.¡± The way he averted his gaze opposed his own statement. ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me! Your knuckles were bleeding and you didn¡¯t even feel anything?¡± I snapped, taking back his hands into mine, examining them. They were just like I remembered the morning he came back from the UK. Did he work himself out to exhaustion and pain? What could make him that ignorant of his pain that he didn¡¯t even notice? When he didn¡¯t answer, I red up at him. ¡°Well? Mind giving an answer? And why didn¡¯t you treat them?¡± Anger, irritation and concern nagged into my veins. When he looked at me, my heart clenched. His eyes held pain, desperation and something intense that I couldn¡¯t decipher. Though his eyes said a lot, I wanted him to speak to me. ¡°Tell me,¡± I whispered. ¡°I will. After the date tonight. But not now,¡± he said softly, cing another lingering kiss on my hand. ¡°Let me treat them first¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. They¡¯re fine now.¡± ¡°But you could get an infection!¡± I argued, once again reaching out for his knuckles. He shook his head. ¡°I won¡¯t. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m used to them.¡± Something squeezed my chest at his words. He said the same the other day. He was used to the pain. Did he hurt him purposely? ¡°Rosebud, I can¡¯t go on a date with bandages, now can I?¡± He raised his brow, when I didn¡¯t agree with his suggestion of letting it go. When I continued to hold his eyes, he sighed. ¡°Alright, check them once the date is over, alright?¡± Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. I nodded. At least he agreed to get them treated. I¡¯d have to talk to him about it. He couldn¡¯t be so careless with him. And then the whole ride from our house to our destination was silent, my hand was secured into his. Only asionally to change gears, he did leave it, only to grab it again. And no matter how much Iined, I loved the feeling of my small hand getting lost into his bigger and safer one. When the car stopped before a huge iron gate, just a little far from the highway, I scrutinized the ce. It looked¡­ familiar. But I couldn¡¯t keep my finger on it. Getting out of the car, he came up to me and opened the door for me. When I went to do it for myself, he¡¯d stopped me with a discontented look. Well, if he wanted to be a gentleman, who was I to stop him? Taking his hand, I got out and looked up at the vast gate. Turquoise Heaven, was the name written in bold golden words above. ¡°Where are we, Ace?¡± I asked. With his arms around my waist, he murmured into my ear, ¡°Go in and find out yourself.¡± Pressing my lips together, I wiggled out of his arms and approached the gate. And with a loud croak, the wings opened itself, weing us in. Then I saw the guard inside, nodding in greeting. ¡°Good evening, Mr. Valencian. Wee, Ms. Hutton.¡± He knew my name? I turned to the Greek g*d behind me. He must¡¯ve told him about my arrival. Wrapping his hand around my waist again, he nodded back at the watchman, while I politely reciprocated his smile. ¡°Is everything ready, Geremy?¡± The guard nodded his head. ¡°Yes, Mr. Valencian. Everything is ready just as you wanted. And the staff are gone.¡± Everyone was gone? Why? That means, I¡¯ll have to stay alone with him? Now my nervousness leaped to a new height. Who knew? He couldpel me with his charm and stormy grey eyes, and trap me in somewhere with him forever? Not that I¡¯d really mind. I shook my head at my ridiculous thoughts. ¡°Good,¡± saying that, he led me inside. And then a beautiful familiar two storey white duplex house greeted me. Built with a mediaeval arc, an enormous fountain adorned its front yard, with a lush rose garden surrounding it. But it was daisies before¡­ A gasp slipped through my lips. It was the ce I¡¯d visited once or twice in my childhood with my family for small get togethers. The family of Tobis¡¯ childhood friend owned it. That¡¯s why this ce felt so familiar. I vaguely remembered the backyard where we used to y. And this was the ce I¡­ My eyes snapped up to him. My heart fluttered beneath my rib cage. ¡°Why here?¡± My voice came out breathless. His eyes bore into mine. ¡°I thought why not start our new beginning where all of it started? After all, this is the ce where I saw my turquoise eyed beauty for the first time.¡± Share Chapter 35 Chapter 35 Read The Trap Of Ace [by Eva Zahan] Chapter 35 ¨C H-he remembered that? Though our visits here were vague in my mind, I still remembered the day when Tobias brought him along to our family to introduce his new best friend. How could I forget the day I got encountered with those stormy grey eyes for the first time? The reserved yet shy boy was ufortable among so many unknown people until his gaze locked with mine. The soft smile that had tugged across his lips in the return of my own toothy one, had engraved into my heart since then. He gently brushed his thumb on my cheek. ¡°Those adorable freckles are almost non visible now.¡± ¡°I still have them. It¡¯s just the make-up.¡± Words came out of my mouth of its own, lost into his grey pools. A tiny frown set between his brows. ¡°The make-up that hides your beauty, you should avoid them.¡± ¡°Again back to dictating me, are we Mr. Valencian? I¡¯m not in your office right now, remember?¡± I teased. Though the mushy feeling inside me at hispliment didn¡¯t go missed. ¡°I¡¯m not dictating you, just stating the truth.¡± He pulled me against him. ¡°These powders just hide your natural beauty.¡± I bit back my smile. Did he just call make-up as powder? Then I realized how he had me pinned against him. Throwing him a stern look, I pulled away and turned to the house. It was beautiful. The sound of waves crashing onto the shore, then retracting into the ocean reached my ears. Memories of old days regenerated into my mind. ¡°The beach!¡± With my eyes widened, I cast him a nce, before running inside the house. The velvety sound of his chuckle reached me before his footsteps followed behind me. Adrenaline rushed through my veins. Pushing open the backdoor, I relished the salty sea breeze that touched my face as soon as I let myself free outside under the open sky. But before the ocean could enthrall me, the beautiful gazebo at the middle of the beach caught my attention. The decoration of white lilies and fairy lights, and the candles lit at both sides of the way to it had me speechless. Not to miss the red petals of roses scattered over the pathway. My mouth was on the ground until I forced myself to shut it. Everything was just¡­ extraordinary. Just like the movies. And he did all of that¡­for me? ¡°You liked it?¡± His deep voice rasped close to my ear. Not being able to form any words, I just nodded my head. ¡°Come.¡± Securing my hand into his, he maneuvered me to the gazebo through the way full of soft rose petals. I cleared my throat, suddenly my insides went all shy. ¡°Your staff did a good job decorating everything.¡± Popping open the cape of the champagne, he poured the liquid into two sses. Casting me a nce, he said, ¡°They just set up the gazebo, the other credits would go to me.¡± My eyes widened again. ¡°That means, you did all of this all by yourself?¡± I looked around at the beautiful view. Putting the bottle down, he took my jacket off. And as soon as the upper side of my dress revealed before his eyes, he stilled. ¡°Yes,¡± a hiss came out of his mouth, his heated gaze roamed up and down my body, lingering on my dipped neckline. Casie was right, he did look extremely bothered. And observing his tight jaw and darkened gaze had me doubting my decision to wear this dress now. We were all alone here¡­ And he didn¡¯t even see the back yet. When he took a step forward, eyes not moving from me, my heart did a skip. But I held my footing. I wouldn¡¯t let him see my weakness for him today. But my determination couldn¡¯t live long. As he glided more closer, I stuttered out, ¡°W-what are you doing?¡± He didn¡¯t answer. Raising his hand up, he brushed his fingers against my neck in a feathery touch. I shivered. And then reaching at the back of my neck, he let my hair fall free from the bun. ¡°Now it¡¯s better,¡± he whispered, standing inches away from me. ¡°Beautiful auburn silks like them shouldn¡¯t be tied.¡± He¡¯sparing my hair to silk? Heat crept up my cheeks as I fumbled with my bracelet. Grey eyes followed the movement. Clearing my throat, I pulled away from him, causing his hand to fall from my hair. His thick brows crinkled at the loss of touch. Seriously, this man had an obsession with my hair. He seemed to love touching them every now and then. Taking the ss of champagne, I took a sip. The cool liquid gave soothe to my suddenly dry throat. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you did all of this all by yourself. All the lights and flowers. You could just ask your staff, they¡¯d have done it for you. When did you do it anyway?¡± I went back to our previous conversation, cutting the tense ambience around us. He took his own ss, eyes still on me. ¡°I was here before I went to pick you up. And I wanted to do it with my own hands, after all, it was for my Rosebud.¡± A warm sensation spread throughout my chest. Needing some more liquid to quench my thirst, I took another gulp. This man always had a way with his words. He knew how to affect me with them. The fruity vor of the champagne felt good in my mouth. Then something clicked into my head. Even for champagne, he didn¡¯t go for the alcoholic one, he opted for a clean drink instead. I¡¯d noticed it before. He didn¡¯t drink anymore. Not even at parties. As far as I remembered, wine was his favorite drink of all time. On some asions, I¡¯d seen him drink alcohol like water. Then what changed now? ¡°What¡¯re you thinking, Rosebud?¡± tucking a strand behind my ear, he asked. One of his hands gently ced over my hip. Then the hefty roar of the wave crashing onto the shore snatched my attention. Gentle wind blew across the beach. The full moon dangled up in the sky, cradling its luster into the water as it shimmered along the waves. With the beautiful sight before my eyes and his heat right behind me, I held my questions back for some time longer. I didn¡¯t want to break the peace raising the queries of the past. Getting out of my heels, I walked up to the shore feeling the cool supple sand under my b**e feet. Soon a curse of his followed from behind me. But I didn¡¯t stop. Though the corner of my mouth twitched imagining the look on his face seeing my revealed back cut. The moment the waves reached me, tingling my toes with cold water, a smile stretched across my lips. It¡¯s been so long I¡¯dst visited a beach, let alone a private one like this. Soon I felt his presence beside me. And to my surprise, he was also b**e footed. Then I noticed how big his feet werepared to mine. Just like our hands. Looking up at the moon, I took a deep breath. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Not more than my Rosebud.¡± This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. My head snapped to him. Stormy grey met my turquoise. Did he write some cheesy lines for tonight beforeing here? Because he seemed to be the total opposite of the cold businessman I saw everyday. Averting my gaze from his intent one, with the fluttering of my tummy, I started to walk along the shore, enjoying the cool water and breeze. He followed behind. shes of our ying on the beach floated across my mind. A grin spread onto my lips. And then I did what I didn¡¯t even dream of doing ever again. Crouching down, I took some water into my hand and sshed at him. At Achilles Valencian. Jerking back slightly, he stood frozen for a second. After registering what just happened, a wicked gleam flickered over his eyes. When he took a hasty step towards me, with my eyes wide, letting out a squeal, I ran. A musicalughter followed me as I sprinted away from him. Not wanting to miss the chance of this rare sight, I looked over my shoulder. With just a feet away, he chased me. Moonlight fell onto his heavenly features as his eyes twinkled with happiness. The smile lines at the both sides of his eyes, and the beautiful grin across his lips had me breathless. And it had nothing to do with my running. Another screech left my mouth when he leaped for me. But speeding up my legs, I ran away from his clutch. ¡°Do you think you can escape me, Rosebud?¡± His light voice, mixed with mirth rang like harmony to my ears. ¡°Looking like you¡¯re falling behind, Mr. Valencian. Catch me if you can!¡± yelling over my shoulder, I ran faster. The night breeze pped against my skin and the water sshed under my feet. I felt like I was flying. Free from everything. I felt lighter. ¡°Gotcha!¡± And then I was suddenly tackled over, another squeal left my mouth. But before we couldnd on the ground, his strong arms around me pulled us straight. ¡°This is cheating! Your legs are bigger than mine!¡± Iined, wiggling into his hold. But the smile on my face was still there. ¡°Now that¡¯s also my fault?¡± ¡°Yes, it is!¡± A throaty chuckle reverberated through his chest as he pulled me against him, resting his forehead against mine. The way he tightened his arms around me, as if he never wanted to let go. His gaze shone with contentment and felicity as he let out a breath. ¡°Rosebud, what do I do with you?¡± ¡°What will you do?¡± I peered into his eyes, rxing into his chest. And as an answer, he cupped my cheeks and ced his lips on mine. My eyelids fluttered close, already drunk on him. With his thumb brushing just beneath my lower lip, his mouth danced with mine into a slow magical synch. This time it wasn¡¯t an urgent, possessive and demanding kiss. This time, it was a sweet, slow yet passionate touch of affection. And it had my heart race to miles just like his punishing kisses did. Pulling away, I gasped for breath, cing my head against his cheek. ¡°I-it¡¯s just a friendly date, you remember that, right?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know you kissed your friends.¡± My face turned hot as I hid myself into his chest, causing him to chuckle. So not fair! He couldn¡¯t just kiss me and expect me not to kiss him back. Now who could resist this Greek g*d? And just then my stomach decided to embarrass me more. A grumble had me turn into a beetroot. Pulling away, he cupped my chin. Amusement curved into his eyes. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me you were hungry?¡± I shrugged, looking away. Stupid stomach! Biting his lip, he took my hand and dragged me with him. ¡°Come, let me feed you something.¡± And I didn¡¯tin. When we reached the gazebo again, he turned to me. ¡°Wait here, I¡¯ll go and get the food.¡± ¡°I can help,¡± I offered. He shook his head. ¡°No, you wait here. I¡¯ll be back in a minute.¡± Getting a nod from me, he turned around and walked back into the house. Sighing, I took my ss and drank the rest of the champagne. Gazing at the ocean as I waited for him to come back with the food, something caught my attention. A vibration. My phone? When I grabbed my purse, my suspicion turned out right. But as soon as I opened the purse, the vibration stopped. Shaking my head, I fished the phone out. I shouldn¡¯t have kept it on vibration. G*d knows who called me. And as soon as my eyes locked with the screen, I stilled. Three missed calls. From Warner. Share Chapter 36 Chapter 36 Read The Trap Of Ace [by Eva Zahan] Chapter 36 ¨C Warner? Why was he calling me? The phone buzzed again. But this time, it was a message from him. ¡°Who¡¯s it?¡± My thumb halted in the mid way from opening the message. Slowly turning around, I put my phone back into my purse. ¡°It¡¯s Mom, she asked if we¡¯ve reached the party safely.¡± I couldn¡¯t mention Warner¡¯s name now. No matter how sweet he was right now, jealousy didn¡¯t sit well with him. He proved it many times before. And I didn¡¯t want to ruin this night when it just started. I¡¯d just talk to Warnerter. Nodding, he put the trays of food on the table and gestured to me to sit. Of course, pulling my chair for me. Shaking my head, I smiled. ¡°Thank you.¡± When he settled at the opposite chair of me, my eyes fell on his broad shoulders. Gone his jacket, now he was only in his ck shirt. And it clung to his sculpted chest and arms like a second skin. Those folded sleeves up to his elbows, disying the veiny strong hands, had me stare. A breathless sigh left my lips. Why was he so perfect in every way? Except his stubborn self of course! The delicious aroma of the covered food snatched my attention. My stomach growled again. And when he took the lids off of the food tters, my mouth watered. Cheesy garlic shrimp! My eyes snapped up to him. Smiling at me, he put some shrimps on my te, then drizzling the sweet and sour sauce on it. Just the way I liked. Seeing my surprise, he said, ¡°How could I forget to make my girl¡¯s favorite food on our first date?¡± I gasped, eyeing the shrimps, roasted potatoes, smoking chicken sizzlings and spaghetti. All my favorites. ¡°You- you made all of this?¡± I didn¡¯t know he¡¯d culinary skills. His gaze locked with mine. ¡°You didn¡¯t argue about the thing that I called you my girl or it¡¯s our actual date.¡± Oh! My cheeks turned hot. I was so stunned that he made all those dishes for me that I totally ignored his other emissions. ¡°I- yes. It¡¯s just a friendly date. Don¡¯t forget that! And I¡¯m not your girl.¡± I cleared my throat, shifting in my chair. He chuckled. That beautiful sound always made me feel something inside me. It felt like he was a totally different man around me. He talked more, heughed more. His eyes held light. ¡°Well, our kiss proves that both of your beliefs are wrong.¡± He put some spaghetti on my te, and then reached for the roasted potatoes. ¡°And yes, I cooked them myself.¡± I tried my best not to turn into beetroot out of embarrassment. Though whatever I said, my actions told the opposite. But it wasn¡¯t my fault. I tried my best to resist him, but he always crossed my boundaries. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you knew how to cook.¡± I changed the subject, sticking a shrimp in my fork. He shrugged. ¡°I only know to make the favorite dishes of my Rosebud.¡± My fork stopped in the half way in the air to my mouth. My heart skipped as I stared at him. He only learned to make my favorite dishes? ¡°W-why?¡± I stuttered. ¡°So that I could always keep my queen happy and full.¡± His intense gaze had me gulp. Something soared into my chest as I struggled with the tons of emotions he made me feel. Averting my eyes, I took a bite of the cheesy shrimp. And I was amazed. It was delicious! Even better than those restaurants. Eager, I put two more into my mouth, and then tasted the chicken. My eyes closed at the savory vors bursting into my mouth. Once I opened my eyes, I noticed he didn¡¯t even touch his te yet. With an uncertain expression, he watched me. As if waiting for something. With my mouth full, I raised my brow. He scratched the back of his head. ¡°Uh, how¡¯s the food? Did you like it?¡± I gaped at him. Was Achilles Valencian nervous? And he needed my approval? Swallowing, I bit back my smile and nodded my head. ¡°They¡¯re delicious. More than delicious actually. You¡¯d be an excellent chef if you weren¡¯t a businessman,¡± I answered truthfully. Relief washed over his features as he rxed in his seat. Wait, was I hallucinating? Was that pink tint I was seeing on his cheeks? Achilles Valencian was blushing! Oh s**t! I should have clicked a picture of it as a memory! Content ? N?velDrama.Org. Noticing my astounding saucer eyes, he cleared his throat put back on his confident expression. This time I couldn¡¯t hide my smile. ¡°You were blushing.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t! Now eat your food. They¡¯re getting cold,¡± he said, filling his own te. ¡°Here, try some spaghetti. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll like them.¡± ¡°Thanks. But you were blushing. I saw it!¡± I argued, teasing him. ¡°It¡¯s okay to blush, you know? It¡¯s normal.¡± He cursed under his breath. I snickered. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, your secret is safe with me. No one will ever know that Achilles Valencian blushed.¡± ¡°Rosebud!¡± he warned, his grey orbs formed into a scowl. ¡°Eat your food.¡± Biting my lip, I finally decided to leave him alone and concentrate on my food. As we silently began eating those delicacies, my eyes fell onto his knuckles again. None of the movements of his hands didn¡¯t seem to bother him even if they were ck and blue. He didn¡¯t even wince once. My hands itched to drag him inside and out some ointment on them. But I knew he wouldn¡¯t let me until the date was over. ¡°When did you buy this ce from Tobias¡¯ friend¡¯s family?¡± The way the guard outside greeted him, staff working for him here and the way he nned everything said that he owned this house and the private beach. He didn¡¯t have to look up at me as he already was watching me. He was watching me more than he ate his food, not letting me eatfortably. How would I do it when his hawk like eyes were watching me? Annoying man! ¡°Three years ago. They actually didn¡¯t want to sell it at first, but then I convinced them.¡± ¡°How?¡± His shrug was casual. ¡°By offering them triple of the actual price of this property.¡± My eyes widened. ¡°Triple? But why¡¯d you do that? You could just buy any other property, much bigger than this.¡± Again the intensity was back in his grey pools. ¡°Those didn¡¯t remind me of my Rosebud.¡± My heart caught at my throat as I stared at him. He- he brought this beach house for me? First thatpany, then that canvas and now this. I was out of words. I didn¡¯t know what to say or react. So dumbfounded, I looked down and went back to my te. Once we were finished with the dinner, he stood up and gave me his hand. ¡°Dance?¡± A slow music hummed in the background. Hesitantly, I ced my hand on his, letting him pull me on my feet and gather closer to his warmth. His heady cologne filled my senses as we swayed slowly along the harmony. Gazing at my eyes, he tucked a strand behind my ear. ¡°Did I say how beautiful you¡¯re looking tonight?¡± his low voice said. With heated up cheeks, I shook my head. ¡°Well, you¡¯re looking enchanting tonight, Rosebud,¡± he rasped. I blushed some more. ¡°Thank you. You¡¯re not looking bad either.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it? Nothing more I get to hear?¡± He raised his brow. I rolled my eyes. ¡°You¡¯re looking good.¡± ¡°Just good?¡± I red at his mischievous grey eyes. Though he teased me, I could feel the change of mood in him after the dinner. His shoulders were tense, eyes were disturbed. ¡°What happened? You look tense,¡± I asked. The smile slipped off his face. He shook his head. ¡°Not now. Later, Rosebud. Let us enjoy our dance first.¡± Letting out a sigh, I nodded and let him pull me closer and hug me to his chest. Withoutining, I rested my head under his chin, closed my eyes and enjoyed our slow dance, the music and his warmth. Just as he said. *** ¡°Check mate!¡± I said, lining my soldier right before his king. With his hands adjoined before him, he just stared at the chess board in silence. After our dance, he led me inside to y chess, just like old times. At the first match, he won, as always. But in the second match, I won. Same went with the third one. Not because I was better than him on the chess board, because he let me win. His mind was somewhere else other than our match. The more time was passing tonight, the more his stance got tense. Those grey eyes turned more anxious as our game started toe to an end. He was stalling time, I was aware of it. And even I was now afraid to ask questions. What was in the past that he was that agitated of the revtion? What afraid me most was the fear in those gray pools. Tonight was the night I discovered his many faces. But I didn¡¯t ever expect that I¡¯d see fear in his eyes. ¡°Ace? You again let me win. It¡¯s not fair!¡± I pressed my lips together. He used to do it in our childhood. He¡¯d always let me win and even after I was aware of the fact, I¡¯d be jumping up and down on my seat out of excitement. And he¡¯d just watch me there. But I wasn¡¯t the little Emerald anymore. ¡°No problem. We can y another match,¡± he said, rearranging the board. I stopped his hand. His stormy grey met my turquoise. ¡°Three matches are enough for tonight. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s time to fulfill your promise?¡± His jaw clenched, eyes looked away from mine. ¡°You promised, Ace. I want to know everything.¡± My voice came out firm, though my hand fumbled with my bracelet under the table. Hands balled into fists, he took a deep breath; gaze set on the board. ¡°What do you want to know?¡± ¡°Everything,¡± I whispered, gulping. ¡°Everything that happened that night seven years ago. If you im that you always had feelings for me, you always wanted me, then¡­ what were you doing with Tess that night on the balcony?¡± I let out a breath, finally asking the questions that have been nagging under my skin for so long. Silence. The only sound I could hear in the room was the tiks of the hanging watch on the wall, and my pounding heart under my chest. His gaze drilled into mine as he sat there with an unreadable facade. Though the storm in his grey eyes was transparent. ¡°Ace?¡± I probed. ¡°Before you know what happened that night, you should be aware of my past first.¡± His eyes locked with mine. ¡°Remember, Emerald. Before reaching any conclusions, know that whatever I did was for everyone¡¯s good. Especially yours.¡± What good was in there for me? But putting my question aside, I nodded my head, encouraging him to go ahead. He closed his eyes, before opening them again, the muscle of his jaw ticked. ¡°After my father passed away, my¡­ mom went into depression. She couldn¡¯t take the loss of her husband and d*****d her into alcohol and parties. I was about to turn eighteen at that moment.¡± The pain in voice was visible, though he tried to mask it hard. ¡°As you knew, my father was an idol for me. Even if he never spent much time with us, I¡­ loved him a lot. And after he passed, i- I was lost. I didn¡¯t know what to do with my life then.¡± Something squeezed in my chest imagining how much pain he must have gone through. ¡°With my mother never at home, I found myself alone. Though Caleb was there, no one could take the ce of parents. On the top of that, thepany¡¯s burden was falling on me. For an eighteen years old, it became too much for me, Emerald.¡± He looked away from me as if ashamed. ¡°Not being able to take everything in, i- I took the support of d***s.¡± A gasp slipped through my lips as I sat there shocked. ¡°I became a d**g addict.¡± His voice hard as steel, eyes shing. ¡°There wasn¡¯t any kind of addiction I hadn¡¯t tried, to forget everything. To get a moment of peace, not knowing it was only pushing me towards the destruction.¡± My eyes burned, heart pained at the emotional downfall he went through. And I hadn¡¯t had even any idea of it. Guilt washed over me like a tsunami. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me anything?¡± My voice croaked. He held my gaze. Different emotions swirled into those stormy grey eyes. ¡°I couldn¡¯t let my darkness taint you, Rosebud. I¡¯d never.¡± ¡°You could at least tell me. I¡¯d be there with you. Maybe I could help you out.¡± A lone tear escaped my eye. A soft smile tugged on his lips. ¡°You were helping me, Rosebud. You were the only hope in my life that didn¡¯t let my darkness engulf me whole. You were the only one that had kept me sane.¡± My lower lip trembled. No matter what he said, I couldn¡¯t help but feel the guilt clutching me in its grip. Here I was fantasizing about him not knowing what problems he was going through. ¡°Then what happened? H-how did you get out of your addiction?¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t for two years. Until¡­¡± ¡°Until?¡± ¡°Until I lost you.¡± Taking a deep breath, he cleared his throat. ¡°I knew about your feelings for me, Rosebud. I knew everything. You were my princess even before you asked me to make you one. But¡­ ¡± His features hardened. ¡°No matter how much I wanted you, I couldn¡¯t let you wait for me and ruin your life when I didn¡¯t even know if I had a future or not, what I¡¯d do with my life.¡± Something churned inside me. An ominous feeling rose up my chest. ¡°That¡¯s why that night, I took Tess¡¯s help. To¡­¡± My heart pounded down my chest, breath came out harsh, eyes burning. My nails dug into my palm. ¡°To push you away from me.¡± Share Chapter 37 Chapter 37 Read The Trap Of Ace [by Eva Zahan] Chapter 37 ¨C Taking a sip on the tea, I ran my eyes on the newspaper. The noise of Mom¡¯s chopping vegetables and moving utensils in the kitchen rang across. But nothing moved my attention from the paper, not even her curious nces. ¡°You know, the ckwood¡¯s daughter ran off with her cousin¡¯s fiance?¡± Her sigh resonated from the opposite side of the counter. ¡°I got to know from the kitty partyst night. Children these days, I don¡¯t know what runs in their head.¡± I flipped another page. The business column. ¡°Your aunt called me this morning to inform me how she¡¯s enjoying her vacation in Switzend with her third husband and soon will be sending me some pictures of their little honeymoon.¡± She snorted. ¡°As if I wanted to know anyway. I¡¯m d that your Dad didn¡¯t go after his elder sister. Thank G*d she¡¯s not in the country right now. At least I got some relief from her frequent visits.¡± I stayed quiet. Not warning her about Dad¡¯s hearing her ndering about his sister to me just like I did every time. ¡°Em?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± I answered, my voice came out croaky. ¡°You need some more tea?¡± I shook my head, not looking up at her. ¡°Are you okay, honey?¡± she asked, hesitating. This time I did nce at her, stering a small smile on my face. ¡°Yeah, why do you ask?¡± Her identical eyes observed me. ¡°You¡¯re looking¡­ tired. Didn¡¯t get any sleepst night?¡± I knew what she was indicating. The dark circles, the puffy eyes. Nothing goes missing from mother¡¯s eyes, does it? A squeeze in my chest had me take a deep breath. I wish I could tell her. ¡°Nothing like that, Mom. I did sleepst night. Just having a headache since the morning. It¡¯ll get better, don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s why you didn¡¯t go to the office today?¡± Concern etched into her features. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me? Did you get medicines?¡± I nodded. ¡°Yes, I did. I¡¯ve also informed Caleb about it. I took a leave today.¡± ¡°Good. Take some rest. You¡¯re taking too much work stress nowadays.¡± Work wasn¡¯t the issue at all. They barely gave me any actual work to do for taking stress. Smiling at her, I looked back at the newspaper. The newspaper I¡¯d been sitting with for thest half an hour. Not reading, just staring. The clicking of heels against the tiled floor reached my ear. My fists clenched. ¡°Tess?¡± Mom eximed. ¡°What¡¯re you doing here? I thought you¡¯d an appointment for cake tasting today. Are you done with it already?¡± ¡°I cancelled it, Mom. I¡¯d to go to a conference with Caleb this morning. It ran three hours long.¡± cing her designer bag on the counter, she sat beside me. ¡°Hi, Em.¡± I gritted my teeth, not reciprocating. My eyes glued to the big bold headlines. Mom¡¯s silence indicated that she noticed the tension lurking around us. ¡°I made some tea for Em, you need some?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± said Tess, staring at me. After giving her a cup of steamy tea, Mom excused to talk to Dad regarding something and left us alone. And not wanting to sit with her alone in the kitchen, I got up from my seat. That¡¯s when her voice stopped me. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you answering Achilles¡¯s phone or messages? You didn¡¯t even go to the office today. He¡¯s a mess right now, Em. That guy was outside of our house the entire night, and you didn¡¯t even let him exin anything!¡± My head snapped to her, I stared at her in disbelief. She was using me here of being the cause of his misery when she¡¯s the one who should be apologizing to me? She knew! She freaking knew everything and joined hands with him in his absurd n to disy me some ridiculous show! To hurt me. To push me away from him. She was aware of everything but yet didn¡¯t even try to tell me once in these years. And here she dared to question me? ¡°Are you even hearing yourself? After what he did, after you did, you¡¯re telling me to give him a chance to exin?¡± I shook my head in exasperation. She pinched the bridge of her nose, letting out a sigh. ¡°I know, Em. And I¡¯m extremely sorry for that. You don¡¯t know how guilty I¡¯ve been feeling for hurting you like that. But, Em, you¡¯ve to understand. Whatever we did, yes, it wasn¡¯t the best way to do it, but it was for your own good. Trust me.¡± I snorted. ¡°My good? What was good in there, Tess? I don¡¯t see any good in my living with a broken heart for seven years. I don¡¯t see anything good in my suffering and hurting for thest d**n seven years!¡± my voice rose as I spoke. With my heart beating fast in my chest, my breathing was harsh as hotva ran through my veins. ¡°I know the pain in love. I¡¯ve experienced it. And I also know that we shouldn¡¯t have done it. But at that moment, we were young, Em. We didn¡¯t know how to handle this matter other than this. The phase Achilles was going through¡­¡± She closed her eyes for a moment before opening them back, as if not wanting to remember past memories. ¡°Maybe he told you about his condition back then, but he didn¡¯t tell you of the severity of it. He was going through a living h**l. And I, Caleb and Tobis saw it. We saw him writhing in pain in his bed when he didn¡¯t get his dose. We heard his screams from his nightmares. No matter how much he tried to get over it, he couldn¡¯t. And no one in their sane mind would want the girl they loved to see them in that state.¡± I stopped breathing at her revtion. Imagining him in that situation shook me from my core. An urge to reach out to him rose in me, but I suppressed it. ¡°After knowing how important he was bing for you, he couldn¡¯t let you dream of him anymore. Even we didn¡¯t think he¡¯d be able to get out of it ever. And when I told him about your n to confess to him that night, he sought my help. And as his best friend and thinking of your well-being, I agreed. Please forgive us, Em. Whatever we did, we did for you.¡± She added, moisture sparkled in her eyes. ¡°This doesn¡¯t justify anything. I wasn¡¯t that young that you guys couldn¡¯t tell me. But I was young enough for that scene you guys created to have me shatteredpletely,¡± I said,posing my features into coldness. ¡°Anyways, I don¡¯t want to talk about it anymore. You did whatever you thought was right. And now I¡¯ll do whatever I think is right.¡± With my chin high, I turned around to leave. ¡°Em, please. If you don¡¯t want to talk to me, then don¡¯t. I understand. But at least let him exin. Listen to him once. Don¡¯t just shut him off like that,¡± she almost pleaded. ¡°You don¡¯t know what you mean to him, Em. That man is nothing without his Rosebud.¡± My heart clenched. Gulping the thickness down my throat, I walked out of the kitchen, without saying any words. *** The warm water trickled down to every curve of my body, soaking me into its heat, rxing the knots of my shoulders. But it couldn¡¯t soothe me, the pain in my chest. Though it washed away the tears that fell down my cheeks relentlessly. It hurt. It pained so f*****g much! As if someone was physically churning a dagger into my heart again and again. A choked sob left my mouth. Clutching the ce over my heart, I slided down the ss wall of the shower and hugged my legs against my chest. ¡°Why did you do it? Why?¡± I whispered, letting the tears free. It felt like the wound I got that night had been scratched anew. I felt the same pain, the same agnony I endured years ago. And the irony was, the incident I¡¯ve suffered for so long for wasn¡¯t even real. It was all a sham. A joke. A cruel joke life had thrown at me. Not life, my sister and the boy I loved. They say they did it for my own good. To save me from getting hurt. But did they really save me from getting hurt? No, they only had thrown me into the ocean of tears I¡¯d flown every night in silence after that night. They had thrown me to the disgust I¡¯d felt dating so many guys who I didn¡¯t even feel any connection to. The kisses I¡¯d shared even if it hurt my own heart. The man who was always there for me, I¡¯d hurt him in the process. I could never return his love. And all of this happened just because he thought it¡¯d be good for me by pushing me away, breaking my heart. To push you away from me. It¡¯d felt like I¡¯d been struck by thousands of arrows the moment he said those words. The moment I got to know how easily they broke my numerous dreams, intense emotions and years of love in just a moment. Even knowing after everything. ¡°Don¡¯t! Don¡¯t you dare try to exin anything. You¡¯ve done enough already! Leave me alone!¡± I¡¯d snapped at his face when he¡¯d tried to stop me from leaving him therest night. Running his hands through his hair desperately, with wide panicked eyes, he¡¯d asked for a chance to let him exin. ¡°Rosebud, please! Just hear me out. I had no choice. I couldn¡¯t let you ruin your life waiting for me. Trust me, I¡¯d never wanted anyone else in my life the way I¡¯d wanted you. You were my everything. You still are.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s why you wanted me away?¡± eyes filled with tears, I¡¯d asked him. ¡°Now I¡¯ll make your wish come true for real this time. I¡¯ll go so far away from you that you¡¯ll never be able to reach!¡± He¡¯d watched me as if he¡¯d been stabbed with something. But the pain in his eyes couldn¡¯t surpass the one I¡¯d in my heart in that moment. Ignoring his calls and pleadings, I¡¯d turned away from him and ran away from there. From the man I never knew would hurt me this way. More tears fell from my eyes, my throat tightened causing me gasp for air. My nails dug into my palms as I cried my heart out. But the b**n inside me didn¡¯t go away. I love you¡­ I closed my eyes, not being able to withstand the squeeze that shot through my chest. The words that he whispered to me just before I left himst night still rang into my ears. I hate you! I hate you, Achilles Valencian! For f*****g up my life in this way! *** ¡°Thank G*d, Em! You finally picked up your phone! That obsessed man of yours is blowing off my cell phone sincest night!¡± She huffed through the line. ¡°I called Tess. I know what happened.¡± Her tone softened up. I stayed quiet, closing my eyes. ¡°Though I had to literally plead her to tell me everything. Trust me, I wanted to k**l that sister of yours and that idiot man when I got to know what they did to you. F*****g pricks!¡± she cursed some profanities. ¡°By the way, the way he¡¯s blowing up my phone just to get even a little news of you, I¡¯m wondering how he¡¯s not already barging into your house to meet you right now?¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org. With my jaw tight, I threw the huge teddy on the floor from my bed. I didn¡¯t need it anymore. ¡°He tried to get through the gatest night. But I¡¯d informed the guards to tell him if he even tries to do anything to get into the house following me, he won¡¯t see my face ever again.¡± I knew he¡¯d definitely follow me and try to talk to me. So I¡¯d already given the guards my message to deliver to him. And to my surprise, he didn¡¯t cross my set line. Instead he¡¯d waited outside my house, right beneath my window. Though I didn¡¯t know he was there the whole night. A pinch of guilt surged through me, but Iposed myself soon. I didn¡¯t care. He could go to h**l for all I cared! ¡°Oh! That exins his desperation,¡± she mumbled. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen someone so miserable to be honest.¡± ¡°Are you siding him again, Casie? I can¡¯t believe you!¡± I snapped, fuming. Whose friend was she here? ¡°Of course, not! How can I? Whatever he did was extremely wrong! He shouldn¡¯t have done it even though he only wanted your well-being.¡± ¡°Cassandra!¡± ¡°Alright, alright. I¡¯m sorry. I won¡¯t say anything now. Are you okay though? I¡¯ve to tell him something when he calls me again,¡± she asked, sighing. Though there was concern in her voice, it only oiled my anger that she was somehow still supporting him. I¡¯d blocked him in every way possible and now he was trying to reach me through Tess and Casie. ¡°You know what? I¡¯m putting the phone down. You can go and answer that p***k all you want!¡± barking, I cut the call and threw my phone on the bed. That man! How dare he? He was now taking my friend on his side? That nerve! I didn¡¯t understand why no one was seeing what heartache I was going through! They were just seeing only his misery. His pain. Covering my face with my hands, I took some deep breath, trying to calm down my boiling rage. But it wasn¡¯t helping. As if the heartache blew more wind to it. The bell of the door had my heart skip. Is it him again? I didn¡¯t want any drama before Mom and Dad. But I didn¡¯t think he¡¯d do it after what I¡¯d said. But not believing my instincts, I ran downstairs before anyone else could attend the door. I¡¯d just flip him off and send him back if he dares to show up on my¡­ The moment I opened the door, I was shocked. But for an entirely different reason. The man that stood before me was someone I didn¡¯t ever think woulde back to my threshold again. Warner. Share Chapter 38 Chapter 38 Read The Trap Of Ace [by Eva Zahan] Chapter 38 ¨C ¡°Warner?¡± I stared at him in shock and surprise. He¡¯d called and messagedst night, but through all this going on I couldn¡¯t check his message. And now seeing him standing before me again, rose the guilt inside me again. ¡°Hey!¡± Tucking a strand behind my ear, I greeted him with an awkward stance. His brown orbs roamed over my features, a frown set between his brows. ¡°You alright? You seem¡­ not well.¡± Even after what I did, he was still concerned for me. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t want to lose a friend like him. Before we started dating, he was my best friend in NY. All of a sudden, I¡¯d a sudden urge to hug him tight and share all my problems with him. But I knew I couldn¡¯t. Gulping, I nodded my head. ¡°I¡¯m fine, don¡¯t worry. Come in!¡± I held the door wide open for him, shing a small smile. Once we were settled in the hall, I got him some coffee and another cup of tea for me. I needed it for my growing headache. ¡°Thanks!¡± Taking the mug from me, he looked around. ¡°Where is everyone?¡± I took a seat at the opposite side of the couch. ¡°Dad¡¯s in the office. And Mom had another of her kitty parties.¡± Thank G*d, they weren¡¯t home. They already sensed something was going on between me and¡­him. And seeing Warner here all of a sudden would be extremely awkward. He nodded, his gaze not moving from me. ¡°You sure, you¡¯re okay? Your eyes are dull today.¡± No, I¡¯m not. I wanted to say. Instead, I just bobbed my head again. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m. Just a little headache.¡± He didn¡¯t seem to be convinced. But not wanting to intrude, as always, he let it go and took a sip on his coffee. The corner of his lips turned upwards. ¡°I¡¯ve missed your coffee in thest two months.¡± ¡°And I¡¯ve missed you,¡± I said truthfully. He held my gaze for a moment and then let out a sigh, putting the mug down on the table. ¡°I wanted to apologise to you, Em. The way I talked to youst time¡­ I¡¯m so sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have spit out such words for you. I didn¡¯t know what I was thinking. I was just- hurt and confused. I¡­¡± I shook my head. ¡°You don¡¯t need to say anything, Warner. It¡¯s me who should be apologizing. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry for breaking your trust. You didn¡¯t say anything wrong. It was me who was at fault.¡± A tear escaped my eye. I just couldn¡¯t keep my tears in sincest night. As if there was a tap left open inside my eyes. ¡°Hey, hey!¡± He slided closer, wiping the tear from my cheek. ¡°Please don¡¯t cry, Em. Truth to be told, yes, I was extremely hurt. But it wasn¡¯t your fault. I should¡¯ve known something like this was going to happen. I always knew I was never in your heart. But still, being selfish, even after your telling me sometimes that we were better friends, I didn¡¯t let you go. I got too blinded by my love that I didn¡¯t see that you weren¡¯t happy in that rtionship. You didn¡¯t love me.¡± Thest line came out as a whisper through his lips. Seeing the mncholy in his eyes made me feel more terrible. Another tear rolled down my cheek, but I wiped it fast. ¡°Warner, I- I tried my best. But I just couldn¡¯t do it. Nor could I¡­ let myself slip for him. I swear, I tried with everything I had in me. But¡­¡± I looked down at my hands, biting my lip. He squeezed my hand. ¡°It¡¯s alright, Em. The way you can¡¯t force yourself to love me, you can¡¯t force yourself not to fall for the guy who was already in your heart.¡± I looked up at him, not denying the fact. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I whispered. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to hurt you.¡± He shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t be. And I know. My Em can¡¯t hurt someone on purpose even if she wants to.¡± I didn¡¯t show the difort on my face when he said ¡®my Em¡¯. Maybe he was just saying it just as a friend. ¡°I¡¯m sorry too. Being felt betrayed and in the fear of losing you, I¡¯d ignored your calls and messages past weeks,¡± he said. ¡°I just needed some time, you know? By the way, I called youst night. Even messaged you. You didn¡¯t answer.¡± I shifted in my ce. ¡°Uh, i- I was a little busy.¡± Nodding, he grabbed his cup again. ¡°So, how¡¯s everything going on?¡± ¡°We¡¯re still friends, right?¡± I ignored his question. Though a huge burden had lifted off my chest that he forgave me, I still wanted the assurance that he wasn¡¯t breaking our friendship also. ¡°Of course, Em! No matter what happens, you¡¯ll always be my best friend,¡± he answered, eyes sincere. This time a genuine smile stretched across my lips as I pulled him into a bear hug. ¡°Thank you, Warner! I¡¯m really lucky to have you in my life!¡± Pulling away, he grinned. Though the gloom still lurked behind his eyes. ¡°Nothing can break our friendship, Em. Not even some old feelings.¡± My smile threatened to fall. Even though things weren¡¯t that tense between us anymore, it was still awkward. He cleared his throat. ¡°Anyways, you didn¡¯t answer my question. How¡¯s everything going on with your life? How¡¯s the office?¡± *** ¡°Wow, you¡¯ve made quite a collection here for yourself,¡± he awed, assessing the designs I¡¯d drawn in the office when I¡¯d no work to do. At least I¡¯d invested my time in something productive. ¡°D**n, Em! You should open your own clothing line. You¡¯ll rock the market!¡± I shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s the n. But not now, I¡¯ve still so much to learn.¡± After giving him a brief description about the office, he¡¯d decided to stay back till evening since he was free. And even if I just wanted to curl up under my nket and cry, I agreed with his n. At least we could catch up a little till then. So I brought him upstairs to show him my designs. The designs I wanted to show to a certain person after the date and fixing everything with Warner. I wanted to ask for his thoughts on them. But it seemed like that certain person wasn¡¯t going to have the luck anymore. My eyes went to my phone again. The shing screen told me some unknown number was again calling non-stop. Good thing I put it on silent. I let out a huff in my head. I blocked his one number, so he got several new ones. ¡°Em? You¡¯re listening?¡± I blinked, turning to Warner. ¡°Yeah! Sorry, I was just thinking about something. You said anything?¡± ¡°I said why don¡¯t you show them to Caleb or your senior designers? I¡¯m sure they¡¯d love to add them to their next catalogue.¡± One of his brows raised. I shook my head. ¡°They¡¯re for my collection, Warner. When I start the business, I want my best pieces to be avable exclusively for disy then.¡± I threw another nce towards the phone again. My hands itched to grab it and receive the calls. But I knew better. Something soared into my chest as Tess¡¯s words shed across my mind. We saw him writhing in pain in his bed when he didn¡¯t get his dose. We heard his screams from his nightmares. My hands curled into the sheet. Jaw ticked. My somehow smoldered rage awakened into mes again. Why? Why¡­ Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath, calming the storm inside me that has been swirling since Tess left. You don¡¯t know what you mean to him, Em. That man is nothing without his Rosebud. Sitting straight, I rubbed my face in frustration. The more I wanted to not to think of him, the more my mind flooded with him. ¡°You alright? And please don¡¯t sell me your lies again. I can see how restless you¡¯re. What happened?¡± ¡°Nothing, Warner. I¡­¡± A series of furious non-stop honks of car stopped me. And it was outside of our home. I frowned. What¡¯s going on? And then came his voice which froze me in my ce. ¡°Emerald!¡± Some more honking. ¡°Rosebud, please! At leaste to your window!¡± What the h**l? He- he was outside again? Warner threw me a perplexed look. Scrambling out of the bed, I ran to the window and peeked outside. And there he was. Standing beside his giant ck expensive car, in a three piece suit with the tie loose and hair ruffled, he looked up at me with those intense grey eyes. He let out a visible sigh of content as he watched me silently for a moment. While I just red. Tess was right. He looked miserable. The always perfect Mr. Valencian was a mess today. But he was Achilles Valencian after all. He even wore the messy look in a very perfect way. This look of his didn¡¯t disappoint to have my heart skip like every other day. ¡°Rosebud,¡± his low voice reached as a whisper to my ears. I tried my best to ignore his desperate eyes roaming on me and my pounding heart. Treacherous heart! ¡°What are you doing here? And what¡¯s this? Don¡¯t create a scene here, Ace! Go away!¡± My lips pressed tight as I nced around in the neighborhood. ¡°Baby, please. Just talk to me once. I know I¡¯ve hurt you and I¡¯m extremely sorry for that. Punish me if you want, I¡¯d do anything. But just don¡¯t shut me off. Please, baby.¡± Baby? My heart tugged at the pain in his voice and eyes, the edge in his stance. But then I made myself remember everything. Even though my eyes burned, I kept a stoic face. ¡°The only thing I would want you to do is leave me alone. I don¡¯t want to talk about it anymore. So please, just leave.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that. We can talk. Baby please¡­¡± He halted in the mid way as his eyes looked at something behind me. His pleading eyes suddenly turned hard as steel, his shoulders tensed and fists clenched. ¡°So this is the reason for your restlessness.¡± Looking over my shoulder, I found Warner standing right behind me. His unreadable gaze set on the man down on the road whose murderous re was drilling holes into him. ¡°What¡¯s he doing here?¡± deep Greek ent hissed. With his stormy greys dark with fury, his nostrils red. Achilles Valencian was back again. I wanted to send Warner back inside, but instead I just held my chin high. ¡°That¡¯s none of your business. You won¡¯t tell me who wille and go in my own house.¡± When his fierce eyes snapped to Warner again, I felt him stepping back behind me. Taking a deep breath, he set his ming preying gaze fixed on me. ¡°Rosebud, if you want him to stay in one piece, tell him to leave right now. Don¡¯t test my patience. You can punish me all you want, but I WON¡¯T tolerate this.¡± I gaped at him. The nerve of this man! ¡°Is that a threat, Mr. Valencian? If it is, then I¡¯m not scared of you,¡± said Warner, stepping forward again. The muscle of Ace¡¯s strong jaw ticked. ¡°He won¡¯t go anywhere! He¡¯s my friend, so he can stay here as long as he wants. The one who needs to go is you! So just leave, Ace! I won¡¯t say twice! Otherwise, trust me, you won¡¯t like the oue,¡± pointing my index finger, I warned him. What would I do if he didn¡¯t go? I didn¡¯t know. But I didn¡¯t know why I felt it to pronounce Warner as my friend before him. I just hoped he wouldn¡¯t barge into my house like a bull and do something rash. With his fists clenched at his sides, eyes icy cold, he looked at Warner again. ¡°Don¡¯te into my way, Mr. Wilson. Trust me, I¡¯m not a person to mess with.¡± This time Warner stayed quiet. Taking another deep breath, he turned to me. ¡°I¡¯ll give you another night, Rosebud. I want you in the office tomorrow. And believe me, if you don¡¯t show up-¡± he cast a nce at the gate, ¡°-even your set lines wouldn¡¯t be able to stop me from reaching you.¡± Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. With that, he sent another warning look to Warner before getting into his car and driving away. Share Chapter 39 Chapter 39 Read The Trap Of Ace [by Eva Zahan] Chapter 39 ¨C ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him? I don¡¯t know how can this insane man impress you that much?¡± Warner asked, baffled. Sending him a look, I walked back to my bed and plopped down on it. ¡°What¡¯s going on here, Em? Will you tell me now?¡± he queried again. ¡°Did you two already break up?¡± ¡°We were never together for the break up you¡¯re talking about.¡± ¡°Then?¡± Raising his brow, he probed me to exin further. Sighing, I told him everything. And he listened, taking a seat beside me. But I kept some of the parts from him. Ace¡¯s past, especially his being a d**g addict back then. It felt wrong to disclose his extremely personal and sore past to Warner. So I kept that part left out. Instead I told him after Ace¡¯s father¡¯s d***h, he went into depression and decided to push me away from him taking my sister¡¯s help. It was all I coulde up with. Taking everything in, he just watched me for a moment. ¡°If he wanted you away from him then why is he after you now?¡± ¡°Because now he thinks he can take me back into his life,¡± gritting my teeth, I replied. When he was lost into d***s, he thought it was better if I was away from him. And now that he was stable again, he wanted me back. I wasn¡¯t a freaking toy that he could toss around like that. It was my life to decide, not his. He took my decision away from me. The decision if I wanted to stand beside him even after knowing his secret or not. The sharp pain shot through my chest again. How could he do this to me? ¡°No matter whatever his reasons were, Em. He shouldn¡¯t have done it. Breaking your heart like that¡­ how could he be so inconsiderate towards the girl he imed to care for so much?¡± Discontent shed across his eyes as he shook his head. I averted my gaze as a tear slipped down my cheek. Wiping the tear away, he grabbed my hands. ¡°If a person causes you that much pain, you should let them go, Em. Your tears are too precious to be shed for a person that doesn¡¯t even care if you¡¯re hurt or not.¡± When I didn¡¯t answer, he tucked a strayed lock behind my ear. ¡°No matter for how long you guys have known each other or have feelings for each other, no one can love you more than I do, Em. I would never hurt you like that.¡± His voice came out soft. Snatching my hands from his hold, I put some distance between us. ¡°Warner, please. I think we already talked about this.¡± Even hearing him eliciting his feelings for me now made me feel at difort. Hurt shed across his eyes, but he masked it soon as he sent me a look of apology. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I- uh, I couldn¡¯t just stop myself.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. I can understand. But please, Warner, I don¡¯t want any awkwardness between our friendship with these kinds of topics.¡± Looking down, I twirled my bracelet. He nodded, shing me a sad smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be careful from now on.¡± I felt bad, guilty. But it was what it was. Just because I¡¯d an argument with Ace, didn¡¯t mean I¡¯d reconsider my rtionship with him. I didn¡¯t love him. And I¡¯d hurt him enough, I couldn¡¯t do it more by pretending something that wasn¡¯t real. ¡°Thank you for understanding!¡± The corners of my mouth turned up into a tight lipped smile. ¡°No need to thank me.¡± He cleared his throat. ¡°Anyways, what are you gonna do now? You¡¯ll go to his office tomorrow just like he said? Even after what happened?¡± Turning away from him, I looked ahead, letting out a sigh. I was asking myself the same question. But the dilemma was, I didn¡¯t have any answer for it. *** Looking up, I scowled at the huge building before me. The name OC Textiles was hung up there, as if mocking me. I wanted to break this building along its owner¡¯s head! I spit some more curse at myself for doing this. But I¡¯d to do it. Keeping my anger aside, I straightened up and walked inside the skyscraper. No, I definitely didn¡¯te here for his threat. There were two reasons behind my taking this decision. One, I didn¡¯t want to look unprofessional and let my personal reasonse between me and my work. I wouldn¡¯t give him that much power to hold over me. I didn¡¯t care if he was here or not. And two, I¡¯d try my best to get out of that contract of three months that I¡¯d to spend here. Yes, my reasons contradicted each other. But it was what it was. I¡¯de here just for work as it was my duty. But I didn¡¯t want to work here for another month and a half here. I¡¯d ask him to terminate the freaking contract. And he¡¯ll have to do it. I¡¯ll make him. At the lobby, the secretary shed me her usual too friendly smile which I didn¡¯t reciprocate. I wasn¡¯t in the mood of smiling. And the nervous flutters in my tummy and pounding heart down my chest spoiled it more. Getting out of the elevator, just as I approached my cabin, I halted at my track. G*d! What was he doing here? Waiting for me outside my cabin? But wait, I didn¡¯t think Tobias would wait for me too. They seemed to be in a serious discussion. Tobias had a hand on his shoulder while he stood there with his hands in his pockets, jaw ticking. Something tugged inside my chest at his appearance. He looked¡­ exhausted. Dark circles under his eyes, dense stubble across his jaw, hair disheveled. And then his eyes flickered to me. Surprise and relief shed into them as he let out a breath. ¡°Rosebud,¡± rasping, he pulled out his hands from his pocket and walked towards me with his long strides. Before I could warn him to stay away, he pulled me into him and nuzzled his head into the crook of my neck. My skin tingled against his rough stubbles. ¡°You came,¡± he whispered into my neck, taking a sharp inhale. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. My heart palpitated as I stood there for a moment, unable to say anything. His voice, arms and scent were tampering with my head. But then my lips pressed together. ¡°Let go of me!¡± I wiggled into his hold. ¡°Never,¡± he said, kissing my jaw. My eyes widened. The nerve of this man! When my gaze met with my brother, he just scratched the back of his head awkwardly, not doing anything to help me. What? Traitor! ¡°Leave me this instance, Ace! Or else¡­¡± ¡°Or else what?¡± Pulling his head away from my neck, he challenged me. His slightly red eyes stared at me hard. ¡°You already punished me enough. Now I can¡¯t even hug you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing inparison to the seven years that you punished me for!¡± I snapped. Remorse shed across his eyes. Slowly stepping back from me, he sighed. ¡°Rosebud, let¡¯s talk inside my cabin. I¡¯ll exin everything to you.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing to talk about. I know what I needed to know. You had no choice, you had to use Tess to hurt me more, you wanted my well-being only. I know enough. I don¡¯t need to learn anything new.¡± My eyes burned with tears, but I tried my best not to let them fall. His close proximity not only affected my brain but also my emotions. His face grimaced, as if in torture as he tried to reach out for me again. But before he could do that, I turned around and scurried away. ¡°Rosebud, wait!¡± ¡°Em!¡± Rang Tobis¡¯s voice. Ignoring their calls, I climbed down the stairs. I didn¡¯t want to wait for the elevator right now. I needed to make some distance from them. The worst thing was, even my brother was on his side. Did he not know anything? Once reaching the finance department, I went to where Sierra¡¯s desk was. She was the only one I was close to in this office after Liza. And I also had to discuss with her about Arthur. I hope her leave is over. To my surprise, another girl was sitting in her ce. No Sierra there. Once trying to know what she was doing here, that neer told me she joined just yesterday after the previous girl resigned. Means Sierra. I just stared at her, dumbfounded. Why did she resign all of a sudden? Now it is extremely important for me to meet her. I needed to talk to Matt first. ¡°Ms. Hutton?¡± Turning around, I found Carter grinning at me. The devil¡¯s secretary. Even he seemed relieved seeing me. ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re here today.¡± He took a nce around. And that¡¯s when the devil arrived from around the corner, my brother trailing behind. ncing at his boss, the secretary mumbled, ¡°I hope I won¡¯t have to face another of his wrath today.¡± Frowning, I turned to the devil approaching me. Couldn¡¯t this man leave me alone for even a minute? I really didn¡¯t want to create a scene before everyone. But I didn¡¯t think he cared. Just as I was about to tell him to leave me alone for the upteenth time, a voice stopped me. ¡°Guys, look! Isn¡¯t that Antonio Reymond?¡± James, the head of finance department said, standing in the lobby of this floor. His eyes glued to the huge TV on the wall. The TV they only used to get themselves updated with the business world. But the name he said caught my attention as all pairs of eyes around the department flickered to the television. Among the swarm of paparazzi, some cops dragged a man out of a building, through not actually dragging, just taking him with them. The media was crazy, casting question after question at that man in blue suit. But he just avoided them. Some of his bodyguards put a security circle around him, saving him from the hungry reporters. I couldn¡¯t see his face properly as he had his hand before his face to avoid the shing cameras. My brows creased. Antonio Reymond? So this was the man who was after the Valencians. He trapped Caleb with the case of d***s. Then I read on the headline. Infamous businessman, Antonio Reymond got arrested due to the allegation his current date charged on him for getting her pregnant and threatening her to abort the baby. My eyes widened. Such a p***k! Gasps resounded across the lobby with a curious crowd huddled around. The curses for him followed behind that left from OC Textiles¡¯s loyal employees. Though he deserved what he was getting, from whatever I heard, he was a powerful man. Dangerous even. Then howe the girl so easily went against him and the police was brave enough to arrest him before the whole world? I had to admit. Whoever the girl was, she had some guts. My gaze fell on the devil who was standing there with an unreadable mask on his face. His steely eyes fixed on the television. What¡¯s with him now? And then I saw it. The triumph look in Carter¡¯s eyes as he sent a discreet look to his boss¡¯s way, as if¡­ A silent gasp slipped through my lips. Was I thinking right? Did- did he have any hand behind Antonio Reymond¡¯s arrest? Share Chapter 40 Chapter 40 Read The Trap Of Ace [by Eva Zahan] Chapter 40 ¨C Huffing, I mmed the files on the desk. I¡¯ve been brainstorming since the breaking news, but I couldn¡¯te up with anything. So Achilles Valencian literally destroyed Antonio Reymond¡¯s image before the whole world. From the gossip I heard from others around the office, after this blow, Antonio¡¯spany¡¯s shares dropped in the market drastically within some hours. Apparently, he was doomed. I even heard police had some proof against him doing illegal businesses far in small towns. I was sure Ace had a hand behind it. Otherwise how did police get all the proofs, strong enough to destroy a powerful businessman just in a day? Only Achilles Valencian could do it. After what that man did to Caleb, I should¡¯ve seen iting. But this was a big blow. How did he manage it? My legs itched to go to his cabin and ask him directly. I wanted to know what was running into his head? What was his next n? Because I was sure, after this, Antonio wouldn¡¯t keep quiet. But I couldn¡¯t. And all because of him! A groan left my mouth. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. The knock on the door didn¡¯t have my heart leap. Because I knew it wasn¡¯t him! He wouldn¡¯t knock at all toe in, he¡¯d just barge in like a caveman he was! Tobias poked his head through the door before strolling in. I scowled. ¡°Can I talk to you for a minute?¡± Tone gentle. ¡°No!¡± My answer was sharp, arms crossed over my chest. ¡°Em, please. This is important,¡± he said, eyes pleading. I cocked my head. ¡°Are you here towyer up for your friend?¡± He let out a sigh. ¡°I¡¯m here to make my sister see the truth.¡± My lips pressed together. So I was right. He was here for him, not me. And then realization hit me. He also knew everything. What happened that night. Of course he knew! Being his best friend and Tess¡¯s twin, there was no way they didn¡¯t tell him anything about their n. How could he let them do this? ¡°You knew.¡± It wasn¡¯t a question. It was a statement. The crack of my voice was clear. A look of sorrow surrounded his features. ¡°It was toote for me to do anything when I found out. I¡¯m sorry. I couldn¡¯t do anything to stop them.¡± He took a step closer. ¡°I know whatever they did, was extremely wrong. Even I¡¯d stopped talking to them for months after I got to know how cruelly they broke your heart. But trust me, Em. With time, I realized maybe his way to push you away was wrong, but it only did good to you. Now look at you, you¡¯re doing so good with your dream career. You were a topper of your batch. If you¡¯d stayed back, you wouldn¡¯t be able to do it.¡± ¡°What do you mean? How does his decision have any connection to my study?¡± my voice rose as I spoke. Apparently, everyone knew what happened that night, but no one even once tried to tell me anything in those years. Now I wondered if Mom and Dad also knew. ¡°Do you remember when you failed in the exams for the first time?¡± he asked. I frowned, confused about his question. Why was he asking me that embarrassing question all of a sudden? Shrugging, I answered, ¡°At ninth grade.¡± ¡°And why?¡± ¡°What¡¯re you trying to say? I didn¡¯t study well!¡± I snapped, getting irritated. He slowly shook his head. ¡°Because you were too busy after Achilles to concentrate on your study. You were too busy changing yourself, concerned about your weight, look and get up to impress him all the time that you didn¡¯t have interest in your study anymore. Or the thing that how much you were getting lost into him that you almost forgot who you really were. You¡¯d be a totally different person back then, Em. And that¡¯s because all your life danced around him. You didn¡¯t see anything beyond him. Not even your own career.¡± I remained quiet. How could I argue when his every word screamed truth? ¡°And after that, your grades only decreased. From a bright student, you ended up staying at your ninth grade twice. We were all concerned about your future, Em. And Achilles noticed it all,¡± he said, making my eyes snap to him. ¡°You were already so lost into him, ruining your future. What do you think would have happened to a naive fifteenth year old if she was thrown into a world filled with d***s and addiction by a boy she loved? Would you be able to handle the shock and pain to see him writhe in agony when he needed d***s? Would you be able to handle him when he was drunk out of his mind at some corner of a street? Would you? Would you be able to handle all of these?¡± My throat dried up as his questions swirled inside my head like a blunder. ¡°I- I¡¯d have been there for him. I¡¯d have definitely given him some support.¡± I meant what I said. I meant every word. He again shook his head. ¡°Maybe you would. But it would be too traumatic for a fifteen year old to witness it. You were too young. Your whole future woulde to at risk.¡± A sigh left him. ¡°He didn¡¯t know where life was taking him, Em. And after knowing your n to confess, he knew it was the time to separate you from him. From his life. And after getting away from him, you finally focused on yourself once you shifted to New York. You found your path back again and shone in your life. Look at where you¡¯re now. Seeing you now, I don¡¯t have anyints against him anymore. It was necessary for your own good.¡± His words stung. But deep down I knew he was right. I¡¯d have broken seeing Ace like that. My heart was too fragile back then to watch him suffer that much. But still, my heart argued with all these facts. It didn¡¯t want toe to a peace with the fact that how easily he pushed me away. ¡°I understand your point. But everything has a way to do it. He could¡¯ve just rejected my proposal! He didn¡¯t have to go ahead and do that with Tess! He¡¯d no right to hurt me like that! Do you have any idea how I felt when I saw him with my own sister?¡± a tear rolled down my cheek as I asked him, holding his gaze. ¡°It was harsh, but it was necessary.¡± I gaped at his words. Was he even hearing himself? ¡°Tell me, if he¡¯d rejected you after your confession, would you give up?¡± He raised a brow. ¡°Would you stop going after him?¡± I opened my mouth and then shut it. Never. I¡¯d never give up. ¡°Your silence is your answer, Em. You¡¯d never give up on him if he¡¯d chosen the easy way. He could¡¯ve used any girl other than taking Tess¡¯s help to do that, but still, yes you would be hurt, but after some time you would again start fantasizing about him. But when you saw him with your own sister, it shook you. It made a big difference, Em. And your being always insecure of Tess made it even harder for you to take it.¡± Averting my eyes, I turned away from him. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t Tess, you¡¯d never give up on him, Em,¡± he spoke in a soft voice. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to give up,¡± I whispered, my throat tightening up. I felt his hand on my shoulder. ¡°Neither he did.¡± My gaze met his soft blue ones. He nodded. ¡°He adored you too much to let you go. But he had to. He didn¡¯t want you to ruin your precious future on him when all he could think of was d***s and alcohol most of the time.¡± A sad chuckle slipped his lips. ¡°Though he kept himself totally sober going against his addiction the days he used to go to see you and y chess with you. He tried his best to be better, Em. But he was in too deep.¡± My heart tugged at his words. I still remembered those one or two visits of him a month when he¡¯d spend the whole day at our ce and stay with me. It was after his father¡¯s d***h. He used to be always tired. And I was too always too excited and over the moon that I never gave any attention to that. I used to think his tiredness, his losing weight was because he was sad about his father¡¯s d****e. Even in that situation, when he couldn¡¯t even go a day without his addiction, he didn¡¯t forget the promises he used to make me, to meet me once or twice a month. And he never missed the dates. Looking down, I pinched the bridge of my nose, closing my eyes. ¡°Now that you know and understand his reasons, you will forgive him?¡± he queried, his voice expectant. I didn¡¯t answer. ¡°Em, please. Don¡¯t torture him anymore. He¡¯d already suffered enough.¡± I cleared my throat. ¡°Is he in his office now?¡± His eyes lit up. ¡°Yes, I¡¯d put my everything to keep him in his office away from you for some time so that I can talk to you alone. Why? You¡¯re gonna sort everything out with him?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m gonna sort out everything by asking him to free me from the three months contract. So that I can go back to New York,¡± answering, I turned around and walked out of the cabin. He called out my name following me outside my cabin, but I didn¡¯t stop for him to throw another of his requests to forgive that friend of his! Even though I epted the good intentions of his reasons, it didn¡¯t hurt any less. It wasn¡¯t that easy for me to forget everything. Without knocking, I barged into his office. Halting his impatient pacings around his cabin, he turned to me. The disheveled hair of his indicated to the numerous times those long lean fingers brushed into them. ¡°Rosebud,¡± he uttered my name in a breathless whisper, casting my heartbeat to haywire. Taking two steps ahead, I crossed my arms over my chest. ¡°I need to talk to you about something.¡± Suddenly he straightened up, a determined look ced into his grey pools. Gone the look of despair. Nodding his head, he walked past me and went to the door. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll listen to everything you¡¯ve to say. But first, you¡¯ll have to listen to me,¡± saying, he locked the door with a click. My eyes widened. ¡°What¡¯re you doing? You don¡¯t have to lock the door to talk!¡± ¡°I need to make sure you don¡¯t run away again, sweetheart.¡± Share Chapter 41 Chapter 41 Read The Trap Of Ace [by Eva Zahan] Chapter 41 ¨C Fuming, I strode to the door and tried to open it. But his pair of strong arms snaked around my midriff and hauled me to the middle of the cabin. A shriek left my mouth. ¡°What the h**l, Valencian! Leave me right now!¡± ¡°I will. Once you hear everything I¡¯ve to say.¡± His calm tone made me boil. I didn¡¯t let him exin things, so he would literally keep me captive in his cabin, in his arms? I can¡¯t believe this man! ¡°No! I won¡¯t hear anything! You¡¯ll do what I want, and then let me go!¡± I said, putting on the scariest face I could manage on my face with a stern voice. But he ignored me. Because he was too busy roaming his grey eyes across my every single feature. As if he hadn¡¯t seen me for years. Not tolerating being disregarded like that, I stepped on his feet. With my five inches heel. A hiss left his mouth, his filled with adoration orbs now watched me in shock and confusion. But I didn¡¯t see any anger in there. Nor did his arms loosened a bit around me. ¡°Do not ignore me when I¡¯m talking!¡± His one rough palm caressed my cheek with the gentlest touch. ¡°I could never ignore my Rosebud. But I won¡¯t let you go anywhere until you hear everything and forgive me.¡± ¡°That would never happen!¡± My eyes narrowed. I wiggled into his hold, but as always, I failed to escape. My gaze flickered to those stupid bulging muscles underneath his sleeves. ¡°It will. I¡¯ll make it happen. Now what my Rosebud wanted from me?¡± Leaning in, he took a desperate sniff of my hair. His heady scent was messing up with my senses. Leaning back from him, I said, ¡°I want you to terminate the contract. I want to leave.¡± The mention of leaving had him tensed. His arms tightened around my waist and jaw clenched. Then the old Achilles Valencian came back in full force as his features hardened as stone. I saw the storm swirling inside him through the windows of his soul. Those stormy grey eyes. ¡°You¡¯ll never leave me, Rosebud. Never again. I won¡¯t let you.¡± The coolness of his voice sent shivers down my spine. ¡°Well, it was you who let me go. I didn¡¯t leave on my own wish. I was pushed away,¡± I said, holding his gaze. Now his stony features softened up a bit. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to, Rosebud. No sane person would push the only light away from their life. But¡­¡± ¡°But you¡¯d to.¡± Ipleted for him, gulping the thickness of my throat. ¡°Tobias told me everything.¡± Surprise etched into his face. ¡°I had no choice, Rosebud. Trust me, I kept meeting you and spending time with you even after knowing how I would affect your life in a bad way. I was too selfish to let you go.¡± Pain shed across his eyes. ¡°But you did,¡± I whispered. My heart clenched. ¡°You left me.¡± Shaking his head, he pressed his forehead against mine, letting out a shaky breath. ¡°I never left you, Rosebud. I could never.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Yes, I separated you from me. But I was always around. Though I couldn¡¯t touch you from up close, my eyes always did from afar,¡± he said, stopping my heart at my chest. Then raising my left hand, he kissed my wrist, gazing at my bracelet. A soft smile tugged at the edge of his lips. ¡°This looks more beautiful on you than I imagined.¡± A gasp slipped through my lips. Eyes wide, mouth agape. So, t-the anonymous person who gifted it to me was¡­ him? ¡°I-it was you?¡± He nodded, kissing my forehead. ¡°But¡­ how?¡± I was shocked. All the time I wore it on my wrist and I didn¡¯t even have any idea it was him who left the box that day outside of my door. ¡°How could I not give a congrattion gift to my Rosebud on her graduation day?¡± ¡°You were there? Y-you saw my graduation?¡± My voice came out like a meek child. ¡°Yes, I was there. I was always there for my rose.¡± He cupped my cheeks. ¡°I always had my eyes on you even if I was far away from you here in California most of the time. But I was there on your every special day. I was there whenever I thought you needed me. And trust me, it wasn¡¯t for you. It was for my own sanity.¡± ¡°That means, that means you were there all these years?¡± I asked, tears rolling down my cheeks. He didn¡¯t abandon me? He was there all the time when I thought he didn¡¯t even care to call once. He nodded, wiping my tears. ¡°Yes, I never left you alone. I could never leave my Rosebud alone.¡± A re of fire again lit inside me. ¡°Then you saw how much I suffered! And yet you didn¡¯t consider confronting me. Didn¡¯t oncee before me. Why did you do that? Why?¡± My struggle began again but he held me firm against him. ¡°I know you suffered. And I¡¯m extremely sorry for that. But you¡¯ve no idea how much agony I went through staying away from you, Rosebud. Especially when¡­¡± A muscle of his jaw ticked as his nostrils red. ¡°Especially when I had to see my girl dating other men. I¡¯d to endure it all. Trust me, they were lucky I took it as my punishment to push you away from me. Otherwise, they¡¯d be d**d right now.¡± Surprised, subconsciously a blush crept up my neck remembering those guys I dated back then only for some days. I couldn¡¯t even stretch them to a week. Because all I felt towards them was, nothing. Not even a bit of attraction. And then again my temper rose. Jabbing a finger in his chest, I gritted out. ¡°Do you know how guilty I felt to date them? Even after I thought you¡¯d nothing to do with me. Even after I was single. Do you know how much it hurt me to feel like ying with others? Just to get a little distraction. Just to forget my headache for some time! And all because you were being too great by keeping me away from you! And now that I¡¯m finally with a guy who is great, you appeared all of a sudden dering me as yours? The nerve of you!¡± His lips pressed. ¡°I know you were hurt. And seeing you in pain only doubled my agony. But it was for your own good. And I didn¡¯t just appear out of nowhere.¡± His greek ent dense. ¡°You were always mine. I was waiting for you to finish your study and my being stable enough to be worthy of you. Though I was stable for a long time before you finally graduated.¡± To be worthy of me? Something tugged inside my chest at his words. ¡°It wasn¡¯t your life to decide what i¡¯ll do or not. How did you know I wouldn¡¯t fall for anyone else and ept you back into my life just like that?¡± My tone hard. ¡°I didn¡¯t need to know that you wouldn¡¯t fall for anyone else. Because my Rosebud loved me enough to keep me in her heart forever.¡± My eyes burned as waves of emotions mmed into my chest. I let out a shaky breath, not denying him. ¡°And I also knew how stubborn my little Rosebud was. I knew you wouldn¡¯t forgive me so easily. But I couldn¡¯t give up. After all, I¡¯d waited seven f*****g years to have you back in my arms.¡± His thumb brushed my lower lip. I shook my head. Some more shameless tears slipped my eyes. ¡°No matter what you say, I can¡¯t forget what you did. You hurt me. You¡­¡± I bit my lip. ¡°You didn¡¯t let me stay with you. You pushed me away when you needed me the most. I¡­ hate you! I hate you Achilles Valencian for that! I hate you!¡± Pushing at his chest, I tried to get away from him again. Even if it wasn¡¯t my fault, I didn¡¯t know anything about his condition. But still, I felt guilty. For not being there for him when he needed me. It tormented my soul to even think of that. He pulled me closer. With raw emotions shing across those stormy grey eyes, he whispered, ¡°And I love you, Emerald Hutton. I love you so f*****g much!¡± My breathing stopped as I stared at him. And then slowly my heart started racing, a tingling sensation spread across my veins. My knees wobbled at his deration. The intense emotions searing through my chest had me let out a shaky breath. He¡¯d said those words again. The words that haunted my dreams. The words that ran into my head twenty-four hours. The words I hated myself for feeling flutters in my tummy even after hating him. I love you¡­ I wanted to hear those words again. My ears yearned to hear them again. My lower lip trembled. I had no words. I was speechless. ¡°I loved you from the day those turquoise eyes met mine, my precious rose. I loved you every time you smiled at me with those big doe eyes. I loved you whenever that little nose crinkled every time you thought you¡¯d lose into the chess matches.¡± He kissed my nose, followed by my eyelids. ¡°I loved you when you were away from me. I loved even your annoying habit of eating garlic prawns using your hand. And I love you when I have you in my arms right now. The ce where I want to keep you for the rest of my life.¡± Leaning in, he captured my trembling lips into a scorching kiss. A whimper left me as I melted against him. My heart soared high. ¡°I love you so much, my rose. So much that without you, I deny to even breath,¡± murmuring against my lips, he imed my mouth again. The way he moulded our lips around each other, the intoxicating strokes of his tongue, the warmth of his arms, I found myself letting out a sign of content. Clutching his coat tight in my fists, I kissed him back with equal urgency. I missed those lips. I missed his arms, his voice, his everything. Slowly pulling away, he stared deep into my eyes. With both of our breathing harsh, we couldn¡¯t move our gazes away from each other. It was like an invisible ma pulling us towards each other. ¡°Are you still mad at me, Rosebud?¡± he asked, grey pools filled with hope. ¡°Will you give me- give us a chance?¡± Would I? Just as I opened my mouth to give him my answer, a knocknded on the door. I tried to pull away from him but he didn¡¯t let me. ¡°No need. Whoever it is, will go away.¡± Shaking my head, I wiggled out and opened the door much to his dismay. It could be something important. But the actual reason behind my eagerness to open it was, I got an escape from his question in this way. And before I could even pull the door wide, it flew open making me stagger back. ¡°Mr. Valencian! It¡¯s so great to see¡­¡± Her ear-splitting grin fell into a half not so happy smile when her eyesnded on me standing there. My jaw clenched, hands fisted. Red freaking witch! What the h**l was she doing here? My eyes immediately formed into a re. I could feel fumesing out from every pores of my body. ¡°Uh, hello, Ms. Hutton, Mr. Valencian! I¡¯m sorry if I interrupted anything,¡± she said, nting an extra sweet and fake mask on her face. The once over she threw at him didn¡¯t go missed by me. ¡°Rosebud, you didn¡¯t answer me.¡± Not even acknowledging her, he took long strides towards me. But I stepped away. My twisting facial expression must¡¯ve told him to keep his distance. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare!¡± My voice came out as a snap. He called her here? Why? Why her? ¡°You¡¯ve got a guest to attend! Why don¡¯t you concentrate on her instead?¡± ¡°Baby¡­¡± I stepped back again from his approaching form. Fisting his hands, he let let out a curse, murmuring something incoherent under his breath. His eyes were desperate¡­ wild. Then those shing stormy gaze flickered to the red witch who wore a maroon dress today. ¡°What the f**k are you doing here? Who let you in?¡± he roared, making both me and that witch flinch. His shoulders were rigid, he seemed furious. With eyes wide open, she opened her mouth and closed like a gaping fish. Her little outfit and excessive make-up just spoiled my mood further. Not wanting to be there anymore, I pushed my legs to move. My heart still thudded from his words. Warmth, anger, jealousy, all were messing with my head. And I definitely didn¡¯t want to see her face any longer. What she didst time still burned me like a hot knife. ¡°Rosebud, wait!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± Giving him a warning look, I passed that witch and stormed out of his cabin. And to my dismay, the door automatically closed behind me. ¡°Mr. Valencian, I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡± Her meek words faded away along the gap of the door. My lips pressed tight as I red at it. Her s****y dress pricked my insides. Did she wear it for him? My nails dug into my palms. He definitely didn¡¯t call her. The way he behaved proved it. Then why the heck she was here? I just stood there like a psycho staring at a closed door with venom. And why the h**l did Ie out like that? I shouldn¡¯t have left her alone with him. Shaking my head at my ridiculous thoughts, I decided to leave. But still somehow lingered around the corner. Several ominous thoughts were nagging in my head. Though his booming voice that flew out of the closed door did soothe my burning heart a little. So they were definitely not doing anything that I wouldn¡¯t like. Content ? N?velDrama.Org. After some more barking of him, the door opened again and that witch came out with a teary face. I hid myself from her sight. Throwing another nce at his cabin, with her pale face she turned around and rushed down the hallway without looking back. And I just kept ring at her until she was out of sight. A thud came out from his cabin, followed by another. I took a few steps towards the door, ready to barge in again. But then I stopped myself. If I go in there right now, he wouldn¡¯t let me leave until I answer him. I shook my head. He must be angry and throwing a tantrum right now. But¡­ what if he was hurt? I bit my lip. And then I heard him shouting something at someone. Must be talking to someone. Secondster, a huffing and panting Carter appeared and rushed inside the devil¡¯s den. I heaved a sigh. I think he was okay. It was just another bad day for Carter, I guess. Poor guy. Just as I turned around to leave, my phone buzzed. Opening the message, I read it. Great! He sent the information I needed. Now all I had to do was to drive there and sort things out myself. Share Chapter 42 Chapter 42 Read The Trap Of Ace [by Eva Zahan] Chapter 42 ¨C Pressing the bell, I waited. The elevator opened and anky middle aged man came out in a floral shirt. Stopping at his track, he eyed me up and down with his slightly red eyes. I faced away from him and tapped the bell again. What¡¯s taking her so much time to open the door? Once the creepy man unlocked his apartment next to the one I was standing before and got inside casting me onest lingering nce before closing the door, I sighed in relief. G*d knows how she stayed here with this creep at the other side of the wall. With a click, the door opened and her blonde head peeked through it. Surprise was etched into her brown eyes. ¡°Emerald? What¡¯re you doing here?¡± ¡°Hi, Sierra!¡± I smiled. ¡°Sorry, I tried to call you but it went unreachable every time. I heard from Matt that you weren¡¯t well, so thought to give you a visit.¡± ¡°Uh, thank you for your concern. I¡¯m much better now.¡± Her wary gaze flickered around. She still was talking to me through the small gap. I cleared my throat. ¡°You won¡¯t invite me in?¡± She seemed hesitant, but then nodded her head and held the door wide for me. shing another smile, I walked into the hall of her small apartment. With an adjoined kitchen, there were two more doors attached to the hall. An old couch, two chairs and a small bookshelf were ced at the small area. Not anything fancy, but it was cozy. ¡°Would you like to have anything? Coffee?¡± she asked, stance awkward. What¡¯s with the weird behavior? I shook my head. ¡°No, thanks. I just came to see if everything is okay. Umm, why did you resign all of a sudden? I mean, if you needed more time to recoverpletely, then you could just ask Matt. I think he¡¯d help you out with this.¡± I came to the point without beating around the bush. Her meetings with Arthur, taking leave all of a sudden and then resigning. I had a hunch it could be somehow rted to him. She shrugged, wringing her knuckles. ¡°Uh, as you know I wasn¡¯t well. I needed some time to get better completely. I couldn¡¯t just expand my leave like that. And I decided to give myself a break, to spend some time with my family, you know? So¡­¡± ¡°So you decided to quit the job?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± she answered, licking her dry lips. The swell around her eyes and dark circles under them caught my attention. ¡°With your stack of bills pending?¡± I pointed at the papers on her small table beside the door. Clearly, she hasn¡¯t been able to pay them on time. She averted her eyes. ¡°I-i was just about to pay the bills. I was just a bitte and they sent notices.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to exin anything, Sierra. I just want to know why you quit the job all of a sudden if you were facing some financial problem?¡± I asked. ¡°Is it- is it because of Arthur?¡± Her eyes snapped to mine, they widened to a friction. So I was right. He had something to do with it. ¡°W-what are you talking about? Why would he be the reason behind my quitting?¡± ¡°Because I saw you with him twice, Sierra. And at both times, you were pretty shaken.¡± All colors drained from her already pale face. Fear shed across her eyes. ¡°H-how? W-where? Listen, it¡¯s nothing as you think it is¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on, Sierra? You¡¯re definitely hiding something.¡± I cut her off. ¡°Is Arthur threatening you about something? Or is there something else that you had to leave your job? Tell me, Sierra. Trust me, if there¡¯s anything like that, I can help you. I¡¯ll talk to Ace myself.¡± cing a hand on her shoulder, I tried to assure her. Shaking her head, she took a visible gulp. ¡°You¡¯ve mistaken. He didn¡¯t do anything. I left the job because of my personal reasons which I already told you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me, Sierra. It¡¯s in your eyes. I can see it. He¡¯s done something that you had to take this step, didn¡¯t you? I saw you with him, you were crying. Please tell me the truth, I can help you.¡± I probed, my voice desperate. I had been suspicious about this man from the start, from the party when he denied before everyone that he hadn¡¯t met me before. Which was aplete lie. And at our first meeting, the words he said, no sane person would say those things to a stranger just like that. So assuming that he may have forgotten wouldn¡¯t be right either. He¡¯s always given me a negative vibe. And now that I was close to discovering the real face behind his polite mask, I didn¡¯t want to lose it. Taking a step back from me, she wrapped her arms around her. ¡°You can¡¯t help me, Emerald. No one can. And don¡¯t think too much of what you saw. It was nothing. Just forget it.¡± ¡°Of course, I can. If I talk to Ace, he¡¯ll definitely hear me out and believe me.¡± I knew he¡¯ll. But¡­ against his own uncle? Would he go to the extent for me to distrust his uncle who had always supported him in every phase of life? Shaking her head, she took a nce at the door. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t havee here, Emerald. I think you should go now.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Please, I beg you. I can¡¯t tell you anything! Don¡¯t drag both you and me in danger by digging something that isn¡¯t rted to you.¡± Though her voice was stern, there was moisture in her eyes. Danger? Something churned in my stomach. ¡°What danger?¡± ¡°Emerald, please. Just leave. I¡¯m telling this for your own good.¡± I sighed. ¡°At least tell me why did you quit?¡± She stayed silent for a moment, and then said, ¡°I had to. I didn¡¯t want to do something that¡¯s against my morals.¡± *** Taking a sip on my tea, I watched the steam vanishing into the thin air slowly. Content ? N?velDrama.Org. Why did she mean by that? She didn¡¯t want to do anything that was against her morals? Though she didn¡¯t give me a direct answer, I was sure now that Arthur was definitely not a man to trust. He was up to something. But what? I wish Sierra would¡¯ve told me everything. But clearly, she was scared. How dangerous Arthur could be that if she opened her mouth, she had a fear that he¡¯d harm her? A shudder ran through my spine. ¡°Em? You¡¯re listening?¡± A hand waved before my face, pulling me out of my thoughts. Warner had a tiny frown between his brows as he watched me. ¡°Sorry. What did you say?¡± ¡°I asked if you¡¯re doing well now. I mean, when I met you yesterday, you were a mess.¡± After getting out of Sierra¡¯s building, I got a message from him asking if I wanted to grab some drinks together. So here we were, sitting at a small buzzing cafe, sipping on our hot beverages. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine now. Even went to the office today.¡± Even after the Arthur mess, I couldn¡¯t help but remember Ace¡¯s confession at the back of my mind again and again. A blush rose up my neck as I twirled the bracelet. The bracelet he gave to me. He¡­ loved me. Warmth surged through my chest along the flutters in my tummy. I wanted to close my eyes and relive the moment when he said those words to me again and again. After talking to Tobias and then him, it felt like a huge burden had been lifted off of my chest. Though it still hurt thinking of everything, I felt somehow lighter now. I could see the reasons. After all, we all were young back then. ¡°You went to the office again? I thought after what he did you wouldn¡¯t even see his face ever again!¡± he stated in disbelief. I heaved a sigh. ¡°It was the original n. But then, I was bound by a contract, remember? I had to join office again.¡± ¡°You could make him terminate the contract if you wanted. But clearly, you already forgave him, didn¡¯t you? You forgot how he used your sister to break your heart!¡± he snapped. My eyes narrowed at his tone. ¡°I didn¡¯t forgive him yet. And he didn¡¯t use my sister to break my heart. Tess volunteered. And¡­ he had a reason to do that. Not that I support his way, but he only wanted my well-being. Even if nothing much good happened in my life after his stunt.¡± Irritation red inside me again recalling everything that happened since thest seven years. Even if I couldn¡¯t call him totally wrong for his reasons. Because bitter, yes, but he had valid reasons. He truly wanted my good. But in the process, he hurt both me and himself. ¡°Yet? That means you¡¯re considering to forgive him? You¡¯re so lost into him to see that he isn¡¯t the right guy for you. Don¡¯t you see how he behaves with you? He wants to control your life, Em. And you¡¯re letting him!¡± ¡°I know what I¡¯m doing, Warner. You don¡¯t need to tell me what I should do or what I shouldn¡¯t. And about him being controlling, yes, he¡¯s a control freak. But he doesn¡¯t cross any lines if I tell him not to. He respects my decisions.¡± My voice came out firm. He proved it many times. If I needed time, he¡¯d given me without letting his dominating self in the way. Though his patience lived short. ¡°So you¡¯ll let him cross the line?¡± His jaw ticked. ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t know. And I really don¡¯t think I need to answer you everything about my personal life.¡± Closing his eyes, he pinched the bridge of his nose before meeting my eye again. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Em. I was just looking out for you, you know? I just don¡¯t want you to make wrong decisions in your life in a rush.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry.¡± I shook my head, leaning back into the chair. ¡°I¡¯m sorry too. I got a little harsh.¡± He smiled. ¡°It¡¯s alright. I pushed you too much. Anyways, forget about it. You were looking tense a while ago. Is everything alright?¡± Should I tell him? I knew I could trust him. He was my best friend after all. Maybe he could give me some suggestions? After I told him everything, my suspicion on Arthur and the matter of Sierra, he pondered for a moment, taking every information in. ¡°So you think he¡¯s doing something at Achilles¡¯s back?¡± I nodded. ¡°He definitely is. He threatened Sierra to do something that she wasn¡¯tfortable with, so she left the job. I¡¯m sure she didn¡¯t want to deal with him anymore.¡± ¡°So why don¡¯t you tell this to Achilles?¡± A breath sneaked through my lips. ¡°I can¡¯t. I don¡¯t have any solid proof against him. Nor did I witness him doing anything wrong before my own eyes. And Ace and Caleb trust him blindly. They won¡¯t believe me if I inform them of my doubt.¡± ¡°Then I think you should wait and see if you find anything against him. But honestly, after hearing what Sierra said, he seems like a dangerous man. So I¡¯d suggest you stay away from him, Em. Don¡¯t drag yourself in any kind of danger,¡± he cautioned. ¡°But I can¡¯t just sit like that without doing anything. Because I can sense it, he¡¯s up to something. And I want to stop him before he does some real damage.¡± Especially to Valencian Corp or Ace. But I doubted if he would harm his own nephew. Something lit up in his eyes. ¡°I think I can help you. My cousin here in California, he¡¯s a detective. A genius. Though we don¡¯t get along much, I think he¡¯d help you if I talk to him.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great! Please, do that! And I¡¯ll also try to provide him with as much information about Arthur as possible. Thank you, Warner! It¡¯ll be a great help!¡± Grabbing his hands, I shed him a grateful smile. He squeezed my hands. ¡°Anything for you.¡± *** After reaching the office, I headed directly for my cabin. I needed to call Tobias and ask him about Arthur. The more I knew about him, the better. And at this moment, only Tobias could help me without asking much. ¡°Emerald?¡± Matt¡¯s voice halted me at my track. Turning around, I found him jogging to me. ¡°Hey! What¡¯s up?¡± I asked. ¡°A sudden board meeting came up. And you need to be present there. I¡¯ve already informed the boss,¡± he said, huffing. I frowned. ¡°Even though I attended every board meeting, I won¡¯t today. I¡¯m busy right now. Go, tell your boss,¡± saying, I turned to leave. ¡°Wait!¡± He stopped me again. ¡°You can¡¯t miss the meeting, Em. As a board member, you¡¯ll have to attend.¡± The crease between my forehead deepened. ¡°I joined the previous meetings just because your boss ordered me. I¡¯m not a board member, just an ordinary employee like you, Matt. I think you¡¯re mistaken.¡± ¡°What are you talking¡­¡± His eyes widened. ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t know?¡± ¡°Know what?¡± He scratched the back of his head, averting his eyes. ¡°Uh, nothing. My mistake. I thought you were really a board member since you attended each one in the previous month.¡± A warning bell rang in my head. ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me. You¡¯re the CEO¡¯s PA now. You said you didn¡¯t know who¡¯s the actual member of the board council and who¡¯s not, and I¡¯ll believe that? What¡¯s it? What are you not telling me, Matt?¡± My gaze on him was intimidating. His eyes flickered around as if looking for an escape. ¡°Matt! Out with it!¡± ¡°H-he will fire me. I swear, I didn¡¯t know you weren¡¯t aware of it.¡± His whole stance pleaded me to let him go. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he won¡¯t know anything. I won¡¯t expose you,¡± I said, probing him to spill. He shuffled into his ce, looking at his right and left. ¡°Matt?¡± ¡°You promise you won¡¯t tell anyone that I told you this?¡± ¡°I promise. Now tell me.¡± He sighed, his shoulders slumped. ¡°You¡¯re not just an ordinary employee, Emerald. You¡¯re a member of the board.¡± I tilted my head in confusion. ¡°But someone only bes a board member when¡­¡± He nodded his head. ¡°When they have a share in thepany. And¡­¡± He hesitated. ¡°And?¡± ¡°And you own royalty of the shares in not only thispany, but the whole Valencian Corp¡¯s. The boss made you the equal owner as him in the business. Means, everything Achilles Valencian owns also belongs to you now.¡± Share Chapter 43 Chapter 43 Read The Trap Of Ace [by Eva Zahan] Chapter 43 ¨C YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING ME! An equal owner of everything he owned? That¡¯s ridiculous! Why the h**l would he do that? Only Achilles insane Valencian would be able to answer that. With eyes formed into a scowl, lips pressed into displeasure and rage running hot through my veins, I stormed into his cabin. Well, I wasn¡¯t required to knock. His eyes snapped up from his mobile. Standing in the middle of his cabin, his features matched my emotions right now. He was ring holes at his phone. I knew what ran into his head. Of course he would be mad if I wouldn¡¯t receive his non-stop calls and messages. My phone stopped vibrating as he cut the call. ¡°Where the h**l were you?¡± Throwing the phone on his desk, he fired. ¡°And what the h**l did you do?¡± I countered back, ring at him. The ce between his thick brows crinkled. ¡°What did I do? Shouldn¡¯t I be asking you questions right now?¡± Sharp jaw ticked. ¡°You went to meet him again!¡± Now that took my attention off the previous matter. Warner? How did he know that I was with him a while ago? Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Then realization hit me. ¡°You!¡± Striding closer, I jabbed a finger into his chest. ¡°You still have your men after me? Didn¡¯t I tell you I don¡¯t want them to follow me around? How dare you!¡± ¡°You were holding his hand,¡± he said, ignoring my question. His tone came out hard, pure jealousy and rage shed across his eyes. ¡°Yes, I was. And that shouldn¡¯t have anything to do with you! He¡¯s my friend. I¡¯ll hold his hand, hug him, cuddle with him. I¡¯ll do whatever the h**l I want with him. You don¡¯t have a say in this!¡± ¡°No, you can¡¯t!¡± Pulling me against his hard chest, he wrapped one of his strong arms around my waist and grabbed the back of my neck with the other. His dark grey eyes held me captive. ¡°No matter what he is to you, no men can touch you other than me! Did you forget that you¡¯re only mine, my little rose? That you belong to me?¡± Gulping, I tried to tame my wild heart beating down my chest. Weirdly, this side of his did something to me. His possessiveness and dominant behavior produced a fire inside me. No matter how absurd it was, my treacherous body reacted to it. ¡°T-that is ridiculous! I-i¡¯m not yours.¡± I cringed at my own voice. It sounded croaky and meek. ¡°Yes, you are,¡± he whispered, inches away from my face. ¡°Are you doing this to punish me, Rosebud? If you are, then I¡¯d take anything as my punishment but not this. I can¡¯t see you with him. Not with any other men.¡± ¡°What will you do if I say this is your punishment and I¡¯ll meet him again and again?¡± I challenged. His lips curled into a sneer, grip tightening on me. But even a flicker of fear didn¡¯t raise in me. Because I knew, he could do anything but hurt me. At least not physically. ¡°Don¡¯t make me do something that you won¡¯t like, Rosebud. Do not y with my jealousy, because a jealous Achilles Valencian is anything but good. I don¡¯t y really fair in love and war. And here we¡¯re talking about both.¡± My lips parted in surprise. What would he do if I don¡¯t listen to him? Whatever it was, it wouldn¡¯t be definitely in Warner¡¯s favor. ¡°He¡¯s just my friend! You don¡¯t need to go all crazy over it! We- we¡¯re not together anymore. So just calm your a*s down!¡± Narrowing my eyes, I titled my head, ignoring the fact that his shoulders rxed visibly. ¡°You¡¯d take any punishment for me to forgive you?¡± He straightened up, eyeing me with suspicion. ¡°Yes. Anything. And I know you¡¯re not together anymore. I¡¯d a conversation with Casie. But that doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯ll let him fly around you. That guy still has feelings for you. I don¡¯t want him to look at you the way only I have the right to.¡± I gritted my teeth. I couldn¡¯t believe this man! And Casie? That traitor! She talks to him about me behind my back, doesn¡¯t she? I knew she was always on his side! I¡¯d talk to herter. Now I needed to take care of this man first. So notmenting on his insane demands, I came to the point. ¡°You want my forgiveness or not?¡± Grey eyes widened a bit. ¡°Of course, baby. What should I do? Tell me and I¡¯ll do it. Do you need anything? Jewelries? Or you need a car? You love puppies, right? Should I bring you one? Or dozens? What do you want, baby?¡± I shook my head. Men! He thought gifts could melt my mind? Raising my chin, I kept my voice firm. ¡°Nothing you just mentioned right now. You¡¯ll have to do just two things. And then I¡¯ll consider whether to forgive you or not.¡± ¡°Consider?¡± He scowled. ¡°Take it or leave it!¡± He stayed silent for a moment and then nodded. ¡°What are those?¡± ¡°The first one is, you need to stop your men from following me around. I don¡¯t want them to keep an eye on me like hawks everywhere I go.¡± ¡°What?¡± His displeasure was back. ¡°I won¡¯t do such a thing! They¡¯re there for your safety, Rosebud. They aren¡¯t going anywhere.¡± Tone stern. ¡°I¡¯m not a child that they need to protect. I¡¯m a big and independent girl, I can protect myself very well. And what about your deration that you¡¯ll do anything to make me forgive you?¡± I raised my brow. A muscle of his jaw ticked. ¡°I¡¯d do anything. But notpromise with your safety.¡± ¡°You have to! It¡¯s not that there¡¯s some Mafia after me who wants to kidnap me to take revenge on my father!¡± My fists clenched. I¡¯d make him agree with my decision. ¡°Remove the guards, or no forgiveness.¡± ¡°Rosebud,¡± he warned, trying his infamous intimidating tone on me. But s, I wasn¡¯t any of his employees. And he knew it really well. When I continued to hold his hard gaze with my defiant one, he let out a sigh. ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°Alright?¡± Shocked, I watched him in perplexion. I wanted him to agree, but I didn¡¯t know he¡¯d agree that soon. ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll pull my men off of your back. Happy now?¡± His facial expression was too nk to read. ¡°Promise me.¡± He nodded. ¡°I promise not to send my men after you.¡± He promised. That meant he wouldn¡¯t break it. He never broke his promises to me. A smile broke onto my face. ¡°Now what¡¯s the other one?¡± My smile faltered, remembering his audacity. ¡°You made me the equal owner of everything you belong to. Undo it. I don¡¯t want your money! Whom did you ask before taking this decision? Did you really think I¡¯d be interested in your property?¡± The astonishment and shock in his eyes were clear. But he masked them soon, clearing his throat. ¡°How did you know? And of course not, Rosebud. I¡¯ll never think of you like that.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter how did I know. And if not that, then why the h**l did you do that? I don¡¯t have any interest in your business. Change it!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Rosebud. I can¡¯t agree to this condition of yours.¡± ¡°Why?¡± I snapped. ¡°I said I don¡¯t need them. Why¡¯d everything that belongs to you would belong to me too? I¡¯ve no right on them!¡± Leaning in, he pressed his forehead against mine. ¡°Because I belong to you, my Rosebud. Just like you belong to me. So everything that I own, automatically bes yours. It¡¯s the truth. And I just made it official. Nothing unexpected.¡± My breath hitched, heart fluttered inside my chest. A blush rose up my cheeks. ¡°T-that doesn¡¯t make any sense. I don¡¯t need anything from you.¡± Why did his words have such an effect on me all the time? ¡°I know. But I need you to ept it. Everywhere my name will be, I want yours beside mine,¡± he said, peering down my soul. ¡°And if something happens to me, I¡¯ll rest in peace knowing that everything that I worked hard for will be in my Rosebud¡¯s hands.¡± A chill ran through my veins as something squeezed my chest at the thought of losing him. ¡°What do you mean? What will happen to you? Don¡¯t talk rubbish!¡± my voice rose as I spoke, hands fisting on his shirt. Share Chapter 44 Chapter 44 Read The Trap Of Ace [by Eva Zahan] Chapter 44 ¨C A soft chuckle left him. ¡°Of course, Rosebud. Nothing will happen to me. I¡¯m just stating facts.¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s a really absurd fact! And you¡¯ll emotionally ckmail me to get me into your court now? Because that¡¯s not happening!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not ckmailing you. And what¡¯s done is done. It¡¯s not negotiable anymore.¡± My lips pressed tight. ¡°What if I run away with all your money?¡± Anotherugh. ¡°You can take anything you want, baby. Everything is yours. Just make sure you also take me along. Because I can¡¯t live without you.¡± I could feel my cheeks and neck heating up again at his cheeky response. Now he was flirting with me? Unbelievable man! I wiggled out of his arms. ¡°Whatever you say, I¡¯ll make you take everything back from me. Or I will give it back to you!¡± He quirked a brow. ¡°It¡¯s non reversal, Rosebud.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see!¡± Huffing, I turned around and walked away. ¡°Where are you going?¡± His footsteps behind me reached my ears. ¡°At the meeting. With the responsibility you gave me, do I have any other choice?¡± I replied, without stopping at my track. ¡°Right. But what about my forgiveness? You didn¡¯t still forgive me.¡± ¡°I said I¡¯d consider. And you didn¡¯t agree to my second punishment.¡± He groaned. ¡°Well, they were more like conditions. But yes, agreeing to them was a punishment to me.¡± ¡°As if you agreed to both of them!¡± I taunted. ¡°So there won¡¯t be any forgiveness!¡± ¡°Now that¡¯s not fair, Rosebud. I agreed to one even though it was too much for me to do. And the second one wasn¡¯t negotiable.¡± He continued to walk after me down the hallway outside of his cabin. ¡°It¡¯s absolutely fair. The deal was for two conditions, and you only agreed to one.¡± ¡°I can still keep my men after you, you know?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t. You promised.¡± I wasn¡¯t bothered by his threat. He was bound by his promise here. He stayed quiet. Huh? epted defeat so soon? An involuntary smile tugged on my lips as I walked ahead of him. But I wasn¡¯t letting the equal owner thing go so easily. I¡¯d give it back to him today or tomorrow. At least I got his men off my back. A masculine groan was heard behind me. What was that? Turning over my shoulder, I looked at him. His heated gaze set on my butt. With wide eyes and flushed cheeks, I turned back my head and walked as fast as I could. That a****e! And the whole way to the conference room, I felt his eyes on me. On a VERY specific area. Pervert! *** After the meeting, when I strolled out from the conference room leaving Ace behind to discuss with some of the board members, I spotted Tobias. ¡°Hey! You¡¯re here at this time?¡± It was almost lunch hour. ¡°Yeah, remember the project Achilles invested in my start uppany? I needed something to discuss with him.¡± Oh, I almost forgot about that. And thanking him for helping Tobias also slipped my mind. But I couldn¡¯t let one thing slip right now, the one that was nagging in my head since the meeting with Warner. ¡°Ace is still busy with some board members. Why don¡¯t we hang at my cabin until he is free?¡± I needed to dig out information about Arthur from him. He nodded. ¡°Sure!¡± Once we were in the safety of my cabin, out of anyone¡¯s earshot, I didn¡¯t waste anymore time. ¡°What do you know about Arthur?¡± He halted his movement in the air from settling his a*s on the chair to look at me. Then finally seated, he raised a brow. ¡°That he¡¯s Achilles and Caleb¡¯s uncle and is a good man? Why do you ask?¡± I rolled my eyes. How informative! ¡°I didn¡¯t ask you his identity. I asked if you know more about him. Like his background and past.¡± ¡°Wait a moment. Does Achilles know that his Rosebud¡¯s interest is shifting from him to his uncle? I know even at this age, he is quite fit. But c¡¯mon Em! Isn¡¯t it going out of the line?¡± he teased. My mouth twisted in disgust. ¡°Shut the h**l up! I need some information about him to clear up some doubt of mine. So speak up now. Don¡¯t waste my time!¡± His posture straightened. ¡°Doubt? What¡¯s happening here, Em?¡± I sighed. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you anything right now, Tobi. Once I sort everything out, I¡¯ll let you know. So please, help me here.¡± He slowly nodded his head. ¡°Alright. I don¡¯t know what doubt you have on him. He¡¯s a trustable man. And really close to Achilles and Caleb.¡± Unbuttoning the button of his coat, he leaned against the chair. ¡°Anyways, as far as I know, he¡¯d spent a big chunk of years of his life in UK. His rtionship with Achilles¡¯s father wasn¡¯t good. And due to some conflict, Achilles¡¯s father sent him away to UK when he was quite young. And then only only returned after Achilles¡¯s father had a sudden d****e.¡± Yes, I heard that his rtionship with Ace¡¯s father wasn¡¯t good and he was in the UK before he came back. But I didn¡¯t know it was Ace¡¯s dad who sent him away. And between the years, they didn¡¯t have any contact among each other. And why everything rted to Ace and his past stopped at UK? ¡°What did he do back then in the UK? A job or anything?¡± ¡°He¡¯d a small business there. That¡¯s quite big now with Achilles¡¯s help. You can say, he¡¯s a millionaire there now with farmhouses and some hotels,¡± he replied. ¡°Ace went to the UK for two years to get his degree after I left for NY, right? Did he stay at one of Arthur¡¯s ces?¡± At my question, he shifted in the chair, scratching his jaw. ¡°Umm, sometimes. It was Arthur who sent him there. Though we all thought he was going to need a lot of time to finish his¡­ course, regarding his state. But he returned after two years and started to handle hispany on his own.¡± Pride shone into his eyes. Why did I feel like there was something hidden behind his words? ¡°After sending Achilles there Arthur took care of thepany until he returned. And he kept everything stable. That¡¯s why Achilles and Caleb respect him that much. When no one was there for them, Arthur was there.¡± That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t want to think anything bad about him. But after Sierra¡¯s incident, I couldn¡¯t help it. Maybe the kindness and honesty were just masks over his true colors? ¡°Do you know where exactly his business is located out there?¡± Warner¡¯s cousin can find out more about him from the locals and people that associated with him in the past. ¡°Yeah, in Wales. I¡¯ll send you the exact address.¡± ¡°Alright. What about his own family? Doesn¡¯t he have a wife or kids?¡± He shook his head. ¡°No. He never married. Neither I heard anything about him having any child.¡± A question out of the topic raised into my head. ¡°Do you know where Ace¡¯s mom is? Or the reason behind his dad¡¯s s*****e?¡± I¡¯d have asked him myself all these questions about his past. But after his revtion, I couldn¡¯t think of anything else other than what he did seven years ago. ¡°The only thing I can tell you is she¡¯s not here. And not really in touch with anyone. Then rest you¡¯ve to ask Ace himself. And about his father¡¯smiting s*****e, I really don¡¯t have any idea. He never told me. The only thing I know is things were never good between his parents.¡± He shrugged. My heart tugged for him. It must have been really difficult for him to live in a ce where he had to watch his parents fight everyday. Even I heard of them arguing some times during my visits at his ce. And now he didn¡¯t have his father beside him. His mother was alive, but still far from him. I wondered what was the reason she left him and Caleb alone behind just like that? I heaved a sigh. ¡°Alright, thank you, Tobi. I really needed some insight.¡± Though it wasn¡¯t much, at least I got something about Arthur. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re up to, Em. But think twice before doing something rash. Achilles is quite close to his uncle, so be careful.¡± He stood up, buttoning his coat button. ¡°Anyways, before I forget, tomorrow is Tess¡¯s rehearsal. You¡¯reing, right?¡± I rubbed my neck. I decided not to attend, but then I couldn¡¯t just miss an event that meant so much for her. Nor did I want my parents to be upset. ¡°I¡¯ll be there. Don¡¯t worry.¡± He smiled. ¡°Tess will be relieved. She¡¯s been nagging me to convince you toe if you had decided otherwise. I¡¯m d you¡¯re letting things go, Em. It¡¯s for everyone¡¯s good.¡± I nodded. ¡°I know. See you tomorrow.¡± cing a kiss on my forehead, he walked out of my cabin. Letting out a sigh, I plopped on the chair he upied just some seconds ago. In between the Arthur mess and thoughts of Ace, I totally forgot about her marriage. And also the thing that Warner was invited by Mom. Though it was when we were still dating each other. And she couldn¡¯t just uninvite him just like that. And my biggest concern was, Ace would be there too. A groan left my mouth. They were going toe face to face again. The thing I didn¡¯t want. ShareText property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Chapter 45 Chapter 45 Read The Trap Of Ace [by Eva Zahan] Chapter 45 ¨C ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were so eager to ruin your sister¡¯s rehearsal dinner. Inviting your ex and present lover at the same time? And when the lover is a fiercely possessive one,¡± Casie tasked, ncing behind me. My heart skipped a beat. Swirling around, I found Warner strolling in the backyard. Noticing him, Tess and Caleb walked up to him, giving him weing hugs. Sighing, I turned back. ¡°What¡¯s with the sullen face?¡± she asked, the side of her lips tugged up into a devilish smirk. ¡°Expected someone else?¡± ring at her, I took a sip on my lemonade. It¡¯s been an hour we¡¯d arrived at Tess¡¯s rehearsal dinner at Valencian Mansion. A BBQ party was held in the vast backyard of the mansion before the dinner. The trees were lit with fairy lights and a small bonfire was set in the middle. While Mom, Dad and some of our uncle and aunts sat around the fire to keep themselves warm in the early winter night, Tess, Tobias, Caleb and their friends took care of the BBQ meats. It was just more like a small get-together with close family and friends than a rehearsal dinner. Tess didn¡¯t want it to be a formal event, she wanted to have some cool time with everyone. Though I was happy with her decision, I even had a polite conversation with her after arriving here, I couldn¡¯t help but feel bored. Well, worried to be exact. There was no sight of him yet. And I could understand why. Coming to the house he¡¯d faced so many hurdles in his childhood wasn¡¯t an easy thing to do. Tess and Caleb had their new home not far from ours ready to shift after their marriage. And after the ceremony, they¡¯ll leave this mansion to their new home for a new start. The main reason for them to keep this dinner over here, they wanted to spend some quality time before they left this ce. And I couldn¡¯t be mad at them for that. But that didn¡¯t make his pain any less. Already two times he¡¯de here for me. But I didn¡¯t know if he could do it again and again. So even if I dreaded of the oue once Ace finds Warner here, I was more concerned of his state of mind right now. My hands itched to call him, but I just kept them in control. I was mad at him, right? I couldn¡¯t just call him to ask if he was alright. He¡¯d think I forgot everything and forgave him. Which I didn¡¯t. Well, not yet¡­ ¡°Can you stop getting lost into his thoughts? Just call him and get over with it.¡± She rolled her smokey eyes which went well with her ck cocktail dress and high heels. ¡°You¡¯re not even talking to me properly. Are you ignoring me here?¡± Turning away from her, I leaned against the small drink bar situated not far from the bonfire. ¡°I¡¯m not lost into his thoughts. And yes, I¡¯m ignoring you. You just realized that? Now why¡¯d I talk to a friend who joins hands with the enemy.¡± ¡°Enemy?¡± Her brows crinkled. ¡°Uh-huh. Enemy.¡± I threw her a look. ¡°You told Ace about me and Warner¡¯s break-up. And I had no idea about it. You should be in my gang to kick his a*s with me, but here you¡¯re, passing information to him about my life?¡± With wide eyes, she shed me a sheepish grin. ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re mad for that.¡± She cleared her throat. ¡°It¡¯s not my fault. When you weren¡¯t responding to his calls or messages, he¡¯d ruined my peace to know what was going into your mind as he thought you¡¯d share everything with me as your best friend. So to have a good night¡¯s sleep, I had to pass him something to calm the beast, you know?¡± I shook my head at her. ¡°And I didn¡¯t say anything wrong. He¡¯d get to know sooner orter,¡± she added. ¡°Now stop being a grumbling a*s and call him. And don¡¯t make any excuses. Even among so many people, your mind is somewhere else. I can see it. It¡¯s on your face.¡± Was it that obvious? ¡°By the way, does he still send you roses every morning?¡± she asked out of blue. ¡°Yes?¡± Why¡¯d she ask that? She knew really well the flowers were an everyday thing now. ¡°Save the day after tomorrow¡¯s bouquet for me. I¡¯ll drop by your ce at eleven.¡± Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. My eyes narrowed. ¡°Why¡¯d I give you my flowers?¡± ¡°Jeez, rx. Don¡¯t need to get all green now. You can keep all of them, I just need one bouquet.¡± Taking ast swig of her drink, she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. ¡°That day is my current date¡¯s b***h elder sister¡¯s birthday. And I¡¯ve to attend her formal family brunch with something in my hands. Now why¡¯d I waste my money to buy something for her when I can just take your bouquet?¡± I let out a chuckle, not surprised at all. Typical Cassandra McCoy. When it came to the people she disliked, she wouldn¡¯t even throw a penny for them. ¡°Kids, thembs are ready!¡± Mom beckoned us with her hand, serving the smoky grilledmbs on tes for everyone. ¡°Don¡¯t forget the flowers!¡± saying that, Casie skipped off to the group. cing the ss on the counter, I heaved a sigh. Cool air kissed my b**e arms, pricking goosebumps across my skin. While rubbing my arms to provide some warmth, my eyes fell on the bracelet on my wrist. Those tiny emeralds and diamonds sparkled under the light. An involuntary smile touched my lips as I ran my thumb softly on it. After acknowledging the fact that he was one who gave it to me, it felt more closer to my heart than ever. As if it was one of my limbs I couldn¡¯t even imagine to lose. I didn¡¯t even put it off while taking showers. Where is he anyway? My eyes went to my left when I heard footsteps approaching. And to my great displeasure, it was Arthur. Approaching the ground, he shed everyone with one of his fake polite smiles and shared hugs with Tess and Caleb. Both of them seemed quite happy with his presence. ¡°I¡¯m d you could make out some time for the dinner, Arthur. I hope you didn¡¯t have to cancel too many of your meetings?¡± Tess asked, grinning ear to ear. Unfortunately, he handled most of the important deals after they got signed with Valencian Corp. Due to Ace¡¯s trust in him, he saw if everything was going smooth for those projects to getpleted on time and without any problems. Not to forget, he managed Ace¡¯s many side businesses. ¡°Oh, no! Not at all. Nothing is more important than family,¡± he said, fishing a small rectangr velvety box out from his pants pocket. ¡°Here, I got you something for you. I hope you like it.¡± Her eyes shone with excitement as she took the box from his hand and opened it. The perfectly arched brows of her rose to her hairline. A pair of sparkling diamond earrings sat inside. ¡°Oh my! This is beautiful, Arthur! Thank you so much! You really didn¡¯t have to buy me such an expensive gift though.¡± She wrapped her arms around him once again which he returned with a pat on her back. Pulling away, he shook his head. ¡°Nothing is as expensive as the smile I got to see on my future daughter-inw¡¯s face.¡± Her eyes filled with moisture as Caleb pulled her into his arms, starting a conversation with Arthur. ¡°Who can say this man could be dangerous for someone?¡± Warner¡¯s voice spoke beside me. ¡°This mask of his will be revealed soon.¡± My eyes didn¡¯t move away from him. Something glowed inside his pocket. His phone. Momentster, it went off as he ignored it. ¡°By the way, did you talk to your cousin?¡± I turned to look at him. With a formal white button down and dark cks, he had a ss of orange juice in his hand. He nodded. ¡°Yes. I even gave him the address you messaged me about Arthur¡¯s business in the UK. He already started to look into it. I¡¯ll update you as soon as he gets back to me with anything.¡± ¡°Good. Tell him to do his best. Money isn¡¯t the matter of concern here. I want his truth.¡± So that I could disclose him before Ace and throw him out of his and my family¡¯s life. ¡°I¡¯ll. But¡­ are you sure you want to do this, Em? If he somehow gets even a sniff on this¡­¡± He trailed off. I shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m not scared of him. And don¡¯t worry, your cousin is a detective. And detectives know how to be discreet.¡± Nodding, his gaze went around. ¡°Where is Achilles anyway? I thought he wouldn¡¯t leave another chance to convince you to forgive him.¡± The bitterness of his voice didn¡¯t sit well with me. I could understand his concern for me, but I didn¡¯t like the fact that he thought I¡¯d do anything Ace would tell me. I had a mind of my own. I knew what to do in my life without anyone¡¯s influence. But I kept quiet. Though unintentionally, I¡¯d hurt him. And I knew he wasn¡¯t over our past yet. And it was leading him to grow bitterness for Ace more. I just hoped he¡¯d move on soon. He had every right to be happy in his life with someone who¡¯d love him truly. ¡°Maybe he won¡¯t join the dinner tonight. Must be busy somewhere.¡± ¡°Busy with whom?¡± he taunted. I threw him a sharp nce. His indication pricked my skin. ¡°Warner, please. We already talked about it, didn¡¯t we? I don¡¯t want a scene in Tess¡¯s rehearsal dinner. So even if hees, please be civil with him. Tonight and tomorrow are very special for my sister, don¡¯t ruin it.¡± Sighing, he nodded. ¡°Sorry, I got a little carried away.¡± ¡°Just remember what I said.¡± My eyes went back to Arthur. Finally pulling his phone out, he watched the caller ID. And as soon as he did it, his whole demeanor changed. Casting a discreet nce at Tess and Caleb who were busy talking to each other, he excused himself and walked into the house. ¡°Alright, I will¡­ wait, where are you going?¡± Warner¡¯s voice called out, but I was already following Arthur¡¯s path inside the mansion. It must be an important call. Maybe I could find something out? Halting in a hallway, I moved my head to my right and then left. Endless eerie corridors weed me with its silence. Distant music that rang outside was the only sound I could hear. Where did he go? He was just here a moment ago. I saw himing here. E, a house help who worked for Tess here, emerged from around the corner of the corridor at my right with a tray of more drinks in her hands. ¡°Ms. Hutton? What are you doing here alone? You needed anything?¡± she asked as soon as she noticed me. ¡°No, E. I don¡¯t need anything. Thank you. Uh, did you see anyoneing this way?¡± I pointed to where she just came from. She shook her head. ¡°No, Miss. I didn¡¯t see anyone. Why? Is everything alright?¡± Nodding, I smiled. ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t worry. Everything is fine. You can go ahead and give everyone these drinks.¡± Once she was gone, I took the left corridor, making sure not to make any noises. If he didn¡¯t go from where E just came, he must¡¯ve taken this way. E would¡¯ve seen him if he took right. After walking aimlessly among the empty corridors for some moments, I finally heard something. His voice. I stopped right before the door of the balcony. Through the gap of the door, I peeked outside. And there he was, standing beside the railings he had his phone against his ear. The knuckles of his hand turned white around the railing as he heard the person from the other side of the phone. The veins of his temple stood out as he gritted his teeth. ¡°And you¡¯re telling me this right now?¡± he hissed, tone low. He heard what the other person said with hands formed into b***s. ¡°That b***h!¡± he cursed under his breath. ¡°Did she spill anything?¡± His index finger danced patiently on the railing. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Then he nodded. ¡°Keep an eye on her. Inform me if she tries to do anything against me.¡± His face turned into stone cold as he straightened his cor with one hand. ¡°And if she doesn¡¯t stay in her limits, make sure she loses her life just like she lost her job.¡± Share Chapter 46 Chapter 46 Read The Trap Of Ace [by Eva Zahan] Chapter 46 ¨C My breath hitched at my throat. Heart pounded down my chest. He was talking about Sierra? He must be. B-but, why did he need to order someone to finish her if she does anything against him? Did he get to know I went to see her? To get information about him? No, no. Even if he did know of my visit, how could he know that I had any kind of suspicion on him? I could visit her for any reason, right? She was my friend after all. But that wasn¡¯t the matter of concern right now. Sierra was in danger. He could harm her at any moment. And I couldn¡¯t let this happen. I had to do something for her. What secret of his did she know for him to act that vicious to the point where he¡¯d want her to be d**d? When he put the phone down and put it into his pocket, I whirled around and left as fast as I could, without making any noise. Thank G*d for the thick handcrafted carpet that covered the floor. Otherwise my heels would announce my presence even if I took a single step. With my heart at my throat, I ran down the empty corridor and turned to a hallway that didn¡¯t lead outside. There was a risk of him noticing me if I took that route. ncing over my shoulder as I took another turn, I mmed against a hard chest and the blow had me thrown backwards. But a pair of big warm hands shot out to me and pulled me back, securing me into their hold. For a second I almost stopped breathing assuming I got caught, but then I looked up. Narrowed stormy grey eyes met mine, they held concern. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? You could get hurt if I wasn¡¯t here to hold you!¡± Yes, I could. But you saved me. I took a deep breath. Relief washed over me. I subconsciously stepped closer to him, casting a nce at my back. No matter what I said, I wasn¡¯t brave enough to be alone with that man in those eerie hallways. Now that there was a whisper at the back of my mind that he knew what I was up to. Though it didn¡¯t make any sense, he couldn¡¯t have known about my suspicion. But still, after hearing his phone conversation, a fear etched into my mind. But that wouldn¡¯t stop me from exposing him. ¡°Rosebud?¡± Cupping my face, he made me look into his now hard eyes. My fists were now clenched around his ck shirt. ¡°What happened? You look scared. Is everything alright?¡± He glimpsed behind me. ¡°Did anyone do or say anything to you?¡± Gulping, I shook my head. ¡°Nobody said or did anything. I¡¯m fine, don¡¯t worry. I-i kinda got lost around here. So, I was just looking for the exit.¡± He didn¡¯t look convinced. ¡°You know this house quite well, Rosebud. You can¡¯t just get lost here so easily. What are you hiding?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not hiding anything.¡± Now that I got his one arm around my waist and another one softly running through my hair, I felt safe. His mere presence gave me security. ¡°I was just looking around out of boredom and got a bit lost. There are so many hallways after all. Anyways, you came? I thought you weren¡¯t going to join tonight¡¯s dinner.¡± Even if he was aware of my subtle way of changing the subject, he let me. His tight jaw and steely nces over my shoulder were the evidence. ¡°Ace?¡± His head snapped to me. ¡°Yeah. I- I was busy with a meeting.¡± What Caleb said back at their engagement party floated into my mind. My heart clenched into my chest. ¡°It must be difficult, isn¡¯t it?¡± I whispered. ¡°What?¡± His head tilted to the side. ¡°Coming here,¡± I said. ¡°It must be difficult for you toe to his house. The house that only brings you hurtful memories.¡± His shoulders tensed as an unknown emotion shed across his eyes. I ced my hand against his cheek, dense stubbles pricked my palm. ¡°I¡¯d tell you shouldn¡¯t havee here. But I won¡¯t. Because you¡¯ve to move on, Ace. Besides those ugly memories, you also have one of the most beautiful memories of your life here. So don¡¯t let the negativity ovee the positive sides. Until you won¡¯t let go of the past, you won¡¯t be able to be happy in your present.¡± I didn¡¯t want him getting hurt like this. Though he didn¡¯t say anything, I could see it in his eyes. The emptiness, the pain. Something was eating him alive and he couldn¡¯t express it. And worse, there was a fear in there. Behind those grey pools. Fear of something I couldn¡¯t figure out. ¡°Let go of it, Ace. It¡¯s time to move on. Don¡¯t let the past hold your happiness and peace,¡± I murmured, stroking his jaw. Heaving a breath, he pressed his forehead against mine. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t all of these be applied on everyone, Rosebud?¡± I frowned. ¡°Everyone who¡­¡± Then it hit me. He was talking about me. I averted my eyes. He sighed. Taking my hands in his, he kissed each of my knuckles. ¡°Come with me.¡± ¡°Where?¡± Not answering, he led me down the hallway. Once we were at the terrace, he turned to me. ¡°I bought something for you.¡± ¡°What?¡± Taking his phone out, he typed something and then put it back inside his pocket. ¡°You¡¯ll see.¡± Hugging my arms around me, I rubbed my arms. ¡°We should go downstairs. Everyone must be looking for me.¡± I should be angry with him, right? After our argument at his cabin, I should give him a cold shoulder. And here I was, standing on the terrace with him alone. Shrugging off his jacket, he secured it around me. ¡°Here, it¡¯ll keep you warm. Though I was enjoying looking at you in that dress.¡± Heat crept up my cheeks as I tucked a strayed strand behind my ear. I didn¡¯t wear anything fancy. Just a simple blue sleeveless sundress with a pair of ck heels. Cupping my chin, he made me meet his intense gaze. ¡°Never hide your face from me, Rosebud. I love to see those cheeks turn all red.¡± I couldn¡¯t turn more red now. My cheeks were on mes, hurt fluttering. D**n! Would his words ever cease to affect me that much? A clearing of a throat snatched our attention towards the door. Carter stood there with an awkward stance at the entrance with a box in his hands. I took a step back from Ace, pulling at the jacket closer to me. ¡°Uh, boss. Here¡¯s the parcel you told me to get from your car,¡± Carter said. After taking the box from him, Ace nodded. ¡°You can go now.¡± This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. shing me a smile, he walked away. ¡°What¡¯s in that?¡± I eyed the box curiously. Standing before me, he opened it, putting the contents inside on disy. Very delicious content to say. ¡°Chocte cupcakes?¡± With wide eyes, I looked up at him, a wide grin spread across my face. A soft smile tugged at his lips as he nodded, watching me intently. ¡°You like them, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I like them? I freaking love them!¡± Taking the box from him, I took a sniff. Sweet aroma wafted through my nostrils making my mouth water. ¡°Come here.¡± Taking my hand, he took me near the railings. A squeal left my mouth as he gripped my waist and sat me on the wide surface of the railing. I didn¡¯t dare to look down. I was sure I¡¯ll have a heart a****k. ¡°What are you doing? Let me down!¡± I tried to get off, but he only parted my knees and stepped between them, wrapping his arms around me. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t let you fall.¡± cing the box beside me, he took out one cupcake and held it against my lips. ¡°Now you can eatfortably.¡± When his grip tightened around me, I rxed and took the cupcake from his hand, biting into it. A moan slipped my mouth as soon as the soft as cotton stuff melted into my mouth. There was even chocte cream inside it. It was so d**n delicious! ¡°It¡¯s so good! Where did you get them?¡± I put my phone beside the box and upied my other hand with another one. While I devoured on them like a woman hungry for years, he just watched me silently. A serenity held those stormy grey eyes. And that did something serious damage to my heart. ¡°I didn¡¯t buy them from anywhere. I made them myself,¡± saying, he wiped the corner of my lips with his thumb and put it inside his mouth. A shiver ran down my body. Ignoring his act, I focused on his words. ¡°You made them? For me?¡± He chuckled. ¡°Whom else would I spend my precious time to do these efforts for?¡± I just stared at him. Leaning in, he grabbed my hand and made himself have a bite on the half eaten cupcake. ¡°Only for my Rosebud.¡± Eyes didn¡¯t move from mine. My breath hitched at my throat when he took my thumb into his mouth and sucked the chocte off it. His hot tongue circling my thumb while his teeth bit into my skin gently. ¡°Delicious,¡± he rasped. Letting it go, he took my index finger next in between his lips. Somehow he was closer than before, inches away from me. One of his hands brushed the side of my t***h, gradually rising high, inching closer to my inner one. I tried to close my legs but his form didn¡¯t let me. Something tugged at my lower region with his heady scent around me, his mouth around my finger and his burning touch against my skin. ¡°W-what are you doing?¡± I somehow managed to stutter out, breathing heavily. Pulling my finger from his lips, I removed his hand. But his other hand squeezed my hip on the other side. ¡°Touching my Rosebud.¡± Moving my hair away from my shoulder, he put his head at the crook of my neck and inhaled sharp. Long forgotten the cupcakes, I now squirmed into his hold as his big callused hand squeezed one of my thighs. Another heat shot through me. ¡°S-stop,¡± I whispered, biting my lip. Letting out a groan, he palmed my inner t***h and my treacherous body let him. ¡°I can¡¯t!¡± saying, he mmed his mouth against me, capturing my lips into his scorching ones. And my eyes just went shut on their own. Not caring about my ruined hands, I clutched his cor and pulled him closer, wrapping my legs around him. He didn¡¯t waste any time to thrust his tongue inside my mouth and nor did I hesitate to join him in the battle. He explored every corner of my mouth and I let him, shivering in ecstasy. Suddenly I felt hot under the cool weather. Too hot to be normal. I could feel my dress riding up my mid thighs, and his hands roaming and feeling them. A desperate moan left my mouth. I needed more. I wanted more of his touch. I wanted to feel his skin against mine. So slipping my hands under his shirt, I ran my hands over his taut abs and hard sculpted chest. Letting out a rough groan, he pulled me at the edge of the railing and I tightened my legs around him. And then I felt it. Him. Right against me. Hard and hot. A gasp slipped through my lips as he pushed his hips against mine, emitting a loud moan from me. ¡°My rose,¡± his husky yet rough voice murmured against my neck as he sucked on the skin on the junction where my shoulder met my neck. ¡°I need you. I need you so f*****g much!¡± I let out a shaky breath, my hands tugging at his hair. My lips parted when he left some more marks on my throat. They would definitely leave hickeys. But I didn¡¯t care at that moment, I was too lost into his touches and kisses. Until my gaze fell onto his knuckles. Every gaze before my eyes cleared up. I tried to push him away but he ignored me. So I used more strength. And this time, he did pull away. With a confusion etched into his darkened eyes, he watched me in perplexion. ¡°What¡¯s it?¡± I pointed at his swollen knuckles. There weren¡¯t any cuts like before but they were bruised. ¡°You hurt yourself again?¡± His gaze hardened. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize.¡± My jaw clenched. ¡°You didn¡¯t realize? Are you even hearing yourself? You hurt yourself again and again and you don¡¯t even realize? What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, these are nothing. It happens sometimes when people do too many work outs.¡± I shook my head, my blood ran hot through my veins. And this time not because of his touch, because of his careless behavior towards himself. ¡°They aren¡¯t there because you work out too much. They¡¯re there because you¡¯re careless! Because you don¡¯t even care if you¡¯re hurt! You do this on purpose, don¡¯t you, Ace? I told you to stop this, but you didn¡¯t listen. Why do you do that? Why do you hurt yourself like that?¡± He watched me with something intense in those grey pools. ¡°Once you¡¯re in my arms forever, they won¡¯t happen again.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯ll be always there to keep me sane and in check.¡± I didn¡¯t understand it. Why would he hurt himself to keep himself sane. He loses himself so much into his work out that he doesn¡¯t even care if he¡¯s hurt or not. And only I can keep himself sane? Cupping my cheeks, his eyes now held desperation. ¡°Give us a chance, Rosebud. Give me a chance to be a part of your life. Give me a chance to hold you in my arms for the rest of my life. Just one chance, baby. I promise, I¡¯ll make it worth it. I know I hurt you. But I¡¯ll spend my whole life making it up to you. I promise I¡¯ll spend myself whole just to bring a single smile on your lips. I¡¯ll never make you cry again. Just,¡± he gulped, ¡°give me a chance. I love you so f*****g much, my Rosebud. Without you in my arms, I had spent the seven years in living h**l. I can¡¯t do this anymore. Please forgive me. I beg you. Just give me a chance, Rosebud. Just one chance.¡± A tear rolled down my cheek. With my heart thudding inside my chest, I fisted my hands into b***s. Fierce emotions mmed into my chest into hefty waves. ¡°Will you forgive me, Rosebud? Will you give me a chance?¡± he asked again, his eyes searching mine for answers. Share Chapter 47 Chapter 47 Read The Trap Of Ace [by Eva Zahan] Chapter 47 ¨C Running my palm over the smooth fabric one more time, I took a deep breath and opened the door. With every step down the stairs the ends of my gown red more, providing a feel of a princess ascending down the staircase towards the prince charming of hers. But for me, my annoying best friend stood down, not even looking at me. She was too busy applying her dark red lipstick holding a small mirror before her dolled up face. The light blue mermaid gown with her blonde curls resting over her shoulders looked stunning on her. Hearing me approaching, her eyes looked up to me. And her jaw dropped down. ¡°Holy s**t!¡± She nced up and down my whole structure. ¡°This is the first time I¡¯m feeling ashamed to be straight as a stick. D**n! Achilles is a lucky a*s!¡± Iughed. ¡°Look who¡¯s talking. See yourself in the mirror first.¡± She shrugged. ¡°I just did. Thanks for the not directpliment though.¡± I shook my head. ¡°Where¡¯s Beth?¡± Her lips twisted in displeasure. ¡°She¡¯s gonna meet us directly at the venue. Again got caught up with her boyfriend problem.¡± I sighed. ¡°Alright, c¡¯mon. Let¡¯s see if Tess is ready yet.¡± ¡°As ready as her pimple,¡± she said, chuckling. I frowned. ¡°What do you mean?¡± And then I heard the chaos inside the bride¡¯s room. Pushing at the door, I walked inside. In a beautiful white Cindere wedding gown, with her blonde locks wrapped into a low bun on the back of her neck and slightly heavy make-up on her face, she looked gorgeous. As usual. But she looked anything but pleased at this moment. Facing upwards, she tried her best not to let the tears in her eyes fall. One of her friends was telling her to take deep breaths and not panic. ¡°Tess, stop crying! Do you want your eyes to look swollen in the pictures? This thing isn¡¯t even visible now. You¡¯re looking beautiful, honey!¡± said Mom, calming her down. Then my eyes fell on her right cheek. A small not too visible pimple poked its head through theyers of make-up. Though it wasn¡¯t noticeable unless you looked closely. Tess shook her head, tears brimming into her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not! I can see it clearly! Why did it happen to me! All I wanted was for this wedding to go smoothly. Now I¡¯ll have to see this on my wedding photos for the rest of my life!¡± Mom sighed, defeated. And then she looked at me. Her eyes lit up. ¡°Oh my! Look at you, you¡¯re looking so beautiful!¡± She pulled me into a brief hug before pulling away. ¡°I didn¡¯t even realize when both of my babies got so big.¡± Casting a nce at Tess and then me, she sniffled. ¡°Mom, now you don¡¯t start also. We¡¯ve Tess to handle now,¡± saying, I turned to Tess. Her eyes glued to my gown, lips parted. ¡°You look¡­ wait, even though you¡¯re looking gorgeous in this dress, why didn¡¯t wear the one I got you for my wedding?¡± ¡°Thank you. You¡¯re looking more than just gorgeous today!¡± I smiled. ¡°And about this dress¡­ I thought it¡¯d look more good with your bridesmaids.¡± She asked me to be her maid of honorst night and I couldn¡¯t deny. Due to our previous conflicts, she couldn¡¯t ask me earlier even though she didn¡¯t let any of her friends be her maid of honor. Because she wanted it to be me. So I agreed. Her face dropped again. ¡°Yeah, everyone is looking so perfect except me.¡± ¡°You¡¯re looking stunning, Tess! The most beautiful bride I¡¯ve ever seen. Everyone is going to love your look.¡± My assurance didn¡¯t affect her at all as a drop of tear slid down her cheek. I put a hand on her shoulder. ¡°Tess, answer me a question. Why are you getting married today?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Her brows narrowed. ¡°Why are you getting through all of this?¡± I asked again. ¡°For Caleb.¡± I nodded. ¡°Exactly. So do you think he would care if you¡¯ve a little pimple on your cheek on your wedding day? Do you think he can see any other things other than the girl whom he loves so much walking down the aisle for him?¡± Silence. And then she shook her head. ¡°No. He doesn¡¯t care about these things.¡± ¡°See. Then why are you being so restless? You¡¯re doing this for him, and if he doesn¡¯t have any problem with your pimple, then shouldn¡¯t you just leave it and enjoy the most important day of your life?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. But¡­ what about the photos?¡± Casie rolled her eyes beside me while Mom pinched the bridge of her nose. If we didn¡¯t leave now, we¡¯d gette. ¡°We can always just edit them, Tess. And this won¡¯t be visible in the camera much. And if it does, then we¡¯ve a solution for this already. Now can you calm down and let those girls give you a finishing touch so that we can leave?¡± Now seemed to be at much more ease than before, she shed me a smile and finally calmed down. *** ¡°It¡¯s your turn, hon,¡± Dad said, with Tess¡¯s arm around his as they were waiting for their turn to walk down the aisle. After all the bridesmaids skipped off ahead, came the turn of the maid of honor. Me. Nodding my head, I took a deep breath and stepped ahead. The pace of the slow music around the gleeful ambience didn¡¯t match my pounding heart. As if I was the one getting married, not my sister. The flutters in my tummy went berserk as soon as I stepped into everyone¡¯s sight. But it wasn¡¯t the people¡¯s stare or cheers that made my heart thump, it was the man my eyes searched for. Returning everyone¡¯s smile, with my chin held high, I walked down the aisle with poise. Caleb stood there with his usual bright smile as he nodded at me which I returned with my own. Tobias and other of his friends stood beside him, all in well-groomed ck tuxedos. But there wasn¡¯t a certain person I was looking for. The groom¡¯s best man. And then I saw him. unting a creased forehead, with his eyes on his phone, he walked up to Caleb and stood beside him. And when those grey orbs lifted up and caught mine, I stopped breathing for a moment. As if subconsciously, he took a step ahead, the frown on his forehead disappeared, grey eyes shed with mine until they glided down my body. His lips parted. An emotion that shed across his face directly hit my already fluttering heart. Heat rose up my neck to my cheeks under his scorching gaze. I was sure I turned a deep shade of red, matching the color of my gown. The gown he gifted me. I was d I didn¡¯t wear it before. It wouldn¡¯t have held the importance it did today. My action would speak what my words couldn¡¯t say. Last night he asked me a question. And here was my answer. When I reached the altar, he gave me his hand and I took it. His gaze didn¡¯t leave my face as he pulled me closer. So many emotions swirled across his stormy grey eyes but the one that stood out, was light, happiness. Though an eagerness fought along. ¡°Dude, we¡¯re here to attend Caleb¡¯s wedding. Not yours,¡± one of the groomsmen joked as the crowd cackled with mirth. Blushing, I stepped away. When he didn¡¯t move from his ce, continuing to watch me, I pointed towards the aisle. Tess walked through the red carpet along Dad, a beautiful bouquet in her hand and a blinding smile on her face. Seeing the bride¡¯s arrival, he finally stepped back and let Caleb settle at the middle of the altar. Both of the bride and groom¡¯s gaze didn¡¯t move from each other as they stood before the priest after Dad handed her hand to Caleb. The love and adoration shone in their eyes as they took the vows to cherish and care for each for the rest of their lives. During the whole ceremony his eyes didn¡¯t move from me. His jaw ticked, fists clenched and unclenched. An annoyance stered on his handsome face. ¡°Can you finish it already?¡± He red holes on the priest. At themand of his deep dark voice, that poor man sped up his lines. ¡°Man, shouldn¡¯t I be the impatient one? Your girl isn¡¯t going to run anywhere. Easy there,¡± Caleb murmured to him, making Tess giggle and me turn beetroot. Casie bumped her shoulder with mine, winking at me. I ignored her. And as soon as the priest announced the bride and groom as husband and wife, he didn¡¯t wait a second before striding to me. Grabbing my hand, he dragged me away from the altar. ¡°Ace, what are you doing? I need to be there right now.¡± ¡°Trust me, Rosebud. Nobody in the world needs you more than I do right now.¡± And then I let him drag me behind him. His tight grip around my hand told his impatience. But a figure became a hindrance to his way. Halting at his track, his shoulders tensed. His nostrils red as his sharp jaw ticked. ¡°What the f**k you¡¯re doing here?¡± ¡°I need to talk to Em,¡± Warner replied, his features stoic. His grip around my hand tightened. ¡°You didn¡¯t answer my question. What are you doing here? Who let you in?¡± D**n! At the end it had to happen, hadn¡¯t it? The thing I was fearing. Last night when I didn¡¯t give Ace any answer, I felt how his mood went to a dark path though he didn¡¯t show it to me. And his meeting Warner didn¡¯t seem to be a good idea at all with his darkened mood. So messaging Casie, I had her take Warner away with some excuse from the function. I felt guilty, but I didn¡¯t want a scene at Tess¡¯s rehearsal dinner. I put a hand on his arm, Warner¡¯s gaze followed the act. ¡°Ace, please. Don¡¯t start anything here. He was invited to the wedding,¡± I said softly. His shing grey eyes met mine. ¡°I don¡¯t care if he¡¯s invited or not. He¡¯s not staying here.¡± Turning to Warner, he hissed, ¡°Leave!¡± ¡°Ace!¡± I gasped. ¡°He¡¯s my friend. You can¡¯t talk to him like that.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, Em. I don¡¯t care what he says. I came here for you. I need to discuss something important with you.¡± Putting on a tight smile, he pushed his hands into his pockets. ¡°She won¡¯t go anywhere with you.¡± The deep greek ent sent shivers down my spine. His enraged eyes cut through Warner. But Warner held his gaze. ¡°Let her take the decision, shall we?¡± G*d! This isn¡¯t happening! I didn¡¯t n my day anything like this. I totally forgot that he¡¯d be here out of excitement for my meeting with Ace. Taking a threatening step forward, he spoke in a low voice, ¡°Do not try to cross my path, Mr. Wilson. I¡¯m warning you for thest time. You won¡¯t like the oue, trust me.¡± Though Warner kept a nonchnt face, he did take a step back. The fleeting fear shing across his eyes for a second didn¡¯t go missed by me. I pulled Ace back and turned to Warner, casting him an apologetic smile. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Warner. I¡¯ve to go right now. But I¡¯ll meet you in a bit, alright?¡± His jaw clenched but he didn¡¯t say anything. Nodding his head, he gave onest nce at Ace who was still murdering him with his re and walked away. I turned to him. ¡°What was that? You were t rude!¡± Ignoring my usation, he grabbed my waist and dragged me with him again. Once before an unupied room, he pushed the door open and locked us inside. ¡°What are you doing¡­¡± My words caught at my throat as he pinned me against the door. Leaning in, he snuggled his face at the crook of my neck. ¡°This dress¡­. Tell me what I¡¯m thinking is true, Rosebud. Tell me you wore this for me,¡± he groaned out, taking a sharp intake of breath. And with that, all my irritation went out of the window. My heart beat was fast as a tingling sensation ran across my skin with his hard body pressing against mine. The intoxicating strokes of his hands on my curves sent my nerves to a haywire. ¡°Tell me, Rosebud. I¡¯m being impatient here. I¡¯ve waited too long. I can¡¯t anymore. Did you wear it for me?¡± Pulling away, he pressed his forehead against mine. ¡°Isn¡¯t this dress an answer to your questions already? Do I need to say anything?¡± I whispered, gazing into his soul. He shook his head, a torment etched into those grey orbs. ¡°I need to hear it from your mouth. Tell me. Did you¡­ did you finally forgive me? Did you decide to give us a chance?¡± A smile spread across my face, my eyes burning with the hefty waves of emotions mming into my chest. ¡°Yes!¡± I gulped down my tears. A happiness bloomed into my heart. ¡°I forgave you¡­¡± And again I was cut off by him. But this time with his lips. Which I appreciated a lot. Breathless once he pulled away, I was greeted with a blinding smile on his face. Grey eyes shone with felicity and content as he cupped my face. ¡°You truly forgave me, Rosebud?¡± I nodded, lost into his smile. He was breathtaking. How did I get so lucky? Letting outugh, he pulled me closer and littered kisses all over my face and neck. ¡°Thank you! Thank you so much, baby! You don¡¯t know what you gave me today!¡± A fit of giggle left my lips with his non-stop kisses as I leaned more into him. Yes, it took me some time to forgive himpletely, to understand his reasons for why he pushed me away. Though it still hurt, I couldn¡¯t stay mad at the decision he took in the worst time of his life. And the most important thing was, he only wanted my well-being. Even after forgiving him, I held myself back to give myself some time to process everything. And now even my patience was over. I couldn¡¯t stay away from him anymore. From the man my heart beats for. cing a lingering kiss on my lips, he peered into my eyes. ¡°So now I can call you mine?¡± I raised my brow. ¡°I thought you already dered that.¡± A musical chuckle reverberated through his chest. ¡°Well, I dered what¡¯s the truth. You¡¯re mine.¡± Brushing the pad of his thumb on my lower lips, he whispered, ¡°Only mine.¡± Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. His lipstched onto my mouth again, his hungry tongue battling against my eager one. ¡°You don¡¯t know how happy I¡¯m today, Rosebud. You¡¯ve freed me from my years of torment. Thank you so much, baby. I promise, I¡¯ll make it up to you for the rest of my life.¡± ¡°You better,¡± I said, breathless from his scorching kisses. His hands reached behind me to cup my butt. Giving my cheeks a hard squeeze, he scooped me up, making me wrap my legs around his hips. Even though in this heavy gown it was really ufortable, I didn¡¯t care. Nor did he. We were more concentrated on our kiss instead. When his hand slipped under my gown, going up my t***h, his rough big hand palming it, I let out a moan. G*d! I needed more! I needed this man! Letting out a groan, he ran his hand against my b**e skin, deepening the kiss. ¡°I love you, my rose. I love you so f*****g much!¡± A warmth surged through my chest. Even in the kiss, a serene smile stretched across my lips. And then the words I¡¯d been hiding in my heart for years slipped through my lips. ¡°I love you too!¡± Share Chapter 48 Chapter 48 Read The Trap Of Ace [by Eva Zahan] Chapter 48 ¨C He froze. Slowly pulling away, he cupped my cheeks. ¡°What did you say?¡± I bit my lip. But the shy smile broke out on my face anyway. ¡°What did you say, Rosebud? Did you just,¡± he gulped, his eyes were desperate, ¡°did you just say that you¡­¡± ¡°I love you.¡± He let out a shaky breath, the intense emotions swirling in his grey orbs seared my heart. ¡°Say it again,¡± he rasped. Pulling him closer, I brushed my lips against his desirable ones. ¡°I love you, Achilles Valencian. I love you so much that it hurts.¡± Heaving a sigh, he engulfed me into his chest. I ced my cheek right above his heart listening to his fast heartbeat. I didn¡¯tin about his vice grip around me as we stayed like that for some moments. Though I didn¡¯t like his silence. ¡°Ace?¡± I whispered into his chest. ¡°Just a minute, Rosebud.¡± He took a deep breath into my hair. ¡°Say it again.¡± I smiled. ¡°I love you.¡± ¡°Again.¡± Laughing, I smacked his chest. ¡°No, I already told it three times.¡± Slightly leaning back from me, enough to look at my face, he ced his palm on my cheek. ¡°Please, baby. Just once more. I want to hear it again. You don¡¯t know how much I¡¯ve waited to hear those words. How many times I¡¯ve dreamt of you saying those words to me.¡± Something bloomed into my heart. Blinking away my tears, I ced a kiss on his chest. ¡°I love you, Ace. I love you so freaking much! More than anything in the world.¡± I looked up at him. His eyes were closed as if feeling every word that left my lips. ¡°Happy now?¡± Those stormy grey eyes met my turquoise again. A content smile stretched across his heavenly features as he pulled me in his gentlest kiss. Not the demanding punishing kisses. But to my dissatisfaction, he pulled away, leaving me crave for more. ¡°Come with me?¡± he asked, running his hand through my locks. ¡°Where?¡± ¡°Somewhere where I can have you all to myself.¡± His heated gaze ran slid down to my cleavage. ¡°Did I tell you how beautiful you¡¯re looking in that dress? More than I¡¯d imagined you¡¯d look.¡± I blushed. Alone with him to have him all to myself? Tingles ran down my body as unholy thoughts shed across my mind. The idea sounded tempting. But we couldn¡¯t just leave the ceremony like that. ¡°Thank you. But we can¡¯t. The ceremony.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care. Now that I finally have you in my arms, I don¡¯t want to let go of you.¡± He ced a sensual kiss in my neck, arms tightening around me. A moan threatened to leave my lips. I had to stop him before I lost my control. We couldn¡¯t do anything right now. At least not until the ceremony was over. ¡°You can have me all to yourself after the reception is over. Everyone must be looking for us. We need to go outside.¡± I tugged at his hair gently. He groaned,tching his mouth on my throat. ¡°I don¡¯t want to. I need you, Rosebud. I need you right now. I¡¯ve waited so long.¡± Thest sentence came out like a breathy whisper. I clenched my thighs at his deep voice. No matter how much I wanted to stay here, I couldn¡¯t. As a maid of honor, I had to see if everything was going smooth for the reception. Tonight. I could wait till tonight. ¡°Later, baby. But we¡¯re needed outside right now. Caleb and Tess must be looking for us.¡± The s****l tension that was floating around us from thest months threatened to burst right now. Now that there was no barrier between us, we both wanted each other like two broken poles of ma needed the other to bepleted. Pulling away, his eyes held mine. They held dark promises. ¡°Later?¡± A mischievous smile tugged on his lips. ¡°I will keep that in mind.¡± With my cheeks burning, I looked down. Grabbing my chin, he tucked a strand behind my ear. ¡°Let¡¯s go outside and get done with everything as soon as possible. Because I can¡¯t wait any longer.¡± Neither could I. I wanted to say, but chose to stay shut. It wasn¡¯t a wise idea to tease the beast right now. Nodding my head, I ced one lingering kiss on his lips before opening the door and stepping outside. He followed behind, pulling me into him again. But then due to an important phone call, he had to leave me. But only for some minutes, as he said before walking away receiving the call. When I was finally outside, Tess and Caleb were busy chatting with some guests and clicking photos. She didn¡¯t seem to be bothered with her pimple anymore. After checking out if everything was good with the reception preparation, once I was outside again, I found Warner approaching me. Instinctively, my eyes did a nce around to see if my caveman was anywhere around. I didn¡¯t want his horns toe out seeing Warner near me again. I seriously needed a serious talk with him about it. ¡°You¡¯re free now? Come aside for a minute. I¡¯ve some information about Arthur.¡± At the mention of him, I looked around the ce. I¡¯ve not seen him after the wedding. The moments he lingered around, he wasn¡¯t focused on the ceremony either. He was too busy on his phone with his tensed old features. Nodding my head, I pulled him to a scheduled ce where guests weren¡¯t roaming around. ¡°What did you find out? And sorry for earlier. Ace, uh, he could be a little possessive when ites to me.¡± He snorted. ¡°A little? Can¡¯t you see, Em? That man is obsessed with you. He thinks of you as his property that belongs to him. And trust me, men like him like to chase. You were like a challenge to him, so he came after you suddenly after all these years. And now that you finally gave in, just wait until he shows you his true color.¡± My fists clenched. Gritting my teeth I kept myself from saying something that might hurt him. His hatred towards Ace was getting on my nerves now. ¡°Warner, can we just talk about what¡¯s important right now? We¡¯ve an issue in our hands. And that¡¯s Arthur. So let¡¯s just stick with it for now. And I already told you to not make any assumptions about me and Ace¡¯s rtionship. So I¡¯d appreciate it if you respect my wish here.¡± I could see he wanted to disagree. But the stern look of mine had him shut up. Slumping his shoulders, he let out a sigh. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s talk about Arthur now.¡± I nodded. ¡°Thank you! So? What did your cousin find out about him?¡± ¡°Tobias told about the small business he had in Wales, right?¡± I bobbed my head. ¡°Well, he used to run small cheap hotels for people to spend nights there. And after researching some more, we got the information that he did some illegal businesses under the cover of those hotels. He was even suspected by cops out there many times, but due tock of evidence, they couldn¡¯t take any action against him.¡± My brows furrowed. ¡°Illegal businesses? What kind of illegal businesses he ran?¡± ¡°Not hundred percent sure, but from what pieces of information my cousin got, it seemed like he managed a brothel at nights behind the service of hotels. Sources says that he even forced helpless girls into prostitution for money.¡± I gasped. A brothel? Well, I didn¡¯t know he would be that low of a creature. Did Ace know about this? I was sure he didn¡¯t. He¡¯d never allow such a man to stay around him if he had even a hint of it. ¡°Howe he never got caught?¡± His lips thinned. ¡°He¡¯s a shrewd man, Em. He made sure not to leave a single evidence behind him for anyone to use that against him. He was doing that until Achilles¡¯s father passed away and he left UK to come to California.¡± Why did he return after so many years leaving all his businesses behind like this? Because I didn¡¯t believe he was that kind of man who¡¯d leave everything behind just so he could look after his nephews. He must have some other agenda. But what? Then it hit me. Of course! His brother¡¯s property. That passed down to Ace. And he won Ace¡¯s trust to get a hold on the power and money that Ace had. With his help, he expanded his business more within the whole UK now. ¡°Can¡¯t your cousin get even a single proof? I mean, there must be something.¡± He shook his head. ¡°He stopped his illegal businesses a long time ago after he started handling Valencian Corp in Achilles¡¯s absence. Now he only runs legal businesses across the UK. And with the power Ace had given him, I can¡¯t say if he still runs something in the shadow while wiping along every evidence he has against him. Though I told my cousin to look more into it. He¡¯ll get back to me as soon as he finds anything out.¡± I sighed. He was right. He was quite a powerful man all thanks to Ace¡¯s trust in him. I wished I could tell all these to him. But without any proof, will he believe me? But he could also hire someone to look through Arthur¡¯s past just like I did right?, He¡¯d find out the truth himself. A determination etched into me. I¡¯ll talk to him as soon as possible. But just not now. We¡¯vee into a rtionship just now. I didn¡¯t want any tension in it right now. Maybe with a day or two, when Warner¡¯s cousin would find something solid against him? Then I could easily reveal everything before Ace without fearing to ruin anything. ¡°Alright. Tell him to do it fast. Before Arthur gets even a hint of our quest, we¡¯ve to get a hold onto something strong against him.¡± I looked into his eyes. ¡°And thank you, Warner! I couldn¡¯t do this without you.¡± He put a hand on my shoulder. ¡°No need to thank me. What are friends for after all? And I can do anything for you, you know that, right?¡± Nodding my head, I smiled. ¡°You just be careful around him, Em. He¡¯s a very dangerous man. Don¡¯t get yourself into any trouble.¡± I squeezed his hand. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be fine.¡± *** ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me he gave you this dress. Nor did you tell me that you guys are together now,¡± Casie grumbled, holding her cocktail in her hand. ¡°I thought you confided me in with everything.¡± I chuckled. The reception was about to begin. After helping Tess with retouching her makeup, Casie pulled me aside to throw questions about the faint hickey on my throat. Of course, nothing went past her eyes. And then I told her everything. ¡°Don¡¯t be overdramatic now. We just sorted things up.¡± She eyed my gown again, a slow smile stretched across her lips. ¡°Remember you asked him to make you his princess one day?¡± Warmth crept up cheeks as I remembered the day on my ninth birthday. ¡°Well, you¡¯re looking like one today in this gown. And now that you¡¯ve finally be his princess, how are you feeling right now?¡± She held an imaginary mike before me. I looked down, running my hands on the beautiful gown he chose for me. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t want to be his princess anymore.¡± Her brow raised in confusion. A smile graced my lips. ¡°I want to be his queen now.¡± Chuckling, she rolled her eyes. ¡°Now you¡¯re getting greedy here, aren¡¯t you?¡± At my narrowed eyes, she burst intoughter and soon I joined in. A throat clearing interrupted us. Turning around, I came face to face with a tall man in histe twenties and a beautiful blonde in his arms. What caught my attention was his pale blue eyes that weirdly lingered on my face for too long for my liking. ¡°Hi, Emerald. Remember me? I¡¯m Jane from Tess¡¯s high school,¡± the blonde said, shing her pearly white teeth. Yeah, I remembered her. She used to hang out with Tess sometimes. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. I smiled. ¡°Hi, Jane. How are you doing?¡± That man still didn¡¯t move his gaze from me. And his features were too nk to read anything. ¡°I¡¯m doing great! It¡¯s been so long since Ist saw you. And look at you, you¡¯ve turned into such a beautiful woman.¡± Before I could open my mouth to thank her for thepliment, that man interrupted. Oddly enough, I felt like I saw him before. But couldn¡¯t ce a finger on it. ¡°Indeed. Now I understood why my friend is so smitten by you,¡± his northern ent said. ¡°Friend?¡± I frowned. He nodded. ¡°Achilles Valencian. I¡¯m a really close friend of his.¡± Howe I didn¡¯t see him ever if he was that good friend of Ace? Then he held his hand out for me to shake. ¡°Hello, my name is Antonio, Antonio Reymond. And I feel very blessed to finally meet you, Ms. Hutton.¡± Share Chapter 49 Chapter 49 Read The Trap Of Ace [by Eva Zahan] Chapter 49 ¨C My smile slipped, eyes widened to friction. Antonio Reymond? So that¡¯s why he seemed to be so familiar. I¡¯d seen him on the TV that day, but couldn¡¯t see his face properly because he had his hand covering his face from the cameras. But wasn¡¯t he in j**l? What the h**l was he doing here now? And after all he did to Caleb. The nerve of this man! My jaw clenched. ¡°What are you doing here? As far as I know you¡¯re not invited to this wedding.¡± Did Ace know of his presence here? If he did, he wouldn¡¯t be still parading out here like this. He ced his hand on his heart. ¡°Oops! I wasn¡¯t expecting thating. You hurt me, Ms. Hutton. I didn¡¯t know you behaved that way with your guests.¡± ¡°I do, with uninvited guests.¡± A humourless chuckle left him. ¡°Feisty, huh?¡± ¡°What¡¯s happening here?¡± The blonde asked, confusionced her face. ¡°Antonio, do you know them? I thought you told me you just wanted to spend more time with me and that¡¯s why you became my plus one here.¡± ¡°Oh, he knows us really well. Unfortunately, he used you to get in here. Because he knew he wasn¡¯t invited,¡± I said, holding his gaze. ¡°Hey, dude! Get your a*s out of here before Achilles sees you. I¡¯m sure as a reputable businessman, you wouldn¡¯t want to be thrown out of the gate like a stray dog.¡± Casie shed him a sweet smile. His jaw ticked at her spitting insult at him. But then he reciprocated Casie¡¯s smile with equal venom. ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve no bad intentions here. I just wanted to give my best wishes to the bride and groom. That¡¯s all.¡± ¡°Mr. Reymond.¡± My voice snapped his attention back to me. ¡°I¡¯d advise you leave the venue right now before Ace or Caleb notices you. I really don¡¯t want a scene here. And I don¡¯t understand. After what you¡¯ve been doing to them all these years, how did you think you could just get up ande here to give them your best wishes?¡± He raised his brow. ¡°Oh, so the little Rosebud of Achilles¡¯ knows everything then?¡± How did he know that Ace called me Rosebud? Only close family members and friends knew that. My patience was running slim now. ¡°Of course. Everyone should know about the enemy outside. And enemies don¡¯te to each other¡¯s happiness. So just leave.¡± I pointed towards the gate. A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. ¡°You can make the outsider enemy leave you alone. But what about the enemy inside?¡± His head tilted at the side. ¡°How would you tackle them, Ms. Hutton?¡± My eyes narrowed. ¡°What do you mean?¡± He shook his head, giving me a once over. ¡°My work is done here.¡± And then he turned to the blonde. ¡°I¡¯ll see youter, sweetheart.¡± Casie shared a look with me. ¡°Goodbye, Ms. Hutton.¡± His eyes flickered over my shoulder. ¡°Hope to meet you soon.¡± And then he turned around and walked away. ¡°Wait!¡± I called out to him, but he didn¡¯t stop. Two more men joined him before they disappeared into the crowd. ncing back where his eyes were seconds ago, I saw Ace striding towards me. Hands clenched into fists, nostrils ring, eyes dark with fury. He must¡¯ve seen him. Pulling me into his arms, he cupped my chin. ¡°You alright, Rosebud? Did he do anything? Did he say something to you?¡± Yes, about some enemy inside the house. Whom was he indicating about? I shook my head. ¡°He didn¡¯t. In fact, I sent him away. Don¡¯t worry.¡± His jaw clenched, shing grey orbs red at the exit where Antonio just left through. ¡°How dare he come here! That f*****g piece of s**t! And he dared toe close to you!¡± Thest sentence came out as a hiss. Moving away when he tried to storm to the exit, definitely following Antonio, I grabbed his arm. ¡°Ace, no! Stop! Where are you going? It¡¯s alright, he left already. There¡¯s no point in following him now!¡± ¡°No!¡± Snatching his arm, he walked away again. ¡°He shouldn¡¯t have made that mistake today! How dare hee here and talk to you!¡± I frowned. Why was he mad that Antonio talked to me? And he was the one who got him arrested, then how did Antoniae out? Running to him, I wrapped my arms around him again. ¡°Ace, stop! Please! Don¡¯t do anything rash!¡± ¡°Rosebud, leave me.¡± His beautiful features were now clouded with anger. I shook my head. ¡°I won¡¯t. No matter what you say.¡± At his scowl, I grazed his cheek with my palms. ¡°It¡¯s Tess and Caleb¡¯s wedding, baby. Don¡¯t ruin it by doing anything drastic.¡± I ignored the looks some of the passing guests were giving. They must¡¯ve heard his roaring. ¡°Please? For me?¡± Holding my gaze for some long moments, he gave me a tight nod. Though I knew he wasn¡¯t letting it go so easily, a smile spread across my lips. At least the wedding would go smoothly now. I ced a kiss on his cheek. ¡°Thank you!¡± Casie sent me a look of awe but I ignored her and focused on calming the fuming man before me. *** I peeked from behind the pir. At the far end of the hall, he stood there with just a in ss of water. The tight grip around it and the hardness of his jaw was the evidence of his still smoldering rage inside him. The reception ran in a full swing. People were chattering, dancing, drinking, the bride and groom were clicking pictures with their friends after the cake cutting. Among the gleeful ambience, his mood remained dark. And for our first night together as a couple, I definitely didn¡¯t want that. I bit my lip as I saw the waiter approaching him. Handing him the note I sent, the poor man scurried away from the sharp re of his. I shook my head. Staring down at the note, he then took a nce around. And then he opened the note with his long lean fingers. The hard features softened up as a smile slowly yed on his lips. I knew what he was smiling at. If you¡¯re done scowling at the corner, care to give this girl somepany? Your Rosebud. When he looked up from the note, I let myself out from my hiding and his eyes immediately found me. Giving him a wink, I turned around and sauntered away from the crowd, to the empty hallway decorated with crafted mirrors and beautiful paintings that hung on its walls. I knew he wasing. My heart thumped like crazy under my chest. Flutterings in my tummy had me inhale deep. I teased the beast. And now I¡¯ll have to be ready for him. Then I heard his footsteps echoing across the unupied corridor. With every step sounded closer, my heart felt like it would explode any moment. Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. A gasp slipped through my lips as my back was pulled into a hard frame. His strong arms around me as he put his head at the crook of my neck. ¡°You¡¯d be the d***h of me someday, you know that?¡± his husky voice rasped into my neck. Taking a sharp inhale, he brushed his lips on my b**e shoulders. A shiver ran down my whole body. Closing my eyes, I leaned back into his touch. It felt so right, being into his arms. No guilt or barrier was stopping me today. It felt home. ¡°What did I do?¡± I asked, feigning innocent. ¡°Calling me alone here like that when you know I can¡¯t do anything to you even if how much I want to. And you¡¯re saying you didn¡¯t do anything?¡± He hand brushed underneath my chest. ¡°What? I just wanted a hug.¡± I pouted. ¡°I didn¡¯t know your thoughts were still running south.¡± ¡°Well, my mind always runs south when you¡¯re around,¡± he whispered into my ear. Heat crept up cheeks as I bit my lip. Suddenly I felt a cold material gliding up my neck. ncing down, I found a simple pendant with a diamond cut emerald sat in the middle, tiny rubies adorned around it. I gasped. It was the same pendant I saw at that jewelry shop when we went to buy gifts for Tess. I looked at him over my shoulder as he secured the gorgeous pendant around my neck. The emerald rested right above my cleavage. ¡°When did you get it?¡± My tone low. He grazed his lips over my jaw. ¡°The moment your eyes watched it with adoration, it became yours.¡± My eyes burned with the love that bloomed in my heart for this man. Not because he got me this pendant, but because the way he never missed even a single detail about me. He always had his eyes on me. Taking a step aside, I looked at myself in the mirror that hung on the wall. It looked beautiful on me. And the intensity in his eyes told me he appreciated it too. His fingers grazed the emerald along the dip of my cleavage. ¡°Never take it off. Not even when you¡¯ve nothing on you.¡± The edge of his voice told me his desire. The way his hand brushed at the side of my breast indicated to his impatience. Turning half of my body to him in his arms, I pulled his head down and captured his lips, showing him my appreciation. Groaning, he gripped my neck and rewarded me with his hot punishing kiss. Sweeping his tongue into my mouth, he then sucked on my lower lip. My knees wobbled at the sensations he provided me with his hands and mouth. Just when I was about to deepen the kiss, the sound of footsteps reached my ears. Pulling away from him abruptly, I ran my hands on my dress and hair to look as presentable as possible. His frown told me his displeasure. Giggling, I pulled his grumbling form with him outside just as an old pair entered the corridor. I blushed. Thank G*d, they didn¡¯t catch us in the act. ¡°What the h**l were they doing there?¡± His lips pressed tight. ¡°Maybe they also wanted some alone time?¡± Snickering, I dragged him where the bride and groom were. When the bride and groom requested us to join them on the dance floor, we agreed. Well, I did. He was too busy scowling andining he had enough of this wedding. He wanted to leave this ce with me. As we started to sway along the music, well the dance Achilles Valencian preferred, I put my head against his chest. Where others moved with the beat, he had his arms around me, moving us slowly. And at that moment, I didn¡¯t care if everyone was watching. Even answering to Mom and Dadter didn¡¯t come into my mind. All I knew was his warmth. Then my gaze went to Casie. She was dancing with a blond. But her eyes were set on somewhere else. I followed her gaze. A man in histe twenties with dark brown hair and a tall well built frame stood near the staircase. His narrowed eyes observed the ambience around him as he sipped on his drink. An older man talked to him but he didn¡¯t pay any attention. My eyes went back to Casie, but hers didn¡¯t move from that man. A smile twitched at the corner of my lips. ¡°What are you smiling at?¡± I looked up at his stormy grey eyes. One of his brows was raised. ¡°Who¡¯s that man? I¡¯ve never seen him before here.¡± I jutted my chin to Casie¡¯s sudden interest. He followed my eyes. A muscle of his jaw ticked as the ce between his forehead creased. ¡°Why do you want to know?¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°Rx! I¡¯m just curious. Don¡¯t need to get all green now. My best friend seems not to be able to tear her gaze from him, so I thought to ask.¡± Casting a very disinterested nce at Casie, he turned to me again. His jaw softened up a bit. ¡°A friend of mine. He¡¯s also been my partner in some of my businesses for years now.¡± I nodded. ¡°Anything else?¡± Annoyance dripped from his voice. I shook my head. Unbelievable man! Reaching up, I kissed his nose. ¡°No. Now can we get out of this ce? Even the Dance is over now. I¡¯m getting bored here.¡± Now his good mood peeked through his dark clouds. Grey eyes shed with fire. ¡°Where do you want to go?¡± His deep voice came out husky. Something tugged in my lower region. Leaning closer, I whispered in his ear, ¡°Take me to your home.¡± Share Chapter 50 Chapter 50 Read The Trap Of Ace [by Eva Zahan] Chapter 50 ¨C In the shadow of his car, his hot calloused hand trailed up under my gown to my t***h. His ming touch left a scorch behind on my skin, followed by my ragged breath and racing heart. Wiggling on hisp, I pushed his hand away, ncing over the driver who was silently weaving the car through the road. ¡°Your driver can see us!¡± I whispered. A grumble reverberated through his chest but his mouth didn¡¯t hesitate to fall on my cleavage. Due to our passionate make out and his pervert hand¡¯s trying to pull down on my gown from my chest as much as he can, my neckline was much lower than it¡¯d be appropriate before the public eyes. But Achilles Valencian seemed to be enjoying the sight very much. When he tried to lower my neckline more for his lustful gaze, I pped his hand away again. ¡°Behave!¡± Cursing under breath, he leaned in and did something before his dark smoldering grey eyes met mine. ¡°Now he can¡¯t see us. What excuse do you have now to stop me, my rose?¡± Turning back, I found the window that separated the front from the passenger seat closed. His hand crept up my legs to my thighs again, his hot breath fanning my neck. ¡°So f*****g soft. My mouth is craving to taste every inch of your skin.¡± A shiver ran down my entire body that was burning from his touch along the heat that crept up my cheeks. Biting my lip to stop a moan that threatened to spill, I closed my legs halting his movement. ¡°S-stop,¡± I stuttered out. Even if every pore of my body screamed for more of his touch, I was suddenly very shy. No one had ever touched me so intimately. Groaning, he pulled me closer and adjusted my body in a way so that I was now straddling him. Content ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I can¡¯t stop tonight, my rose. I¡¯ve waited for this moment for so long,¡± rasping out, he gripped my neck and mmed his mouth on mine. A moan slipped from my lips as his hot tongue massaged my eager one, exploring every inch of my mouth. I gasped as he cupped my bottom under my gown and pushed my hip against his. I shuddered at the feel of his hardness right under me. A delicious painful tug in my lower region had me quiver for more. And then I found myself moving my hips against his. Letting out an animalistic groan, he pushed me on the expensive wide leather seat and captured my lips once again. With my legs around his hips, I pulled him closer. ¡°Ace,¡± his name came out as a whimper with him sucking on my neck, shoulder and everywhere his greedy mouth could reach. ¡°F**k! I need you, baby! I need you so f*****g much!¡± he cursed against my lips. And just as his hand trailed to my back and pulled on the chain of my gown, a knocknded on the window. ¡°Mr. Valencian, we¡¯re here!¡± And only then I noticed the car had stopped moving. Seeing his scowling face and still eager touches, I let out a giggle. Leaning in, I pecked his lips. ¡°Let¡¯s go inside, Mr. Valencian. You can carry onter.¡± ¡°Oh, trust me. I¡¯ll do more than just carrying on.¡± I clenched my thighs at his dark promise as he got out of the car and helped me out as well. He didn¡¯t even let me bid the drived a goodnight. Scooping me into his arms, he carried me inside. The moment we were secure inside the closed door of his penthouse, our bodies shed into each other as two thirsty souls trying to quest their thirst they had for years. My hands were in his hair when his were everywhere he could reach. And my arching my body more into him indicated my eagerness. But then I pulled away entirely, breathing hard. unting a deep frown when he tried to reach me again, I took another step back. Biting my lip, I shook my head. ¡°I¡¯m roaming around like this the entire day. I need a shower.¡± ¡°No need to shower. You¡¯re smelling delicious!¡± I pped his hand away as he tried to touch me again, causing a muscle of his jaw tick. ¡°Rosebud,¡± he warned. ¡°I¡¯m in no mood for games. I need you, now.¡± My eyes flickered down to his junior. I licked my lips at the marvelous view of his want for me. ¡°I¡¯m not ying games. I just need a shower.¡± Winking at him, I walked into his bedroom, ignoring the groan of his. A blush rose up my cheeks at the memory of my first timeing here. And the second time. This was the room when we kissed for the first time. And this room will be the witness of our bing one too. My heart pounded in my chest as I heard his heavy footsteps behind me. Another tug in my lower region. My insides were quivering for him. So biting my lip, I trudged before the washroom door and reached my hand to the zipper of my gown that was already half undone. I pulled the chain down. ncing over my shoulder, my wanting eyes met his dark stormy grey as I let my dress fall on the floor, leaving my half naked body for his sight. A curse left his lips, his hands fisted into b***s. With goosebumps erupting across my skin with his scorching gaze on me, I turned my body to him and slowly undone my bra too. And soon it followed my dress on the floor around my feet. He took a deep breath, his lips parted. Those grey pools of his didn¡¯t leave my b**e chest for a second. And then went my panties too. Licking my lips, I turned around and walked into the washroom, leaving the door ajar. And he knew of my invitation for him to join. A smile tugged on my lips as the hot water trickled down my body. I didn¡¯t know where I got so much boldness, but I just felt it. Only for him. Every shyness flew out the window when he watched me with so much want into his eyes. I didn¡¯t even get the time to flinch from the washroom door mming shut as I was pinned against the wall with his hard and very naked frame. His mouth on mine and hands everywhere. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have teased me, sweetheart. You know what¡¯s the punishment for teasing the beast?¡± he whispered, biting my lower lip. ¡°No¡­¡± a moan slipped my lips, my eyes went shut as his hands made their way to my chest. ¡°It¡¯s a very sweet and torturous punishment, my rose,¡± his dark husky voice rasped into my ear, taking my earlobe in between the heat of his lips. ¡°This beast will take his beauty again and again until she gets unconscious from the intense pleasures he will be giving her tonight as her punishment.¡± ¡°Ace¡­¡± I whimpered at his words. And then there was no going back. I clung to him like my life depended on him as he made his territory on my chest, leaving the marks of his hands and mouth across my skin. Moans and groans echoed throughout the washroom along the relentless pouring water on the tiled floor as he weaved his way to the ces of my body where no one ever reached before. Our mouths didn¡¯t detach from each other when he carried me to his bed not caring about our bodies dripping wet. cing a kiss on my forehead, he peered into my soul. ¡°You ready?¡± With my body still recovering from the heights he had taken me again and again just moments ago in the shower, I nodded my head. ¡°You¡¯re sure, baby? I know it¡¯s your first time. We can wait some time more if you want,¡± he asked, hovering above me. His fingers stroked my cheek gently. Warmth surged through my chest at his gesture. Even when he was at the verge of losing control, he was thinking of me. I could feel his tense shoulders, ragged breath and hard and rigid¡­ Another blush rose up my cheeks. Snaking my arms around his neck, I pulled him closer and captured his lips in a hungry kiss. ¡°I want you, Ace.¡± Groaning, he reciprocated my kiss with ferocity. And just then I felt him against me. A delicious shudder ran down my spine. ¡°I love you,¡± he whispered against my lips. ¡°I love you too!¡± And then the rest of the night the only thing I felt was immense pleasure and undying lust. The rhythm of our bodies andbored breathing were all I knew. Our moans and groans echoing throughout the room were all I could hear. Share Chapter 51 Chapter 51 Read The Trap Of Ace [by Eva Zahan] Chapter 51 ¨C Turning around, I reached out for a warm body beside me but all I found was emptiness. Just the crinkled sheet and his lingering scent. Frowning, I opened my eyes and looked around. There was no sign of him in the dimmed room. Even the bathroom¡¯s door was ajar just as we left itst night. Where was he? I nced at the table clock on the side table beside the bed. Three in the morning. Where could he go this early? And then a gust of cool air touched my face. The ss door of the balcony was open. Clutching the nket around me as I went to get up, a hiss left my lips at the pain that shot up in my lower region. Thus memories ofst night flooded back in my mind, heating up my cheeks. There was even a delicious soreness across my entire body. Achilles Valencian was true to his words. He did punish me sweetly by taking me again and again until I couldn¡¯t move any limbs the entire night. He was insatiable. And¡­ perfect. I bit my lip as another blush rose up my neck. This time I took it slow and got up, securing the nket around me. Padding into the balcony, I found him standing near the railings. Shirtless, he had only his jeans hung low around his hips. His gaze lost into the dazzling light of the city down in the streets. I walked to him and wrapped my arms around him from behind, kissing his ripped back muscles. ¡°Rosebud?¡± Turning around with narrowed eyes, he pulled me into his warmth and hugged me closer. ¡°What are you doing here? You should be asleep.¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I ask you the same?¡± Rubbing my hand against his chest, I felt his smooth skin yet hard muscles. Taking both of my hands, he kissed each of my knuckles. The nket pooled around to my waist due to lack of grip. And his grey eyes didn¡¯t take a second to take a look. And they stayed there long enough to have my cheeks ame. I wrapped my arms around him, cing my head on his chest. ¡°Are you shying away from me, Rosebud?¡± he teased. But I didn¡¯t miss the huskiness and dark edge in his voice. ¡°If it makes you feel better, I¡¯ve seen everything already. Touched you,¡± his grip tightened around me, tone dropping to a whisper, ¡°devoured you. You don¡¯t need to shy away from me, my rose.¡± He again changed the nickname. In thesest two and a half months, I¡¯ve realized that he¡¯d three names for me. When he was all affectionate, he¡¯d call me Rosebud. When he had perverted thoughts in his head, he¡¯d call me his rose. And when he was all serious and angry, he¡¯d call me with my full name, Emerald. And I loved each one of them. The way he pronounced them, it made them all different from others taking my name. There weren¡¯t any warm fuzzy feelings with others. Snuggling more into his chest at his bold words not to show him my bashfulness, I changed the topic. ¡°You didn¡¯t answer my question. What¡¯re you doing here instead of sleeping?¡± I looked up at him. ¡°Couldn¡¯t sleep?¡± Sighing, he brushed his lips across my forehead. ¡°I did sleep, Rosebud. With you in my arms now, I never had such a good sleep in my entire life. It¡¯s just¡­ Carter called me a while ago regarding some important work. And I didn¡¯t get any sleep after that.¡± Looking down into my eyes, he pecked my nose. ¡°I usually only sleep for three hours at night. But I slept more than that tonight. So don¡¯t worry.¡± I grazed his days old dense stubble. ¡°You were lost in deep thought. Something is bothering you, I can see it. What¡¯s it, Ace?¡± He shook his head. ¡°Nothing. Just work. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°Is it Antonio?¡± His shoulders tensed at the mention of his name, sharp jaw ticked. I knew my assumption was right at the sight of his grey orbs that turned into slits now. ¡°It¡¯s him, isn¡¯t it?¡± I queried. ¡°I know you¡¯re bothered at the thing that he¡¯s out of police custody now. I¡¯ve been wanting to ask you this. Why did you get him arrested? And how did you manage it?¡± Due to our conflicts, I held myself back from asking him about Antonio. And after meeting him at the wedding today, after what he said to me, I couldn¡¯t get his words out of my head. You can make the outsider enemy leave you alone. But what about the enemy inside? How would you tackle them, Ms. Hutton? Enemy inside. What did he mean by that? Who was he talking about? ¡°How did you know I was behind his arrest?¡± One of his brows raised. I rolled my eyes. ¡°It was all on your face Mr. Valencian. Anyone with eyes would have known it if they had looked closely. Your eyes were full of smug.¡± ¡°Smug?¡± His forehead furrowed. ¡°He did what he deserved. Even though it was nothingpared to the things I¡¯ve nned for him.¡± The malice in his voice was clear. ¡°How did you do it anyways? Was the girl also your set up?¡± Leaning in, he buried his nose into my hair. ¡°She was in the picture even before I made any n. She was already dating him and unluckily for him, she aborted his childst month after she found out due to avoid any unwanted motherhood. Though he didn¡¯t even know about that pregnancy to force her into anything in the first ce, he had done it in the past to some of his partners. And I just took advantage of his past and that girl¡¯s greed for money.¡± A disappointment set in me thinking of that child that was k****d even before he could be born in this world. And after aborting her child, she even used it to frame someone for money. Even if the person was a filth. ¡°I heard the police had evidence of his illegal businesses and I know this was also your doing. But then, how did he get out so easily?¡± He could be more dangerous for us now. That man was already after him and Caleb, and now that Ace literally d*****d his name in the market, he would definitely take revenge. ¡°Though I ruined his business, he still has some connections with powerful people in politics. He used them to get out,¡± he spit out the words, lips curling into a sneer. ¡°The good thing is he can enjoy the destruction of hispany before his own eyes now. And it¡¯s just the beginning. He has a lot more coming at his way. The only thing that didn¡¯t sit well with me was hising at the wedding and talking to you.¡± The tightness of his grip around me and rage into his eyes had me concerned. ¡°Why are you so mad that he talked to me? He didn¡¯t do anything except just some talking.¡± He didn¡¯t give any answer to my question, just stared at me with his jaw set firm. ¡°Ace? What is it?¡± ¡°Nothing. He is dangerous, Rosebud. I don¡¯t want him anywhere around you,¡± he said, cupping my cheeks. ¡°I swear I¡¯ll rip him into shreds if he even touches a strand of your hair.¡± The uncontrolled fury in his grey orbs and a hidden fear lurking around had me feel unsettled. But I wasn¡¯t afraid of Antonio. I¡¯d kick his sorry a*s if he even tries to do something. Though his concern was legit. Antonio tried to frame Caleb with d***s to defame Ace. He could try to harm some of his loved ones again to shower his revenge on. And I could be that leech¡¯s target easily now that we were together. I kissed his chest, smiling at him. ¡°Nothing will happen to me as long as you¡¯re here with me. So don¡¯t worry about that. Now think a way to send him back behind the bars. And this time, forever. So that he can¡¯t try anything funny again.¡± A smile stretched across his lips. Nodding his head, he pressed his lips against mine. ¡°My queen¡¯s wish is mymand.¡± Giggling, I kissed him back. His hands traveled across my curves, sneaking up to my chest. A winch of mine had him frown in concern. ¡°Are you alright, Rosebud?¡± ¡°Yes. Just a little sore everywhere. You took too much liking to this particr areast night.¡± No matter what he was doing, his hands didn¡¯t budge from my glovesst night for a second. Not that I comined, but I was now suffering for his adventurous hands. Though it was a delicious soreness. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, baby. Did I hurt you?¡± he asked, narrowing his eyes. His fingers brushed at the sides of my b*****s softly. I shook my head. ¡°No. I¡¯m fine. Just a little sore. They¡¯ll get better tomorrow I think.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I just,¡± he bit his lip, still eyeing the fingerprints he left on my sensitive skin, ¡°couldn¡¯t keep my hands away from them. They¡¯re too marvelous and perfect for me to stay away.¡± Blushing, I pped his hands away. It seemed he got an obsession with my chest just like he had for my hair. ¡°Can we go and sleep now. I¡¯m tired.¡± I pouted. ¡°As my queenmands,¡± saying, he captured my lips again into a scorching kiss and scooped me into his arms. Naked. ¡°The nket,¡± I whispered, already battling with my growing desire. I had to resist my urges if I wanted to walk tomorrow. But my hands were already feeling his hard body ignoring my brain. ¡°Forget about it. I love you like this,¡± he groaned. I clenched my thighs at his adding additional marks on my neck where I was sure numerous already sat proudly fromst night. ¡°We should sleep,¡± he murmured into my ear, cing me softly on the bed, hovering over me. ¡°We should,¡± I moaned at his ming touch at my sides. cing ast kiss on my forehead when he tried to pull away, I wrapped my legs around him, pulling him back. At his confused face, I pulled him into a kiss, my hips already begging for attention. His rigid not at all junior was very much awake against me telling me his want as well. But he was holding back not to hurt me anymore. And at that point, I didn¡¯t care. I wanted him again. Another round wouldn¡¯t be that bad, right? ¡°You¡¯re sore¡­¡± ¡°Just be gentle.¡± *** Soft touches over my hips, warm lips on my jaw and his hot breath fanning my skin woke me up from my beautiful slumber. My eyes fluttered open to the morning light and then fell on the breathtaking pair of grey orbs I was so much in love with. ¡°Good morning, my beautiful rose.¡± The huskiness of his morning voice sent a shiver down my body. Even in the morning with his ruffled bed hair, he looked as perfect as ever if not more beautiful. As cliche as it sounded, this was the sight I wanted to wake up to for the rest of my life. The sight I had craved all my life in deep down. A smile touched my lips. My heart was content, just as much as my body was. Though there was still a little pain down there, it wasn¡¯t bad. The pain k****r he made me gulp earlier in the morning after our another session, seemed to work good. ¡°Morning.¡± With a heart stopping grin on his face, he brushed his lips against mine. ¡°How did my Rosebud sleep?¡± ¡°Tired slumber is always the best.¡± Content ? N?velDrama.Org. A husky chuckle reverberated through his chest as one of his palms massaged my inner t***h. ¡°How¡¯s the pain?¡± My cheeks turned hot. ¡°Better.¡± Mischievousness twinkled in his grey pools. ¡°Was I gentle enough?¡± Rolling my eyes, I hid my face at the crook of his neck. Another chuckle left him at my bashfulness. ¡°Don¡¯t hide yourself from me. I love when you turn all red because of me.¡± Pulling away, he grazed his fingers across my cheek. His intense gaze roamed around my every feature as a breath left his lips. ¡°I¡¯m still wondering if you¡¯re real. If you¡¯re really here into my arms on my bed with me.¡± My heart tugged at his words. I snaked my arms around his neck. ¡°It¡¯s real. We¡¯re real. And I¡¯m not going anywhere. Never again.¡± cing his forehead on mine, he peered into my soul. ¡°You don¡¯t know how long I¡¯ve been waiting for this moment. I didn¡¯t know if I¡¯d ever be lucky enough to have you in my arms like this. But you fulfilled that dream of mine. And I can¡¯t thank you enough for giving me this chance, baby. Thank you so much for forgiving me. I promise, I¡¯ll make it up to you for the rest of our lives.¡± Something fluttered into my chest. Rest of our lives? A happiness bloomed inside me. He wanted a future with me just as much as I wanted. ¡°I love you,¡± I whispered, my eyes burning with emotions mming into my chest. He kissed me deep. ¡°I love you more.¡± I wanted to argue, but the grumble of my tummy decided to interfere, turning me into beetroot. Pulling away, heughed. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get you freshened up. Then I¡¯ll cook something for my Rosebud.¡± I didn¡¯tin when he scooped me into his arms again and took me to the washroom. Though my hands tried their best to cover my feminine parts much to his amusement. *** ¡°Pancakes?¡± he asked, once done with the egg scrambles. I nodded, chewing on the slice of apple he had cut me to eat until he made some breakfast for me. I offered to help but he denied and said I shouldn¡¯t move much due to our wild activitiesst night. Though I wanted to say that I was fine, I enjoyed the pampering. So I let him have his way. Dangling my feet down the kitchen counter, I ate my apple and watched him move around the kitchen with utmost ease. The way his back muscles flexed along his movement had my mouth water. Not to forget those delicious abs. Achilles Valencian cooking in his kitchen shirtless? And for me? I didn¡¯t know I was that lucky. In between mixing the batter, his eyes kept flickering to my exposed legs beside him. After he gave me a warm shower, unbelievable, but he didn¡¯t try anything naughty other than feeling my chest, he made me wear one of his t-shirts. And I was more than grateful for that. It was much morefortable than my gown would be right now. And due to its length to my thighs, I didn¡¯t wear any pants underneath except my panties. And seeing his lingering gazes, I could tell he was enjoying the view very much. ¡°Eyes on the batter, mister. I want my pancakes to be perfect,¡± I teased. He raised a brow. ¡°And what should I tell you? Eyes on the apple?¡± He noticed me staring at his abs? I blushed for the upteenth time sincest night. cing his hands on my hips, he stood between my legs and kissed my lips softly. ¡°Did I tell you I love seeing you in my clothes?¡± ¡°Yes. Twice already.¡± ¡°Because that¡¯s the truth. It¡¯s a symbol that you belong to me.¡± His fingers grazed my inner t***h. Rolling my eyes, I pushed him away but he only snuggled his face into my neck. ¡°I love my smell on you.¡± I shook my head. What would I do with this caveman of mine? Wrapping my arms around him, I kissed his shoulder just as the doorbell rang. ¡°Who¡¯s it at this time?¡± I asked, pulling away. His brows furrowed. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Let me check. You stay here.¡± Nodding my head, I jumped down the counter as he went to attend the door. cing the te of apple aside, I started to pour the batter on the heated pan, humming one of my favorite songs. Momentster, I heard footstepsing closer and then I heard his voice. My humming stopped immediately. ¡°Well, well. I didn¡¯t know I¡¯d find you here today.¡± Turning around, my eyes met with his empty dark ones. A fake smile stered across his face. And I reciprocated the gesture with one of mine. ¡°Good morning, Arthur.¡± Share Chapter 52 Chapter 52 Read The Trap Of Ace [by Eva Zahan] Chapter 52 ¨C With a tight smile, he nodded at me. The fleeting grimace on his face while he took a look at my clothes didn¡¯t go missed. ¡°I heard there were some problems going on between you two. But I¡¯m d to see you together today,¡± he said, though his eyes didn¡¯t match his words. Ace came back with a shirt on and took the charge of the pancakes from me again. cing a kiss on my forehead, he said, ¡°I¡¯ve got some clothes for you in the room. Go, change. And thene out for breakfast.¡± When did he do that? But it was good since I didn¡¯t want to roam only into a shirt before Arthur. Nodding my head, I walked away from the kitchen as I heard their voices. ¡°What brings you here so early in the morning, Arthur?¡± Ace asked. ¡°It was important. I thought to call you but then thought discussing face to face would be better. It¡¯s about the deal with the Russians.¡± And the rest of the conversation was cut off as soon as I closed the bedroom door behind me. *** ¡°Achilles, as you implied a lot of conditions for the contract, there¡¯ll be a lot of paperworks. And we¡¯re not sure if the Russians will agree to them. They¡¯re quite a big fish in the market nowadays, you know?¡± Arthur¡¯s gaze set on Ace as he took a bite on his pancakes. ¡°If you want them to work with us, we should consider giving some loose on our conditions, don¡¯t you think?¡± When Ace offered him to have breakfast with us while having the discussion, he agreed. Much to my dismay. cing some more scrambled eggs on my te, his left hand went back to my knee as he shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t mind some paperworks. And no, I won¡¯t change my rules for anyone. And don¡¯t forget that they¡¯re also interested in working with us. Yes, they¡¯re big, but nothingpared to the Valencians. So if they want to do business with Valencian Corp, they¡¯ll have to do it our way.¡± They were talking about a Russianpany who wanted to expand their business more in the US. And so their first choice was to go for the Valencian Corp. And as they could bring huge money to the company, Arthur didn¡¯t want to let them go. Not to forget the project they were interested in working with us, it¡¯d take about half a billion of investment. So a little mistake and big loss. And the worst thing was, Arthur was going to handle it. I didn¡¯t have a bit of faith in this man. His jaw ticked but being wise, he decided to keep quiet before Ace. And my Mr. Valencian was too busy to feed me more fruits to notice his uncle¡¯s discreet rebel. Suddenly Antonio¡¯s words rang into my head. Why didn¡¯t I think of it before? Enemy from inside. And who could it be other than him? He was doing illegal businesses behind Ace¡¯s back. He threatened Sierra with her life to hide a secret of his. There could be a vast possibility of him being the enemy from inside. But¡­ could he be foolish enough to go against Ace¡¯s back and join hands with Antonio? I didn¡¯t know. And the only person who could answer my question was Liza. Someone had forced her to put those d***s into Caleb¡¯s car. Maybe it was him? He threatened Liza just like he did to Sierra? Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. I¡¯ve to find out. And for that, I need to see Liza. ¡°Alright, if that¡¯s what you want. I¡¯ll talk to them once more about our conversation. Let¡¯s see what their opinion on it,¡± said Arthur, wiping the corners of his mouth with his napkin. Ace nodded, smiling a little. ¡°Great. And please make sure you¡¯re present at the meeting with the Arabs today. I can¡¯t attend since i¡¯ve a private meeting with De Sylvano.¡± That had my attention. Meeting with the Arabs? Means that red witch will be at the office again? When I asked Matt about her visit at the office that day, he said she hade toplete some paperworks about the project. And as we were working together now, the Arabs will being for meetings and conferences frequently now. I pressed my lips. I had another problem to solve today. ¡°I can¡¯t eat more. I¡¯m full!¡± Iined as he added some more pancakes on my te. ¡°You need to eat more, Rosebud. You¡¯ve lost weight in thest months. Here, open your mouth¡± He put the fork before my lips. ¡°And afterst night, you definitely need some energy,¡± he murmured thest line into my ear. My eyes widened as heat crept up my cheeks. Arthur¡¯s clearing his throat snatched our eyes to him. ¡°Alright, then. I¡¯ll meet you at the office. See you later.¡± Getting up, he threw me ast nce before turning around and walking out of the room. *** ¡°Please wait here. She¡¯ll be here in a minute.¡± I nodded as thedy cop walked out of the small cabin they had made me sit. It was a small room with just a table with two wooden chairs in the middle. After Ace left for the office for some important meeting with some Vincenzo which he couldn¡¯t miss, as he said, I took the chance toe here. Even though he had strictly told me to stay there and have some rest, he didn¡¯t even let me go to the office with him. He said he¡¯d be back in an hour, and I¡¯d to finish my work in the meantime. After five minutes, the door opened and the familiar figure with a tall frame and blonde hair walked in. The orange jumpsuit was loose on her thin body. Surprise washed over her face that¡¯s dull and pale now. Gone the usual brightness of her eyes. Standing up, I smiled at her. ¡°Hello, Liza. How are you doing?¡± ¡°Em? What are you doing here?¡± Her brown eyes were confused. ¡°Let¡¯s take a seat first.¡± I jutted my chin towards the chairs. Once we were seated opposite of each other, she leaned in. ¡°I know it¡¯s not your responsibility to find out if my family is well, especially after what I did. But do you know if they¡¯re fine? My brother? Is he okay?¡± My heart went for her state. Even though I was pretty mad at her when she betrayed us like that, now thinking of how she was threatened by a dangerous man, I could understand her situation back then. I had a hunch that it was Arthur who threatened her. I put a hand on hers, squeezing it slightly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Your family is fine. Ace had some guards watching over them since you got arrested.¡± A gasp slipped from her lips. ¡°B-boss did that?¡± Smiling, I nodded. Her eyes shone with unshed tears. ¡°Even after everything I did, I know I don¡¯t deserve it. But it must be your doing, Em. I- I don¡¯t know how to thank you. I¡¯ll be forever grateful for that. I thought you didn¡¯t understand my gesture that day. I was so worried thinking about my family¡¯s safety. After they got to know what happened, they¡¯re so disappointed in me that they didn¡¯t evene to see me.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything. It was Ace who did all the arrangements.¡± She shook her head, sniffling. ¡°I know the boss. He can turn into someone¡¯s nightmare if someone crosses his path. He doesn¡¯t see why they did it or how valid their reason was. But he did it for me even after I tried to defame his family. And I know it¡¯s because of you.¡± A soft smile tugged on her lips. ¡°Boss can do anything for his Rosebud.¡± I tried my best not to blush and concentrate on the current situation. ¡°I understood why you did it, Liza. I know you. You¡¯re an honest and kind girl. Seeing you doing what you did was extremely disappointing and shocking. But we couldn¡¯t just leave your family in danger for your deed. After all, you had worked in thatpany for years with loyalty.¡± She looked down, biting her lip. ¡°I don¡¯t deserve your kindness, Em. But¡­ t-thank you! Thank you so much.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t change what you did. But you can help me with something if you want.¡± I kept my face neutral. ¡°Help? How can I help you with anything while staying in here?¡± ¡°You can. You can tell me who was the person who threatened you to frame Caleb.¡± Her eyes widened as her shoulders tensed. Leaning in, I grabbed both of her hands in mine. ¡°Look, Liza. I know you¡¯re scared that if you tell us their name, your family wille into danger. But trust me, they¡¯re safe. We¡¯ve people there for their safety. You don¡¯t need to be worried about that anymore. So you can tell me the person¡¯s name so that I can find out who they¡¯re and expose them.¡± She snatched her hands from mine, shaking her head. ¡°I¡¯ve told the police thousands of times that I can¡¯t spill the name no matter how much they torture me. And I¡¯ll tell you the same, Em. I¡¯m sorry. I can¡¯t tell you anything. Even though my family is safe now. But you don¡¯t know him. He¡¯s dangerous. Those guards can¡¯t keep an eye on my family the whole time.¡± He¡¯s dangerous. The same thing that Sierra said. ¡°You know Sierra resigned?¡± Her brows furrowed. ¡°Resigned? Why?¡± They were quite close. So maybe hearing about her, she would say something? I nodded. ¡°Even after her financial crisis, she had to leave her job. And guess what, a certain someone threatened her with something also. And when she denied to do that, she had to leave the office.¡± She froze in her ce. Her Adam¡¯s apple moved as she gulped. ¡°Y-you know?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve a guess. I even tried to talk to her. But she said the same thing you told me. That he¡¯s dangerous. And guess what I¡¯ve heard him talking on the phone?¡± I titled my head. ¡°That if she crosses her limits, she¡¯ll have to lose her life just like her job.¡± H****r etched into her features as she stared at me with wide eyes. ¡°Look, Liza. I know you¡¯re scared for your family. But if you just tell me the name so that I can confirm my doubt, I¡¯ll be able to stop him. If you continue fearing him, I don¡¯t know how many people will suffer because of him just like you and Sierra.¡± I prayed in my head for her to understand my points. She could be a great help to expose Arthur if she agreed. ¡°Sierra is in danger and there¡¯s no one who can protect her. He¡¯s needed to be stopped. Please, Liza. Just give me the name.¡± A tear rolled down her eyes as she shook her head. ¡°I can¡¯t. I¡¯m sorry. Sierra must be strong enough not to sumb to his threats. She¡¯s my friend and I want to help her. But I can¡¯t. I can¡¯t put my family at risk.¡± ¡°He won¡¯t know if you say anything. Nobody will tell him!¡± She held my gaze. ¡°If he even gets a sniff of you knowing his secret. He¡¯lle after me first, Em. And then¡­ he¡¯ll go after you.¡± A shiver ran down my spine. But I didn¡¯t let the fear that threatened to crawl under my skin and hold my ground. ¡°He won¡¯t. I¡¯m Emerald Hutton. He can¡¯t threaten me with something just like that. You don¡¯t worry about me. And you¡¯re here in j**l. He can¡¯t harm you either. Your family is also safe. Then why can¡¯t you just tell me the name?¡± I sighed when she kept quiet. I had to get something out of her. ¡°Alright. Don¡¯t say the name. Just answer my one question.¡± I took a desk breath. ¡°Is it Arthur? Did he threaten you to do it?¡± Her hands balled into fists, her whole body tensed at the name. With tears shining in her eyes when she averted her gaze from me, I got my answer. So the enemy of the house was Arthur indeed. Share Chapter 53 Chapter 53 Read The Trap Of Ace [by Eva Zahan] Chapter 53 ¨C That freaking back stabber! How could he betray his own nephew like that? He joined hands with Antonio for what? To defame his own family? What would he gain if Valencian Corp¡¯s reputation ruins in the market? Wouldn¡¯t it harm his bank bnce too? I knew he was not what he showed to the world. But today, after talking to Liza I got to know what a snake he was. Winning Ace¡¯s trust he was now trying to stab him on the back while remaining in the shadow. And Ace had no idea about this. I had to tell him. But I had no idea exactly how to start this conversation. I knew what was the truth, but I didn¡¯t have any physical proof to show him. Will he believe my words? Suddenly I halted at my way seeing a certain person I hated with everything in me. Red freaking witch! Before the conference room, she was talking and giggling with Matt batting her fake eyshes. And she wore another red dress today. I almost forgot that the Arabs had a meeting at the office. Arthur¡¯s matter upied my brain too much to remember anything else. ¡°Ms. Hutton?¡± I turned to Carter who had a surprised look etched on his face. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I thought you weren¡¯ting today. Boss said you were on a leave?¡± Ignoring his question, I turned to the witch again. ¡°How many meetings will be happening with the Arabs?¡± ¡°Umm, I¡¯m not sure, Ms. Hutton. But until the project finishes, it¡¯ll ur several times.¡± I nced at him, pressing my lips together. Several times? No way in the h**l I¡¯d let that witch roam around this office that many times. And definitely not around my man. Straightening up, I held his gaze. ¡°I don¡¯t care how many times the Arabse here for the meetings. But make sure she,¡± I pointed to that witch, ¡°doesn¡¯t step into this building from now on.¡± His forehead creased, confusion was clear in his eyes. ¡°But, Ms. Hutton, she¡¯s Mr. Hakimi¡¯s secretary. She¡¯ll be needed here during the meetings. I don¡¯t think Mr. Hakimi would like this ban on his secretary.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll talk to him myself. Don¡¯t worry about him. Just do as I say.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°No buts. I don¡¯t want that girl in this office from now on. Is that clear?¡± my voice full ofmand as I spoke. I didn¡¯t want to take advantage of the position Ace had given me by making me an equal owner of everything he owned, but I didn¡¯t have any other way to get rid of that witch. With eyes as saucers, he nodded his head. ¡°O-of course, Ms. Hutton. You won¡¯t see her here again.¡± I smiled. ¡°Good. Now please carry on with your job. Is Ace in his cabin now?¡± ¡°Yes, Ms. Hutton. He is in there.¡± Nodding, I turned around and sauntered away. Not needing the necessity of knocking before entering his office, I pushed the door open and walked inside with a bright smile stered onto my face. I hadn¡¯t seen him since the morning. And I was already missing him. ¡°Ace¡­¡± I was halted at the presence of two other persons who were in the room along Ace. Three pairs of eyes fell on me, leaving me dumbfounded. S**t! Carter didn¡¯t inform me that Ace was in a meeting in his cabin. The dense ambience around the room told me about the seriousness of the meeting. Arthur was standing close to the door, as if he was just about to walk out. My expression immediately turned stoic as soon as my gaze met his already hard ones. Something unreadable also swirled around his dark orbs. Freaking traitor! Averting my eyes, my eyes fell on the man around Ace¡¯s age sitting at the opposite of Ace. He was the same man Casie was staring at on Tess¡¯s reception. And then I gazed at my man. Those grey eyes were narrowed, watching me silently. Did I disturb? Of course, I did! ¡°Uh, I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t know you had a meeting going on,¡± I said, sheepishly. ¡°It¡¯s a general courtesy to knock before you enter someone¡¯s cabin, Emerald. You don¡¯t just barge in like that.¡± Arthur¡¯s voice held displeasure. ¡°She doesn¡¯t need to knock to enter her own cabin, Arthur.¡± Ace¡¯s response was quick. Though his tone was full of authority, he was polite. The respect he used during talking to his uncle always. Arthur¡¯s brows raised. ¡°Her cabin?¡± ¡°Everything that¡¯s mine is my Rosebud¡¯s. I thought you were aware of the fact already.¡± He tilted his head. While Arthur¡¯s face tightened as he shed a smile of understanding at Ace, mine turned all red. Even though for how many times he had shown his affection towards me before the world, I still managed to blush at that. ¡°I¡¯ll see youter.¡± With that, Arthur threw me another nce and got out of the door. Turning back, I found the stranger¡¯s eyes on me, watching me with raised brows. Then standing up, he strolled towards me and gave me his hand for a shake. ¡°Hello. I¡¯m Duncan. It¡¯s very nice to meet you,¡± his deep Italian ent spoke. Striking blue eyes held curiosity in them as they watched me. With six feet something height, strong built structure, sharp jaw, dark brown locks and an extremely handsome face, he looked every girl¡¯s dark fantasy. If I wasn¡¯t already absolutely lost into my Greek g*d, I¡¯d have a crush on him too. Just like my best friend. I could understand why she couldn¡¯t take her eyes off of him that night. But for me, he was just a handsome face now. My eyes were only for my Greek caveman. I could already feel his ming re on this Italian. Smiling, I shook his hand. ¡°Hi! I¡¯m Emerald, Emerald Hutton. Nice to meet you too!¡± ¡°I know. I saw you in the reception. Though we couldn¡¯t meet personally, well, my friend here was too busy dragging his beautifuldy love away from the party to introduce her to anyone,¡± he said, casting a nce at Ace whose jaw was tight at our still joined hands. ¡°Enough of shaking hands, back off now, De Sylvano!¡± Greek ent deep. Smirking, he retracted his hand and shoved his hands into his pockets. ¡°Easy there, fratello! Taken women isn¡¯t my thing. No matter how stunning they¡¯re.¡± Heat crept up my cheeks while my caveman¡¯s nostrils red. ¡°Duncan De Sylvano, I¡¯d like you to leave right now if you want our partnership to keep going,¡± he warned, leaning towards his desk. Duncan¡¯s smirk stayed intact. Both powerful men held each other¡¯s gaze. ¡°So what I heard is true then. Ruthless cold Achilles Valencian finally got his salvation. That¡¯s why I was wondering why less people were getting fired around yourpanies. Because now the beast has someone to tame him down.¡± Ace cocked his head. ¡°Beast? Look who¡¯s talking. Doesn¡¯t the ruthless word suit you more than me?¡± Duncan let out a small chuckle. ¡°Anyways, we¡¯re meeting tomorrow night with the Russians, right?¡± ¡°Yes. Hope things go as we nned.¡± The Italian nodded. ¡°Amen to that. I¡¯ll see you tomorrow then.¡± Turning to me, he shed a polite smile and walked out of the cabin. ¡°You!¡± My head snapped to the devil behind the huge desk. Stormy grey eyes hard as he beckoned me to him. ¡°Come here.¡± A shiver ran down my spine. But as if my legs had their own mind, they slowly trudged near him. cing the purse on his desk when I was within his reach, his hand shot out and pulled me into hisp. A gasp slipped through my lips. One hand around the back of my neck and the other one around my waist, he scorching gaze held me prisoner. ¡°What were you doing just some moments ago, Rosebud?¡± ¡°W-what did I do?¡± His grip tightened as he brought his face closer to mine. My eyes fell onto his plump firm lips. ¡°What did you do? You were checking out some other man in front of me and you¡¯re asking what did you do?¡± His jaw ticked. ¡°Did you forgetst night, my rose? Did you forget what I did to you? Did you forget the marks I left on your body while iming you as mine?¡± Goosebumps crawled up my skin at the memories ofst night. Clenching my thighs, I licked my lips. Grey orbs followed the act. Feeling his rough stubble, I pressed myself against him. ¡°Mind reminding me again, your highness?¡± A groan left his mouth, but the tightness of his jaw didn¡¯t soften. Leaning in, I kissed the corner of his lips. ¡°I wasn¡¯t checking him out. I was just seeing what Casie saw in him that she just couldn¡¯t tear her eyes off of him. My eyes are only for you, don¡¯t worry.¡± Watching me for a moment, his form slowly rxed. I inwardly shook my head at him. Stubborn possessive caveman! Pulling me closer, he snuggled his face into my neck while I slumped into him. The heady cologne of his filled my lungs with a feel of home. My eyes fluttered close as he littered some butterfly kisses across my neck. His hand massaged the back of my head softly. At the moment, I let go of everything that ran in my head and just listened to the rhythm of his heartbeats. ¡°I told you to rest. What are you doing here then?¡± he mumbled, tightening his grip around me as if I¡¯d disappear somewhere. ¡°I was justing home back to you.¡± Home? Did he- did he mean our home? A warmth surged through my chest. ¡°I was missing you.¡± It wasn¡¯t a whole lie. I was missing him the moment he left the penthouse. I wanted to tell him about Liza and Sierra. But I wanted to talk to Warner first. Maybe his cousin managed to get some proof against Arthur by now? He stayed silent for a moment and then lifted my face up, making me look at him. ¡°I¡¯ve a surprise for you.¡± My whole mood brightened at once. ¡°What surprise?¡± He chuckled, capturing my lips in a soft kiss. But his kiss lingered for too long for my impatient self. Pulling away, much to his dismay, I snaked my arms around his neck. ¡°What surprise?¡± ¡°Too many things have been going on recently. So I thought you¡¯d like to get away from this ce for some time.¡± ¡°We¡¯re going somewhere? As in a vacation?¡± I squealed like a small kid getting their Christmas gift. A breathtaking smile tugged on his lips, grey eyes roaming across my features with full of love and adoration. ¡°Yes. A vacation just for two of us.¡± ¡°Where? When are we going?¡± ¡°Rx, Rosebud. It¡¯s a surprise. Have some patience, will you?¡± He ran his nose over my jaw. ¡°And we¡¯re leaving tomorrow night, after the meeting with the Russians.¡± I pouted. I hated it not knowing where he was taking me. ¡°Is it out of the US?¡± Amusement danced in his eyes. ¡°We¡¯ll see once we reach there.¡± Huffing, I put my head back on his chest. Chuckling, he trailed his hand under my dress. A shiver shot through my body as his fingers glided up my t***h. ¡°Are you still sore, baby?¡± his hot breath fanned my neck. Hiding my face more into his chest, I nodded my head. The slight pinch of difort was still there. ¡°A little.¡± He let out a groan. ¡°Take another painkiller. I¡¯ll go mad if I don¡¯t have you tonight.¡± I bit my lip at the painful tug at my lower region. I could already feel the burning desire running hot through my veins. My hand sneaked up to his hair, tugging them softly. He breathed into my neck. ¡°I love you so much, my rose.¡± My lips parted at his hot lips against my skin and scorching touch on my thighs. Those pervert hands of his slowly crept up to my butt. Pulling away, I brought his head down and captured his lips in a hungry kiss. And he responded immediately with his punishing one. ¡°I love you too!¡± *** Walking down the hallway, I called Warner for the second time but he didn¡¯t receive his phone. I even left him a message after meeting Liza, but he didn¡¯t even answer to that. I wanted to ask him if he found out more about Arthur. But he wasn¡¯t even responding to any of my calls or messages. Where was he? I was getting impatient now. I needed to talk to Ace. But I was too afraid to ruin the beautiful phase we were going through. I wish I had taken his cousin¡¯s number from him. Sighing, when I punched the green button again, a gasp slipped from my lips as I felt a tug on my arm and was harshly pulled into a dark room I hadn¡¯t entered before. Share Chapter 54 Chapter 54 Read The Trap Of Ace [by Eva Zahan] Chapter 54 ¨C My eyes squinted against the bright light as soon as the room lit up. And then I found the person who dragged me in this room. Dark orbs watched me silently. My fists clenched. ¡°What the h**l is this, Arthur?¡± His head cocked to the side. ¡°You don¡¯t even know what h**l is. Trust me, I haven¡¯t done anything yet to compare it with h**l.¡± I frowned. ¡°What do you mean?¡± A muscle of his jaw ticked, his aged left eye twitched. ¡°I¡¯ll just say five words, Emerald.¡± Disgust dripped from his voice as he took my name. ¡°Stay out of my path.¡± My forehead creased more in confusion. What was he talking about? And then realization hit me. A shiver ran down my spine at the malice that his dark soulless eyes held. ¡°What are you trying to say, Arthur?¡± I kept my voice as strong as I could. He found out. He found out of my quest. But I didn¡¯t know how much he knew. He let out a humourless chuckle. ¡°You exactly know what I¡¯m talking about. You really thought that you¡¯d try to dig out my past and my secrets, and I wouldn¡¯t find out?¡± When I didn¡¯t say anything, his lips curled into a sneer. ¡°Surprised that how did I know?¡± he mocked. ¡°Well, from the day you saw me with Sierra at that hotel, I knew you wouldn¡¯t keep quiet. You¡¯d go after her asking about me. And you did, just as I assumed! And then I found out that the worthless ex-boyfriend of yours had his cousin after me. Do you think I¡¯m that unaware and foolish?¡± I took a step back as he took a threatening step towards me. With my eyes wide, my heart pounded down my heart. Not because I was scared of him, but because he now knew about Warner and his cousin¡¯s involvement with this matter. S**t! I didn¡¯t n this! I didn¡¯t want him to hurt them in any way because of me. Be strong, Em! Don¡¯t show him your weakness. Don¡¯t let him threaten you just like he did to Liza and Sierra. Holding my chin high, I held his gaze. ¡°I don¡¯t need to think you¡¯re a fool. You are a fool.¡± His nostrils red at myment. ¡°Anyone who would dare to go against Ace will be considered as a fool. Do you really think you can go and backstab him on his back and he would just let you leave like that? Just because you¡¯re his uncle?¡± I snorted. ¡°It¡¯s just some matter of time until I tell him what you do under your respected businessman facade and he¡¯ll throw you out of thispany like a fly from the milk.¡± A smirk tugged on his lips. ¡°You think you¡¯ll tell him and he¡¯ll believe you? What proof do you have against me?¡± Nothing. That¡¯s why I was stalling time to reveal your betraying a*s before him. I kept a straight face. ¡°Do you think he¡¯ll need any proof when his Rosebud will say something to him?¡± His smirk slipped from his face. Even I knew Ace wouldn¡¯t just wave my words off, but I just wanted to have some solid proof. And now that he was standing here before me warning me off, I didn¡¯t need any other proof. ¡°I can¡¯t believe your guts, Arthur. You run illegal businesses across the UK, you used to run brothels over there, you were threatening Sierra for some reason, and here you¡¯re warning me that I should stay away from your path?¡± I raised my brow. ¡°If I were you, I¡¯d be running away with my tail between my legs if my dark secrets would get exposed before someone. Because the time isn¡¯t far away when you¡¯ll be behind the bars,¡± I hissed. I wanted to confront him about Liza and working with Antonio. But I held myself back. That could bring Liza and her family into more risk. With his fists clenched, eyes shing, he took another step forward. But this time I held my ground. ¡°You want to go and tell everything about me?¡± he cocked his head. ¡°Then go ahead.¡± I frowned. ¡°Go ahead and tell him. What¡¯s the most he can do, send me to the p****n?¡± He let out augh, before an ominous look imed over his face. ¡°But know one thing before you do anything, Emerald. I don¡¯t y my cards without keeping an Ace in my hands.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± A smirk tugged at the side of his lips. ¡°You tell him, and I¡¯ll destroy him. Now Achilles¡¯s Rosebud won¡¯t do anything to break him to pieces, will she?¡± A shiver ran down my spine. Destroy him? ¡°You can¡¯t. You don¡¯t have that power. Ace isn¡¯t an ordinary man you can just¡­¡± ¡°Do you really think I¡¯ll go, do these things without having anything against him in my hands?¡± He raised a brow. ¡°I¡¯m warning you for thest time, Emerald. We don¡¯t have any personal issues, so I¡¯d suggest you to stay away. Otherwise, your dear Ace will have to bear the consequences. Because the secret I¡¯ve of your boyfriend, can destroy him to the ashes. Remember that.¡± I shook my head. ¡°You¡¯re lying. You¡¯re just trying to threaten me to make me back off. You have nothing against him. He doesn¡¯t do any illegal businesses like you!¡± Shoving his hands into his pockets, his features turned void of any emotions. ¡°How much do you know about his past? How much did he tell you?¡± I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. Other than his d**g addiction and his father¡¯s s*****e, I knew nothing. But could his being a d**g addict in his childhood be strong enough to destroy him? No. He shook his head. ¡°You know nothing! Go and ask him. Then you might know what I¡¯m talking about. What¡¯s the secret that can ruin Achilles Valencian.¡± With that, he fixed his cor and walked out of the room, leaving me standing there, immobile. His words rang across my head like warning bells. The secret that can ruin him to pieces? What secret he was talking about? What more did Ace hide from me? With my hands turned cold and trembling, my heart racing, I slowly trudged out of the door and walked away. *** After pacing around my cabin for almost half an hour thinking of Arthur¡¯s threat and waiting for Ace to finish his another meeting, I decided to call Warner again. But again, he didn¡¯t receive his phone. Where the h**l he was? I needed to talk to Ace. I knew there was more to his past that I wasn¡¯t aware of. Like where was his mother or what happened to his father. But I had no idea he had some secret buried in his past that was that dangerous. Lethal enough to destroy him. But what if Arthur was just casting arrows in the dark? Maybe he was just messing with my head? There was nothing that he could use against Ace? But he wouldn¡¯t just throw it on my face if he really didn¡¯t know anything. He even told me to ask Ace myself. I need to talk to him now. I need to know what happened in his past to stop Arthur. With a determination formed inside me, I headed to his office. And thankfully he was alone in his cabin when I entered. Standing before the floor to ceiling window, his gaze fixed into the distance. Hearing me, he turned to me. ¡°Rosebud?¡± His arms spread for me to fly in them, and I did. Without wasting a second. Filling my lungs with his intoxicating soothing scent, I closed my eyes against his chest. A sigh left me with his arms firm around me. My home. At that moment all the anxiousness and tiredness from all the incidents washed off from my body. I was in my Ace¡¯s arms. Snuggling his nose into my hair, he inhaled deep. ¡°Where were you? I was waiting for you toe here so that we can leave for home.¡± ¡°In my cabin. Matt told me you were busy in a meeting,¡± I mumbled into his arms. ¡°That wasn¡¯t important. And even if it was important, you should¡¯vee and stayed with me. I don¡¯t like it when you¡¯re not before my eyes.¡± A smile touched my face. Kissing his chest, I looked up at him. ¡°I¡¯ll keep it in mind.¡± ¡°Good. Now can we go home? I want to spend some quality time with my Rosebud.¡± I nodded, not saying anything. What secret he was hiding from me? His grey eyes narrowed. ¡°What happened, baby? Is anything bothering you?¡± I gazed into his beautiful grey orbs. Those little ck and golden streaks around the grey, had me breathless. Raising my hand, I grazed his cheek. ¡°Ace, now that we¡¯re in a rtionship, I want everything to be proper. There should be no boundaries between us, no restrictions, no hesitation.¡± Cupping my cheeks, he brushed his lips against mine, kissing the corner of my mouth softly. ¡°There¡¯s no boundaries between us, my rose. And if there¡¯s, I will wipe them off. Nothing cane between us, not even a single gust of air.¡± ¡°I want to know everything about you, Ace. Everything that I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°You know everything about me, baby. What more do you want to know?¡± He frowned. I held his gaze. ¡°Your past. Everything about your past.¡± He stiffened. Something shed across his eyes. But it was gone soon as he kissed my forehead. ¡°What do you want to know?¡± I was surprised at the ease his stance was radiating. I¡¯d have believed he wasn¡¯t bothered by my words if his grey eyes weren¡¯t so nk that I couldn¡¯t trace even a hint of emotions. And it unnerved me. ¡°Where¡¯s your mom?¡± I asked. ¡°After your father¡¯s d***h, she was gone from your life. Where is she, Ace?¡± His face remained neutral as he said, ¡°She¡¯s in Italy now.¡± ¡°Why did she leave you and Caleb like this? You had literally no one to look after you. Didn¡¯t you try to stop her?¡± As far as I knew, she always adored Ace and Caleb. But I didn¡¯t understand what had gone wrong then. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. His grip tightened on my hips. ¡°As I told you before, after my father¡¯s d***h, she couldn¡¯t take it, so she left. Due to her depression and habit of consuming alcohol, she needed an escape from her life and this ce. To get herself better, she left us to Arthur and left for the UK for treatment. And then she couldn¡¯t come back, it¡¯d bring too many bad memories for her to do that.¡± As he spoke, I didn¡¯t find any hint of hatred towards his mother. I thought he hated her for leaving him like that. But he didn¡¯t. Instead, he was giving me justification for her. And she went to the UK for treatment? And now she was in Italy. Didn¡¯t she even try once to meet her son? ¡°You¡¯re still connected to each other? I mean, I understand why she doesn¡¯t want to return, but, doesn¡¯t she wish to meet you every once in a while?¡± He nodded. ¡°I do meet her on some asions. Especially on her birthdays. But except that, we just talk sometimes on the phone.¡± The edge in his voice had my heart clench. He must miss her a lot. I noticed how he didn¡¯t say she wants to meet him, instead he said he meets her every once in a while. What made her turn into like this? Didn¡¯t she miss her son? ¡°Do you miss her?¡± I whispered. A muscle of his jaw ticked. He was holding off his emotions. ¡°Sometimes.¡± I rubbed his chest to provide somefort. ¡°Why don¡¯t you talk to her everyday?¡± He averted his gaze. ¡°Because she doesn¡¯t like that. She had got out of her depression with a lot of difficulties. And seeing me and Caleb, means her past, brings her¡­ unwanted memories.¡± Seeing her own son brings unwanted memories? ¡°But she does try. That¡¯s why we talk sometimes,¡± he added. He still loved her no matter how much she stayed away. My heart tugged for him. Nodding my head, I cleared my throat. Come on, Emerald. Ask it. ¡°What happened to your father?¡± My eyes held his stormy greys. ¡°Why did hemit s*****e?¡± Share Chapter 55 Chapter 55 Read The Trap Of Ace [by Eva Zahan] Chapter 55 ¨C His entire stance tensed as soon as I asked the question. His eyes still away from mine as he took a deep breath, his jaw locked tight. ¡°Rosebud, we just got together. Let¡¯s just keep the bitter chapter of my life out of our new beginning, shall we?¡± Grey orbs met mine. They held a desperation for me to understand. ¡°I don¡¯t want to relive my past when all I want is to make new beautiful memories with you.¡± I knew it hurt him to talk about his past. But I couldn¡¯t let this go. I had this intuition that whatever Arthur was talking about was rted to his father¡¯s s*****e. There could be something else also. And I needed to know everything to sort things out. So even if it pained me to torture him with his memories, I didn¡¯t back off. ¡°Until you¡¯re clutching on your past like that, you can¡¯t start fresh. You can¡¯t be truly happy. I can see it, Ace. You¡¯re battling with something. There¡¯s something that¡¯s bothering you. And it¡¯s not just Antonio. Please tell me, what¡¯s it? What happened to your father? I want to know everything.¡± Closing his eyes, he pulled away and showed his back to me. Facing the window again, he stood there with his hands fisted. ¡°There¡¯s nothing much to know, Rosebud.¡± His voice came out cold. ¡°I used to always look up to my father as my idol. I wanted to be like him. Until I got to know his real face.¡± I didn¡¯t dare to interrupt him, fearing that he would just switch off again. So I just stood there silently, listening to him. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. ¡°He was a womanizer. After some years of his marriage with Mom, he started to cheat on her. And that broke my Mom,¡± he revealed. A gasp slipped through my lips. ¡°But even after being unfaithful, he had always loved his reputation more than anything. He was always discreet about his affairs. Because he wanted his image to be great before the society and his children. Mom had always doubted his activities until one day he wasn¡¯t careful and she caught him with one of his girlfriends in their own bed.¡± I stood there immobile, shocked at the revtion. So that¡¯s why they never had a good rtionship. ¡°And it wasn¡¯t only Mom who caught him. I and Caleb were also present there, so did Tobias and Tess.¡± The broad shoulders of his were rigid. ¡°And not being able to handle the shame, he ended his life.¡± Silence. The whole cabin echoed silence as he stood there with his tensed posture. Only his heavy breathing reverberated across the room. Something clenched into my chest at the pain he wasn¡¯t willing to show. I knew how much it was affecting him. Padding closer, I wrapped my arms around him from his back. My hands rubbed across his chest slowly, trying to provide somefort. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± I whispered. Grabbing my hand, he pulled me in front of him and engulfed me into his arms. With his arms wrapped around me tightly, his head snuggled at the crook of my neck. And I hugged him back, running my hand through his hair softly. ¡°It was the worst day of my life. That night still haunts my dreams sometimes,¡± he said. It pained me the way his voice cracked. I ced a kiss on his shoulder. ¡°I know saying it sounds easier than done, but you¡¯ve to let it go, Ace. I know whatever happened would be traumatic for anyone, but you can¡¯t let it affect your whole life this way. Let it go. I know you still can¡¯t ept it. But you have to. ept it and move on. I can¡¯t see you suffering like this.¡± His arms around me tightened. ¡°I¡¯m trying. But the demons of my past pull me back into their darkness whenever I try to move on.¡± Moving away slightly, I cupped his face. ¡°Then we¡¯ll fight those demons together. I¡¯m always here with you.¡± ¡°But will you always be there with me?¡± The unreadable look in his grey eyes left me questioning it. I brushed my lips against his. ¡°I will,¡± I promised. ¡°I¡¯ll be always there with you.¡± Watching me for a moment, he smashed his lips with mine. The intensity of his kiss told me how he wanted to convey his feelings through the kiss. Pulling away, he let out a sigh and pulled me into his arms again. ¡°I love you, my Rosebud.¡± ¡°I love you too.¡± I snuggled into his chest. Even though he told me everything, somehow I still felt like something was still left out. Whatever he told me, I didn¡¯t find anything that Arthur can use against him. Was Arthur really telling me the truth? Or Ace didn¡¯t reveal everything before me? Whatever it was, I decided not to ask him any more questions for now. He already told me enough. I didn¡¯t want to torment him further. But the tight grip of him around me as if I¡¯d disappear somewhere at any moment made me disturbed. What was he hiding from me? *** Stirring the pasta into the pan, I put the cake into the refrigerator after getting it out from the oven. Then I went busy with preparing the icing. A pair of strong arms snaked around my waist from behind. The fragrance of his soap from his shower reached my nostrils. A smile tugged on my lips. ¡°What¡¯s my Rose doing?¡± His husky voice rasped into my ear. His thumb brushed on my belly into circles. ¡°I¡¯m preparing dinner for the guards.¡± Tossing the pasta, I sprinkled some more salt in it. He raised his brows. I rolled my eyes. ¡°Of course I¡¯m making food for both of us. Though we can also send some for them. I made a good quantity.¡± ¡°No. Only I can taste the food my Rosebud makes for me.¡± The ce between his brows furrowed. Shaking my head, I chuckled. Unbelievable! He snuggled into my neck again. A shiver ran through me as his stubble tickled my skin. I let out a giggle. ¡°Stop! It¡¯s tickling!¡± He rubbed his face more against my neck, making meugh. When his fingers crept up to my sides, I let out a squeal, trying to get away. But holding me back, he tickled my sides, throwing me into a fit ofughter. With a smile stretched across his face, he just watched me wiggling into his arms, cackling like an idiot. ¡°S-stop! I can¡¯t breathe!¡± But he didn¡¯t stop. Hisughter followed behind, it sounded musical to my ears. And when I started wheezing, only then he stopped. Wiping the tears from the corner of my eyes, I red at him. And he just grinned, pulling me into him again. ¡°I¡¯m hungry,¡± he whispered, his hand crawling up into my blouse. His tone told me which hunger he was referring to. I bit my lip at the tug in my lower abdomen. ¡°Dinner first.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t wait anymore. I need you, baby,¡± he groaned, his hands inches closer from my chest. Completely pulling away from him, I put off the pasta from the stove. ¡°No, I¡¯m making dinner and we¡¯ll enjoy the food now. Other ns are forter.¡± He grumbled, trying to touch me again. But put thedle between us, halting his movement. ¡°Now off you go and let me finish my job. I need to ice the cake now.¡± His lips pressed together. ¡°Alright. Let me help.¡± ¡°No. Today is my turn to feed you. So I¡¯ll do everything myself. I¡¯m almost done anyways. You go and finish if you have any work left.¡± ¡°Oh, I can¡¯t wait for you to feed me,¡± hemented, licking his lips. My cheeks med at his double meaning. Letting out augh, he pressed a kiss on my lips and walked away. Shaking my head, I let out a sigh. Though he was behaving like nothing happened, I could tell his facade. Behind his all teasing and laughter, I could see the storm brewing in his eyes. After our little talk in his cabin, he seemed more at edge than ever. Something was bothering him a lot. *** Turning under the sheet, I found myself all cold. I didn¡¯t wake up to the warm body I went to sleep in. My hand stretched for him on the bed, but he wasn¡¯t there. Reaching out, I turned on themp that lightened the dark room. He wasn¡¯t anywhere around. The bathroom and balcony doors were locked either. Where did he go? After our dinner, he took me to the bedroom and made love to me until I was exhausted and couldn¡¯t move a limb. With his gentle touches and sweet whisperings into my ear, I had found myself into a peaceful sleep. But now he wasn¡¯t here. Ignoring the difort down there, I got up and put on his t-shirt, the one he threw on the floor earlier during our hot session. Padding out of the room, I went to the hall and kitchen. Not finding him there, I checked the other rooms. But he wasn¡¯t anywhere. ¡°Ace?¡± Silence. And then my eyes went to the small hallway that led to the library, gym and his office. Biting my lip, I trudged through the hallway and stopped before the gym. Through the gap beneath the door, I could see the lights were on. I frowned. What was he doing here at midnight? Twisting the k**b, I pushed the door open and walked inside. ¡°Ace¡­¡± And I was cut off with the scene I saw before me. Share Chapter 56 Chapter 56 Read The Trap Of Ace [by Eva Zahan] Chapter 56 ¨C Sweat trickled down his strong back along the tensing and flexing of his muscles and shoulders as he was lost into k*****g his huge punching bag. Only the sound of his ragged breathing and punches echoed around the gym. But what had me shocked was the b****y spots on the punching bag. And I knew where they were coming from. Rage boiled inside my veins as my fists clenched. He was doing it again. ¡°Ace! Stop it!¡± His movement stilled with his hands gripping the bag to halt its swaying. The broad shoulders of his moved up and down with his every heavy breath as he moved his head to me. Dark stormy grey eyes met mine ming turquoise. Striding closer, I snatched his hands from the bag. A gasp left me at the sight. They were worse than I¡¯d ever seen before. They weren¡¯t just bruised, they were b****y. ¡°What the h**l you¡¯re doing!¡± I snapped, my eyes burned with tears as I held his gaze. ¡°Have you lost it? You¡¯re bleeding! How many times do I have to tell you not to do this! You¡¯re hurting yourself again!¡± But my outburst didn¡¯t seem to reach his ears. His eyes were too busy to watch me, roaming onto every feature of mine. But when a tear slipped down my cheek, he got back into his senses. ¡°Rosebud? What happened, baby? Why are you crying?¡± He cupped my cheeks, grey pools alert. ¡°Are you hurt?¡± Didn¡¯t he even realize what I was talking about? Something squeezed inside my chest. Where was he lost into so much? What was bothering him to that extent that he didn¡¯t even realize his own pain? ¡°Yes, I¡¯m hurt.¡± Concern etched into his beautiful face as they searched for any injuries on my body. ¡°Hurt? Where? How did you get hurt?¡± ¡°You hurt me,¡± I whispered. He stilled, watching me in silence. A pain shed across his eyes as if even the idea of hurting me hunted him. ¡°I could never hurt you, Rosebud. I¡¯d rather d*e before doing that.¡± ¡°But you did. Not physically, but emotionally. You¡¯re hurting me by hurting yourself.¡± Taking a hold of his bloodied knuckles carefully, I held them before his face. ¡°You lied to me. I thought you told me it¡¯ll stop once I¡¯m in your arms forever. But it didn¡¯t. I guess, I¡¯m not important enough for you to soothe your pain.¡± Shaking his head, he tried to touch me but I stepped back. A grimace touched his face. ¡°Rosebud, there¡¯s nothing more important than you for me. You¡¯re the sole reason I live for.¡± He gulped, pain shed across his eyes as another tear rolled down my cheek. ¡°Then why? Why do you torture yourself like that?¡± I sniffled. ncing down at his knuckles, a muscle of his jaw ticked. ¡°Pain makes me forget, Rosebud. It helps me escape my fears and insecurities. And intense working out helps me with my frustration and the storm that rages inside me.¡± Fear? Insecurities? Hearing those words from Achilles Valencian¡¯s mouth sounded foreign. What fear this powerful man before me could have? ¡°What fear?¡± My voice came out as a whisper. Grey eyes met mine. ¡°Fear of losing you.¡± For a moment my heartbeat slowed down as I stared at him, speechless. ¡°Why would me lose me? I¡¯m not going anywhere.¡± He averted his gaze. With fists clenched, he turned away. ¡°It¡¯ste, Rosebud. You should go and sleep now.¡± ¡°Do not change the topic!¡± Grabbing his arm, I made him face me. ¡°I¡¯m not epting my questions being unanswered anymore! You¡¯re definitely hiding something from me and that¡¯s eating you alive! What is it? Tell me. Please, Ace. Don¡¯t keep me in the dark anymore.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not hiding anything from you,¡± his reply came out cold. ¡°Of course, you¡¯re! I¡¯m not a kid you could just lie that easily,¡± I snapped, my temper rising. I couldn¡¯t let him torture himself like that. There was something that was ruining him from inside, and he needed to let it out. And I definitely needed to know why he had this fear of losing me. Because I wasn¡¯t going anywhere. ¡°You¡¯re still hiding something from me about your past, aren¡¯t you? You didn¡¯t tell me the entire truth.¡± His whole stance tensed as his dark eyes snapped to mine. His hands shook at his sides, the unreadable emotions swirling around his orbs were unknown to me. ¡°I told you everything that you needed to know.¡± I titled my head. ¡°So that means the things you hid from me weren¡¯t important enough for you to tell me?¡± His lips pressed tight, eyes shing. ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about this anymore.¡± ¡°No! You have to! I won¡¯t let you torture yourself like that! Nor will I let you keep me in the darkness anymore!¡± ¡°Why do you have so much interest in my past!¡± His voice boomed across the room, making me flinch. ¡°I¡¯ve been hearing these questions the whole f*****g day! Can¡¯t you get this one thing that I don¡¯t want to talk about it? Leave my past the f**k alone!¡± I stood still. Shock, surprise and hurt ran through me at once. He had never talked to me like that. What happened years ago that made him react like that? Seeing my shock, guilt washed over his face as he let out a curse, rubbing his face in frustration. ¡°Rosebud, i- I¡¯m so sorry! I¡¯m so sorry, baby!¡± His features wereced with agony. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to shout at you. I just- I lost it.¡± When he tried to reach me again, I took another step back. ¡°It¡¯s alright, it can happen sometimes. I don¡¯t mind. As long as you tell me the truth.¡± Closing his eyes, he pinched the bridge of his nose. ¡°Emerald, please stop it. I can¡¯t.¡± Even I couldn¡¯t. As selfish as it sounded, but he didn¡¯t know what dagger we had dangling on our necks. To truly start our life together and defeat Arthur, I needed the truth. ¡°I won¡¯t. You¡¯ve kept me in darkness for seven years and it made both of us suffer for years. I won¡¯t let you do it again. Tell me, Ace. Please, I beg¡­¡± ¡°Oh, for G*d¡¯s sake! Stop it! Don¡¯t be so f*****g stubborn, Emerald! I can¡¯t tell you anything. What you needed to know, I told you that. You don¡¯t need to know anymore. So let¡¯s just keep it that way! It¡¯ll be good for both of us!¡± Before I could say anything else, he passed me and stormed out of the gym, mming the door behind him. I just stood there silently. So many questions were swirling inside my head like a wildfire. But I had no answers. He used Emerald two times today. And that wasn¡¯t a good sign. *** I padded inside the bedroom again. Leaving the door ajar, I walked towards the bed and sat on it. Letting out a sigh, I nced at the clock. One in the morning. After our fight, he left the penthouse before I could evene out of the gym. When I heard him mming the door close, I knew he wasn¡¯t returning for at least some hours. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Where did he go? Now that I was calmed down a little, I felt how harsh I was with him. I knew how sensitive this matter was for him, but I continued to poke him. Nagged him for answers. I should¡¯ve just given him some time instead of snapping like that. How could I be so careless? It was the fear of Arthur¡¯s doing some harm to him and the desperation of removing him from our lives. And now seeing how much the truth is affecting him, I needed to know everything even more. I wanted to heal his wounds. I wanted to give himfort, tell him that I was there with him, that I understand. But how could I do that if he wouldn¡¯t let me inpletely? If he didn¡¯t open up to mepletely, it¡¯d be a hinder between us for the rest of our lives. It¡¯ll always weaken our rtionship. I wanted him to open up to me. I wanted him to trust me with his secrets. Maybe I should just give him some time. And then I remembered that I didn¡¯t bandage his knuckles. Picking up my phone, I dialed his number. But it directly went to voicemail. I called again, but no vail. Where the h**l is he? His wounds are needed to be taken care of. Frustrated, as I mmed my phone on the bed, it began ring. With a skip of my heart, I picked it up. But disappointment soon followed as Warner¡¯s name shed on the screen. Rubbing my forehead, I received the call. ¡°Hey! I called you earlier the day, you didn¡¯t pick up. What¡¯s up?¡± Honestly, I didn¡¯t have the strength to talk about Arthur right now. ¡°I was busy digging out some worms, but guess what? I¡¯ve found a snake instead,¡± his voice spoke from the other side of the phone. I frowned. ¡°What¡¯re you talking about?¡± ¡°Remember once you told me how you didn¡¯t know a lot of things about Achilles¡¯s past. And knowing how sensitive it was for him, you were hesitating to ask him?¡± I remembered talking to him at Tess¡¯s wedding. When he saw Ace and me together, even though he didn¡¯t look happy, he did congratte me. And when he asked me what was my next step in our rtionship, I told him how I wanted to know more about Ace. It¡¯d be our first step of our new life. But seemed like it was turning out quite difficult. ¡°Yeah, but why are you talking about that now?¡± ¡°Well, I thought I could help you a little. And guess what? I was right from the beginning. That man doesn¡¯t deserve you. Because he never told you any truths. All he did was keeping you in the dark and manipting you in his trap with his sweet lies!¡± he hissed through the phone. I stood up from the bed. ¡°What do you mean? What are you talking about? I thought I told you not to talk about him like that¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m just stating the truth, Em. I just called you to tell you what a liar he is.¡± My eyes narrowed further. ¡°Come to the point. What lie did he say to me? What do you want to say exactly?¡± ¡°He told you his father did s*****e, didn¡¯t he?¡± Something churned inside me as I slowly nodded even if he couldn¡¯t see me. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°His father didn¡¯t s*****e, Em. He was m******d.¡± Share Chapter 57 Chapter 57 Read The Trap Of Ace [by Eva Zahan] Chapter 57 ¨C What? M******d? I stilled, his words were slowly processing in my head. ¡°W-what are you talking about? Everyone knows he did s*****e. And I even know why he did that. Ace told me everything.¡± I heard him scoffing. ¡°Your Ace definitely lied to you again. Just like did every time. Just like he created a sham to break your heart.¡± I ignored his jab and the urge to right his words. Though he was right, there was a truth behind that act also. ¡°How do you know that his father was m******d? Who told you that?¡± ¡°Digging out Arthur¡¯s truth as we got to know what illegal businesses he runs, I had a suspicion that Achilles could have some connections with his uncle¡¯s activities. I mean, Arthur was doing all these under his nose and he had no idea about it? Now that sounds a little unbelievable. So I told my cousin to look into Achilles¡¯s past. And look what I found.¡± Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. I let out a breath of disbelief. If he was m******d then why everyone, even the media said he did s*****e back then? And why did Ace lie to me about it? ¡°Do you have any proof? What made you believe that he was m******d? And who¡¯d m****r him and why?¡± ¡°Rich people, they can do anything with money, even hiding evidence, Em. After his d***h, even the forensic reports said he was m******d. But the Valencians fed some cash to the cops and all settled out,¡± he said. ¡°Your Achilles Valencian did a good job of wiping off all the evidence of the m****r and any mentions of the person who did the crime. So we didn¡¯t get any proof except some words from a person who was a former cop involved back then in the case. And when we asked him if he would give any statement about it to the police, he replied with a big no. We only could make him spit out this information once we got him drunk at a local bar.¡± Shocked, I slumped on the bed. His voice rang into my head again and again. His father was m******d and he destroyed every evidence against the criminal? Who was he trying to save? And could I even trust Warner¡¯s information? Did Ace really do it? But my heart said he couldn¡¯t do it. He wouldn¡¯t save his own father¡¯s m******r. ¡°D-did that man tell you that Ace did it? He bribed the cops?¡± ¡°He said ¡®the man from Valencians¡¯ side¡¯. And as Arthur wasn¡¯t in the country at that moment and Caleb was too good to even think of that, who do you think would do that if not Achilles?¡± he asked, tone mocking. ¡°What a great man you love, Em. The man who saves his own father¡¯s m******r.¡± My jaw clenched. ¡°Warner, you don¡¯t know the whole truth. So I¡¯d suggest you not to reach any conclusion so soon! I know Ace, he¡¯d never do that! He loved his father!¡± He did, before he knew his father¡¯s real face. And I meant what I said. Yes, I was shook at the revtion. But I wouldn¡¯t doubt him like that. I¡¯d just directly ask him. And for that I needed him toe home. ¡°You don¡¯t understand, Em. Something really fishy is going on. That Achilles, he isn¡¯t the right person for you! He¡¯s only manipting you into his trap¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll talk to youter.¡± With that, I cut the call. A headache started to form into my head. Keeping the phone aside, I rubbed my temples. I had no strength to argue with him right now. All the mess spilling into my life from thest few months was rising up an exhaustion in me. Why were there so many questions out there and I had no answers? And the person who could relive me from the torture, wasn¡¯t ready to open up to me. I had tried to tell him about Arthur so many times, but every time I chickened out thinking I could ruin our rtionship out of my rush decisions. But now that I finally was ready to tell him everything with Liza¡¯s subtle confession, Arthur¡¯s threat to destroy him stopped me. Was Arthur talking about this? Something that rted to Ace¡¯s father¡¯s m****r and his protecting the real culprit? But what could it be that¡¯s lethal enough to ruin him? And is this secret also connected to Ace¡¯s fear of losing me? D-did he think once I found out that how he closed the police¡¯s mouth to hide a crime, I¡¯d leave him? Letting out a frustrated breath, I picked up my phone and called him again. But again it went to freaking voicemail! And my hours passed like that. Half asleep half awake, waiting for him. But he didn¡¯t return. Nor did he call. I even called Carter to see if he knew anything, but even he didn¡¯t have any idea of his location. The shes of his enraged grey eyes that hid an unspoken agony behind them was replying in my mind when darkness wholly engulfed me. *** Sorry, Ms. Hutton. I still couldn¡¯t find out the boss¡¯ location. But don¡¯t worry, he¡¯s fine. He¡¯lle back soon. Sighing, I put the phone on the counter and took a sip on my tea. It was ten in the morning and he wasn¡¯t still here. I again called Carter to look for him but this was what I got as an answer. Worry was nagging me constantly. With Arthur and Antonio¡¯s roaming around free, I couldn¡¯t sit in peace. That infuriating man didn¡¯t even take the guards with him! No matter how much sinfully built he was, he can¡¯t fight against five or ten men, can he? He shouldn¡¯t have left like that alone. I swear I¡¯ll put some brain into his big a*s brain once hees back! The re of my phone put a break on my fuming. Tess¡¯s blinding smiling face showed up on the screen after I received the video call. ¡°Em! You won¡¯t believe how beautiful this ce is! Look at the background! It¡¯s the view from my balcony!¡± Her gushing in happiness put a small smile on my face. She and Caleb left for Greece for their honeymoon right after their wedding reception. And this was the first time we were talking since that day. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s amazing. How are your days going there?¡± I kept my voice as chirpy as I could. ¡°It¡¯s going great! Even though we¡¯re spending most of our time in the bed. The views are amazing. I totally fell in love with this ce!¡± She giggled. As envious as it sounded, I wished I and Ace also could go somewhere far from here, just the two of us, away from all the tension and threats. Though he was nning a vacation for us, with all this going on I didn¡¯t think it was possible now. Just then Caleb¡¯s always happy face appeared beside hers. ¡°Hey, Achilles¡¯s Rosebud! What¡¯s up? My cousin is treating you good at my absence, right?¡± I smiled. ¡°I¡¯m good. And don¡¯t worry, he¡¯s pampering me too much for me to getzy soon.¡± Well, except his behaviorst night. But I¡¯d me his situation for that. ¡°And what about you? You better treat my sister well in my absence, mister. Otherwise you¡¯ll find me chasing you all around Greece soon.¡± Letting out augh, he kissed on Tess¡¯s temple. ¡°Oh, though I¡¯m not as romantic as Achilles, I¡¯m trying my best. Ain¡¯t I , baby?¡± His filled with love puppy eyes fell on my blushing sister. ¡°You¡¯re doing great,¡± she whispered. I cleared my throat, getting both of their attention back. ¡°Don¡¯t ruin my morning, guys! I can talk to youter if you need some privacy,¡± I teased. Caleb awkwardly scratched the back of his head, grinning sheepishly while Tess just got more red. ¡°No need!¡± saying, she pushed Caleb away from the camera. ¡°You go get something for me to eat. I¡¯m hungry. Let me talk to my sister in the meanwhile.¡± Grumbling heined about how bossy she was and walked away. And then Tess¡¯s eyes got back on me. A serious look etched onto her face. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Em? Your eyes are not as chirpy as your voice sounds. Is everything alright?¡± she asked. My smile dropped. Anyone could see that with my dark circles under my eyes and dull appearance if they looked closely. ¡°Nothing. Just didn¡¯t get much sleepst night.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me. Tobias called me to tell what¡¯s happening there. What happened that he left like that? Has he returned yet?¡± Along Carter, I also sought out my brother¡¯s help. But I got no luck in it too. I shook my head, my shoulders slumped down. ¡°He didn¡¯t. We had a little argumentst night. And he just¡­ snapped.¡± Her brows furrowed, disbelief shed across her blue orbs. ¡°He got mad at you?¡± I shrugged. ¡°It was my fault. I was pushing him too much.¡± ¡°Is it about Warner? Because the only thing that can get him mad at you is his jealousy.¡± Well, there was another thing you didn¡¯t know. ¡°No, not Warner. I was just trying to know something that I felt he was hiding from me. About his past. And I can see it, Tess. It¡¯s eating him alive. Something is bothering him a lot. But he wouldn¡¯t just tell me.¡± Understandingced her features. ¡°You know how sensitive his past was, right? Maybe that¡¯s why? There¡¯s some parts that maybe you don¡¯t know about his parents. He only told you bits on your date night.¡± ¡°I know everything. He told me yesterday. But still, he¡¯s still hiding something.¡± I fidgeted into my chair. ¡°Uh, do you know about the reason behind his father¡¯s s*****e, why did he do it? I know why he did it, Ace told me. But, is there something else that he doesn¡¯t want anyone to know?¡± Maybe she knew something more than Ace told me? Maybe she was aware of the m****r case? Her frown deepened. ¡°No, he did s*****e because of shame. There¡¯s nothing else. Why do you think so?¡± I shrugged again. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Don¡¯t you think it sounds a bit odd that the man who didn¡¯t care and respect his wife¡¯s emotions and went around in her back even after knowing her suspicion, takes his life just because his family caught him red handed?¡± She pondered for a moment, biting her inner cheek. ¡°I don¡¯t know, Em. I was present there that night when we saw him with his girlfriend. But after that Tobias and I left not wanting to intervene into their personal matter. And the next day I heard the news. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything more to this. Achilles would¡¯ve shared it with us then.¡± Sighing, I nodded. I didn¡¯t know whose words to believe. But Warner wouldn¡¯t just lie to me without any solid information. ¡°Alright, Caleb is here. I¡¯ll talk to youter. And let me know when Achilleses back,¡± she said, ncing behind. ¡°And Em, take it slowly. I¡¯m sure, if there¡¯s something, he¡¯ll tell you. Sooner orter.¡± Smiling, I nodded again and bid her bye before cutting the video call. My ardent eyes went back to the clock. Waiting. When will hee back? I think Tess is right. I should take it slow and give him some time. I could at least do it for him no matter how this new information bothered me. I really didn¡¯t want to reach any conclusions without knowing the whole truth. Where are you? I let out a groan. I missed him. And just then the doorbell rang making me leap up to my feet. My heart started to thump into my chest. He is here! Sprinting to the door, when I pulled it open, my smile faltered. The familiar brown eyes greeted me as I stood there surprised. ¡°Warner? What are you doing here?¡± Share Chapter 58 Chapter 58 Read The Trap Of Ace [by Eva Zahan] Chapter 58 ¨C ¡°Came to meet my best friend. Why? I¡¯m not allowed in Achilles Valencian¡¯s cave?¡± I rolled my eyes. I knew inviting him in could cause a catastrophe if Acees and sees him here, but I couldn¡¯t just send him away. ¡°It¡¯s not like that. Come in!¡± He strolled inside as I opened the door wide for him. ¡°Coffee?¡± I asked while he looked around the penthouse, his hands stuffed into his pockets. ¡°Thanks!¡± Nodding my head, I padded into the kitchen and he followed behind. ¡°So, what brought you here all of a sudden? You didn¡¯t tell me you were going to drop by.¡± ¡°Afterst night, I thought to talk to you personally. I wanted to see if you¡¯re okay,¡± he replied. ¡°I¡¯m fine, Warner. Don¡¯t worry!¡± I put water on the stove. ¡°Did you ask him yet?¡± He watched me carefully. A sigh left me as I shook my head. ¡°I didn¡¯t get the chance. He isn¡¯t home sincest night.¡± One of his brows raised. ¡°Home, huh?¡± I ignored his bitter tone. ¡°I mean, his home.¡± Though it¡¯s just been two days I was staying here, this penthouse just started to feel like home to me. Well, he was my home. So wherever he stays, my home resides there. Once I made him a cup of coffee, we settled in the hall. I just hope Ace doesn¡¯t show up at this moment. ¡°So, you got any more information on Arthur?¡± Then something clicked in my head. How could I be so irresponsible? I forgot to tell him that Arthur knew about him and his detective cousin. ¡°Unfortunately, no. We tried our best but¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯ve to tell your cousin to stop investigating right now!¡± I cut him off, causing a crease to settle between his brows. ¡°Arthur knows everything. And he even threatened me to stay out of his path.¡± His eyes widened. ¡°What? S**t! That¡¯s what I was fearing about!¡± Shaking his head, his eyesnded back on me. ¡°And what threat? Did he do anything to you? Are you okay?¡± I nodded. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine. He just warned me to stay away otherwise¡­ uh, you know what he can do.¡± I didn¡¯t want to involve him more into this by telling him what Arthur threatened me about. He already suspected Ace, I didn¡¯t want him to go after Ace¡¯s past any more. If Ace hid something from the world, there must be a reason behind it. Making everything worse wouldn¡¯t be a good idea. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, Warner. I shouldn¡¯t have involved you guys in this. Now you and your cousin also came into his eyes,¡± I apologized. ¡°Please stop whatever investigation your cousin is running. Thank you so much for your help, but I¡¯ll handle everything myself from now on.¡± Shaking his head, he took my hand in his. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault, Em. It¡¯s me who offered help. And don¡¯t need to thank me, it¡¯s what friends do, right?¡± He smiled. ¡°And there is no way you¡¯re also doing this anymore. It¡¯s risky, Em. Don¡¯t instigate him further. He already warned you once.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not scared of him. Nor am I gonna back out. He¡¯ll rot behind the bars. And I¡¯ll make sure of that!¡± Determination etched through me. It was just a matter of time. He let out a defeated sigh. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you telling Achilles then? Arthur threatened you by showing his real face. Isn¡¯t that enough for Achilles to believe you? Or you also think that he¡¯s involved with his uncle¡¯s sins?¡± I snatched my hand from his, giving him a pointed look. ¡°We¡¯re not doing this again, Warner. I told you not to assume anything before you¡¯ve solid proof against him.¡± ¡°Solid proof? Didn¡¯t you hear what I told youst night?¡± His voice rose, jaw tightened. ¡°He destroyed every proof that could prove his father¡¯s m****r before the world. He¡¯s saving a criminal. A heinous criminal to say. And you¡¯re saying not to assume anything? I can¡¯t believe you, Em!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know the whole story. Whatever happened years ago, we don¡¯t know anything about it. Even the man you talked to. There must be a reason why Ace did it, or there¡¯s also a possibility that he didn¡¯t even do anything! That man could be talking about someone else.¡± I tried my best to keep my tone calm. ¡°So, please. Until I know the whole truth, I don¡¯t want to hear any more about this topic. It¡¯s my and Ace¡¯s personal matter, Warner. I¡¯d like you to stay away.¡± A dry chuckle left him, sadness shing across his eyes. ¡°I almost forgot that you¡¯re not my Em anymore.¡± I averted my gaze. I should¡¯ve felt guilty right now, but I didn¡¯t. He was crossing his limits now. I had to stop him. ¡°I¡¯m still your Em, your best friend, Warner. It¡¯s just that, things are different right now. I really appreciate your concern for me, but trust me, Ace isn¡¯t what you think he is. Even if I believe your words that he¡¯s lying to me, there must be a reason for that. Because I know, he wouldn¡¯t do anything to hurt me intentionally. He loves me, Warner,¡± I said, softly. His brown orbs met mine. ¡°Even I¡¯d loved you, Em. But that didn¡¯t make you stick with me that much you¡¯re doing it for him.¡± ¡°Warner¡­¡± He rubbed his face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I again crossed my limits, didn¡¯t I? I just¡­ can¡¯t ept the thing that you¡¯re with someone else now.¡± I sighed. ¡°It¡¯s for the better, Warner. No matter how much I loved you as a friend, I never loved you as a lover. My heart was always for someone else, and you knew that. We weren¡¯t meant to be together. Even if Ace hadn¡¯te into the picture and somehow we were still together, trust me, Warner, any of us couldn¡¯t stay happy. I could never make you happy. So it was necessary to end it before we made it worse.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s just your opinion. Because I was very happy with you in our rtionship.¡± But I wasn¡¯t. I wanted to add, but decided against. ¡°There¡¯s someone out there who¡¯s worthy of your love, Warner. Someone who can give you equal love in return of your affection. And I¡¯m sure, you¡¯ll find her soon,¡± I whispered. ¡°Anyways, let¡¯s not talk about it anymore. How¡¯s everything going in your life? You¡¯re probably going back soon to Seattle, right? I¡¯m quite impressed that your boss let you take leave for that long. I thought he was a snob?¡± Taking a sip on his coffee, he shrugged. ¡°I quit my job.¡± ¡°What?¡± I gaped. ¡°But why? I thought working in such a massivepany was your dream? Everything was going smooth, then what happened all of a sudden?¡± His gaze locked with mine. ¡°Achilles Valencian happened.¡± I frowned. ¡°What do you mean?¡± He let out a sigh. ¡°As you already know that my boss was an a*s. I didn¡¯t know why, but he had an allergy with me taking any leave. So even when I wanted some days of leave for Tess¡¯s wedding, he denied. Of course, my main purpose was to meet you. But I couldn¡¯t stay there in Seattle without sorting things out with you. Yes, I was mad with you, but there was still some hope that I could win you back.¡± Casting me a nce, he cleared his throat. ¡°Anyways, so I didn¡¯t wait for his approval and left. I just told him that I was sick and can¡¯t be present for some days.¡± ¡°Then what¡¯s the problem?¡± I probed. ¡°The problem is that the owner of thepany got to know about my leave and demanded my immediate presence in the office. And if I didn¡¯t do it, I¡¯d have to lose my job.¡± Hisughter was dry. ¡°I was surprised that why an owner of a multi billionairepany would be interested in an ordinary employee¡¯s leave? So I looked him up on G****e. And guess what? What a coincidence, my big boss and your boss turned out to be friends.¡± Now my frown deepened. A warning bell rang at the back of my mind. ¡°Friends? You mean, Ace¡¯s friend?¡± He nodded. ¡°Can you connect the dots? Now I understand why among so many candidates, some even from most prestigious colleges, they chose me. They made me shift to Seattle. Or should I say he made me. To keep me away from you.¡± I just stared at him, bbergasted. I didn¡¯t know what to say. Did Ace really send Warner to Seattle to keep him away from me? ¡°How can you be so sure?¡± My tone low. He threw me a look of disbelief. ¡°After everything I told you, you¡¯re still trying to defend him? Isn¡¯t everything clear? He clearly told his friend to get me a job in hispany so that I¡¯d have no way but to leave you behind. So that he could have his chance with you. And he did! He took you away from me!¡± His fists clenched and unclenched, eyes shing with anger. ¡°That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t fall into his trap again. I quit the job even if my boss told me that if I quit the job just like that, it¡¯d breach the contract they made me sign. And I¡¯d be responsible for the big red mark on my career.¡± His jaw ticked. ¡°But I couldn¡¯t let him win this time. So I quit. And Achilles Valencian did what he said. He literally made sure I didn¡¯t get any job anywhere. First he took you away from me, and now he ruined my career.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe this!¡± Putting my head into my hands, I let out a breath. What the h**l is wrong with him? What the f**k was running into his head when he did all these things? He couldn¡¯t just let his possessiveness ruin someone¡¯s career, for G*d¡¯s sake! That freaking p***k! ¡°Now you know why I keep telling you that he¡¯s not the right person for you? You¡¯re an obsession for him, Em. He wanted to get you at any cost. And he did. But trust me, Em, obsession doesn¡¯t stay for long. Once he gets bored with you, he¡¯ll toss you around like you¡¯re nothing.¡± His words didn¡¯t reach my ears, because all I could think about was how to smash something into his head when hees home back. Rage boiled into my veins like ava. How dare he do that to Warner? I looked up at him. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Warner. I don¡¯t know what to say¡­ I¡¯m extremely sorry. I¡¯ll talk to him, don¡¯t worry. Everything will be fine. You¡¯ll get back your job, I promise.¡± He shook his head. ¡°So you¡¯re still not leaving him? Even after everything?¡± Closing my eyes, I pinched the bridge of my nose. ¡°I love him, Warner. I can¡¯t just leave him like that.¡± He stared at me for a moment and then averted his eyes. Nodding slowly, he got up. ¡°I guess I should leave now. And you don¡¯t have to talk to him about my job. I¡¯ll do something myself. Thanks for offering help.¡± ¡°Warner, stop!¡± I stood up as he turned to leave. ¡°Don¡¯t leave just like that. I¡¯m extremely sorry, but¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, Em. You don¡¯t need to say sorry. I should¡¯ve known that no matter how much I try, I can¡¯t take his ce in your heart. I¡¯ve to be somewhere right now. I¡¯ll see youter.¡± And then he was out of the sight. My shoulders slumped. The broken look in his eyes made my heart ache. I didn¡¯t want to hurt him. But still, I did. And to add salt on his wounds, my freaking boyfriend just ruined his career! He has a lot of answering to do! But where the h**l was he? Picking up my phone, I called him again. But it went to the voicemail again. Letting out a curse, I threw the phone on the couch. It bounced off and dropped on the floor. It definitely had a crack on its ss. But I didn¡¯t care to pick it up again. To get some fresh air, I took my purse and stormed out of the penthouse. I needed to collect some clothes back from my home. And to have a small chat about my sudden rtionship with Mom and Dad of course. They had been nagging to know what was going on with me and that p***k! Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. And yes, as much as I was angry at him, I was going toe back. Otherwise, how¡¯d I get to knock some sense into his thick head? *** Parking my car before the office building, I got out with my duffle bag. Heavy breeze blew my hair in different ways as the thunder cracked among the dark sky. The hefty clouds covered the moonpletely tonight, inducing an ominous ambience around. The sudden change of the weather in this early winter was kinda unexpected. It was a good sunny day today. But now it seemed it¡¯d pour at any moment. Greeting the watchman, I strolled inside and got into the VIP elevator. Due to the bad weather, most of the employees seemed to be in a hurry to leave earlier tonight. Because of all the tension and headache he gave me, I didn¡¯t join the office today. I didn¡¯t know if the devil was home yet or not. As I didn¡¯t take my phone with me, I didn¡¯t get any calls from Carter or anyone else, nor did I call him. I was even thinking to give him a silent treatment for leaving like that all of a sudden and doing that to Warner. My jaw clenched at the thought of what he did. He had a lot of answering to do! Meeting with my parents went smooth. I was grateful that they didn¡¯t ask many questions about why I didn¡¯t take him along. He was supposed to go there with me. But they were actually pleased that I decided to give Ace a chance. But I didn¡¯t think they would be happy if I had told them what their favorite Achilles Valencian did. Shaking my head, I padded out of the elevator as the doors slid open. The bodyguards¡¯ postures were too stiff than usual and their nods were tighter than normal. What¡¯s with them tonight? The sound of lightning reached my ears again as I walked into the penthouse and closed the doors behind me. A frown was immediate to form between my brows. The lights were off. But I left them on. Was he home? Shrugging off my coat, I trudged inside. Goosebumps crawled across my skin as the cool air touched my b**e arms. The hall¡¯s lights were dimmed and the eerie silence suddenly unnerved me. And then I saw a shadow. Sitting on the couch, its posture was slightly leaned forward with its elbows rested on its knees. My heartbeat ran fast. ¡°A-ace, is that you?¡± And the only reply I got was silence. Share Chapter 59 Chapter 59 Read The Trap Of Ace [by Eva Zahan] Chapter 59 ¨C ¡°Ace?¡± I called again, but the shadow didn¡¯t move. Padding closer, I squinted my eyes. The lightning that cracked outside left a sh of luster on his face for a fleeting second. Stormy grey eyes were set on me. But they were dark tonight. Much stormier than I¡¯d even encountered. I let out a sigh of relief. ¡°What the h**l is wrong with you? You almost gave me a heart a****k!¡± When he didn¡¯t answer, I found the switch and turned the lights on. And there he was. Still in hisst night¡¯s pants and a fresh ck shirt, the one he must have worn before storming out, his disheveled form sat silently on the couch. Some of the buttons of his shirt were undone, giving me a sinful sight. Even the dark circles under his eyes and a day¡¯s of old stubble didn¡¯t do anything to make him look any less sexier. I missed him. I gave myself an inner shake. It wasn¡¯t a time to drool over him. ¡°So you finally got time toe back?¡± My tone sharp. Wasn¡¯t I nning to give him a silent treatment? I pressed my lips together when he just continued to stare at me with his icy cold gaze without saying a word. ¡°I¡¯m talking to you! Where were you the whole night and the entire day? I was going crazy out of concern!¡± ¡°You were concerned about me? I thought you were too busy spending a nice time with your special friend.¡± His cold voice came out with his head tilted to the side. Special friend? What was he talking¡­ Oh! But how did he find out about Warner? He wasn¡¯t even here. Crossing my arms over my chest, I held a straight face. ¡°I don¡¯t think it should bother you if I spend a little time with my friend.¡± ¡°Of course, it should bother me!¡± He snapped, shooting up to his legs. And my flinching back at his thunderous voice was immediate. ¡°My woman is getting cozy with her ex-boyfriend at my back in my own house, and you¡¯re saying it shouldn¡¯t bother me? It does f*****g bother me!¡± I stilled. At his back? ¡°A-at your back? What are you trying to imply, Ace?¡± I asked. It was more like a whisper. My chest tightened. How could he even imagine that I¡¯d ever do that to him? Shock shed over his eyes in ce of rage as realization of his own words hit him. ¡°I meant¡­¡± Tone thick. ¡°When I wasn¡¯t present here. What was he doing here in my penthouse? How did you even let him in? Even after knowing how¡¯d I feel about it? Even after knowing how he feels about you!¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so sorry! I didn¡¯t know I wasn¡¯t allowed to let my friends in your penthouse. I¡¯d have definitely asked for your permission if you were avable on the phone.¡± I faked a sweet smile. I thought it was our home¡­ I blinked away the b**n in my eyes. Was he even aware of the fact that how he was hurting me getting lost into his anger and jealousy? His fists clenched. ¡°Emerald, don¡¯t test my patience. You know very well what I¡¯m talking about.¡± Emerald again? ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. Warner came here to talk to me and we had a little chat. Then he left. I don¡¯t know what we did for you to think that I was cheating on you.¡± Striding closer, he pulled me to him by my arms. ¡°I said I didn¡¯t mean that! Don¡¯t twist my words!¡± I wiggled out of his grip. ¡°I¡¯m not twisting your words! I¡¯m just stating what you said. You were clearly implying that I was cheating on you! I can¡¯t believe you think I could ever do that to you. How could you?¡± ¡°I know you can¡¯t ever do that, d**n it! The one I don¡¯t trust is that man!¡± He cupped my cheeks, holding my gaze with his furious ones. ¡°Can¡¯t you see what he¡¯s trying to do? Can¡¯t you see what he wants? He wants to take you away from me. And you¡¯re letting him!¡± ¡°Just like you took away his career from him? Just like you sent him away to Seattle because you wanted him away from me?¡± A muscle of his jaw ticked but he stayed silent. His unapologetic ming gaze drove my temper to a haywire. I shook my head. ¡°I can¡¯t believe this! How can you ruin someone¡¯s career like that? He¡¯s just a friend to me, he always was. How many times do I have to tell you? I always ignored every craziness you did in these past months. Your buying Cooper¡¯spany so that you could make me transfer back to California, putting guards after me, threatening off any men whoe near me and making me an equal owner of everything you own.¡± I counted the only incidents that I could remember at this moment. ¡°I let everything go thinking you¡¯lle around eventually. But I won¡¯t tolerate this! I won¡¯t let you do this to Warner!¡± Pulling me flush against his chest, the dark pupils of his darkened more, his nostrils ring. ¡°Why?¡± I frowned. ¡°Why is he so important to you? Why even after I¡¯m telling you that he wants to steal you from me but still you¡¯re fighting me for him!¡± He roared, cupping my jaw. But no matter how furious he was, his grip was gentle. ¡°Why do you still care for him that much now that he isn¡¯t your boyfriend anymore?!¡± I gritted my teeth. Didn¡¯t he hear what I was saying again and again? ¡°Because he¡¯s one of my best fri¡­.¡± ¡°You love him?¡± Words caught at my throat as soon as the question came out his mouth. Pressing his forehead against mine, his thumb gently brushed over my cheek. Vulnerability shed across his eyes along the light of thunder that fell on us through the open window. ¡°Do you still have feelings for him, Rosebud? Does he love you more than I do? D-do you regret leaving him, leaving a good sensible man for a crazy obsessed man like me who has a tainted past?¡± ¡°W-what?¡± The crack in his voice hit my heart like a sharp dragger. Achilles Valencian was showing me his fear, insecurities. So that¡¯s why he was so vexed about Warner¡¯s roaming around me that much? Not only his jealousy, but his insecurities made him do all these things. Because he thought he wasn¡¯t good enough for me? But why would he think like that? ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be with you right now if I regretted even a bit to choose you. I wouldn¡¯t be in your arms like this if I had loved him and not you,¡± I held his gaze as I said those words. ¡°If I didn¡¯t love you, and only you, I wouldn¡¯t be waiting here for you even after the way you leftst night.¡± ¡°Then why do you still care for him so much? Why are you still letting him be into your life?¡± ¡°Oh for G*d¡¯s sake, Ace!¡± I jerked away from him. ¡°Just because we broke up doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯ll throw him out of my life! And I won¡¯t because he¡¯s my friend, and I¡¯m telling you this for a thousand times! I don¡¯t love him, I never did! I don¡¯t understand why you¡¯re so insecure about him being around me?¡± ¡°Because even after you broke up with him, he still wants you! He wants you back in his life, can¡¯t you see it!¡± His shoulders fell up and down with every heavy breath he took. ¡°You don¡¯t know him, Rosebud. He wants to take you away from me. He¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care if I know him or not!¡± I cut him off. ¡°Nor do I want to know him. But I thought I knew you. But guess what? I¡¯m not certain anymore about it.¡± A tear left my eye as I stared at him. His gaze followed it, hands clenching at his sides. ¡°You lied to me,¡± I whispered. ¡°I didn¡¯t think my Ace would lie to me like that.¡± His lips pressed tight. ¡°I never remember you asking me about Warner¡¯s suddenly getting hired and anything regarding his job.¡± ¡°That¡¯s one of the things you hid from me. But I¡¯m not talking about these right now,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m talking about your father¡¯s d***h. You told me he did s*****e. But it¡¯s not the truth. He didn¡¯t s*****e, he was m******d.¡± His shoulders tensed. In ce of the rage on his features, sat an unreadable mask now. But no matter how much he tried to hide his true feelings, those stormy grey eyes of his revealed everything. Shock, confusion, frustration, anger and¡­ fear. I had decided to give him some time to reveal everything before me. I didn¡¯t want to force him to do anything. Understanding how sensitive it was for him, I thought I¡¯d give him his needed space before he was ready to let me in. But now seeing his irrational fear, insecurities and jealousy, seeing to what extent he went under the influence of them, I couldn¡¯t sit quiet. Because of that past, he had this assumption that he wasn¡¯t good enough for me. That I could leave him anytime realizing the fact. A secret that was eating him alive and was the reason behind his fear of losing me, I wanted to be aware of that. Because the way he was behaving every time at the mere mention of his past, I didn¡¯t think he¡¯d be ever ready to tell me anything. Because he thought if I got to know this dark past of his, I¡¯d leave him. And he¡¯d do anything but let me go. I wanted him to trust me, to let me in. I wanted to heal him. I wanted to be beside him, the thing I couldn¡¯t do years ago. And for that, I needed to know everything. ¡°How¡­ how do you know that?¡± Greek ent was deeper than ever. ¡°Who told you about this?¡± A silent tension was rolling off his stance, ready to explode any moment. His nails dug into his palms. Even though I knew Warner wouldn¡¯t lie to me, I was still shocked knowing that his father was indeed m******d. ¡°It¡¯s true, isn¡¯t it?¡± A shaky breath left my lips. ¡°Your father was m******d.¡± ¡°Who told you that?¡± Sharp jaw tight as rock. ¡°Who did it, Ace?¡± I asked, ignoring his question. ¡°And why did you hide it from me?¡± He inhaled deep, eyes darker than earlier. ¡°I didn¡¯t lie about anything. Whoever told you this nonsense doesn¡¯t know a s**t. So just forget about it.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me again, Ace! I can see it in your eyes!¡± I red. ¡°I don¡¯t know why even you¡¯re hiding anything from me. We both know what¡¯s the truth. Then why¡­wait,¡± I tilted my head, ¡°are you trying to save someone? Are you trying to hide the person who k****d your father?¡± The unnerving silence and the storm brewing into his gaze was my answer. His fisted hands shook at his sides. I gasped. ¡°S-so, it¡¯s true then. You¡¯re trying to save a m******r.¡± ¡°Emerald, stop it.¡± Shaking my head, I gaped at him. ¡°So it¡¯s also true that it was you who bribed the police to save the culprit.¡± ¡°Stop¡­¡± ¡°How could you? No, no, no. I don¡¯t believe this. You can¡¯t do that. There must be a reason behind that, right? There was a valid reason. You can¡¯t do that to your own father¡­¡± ¡°I said stop!¡± I flinched at his thunderous roar. My horrified gaze met his ming ones. ¡°F*****g stop it already! I¡¯ve had enough! Can¡¯t you get one f*****g thing in your head that I don¡¯t want to talk about it?¡± He hissed. ¡°I don¡¯t owe you anything. I don¡¯t need to tell you every f*****g thing about my life. So just stay the h**l out of my past! And leave me alone!¡± Turning away, he stormed away, to his bedroom. My hands curled into b***s. My blood boiled into my veins. I wouldn¡¯t let him have his way tonight. Not after everything he did! Soon my legs followed him inside the bedroom. ¡°No! I won¡¯t leave you alone until you tell me everything! I won¡¯t let you hurt yourself every night just because you like to keep everything in your mind. I won¡¯t let you behave like this with me just because you don¡¯t want to share anything with me! And I¡¯ll definitely not let you me me of cheating out of jealousy because you fear that you will lose me if I know about your past!¡± I held my ground. ¡°You have to tell me! I¡¯ve every right to know¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯ve no right to know anything! You¡¯re not my f*****g wife that I need to exin everything to you!¡± he snapped. My breath caught at my throat. A pain shot though my heart as his words. I had no right? No right? My lower lip trembled, but I was quick to bite it still. I could feel something breaking inside me. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I should¡¯ve known my boundaries. Silly me, I thought I meant something to you,¡± I whispered, my treacherous eyes blurred with tears no matter how much I tried to mask my feelings. His gaze snapped to me. Guilt washed over his face as again realization of his words set in him. The pain he caused me reflected into the windows of his soul. His grey eyes. ¡°Rosebud¡­¡± he gulped. Cupping my face, he made me look up at him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, baby. I¡¯m so sorry. I didn¡¯t mean that. You mean the world to me. You¡¯re the reason I¡¯m alive¡­¡± I shook my head. A tear slipping down my cheek. ¡°You can¡¯t just say sorry and exin you didn¡¯t mean it after you literally used me of cheating on you and then telling me that I didn¡¯t mean anything to you.¡± His words hurt like b***h. I knew he was disturbed, but he couldn¡¯t just spit venom at me like that. ¡°You¡¯re not my Ace. My Ace would never speak to me in that manner. He would never hurt me like that. You¡¯re not the Ace who promised not to hurt me ever on purpose.¡± I removed his hands from my cheeks. ¡°And you¡¯re hurting me purposely.¡± Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. I could see how my tears affected him. ¡°No, baby. I- i¡¯d never hurt you on purpose. You¡¯re my whole world. I¡¯m so sorry I said those things. Iwas mad. I didn¡¯t have any control. I just wanted to make your questions stop. I didn¡¯t mean it at all. I¡¯m sorry, Rosebud. Please forgive me.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not sorry. If you were, you¡¯d exin to me why you¡¯re doing all these. Why you¡¯re behaving like that. You¡¯d let me in. If I was really everything to you, you¡¯d trust me and open up to me. You¡¯d let me be there for you, help you with your past. But you clearly don¡¯t want that. Because I might not be that important to you for you to tell me the most important truth of your life,¡± I said, Warner¡¯s words echoing throughout my head. ¡°I must be just an obsession for you that you don¡¯t want to lose. That¡¯s it I¡¯m to you, ain¡¯t I?¡± A muscle of his jaw ticked as he pulled me flush against him. ¡°Yes! You¡¯re my obsession! You¡¯re my obsession because I love you! I¡¯m obsessed with you because I can¡¯t live without you! And I don¡¯t want to lose you because my heart f*****g denies to beat without you!¡± Letting out a sigh, he closed his eyes for a moment before they met mine again. ¡°But¡­ I can¡¯t tell you this, Rosebud. Please don¡¯t force me. I can¡¯t tell you this one thing. I just can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Why?¡± I whispered. ¡°Because you¡¯ll hate me once you know how tainted my past is. You won¡¯t want to stay with a damaged man like me.¡± I held his gaze. ¡°Do you think just a bitter truth that happened in your past will make me leave you? Do you think my love for you is that shallow?¡± *Rosebud¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you trust me, Ace? Don¡¯t you trust my love? Don¡¯t you trust me enough to let me know your every dark secret?¡± Silence. Nothing came out of his mouth. He just stared at me. ¡°Ace?¡± Nothing. Not even a word. I stepped away from him. My heart was breaking slowly into pieces. ¡°You don¡¯t trust me,¡± a whisper slipped through my lips. Another step back. He tried to pull me in again but stopped when I shook my head. Tears fell down my cheeks. My throat tightened. ¡°If there¡¯s no trust in a rtionship, then that¡¯s nothing but a shallow facade. You say you love me. But lovees with trust. And there¡¯s no trust in your love,¡± I said, stepping another step away. A shaky breath left my lips. ¡°And I don¡¯t think I can stay in a rtionship where there¡¯s no trust in it.¡± Share Chapter 60 Chapter 60 Read The Trap Of Ace [by Eva Zahan] Chapter 60 ¨C With clenched fists, I stood there with tears brimming into my eyes, watching him going still. Color slowly drained from his face, as his grey eyes widened to a friction. ¡°W-what did you say?¡± his deep ent asked. ¡°I said what you heard. If you don¡¯t trust me at all, I don¡¯t think this thing between us can work.¡± Shaking my head, I wiped my tears furiously. ¡°I¡¯m tired of you continuously keeping me in the dark! I¡¯ve already suffered for years because of your one sided decision, I won¡¯t take more. You can now happily stay in your penthouse with your stubbornness, secrets and privacy! No Emerald will nag you again and again to know your past from now on!¡± Ignoring the way his shoulders tensed, the crazed look that shed across his eyes, his clenched jaw, I turned around and stormed out of the room. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare put even a step out of the penthouse, Emerald! You aren¡¯t going anywhere!¡± This time I didn¡¯t flinch at his roar as he started to approach me. Instead, as soon as I stepped out of the room, I closed the door from outside, locking him in. I knew he wouldn¡¯t let me leave at any cost. But if he was stubborn, so was I. His heavy fistsnded on the opposite side of the door. ¡°What are you doing? Open the door, Emerald! You¡¯re not leaving me! No way in h**l! I won¡¯t let you!¡± ¡°I will! And you can¡¯t stop me!¡± Yelling out, I strode towards the main door. On the way out, my phone lying on the floor caught my eyes. I picked it up. ¡°Emerald! Stop it! Open the door, please! You don¡¯t mean what you¡¯re saying! You can¡¯t leave me!¡± The door jiggled with the force he was trying to open it. ¡°Rosebud, please! Baby, open the door. You belong here with me. You can¡¯t just leave like that. I won¡¯t let you! Please, baby. Open the door!¡± Shrugging my jacket on as I pulled the main door open, his voice made me hesitate. ¡°Baby, please! I- I love you¡­¡± I gulped the thickness of my throat. My filled with tears eyes went back to the closed door of his bedroom. Should I leave? Then the words he spit out earlier rang into my head again. The ache in my heart added fresh fuel to my anger. Gritting my teeth, I wiped my cheeks furiously. ¡°Goodbye, Achilles Valencian!¡± ¡°No! Don¡¯t you dare, Emerald¡­¡± I mmed the door close behind me stepping outside, and the sound of his violent pounding on the bedroom¡¯s door stopped along. I strode towards the elevator as fast as I could. My heart pounded along the relentless pouring of my tears. The guards¡¯ heads turned to me, definitely thinking of my disheveled appearance. And the moment I stepped into the elevator, a distant thump reached my ears. And I knew really well what it was. He freaking broke the door down! But toote! He couldn¡¯t reach me now. And the moment the elevator¡¯s doors started to slide close, I saw him storming out of the penthouse. That instant his oddly crazed pair of dark stormy grey orbs met mine, making my heart skip. ¡°Emerald stop!¡± His voice boomed across the corridor. The guards went on alert, looking back and forth at us. But before he could even move from his ce, the doors closed and the elevator then began to go down. The cool breeze along the heavy rain pped against my face when I stomped outside, ignoring the relentless pouring. Even the rumbling sky and shing thunders couldn¡¯t stop me. I just needed to be away from this ce. I needed to breathe. With my soaked clothes, I slid inside my car and drove away, without looking back, with as much speed as I could. I knew he wasing after me. And his finding me so soon wasn¡¯t in my wishlist right now. *** Once I was far enough from the office building, I slowed down beside a park. The road was almost empty, only some passing cars and hurrying people under their big umbres. The raindrops poured over my windshield relentlessly with the wipers sliding over them in a tireless motion. Letting out a breath through my lips, I leaned against the seat, closing my eyes. A tear slipped down at the side of my face. Do you trust me Ace? He didn¡¯t answer. He didn¡¯t even say a word. I¡¯d have understood if he had said that he did trust me but he needed some time. I¡¯d have kept quiet. But he didn¡¯t say it. My lower lip trembled as I bit back a sob. I knew I was rushing him to give me answers. I knew leaving like that was immature and an act of a coward not being able to face the problem. But I just couldn¡¯t stay there after he said those hurtful words to me. I knew he was jealous and insecure. But that didn¡¯t give him license to literally use me of cheating. That didn¡¯t give him an excuse to tell me that I had no right to know anything about his past right in my face. I knew I pushed him too. I shouldn¡¯t have started the conversation right then. I should¡¯ve stuck to my decision to give him some space. But I just¡­ burst out. He remained all night and day without letting me know about his location or if he was alright when I was d***g out of concern. And then he came home and started all that jealous boyfriend act. And this time he crossed him limits. I always had ignored his over possessiveness over me. But I couldn¡¯t tolerate when he said those words. At his back. I was already shocked and mad at his telling me such a huge lie and for doing those things to Warner. I always thought him doing all the insane stuff for me would stop someday. But now after knowing what he had done to Warner, how he sent him away, bought thepany to bring me back to California, binding me into a contract and then when Warner came back into the picture, he threatened him to destroy him if he didn¡¯t go back to Seattle using his friend. And when Warner didn¡¯t, he stamped a big red mark on his career. Anyone in my ce would¡¯ve freaked out if they were me. When they¡¯d know how an insane man trapped them with their insanely insane ways, they¡¯d have run for the hills! But here, I just ran out of the penthouse. Because even after everything, I freaking loved that man! Even after knowing what he did back at that night seven years ago. Yes, he did it for me, but it didn¡¯t hurt any less. I tried to let it pass and focus on forgiving and moving on. Because that¡¯s where both of our happiness lies. But tonight, I felt like everything was just crashing on me at once. Not to forget that he bribed the police to save his father¡¯s m******r. Even if that wasn¡¯t the whole truth, he wouldn¡¯t tell me. Why? Because he didn¡¯t trust me. What did he think? That I¡¯d leave him once he told me about his past? Or I¡¯d tell his secret to someone else? Punching on the steering, I got out of the car under the open air. The rain wasn¡¯t heavy anymore, but it was still there. With slow steps, I approached a bench at the side of the road and sat on it. Fresh cool air of the rain filled my lungs. Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. My phone hasn¡¯t stopped buzzing since I left the penthouse. I thought it wouldn¡¯t work after I mmed it down. I let it be. I knew who it was anyway. Letting out a sigh, I looked up at the sky. Even after the heavy pouring, the dark clouds still engulfed the clear sky. I knew he was looking for me. But I wasn¡¯t going back to him so soon. Not after what he did. Yes, I told him I was leaving him. But the truth was, I even knew at that moment that my statement wouldn¡¯t stay consistent for long. I knew I couldn¡¯t live without him for long. Even after everything, I couldn¡¯t hate him a pinch. But that didn¡¯t mean I wasn¡¯t hurt. He didn¡¯t trust me. And it hurt me the most. I could still hear his silence. And it hit my heart like a sharp dagger. And above all things, there was still a sword hanging over my neck. Arthur. I hadn¡¯t seen him after that day. Well, I didn¡¯t go to the office after that. Though he didn¡¯t do anything else after that confrontation, I knew he wasn¡¯t going to sit still. Knowing that I knew his truth, not whole but partially- well, that¡¯s what he thought, he¡¯d always have this fear of being exposed in his mind. And he would definitely do something to prevent that. Do something big so that he wouldn¡¯t get stuck into any kind of problems. And that vexed me. I wanted him out of our lives as soon as possible. But until I knew what part of Ace¡¯s past he was using as his weapon against me, I couldn¡¯t do anything. And that was half of the reason behind my urgency to know the truth. I could just tell Ace about it, but I couldn¡¯t take the risk of Arthur¡¯s doing something to Ace either. I just couldn¡¯t. What if he was telling the truth? What if he really did know something, the same thing Ace wanted to hide from me? I groaned. Frustration built up in me, making me want to break something. Everything was turning into a mess. And all of this because of that snake and my beloved man¡¯s secret! My phone buzzed again. I red holes at his name that was shing over my screen. No matter how much you call, I won¡¯t receive. I didn¡¯t know what I was going to do next, but I definitely wasn¡¯t going back until he tells me that he trusted me and promises not to repeat the words he spit tonight. And definitely not until he rectifies his mistake and apologies to Warner. For everything he did to him. I knew he wasn¡¯t going to apologise so easily. But if he wants me to go with him, he¡¯ll have to apologise. To me also. I cut his call and wiped my face. The rain has already stopped, leaving goosebumps on my skin with the chilling breeze it left. I was only in a thin cotton red sundress. And the wet fabric clung to me like a second skin now. My phone buzzed again. And this time, it was a message. From Warner. Please, Emerald. Just onest time. Don¡¯t I even deserve it? I frowned in confusion. What was he talking about? And then I read the other message he sent me earlier. It read it was delivered in the evening. My phone wasn¡¯t with me then, so I couldn¡¯t check it earlier. Em, I know I crossed my line again today. For that, you must be mad at me. And I¡¯m really sorry for that. I¡¯m leaving for NY tonight. I don¡¯t know when I can see you again. So¡­ can you please meet me onest time before I go back? I want to remember your smile when I leave. My frown deepened. He was leaving? Tonight? But why all of a sudden? Then I sighed. Of course. After the way I hurt him and after what Ace did to him, why¡¯d he want to stay? And he had a life of his own. I also didn¡¯t want him to leave with a bitter note. And I didn¡¯t have any ce to go to right now anyway. I couldn¡¯t go to Mom and Dad¡¯s ce, they¡¯d be concerned seeing my state. Casie wasn¡¯t in the town either. And going back to the penthouse wasn¡¯t an option for me right now. I couldn¡¯t even go to Tobias¡¯ apartment. He was staying at Mom¡¯s tonight. Maybe I¡¯d just go to Beth¡¯s after meeting Warner. I wanted to apologise to him for Ace¡¯s action again. Sniffling, with a still heavy heart, I got up and walked to my car. When the phone buzzed again with the devil¡¯s name shing on the screen, I turned off the phone. I wasn¡¯t important enough for him to tell me anything right? Let him taste his own medicine now. Share Chapter 61 Chapter 61 Read The Trap Of Ace [by Eva Zahan] Chapter 61 ¨C Knocking on the door, I waited. The hallway of the hotel was quite empty. I didn¡¯t even notice much rush of customers around. This hotel¡¯s being so old and deep in the city could be the reason behind it. This was the hotel Warner was staying at for the time being. He once gave me his address to meet him there, but I couldn¡¯t make up my time to do so. Well, I had been ignoring him a lot in thest few days, even months. And here I was thinking not to hurt him anymore. It was my luck to have such a great friend like him. Even after everything, he was here for me. When some moments passed and nobody answered, I knocked again. And this time I heard his voice. ¡°Who¡¯s it?¡± asking, as he opened the door, his slightly swollen eyes met mine. Surprise shed in them. ¡°Em? Y-you came?¡± A uneven smile stretched across his face. ¡°I thought you don¡¯t care for me enough to keep myst request before I go back.¡± I frowned. His words totally went ignored by me as I took in his appearance. Disheveled hair, half tucked button down white shirt, some of the buttons were undone. The redness in his eyes, dark bags under them and the slur of his voice had me concerned. ¡°Warner, are you drunk?¡± His shake of head was immediate. ¡°Not at all. Was just having one or two sses.¡± Rubbing his face, as if to make him look better, he held the door wide. ¡°Come in.¡± Wrapping my arms around me, I walked inside. And the crease between my forehead formed again. He had booked a small room with an adjoined bathroom and balcony with it. It¡¯d be pretty cosy if it wasn¡¯t so messed up. Things were everywhere. Some of his clothes were scattered on the floor and on the bed. The cushions of the couch lied on the floor, the center table was upside down. Even the sheet of the bed was half hanging down and half covering the bed. It seemed like a storm had passed through this room. I nced at Warner. He awkwardly looked around the room, before starting to pick up the cushions and his clothes. Did he do the mess? ¡°Sorry, i- I was a little upset,¡± he said, swaying a little on his feet. ¡°I thought you weren¡¯t going toe to meet me. I thought I wasn¡¯t going to see you for onest time. But¡­¡± A goofy smile tugged on his lips. ¡°You dide. I was wrong, you do care for me. I was missing you a lot, you know?¡± I smiled sadly. ¡°Even after everything you¡¯re saying you were missing me. Even after everything you had to go through because of me. The things Ace did to you¡­¡± Sighing, I shook my head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry again, Warner. I swear I had no idea about these. I wouldn¡¯t have let him do those to you if I knew. I¡¯m really sorry. But I promise, I¡¯ll make everything right.¡± His brown orbs met mine. ¡°I know you wouldn¡¯t let him do anything if you knew his intentions, Em. It¡¯s not your fault. It¡¯s him who ruined everything.¡± His tone turned bitter with the mention of Ace. I let it pass. I myself was mad at him tonight. ¡°You¡¯re just too innocent that he caught you in his trap.¡± I wanted to disagree with this statement of his, but he cut me off. ¡°Anyways, let¡¯s not talk about him anymore. Let¡¯s talk about something else. Like old times,¡± he said, pointing towards the couch for me to sit, swaying slightly on his feet he walked towards thendline of the room. ¡°Tea?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. You don¡¯t need to call the room service for that.¡± Running my hands up and down my arms, I sat on the couch. The temperature of the room was cold for my state. ¡°You¡¯re soaked.¡± ¡°Yeah, got caught up in the rain on my way. You noticed it now?¡± I asked, ncing at him. But his somehow now darker gaze was roaming over my body clung with my thin sundress. Averting my gaze, I tugged the end of my dress over my knees as a feeling of difort rose in me. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± he cleared his throat, shaking his head. ¡°I was too surprised to see you here to notice anything else. Anyways, let¡¯s have some drinks.¡± Putting the center table back in its ce, he brought a bottle of Whiskey and two sses for us before plopping beside me. ¡°I¡¯m not in a mood of drinking right now, Warner. And you shouldn¡¯t drink either. You¡¯re already slurring.¡± My switched off phone was in my mind constantly. A certain someone must be going crazy out there. Well, he deserves it. ¡°Oh,e on, Em! One ss won¡¯t do anything. And I¡¯m fine, don¡¯t worry about me,¡± he said, pouring the liquid in both of the sses. When he pushed one towards me, I shook my head, hesitating. I didn¡¯te here to drink here with him. Though I already said sorry several times, I wasn¡¯t sure if he really did forgive me. ¡°Just one drink, Em. For me? Can¡¯t you do that for old times sake?¡± His expectant eyes had me sigh. Nodding my head, I took the ss in my hand. The bright smile that etched across his face was instant. Before I could take even a sip, he gulped the whole substance in one go and mmed the ss on the table. I frowned when he refilled the ss. ¡°Aren¡¯t you drinking too much tonight? You don¡¯t drink that much usually.¡± Letting out a humourless chuckle, he gulped the second fill. ¡°Situation changes a man ordingly, Emerald. And this thing,¡± he pointed at the bottom, ¡°can be quite a good friend when you¡¯re all alone. It makes you forget everything.¡± Guilt washed over me as I looked down. ¡°Well, it can¡¯t. Because even when you¡¯re drunk now, it¡¯s not helping with your problems at all. You still remember everything.¡± He shrugged carelessly, filling his ss again. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about the problems tonight. Let¡¯s talk like old days. I¡¯ve missed our time back in NY.¡± I smiled, twirling my bracelet. ¡°I missed it too! Life was so simple back then.¡± And then came Achilles Valencian. Like a storm, he put my life upside down. And unbelievably, I still loved that storm. He nodded. ¡°I wish I could get back those days. Where there would be only me and you. No one else.¡± When I went to open my mouth, he put his hand with his ss still in his grasp in the air, stopping me. A sudden dryugh left him. ¡°I know, I know. I¡¯m crossing my limits here again. Sorry, I tend to forget the lines every time.¡± Pinching the bridge of my nose, I took a sip on the drink. The sweet and bitter taste of it burned down my throat. ¡°By the way, you told your cousin to leave Arthur¡¯s case? Because I don¡¯t want him to get hurt, you know?¡± I changed the subject. I didn¡¯t want to argue with him on the night he was leaving. He just nodded. Suddenly going all quiet, he just sipped on his drink and watched me. Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Shifting a little in my ce, I put the ss on the table. ¡°I tried to call Sierra again but her phone went unreachable again. I really don¡¯t know what to do¡­¡± ¡°Can you just stop it, Em? I thought we were having some ¡®us¡¯ time like back in NY. And here you¡¯re, starting with your problems again. I¡¯m tired of listening to all your problems now!¡± With his lips pressed tight, his voice turned demanding. I just stared at him. He had never behaved with me like that. Not even when he was in his shittiest mood. But his behavior was totally different from the Warner I knew. Maybe it was the alcohol? I cleared my throat. ¡°Yeah, uh, sorry. I was just a little worried for her.¡± His mood changed all of a sudden as he smiled. Adoration filled his eyes as his eyes roamed on me again. ¡°I know, my Em is always concerned for everyone.¡± Sliding closer, he grasped my hand. ¡°Did I ever tell you that this color suits you? It brings out your perfect skin tone so gracefully.¡± When his thumb brushed over my knuckle, I tried to pull my hand back but his grip was firm. His eyes didn¡¯t leave my face as he tucked a strand of my wet hair behind my ear. ¡°You¡¯re turning more and more beautiful day by day. California¡¯s weather is suiting you well, I can see.¡± His tone dropped to a husky voice. With unease, I pulled my hand from his grasp and made some distance between us. All of a sudden, I felt slightly suffocated in this room with him. And I didn¡¯t miss the way his features hardened with my reaction. His fists clenched. ¡°Uh, thank you!¡± I averted my eyes. ¡°C-can I get a towel? I need to dry my hair I guess. They¡¯re still dripping.¡± Remaining silent for a moment, he slowly nodded his head and then stood up. Stumbling once on his way, he went into the bathroom and then returned with a white towel. ¡°Thanks!¡± Taking it from his hand, I started to towel dry my hair. And he just watched me silently. An unreadable look on his face. And the way his dark brown gaze slid down my body, a chill ran down my spine. The eerie silence was making me nervous all of a sudden. I nted a tight smile on my face as I put the towel on the table and stood up. ¡°Uh, I think I should go now. It¡¯s gettingte.¡± I thoughting here, I¡¯d have a good talk with him before he goes back. But now, I didn¡¯t want to stay here any longer. His behavior was different tonight. I had seen drunk Warner before, but his presence never made me feel that ufortable like I was feeling right now. His face dropped as he took an urgent step towards me. A frown formed between his brows. ¡°You want to leave? So soon? We didn¡¯t even talk much yet.¡± ¡°I know. And I¡¯m sorry for that. But I¡¯ve somewhere to go,¡± I excused. ¡°So, uh, I¡¯ll see you soon?¡± Maybe when you¡¯re sober. He shook his head, lips curling up in displeasure. ¡°It¡¯s Achilles, isn¡¯t it? You don¡¯t want him to wait for you much longer. But you can definitely leave me here when all I wanted was just to spend some quality time with you before I leave.¡± I sighed. ¡°It¡¯s not Ace. I¡¯m going to Beth¡¯s ce right now. And I dide to meet you, right? And you also must have some packing to do. So¡­ I¡¯d just leave now. You get sober up and pack your bags. Otherwise you¡¯ll gette.¡± His gaze hardened. ¡°So everyone in your life is important for you other than me. You¡¯ve time for everyone except me?¡± ¡°Warner please. It¡¯s not like that, and you know that. You wanted me to meet you here and I did. But I think I should go now. And I can¡¯t stay in these wet clothes all night,¡± I exined. ¡°As you¡¯re leaving tonight, I think you should start packing now. I¡¯ll see you soon.¡± Gathering my purse, when I turned to go, his voice stopped me. ¡°Wait! Won¡¯t you even give me a goodbye hug before you go? Did I lose that right too?¡± I turned to him. Though my brain was telling me to say no and get out from here, my heart called out for my friend. I could at least give him a bear hug before I go, right? Nothing was wrong in that. shing him a smile, I nodded and wrapped my arms around him. The strong smell of alcohol filled my nostrils instead of his familiar smell. He didn¡¯t waste even a second to pull me closer in his hug. More closer than I wasfortable with. ¡°I¡¯ll miss you so much, Em,¡± he whispered in my ear, his hot breath fanned my neck. Ignoring the unease, I patted on his back. ¡°I¡¯ll miss you too! But it¡¯s alright, we can talk everyday on the phone. And we can meet whenever we can. We¡¯re not worlds away, right?¡± As I tried to pull away, he tugged me in his hug again, cing his head at the crook of my neck. ¡°Don¡¯t leave me, Em. I want you here with me.¡± I pushed his shoulders but his hold on me only tightened, fingers dug into my skin. Panic set in my mind as I wiggled into his grip. ¡°Warner, let me go.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t, I can¡¯t tonight,¡± his husky yet demanding voice in my ear made me feel disgusted. A chill ran down my spine when his hands started to roam over my hips, to my sides. ¡°Warner! Leave me! What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± I pushed at his chest, making him stumble back. ¡°What the h**l were you doing?¡± I snapped. But that unfamiliar gaze of his lingered on my lips. Shaking my head, as I turned to leave, I was harshly pulled into him again. A shriek left my mouth with the force I collided against him. And then I saw him leaning in, but I was quick to move my head away. ¡°What the f**k, Warner? Let go of me!¡± I tried to push him with force, but he didn¡¯t budge. ¡°Just one kiss, Em. Just one. I¡¯ve been d***g to taste those lips since I came here. But you didn¡¯t even let me hug you properly,¡± his voice came out urgent as he tried to reach my lips. His vice grip on me didn¡¯t budge with my continuous fight. ¡°Warner! No! Leave me! What are you doing! Let me go!¡± Tears started to blur my vision as his lipsnded on my jaw and cheek. I pushed away his head with my hands. Letting out a curse, he took my hands and put them at my back. ¡°Just one f*****g kiss! I was after you for two f*****g years and you¡¯re treating me like that! You cheated on me with that b*****d, broke up with me but I still tolerated your s**t and helped you with Arthur¡¯s matter! But you can¡¯t even give me a kiss?¡± he hissed. Gripping my hair in his fist, he tried to turn my head to him. ¡°Just give me one f*****g taste and I¡¯ll let you go!¡± ¡°No! Warner, please!¡± I whimpered at the sharp pain with his vice grip on my hair. Tears were rolling down my cheeks, my heart pounded down my chest with the panic that ran through my veins. ¡°You¡¯re drunk! It¡¯s not you! Come back to your senses! What the h**l are you doing? Let go of me!¡± He twisted my arm at my back making me hiss. Cupping my jaw, he forced me to face him. ¡°You¡¯ll kiss me tonight. I swear, you¡¯ll repent the moment when you decided to leave me. No one can make you feel like I can. I¡¯ll make you forget him.¡± I screamed when he wrapped one arm around my hips and the other in my hair, his fingers dug into my flesh. ¡°Get off of me!¡± ¡°You¡¯re mine, Emerald!¡± He went for my lips again, but again, just by some inches he missed as I moved my head away. ¡°Warner, let me go!¡± In the hustle, furious pounding on the door reached my ears. Hope started to fill me. Just as I opened my mouth to scream for help, I heard his voice. ¡°Emerald! Open the door!¡± Ace? With my eyes blurred with tears, I let out a sob. ¡°Ace! Ace, help me!¡± ¡°Shut the f**k up!¡± I hissed as Warner pulled at my hair harshly. His eyes were dark, wild as he pulled me close to him, desperately trying to get my lips. ¡°I won¡¯t let you go with him tonight! You¡¯re mine, Em!¡± Leaning away, I kept my face away from him throughout the fight as much as possible. ¡°Emerald! What the f**k¡­¡± His voice was cut off. Panic washed over me once more not being able to hear him anymore. But then I heard the door being pounded harshly. ¡°Ace!¡± I pushed at Warner again. ¡°Let me go, Warner!¡± ¡°You¡¯re not leaving!¡± When his lips fell at the side of my lips, using all the power I had, I hit my knee against his groin and pushed at his chest. Letting out a hiss, he flinched away as I stumbled on the floor. And at the same time the door mmed down on the ground. And there here was. With rigid shoulders, clenched fists, tense jaw, he stood at the doorway. And then his dark alert stormy grey orbs fell on me. ¡°Rosebud¡­¡± Share Chapter 62 Chapter 62 Read The Trap Of Ace [by Eva Zahan] Chapter 62 ¨C Letting out a cry, I got up from the floor and ran to him. His strong arms wrapped around me as protective wings as soon as I reached him. I shook in his chest as hot tears ran down my cheeks. With my heart still pounding from panic, knees weak, I clung to him as if my life was depending on him. ¡°Rosebud?¡± he called out. ¡°Hey, hey! Baby, look at me, are you alright? What happened? What did he do? Tell me?¡± Cupping my face, he attempted to make me look at him, but I hid my face in his warm chest again, still trembling from what just happened. ¡°He¡­ he¡­¡± I huped in between my sobs, not being able to form any words. His arms tightened around me. I could feel his turning all rigid, the way his muscles tensed. His hands shook around me. His breathing came out heavy. ¡°WHAT DID YOU DO?¡± Deep Greek ent echoed in his voice, tone darker and rougher than I had ever heard. ¡°What had you done to my Rosebud?¡± The malice in his voice would¡¯ve sent a shiver down my spine if I wasn¡¯t too absorbed in my own shock now. My hold only tightened around him. ¡°She¡¯s not yours! She¡¯s my girlfriend! You stole her from me!¡± Warner¡¯s slurred reply reached my ears, rising a vile up my throat. ¡°I was just trying to get what¡¯s rightfully¡­¡± Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. He didn¡¯t get to finish the line as Ace untangled me from him and stormed towards him, connecting his fist with Warner¡¯s jaw. A faint crack reached my ears. With a hiss when he fell on the ground, Ace grabbed his cor and pulled him up. ¡°You f*****g piece of s**t! You dared to touch my Rosebud!¡± His thunderous roar echoed throughout the hotel room, making me flinch. His almost dark orbs red with untamed rage, redness spread across his face and neck when the veins of his temple stood up with him shaking with anger. ¡°Let go of me, you b*****d! I¡¯ll k**l.. oomph!¡± Warner let out a cry when Ace¡¯s polished shoe met his stomach. And as if a demon was unleashed in him, he didn¡¯t stop. ¡°You¡¯ll regret the moment you took birth in this world! How dare you touch her! Even after I warned you twice, you still dared toe near her!¡± Blinded with fury, he continuously punched Warner¡¯s already bloodied face. Warner¡¯s whimpers and yelling out in agony went unheard by him as he twisted his arm and kicked him in the stomach again, making Warner cough out blood. ¡°I¡¯ll f*****g destroy you!¡± He roared again. Clutching the door frame to keep bnce with my wobbling knees, I called out for him. ¡°Ace¡­ stop!¡± But my voice didn¡¯t seem to reach him. Employees of the hotel rushed inside the room hearing the chaos. But no one seemed to have enough courage to get close to him. Warner whimpered as Ace delivered another punch against his jaw. ¡°Ace! Please, stop!¡± I cried, my voice cracked. ¡°Stop it! You¡¯ll k**l him!¡± I didn¡¯t want to stay here anymore. I just needed his arms around me right now. I wanted him to get me away from this ce. ¡°He dared to touch you! I¡¯ll f*****g k**l him!¡± He sneered. Some of the hotel employees finally went forward and tried to get him off of Warner, but he shrugged them away and went for him again. ¡°Ace, please! I- I need you,¡± I said, more tears sprung out of my eyes as I slid down on the floor, not being able to stand up anymore. ¡°Please, stop!¡± And that got his attention as his murderous gaze fell on me. Realization of my need for him right now shed over his features. Soon concern took the ce of his anger. Throwing Warner on the floor, he rushed to me and scooped me in his arms. ¡°Rosebud, I¡¯m so sorry, baby! I¡¯m here! Everything will be alright!¡± he said, pulling me into his chest. Though his voice was soft, the anger still lurked around. He ced his lips on my forehead as I let out a whimper. ¡°No one wille near to you. I won¡¯t let anyone touch even a strand of your hair, my Rosebud. I promise you that! Don¡¯t cry, baby.¡± The chaos around the room and people¡¯s whispers went vague in my ears. I only concentrated on his soothing voice. ¡°Get me away from here,¡± I whispered. My hands clutched his shirt in my fist in a vice grip. Nodding his head, he stood up with me in his arms. My head didn¡¯t move away from his chest, nor did my grip on him loosened. ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡± cing another kiss on my forehead, he walked out of the room. And I didn¡¯t even dare to look back. *** Once reaching the penthouse, he carried me inside the bedroom and then straight to the bathroom. In the whole car ride, I didn¡¯t move away from his arms. Nor did he say anything. The journey was quiet, but his soothing slow rubbing on my back, arms, lingering soft kisses on my head, forehead and the tight grip of his arms around me gave mefort. When he tried to put me on the sink countertop, my arms tightened around his neck as a protest. A whimper left my lips. ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere, baby. I¡¯ll be right here, with you. Let me get the water ready. Then I¡¯ll run you a shower,¡± he murmured. Hesitantly, I nodded my head and unwrapped my clutch from him as he sat me down on the countertop. When he walked away, I felt cold without his warmth. My fists clenched as I hugged myself closer. Once he came back to me again, he put me off the counter. ¡°Lift your arms,¡± clutching the ends of my dress, he asked softly. I obeyed. As he pulled the dress off of me, I shivered at the cold air that generated goosebumps across my skin. I tried to hug myself again, but he didn¡¯t let me. Instead, he then unhooked my bra and let it fall on the ground, my panties followed next. Instead of hiding myself from his eyes, I wrapped my arms around him again. Staying away from his warmth for this long was bringing back the fear in me. Fear of the man I never thought I¡¯d loath even the slightest idea of him in my wildest dreams. Picking my b**e and trembling body in his arms again, he walked us inside the shower and gently ced me down on my feet. Undressing himself, he joined me and let the soothing warm water pour on us. I stayed quiet as he squeezed some shampoo in his palm and started to wash my hair, gently massaging my scalp. A hiss left my lips when his hands went to the back of my head, where Warner had pulled at my hair harshly. His shoulders tensed at my reaction. A muscle of his jaw ticked, grey eyes shed. But he put on his calm mask again and went extra careful with the back of my head. No matter how much he stayed normal, I knew the storm that was building inside him. I knew even if he said everything was alright now, it wasn¡¯t for him. My hands were firmly clutched onto his waist as he shampooed my hair. I continuously needed his touch at the moment. No matter how much I tried to close off the memories back at the hotel in my mind, they kept rushing back. I could still feel his hands on me, his lips on my jaw, cheek and neck, his strong smell of alcohol. His harsh touch and violent behavior. The malice in his brown orbs where all I saw was adoration and respect in thest three years since I knew him. My stomach clenched at the memories that shed over my mind, rising a vile up my throat. I felt disgusted. I felt d***y with the way he tried to touch me. Tears started to blur my vision again as I started to rub my arms and face harshly, trying to rinse off his touch from my skin. ¡°Rosebud? What are you doing?¡± he asked, gripping my wrists. ¡°Stop it.¡± I tried to break free. I needed to wash myself. I needed to clean myself off from his touch. My tears washed away with the restless water as I fought against him, but he only pulled me into his chest and wrapped his arms around me. ¡°Calm down, baby! Everything will be fine. I¡¯m here with you. Nothing will happen to you, I promise. Just calm down,¡± he said, rubbing my back. I couldn¡¯t stop the sob that broke out of me. Clutching him harder, I cried my heart out in his chest. And he let me. ¡°I- I trusted him. I thought he was my friend. I- I never thought he could do something like that to me¡­¡± I spoke out through my hups. His hold tightened. ¡°Shh, don¡¯t cry, baby. Don¡¯t waste your tears on someone like him. It¡¯s not your fault that you trusted him. He was always there for you until¡­¡± with a deep breath, he gritted out, ¡± he showed his true color. But don¡¯t worry, Rosebud. He can¡¯t hurt you anymore. You won¡¯t see his face ever again, I promise you that.¡± Snuggling more into him, I hid my face at the crook of his neck. Then hethered soap on my body, washing every part of me with utmost care. Once finished with the shower, he towel dried my hair and body, followed by his own and thus carried me back in the bedroom again. When he finished dressing up both of us, he made me sit on the bed. ¡°Stay here, let me get something for you to eat.¡± I shook my head. ¡°I¡¯m not hungry. I want to sleep.¡± I was exhausted. Mentally and physically. Mostly emotionally. I wanted to sleep and forget about everything. ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Please.¡± My voice came out croaky. Sighing, he nodded. Walking closer, he arranged the pillows andid me down before moving the nket over me. I grabbed his hand, making his eyes snap to mine. Though he was calm, the fire in his grey orbs was clear. And this was the calm before another storm rose. ¡°Sleep with me?¡± He leaned in and kissed my temple. ¡°You don¡¯t have to ask.¡± Turning the lights off, he slipped inside the nket with me, pulling me into him not wasting a second. But something didn¡¯t feel right. ¡°No clothes,¡± Iined. Letting out a low chuckle, he moved away slightly and discarded his t-shirt. And next went mine, the only thing I had on. When my palm felt his sculpted chest, firm abs and strong broad shoulders, and when our skin touched as he hugged me to himself, I let out a sigh of content. The feel of him against me, his skin against mine made me rx. I loved to sleep with him topless and he knew it. It always soothed me. It gave me more closeness with him. Not only physical, but also emotional. And tonight I needed him more than anything. His big calloused hand roamed over my hips and back. A silence fell over us. Even while lying down with me, his form didn¡¯t rx. ¡°D-do you hate me?¡± I whispered. Under the dimmed light, I found his brows furrowed. ¡°What? Why are you asking such a thing, Rosebud?¡± I gulped. ¡°F-for what happened back in the hotel¡­ he- he tried to force himself on me. You must feel disgusted¡­¡± ¡°Rosebud¡­¡± he warned. ¡°I swear he couldn¡¯t do anything. H-he tried to kiss me but I didn¡¯t let him¡­¡± ¡°Enough!¡± He cut me off, hovering over me. ¡°How could you assume that I¡¯d ever think something like that? It¡¯s not your fault what happened. Even if he really did something, which he couldn¡¯t because you fought him bravely, I¡¯d never feel disgusted by you. Never. I¡¯ll always love you and support you no matter what, Emerald, always keep that in your mind.¡± My lower lip trembled. ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you kiss me yet?¡± It was me always who had to push him away to take some breath because he wouldn¡¯t leave my lips and chest alone when he would finally get me all to himself at night. But tonight, he didn¡¯t once try to kiss me, not even a peck on my lips. A sigh left him. Pressing his forehead against mine, he bumped his nose with mine. ¡°Because I didn¡¯t want to do any reckless act out of my desperation that¡¯d trigger anything for you.¡± His words surged warmth through my heart. I shook my head, circling my arms around his neck. ¡°You¡¯re not him. Your touch would never trigger something for me. The only thing it can do is soothe me. Make my heart feel content.¡± Letting out a breath, he cupped my cheeks. ¡°You want me to kiss you?¡± I nodded. ¡°My queen¡¯s wish is mymand.¡± And then his lips were on mine. Moulding out mouths into a passionate knee weakish kiss, he pulled me closer. It wasn¡¯t his regr kiss, hard and demanding. It was slow, soothing but yet possessive. The kind of kiss that would make anyone forget anything. Wrapping my legs around his waist, I clung to him and enjoyed his kiss as much as I could, forgetting everything for a moment. His touch made me forget. Only he could do that to me. Pressing a firm kiss on my lips onest time, he pulled me back into his chest. I ced my head right where his heart beat. The steady rhythm of his heartbeat, calmed my own. ¡°Thank you!¡± ¡°What for?¡± he asked. ¡°F-for always being there for me. Foring at the right moment to save me.¡± A single tear left my eye. I shuddered even thinking of what could happen if he hadn¡¯t arrived there on time. I could feel him shaking his head. ¡°I¡¯d always be there no matter what. But you don¡¯t need me to save you. You can do that yourself. You were doing it pretty good. He was hissing in pain when I broke in.¡± Though he tried to lighten my mood, I could feel the edge of his voice. I could hear his need to destroy something there. Destroy him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I whispered. ¡°Now what¡¯s that for?¡± He yed with my hair. ¡°For everything. For forcing you to tell me everything about your past, for not understanding your pain and¡­ for leaving like that. If I hadn¡¯t left, this wouldn¡¯t have happened. I wouldn¡¯t go to meet him if not for his message. He was leaving California tonight and wanted to meet me. So I went there.¡± I knew he wanted to know why I went to meet him again. What happened out there. But he decided against it. The thing that he respected and cared about my situation right now, made me fall more in love with him. Even if it was even possible. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault, Rosebud. You didn¡¯t know his true intentions.¡± One of his hands ran over my back. ¡°And¡­ you don¡¯t need to say sorry to me for earlier tonight. I- I shouldn¡¯t have lied to you. And those words that I spit out¡­¡± He let out a sigh, his voice held pain. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, baby. I was so lost in jealousy and anger that I didn¡¯t know what I was saying. You don¡¯t know what even the mare thought of you leaving me does to me. I- I was scared of losing you. To him.¡± At the mention of Warner, his arms tightened around me. ¡°And there was also the fear that after you get to know the whole truth about my past, which is your right to know, you¡¯ll leave me. The fear, the jealousy, both surrounded my mind so much that I couldn¡¯t see how I was hurting my Rosebud. I¡¯m so sorry. I didn¡¯t mean even a word. I do trust you, baby. I trust you more than I trust myself.¡± His words lifted a burden off of my chest. Just the word ¡®trust¡¯ changes everything. I was right. His jealousy and securities were the reason behind his behavior. But no matter how much I wanted to ask him to tell me why he felt that way, I won¡¯t. I won¡¯t make the same mistake again. I¡¯d give him the space he needed. No matter how eager I was. ¡°It¡¯s alright. I understand,¡± I said, kissing his chest. ¡°I was just hurt that when I asked you if you trusted me, you didn¡¯t say anything. That hit the most.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, baby. There¡¯s no one in this world I trust more than you. You¡¯re the only one who matters to me.¡± He brushed his lips against my brows. I sighed, snuggling into him. ¡°I just needed to hear that.¡± A smile tugged on my lips. ¡°I love you.¡± ¡°I love you too.¡± He pulled me closer. When some moments passed without another word said, I thought our conversation for the night was over. And this conversation did help my mind off of the incident tonight. I thought I could at least sleep in peace in his arms now, until he opened his mouth again, snatching every bit of sleepiness from my eyes. ¡°You want to know everything, right? Everything about my past, about my father¡¯s m****r?¡± My heart ran faster as I nodded, not saying anything. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you everything. Everything you want to know.¡± Share Chapter 63 Chapter 63 Read The Trap Of Ace [by Eva Zahan] Chapter 63 ¨C A sigh left me with the continuous feathery kisses gliding down my neck and shoulder, when the gentle yet possessive touch of a pair of calloused hands over my curves pulled me out of the sleep. His hot breath fanned across the skin of my neck. A raspy deep groan reverberated through his chest when his palms slided over mine. ¡°So perfect¡­¡± husky voice murmured into my ear. A gasp slipped my lips as he softly bit on the skin of my throat. My eyes fluttered open to the shadowed room. The c******s blocked the sunlight out, only some rays of light peeked through the gaps. And then I found a pair of beautiful stormy grey eyes peering into mine. With some strands of his ruffled bed hair falling over his forehead, a day¡¯s old stubble across his sharp jaw and that familiar intense look of his whenever he looked at me left me breathless; as always. ¡°Good morning, my beautiful Rose.¡± Gently grabbing my chin, he ced a soft kiss on my lips. My heart fluttered with his simple yet sweet gesture. I smiled. ¡°Morning.¡± ¡°How did you sleep, baby?¡± ¡°Good.¡± All thanks to him. His touch and presence set my mind at peace. Even though his words from last night nagged me. ¡°When will you tell me?¡± I asked, ready for the answers I was looking for so desperately. His eyes met mine. ¡°I will. But not now. Tomorrow. You¡¯ll get to know everything tomorrow.¡± ¡°Why tomorrow?¡± ¡°I need some time, Rosebud. I need to prepare myself to live my past once again, the past I had buried at the darkest corner of my memories.¡± He asked for a day. And I¡¯d have given him more than just a day if he had wanted. Once I made a mistake by pushing him too far, I had hurt him unintentionally. I didn¡¯t want to do it again. And one day wasn¡¯t much to wait for. I wrapped my arms around his neck. ¡°Where are we going?¡± He let out a chuckle. ¡°Aren¡¯t you a really impatient one?¡± Last night, he had said he wanted to take me somewhere. Somewhere we could spend some alone time away from here. Especially after these stressful days. And in his words, it was a temporary recement of the n he made for our vacation which couldn¡¯t be possible because of our, well¡­ fight. Due to his constant meetings with the Russians, he couldn¡¯t go for a long vacation at the moment. But he promised me to take to one soon. I knew he needed this day out as much as I did. When I needed a change of air, he needed this time to prepare himself to reveal his every secret before me. I pouted. ¡°I hate it when you do that.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s called surprise, baby.¡± His smile slowly slipped. A look of concern took over his features as he cupped my cheek. ¡°You okay?¡± Letting out a sigh, I nodded. ¡°I¡¯m better now.¡± I was feeling much better now. Last night was one of the worst nights of my life. I was shook. But I was fine now. And the love of my life¡¯s being here made it easier. ¡°You sure? We can postpone it if you want to stay in today.¡± The pad of his thumb brushed over my cheek. I shook my head. ¡°No. I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m actually looking forward to this, uh, what to call it? A date?¡± One of my brows raised. The breathtaking smile appeared back on his heavenly features. ¡°Call it whatever you like. All that matters is you being with me.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s our second date then?¡± ¡°Nope,¡± he said, making me frown. ¡°First. Our first date as an official couple. Not just as friends.¡± Rolling my eyes, I bit my lip. Heat crept up my cheeks remembering how I literally forced him to go on a date with me ¡®just as friends¡¯. I had no choice though. And I hoped this date would turn out good. Not thatst one wasn¡¯t good. It was amazing, the most beautiful day of my life. But the end was equally disastrous. So I wished everything to turn out good this time. His grey eyes looked down at me with adoration and love. Tracing my cheeks, he leaned in and kissed on both of them. ¡°These adorable freckles. Do you know I hate it when you hide them with powder?¡± I giggled. ¡°It¡¯s makeup. And yes, I very much know that.¡± ¡°Then why do you do that?¡± ¡°Because I don¡¯t like them much.¡± His brows furrowed. ¡°But they¡¯re beautiful.¡± I bit my lip at his confused face. He looked so adorable. He snuggled into my neck, letting out a groan. ¡°You don¡¯t know how beautiful you look with them, my rose. You¡¯re so f*****g beautiful.¡± His voice came out husky, sending a shiver down my spine. His hand returned to my chest, cupping me firm into his big calloused hand. And then I realized how my legs were wrapped around his hips. Our bodies were pressed together, my soft one against his hard frame. When his hand marked their territory over my chest, his lips left more hickeys in my neck sending my senses to haywire, his huge junior was rigid and hard against my t***h. I felt a painful tug at my core. ¡°My Rose¡­¡± he groaned. My breath came out ragged. I needed more. And just as I pulled him closer, tightening my legs around him, my stomach decided to interrupt. He pulled away slightly, a frown formed between his brows. ¡°You¡¯re hungry?¡± Then he shook his head. ¡°Of course, you¡¯re. You didn¡¯t have your dinnerst night.¡± At the mention ofst night, I felt his shoulders tensing. But heposed himself soon. ¡°Let¡¯s freshen up and then I¡¯ll make something for you.¡± Moving himself away from me, he ced a kiss on my stomach. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Smiling, I put my hand in his awaiting one and let him carry me to the bathroom. I didn¡¯t ask him about his sudden tense mood. In fact, I was grateful that he didn¡¯t start any conversation aboutst night. I didn¡¯t have the strength to remember the incident again and again. *** Pulling my hair up, I set it into a messy bun and stared at my reflection in the mirror. My eyes were still puffy from my cryingst night and the bags underneath my eyes were noticeable. He had left to make breakfast when I decided to spend more time in the bathroom, taking a shower. And now that he wasn¡¯t with me, memories of that hotel floated back into my mind. My hands tightened on the sink. I tried not to think, but I failed. I still couldn¡¯t believe Warner could do something to me like that. Yes, he was drunk and hurt. But that didn¡¯t justify his actions. He was¡­ violent, he was a monsterst night. I didn¡¯t know he had this side in him. Now I didn¡¯t know which Warner was real. The one I called my friend, or the one I came face to face withst night. A vile rose up my throat recalling his actions. Closing my eyes, I took some deep breath to calm myself down. I didn¡¯t even care to know where he was right now or how he was doing after Ace had beaten him to unconsciousness. I didn¡¯t even want to think of him anymore. Blinking away the moisture in my eyes, I walked out of the bathroom and then out of the room. As soon as I entered the kitchen, the mouthwatering smell of bacon and pancakes hit my nostrils. My stomach growled. His grey orbs looked up at me, and then glided down my body. I was wearing one of his t-shirts that reached my mid-thighs. Nothing else. The darkening of his eyes and tightness of his sharp jaw didn¡¯t go missed by me as I sauntered closer. ¡°I bet you didn¡¯t wear any panties, did you?¡± His voice came out deep. My cheeks flushed. Shrugging, I sat on the counter. His eyes followed the movement of the t-shirt as it rose higher up my thighs. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. ¡°It¡¯s big enough to cover mydy parts. So¡­ yep. I didn¡¯t wear anything else.¡± He groaned, resting a hand on my knee. ¡°You¡¯re doing this on purpose, aren¡¯t you? Such a tease you are!¡± Leaning in, he snuggled his head into the crook of my neck, taking a sharp inhale. ¡°If you wanted something from me, you could just ask, baby.¡± I rolled my eyes and pushed at his chest, causing him to frown. ¡°The only thing I want is right now is food. I¡¯m hungry.¡± ¡°Yes, breakfast is almost done,¡± grumbling, he stepped away and put some batter on the pan. Giggling, I leaned in and kissed his cheek. ¡°Thank you for making me such delicious breakfast everyday. I love you. You¡¯re the best boyfriend in the world, you know that?¡± Though we hadn¡¯t yet discussed our rtionship, nor did he ask me to be his girlfriend, I just started to think of him as my boyfriend. Well, he already called me his and he was mine, so I didn¡¯t think we needed to give it a name officially. My kiss seemed to brighten his mood as he pecked on my nose. ¡°I¡¯m d. Even though I don¡¯t like the boyfriend tag and I¡¯d like to change it soon, it¡¯s okay for now. And I love you more.¡± My heart raced inside my chest. Butterflies erupted into my stomach at his words. Change the title soon? Did he mean what I thought he meant? Heat touched my cheeks as I looked down at myp, twirling my bracelet. Chuckling, he kissed my head and pressed his forehead against mine. I looked up at him through my eyshes. Stormy grey eyes peered into my soul with his intense gaze. ¡°Soon.¡± My heart drummed down my ribcage as I stared at him. Warmth surged through me, a happiness bloomed inside my chest. Just at the imagination of him waiting for me at the altar did something to me. My whole body tingled at the thought. Bing Mrs. Valencian didn¡¯t sound so bad. Lost into each other¡¯s eyes, we suddenly broke away when a burnt smell reached our nostrils. Crinkling my nose, I looked at the pan. The pancake. I let out a chuckle. When he only scowled at the almost ck pancake, as if murdering it with his eyes for interrupting. ¡°Let me make another one.¡± I shook my head. ¡°Did someonee when I was in the shower? I thought I heard some voices when I was changing.¡± He nodded. ¡°Yes. Arthur and Mr. Ivanov were here. I couldn¡¯t meet them yesterday and the Russians were eager for a quick meeting. So I told Arthur to get Mr. Ivanov up here.¡± My posture straightened. Arthur was here? ¡°Who¡¯s Ivanov?¡± ¡°The owner of the Russianpany we¡¯re going to sign a deal with. Actually there are two owners of the company. Mr. Bkin and Mr. Ivanov. Mr. Ivanov is doing all the working on this uing project,¡± he exined. ¡°What he wanted to discuss so urgently?¡± I asked. I heard the mentions of the Russians many times in the past two weeks, but I never met any of them yet. ¡°Mr. Ivanov came up with a new proposal. At first they were only interested in just working with OC Textiles, but now they want to work with Valencian Corp as well. Changing the original n of Mr. Bkin, the other partner, Mr. Ivanov now wishes to work on several projects at a time. He said he had his full trust in us. So the more projects they could work on with us, the more they can expand their name in the US market.¡± ¡°So what did you say?¡± He thought for a second, before going back to flipping the pancake. ¡°At first I didn¡¯t like the idea acknowledging the amount of money Valencian Corp has to invest. But then, Arthur has a belief that it can bring us a huge Russian market if we go ahead with it. Theirpany has a good reputation in Russia. Even Caleb seems to like the idea. So I agreed.¡± A shoulder of his lifted. ¡°How much does Valencian Corp have to invest?¡± I raised my brow. He nced at me. ¡°Five hundred millions.¡± I gasped. My eyes went wide. Five hundred? ¡°And as it¡¯s a vast amount of money, they don¡¯t want to bear any risk before the projectsplete. So they suggested signing a contract. A contract where it says that if there would be any hindrance or loss caused by a party in between the certain period of time before the projects finish, they shallpensate the other party with the whole amount they invested in the project,¡± he added. ¡°So that either parties wouldn¡¯t have to be in any kind of hesitation regarding the deals.¡± My mouth was on the floor, still absorbing his revtion. ¡°And you agreed to go ahead with this? Five hundred millions isn¡¯t a joke for apany. I know you¡¯re a freaking billionaire, but it can be a big issue for yourpany in the future if something goes wrong.¡± He cupped my chin. ¡°Our, it¡¯s ourpany, baby. And don¡¯t worry, I know what I¡¯m doing. Ourpany handled deals like this before, though not with such contracts. But it¡¯s not a big deal. They agreed to a lot of our conditions, we had to agree to this one of theirs. Normally I don¡¯t work with others¡¯ conditions, but Arthur seems to be adamant to work with them. He requested me several times to agree. So I did.¡± Something didn¡¯t feel right. This contract didn¡¯t sit well with me. Though this isn¡¯t something rare. People are working with contracts like that out there. But with Arthur involved in this, seeing his desperation for this deal, I couldn¡¯t help but worry. He was definitely nning something. ¡°You said, Arthur is going to handle this project?¡± He nodded. ¡°D- do you think you can trust him with it?¡± I asked carefully. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s quite a big project for him to handle all alone.¡± ¡°He¡¯s not going to be all alone, Rosebud. There are people who will be assisting him. And Caleb will also join once hees back from his honeymoon,¡± he replied, putting some beacons on my te. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I trust him.¡± That¡¯s the thing that was holding me back from telling him Arthur¡¯s truth earlier, before Arthur threatened me with Ace¡¯s past. He had this blind trust on his uncle. Seeing my silence, he gave me his whole attention. ¡°What happened? What are you thinking?¡± Should I tell him? Will he trust me? And what about Arthur¡¯s threat? But that could be just a bluff, right? Maybe he actually didn¡¯t know anything and just bluffing to keep my mouth shut? Kissing my lips softly, he made me look at him. ¡°What¡¯s bothering my Rose so much?¡± Should I? I gulped. ¡°He¡­¡± Share Chapter 64 Chapter 64 Read The Trap Of Ace [by Eva Zahan] Chapter 64 ¨C ¡°He¡­¡± I licked my lower lip which suddenly felt very dry. He nodded, patiently waiting for me to continue. ¡°He isn¡¯t what you think¡­¡± His phone red on the counter, halting me in the mid sentence. Frowning, he picked up the phone and let out a sigh. ¡°Sorry, Rosebud. Have to take this,¡± apologizing, he answered the call. ¡°Yes, Arthur?¡± Even though the displeasure was lucid on his face being disturbed again, his tone maintained the respect for his uncle. If it was someone else, he wouldn¡¯t be so lenient for the interruption. ¡°Hmm. Alright. Just send the details to Carter. I¡¯ll take a lookter,¡± he said, while picking up a grape and putting it in my mouth. As I chewed on it, he listened carefully to what Arthur had to say. Then suddenly his gaze snapped up to mine. Nodding slowly, he said, ¡°Alright, will tell her. Yeah, see youter.¡± I cocked my head at the side. Was he talking about me? ¡°What did he say?¡± I asked, as he put his phone back on the counter. ¡°Just about some details of a meeting with the Russians. Regarding our final signing with them,¡± he replied. ¡°Anyway, he gave you his greetings. He said he was sorry that he couldn¡¯t meet you today, he was in a hurry. But he¡¯ll see you soon, he really enjoyed hisst conversation with you.¡± A brow of his raised. ¡°I didn¡¯t know Arthur had time to converse with someone unless it¡¯s regarding work.¡± Something churned in my stomach. I gulped. It was a reminder of the sword he had dangled upon my neck from him for me, not a message. When I was thinking to tell Ace everything, he stopped me again. Even if I didn¡¯t entirely believe that he really had anything against Ace with him, a fear lingered there. He was connected to Ace¡¯s family and past after all. He was there after his father¡¯s d***h. He handled Ace. There was definitely a possibility of him knowing something. And he¡¯ll meet me soon? Why? ¡°Rosebud?¡± Cupping my chin, he made me look at him. ¡°Where are you so lost?¡± I shook my head. ¡°Nothing. Just thinking about the office. It¡¯s been some days I haven¡¯t attended. And yeah, we had a little chat at the office.¡± He ced a kiss on my forehead. ¡°Good. I¡¯m d you¡¯reing closer to my family. Due to your stay in NY, you weren¡¯t connected with Caleb or Arthur. And don¡¯t worry about the office, it¡¯s yourpany. You go whenever you want.¡± A genuine smile stretched across my lips even though the thought of Arthur¡¯s nning something was swirling in my head. At first when he made me an equal owner of everything he had, I was livid. I didn¡¯t want it at all. But now, I didn¡¯t mind it. At all. In fact, I felt happy that he loved and trusted me enough to take such a huge step for me. It was a proof how seriously he took our rtionship. Of course, I wouldn¡¯t ever take any advantage of this power he gave me. But thinking of having right on everything he owned, felt good. As if I was already his wife, his other half. ¡°You were saying something about Arthur? What was it?¡± I shrugged. ¡°Nothing. I was wondering if he could handle everything on his own. But I guess, you¡¯re right. He has been doing this for years after all. I shouldn¡¯t worry about it.¡± Just one more day. As soon as I¡¯ll get to know about his past, I¡¯ll be able to know what Arthur had against Ace. Maybe then I can do something? Nodding, he picked me up from the counter making me immediately wrap my arms around his neck and legs around his waist. ¡°Let¡¯s have breakfast now. Then we can leave for our little vacation.¡± *** ¡°Ace, can I remove it now? I want to see where you¡¯ve brought me,¡± Iined for the upteenth time since we left the penthouse for our little vacation. He had put on a blindfold over my eyes before getting into the car so that I couldn¡¯t see where he was taking me. ¡°Rx, baby. Just some few steps more and we¡¯ll be there,¡± he murmured into my ear. I let out a huff and let him guide me to wherever he wanted to take me. When he finally removed the blindfold from my eyes, I was left surprised. My lips parted as my gaze roamed over the beauty of the mansion that stood before me. The same mansion we had visited after shopping for Tess for her engagement, the night we met that ident. The house he had bought for his future. If it was beautiful at night, it was breathtaking in daylight. Under the sun, it stood so magnificently with its ck and whitebination that I couldn¡¯t tear my eyes off it. And the little garden surrounding it was now covered with colorful flowers, mostly roses. The grass was lush green. I took a deep breath. ¡°Told you. It looked more beautiful in the daylight,¡± he said, snuggling into my neck with his arms wrapped around me. And I could just nod. ¡°So this is where we are gonna spend our day?¡± I nced up at him, finally tearing my eyes off the house. ¡°You love it, right?¡± he asked, getting an immediate nod from me. Tightening his hold on me, he gently pecked my lips. ¡°Then not just a day, this is where we¡¯re gonna spend the rest of our lives.¡± My heart sped up. A warmth surged through my chest. The thing that he thought about a future with me made me feel all tingly. ¡°S-so, you brought this house for our future?¡± I blinked away the moisture in my eyes. He nodded, stormy grey orbs set on me. ¡°For our future.¡± I bit my lip. ¡°So, that means, that bedroom will be mine that has a balcony just above the rose garden? I¡¯ll be staying there with you?¡± A husky chuckle reverberated through his chest, his eyes held amusement. ¡°Yes, only my Rosebud¡¯s. And that¡¯ll be our bedroom. And,¡± his voice dropped low as he brushed his lips against mine, ¡°you¡¯re the one who¡¯s gonna be sleeping in that bed with me, every night, my rose.¡± pping on his shoulder, I pushed him away and pouted. ¡°You¡¯re so mean! That means you were talking about me when you mentioned about your future wife sharing that bedroom with you? You were purposely making me jealous!¡± I still remembered the jealousy and hurt I felt when he talked about his future wife and having a family with her. I thought he was talking about someone else. This p***k! ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to make you feel that way, baby. You just couldn¡¯t understand my hint. All you had to do was, just look into my eyes. And you¡¯d get to know whom I was talking about.¡± The intensity in his gaze made my heart flip. I rolled my eyes. ¡°So, you were jealous, huh?¡± pulling me in, he teased. With my lips still formed into a pout, I yed with his shirt¡¯s button. ¡°Yes. Because you¡¯re mine. No one else can be your wife except me.¡± He took a sharp inhale, staring deep into my soul. ¡°You want to be my wife?¡± A blush rose up my cheeks. Even though he had made his intentions clear this morning, he wanted to hear it from my mouth. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You know that means you¡¯ll have to spend the rest of your life with me. You¡¯ll be stuck with me forever. Because I¡¯m not letting you go,¡± cupping my chin, he said. ¡°Great. I¡¯m not nning to go anywhere anyway.¡± A vulnerability shed across his eyes, his grip tightened on me, pulling me closer. ¡°Promise me? Promise me you¡¯ll never leave me.¡± The uncertainty and urgency in his eyes tugged at my heart. Now I understood why he was asking me this even if he already dered that he was gonna change his ¡®boyfriend¡¯ status soon. He even brought this house for us. But he was still uncertain. He still had this fear that I¡¯d leave him. Rising on my tip toes, I cupped his cheeks, holding his gaze. ¡°I promise. I¡¯ll never leave you. Never ever. No matter what happens.¡± Exhaling a sigh, he pulled me into his passionate kiss. Not sweet and slow, but possessive and rough. ¡°I love you, my rose. I love you so f*****g much.¡± I smiled. ¡°I love you too. More than anything.¡± No matter what his fear was for, no matter what his past was. I¡¯ll never leave him. I¡¯ll always stand there beside him. Whatever happened in the past, I wouldn¡¯t let it affect our present and future. And I had this belief that he couldn¡¯t do anything wrong. And even if he did, he wouldn¡¯t do it on purpose. Pulling away, the namete on the gate caught my eyes. Turquoise Heaven? He followed my gaze. ¡°Your beach house has the same name, right? I asked. ¡°Why though? Seems like you liked this name too much.¡± ¡°D**n right, I¡¯m in love with this name. Because turquoise is my favorite color.¡± I raised my brow. And I thought it was ck? Since most of the time he roamed around in ck or dark suits. But why Turquoise? Then realization hit me. The color of my eyes. Flutters erupted across my tummy at his words. ¡°My eyes?¡± Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. He kissed my forehead. ¡°Yes. My turquoise eyed beauty whom I¡¯m obsessed with. Whom I love with everything in me.¡± Not knowing how to react, I wrapped my arms around him, hiding my face into his chest. Emotions soared high into me. ¡°I can¡¯t live without you, you know that?¡± ¡°I know. Nor can I, baby.¡± He pecked my forehead again. ¡°Now, let¡¯s go inside. I¡¯ve so much to show you.¡± Once we were inside, I was left surprised again. Not only because the interior was beautiful as well as the exterior, but also because the furniture that were set around the house were very familiar to me. In fact I chose them. Before we got together, he had given me some weird jobs to choose furniture from hundreds of catalogues he had sent me. Even confused, I did mark the ones I liked the most. I didn¡¯t know he was nning to use those for our home. ¡°It¡¯s not done! Why didn¡¯t you tell me then?¡± I red at him once he showed me around the rooms. The side of his lips twitched. ¡°If I had, would you help me choose them?¡± I didn¡¯t say anything. Not having the answer, I just rolled my eyes and walked away from him. To the bedroom we were going to share. And to my surprise again, while the rest of the house was decorated well with the furniture I chose, the master bedroom was left untouched. Except the round bed in the middle. Even the walls needed paint. When I threw a confused nce at him who followed me in the room closely, he wrapped his arms around me from behind and rested his chin on my shoulder. ¡°I want you to decorate our room with your own hands and presence. From the color of the walls to the furniture, I want you to set everything as you want,¡± he said. A smile graced my lips. ¡°Why only me though? You¡¯re also gonna stay here. Your choice also matters. What if I turn this room into a pink kingdom?¡± He let out a chuckle and then pressed a kiss on my neck. ¡°I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s a kingdom of pink or purple as long as you¡¯re here with me. Do you think when my sun will be before me I¡¯ll be able to see anything else beyond that?¡± Letting out a shaky breath, I leaned into him. As cheesy as it was, his every word seemed to be meant to flutter my heart, and spread warmth through me. He was always that good with his words. They always managed to make me fall more deep in love with him, even if it was possible. ¡°What now?¡± Pulling away, he grasped my hand in his. ¡°My study. Come, I¡¯ve something important to show you.¡± ¡°What¡¯s it?¡± I asked. He looked at me. ¡°A little glimpse of my past.¡± Share Chapter 65 Chapter 65 Read The Trap Of Ace [by Eva Zahan] Chapter 65 ¨C 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. Share Chapter 66 Chapter 66 Read The Trap Of Ace [by Eva Zahan] Chapter 66 ¨C He let out a sigh. ¡°Two.¡± It wasn¡¯t much, but it still managed to sting. Biting my lip, I nodded and looked away. This was ridiculous! It was in his past! Then why did I want to m****r those girls who got to have him? Pressing his forehead against mine, he held my gaze. ¡°It was when you left for NY. Even for just some time, I- I thought to let you go. I wanted to forget you so that you can live your life happily. So, for that I thought other girls could help me. Even if deep down I knew I couldn¡¯tst for longer until I finally lost it and ran back to see you.¡± He ced a kiss in between my brows. ¡°And it happened. I could stretch it only for one month until I lost it. I knew no one could take the ce of my Rosebud. Nor could I live without loving her, without seeing her.¡± A tear slipped down my cheek. ¡°Those years were h**l for me as well. At least you coulde and see me from afar. B-but, I had to fight with me constantly to forget you. The fight I knew I never would win. Everyone thought it was just a crush of a teenage girl.¡± I shook my head with my vision blurred with tears. ¡°But it was much much more than just a crush. I had lost my heart to a boy I never thought would love me back.¡± ¡°But he did. More than anything, more than himself, with every fiber in his body,¡± he whispered, brushing his lips against mine. The crack in his voice told me his pain. I could express my agony with my tears, but he couldn¡¯t. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, baby. I¡¯m so sorry, because of my one decision you had to suffer that much. But trust me, I did it only for you. Even if it k****d me.¡± I grazed his rough stubble against my palm. ¡°I know.¡± He pulled me into his chest, wrapping his arms around me tightly. ¡°I love you, my rose. I love you so f*****g much.¡± I smiled. ¡°I love you too.¡± We went silent for a moment until I spoke again. ¡°Ace?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°You said you were waiting for me toplete my studies. What would you do if I really had managed to move on from you and fell in love with someone else?¡± His grip tightened on me. Greek ent was deep as he replied, ¡°Then I¡¯d k**l that b*****d and make you fall in love with me again.¡± I giggled, shaking my head. ¡°What if I truly loved that man and hated you for doing that? What¡¯d you do then?¡± ¡°Rosebud,¡± he warned. Pulling away, I looked at him. ¡°Tell me. What¡¯d you do?¡± He pulled me back into him. ¡°I¡¯d kidnap you, tie you to my bed and seduce you until you forgot him and start loving me again.¡± My eyes widened. This caveman! ¡°What if even then I kept hating you and wouldn¡¯t love you back as you wanted? What would you do then? What would you do if I never loved you again?¡± His shoulders tensed. Jaw clenched and unclenched. His fingers tightened on my hips as he stared at me with hard yet unreadable eyes. Then I saw the vulnerability. The uncertainty. The fear. ¡°I¡¯d d*e,¡± he said, letting out a shaky breath. His thumbs gently brushed over my cheeks. ¡°I¡¯d d*e if I had lost youpletely. You don¡¯t know what you mean to me. This man standing before you, only breaths for his Rosebud. Without her, he is nothing. Without you in my arms,¡± he leaned in, pressing his forehead against mine again, ¡°I¡¯d be lost. You¡¯re my light, baby. I can¡¯t think of my life without you even in my wildest dreams. I can¡¯t live without you.¡± My heart broke in my chest with every tremble in his voice. With a tear slipping my eye, I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed his lips softly. ¡°Good. Because I¡¯m not going anywhere. You¡¯re stuck with me for the rest of your life. I won¡¯t leave you even if you want me to. Because this Rosebud of yours also can¡¯t live without her Ace.¡± Cupping my cheeks, he captured my lips into a deep hungry kiss. With one hand around my waist, he pulled me up, making me wrap my legs around his hips. Sucking on my lower lip, he growled against my mouth. ¡°Promise me.¡± I knew what promise he wanted from me. The same one he asked me to do when we arrived here. He was asking it again. A promise of never leaving him, a promise of not to give up on him ever. A promise to love him for the rest of our lives. Pulling him closer, I pressed my lips against him again while moving my hips against him, trying to show him my every emotion through my actions. ¡°I promise.¡± And this was thest straw for him. Keeping me still in my ce in his arms, he got us out of the pool and took me directly to our bedroom. To show me his love, his passion, his wildness, his tenderness and his promises. *** Opening my eyes slowly, I squinted into the dark room. My hand reached for him beside me on the bed, but his warmth was missing. There lied only coldness. Where was he? The bathroom¡¯s light was off. And the balcony¡¯s door was closed. ¡°Ace?¡± I called out. But I didn¡¯t get any reply from the silent dark room. Getting up, I grabbed the shirt he had left at the end of the bed earlier before going for the pool and put it on. Running my fingers through my semi damp hair, I padded out of the door. He didn¡¯t give us a chance to dry ourselves off before¡­and I didn¡¯tin. Why would I when I was getting what I wanted? A blush rose up my cheeks remembering the way we were relentless. And he was insatiable, as always. He didn¡¯t stop until I couldn¡¯t take it anymore. I was d that we were alone in this whole house. Otherwise my screams and loud moans would send us to j**l for sure. And after tiring me out, he took care of me. He cleaned me up and towel dried my hair well so that I wouldn¡¯t fall sick. After he was assured that I was well taken care of, only then he returned back to me under the nket and pulled me into his chest. Only for me waking up to a cold bed in the middle of the night. Where is he? Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. After checking the whole second floor, I climbed down the stairs and padded into the hall. And there he was. Before the firece, he was seated onto the single couch. With his elbows resting on his knees, his grey eyes were lost deep into the fire crackling around the burning timbers. The hot amber glow descended on his beautiful hard features. But the tightness of his jaw, icy gaze and clenched fists weren¡¯t appealing to me at that moment. The sudden feel of the tense air around me made me cautious. ¡°Ace?¡± My voice came out as a whisper. As if afraid to break the silence. He didn¡¯t respond, not even moved a muscle of his body. The only answer I got was eerie silence, except the crackling of the fire. And when I almost thought he didn¡¯t hear me, his deep voice echoed around the hall. Low yet powerful. ¡°I had always looked up at him as my role model. I always wanted to be like him. Powerful, sessful and dedicated to his work. A nice and humble person,¡± he said, pausing for a second. ¡°Until I saw him raising his hand on my mother.¡± A gasp slipped through my lips. He used to beat Ophelia? I never thought he¡¯d stoop so low. But if he could cheat on his wife, then hurting his wife physically wasn¡¯t impossible for him. But I didn¡¯t speak my thoughts out loud. Not wanting him to stop. ¡°I always ignored their conflicts and arguments thinking that it wasn¡¯t my business to interfere. I thought every couple had their disagreements sometimes. I didn¡¯t even give any ears to Mom¡¯s suspicion on him. Until I caught him with his secretary in his office.¡± A muscle of his jaw ticked while I listened to him silently. Nor did he turn to look at me yet. ¡°My whole opinion about him changed right at that moment. Instead of respect, I only felt disgust about that man. And my disgust turned into hatred when he found me standing there at the door but still kept his secretary on hisp. As if his own seventeen years old son didn¡¯t just catch him cheating on his wife.¡± My heart tugged for him. I couldn¡¯t even imagine how broken and shocked he was when he found out his father¡¯s real face. And I felt bad for Ophelia. Though I didn¡¯t get to spend much time with her, she was a great woman. She didn¡¯t deserve it. ¡°Did you tell her about it?¡± I asked, not moving from my ce. He shook his head, eyes hard as stone. ¡°I didn¡¯t have the courage to. Even though she had her own doubts, she never was sure about it. He never let himself get caught. She was already drowning herself into alcohol, I couldn¡¯t give her any more reason to add up her miseries.¡± ¡°If she wasn¡¯t happy with him, if he was treating her that way, then why didn¡¯t she just leave him?¡± I queried, curious to know more. ¡°Even after the doubts, why did she stick around?¡± ¡°Because of love.¡± Those dark stormy grey orbs met mine. ¡°She loved him, Emerald. Even after he all of a sudden threw her out of the board members when she had equally worked hard with him to raise the company to sess, even after he started manhandling her, even after he disrespected her every day, she didn¡¯t want to leave. She wanted to stay with the man she once fell in love hoping that he¡¯d magically be the same charming man she once knew. She didn¡¯t want her family to get shattered. So she stayed back. Tolerating everything.¡± I gulped down the tears that threatened to spill from my eyes. She loved that man so much, but the only thing she got in return was hurt. ¡°And she found sce in alcohol to forget her pain?¡± He nodded, staring hard at the fire that flickered so high as if it just needed a bit more air to spread its destructive wings into a ragingva. And the rage in his eyes matched the zing of the mes into the firece. ¡°Even though most of the time she used to be lost into alcohol, she sometimes used toe into my room at midnight just to kiss my forehead and whisper goodnight,¡± he whispered, his voice cracked at the end. Not being able to stand there anymore, I walked up to him and ced a hand on his shoulder. But he didn¡¯t look up at me. Maybe because he didn¡¯t want me to see the moisture in his eyes. A tear slipped down my cheek. His pain was slicing through my heart. I wanted to hold him to my chest and tell him that everything would be alright, that I was here with him. But the stiffness of his shoulders and rigid posture stopped me from doing so. ¡°She tolerated everything even after she was d***g inside. She kept smiling at the fancy parties he took her with him for the world, so that no one could raise a finger at our family. She took his insults every f*****g day without relent. But everything had a breaking point. Everything had a line.¡± His lips curled into a sneer, his nostrils red in rage. ¡°And the line broke that night.¡± I straightened up. My heart pounded. I knew my answers were just a few moments away. I knew it was the night that became the worst night in his life. The night that still haunted him. ¡°After a long time I and Caleb decided to have a family dinner outside with her. That¡­that was the night of Thanksgiving. So we thought we could at least make her mood brighten a little. Even Tobias and Tess joined us. We were supposed to leave for your home after that to spend the rest of the night with your family.¡± Looking up at me, he held my gaze. ¡°I was eagerly waiting to meet you and give you the gift I bought for you. But¡­Mom couldn¡¯t control her urge and got drunk. So we had to cancel the n and return home.¡± His voice turned deeper and rougher as he continued. His jaw clenched and unclenched. I squeezed his shoulder to provide him somefort. ¡°The moment we reached home, we¡­heard them. Him and one of his women.¡± Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath. ¡°I still remember the way she stood frozen before her bedroom door, I still remember the tears that formed into her eyes. She¡­found him with a woman on the very bed they shared. With her very best friend.¡± Another gasp left me as I stood there shocked at the new revtion. ¡°And that night her patience broke. I never saw that side of my mother. She was shaking with anger and hatred. Tears were rolling down her eyes from the betrayal she got from the two people she loved a lot. That night, she lost it.¡± The way the anger in his eyes slowly turned into fear, it unnerved me. ¡°Tess and Tobias left immediately. Caleb stood at the door frozen. And that man didn¡¯t have a bit of shame to even show a bit of remorse. Instead, he was mad that she entered the room with the children. He was using her that she wanted to demean him before us.¡± He paused, gulping. ¡°I stood there hearing them screaming at each other, their curses and shoves. I didn¡¯t know what to do. Nor did Caleb. I wanted to console my mother, punish my father for his deeds. But all I could do was stand there at a corner. For a seventeen years old, the situation was very confusing and traumatic.¡± All of a sudden he stood up, away from my touch, closer to the fire. His shoulders raised up and down with every heavy breath he took. His curled fists shook at his sides. ¡°I- I didn¡¯t know what to do until, until Mom got out a gun from her closet. The same gun he bought for his protection,¡± he said while I stood there frozen in my ce. I didn¡¯t expect everything to turn out like this. ¡°She was so drunk and hurt that she didn¡¯t know what she was doing. She went to shoot her b***h friend, screaming at her for betraying her in that way. And he loved his mistress enough to snatch the gun from her and raise it to his wife.¡± My heart pounded down my chest as I waited for his next words toe. My hands and feet turned cold out of anxiety and nervousness. An ominous feeling rose up my chest. ¡°He was mad. I still remember how red his eyes were. I still remember how much hatred he held in his eyes as he watched Mom. But even if he held the gun at her, she didn¡¯t stop screaming at them, shoving him and grabbing that b***h! And then he lost it,¡± he murmured. ¡°I saw him curling his finger around the trigger. His words still echoes in my ears when he spit them out staring right into my Mom¡¯s eyes. ¡®I have had enough of you. You¡¯re bing a nuisance for my professional and personal life now. I wanted to remove you from thepany first, but now seems like I¡¯ve to remove you from my life. So that I can live in peace. And this is the perfect time to do that¡¯.¡± I let out a shaky breath. Not even a word left my mouth. ¡°He was about to pull the trigger. And that¡¯s when I jumped in between him and Mom. I requested him to put the gun down. But he didn¡¯t seem to care that his son was standing before the deadly nozzle. He just pushed me aside and went for Mom in rage. But I couldn¡¯t let that happen. I had to do something, Emerald. And I did. I¡­stopped him.¡± He slowly turned to me. Dark eyes held mine, not even a trace of emotions were on his face. Something churned into my stomach. ¡°You were right. I didn¡¯t tell you everything. I hid two things from you. One, that he didn¡¯tmit s*****e, he was m******d. And two,¡± Greek voice dense as he stared deep into my eyes, ¡°he was m******d by his own son. I k****d him.¡± Share Chapter 67 Chapter 67 Read The Trap Of Ace [by Eva Zahan] Chapter 67 ¨C Ace¡¯s POV ¡°He was m******d by his own son. I k****d him.¡± Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. I watched her silently as she froze in her ce. With her Turquoise eyes wide in shock, her lips parted. The color of her face drained the moment she heard those words left my mouth. The truth I had been hiding in the deepest corner of my memories. The ugliest and darkest truth of my life I never wanted to reveal before her. She kept quiet. Only unbearable silence echoed throughout the hall. Other than shock and disbelief, I couldn¡¯t read a single emotion on her beautiful face. Because there was none. I inhaled deep. The same ominous feeling was rising up my chest again, choking me in its vicious grip. Clenching my fists, I ignored the pain that shot through my heart. ¡°Emerald,¡± her name sneaked out as a whisper through my lips. ¡°Say something.¡± She didn¡¯t. She just stood there, staring at me with tears glistening her eyes. I turned around from her. Deepbored breathing came out of me. My hands shook at my sides. The pain in my heart only soared high that it physically pained. I knew it. I knew she was going to hate me. After knowing what a monster I was, she could never love me the way she did. She could never stay with a m******r. A m******r who k****d his own father. I clutched my chest, as if trying not to fall apart or destroy something. This fear, this fear of losing her didn¡¯t let me sleep for years. Once I let her go because I didn¡¯t deserve her time and love. I let go of her not only because I was a d**g addict and I didn¡¯t think I had a future, but also because I knew that my past wouldn¡¯t let me live freely so easily. It¡¯d always follow me everywhere I go. I knew a monster like me didn¡¯t deserve a flower like her. But I was too selfish to stay away for long. Her absence in my life was ruining me. The thought of those Turquoise eyes not looking at me with full of love and adoration, not hearing my name from her sweet angelic voice, not watching her blushing because of me and not hearing her giggles drove me insane. It still did. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t want to tell her. I decided to keep my past miles away from her so that it never could be a hindrance in my path of keeping her in my life. But¡­ but she deserved the truth. She deserved to know everything about me before I bound her to me for the rest of our life. I couldn¡¯t keep her in any more darkness. She promised to never let go¡­ But who could love a m******r? ¡°I¡­¡± I gulped, rubbing my chest to soothe the b**n. ¡°I know you must be hating me now. I- I know I don¡¯t deserve you. You deserve a normal,¡± I took a deep breath, to even think of her being with another man made my blood boil, ¡°man. A normal man with a normal easy life. Not a man with a tainted past. Not a man who k****d his father and was a d**g addict. But¡­I love you, Rosebud,¡± whispering, I clenched my fists, trying my best not to pull her into the cage of my arms and lock her there forever. So that she couldn¡¯t leave me. I wouldn¡¯t survive without her. ¡°I¡¯m too selfish to let you go. I can¡¯t function without you. I can¡¯t¡­¡± A pair of petite arms wrapped around my torso from behind. I felt her pressing her cheek against my back. ¡°I¡¯ll not leave even if you wanted me to. I can never,¡± she said. As if a sudden light lightening my dark insides, the pain in my chest disappeared. Reced a feel of desperation to hear those words again and relief. I turned around, cupping her cheeks. ¡°You- you won¡¯t leave me? That means, you don¡¯t hate¡­¡± She shook her head. Her beautiful eyes watched me with the same love and adoration they did for years, not a trace of hate was there as I expected. ¡°Never. I can never hate you. Even if you were wrong, I couldn¡¯t hate you. I¡¯d always love you.¡± I frowned in confusion. ¡°I know I can¡¯t let you go, but aren¡¯t you disgusted with me? I¡­¡± I gritted my teeth. ¡°I¡¯m a m******r. A monster, Emerald. You don¡¯t need to lie to me not to upset me. I can understand if you think you need time¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re not a monster.¡± She cut me off, voice firm. ¡°Nor you¡¯re a m******r.¡± I shook my head. ¡°Maybe you didn¡¯t hear what I said. I k****d him, Emerald. His blood was in my hand.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t your fault. You didn¡¯t k**l him. It was an ident,¡± she said softly. Taking my hands, she made me sit on the couch and ced herself on myp. My arms pulled her closer against me instinctively. ¡°I can understand your dilemma, Ace. No matter how he was, he was your father. And because of that incident, you feel guilty for his d***h. But it¡¯s not your fault, baby. It wasn¡¯t your fault he died. It was an unfortunate ident. You were just trying to help your mother.¡± I just stared at her, utterly appalled. I just told this woman my darkest past, my crime, the deed I have been ming myself for years, and she still wasn¡¯t repulsed by me. Instead she was looking into my eyes cupping my cheeks and telling me that I wasn¡¯t at fault. I gulped the thickness of my throat, clutching her to me tightly. ¡°You really don¡¯t hate me? You- you aren¡¯t disgusted by me?¡± She ced a delicate kiss on my forehead before peering into my soul. ¡°Why would I if it wasn¡¯t your fault? I can never hate you for the crime you never did. I can never feel disgusted by a man who had enough courage to stand before a gun for his mother. And you were just seventeen then. I don¡¯t think everyone at that age has the amount of bravery you showed that night. If you hadn¡¯t done that, you would have lost your mother to that monster. But you stopped it from happening. You saved her.¡± Letting out a breath, I pulled her into me, cing my head at the crook of her neck. She ran her soft hands through my locks as I took a lungful of her sweet scent. She didn¡¯t know what she had said. She didn¡¯t know what favor she had done to me by saying those words. The fear of her leaving me was lesser in my heart now. My muscles rxed as the pain in my chest slowly dissipated. ¡°You won¡¯t leave me,¡± I whispered more to myself than to her. I needed to hear it out loud. Her hug tightened. ¡°Never.¡± I could feel the storm inside me calming down. She won¡¯t leave me. My Rosebud will always be with me, in my arms. I breathed her in again, desperately held her against me tightly. And she didn¡¯tin. ¡°Stop punishing yourself for the ident that happened years ago, baby,¡± she murmured, rubbing my back soothingly. ¡°I know whatever happened was unfortunate, but stop ming yourself for that. I know, you didn¡¯t want to tell me about your past because you thought I¡¯d hate you. Because you thought you were a m******r, you were guilty. But you¡¯re not. You were just trying to snatch that gun from him so that he couldn¡¯t hurt your mom. But he didn¡¯t let you. He was in a trance of anger and hatred. If you hadn¡¯t stepped in between him and your mom, he most probably would¡¯ve k****d her.¡± My jaw clenched at the possibility. ¡°It was his insistence not to leave the gun. So how was that your fault?¡± ¡°I know what I did, I did it for Mom. But¡­that memory, Rosebud, that memory doesn¡¯t leave me alone. His blood in my hands, the way his lifeless eyes stared at me after¡­¡± I clenched my fists as recollection of that night shed over my eyes. ¡°The thought that maybe if I had handled things in a different way, maybe if I could do something else other than fighting him, he would be alive, our wrestling wouldn¡¯t cause the trigger to go off. I wouldn¡¯t have to take the burden of his d***h on my shoulders for years.¡± ¡°Then don¡¯t.¡± Pulling away slightly, she grazed my jaw with her palm. ¡°You don¡¯t need to take the burden, Ace. You couldn¡¯t have done anything else at that moment. Anyone couldn¡¯t do anything at that moment. You did what you felt right. Tell me one thing,¡± she made me look at her Turquoise orbs, ¡°would you do it again, would you fight him again to save your mom if you could go back to the time?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± I replied, without hesitating. A soft smile tugged on her lips. ¡°That means you weren¡¯t wrong. You did what was right. You saved your mother from your father. Anyone who loved their mother and has courage would do that sane thing you did. That doesn¡¯t make you a m******r. It wasn¡¯t your fault. It was his fault that he didn¡¯t let go of the gun. He just was too blinded by his fury. You didn¡¯t k**l him, Ace. You saved your mom.¡± I just stared at her. How did I get so lucky to get her in my life? I was thinking she would leave me once she got to know everything. And here she was, providing light and warmth to my darkness. She was my sun that kept the demons of my p*******y. A sh of pain shed through her eyes as she leaned in and wiped my cheek with her thumb. A tear I hadn¡¯t realized that slipped from my eye. cing my forehead against her, I kissed her knuckles. ¡°I love you, my rose. I love you so f*****g much.¡± ¡°I love you too,¡± she murmured back. I brushed my lips against hers. ¡°Thank you so much. You don¡¯t know what you¡¯ve done to me by saying those words. Thank you¡­for not giving up on me. For not leaving me. I don¡¯t know what I would do if you left me.¡± ¡°And thank you for trusting me with your past.¡± She smiled softly. ¡°I wanted to tell you everything on our first date. But then, I didn¡¯t have the courage. I thought even if you would forgive me after knowing about seven years ago, you would hate me forever if you got to know about it. So I backed out and just told you what I thought would be right.¡± ¡°But you were clearly wrong. If I think you weren¡¯t at fault now, I would think the same then. Maybe if you had told me that night, I¡¯d have found your reasons behind pushing me away stronger. Maybe I¡¯d have forgiven you easily.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Rosebud.¡± I pulled her into my chest again. ¡°I was scared. I can tolerate anything but losing you.¡± She snuggled into my chest. ¡°Was it the reason behind your turning to d***s? Your guilt?¡± I nodded, sighing. ¡°No matter how bad of a person he was, I still couldn¡¯t forget that he was my father. And no matter the reason was, somehow he died because of me. And I couldn¡¯t deal with that feeling, Rosebud. After that night, Mom went into depression. She was broken. She med herself for his d***h and my status. She thought if she hadn¡¯t reacted that way that night, if she hadn¡¯t pulled that gun out, nothing would¡¯ve happened. Shepletely pulled away from us, from life. And it just pushed me more into darkness.¡± I still remembered the way I used to wait for her to return home every night. But she used to be missing for days, drinking and staying out of the home. And it continued until she finally stopped fighting her grief and decided to leave this ce, us, her past behind and go somewhere far. Her hand ran over my chest in a small slow circle, it soothed me. ¡°How did Caleb take all of this?¡± she asked. ¡°At first, he was shaken just as we were. But then slowly, he got better.¡± My lips turned up at the side into a small sad smile. ¡°He became the eldest among us taking care of me when I used to be senseless with d***s and alcohol.¡± ¡°I¡¯d be forever grateful to him for that,¡± she said, tone low. I knew she felt bad about that fact that she couldn¡¯t be there for me when I needed her the most. Yes, I did need her the most. But I couldn¡¯t just drag her into my mess. I couldn¡¯t taint her with my darkness. She was too pure and innocent for that. ¡°You know that it was only you I didn¡¯t lose hope, do you?¡± I looked down at her. ¡°It was you why I tried my best to be normal again and leave d***s behind.¡± She smiled, kissing my chest. ¡°I¡¯m d I could help in some way.¡± I sighed. ¡°You always helped, baby. If it wasn¡¯t for you, I would¡¯ve let my addiction consume me whole. You have no idea how horrible it was. There wasn¡¯t any kind of addiction I hadn¡¯t tried. I once even almost overdosed myself.¡± She gasped, shocked at my words. I squeezed her hands. ¡°But thank G*d, I¡¯m out of that h**l now. And all of it because you were constantly in my mind when I was trying to get better in the rehab center.¡± Shaking her head, with teary eyes, she wrapped her arms around my neck and ced her head back into my chest, hugging me closer. ¡°I wish I could be there for you,¡± she whispered. I kissed her head. ¡°You were, baby. You were always there with me, in my heart.¡± After a moment of silence, she asked, ¡°When did you go for rehab?¡± I gazed into the firece. ¡°Right after you left for NY.¡± She turned her head up to look at me, still not moving away from my chest. ¡°But you were in the UK at that time for your degree¡­¡± Then realization set on her face as her eyes widened. ¡°So, you went to the UK for Rehab and not to take any degree?¡± I shook my head. ¡°No. I went there to get better. After Arthur returned, he started to handle thepany well as mom was always absent. Then he suggested that I should go to the UK for my treatment, he had a friend who could help me. So I did, but not to his friend, but to a renowned organization that Jonathan¡¯s friend ran.¡± She sat up straight. ¡°Dad? He knew about your condition?¡± Nodding, I tucked a strand behind her ear. ¡°He knew everything.¡± Her head tilted at the side. ¡°Everything, as in¡­¡± ¡°Yes, Rosebud. He knew what happened. It was your father who helped me with everything. He kept the police away from me and used his influence to make everything look that it was a s*****e.¡± Her mouth hung open, eyes wide in shock. ¡°Dad?¡± ¡°Yes. I didn¡¯t know what to do after that¡­ ident. I had no one to seek help from. Mom went into shock to do anything. So I called your father and he rushed to my ce immediately. After listening to everything I had to say, he ced a hand on my shoulder and said to leave everything on him. He will handle everything,¡± I said, remembering the way he had reassured me like a guardian. A guardian I never found in my father. ¡°I wanted to tell everything to the police but he stopped me. He had this fear that the media would use it against my name for their own TRP. My reputation and career would be ruined in just a day. My future was at stake. No matter how it happened, our powerful rivals were ready to jump on us at any time, they just needed a spark to turn it into a volcano. And that mistress of my father was ready to give a statement against me. So Jonathan showed it to the world as a s*****e. He even shut that woman¡¯s mouth with money. He destroyed every proof that could turn against me.¡± A shaky breath left her as she took my words in. Kissing her forehead, I pulled her tightly against me again. Even if she said she wouldn¡¯t leave, I needed to feel her against me to be assured that she was still here. With me. ¡°Please don¡¯t hate me because I didn¡¯t tell the truth to the police. I just didn¡¯t know what to do at that time, so I just did what Jonathan told me to do.¡± She shook her head. ¡°You did the right thing. You don¡¯t know how grateful I¡¯m feeling to Dad for what he did. If he hadn¡¯t done it, your rivals would definitely use it against you and yourpany. And without anyone there with you, you wouldn¡¯t be able to defend you at that time. Don¡¯t me yourself for anything.¡± I squeezed her hip gently. ¡°Thank you for understanding me.¡± She kissed my lips. ¡°And thank you for letting me in even after how much difficult it was for you to talk about your past.¡± I pressed our foreheads together. ¡°Anything for you, Rosebud. Anything for you.¡± After that, I carried her to our bed and pulled her into me again. I felt much lighter than I ever felt. Especially now that I had my Rosebud into my arms forever. Throwing a leg over my waist, she snuggled into me. And ced my hand on her t***h. Then a question struck my mind. ¡°How did you know that he didn¡¯t s*****e? Who told you about his m****r?¡± Because I knew neither Caleb, nor Jonathan would tell her anything about it. They even didn¡¯t tell Tess and Tobias. Her form stiffened. After a silence, she spoke, ¡°Warner told me.¡± I tensed. At the mare name of that b*****d had my blood boil. ¡°How did he know about that? No one except me, Caleb, mom and your father knew about it. The officer that handled the case was your father¡¯s trustworthy person, he wouldn¡¯t spit a word out. And that woman died after a year from a car ident for her to leak any information.¡± Pulling away slightly, she stared at me for a moment. A small frown formed between her brows. ¡°No one else knew about that incident?¡± I shook my head. ¡°Even if there was any proof left, I made sure to destroy it forever. There isn¡¯t anything left.¡± She went quiet again, thinking something, biting her bottom lip. I moved my gaze from her innocent yet provocative act. ¡°What are you thinking, Rosebud? You didn¡¯t answer my question. How did he know about it?¡± My fists clenched. How badly I regretted not finishing that insect right at that moment. It was the only right punishment for him for even thinking to harm my Rosebud. Now he dared to dig up into my past! She shrugged, hiding her face into my neck. ¡°He didn¡¯t like you from the beginning. He might¡¯ve investigated you so that he could use it against you and make me question our rtionship.¡± That b*****d! Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath to calm myself down. ¡°Are you sure no one else knows about it? What if someone got to know something just like Warner did and will try to defame you using the media? You know, you¡¯ve still a quite number of rivals that wants you down. And if they knew you lied to the world not to put your future at risk, they could use it to show everyone that you hid the truth to save yourself. They can even use you being a m******r and me you that you did it so that the police wouldn¡¯t catch you.¡± I was amused how far her mind raced. Worry was thick in her voice. ¡°No one would do anything. They can¡¯t because no one has any proof. Even if anyone knows what happened that night, they don¡¯t have any evidence to prove it. They don¡¯t have the autopsy report or the gun that had my fingerprints too. I made sure to destroy everything, Rosebud. So don¡¯t worry. No one can do anything.¡± Letting out a sigh of relief, she finally rxed against me. Kissing her head again, I closed my eyes. But the glimpses of that night continued to sh behind my eyelids. Subconsciously, my grip tightened on her t***h. Raising her hand, she ran her fingers through my hand, massaging my scalp softly. ¡°Sleep now. Everything will be alright. I¡¯m right here with you.¡± Heaving an exhale, I flipped our position and ced my head into her chest. With one arm around her waist, I ced her leg over me again. My home. With her soft hands running through my hair, soon darkness overtook me into a peaceful sleep I never had in years. But not before I took an oath to destroy those who wanted to take my home away from me. Antonio was down. Now it was time to get his partner in crime out of his hole. Share Chapter 68 Chapter 68 Read The Trap Of Ace [by Eva Zahan] Chapter 68 ¨C Sunlight beamed against my eyelids, making me slowly flutter them open. A yawn sneaked out of me as I stretched across the bed very udylike. The soreness around different ces of my satisfied body bloomed a smile on my lips. But it slipped as soon as I found the emptiness beside me when my hands searched for his warmth. The sheets were cold enough for me to understand that he had gotten up a long time ago. It was getting on my nerves not finding him with me in the bed when I woke up in the morning. I craved his body warmth around me and his sultry kisses. Then memories ofst night flooded into my mind. My heart clenched with the recollection of his pain and suffering for years. For the crime he didn¡¯t do. It was saddening that he had lived half of his life thinking he was the cause of his father¡¯s d***h and thought that I¡¯d hate him after learning the truth. I wished he had told me earlier about his facious guilt and fear. I would¡¯ve cleared it out to him that I wouldn¡¯t leave him no matter what. I couldn¡¯t. Not especially when he was innocent. I let out a shaky breath remembering the torment in his beautiful grey eyes. My heart bled for him. I wanted to take all his pain as mine, only if I could. After knowing the truth, I saw everything from a new angle. My respect and gratefulness for my father went to another level higher now. Though it was still shocking to know that it was Dad who saved Ace from that tragedy and he never told a soul about it. On the other hand my opinion about his mother did also change. No matter how much my heart went out for her, even after understanding her pain and sufferings, I wouldn¡¯t be able to forgive her for leaving Ace and Caleb when they needed her the most. Especially Ace. I understood that she needed an escape from her traumatic life, but she shouldn¡¯t have left her son behind to suffer in the endless guilt and insecurities. He needed her. There was no one to give him emotional support. Maybe I was being selfish. I was only thinking about the love of my life. But I wouldn¡¯t leave my only son like that ever no matter the h**l I went through. Especially in that situation. Though I¡¯d never give words to my opinion about his mother before him. I knew no matter what she did, he didn¡¯t hold it against her. He respected and loved her. Sighing, I sat up, rubbing my face. And then the note on the side table caught my eyes. The smile returned on my face. It must be from him. Yes, I was a little upset that I didn¡¯t find him in the bed with me when I woke up, but he did sleep the whole night wrapped around me like a baby. He didn¡¯t get up in the middle of the night and go to the gym to channel his frustration and fears to the punching bagst night. And I think this was a big progress. Good morning, my beautiful rose! I¡¯m so sorry, my love. I couldn¡¯t stay until you woke up. Had to leave for an urgent meeting. But just for two hours. Stay here, I¡¯lle home as soon as I¡¯m finished. I know we came here for just one day, but a day keeping you all to myself isn¡¯t enough for me. I need more. I made you breakfast. Heat it up before eating. I¡¯ll try to cut this meeting short and fly into your arms as soon as possible. PS: As it¡¯s an very important meeting, my phone will be switched off. If you need anything, just call Carter. He¡¯ll give your message to me. But DO NOT leave the house until I¡¯m there. Love you! A cing a kiss on the note that smelled like his intoxicating scent, I pressed it against my chest. A sigh of bliss left me. How did I get so lucky with love? I thought I was never going to get this man. And here I was, staying into the house he bought for our future, sleeping in his arms on our bed. G*d, I already missed him! Then something clicked in my head. Wait. Meeting? What important meeting was it that he had to leave our vacation and drive back to the office so early? As far as I remember, he didn¡¯t have any important meetings until the next Monday. Except¡­ My eyes widened. The meeting with the Russians! He did say they were about to sign the final contract. It must be it! D**n it! Leaping on my feet, I put myst night¡¯s clothes on. I had to stop him! I had to tell him about Arthur before he signed the contract. The contract that old b*****d was so eager to make Ace sign. After hearing everythingst night, I didn¡¯t find anything that he could use against Ace. First of all, Ace didn¡¯t m****r his father. It was an ident. His father got shot during the fight. It wasn¡¯t his fault. Even if Dad and he kept it hidden for the sake of his future, it wasn¡¯t that big of a crime for Arthur to destroy Ace. Nor there¡¯s any proof of it. He might know about it, just like Warner did, but he didn¡¯t have anything to prove. Ace and Dad made sure not to leave any evidence of the past. That leach! I was right. He was just throwing arrows in the dark. And he hit it right. He knew what Ace meant to me. I¡¯d d*e before letting anything happen to him. And that b*****d just used it against me, to keep my mouth shut until he gets a way out of his crimes and Ace¡¯s wrath. I was hundred and one percent sure he didn¡¯t have anything against Ace. If he did, wouldn¡¯t he and Antonio have used it to defame Ace already? And the frustrating thing was, why didn¡¯t I figure this out before? Why didn¡¯t I listen to my instinct? I was certain he was nning something big this time. And he¡¯ll pull off his n through this contract. I didn¡¯t know what was exactly going through his wrinkled brain, but I had this strong hunch. He¡¯d be using this contract to harm Ace and thepany. Half a billion wasn¡¯t a joke. But I wouldn¡¯t let this happen. I wanted to tell Ace everythingst night. Butst night he was distressed enough for me not to start any more stressful conversations with him. He needed a break. I thought I¡¯d tell him this morning calmly. But he was gone even before I could wake up. Rushing down the stairs, I called his phone. But as he said, it was unreachable. So I called Carter. After two rings, he picked it up. ¡°Good morning, Ms. Hutton!¡± His cheerful voice came through the phone. ¡°Carter, can you please pass the phone to Ace? I need to talk to him urgently.¡± ¡°Umm, I¡¯m so sorry, Ms. Hutton. But the boss maybe has already entered the conference hall. I¡¯m still to reach there since I had to pick some files back from the office. Do you want me to give him any message?¡± he asked. I came to a halt, panting from flying down the stairs so fast. ¡°Wait, the meeting isn¡¯t happening in the office?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s being held in hotel Diamond Valley.¡± Diamond Valley? It¡¯s almost twenty minutes drive from here. Not that far. But¡­the meeting has already started. ¡°Is it with the Russians?¡± Even if I knew that it was, but yet hoped for the otherwise. ¡°Yes, Ms. Hutton. Bothpanies are going to sign the final contract today.¡± He stamped on my doubt. I groaned. ¡°Listen to me very carefully, Carter. Stop the meeting. Go there as fast as you can and tell Ace that I said, no, I pleaded not to sign the contract. You understand me? Tell him that I need to tell him something important before he goes ahead with it. I¡¯ming there as soon as possible.¡± Grabbing my purse, I ran out of the door. ¡°What? But what happened, Ms. Hutton? Is there any problem? Everything is set, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything wrong with this contract¡­¡± ¡°Just do as I say! Give him my message and make sure he doesn¡¯t sign anything. At least not before I reach there. If you fail to do that, it can cost you your job, Carter. Remember it. I already left for the hotel.¡± I cut the call before he could say anything, and rushed out of the enormous silver gate. But my legs stopped on my way as several big hulky men in ck towered over me. Their tinted sunsses hid their eyes. I could recognize two of them were from Ace¡¯s security team. I frowned. Where did theye from all of a sudden? They weren¡¯t here yesterday. ¡°Ms. Hutton. We¡¯re extremely sorry to inform you that you can¡¯t go out anywhere until the boss arrives. Please, go back inside, Miss,¡± one of the hulks spoke in his deep voice. ¡°What?! Where did thise from? I¡¯m free to go anywhere I want! I need to go somewhere urgent, so move away from my path!¡± When I tried to pass them, they blocked my path again. ¡°We apologise, Miss. But we can¡¯t let you go. It¡¯s the boss¡¯ order. You can¡¯t leave the house.¡± My temper rose. ¡°But why?¡± Why the h**l did he tell them to lock me in the house? I didn¡¯t remember him mentioning any of this yesterday. Everything was fine. Then what happened all of a sudden? Then I remembered his note. DO NOT leave the house. He did warn me not to leave. But forgot to give me the reason. I was gettingte. The meeting has already started. If I don¡¯t reach on time, he will sign the contract. I didn¡¯t care at that moment about why he didn¡¯t want me to leave the house. I had more important things to handle right now. The guard shook his head. ¡°We aren¡¯t allowed to say that. But we can¡¯t let you go.¡± ¡°Listen here, I¡¯m gettingte. So move away from my way. And I¡¯m going to your boss. So I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll mind me leaving.¡± They didn¡¯t budge from their ce. My lips pressed tight. ¡°Move.¡± ¡°Sorry, Miss. But we can¡¯t. We¡¯re just doing our job.¡± I cocked my head. ¡°What will you do if I leave? Stop me? How?¡± I took a step ahead. ¡°Manhandle me? Drag me back in the house? Because, of course, I¡¯ll fight tooth and nail with you. But you can¡¯t do that.¡± A smirk tugged on my lips. ¡°If you even touch a strand of my hair, Ace is going to skin you alive,¡± hissing, I red at them. The subtle look they exchanged and one of them gulping slowly nted seeds of hope in my heart that I was winning this fight. I just needed to hold my ground. ¡°Now you don¡¯t want me to run to him crying and say that how you guys manhandled me and hurt me to drag me back inside, do you? Do you know what will happen then?¡± The color of their faces drained and they stood still, not uttering a word. I smiled. ¡°Good. Now excuse me.¡± ¡°But¡­Ms. Hutton. Stop!¡± One of them called out but I didn¡¯t stop. Ignoring theming behind me, begging for me to stay, I stopped a taxi and got into it immediately before they could reach me. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. *** The moment I walked through the entrance of Diamond Valley, a voice made me turn around. ¡°Ms. Hutton!¡± Carter climbed up the stairs before reaching me. Hunching forward, he ced his hands on his knees, heavingboured breath. His sky blue shirt clung to his body soaked with sweat. With a red face, he looked up at me. Some files were tucked under his armpit. I frowned. ¡°What are you doing here? Shouldn¡¯t you be in the conference room to deliver Ace my message?¡± Then realization set in, my eyes widened. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve just arrived! Where the h**l were you till now?¡± S**t! I had made the taxi driver drive faster than a sane man would to reach my destination fast, bribing him with double cash. I thought Carter was already here interrupting the meeting. But he had just freaking reached here! ¡°I- I¡¯m so sorry, Ms. Hutton. I got stuck in the traffic. It was so severe that I had to leave my car and rush here,¡± he panted. Shaking my head, I turned around and ran inside. D**n it! I just hoped he didn¡¯t sign the contract yet. With my heart thumping down my chest, anxiety rolling into my stomach, I made my way towards the elevator. ¡°Ms. Hutton, wait!¡± he called out for me, still at the entrance, huffing and puffing. ¡°Which floor?¡± I yelled over my shoulder, attracting some nces. ¡°Thirty eight, room number 1504, but Ms. Hutton, wait! They won¡¯t let you inside the VVIP area without¡­¡± His words faded away as soon as the doors of the elevator closed, his rushing form towards me vanished from eye sight. While the others in the elevator patiently stood beside me, I kept fidgeting in my ce. My palms were mmy as I wiped them on my jeans. I just hope I¡¯m notte. Chanting this prayer in my mind, I tried his number again but it was still unreadable. I had left some voice messages for him in the hope that he¡¯d switch on his phone and hear my messages. But clearly, he didn¡¯t. Groaning, I threw impatient nces to the elevator panel. Why was it running so slow? My phone red in my hand, making my heart leap thinking it was him. But disappointment soon filled me as Casie¡¯s name shed across the screen. ¡°Casie, I can¡¯t talk to you right now. I¡¯m a little bus¡­¡± ¡°Em, did you see the news?¡± I cringed at her loud screech. ¡°Oh G*d! It¡¯s everywhere! I can¡¯t even recognize his face!¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± I rubbed my temple, getting restless. I needed to stop Ace. ¡°Look, Casie. I¡¯ll call youter. I¡¯m in the middle of a¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s about Antonio! Didn¡¯t you see it yet?¡± She again cut me off. But the name she took grabbed my attention. ¡°Wait, Antonio?¡± I frowned. ¡°What about him?¡± ¡°G*d, Em, which world are you living in? The inte is going crazy over this. Antonio¡¯s butt is in the open now. Everything his stupid a*s has done, his every illegal businesses is out now. It¡¯s all over the inte. That p***k is even involved with human trafficking, can you believe that?¡± I could imagine her shaking her head. ¡°He got out of the j**lst time, I don¡¯t know how, but this time no one can save him. Everyone knows his deeds. He¡¯s going to rot in j**l for the rest of his life!¡± I gasped. ¡°You mean, he¡¯s exposed before the world? But, how?¡± Last time he got out using his connection with some powerful politicians. But if the media has proof against him in their hands now, no one can save him. ¡°Of course, you and I both know who can be behind this.¡± Of course. Who else? But why didn¡¯t he tell me anything? ¡°Though I hate that man, I can¡¯t help but feel pity the way he¡¯s looking with him covered in blood. Disgusted actually,¡± shemented. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± She sighed. ¡°You don¡¯t know anything, do you? I¡¯m sending you a video. Watch it.¡± Momentster, my phone buzzed as she sent me a message, the same time the elevator¡¯s doors opened, letting me move out. As soon as I opened the video, my eyes widened at the sight. Antonio was lying on a stretcher as some people carried him inside a hospital. His face was battered with bruises and cuts, the same went with his hands. Blood soaked his shirt and the side of his head. He looked horrible. I read the headline. The famous business tycoon Antonio Reymond was found beaten brutally and unconscious in an abandoned alley. Police are looking into the matter. Though people are content at his state with his illegal activities now out before the world. I stood there shell shocked. Exposing him with proof was understandable. He deserved Ace¡¯s wrath. He had been trying to mess with the Valencians for so long. But torturing him like that? Was he responsible for this too? Even if he told me everything about his past, his secrets, I felt like I didn¡¯t know everything about Antonio. He was still hiding something. But I was content that one enemy of ours was down. He couldn¡¯t harm us anymore. And now it was Arthur¡¯s turn. It¡¯s enough, Arthur. Let¡¯s finish your game now. Clutching my phone in my hand tightly, I held my head high and went for room number 1504 Share Chapter 69 Chapter 69 Read The Trap Of Ace [by Eva Zahan] Chapter 69 ¨C Walking through the endless corridors, I walked watching out for the room numbers not to get lost. The hotel was huge. Not just a hotel, it was a pce built in the middle age, now turned into avish five star hotel. With the mixture of antique architect and modern decorations, it gave out a feel of royalty. From the masterpiece paintings on the walls, to the gorgeous chandeliers shimmering with golden glow. Not to forget the huge gold ted flower pots at the both sides of the corridors, aside the red carpet down the way. As soon as I neared my destination, I found the whole area totally separated from the others by a pair of ss doors. VVIP Area was written in bold red letters on the ss. Two bulky men in ck stood at the both sides of the door. Not again! I remembered Carter warning about some restrictions. Mentally groaning, I approached the VVIP conference area. The guards stood straight seeing me, their hands blocking the way in. ¡°Our apologies, Miss. But random people aren¡¯t allowed here,¡± one of them said in their thick Russian ent. Random? Whom are they calling random? My brows creased. ¡°I need to go inside. It¡¯s important. And I¡¯m not any random girl wanting ess. I¡¯m Emerald Hutton, Achilles Valencian¡¯s girlfriend and a board member.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know you. And no matter who you are, no one is allowed to go inside who is not on the list. And you¡¯re not in the list we were given.¡± What the h**l? Not allowed? Were they having a CIA meeting or something? They were definitely not Ace¡¯s men. Otherwise they¡¯d have immediately recognized me. ¡°Listen to me, I need to go in there, please. I need to talk to Achilles about something very urgent. Please, let me go,¡± I pleaded. That rude man shook his head. ¡°We¡¯re afraid, we can¡¯t, Miss. We have strict orders not to let anyone until the meeting is over.¡± I gritted my teeth in annoyance. ¡°And who gave you the orders?¡± ¡°Arthur Valencian.¡± Of course! I should¡¯ve known that! That f*****g leach didn¡¯t want anyone to interrupt the signing. That¡¯s why he put guards in here. I groaned. What do I do now? They won¡¯t let me in at any cost. I can¡¯t even call Ace. D**n it! Wait! Carter must¡¯ve the ess. I looked over my shoulder. There was no sign of him. Where the h**l was he? Distancing myself a few feet from the guards, I dialed Carter¡¯s number. He didn¡¯t pick it up. Why isn¡¯t he picking up his phone! As I dialed again, I saw him approaching me with hasty steps, still panting. ¡°Carter, where the h**l were you?¡± I snapped. ¡°They won¡¯t let me in, please talk to them. You¡¯ve an ess, right?¡± ¡°I do. But just to deliver these files,¡± he huffed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ms. Hutton. I had to wait for the elevator.¡± His words went ignored by my ears when my eyes found a shadow at the end of the corridor, around the corner. Someone stood there with their phone against their ear, their back facing me. I knew the person very well. Arthur. But what was he doing here out of the conference room? ¡°Then I came after you as soon as possible. But you were too fast,¡± he finished, wiping the perspiration on his forehead. ¡°Please tell them to let us in,¡± I said, not moving my eyes from that silver haired viin. Nodding, Carter went to the guards and told them something. I still stood there, watching Arthur. When he slightly angled his side to me, I saw his face. A smirk was tugged on his lips, with malice in his expression, he nodded at something the other person said through the phone. Without knowing, my feet walked closer, wanting to hear what he was talking to the other person. Though I managed a good amount of distance to be in his sight. But enough to hear his words. ¡°Everything is ready?¡± he asked, ncing down at his watch. Then he nodded, old eyes sparkling with malice. ¡°Meet me where I told you. I¡¯ming,¡± saying, he turned on his heels and walked away. But not towards the elevator, but to somewhere more deep into this floor. Who was he meeting here? Was there another of his partners who was involved in all his conspiracies along Antonio? I had to know. ¡°Ms. Hutton?¡± Carter called out, making me turn to him. ¡°I¡¯m going in, but unfortunately, they won¡¯t let you through, as yours name isn¡¯t on the list.¡± I took a swift nce to where Arthur just disappeared before speaking, ¡°No worries. You go in and give Ace my message. Tell him I¡¯ll meet him in a few. You go and stop him, I¡¯ll just be back.¡± A confusion etched into his features. But before he could ask anything, I turned around and followed Arthur¡¯s trail, ignoring the way the guards shared a discreet look with each other and getting stiff all of a sudden. But I had a much more important task to do than thinking anything about it. Ace wouldn¡¯t sign if he gets my message and wait for me. I trusted that. But now I had to see if someone else was with Arthur in his n to destroy us. Because if we kick him out of ourpany and life after I expose him before Ace, it wouldn¡¯t be that beneficial to us if he leaves a minion of his behind to continue to betray us. Today was a very important day for him. He was close to finishing his n. And at this time if he wasn¡¯t in the conference room and going to meet someone, then it must be something important. Turning to the left, I came face to face with a long wide hallway. A man was talking to a woman, but no sign of Arthur. Continuing down the hallway, I took another turn. And I knew he came this way because there was no other way. But where is he¡­ Still talking on the phone, his silver head disappeared around the corner. And I followed. Thanks to my sneakers, it didn¡¯t announce my presence with loud clicks like heels would have done. I stopped in my track once he halted before a staircase that led upstairs. But at the feet of it, ¡®No Entry, Under maintenance¡¯ was written in bold words on a white board, a caution tape stretched across the way in. And to my surprise, he ducked in and climbed up the stairs, vanishing upstairs. Why the h**l would he meet someone in a forbidden ce? Of course! So that no one can see him. Should I follow him there? My legs hesitated. If upstairs was under maintenance, and then no one would be there right now. The workers wouldn¡¯t be there at this rush time. But¡­I needed to know. I wouldn¡¯t let him do any more chaos behind the c******s. With a determination surging through me, I put my phone in silent and went forward. Once Ace gets my message, he¡¯d call me. And I don¡¯t want to get caught while spying on Arthur. Especially when no one would be there for my safety. I knew this step could cost me a lot, but I would do it for my Ace. I want this backstabber out of our lives. Once I reached the upper floor silently, I kept a good distance from him. His distance murmurs could be heard, along the noise of his heavy footsteps. My eyes nced around. Compared to the rest of the hotel, this ce was covered with dust. And¡­ extremely eerie. Not to forget the flickering of lights every once in a while. I froze as he suddenly stopped in his tracks, shoulders rigid. My breath caught at my throat as he put the phone down slowly. S**t! I was in the middle of the corridor. Where should I hide now? Just as he started to turn around, I jumped and curled into a ball behind one of the huge flower pots. My back mmed against the wall due to my harsh movement. pping a hand over my mouth, I covered my whimper. Silence. I could hear my heart pounding against my ribcage as I waited for a sound. Sound of his footsteps. But for some moments, there were none. Then I heard him taking some steps closer. No! No! No! Closing my eyes, I shrunk more against the cold wall as he approached. S**t! I can¡¯t get caught! As I prayed in my mind relentlessly, suddenly the re of his phone echoed throughout the empty hallway. His footsteps stopped. ¡°Hello?¡± Came his slimy voice. Silence. And then I heard him again. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m almost there. Did you bring the dogs with you?¡± Dogs? Here? ¡°Alright, see you in a minute,¡± saying, his footsteps retreated and slowly faded away. I let out a sigh of relief. Coming out from behind the flower pot, I stood up. It was close. Thank G*d for that phone call. I¡¯ve to be more careful now. But what dogs was he talking about? Without wasting anymore seconds, I tiptoed down the single corridor that led to another wide one, a darker one. Gulping, I tried to ignore that fear that knotted inside my stomach. I felt the pepper spray in my back pocket that I always carried and gripped my phone tighter in my hand. Just in case. My heart thumped down my chest as I slowly peeked around. No sign of him. The corridor seemed endless, with endless rooms at both sides. Where did he go so soon? Sweat trickled down my spine as I took slow steps ahead. Carter should¡¯ve told Ace by now. Then why isn¡¯t he calling me yet? I just hope he didn¡¯t sign the contract. I looked at the phone to see if there were any missed calls or messages. But there was none. Keeping an eye around, I called Ace. It went unreachable, again. With a silent groan, I called Carter. But it was switched off. What the h**l? What¡¯s wrong with his phone now? Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. He knew I¡¯d call him. I tried again but no avail. It went directly to voice message. Something churned inside my stomach. An ominous feeling rolled inside me. Why are both of their phones off? Ace should¡¯ve switched on his phone by now. And Carter? He never keeps his phone off, nor does he let his bettery d*e down. He handled half of Ace¡¯s job, without his phone, his work would be basically p*******d. Is everything okay? And then I heard them. Two, no, more than two male voices. Following the sound, I came to a halt before a room with its door slightly ajar. Though the hallway¡¯s light was dimmed, the room was bright enough for me to see every faces clearly. Share Chapter 70 Chapter 70 Read The Trap Of Ace [by Eva Zahan] Chapter 70 ¨C Six men stood there in the middle of the room. Before Arthur, stood a man in his early fifties with short height, a thin mustache on his upper lip and a shining bald. Four more much younger men surrounded him with the same ck clothes the guards wore before the VVIP entrance. The way they stood behind and around that bald man, indicated theirs being his men. And obviously working with Arthur. ¡°Pozdravlyayu, Mr. Valencian,¡± said the man with his thick Russian ent. His mustache twitched as a smirk tugged onto his dark lips. Arthur shook his hand with his. ¡°Congrattions to us, Ivanov. After all, it¡¯s the result of both of ours hard work.¡± I frowned. Ivanov? Why did this name sound familiar¡­ My lips parted in shock. Ivanov, one of the partners of the Russianpany Ace was going to sign the deal with. He was with Arthur? Oh G*d! And what are they congratting each other about? That Russian shook his head. ¡°Nah, I just helped you for the sake of my friendship with Antonio and the promise you gave me. All the nning was yours. And finally, that nephew of yours signed the contract. I was starting to doubt your n, but seems like your nephew trusts his uncle blindly.¡± A silent gasp slipped my lips. With my hand over my mouth, I stood there shocked. Ace signed the contract? But, how? I sent Carter to stop him. Didn¡¯t get my message? Oh no! S**t! This shouldn¡¯t have happened! Why did Ace sign it? He should¡¯ve waited for me. Or was I alreadyte? Maybe he signed even before I arrived here? A feeling of failure and disappointment ran through me. I was right. It was a part of Arthur¡¯s master n. But the sad part was, I couldn¡¯t stop it from happening even if I knew it. I wish I would¡¯ve told Ace earlier¡­ And the fact that Ivanov was connected to Antonio didn¡¯t surprise me at all. Even when Antonio went down, he left his friend behind to help Arthur with his n to destroy us. But what promise Arthur made to Ivanov that he agreed with his n? Whatever it was, it wasn¡¯t still toote. If I tell Ace everything about them and the deal, he would find a way to deal with it. Arthur let out a joyous chuckle. ¡°Honestly, even I had a little bit of doubt that he¡¯d agree to sign such a risky contract. One mistake and it can cost hispany half a billion. Even though half a billion isn¡¯t a big thing for him, but for my n, I needed him to sign it. And he wouldn¡¯t go for it if he was the Achilles a few months ago. To escape his haunted past and the absence of the love of his life he threw himself deep into work. He concentrated on his business. But now that his Rosebud is in his life again, he turned into a total fool from a shrewd businessman.¡± He snorted. ¡°All he can think about is f*****g that annoying b***h to give attention to his business.¡± My fists clenched at his use of words. Rage boiled through my veins. He was calling Ace a fool just because he trusted him? This b*****d! ¡°But I think it came handy to our n. With just a request of mine he epted your offer to work with you and make me the head of the contract.¡± ¡°Ah, that beautiful youngdy-¡± the Russian twirled the end of his mustache upwards ¡°-I can not me your nephew to be so smitten by her. I¡¯ve seen her pictures on newspapers posing beside him. A beauty I must say.¡± While I wanted to throw up, he cocked his head, giving Arthur a look of wonder. ¡°Weren¡¯t she bing a hindrance in your way? How did you take that wild s**y cat off your back?¡± Arthur¡¯s mouth twisted with disgust. Walking to the small bar across the room, he popped open a bottle and poured some drink in a ss. ¡°She was. That b***h was all set to expose me before Achilles, even sent her ex-boyfriend¡¯s spy cousin after me to collect evidence against me.¡± Taking a sip on his drink, he turned back to the Russians. A smirk tugged on his lips. ¡°I threatened her about destroying her precious Ace using his past if she tries to open her mouth. And like I said, fools in love, she believed my fake threats and backed out. She got to know about my illegal businesses, even suspiciously went to meet Sierra after she saw me with her, unfortunately. Then she went to meet Liza in the j**l. Even though I knew those girls wouldn¡¯t open their mouths, I was pretty sure that b***h got to know more than she needed to. And I couldn¡¯t let that happen.¡± As much as I wanted to p that smirk off his face, he was right. I was a fool to believe him. I thought he really had evidence against Ace. I couldn¡¯t take any chances. But the truth was, he didn¡¯t have a s**t with him against Ace. If he did, he would¡¯ve given it to Antonio way before Ace grabbed Reymond¡¯s neck. ¡°So that¡¯s why you sped up your ns and took action?¡± asked Ivanov, raising an amused brow at him. His men stood behind him silently, with their arms crossed over their chest. Arthur nodded, passing a ss to Ivanov. And he took it dly. ¡°Yes. Even if I kept her mouth shut with my fake threat, which I wish was real because I¡¯ve been trying to get an evidence of Achilles¡¯ identally k*****g my moron brother but got nothing in my hand, I knew she wouldn¡¯t keep quiet for long,¡± he said, thinning his lips in displeasure. ¡°I knew sooner orter, my threats wouldn¡¯t affect her and she¡¯d spit out everything to Achilles. So I sped up my n. And brought you into the picture. Because Antonio was in no shape to help me in any way.¡± Ivanov chuckled. ¡°Achilles Valencian isn¡¯t that foolish. He wouldn¡¯t leave any evidence behind which can harm his reputation in the future. Obviously, you didn¡¯t find anything just like Antonio except knowing just what happened to your beloved brother.¡± ¡°Antonio was another fool. I thought he could help me ruining Achilles, but he couldn¡¯t do a s**t except framing Caleb into that d**g case. Even then Achilles got him out of that mess with just a flicker of his finger. And see where he is now. Suffering on a f*****g hospital bed and then will rot in the j**l.¡± ¡°Yeah, that poor friend of mine. He took Achilles too lightly, thinking of himself untouchable.¡± Ivanov shook his head. ¡°Anyways, now that Achilles signed the contract, what¡¯s next?¡± Arthur shrugged nonchntly before casting Ivanov a sinister look. ¡°He dies.¡± I froze. My blood ran cold in my veins as my heart stopped beating in my chest for a moment. As the words slowly set in my mind, parting my lips I let out a shaky breath, stumbling a step back from the door. T-they are nning to k-k**l Ace? No! No, no. I won¡¯t let that happen. I won¡¯t let him do any harm to my Ace. Over my d**d body! Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. My hands shook at my sides with fear and uncontroble rage, fear of losing my love and rage to destroy my enemy. My heart pounded down my chest, eyes burnt with tears, but my feet were glued to the ground even if my mind was screaming to go in and k**l him or run away and tell Ace everything. ¡°That I know. But how? You didn¡¯t tell me how you were gonna pull it off.¡± Ivanov quirked a brow. That b*****d gulped the remaining drink in his ss in one go and ced it on the bar. ¡°Simple. He gets into his car for his new home that¡¯s a little far from the city and an ident happens in the middle of the road.¡± The more I heard the more I felt my breathing to get heavy. I felt suffocated. Clutching the phone in a d***h grip in my fist, I listened. ¡°Ah, an ident would be a nice cover for your heartless strategy,¡± Ivanov mused. ¡°But I don¡¯t understand one thing, even after Achilles dies, howe you get thepany? I mean, after him, as your brother¡¯s adoptive son, your other nephew, Caleb gets everything. Even before that, Achilles made his girlfriend an equal owner of everything he owned. So obviously, Emerald Hutton would be the sole owner of everything after Achilles¡¯ d***h.¡± Arthur smirked, fixing the cor of his shirt. ¡°Caleb wouldn¡¯t be a problem. He¡¯s just a puppet under Achilles¡¯ hand. He doesn¡¯t know s**t about how to run apany sessfully. So of course, after Achilles¡¯ unfortunate sudden d****e, thepany woulde to a disaster. The board members would want another Valencian to take his ce. So once I prove everyone Caleb¡¯s worthlessness, the throne would automatically be mine.¡± Getting out his phone from his pocket, he typed something before putting it back. ¡°The thing that will work in my favor is the contract. And right now, it¡¯s the biggest project they¡¯re going to handle. So to avoid any chances of loss after the chairman¡¯s d***h, as I¡¯m the head of the project and know everything from A-Z about thepany, the board members are going to want me to take responsibility. Which I dly will. And about Emerald Hutton,¡± saying, he cocked his head. ¡°They¡¯re like love birds. If one dies, the other follows. Achilles is the Alpha here, once he¡¯s gone, it won¡¯t be much of a hassle to get rid of his b***h.¡± So this was running in his head all the time? And again, I was right. He wanted thepany, everything Ace owned. That leach! But he was right about one thing. Without my Ace, I wouldn¡¯t be able to live. Without him, I¡¯d d*e even before he would try to do the work himself to get rid of me. My heart clenched painfully in my chest at the thought of the love of my life¡¯s not being in the same world I was breathing. But I wouldn¡¯t let that happen. I¡¯ll fail his conspiracy. ¡°That¡¯s why before getting rid of him, I needed this contract in my hand. Besides, you¡¯ll also support me taking Achilles¡¯ ce before the world. As you¡¯re an important client to the Valencian Corp, everyone would respect your wish,¡± he added. ¡°And when would I get my share of the pie?¡± Ivanov raised his brow. ¡°Right after I take everything as mine, which is my actual birth right.¡± The backstabber¡¯s face turned cold, hatredced into his voice. ¡°The right my brother took away from me just because he thought I wasn¡¯t good enough to be able to run thepany beside him, just because he thought I¡¯d turnish the Valencians name due to my reckless illegal businesses.¡± Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath and looked at Ivanov again. ¡°But I¡¯ll get my right back now. And as promised, you¡¯ll get 45% of the shares of thepany.¡± So that¡¯s what he promised to this Russian? Ivanov shed a slimy smile. ¡°Now that¡¯s what I wanted to hear. Now I can¡¯t wait for your final n to take action and watch the news of the famous business tycoon¡¯s sudden d***h all over the news channels.¡± I gritted my teeth. This dream of yours will nevere true you b*****d! I¡¯ve to tell Ace. I¡¯ve to stop him before he leaves the building and sits in his car. Wiping the tear that rolled down my cheek, I turned around and ran. But as if the whole universe was against me, my feet came in contact with a small flower base that was lying on the floor in the darkness, making an unfortunate noise across the empty hallway. Their conversation stopped immediately. My heart stopped in my chest. S**t! Share Chapter 71 Chapter 71 Read The Trap Of Ace [by Eva Zahan] Chapter 71 ¨C An eerie silence fell over the ambience for a moment while I stood there frozen. Only the sound of my own heavy breath reached my ears. Then I heard heavy footsteps of boots approaching from the other side of the room they were in. Oh no! They¡¯reing! I need to hide! I wouldn¡¯t be able to run from them. They¡¯d catch me if I ran. Looking around frantically, I searched for a ce to hide. I couldn¡¯t use the flower pot this time. They¡¯ll find me. Rushing to the one of the doors lined up beside theirs, I tried to open it without making a noise, but to my utter bad luck, it was locked. I tried another, but no avail. They were locked. No, no, no! I can¡¯t get caught! I can¡¯t! I need to inform Ace about his n. My heart pounded under my rib cage as I went to the opposite side of the hallway and pushed at a door. And this time, it opened. Almost letting out a sob of relief, I rushed in and quickly closed the door behind me, as silently as I could. And right that moment, I heard that mming of a door, their boots hitting against the floor harshly. They didn¡¯t make any sound with their mouth, but I could tell they were surveying the area. Then I heard a voice, a cold thick Russian ent. ¡°Search around.¡± I gulped. Sweat rolled down my spine. With trembling knees and hands, I stood against the door with my back pressed against it. Once several footsteps split up and jiggling of door k***s, mming the doors open and close, the noise of them moving things reached my ear. Not trying to freak out my best, I tried Ace¡¯ phone again. But he still didn¡¯t switch it on! D**n it! Why isn¡¯t he switching his phone on? ¡°There¡¯s no one on this side,¡± I heard one of them saying. They must be the guards. Because neither Arthur or Ivanov¡¯s voice could be heard. ¡°Try this side. He or she must be still lurking around. They couldn¡¯t have escaped in just a matter of seconds,¡± the earlier cold voice stated. ¡°Search every room. If it¡¯s locked from inside, then break the door.¡± My heart dropped. I locked the door from inside. If I leave it open, they¡¯d find me either way. My knees wobbled making me leaning into the door as I heard them opening and closing the doors. The ones are locked from outside, maybe they were left alone. Because I didn¡¯t hear them breaking down any. But they would soon. With shaky hands, I typed a message to Ace even after knowing that he wouldn¡¯t see it anytime soon. ¡®Ace, please switch on your phone. Please, I need you!¡± With tears rolling down my eyes, my throat clogging up, I tried my best not to let out a sob out of fear and anxiety. I pped my hand over my mouth to stop me from screaming as I heard footsteps outside my door. ¡°Did you check this one?¡± the same cold voice asked. ¡°No. These three rooms are left,¡± answered another voice. And then there was nothing. The other men continued to search around. But no one was pushing at my door. But I knew he was there. My heart pounded down my chest so hard that I feared they would hear it. His footsteps came closer, right outside the door. My eyes closed automatically, letting the tears roll down my cheeks to my throat. Biting on my hand, I covered my cries. Prying continuously in my mind not to let them find me, I hugged my body, falling on the floor, curling into a ball. I needed to go out. I needed to go to my Ace. I needed to save him. More tears fell as helplessness filled my chest. I didn¡¯t know if I¡¯d be alive to be able to tell him everything. Thennded two heavy fists on the door, making me jolt. With eyes wide in fear, tears blurring my vision, I watched the door in h****r. No, no, no! G*d, please! Then came another. Just as I closed my eyes, shrinking away from the door expecting him to jiggle the k**b and once finding out that it was locked from inside, he would break it, Arthur¡¯s voice cut in. ¡°Easy there, boys. There¡¯s no one. Don¡¯t worry, maybe some curious cat passed by.¡± Came his nonchnt voice. ¡°Let¡¯s go now. We¡¯re gettingte. You guys need to reach the spot before Achilles does. Come on!¡± With that, two pairs of footsteps walked away, followed by the others. And after a moment, I heard that man also moving away and then leaving. Slumping against the door, I let out a relieved sigh. Thank G*d! But then I jumped on my feet and rushed out of the door. I need to stop Ace before he leaves. I¡¯ve to hurry up! I waited outside five minutes with all my inner strength. I knew I had to run to Ace right then but I had to wait for Arthur and his people to leave this floor. In the meantime when I called Carter again, it sent my call to voicemail. Where the h**l is he? I didn¡¯t even have the number of Ace¡¯ guards. I wish I had saved one of theirs. There was no one I could call right now who could help me stop Ace. Waiting enough for them to leave this floor, I rushed down the hallway, remembering my way back to the staircase. The corridors were so long that I took almost a lifetime to pass one. Without stopping my legs, I called Caleb. Maybe he could help me in any way. After some rings, just as he picked up the phone, my phone was snatched from my hand. Halting abruptly, I looked over my shoulder. My breath caught at my throat, a gasp slipped my lips. Standing before me was two of the guards who were with Arthur and Ivanov. ¡°Going somewhere, Ms. Hutton? You seemed to be in a rush,¡± said the same cold voice. I recognized his voice. With an ungly scar running down from his brows to his cheeks, he towered over me with his huge body. Dark eyes stared without any emotion. With fast and heavy breathing out of my lips, I took a step back and turned around to run. But another two were already standing there blocking my way. My eyes widened as my hands curled into fists. No, no, no! This isn¡¯t happening! What should I do now? When I tried to pass them, they pushed me back. ¡°Let me go!¡± I hissed. They didn¡¯t leave then, they knew I was here. They were waiting for me toe out. They set a trap for me and I got stuck in that. One of the guards before me smirked. ¡°We¡¯ll. But to the heavens, not anywhere else.¡± A chill ran down my spine. With my throat suddenly getting very perched, I gulped. ¡°L-listen to me. I¡¯ve nothing to do with you. I need to go right now, so let me go,¡± I stuttered out. ¡°Right, we¡¯ve nothing to do with you,¡± said the man with scar on his face, making me turn to him. ¡°But our boss does. If you¡¯re eager to leave, you shouldn¡¯t havee here in the first ce. There¡¯s a saying in English, ¡®Curiosity k****d the cat¡¯. It became true for you.¡± Maybe a curious cat passed by. I remembered his words. Fear rushed through me. He knew. He knew I was here. But then why didn¡¯t he do anything about it? I let out a shaky breath. ¡°P-please let me go. You won¡¯t gain anything by k*****g me. My Ace will k**l you. Y-you don¡¯t know him,¡± licking my lips, I said. ¡°But if you let me go, i¡¯ll give you more money than Arthur offered you. Please, just leave me.¡± As if my words didn¡¯t even reach his ears, he got out his phone from his pocket. ¡°Before you d*e, the boss wants to give you his greetings.¡± I stared at the phone in his hand. Gulping again, I shook my head, turned around and pushed the guards away. But as soon as I started to run, I was pulled back harshly by my hair. I whimpered at the pain that shot through my scalp. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. ¡°F*****g s**a! Don¡¯t test my patience! I¡¯ll make your d***h more painful than I want. So just do as I say!¡± Shoving the phone to my ear, he hissed, ¡°Talk!¡± Tears streaming down my eyes, hands trembling, I held the phone against my ear. ¡°H-hello.¡± ¡°Ah, Emerald, my dear.¡± Came his mocking voice. Even hearing his voice, rage and hatred boiled through my veins. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to stay away from my way? But you clearly didn¡¯t take my warning to your head. Now see what you¡¯ve done. You followed me there and got trapped. I thought I would get rid of you slowly after I was done with your boyfriend, but see, I had to change my ns again for your stubbornness. Now I¡¯ve to k**l you first.¡± ¡°You knew I was following you,¡± I stated, hatredced my voice. I heard his malicious chuckle. ¡°Of course, I knew. You think I didn¡¯t notice you? My vision didn¡¯t get that old yet, now did it? I saw you behind me but I still let youe and listen to our conversation.¡± ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you catch me earlier?¡± I spit out. The grip on my hair tightened making me gasp in pain. ¡°Suffer. I wanted you to feel the fear of me and suffer a little before you died, Emerald dear,¡± he replied, no hint of emotion was in his tone. ¡°And I thought to do you a favor and let you know everything before you leave all of us forever. At least I could do that for my beloved nephew¡¯s Rosebud. I knew you couldn¡¯t escape because I already told my men to wait for you at the exit of that floor. You did notice me doing something on my phone, didn¡¯t you?¡± I remembered. He was messaging someone while talking to Ivanov. He was giving instructions to his men. ¡°You¡¯re not getting anything out of it, Arthur! You won¡¯t be able to harm Ace. I won¡¯t let you even touch a single strand of his hair!¡± I screamed through the phone, trying to fight off that man. ¡°Goodbye, Emerald. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m sending your Ace to you to heaven soon. You can live there together forever because unfortunately, you won¡¯t be able to do that in this world.¡± ¡°You b*****d! I will k**l you!¡± I thrashed into his hold but in return he only smacked me across my face sending me right to the ground. A cry left my lips as the world spun around me, blood rushing to my head. ¡°Yes, boss,¡± he said pressing the phone to his ear and then nodded, ncing down at me with cold merciless eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll not leave any evidence behind.¡± With wide eyes, I stared at him in shock. Feart rattled inside me as he cut the phone call and got a gun out of his back pocket, holding it directly at me. ¡°No,¡± I whispered, backing away from the gun. My stomach churned as I nced at the cold deadly nozzle. My heart pounded down my chest. ¡°Goodbye, Ms. Hutton. See you in the h**l,¡± saying, he curled his finger around the trigger and pulled at it. A deafening sound boomed across the hallway. Letting out a scream, I fell on the ground, my arms before my face. A pain shoot through my back, the spinning in my head only increased. But it wasn¡¯t as severe as I thought a bullet¡¯s hit would be. I didn¡¯t feel any piercing pain on any parts of my body. And then a thump before me, made me open my eyes. The man with the scar was lying on his chest on the floor, right before my feet, in the pool of his own blood. Before I could understand anything, gun fires started across the hallway, a chaos rose around as the other guards kept firing at the direction my back faced while trying to save themselves from the iing bullets. I screamed at the ear-piercing sounds, closing my ears. Tears rushed down my eyes, heart thumped down my chest. I shook as I curled into a ball on the floor trying to stay away from the bullets. The air filled with smoke and the smell of gunpowder, making me cough. After some hisses and yells, crying out with agony, the firing finally stopped. Lifting my head, I surveyed the area. Three of the guards were d**d, red blood soaked the carpet, turning it into dark crimson. One of their lifeless cold orbs stared at me. I watched the sight before me in h****r. I couldn¡¯t move. For a moment, I couldn¡¯t even hear anything. Though I could feel the fast racing of my heart beat. Then footsteps reached me. A pair of polished shoes came into my vision. ¡°Jesus, Emerald! Are you alright?¡± A familiar deep voice,ced with Italian ent made me look up. Duncan De Sylvano. I met with a pair of familiar striking blue eyes. They watched me in concern and alert. ¡°Emerald? You okay there? Are you hurt?¡± he asked. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ve got you. You¡¯re safe now.¡± I- I was almost d**d. When I didn¡¯t say anything, he shook my shoulder. ¡°Emerald? You hear me? You alright?¡± My eyes snapped up to him, finally realizing my surroundings. Five men stood behind him. The guards Ace left for me outside of our home. They just save me¡­ Ace? Panic washed over me as I remembered what Arthur¡¯s n was. He can¡¯t leave the building! With my breath caught at my throat, I grabbed my phone that lied before me and jumped on my feet, swaying a little afterwards. Duncan tried to hold me but I was in too much rush to wait. The only thing in my head was reaching Ace. Tears blurred my vision as I ran. ¡°Emerald, wait! Where are you going?¡± Without answering him, I rushed to the floor the conference room was in. The guards weren¡¯t there anymore. Even the lights were off. I shook my head. No, G*d, please. Please don¡¯t let him leave yet. Knowing there was no one, I hurried down to the ground floor of the hotel. People threw nces at my disarranged state. But I didn¡¯t care. I needed to find him. My Ace. But where was he? G*d, please let him be safe! Please, just let him be alright. Wiping my cheeks, I dialed his phone again. But again, it went directly to the voicemail. D**n it! What do I do now? I pulled at my hair not knowing what to do. My knees were still wobbly and my heart still raced from my almost facing d***h. ¡°Ms. Hutton?¡± I turned around. Carter rushed to me, limping, with an equal disheveled state as me. ¡°Carter! Where the h**l were you?! I called you so many times! Where is your phone?¡± I snapped, walking closer to him. ¡°I told you to stop Ace then why the h**l didn¡¯t you tell him anything? He f*****g signed the contract!¡± I didn¡¯t know what I was saying, I only felt desperation and fear. The only thing that ran in my mind was keeping him safe. ¡°Ms. Hutton, I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t know why but after you left those guards grabbed me, took my phone and locked me in a room,¡± he said, eyes wide in shock. ¡°I tried to fight them but they were too strong. Until a hotel staff heard me and let me out, I was toote. The meeting was already over and everyone left.¡± As if nothing he said reached me as all I could hear was thest two words he said. My stomach dropped, blood drained from my face. Everyone left? ¡°W-where is Ace?¡± I asked. ¡°He didn¡¯t leave, did he? He¡­¡± ¡°He also left, Ms. Hurtton. The manager told me the boss and Mr. Bkin left in his car.¡± I stumbled back. My blood ran cold as I gasped. Tears blurred my vision as I shook my head. I felt everything crashing down on me. I couldn¡¯t breathe. No, no! I won¡¯t let anything happen to him. I will keep him safe. I won¡¯t let him d*e. ¡°Ms. Hutton¡­¡± ¡°Give me your car keys!¡± ¡°Keys? But why¡­¡± ¡°I said give it to me!¡± Once he hurriedly took out his keys and handed them over to me, I turned around and rushed towards the exit. ¡°Ms. Hutton, wait!¡± ¡°Emerald!¡± I heard Duncan¡¯s voice called out. But I didn¡¯t stop. I needed to go. I didn¡¯t know what I was going to do. My mind wasn¡¯t working. The only thing I knew was I needed to reach him. ¡°Send me Mr. Bkin¡¯s number!¡± Yelling it over my shoulder, I ran to Carter¡¯s car and drove away, as fast as I could. Ace¡¯ phone was switched off, but if Mr. Bkin was with him then he definitely had his phone with him. Hopefully on. I didn¡¯t know if Mr. Bkin was working with Arthur too. But if he did, what was he doing with Ace in his car? I pressed the honk when a car didn¡¯t move from my way. I needed to drive fast. I didn¡¯t know when Ace left the hotel. I had no freaking idea how far they¡¯ve gone. I didn¡¯t even know if he was going directly to home. A frustrated sob left my mouth as I hit the steering. I couldn¡¯t prevent the signing and now I couldn¡¯t stop him from leaving the hotel. I never felt so helpless and weak before. My heart was clenching in my chest in fear. Fear of losing him. What if Arthur seeds in his n? What if I really lose¡­ With my eyes prickling with tears, I drove the car as fast as possible. No! I won¡¯t let that happen. I went down the road that led to our home. Arthur nned to make Ace¡¯ car meet an ident while he would be going for our home. And Ace did promise that he¡¯d go home as soon as the meeting finished. And he never broke his promises. I had a feeling he was heading this way. My phone red in the car. My heart skipped thinking it might be him. But then I saw an unknown number shing over the screen. Maybe it was Carter? I picked it up. ¡°Carter? Why didn¡¯t you send me the number yet¡­¡± ¡°Emerald, it¡¯s me, Duncan. Wherever you¡¯re going, stop. I¡¯ming to get you. You¡­¡± I cut him off. ¡°Where is Carter? I told him to send me Mr. Bkin¡¯s number! I need to talk to Ace, doesn¡¯t he understand?¡± A curse left my lips as a car suddenly came into my way. Moving the phone away from my ear, I turned right, barely avoiding a hit. But it didn¡¯t make me concerned as all I could think about was Ace. When I put the phone in my ear back, I heard him asking if I was alright through the phone. ¡°I¡¯m fine, please tell Carter to send me the number. I need to call Ace, Duncan. He¡¯s in danger! Arthur is nning to k**l him. Please help me. Give me Mr. Bkin¡¯s phone number!¡± Passing another car, I put on more speed. The knot of fear and anxiety only became worse in my chest. Where are you, Ace? Just stay safe. ¡°Emerald, listen to me. Stop wherever you¡¯re going. Ace is going to be alright¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t understand!¡± I snapped, getting frustrated. ¡°He¡¯s in danger¡­¡± My phone buzzed, signaling a message. Putting the phone down, I checked the message. Maybe Carter sent me the number. Desperately, as I opened the message, a small text awaited me from an unknown number. You got lucky. But he didn¡¯t. I stopped the car in the middle of the street. Something churned into my stomach. An ill feeling rose up my throat. My mobile vibrated again. This time with a video message. With trembling fingers, I yed the video. This was a video shot from a distance. Across the open field, a car was passing through the empty road. Ragged breath came out of me. My palms turned mmy as perspiration rolled down my forehead. My heart pounded in my chest. I knew the car very well. Then suddenly a huge truck sped through the field out of nowhere and went directly to the ck car, hitting it from the side. With the severity of the hit, the car flipped and rolled over the road, the middle part of it got crushed with the blow. A fire immediately set on the backside, letting ck smoke surround the car. My heart stopped beating. Breath caught at my throat. The mobile slipped through my hands as I went numb. A feeling of nothingness swept over me. My world started to spin, vision got blurred while a deafening silence rang into my ears as darkness slowly consumed me. Share Chapter 72 Chapter 72 Read The Trap Of Ace [by Eva Zahan] Chapter 72 ¨C Across the open field, a ck car that I knew really well passed through the empty road. No other sign of vehicle or human was there. Then a truck sped through the field, going directly to the car. I tensed. The rate of my heart beat peaked up. I had to stop it. But when I tried to open my mouth to say something, yell his name, my body didn¡¯t move. A panic set in when I attempted to open my eyes but they didn¡¯t move either. No! I watched as the truck neared the car with full speed. It was going to hit it! A desperation to stop it rolled inside, making me restless. I wanted to move but as if my body got p*******d, I couldn¡¯t move even how much I wanted to. I wanted to scream, thrash to be set from whatever that held me back. I wanted to stop that truck. But all I could do was watch as the truck went ahead and hit the car with a force that it flew across the road, flipping over, a fire immediately set on it. ¡°Ace!¡± I shot my eyes open, my vision blurred with tears. ¡°No! No, no! Ace! Please nooo!!¡± Jolting up, I tried to get up, but a pair of arms held me back as I thrashed into their hold. I didn¡¯t know where I was, I didn¡¯t see, I didn¡¯t hear. All I could think and see was the ident. The horrible car ident, the same car my Ace was in. ¡°My Ace needs me! He needs me! Let me go!¡± I screamed, continuing fighting. ¡°Rosebud, Rosebud, calm down! I¡¯m here. I¡¯m here with you baby, just calm down!¡± A voice reached my ears but I couldn¡¯t really concentrate on it. ¡°Let me go! My Ace needs me! Please¡­¡± ¡°Rosebud, look at me!¡± Cupping my face, he made me look at him. ¡°No¡­¡± My voice caught at my throat as his stormy grey eyes met mine. They held concern and the same affection they always bore for me there. Then I realized where I was. I was in the arms of my Ace. ¡°Ace¡­¡± a whisper left my lips, eyes not moving from his beautiful face. He nodded, kissing my forehead. ¡°Yes, baby. Your Ace, I¡¯m here with you. I¡¯m fine, and so you¡¯re. Everything is alright now, sweetheart. Calm down. Everything is fine.¡± ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re here. You¡¯re here with me. You¡¯re alright.¡± Touching his face, shoulder and chest to console my heart that he was really there, I let out a sob and wrapped my arms around him. Taking me in the cocoon of his arms, he held me close, nuzzling his face in my neck. ¡°I- I thought I lost you! I¡­ I was so scared. I thought you left me. I- I saw the video, I¡­¡± Sentences came out upleted from my mouth in between my sob. I couldn¡¯t talk without stuttering. But the tightness of my chest was slowly dissipating as I had him in my arms. He was safe. Alive. I didn¡¯t lose him. Clutching him closer to me, I hid my head in his chest. His intoxicating scent filled my nostrils, soothing my chaotic mind. I took some more greedy inhales. ¡°I¡¯d never leave you, baby. Never ever. I¡¯m here with you. I didn¡¯t go anywhere. You know I can¡¯t leave my Rosebud alone.¡± Tightening his arms around me, he rubbed his hand over my back gently. His deep voice murmuring at the crook of my neck was like an ice to my burning soul. With my lips trembling, some more tears fell. I pressed my lips against his chest. ¡°Promise me you¡¯ll never leave me again like that.¡± ¡°I promise. I¡¯ll never leave you alone again, Rosebud. I¡¯ll never. I swear to you that.¡± Determination cut deep into his tone. The way his grip only tightened and his shoulders got stiff, I could tell everything that happened equally bothered him as much as it did to me. But I was too tired to think about anything else. Latching onto his words, I closed my eyes and slumped against him, taking a deep breath. It felt like I finally could breath after such a long time. He was here with me¡­ I didn¡¯t even want to think of what happened earlier the day. I was exhausted: mentally, physically and emotionally. Now that finally my Ace was in my arms, I wanted to sleep. ¡°Don¡¯t leave me¡­¡± I murmured as my eyelids became heavy. ¡°I won¡¯t. Sleep, baby. I¡¯ll be right here when you wake up,¡± I heard his voice murmuring before exhaustion completely engulfed me. *** He kept his promise. When I opened my eyes next time, I found myself wrapped around his strong arms while he kept me against his chest. I was on the top of his body while he lied underneath me,pletely unbothered by my weight. When did we get in this position? His gentle strokes through my hair and possessive grip over my waist had me sigh in content. Sensing me awake, he looked down at me. ¡°Rosebud?¡± The husky and rough texture of his voice sounded pleasing to my ears. I thought I¡¯d never be able to hear his voice again¡­ My heart clenched painfully. Tears burned my eyes at the thought as memories of those ominous incidents flooded back to my mind. ¡°Rosebud? What happened, baby?¡± A crease set between his brows as he moved me slightly and sat up, cing me on hisp. ¡°Did you have a nightmare again?¡± I shook my head, sniffling. ¡°I just¡­¡± ¡°Listen to me, Rosebud,¡± cupping my cheeks, he locked our gazes, ¡°I¡¯m here with you, ain¡¯t I? Nothing happened to me, baby. I¡¯m absolutely fine and alive, without a scratch.¡± ¡°B-but how? I watched that video. The way that truck hit the car, the severity of it¡­¡± I shook my head, closing my eyes. Goosebumps crawled up my arms at the recollection of the sight. ¡°I know. But I wasn¡¯t in the car, baby. I got out mid way. So unfortunately for them, they couldn¡¯t seed in their n.¡± My eyes snapped open. ¡°Y-you know who did it? Who was behind the conspiracy?¡± A muscle of his jaw ticked. Grey eyes shed with wrath. ¡°Very well. I¡¯ve known it for a long time now.¡± I gasped. Lips parted in shock. ¡°Y-you knew? You knew Arthur was nning to k**l you?¡± Something inside me burned with fire. He knew everything? Then why didn¡¯t he do anything about it? Why did he let him do all this s**t? He shook his head, rubbing his hand over my back. As if he was aware of my suddenly dark mood. ¡°I didn¡¯t know what he was exactly going to do until this morning. I found out about his whole n after the meeting, when he went to meet Ivanov once the contract was signed,¡± he said. ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you do anything about it? Why did you let all this happen?¡± I asked, perplexed. He shouldn¡¯t have signed the contract and got into his car if he knew Arthur was betraying him. ¡°And what do you mean by the whole n? How do you know that Arthur went to meet Ivanov?¡± Endless questions swirled around my head, but I had no answers. ¡°You remember we had a board meeting about someone leaking information about ourpany and working with Antonio?¡± I nodded. ¡°I had a hunch that it was someone from inside, someone very close to us just as you said in the meeting. And after the d**g incident, I was sure of it. I knew Liza couldn¡¯t do all that alone. To know that the CCTV camera outside of the Valencian mansion wasn¡¯t working, was possible for only the people from inside the house. Or someone who regrly visited.¡± His hand ran up and down my leg, making me realize that I was in one of his t-shirts, not in my morning clothes. He must¡¯ve changed me. ¡°The staff who worked there were our old and loyal workers. I knew they wouldn¡¯t betray us, but still, I had a close observation on their activities. And they came out clean. Tess wouldn¡¯t do that to Caleb either. So there left Arthur.¡± He met my gaze. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to doubt him as he had a huge favor on me by handling mypany in my absence years ago. But I had an idea of his running illegal businesses in the UK in his past which I thought he stopped doing after returning to the states. But then I got a call from the police.¡± I frowned. ¡°Police?¡± He nodded. ¡°Yes. After the d**g incident, I had Antonio investigated discreetly. And the man I hired was a police officer too, he was involved in the case. ording to their report, the d***s that were found in Caleb¡¯s car were from a d**g dealer whose shark client was Antonio. He got them from that man. It was a very expensive kind of d**g that only that man supplied to the states through Antonio. It was Antonio¡¯s foolishness to use the same d***s to frame Caleb. And once looked closely into it, the d**g dealer was connected to a very smallpany based in the UK. And guess who was the owner of thatpany?¡± With my eyes wide, I whispered, ¡°Arthur.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± he hissed, lips curling into a sneer. ¡°It was him who actually delivered d***s to Antonio. He just used that man as a way to run his business while still remaining under the shadows.¡± He gritted his teeth. ¡°The police weren¡¯t supposed to investigate further after getting to know about Antonio¡¯s involvement. But to stop the d**g supply in the states, they dug out that man¡¯s history to grab his neck. And when they found out about Arthur, they immediately informed me. But I told them not to take action against that man and Arthur right away as I didn¡¯t want them to get alert.¡± ¡°But why did you do that? If they had arrested him earlier then this wouldn¡¯t have happened today. You could get hurt!¡± My voice rose with each word. Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. His grip on me tightened, his shoulders went rigid. ¡°So could you. If I had known he was going to go after you even after knowing what I had done to Antonio, I¡¯d have k****d him even before he could think about harming you.¡± There was a storm brewing into his grey orbs that indicated someone¡¯s d****e. Arthur¡¯s d****e. ¡°You were nowhere near my n to catch him red handed. But still to be sure you were miles away from him while I executed my n, I kept the guards outside. But you still left and I had no f*****g idea of what danger you were in. If it wasn¡¯t for Duncan¡­¡± Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath as if even the mare thought tortured him. I ran my hand over his chest. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t know what was running into your head. I didn¡¯t know about your n. All I knew was, I needed to stop you from signing the contract. I knew Arthur was going to do something.¡± ¡°At least you shouldn¡¯t have gone after him to that floor. Especially when you had no one there to protect you. What were you thinking?¡± Duncan must¡¯ve told him what happened out there. The edge of his voice told me he wanted to snap or yell, but still suppressing his anger not to raise his voice on me. But the fire in his eyes was evident. ¡°I wasn¡¯t thinking,¡± I said honestly. ¡°I know it was stupid of me. But I wanted to know who his partner in crime was. If you had told me earlier about your n then I wouldn¡¯t have done that. But like always, you didn¡¯t feel the need to tell me anything.¡± He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were aware of his double crossing. I didn¡¯t want to stress you out. I¡¯m sorry. But why didn¡¯t you tell me that you had doubts on him? When did you get to know all this?¡± I shrugged. ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t like him from the beginning. There was always something like malice in his eyes whenever he looked at me. And then I saw him with Sierra.¡± He cocked his head at the side. ¡°Who?¡± I rolled my eyes. Of course the great Achilles Valencian didn¡¯t bother enough to ever know his employees¡¯ name. ¡°One of you employees. She was Liza¡¯s close friend.¡± Then I exined everything to him, from seeing Sierra with Arthur in the hotel garden to him threatening me. Well, except the fact that I took Warner¡¯s help. I didn¡¯t want to ruin his mood more than it already was. He stiffened. Those grey eyes shed as his nostrils red. ¡°He threatened you?¡± His voice came out low, dangerced with each word. Then grabbing my shoulders, he asked, ¡°Did he hurt you? Did he try to do anything¡­¡± I shook my head. ¡°He didn¡¯t hurt me. He just tried to scare me by using your past. And thinking he might have something against you for real, I kept quiet. That¡¯s why I wanted to know everything so desperately so that I could know if he really knew anything. But when you finally disclosed your past to me, I got to know that even though he knew something rted to that night, he didn¡¯t have any evidence. And when I decided to tell you everything in the morning, you weren¡¯t there. You already left for the meeting.¡± His jaw clenched. ¡°You should¡¯ve told me that earlier, Rosebud.¡± I ced my head on his chest. ¡°I was scared to ruin what we had by telling you something against your uncle who was so close to you without any strong proof. Even if we were fighting then, I didn¡¯t want to create more rift between us. I thought you wouldn¡¯t believe me before your uncle.¡± He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me closer. ¡°There¡¯s no one in the world I trust more than you. You¡¯re my world, Rosebud. How did you think I wouldn¡¯t believe you?¡± ¡°I thought you and him were very close and you trusted him blindly. And when I finally decided to tell you after Liza¡¯s confirmation, his threat stopped me. I just wanted to be sure if he really had something against you before telling you everything. Because I feared that if I would tell you about him, you being you wouldn¡¯t be able to control your rage and confront him about it. And that would lead him to use your past against you if had anything with him. I know it¡¯s stupid. But I didn¡¯t want to take any chance.¡± ¡°I¡¯d have k****d him for threatening you like that,¡± he hissed, tone deep. ¡°That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t tell you. I wanted to sort everything out before taking any steps. If you had told me everything, then all this wouldn¡¯t happen in the first ce.¡± I nced up at him. ¡°Why did you stop the police to arrest them anyway?¡± ¡°Because I wanted to punish them myself first. I wanted to make them believe that they were winning and then watch their own fall with their own eyes, especially when they were at the verge of winning.¡± Venom dripped from his voice. ¡°Nothing hurts more when you lose the moment when you had all the confidence that you were going to win.¡± He yed with my hair as I listened to him silently. ¡°Aftering out of the j**l, Antonio thought nothing would happen to him again. But he was wrong. I couldn¡¯t let him live peacefully when he tried to hurt my Rosebud. So I destroyed him to pieces this time. This time, no one in the world can save him from his doom,¡± he said. ¡°And today was Antonio¡¯s turn. I knew he was going to do something after the final signing. And I was just waiting for him to take the step so I could grab him by his neck and catch him red handed, ruining him with his own strategy.¡± ¡°You said you knew he was going to meet Ivanov. How? And when did Antonio try to hurt me? Share Chapter 73 Chapter 73 Read The Trap Of Ace [by Eva Zahan] Chapter 73 ¨C His pupils darkened more in rage even if it was possible. ¡°You remembered the ident when we were returning from the house I bought for us?¡± My eyes widened. ¡°H-he was behind it?¡± He nodded, a muscle of his jaw ticked. ¡°It was him. Even though I was his target, he shouldn¡¯t have involved you in this.¡± I let out a breath. So that was the reason behind his intense hatred against Antonio. That¡¯s why he was so mad at Tess¡¯s wedding when Antonio came to meet me. ¡°When Arthur brought up the Russians offer to me, his desperation for me to sign it and his being the head of this project had me suspicious. So I had his phone tapped. To know what was brewing in his shrewd head. And I was right. I got to know about his intention behind the project while he discussed it with Ivanov on the phone. But as cunning as he was, he never unfolded his whole n to him. Until this morning, when everything in his path was clear for him to go ahead.¡± But he did tell Ivanov about k*****g him. Ivanov knew it except being aware of how Arthur was going to pull it. ¡°That means you knew he was going to k**l you after the signing? I thought you told me you weren¡¯t aware of it.¡± ¡°I knew, but I didn¡¯t know how he was going to do it. What his exact n was. But I got to know about his stupid master n when he was with Ivanov this morning. We were listening to everything he was saying from the conference room.¡± ¡°We?¡± I raised my brow. ¡°Me, Duncan and Mr. Bkin.¡± ¡°Duncan and Mr. Bkin?¡± I was shocked. So Mr. Bkin and Duncan knew everything? That exined why Duncan was there. He gave a nod. ¡°It was Duncan whom I asked to tap Arthur¡¯s phone. Besides being a sessful businessman, that b*****d is also an expert withputers, hacking and all, he also did something to Arthur¡¯s phone for us to hear every conversation when his phone was with him, even when he wasn¡¯t on a phone call. As he was a partner in mypany and we always had each other¡¯s back, when I told him about Arthur, he was more than willing to throw out that leach out of the business.¡± Though he showed that he didn¡¯t really like Duncan, I knew they were good friends. ¡°When Arthur was nning to get rid of me, Ivanov also wanted Bkin out of his way to get their company all to himself. When I made him listen to all Arthur and Ivanov¡¯s conversation about howter Arthur was going to move Bkin away from Ivanov¡¯s way, he agreed to help us. I knew the contract would be beneficial for both of us, so I wanted the contract, but without Arthur¡¯s n in it. And Mr. Bkin wanted the same. So he agreed to sign the contract as per their n. But not for their benefit, for our gain. And it would also let Arthur believe that he was winning. So that he would y his next move and face defeat.¡± Then suddenly his demeanor changed, those strong shoulders of his tensed. ¡°When I left in my car with Mr. Bkin as per their n and Duncan stayed back to keep an eye on them until they left the hotel, I got to know that you were in that hotel.¡± His breathing came out deep as he tightened his hold on me, his eyes watched me as if he feared I¡¯d disappear at any moment. ¡°Duncan sent a recording to Mr. Bkin¡¯s phone of Arthur¡¯s phone call where he was talking to you and then giving orders to his dog to¡­k**l you.¡± I ran my fingers in his hair to calm him down, pressing my forehead against him. ¡°You don¡¯t know how I felt at that moment, Rosebud,¡± staring into my eyes, he gulped. The sudden redness in his eyes and the moisture in there had my heart clench. ¡°I felt my heart stop beating the moment I heard him giving orders to k**l you. I¡­¡± I squeezed his hand. ¡°I know. I¡¯m sorry, even I was scared. Terrified actually. I thought I could sneak out quietly before they would even notice me, but unfortunately they did. Thank G*d Duncan reached there at the right time.¡± ¡°Where I should have been. I should¡¯ve been there to protect you rather than trying to proceed my worthless n to defeat him. I should¡¯ve protected the most precious person of my life. But¡­¡± His hands balled into fists. ¡°I clearly failed. I failed to protect you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you dare me yourself for that! It was my fault I took that risk. You put those guards outside the house to keep me safe. But it was me who didn¡¯t listen to them. So whose fault is it? Me. So stop torturing you for the thing you didn¡¯t do, again.¡± He shook his head, eyes pained. ¡°I should¡¯ve known that you were there. I should¡¯ve listened to your voice messages and picked up your calls. But my phone was f*****g d**d! I forgot to charge itst night! It¡¯s all my f*****g fault!¡± He mmed his fist against the hardboard of the bed, cursing. I gasped. ¡°Ace! Stop! I said it wasn¡¯t your fault. And nothing happened to me right? I¡¯m fine. It was my stupidity that I followed Arthur without taking anyone with me.¡± ¡°But anything could¡¯ve happened! I could have¡­¡± His jaw ticked. ¡°I could¡¯ve lost you. If Duncan hadn¡¯t reached there in time¡­¡± I cupped his face, kissing his forehead. ¡°But he did. I¡¯m alright now. You couldn¡¯t have known I wouldn¡¯t listen to the guards and leave. So stop ming yourself,¡± I murmured. ¡°Anyways, what happened then? What happened after you heard the recording?¡± Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath as if calming himself down. ¡°I got out of the car and went back to the hotel as soon as possible. I wanted to turn back the car forgetting our n, but Mr. Bkin wanted to continue it, he was eager to see the shell shocked face when his partner would get arrested after he realized how badly their conspiracy failed,¡± he replied, shoulders still tensed. ¡°But I saw the car getting trashed by the truck. Was he in the car when¡­¡± He shook his head. ¡°No. He and the driver also got off the car turning the autopilot mode on just some minutes before they reached the spot Arthur¡¯s men were waiting for us. They shot the ident and sent it to Arthur. And he must¡¯ve sent it to you after somehow knowing that you got out of there alive.¡± Taking his shaking fists in my hands, I kissed both of his palms. ¡°How did I get home?¡± ¡°When I reached the hotel, you already left with Carter¡¯s car. And after following your phone¡¯s location, we found some people moving you out of the car because you lost consciousness stopping at the middle of the road. Then I got you home.¡± I leaned into his gentle caressing over my cheek. ¡°Are you okay, Rosebud?¡± Concern and regret echoed in his voice. I knew how the thought that he couldn¡¯t be there to protect me was torturing him. And knowing him, he¡¯d continue to me himself for that no matter what I said. I nodded. ¡°I am.¡± His hard eyes fell on my cheek. ¡°You¡¯re hurt.¡± His jaw ticked. ¡°Who was it?¡± ¡°One of the guards. But he¡¯s d**d right now. And I¡¯m fine now, don¡¯t worry.¡± I assured him. ¡°I promise, Rosebud. Arthur will beg for d***h but he won¡¯t get it. He will suffer for the rest of his life. I¡¯ll make sure of that,¡± he swore, gaze stilltched onto my cheek. ¡°Where is he right now?¡± ¡°In the j**l.¡± My eyes shot up in surprise. ¡°After the ident, he and Ivanov went to the spot to be sure if I and Mr. Bkin, as he was with me in the car, were d**d. They wanted a confirmation before they cheered over their sess. That¡¯s when Bkin reached there with the police and got them caught on the act before providing them the phone recordings.¡± ¡°D**n, I missed the look on Arthur¡¯s face. It must have been worth watching,¡± I muttered. That got a small chuckle from him. ¡°So did I. I was waiting to see that look in his eyes. But I had much more important things to do than being there, bringing my Rosebud back into my arms.¡± Sighing, I snuggled into his chest again. ¡°I¡¯m d he¡¯s finally behind the bars, and out of our lives.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just the start of his punishment, baby. A much worse future is waiting for him.¡± After a long time, I finally felt light. As if a huge burden had lifted off my chest. I no longer felt the s*********n of Arthur¡¯s threat dangling on my neck. He was finally out of our life. Stroking my arm, he asked, ¡°What are you thinking?¡± ¡°I¡¯m relieved that he¡¯s finally out of our life. I just hope he never returns,¡± I replied. ¡°He won¡¯t. He¡¯s going to rot in the j**l for the rest of his life.¡± ¡°Good. That¡¯s what I want. Make sure he suffers¡± ¡°What my queen wants, she gets.¡± I smiled, looking up at him. ¡°I love you.¡± He leaned in and pressed his lips against mine. ¡°I love you more.¡± Pulling away, he tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear. ¡°Your family is waiting outside for you. Do you feel like going outside? If not, I¡¯ll just tell them toe to see youter.¡± I sat straight. ¡°You mean Mom and Dad? When did they arrive?¡± ¡°The moment they heard what happened to you. Even Tess and Caleb returned from their honeymoon cutting it short,¡± he said. ¡°How did they know about it?¡± ¡°Caleb told me he got your call this morning but couldn¡¯t talk to you. And then he heard what happened next, those guards didn¡¯t cut the call.¡± His voice hardened again. Oh! Yeah, I remembered calling him hoping he could help me in some way. ¡°Wait, they¡¯re already here? So soon? How many hours I was sleeping for?¡± ¡°It¡¯s past eleven in the night.¡± I gasped. ¡°I slept for that long? Why didn¡¯t you wake me up?¡± He kissed my forehead. ¡°You needed sleep. Don¡¯t worry about it. If you need to rest more, I can tell them toe tomorrow morning?¡± I shook my head. ¡°No. I¡¯m fine. Let¡¯s go outside.¡± *** ¡°Mom, I¡¯m alright. Don¡¯t cry,¡± I said for the upteenth time, but her tiny arms wouldn¡¯t leave me as she kept shedding tears on my shoulder. ¡°You don¡¯t tell me what to do, youngdy! You almost gave us a heart a****k today!¡± she snapped, sniffling. ¡°You don¡¯t go and put yourself in danger and then expect me not to freak out.¡± I shook my head, looking at Dad for help. But he only watched me with displeasure. After I got an earful from Dad, Tobias, Tess and Casie, I was now in the clutch of my Mom. She wouldn¡¯t leave me for a second. ¡°Knock some more sense into her head. Because she has suddenly got a habit of ying hero all of a sudden,¡± said my best friend, narrowing her eyes at me. ¡°I knew she was going to do something. I told her not to get herself into any mess, but she didn¡¯t listen.¡± This time it was my brother. ¡°And yet you didn¡¯t care to tell me what was running into her head about Arthur?¡± Ace red at Tobias. My brother shuffled in his ce, scratching the back of his head. ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t think it was that serious.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the problem. You never think anything. If you had even told me then I¡¯d have talked to her. But you just carelessly let it go! Do you have any idea what could have happened today?¡± used Tess. ¡°Hey! I said I didn¡¯t know it was going to be this serious. I also thought Arthur was a good man like the rest of you.¡± ¡°That man! I¡¯d strangle him with my own hands if I get my hands on him for doing that to my baby girl,¡± Mom hissed, pulling me more into her hug. ¡°Yes. And I will assist you in that!¡± Cassie joined. ¡°Me too!¡± Caleb and Tess joined. ¡°Ugh! Mom! I can¡¯t breathe!¡± Iined. On the other hand, my man shifted from one leg to another, eyes set on me. With a creased forehead, his hands clenched and unclenched. Irritationced across his hard features. Then finally his patience snapped. ¡°Alright, now, Mrs. Hutton. It¡¯s time to feed her something,¡± saying, he gently pulled me from Mom¡¯s chest to his, immediately wrapping his arms around me. Only then I felt him rxing against me. As if it was a torture for him not to touch me for even some seconds. He hasn¡¯t left me for a second after I gained my consciousness. ¡°You okay?¡± he asked in my ear while our family nned how they were going to punish Arthur. Smiling, I nodded. ¡°Now that you¡¯re with me, I am.¡± Pressing a lingering kiss on my forehead, he took a sharp inhale of my hair. ¡°Are you okay?¡± I looked into his stormy grey eyes. They were still dark, swirling with concealed volcano. I knew what storm was running inside him. But for my sake, he stayed calm. But I was also aware of the fact that he wouldn¡¯t for long. I saw what he did to Antonio before he left him in an abandoned alley. I just hoped he would at least leave Arthur¡¯s life. No matter how much I hated that man, I didn¡¯t want his hands to be tainted with Arthur¡¯s blood. He just nodded. I sighed. ¡°Just don¡¯t k**l him, alright?¡± His dark orbs just stared at me silently, without saying anything. As I opened my mouth to say something, Mom¡¯s voice cut in. ¡°Alright, now, everyone. Let¡¯s go and have dinner. It¡¯ste. Then we¡¯ll leave. My baby needs more rest.¡± Taking my hand into her, she dragged me behind her to feed me the food she made for everyone while I was sleeping. We were back into Ace¡¯s penthouse. And as much as he didn¡¯t like so many people in his home, he didn¡¯t seem toin. All he did was just keep me within his touch and stare at me. Not to forget grunting if someone of our family members took me away from him for a moment. After the dinner once everyone left, promising to visit tomorrow morning, we were left alone again. ¡°You want to go to the gym?¡± I asked as we sat on the balcony, watching the still rushing city beneath us. He told me to go to bed but I insisted on getting some fresh air. So here we were. Curling on hisp, we sat on the rocking chair under the night. A peacefulfortable night. He looked at me in surprise. A perfectly arched brow of his raised. ¡°I thought you hated the idea of me going to the gym?¡± I shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t hate it until you don¡¯t bruise your knuckles. A little bit of blowing the punching bag isn¡¯t bad.¡± He needed to get his frustration out. And he always used the punching bag for that. But since knowing how much I disliked it, he wasn¡¯t going for it tonight. As much as I liked it that he wasn¡¯t practicing his unhealthy exercise anymore, but if a little bit of that could reduce his anger a little, then I was okay with it. He shook his head. Hugging me closer, he kissed my forehead. ¡°I¡¯m fine, Rosebud. And I¡¯m saving it for someone else. So don¡¯t worry, the storm inside me will get unleashed, but at the right time.¡± The coldness of his voice sent a shiver down my spine. That¡¯s what I didn¡¯t want. I didn¡¯t want him to take any wrong steps out of rage. But I¡¯d talk to him about itter. I had my Ace finally in my arms now. I didn¡¯t want to ruin this moment talking about him. ¡°I want to go to Greece. Where Tess and Caleb went for their honeymoon? I loved the pictures they sent me. It has such amazing ces!¡± A smile curved up his lips. ¡°When do you want to go?¡± My eyes went big. ¡°You¡¯ll take me there?¡± He pecked my nose. ¡°Whenever you want to go. I promised you a vacation, right? If you want to go to Greece, then Greece it is. Whatever my queen wants.¡± I giggled, squealing like a small girl getting a Christmas gift. ¡°Tomorrow! I want to go there tomorrow! I had even nned the ces I want us to visit when Tess sent me the pictures.¡± A musical chuckle vibrated through his chest as he cupped my face and watched me with unconditional love and adoration. ¡°Tomorrow it is then. Where do you want to go after that?¡± My smile only got big. ¡°We¡¯re going for a long vacation?¡± He nodded. ¡°The more time I get with my Rosebud all to myself, the better.¡± ¡°Turkey! I want to go to Istanbul! The city of dreams!¡± I gushed. ¡°I love their lifestyle and food. I can¡¯t wait to visit there!¡± ¡°And I love you,¡± snuggling into my neck, he rasped. His rough stubble raised goosebumps across my skin. Hot sensations rushed directly to my core. I squirmed against him, feeling him springing to life within seconds under me. A husky groan left his sinful lips. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I brought his mouth to mine. ¡°I love you more.¡± Gripping my a*s cheeks firmly, he pulled me closer and asked for entrance. And I opened my mouth eagerly. The moment his tongue met mine, a jolt of electricity ran through my veins. It was addicting. My core clenched in want. A moan left my lips as he ravished my mouth as if he craved my lips like they were his salvation. And just as his hand slipped under my dress, getting every nerve of mine burst with excitement and lust, his phone decided to interrupt. Groaning when he cut the call and got back to me, it started to re into the night again. Cursing, he pulled away and received it. ¡°What?¡± he snapped. Hearing something the other person said, he clenched his jaw. ¡°What do you want? Come to the point!¡± I frowned. ¡°Who¡¯s it?¡± He threw a nce at me but didn¡¯t answer my question. ¡°She¡¯s alright.¡± Was he talking about me? His lips pressed tight. ¡°Why do you want to talk to her? I said she¡¯s okay now. Isn¡¯t that enough?¡± I raised my brow. Who was it? Letting out a grumble, he passed me the phone. At my questioning gaze, he huffed. ¡°It¡¯s De Sylvano. He wants to talk to you.¡± Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. I rolled my eyes at his antics. I didn¡¯t know why he was grumbling about it. Was he jealous that Duncan wanted to talk to me, or he was just annoyed that he interrupted us. Well, I was in his team if it was the latter. But I needed to thank Duncan for what he did. He was a big help today. ¡°Hey!¡± I said, pressing the phone against my ear. ¡°Emerald, how are you doing right now?¡± Came his thick Italian ent. Cassie was always a goner for Italian men for their s**y ent. ¡°I¡¯m good now. Thank you. I¡¯m sorry you had to take so much trouble for me today.¡± My Greek g*d¡¯s eyes narrowed at that. He definitely didn¡¯t like me apologising to anyone. ¡°Nah! Actually it was my pleasure that I could help you. As much as I didn¡¯t expect our second, technically third meeting like that, but still, I¡¯m d I got the chance to get you out of that situation. Even though your Greek man didn¡¯t appreciate me with words. But tell him that he owes me big.¡± Iughed. ¡°Oh, he knows it really well.¡± He tried to take the phone away from me, getting irritated second by second but I pulled away. Chuckling, he cleared his throat. ¡°Anyways, jokes apart, I hope Valencian told you everything?¡± I sighed. ¡°Yes, he did.¡± ¡°Good. Now don¡¯t worry at all about everything. Arthur is out of your life now. So cheer up! And yes, make that moody man of yours a little less stressed. I didn¡¯t ever see that man that much anxious and disturbed from the years I¡¯ve known him. He was terrified, you know?¡± I nodded, even if he couldn¡¯t see me. Grabbing his hand, I kissed his knuckle, making his clenching jaw rx. ¡°I know. Thank you so much for helping him through all this, not to forget saving my life. Thank you, Duncan! You really did a big favor on us,¡± I said truthfully. And this time, Ace didn¡¯t show any displeasure. ¡°Nah, it was nothing. I know, if Valencian was in my ce, he would have done the same for me. So you don¡¯t need to thank me. It was always a pleasure!¡± he said. ¡°Anyways, I won¡¯t hold you for long. Your caveman must be nning to k**l me right now for keeping his girl busy for that long. You take care, Emerald. I¡¯ll see youter.¡± ¡°Yeah, see youter. Goodnight!¡± ¡°Night!¡± Once I returned his phone, I slumped against him. ¡°He seemed to be a nice man. Then why do you behave like you don¡¯t like him at all?¡± He snorted, wrapping his arms around me. ¡°He¡¯s always a gentleman todies. Especially to those he thought was decent. Otherwise he wouldn¡¯t even look at you twice.¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°Whatever you say, he helped us a lot today. We should personally thank him, you know? Maybe invite him for dinner?¡± He grunted, muttering something under his breath. Something like, ¡®I owe my life to that b*****d now.¡¯ ¡°Maybe. But not now. After we return from our vacation.¡± My mood instantly brightened remembering our vacation. ¡°So? What do we do now?¡± he asked, nuzzling his nose in my neck. And just like that my mind darkened again, but with desire. Pressing myself against him, I whispered into his ear. ¡°You make love to me.¡± He growled, standing up along me in his arms. ¡°What my queen wants, she gets.¡± Share Chapter 74 Chapter 74 Read The Trap Of Ace [by Eva Zahan] Chapter 74 ¨C ¡°Rosebud?¡± His deep voice murmured into my ear, followed by a lingering kiss on my neck. ¡°Wake up, baby. We¡¯re here.¡± Groaning, I moved on hisp and made myself morefortable against him, snuggling my face into his chest. ¡°Let me sleep.¡± His husky chuckle sent a shiver down my sore body. Well, the reason behind my tiredness was him. After our fifteen days trip to Greece and Turkey, we were supposed to meet my family at dinner directly after landing in California. So here we were, outside my parents¡¯ home. But here I could barely move without wincing. Because this man just can¡¯t keep it in his pants. Just because a male cabin crew shed me his biggest smile, he literally banned that man from his private jet and took me like a ragged doll in the posh cabin of his, iming me again and again as his. As if I wasn¡¯t already his! Not that I didn¡¯t beg him for more and screamed in ecstasy at his rough touches. But now I have to endure the consequences. I really didn¡¯t want to do the funny walk before my parents. ¡°They¡¯re waiting for us, Rosebud. If your father didn¡¯t insist himself, I wouldn¡¯t have forced you to get up. I would¡¯ve instead loved to go home and have you all to myself again,¡± he rasped, brushing his lips against my cheek. I pped his chest, opening my eyes to re at him. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare touch me for at least a week! You¡¯re banned to to have s*x until I¡¯m walking fine again.¡± H****r drew on his features. ¡°What? You¡¯re joking, right?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± Then he pulled me closer, biting on my lower lip. ¡°I don¡¯t understand why you¡¯re punishing me, my rose. I thought after I thoroughly satisfied you, you¡¯ll give me a reward.¡± I raised my brows, leaning away from his sinful lips. ¡°Who said I¡¯m satisfied? I didn¡¯t like it at all!¡± Moving in difort again, I pouted. ¡°Really?¡± His voice came out low. ¡°I clearly remember someone moaning and begging me to go harder?¡± Heat crept up my cheeks as I hid my face at the crook of his neck, making himugh. ¡°You¡¯re so mean!¡± He ced a kiss on my head. ¡°Does it hurt, baby? I¡¯m sorry. I should¡¯ve gone a little gentler back in the cabin. You should take a painkiller.¡± I shook my head. ¡°I already took one. I¡¯ll be fine in some time, don¡¯t worry. Let¡¯s go now, otherwise Mom will start to b****r our phones again.¡± She has been doing it for thest two days to make sure we attend the family dinner. Even Tess and Caleb would be there. ¡°What are you doing?¡± I squeaked as he scooped me into his arms as soon as we got out of the car. ¡°Carrying my Rosebud so that she doesn¡¯t have to walk,¡± answering, he walked inside with me in his arms. ¡°What? No, put me down! I can walk myself! My parents would be there!¡± He raised a brow. ¡°So? I¡¯m taking care of my girl. I don¡¯t think anyone should have any problem with that.¡± ¡°But- but¡­¡± He pressed the bell. ¡°No buts.¡± Then the door opened and appeared my beaming mom and smiling dad. Tess, Caleb and Tobias strolled behind. My cheeks med seeing their amused looks. But Mom and Dad held concern and curiosity in their eyes. ¡°Hello, everyone,¡± my Greek caveman greeted, walking past them. ¡°Sweetie, is everything okay? Why is Ace carrying you? Are you alright?¡± Mom queried. I opened my mouth, brewing my head for an answer when he butted in. ¡°Jetg, Mrs. Hutton. She was tired, so I thought to carry her inside.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s alright then. Come, let¡¯s go to the hall.¡± Smiling, Dad led us inside. He had this glint in his aged eyes, giving Ace a look of appreciation. Well, Mr. Valencian didn¡¯t even have to try to win my parents¡¯ heart. They always loved him as their own son. And now they weed him as their family with whole heart. Once we were all seated in the warm hall, Dad took him aside to talk about business along Caleb while Tess teased me about how I had her brother-inw wrapped around my finger. ¡°I thought he was your best friend?¡± I quirked my brow. She slumped against the couch. ¡°He still is. But he¡¯s also my brother-inw now. You know, I¡¯m trying to feel this new rtionship between us. Because I don¡¯t have any freaking inws here except him. To think about Arthur and Ophelia, one is in the j**l and the other is in Italy. And I don¡¯t even know if my future children would get to have any kin from his father¡¯s side except an uncle and¡­¡± she winked at me, ¡°aunt.¡± My heart skipped at her suggestion. I nced at him at the other side of the room, only to find his eyes already fixed on me, turning me into a deep shade of red. The intensity in those stormy grey orbs made me avert my gaze and fondle with the bracelet he gave me. Did he hear what Tess said? Her clearing throat caught my attention again. A smirk tugged up her red lips. I rolled my eyes. ¡°So? How did your meeting go with his Mom?¡± I let out a sigh. ¡°It was good. She was nice. Just was a little ufortable, as Ace said she would.¡± We went to meet her in Italy before leaving for Turkey. Ace wasn¡¯t up to meet his Mom all of a sudden as he wanted to focus only on us for the whole trip, and also that she wouldn¡¯t be all happy to see us. Because she only allowed Ace and Caleb to meet her on her birthdays. But I wanted to meet her. I wanted to know why she was still managing so much distance from her son. I understood she had issues with this ce, but she could at least let Ace meet her over there. But I didn¡¯t get any answers from her. She wouldn¡¯t talk much other than some basic conversation. Though she was nice and happy to meet me, the girl her son loved, she was closed off. She even got a boyfriend out there. So I thought she had moved on, but clearly, she didn¡¯t. She still got affected if she met any person rted to her past. Including her own son. I saw how Ace wanted her to talk more, or to show more affection, but she just sat afar. As if we were some strangers. And the disappointment that I saw in Ace¡¯ eyes made me feel guilty. I shouldn¡¯t have taken him to her. I wanted to know his mother, but I only hurt him in the process. ¡°That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t try to meet her or talk to her. I knew she wouldn¡¯t take it nicely. Maybe she needs more time,¡± she said softly. I nodded. Even though I understood her situation, I didn¡¯t like the way she kept pushing Ace away. ¡°Come on, kids! Dinner is ready! Hurry up!¡± Mom called out from the kitchen. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯m starving!¡± Getting up, Tess gave me her hand. Once I grappled the delicious food Mom made for dinner, I had a sudden craving to taste blueberry ice cream. I never liked this particr vor, but I needed one right then. So I demanded Ace to take me to a nice ice cream parlor and get me one blueberry ice cream. And even though he said I shouldn¡¯t eat something cold in this freezing weather, after some pouting and blinking my eyeshes at him, he finally agreed. But only for this one time. And I didn¡¯t mind as long as I got what I wanted. After bidding my family goodnight, we went for my desired dessert and then directly left for home. It was alreadyte and he had to go to bed early so that he could wake up soon the next morning. He had somewhere important to go. An important meeting. *** ¡°Please be seated, Mr. Valencian. He¡¯ll be here in a minute,¡± saying, the man in a blue uniform walked out of the door. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t havee here. I told you to stay home, you weren¡¯t feeling good this morning. Why do you never listen to me?¡± He turned to me as soon as the man left. ¡°I¡¯m fine now. And I need to meet him for onest time. I¡¯ve something to give him back.¡± We were here to meet Arthur. After the police arrested him, Ace couldn¡¯t finish some paperworks or see Arthur behind the bars due to our vacation. But now that we were back, he had to drop by the police station to sign some papers. And of course, wish Arthur good luck for his endless misery he¡¯d be facing for the rest of his life. And how could I miss this chance? So even if I felt slight dizziness in the morning, I got ready and sat in the car with him, much to his dismay. Even I wanted to give him my best of luck. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± He raised a brow. I shrugged. ¡°You¡¯ll see.¡± His frown deepened at my sweet smile. Tucking a strand behind my ear, he pecked my forehead. ¡°You¡¯re okay now?¡± I nodded, leaning into him. ¡°We¡¯ll go and see Hazel after this. You need a check up.¡± I sat straight, my mood dampening. Hazel was a friend of Le¡¯s. The redhead British girl whom I saw with him being so cozy in that restaurant the night months ago. The girl he visited quite a few times in the UK. Even at the night of Tess¡¯s engagement. My doubt was right. He went to meet her. Though only because she used to be his doctor back at the time when he went for rehab. I was absolutely surprised when he told me that she worked for a rehab organization. Whenever he thought his past was crawling back into his mind he went to meet her. As she handled his case to get him better, she became a good friend of his and also kind of a psychiatrist who would help him calming him down by talking to him. ¡°No. We¡¯re not going to go to any hospital. I¡¯m fine.¡± Hospital wasn¡¯t the issue for me. The issue was that Hazel was Le¡¯s friend. Even though I knew she and Ace were just friends and she was married, I saw her gazing at him with admiration while talking to him on video calls. Even at that night at the restaurant, her eyes were only on him. She literally had a crush on my man even when she wore a ring of another¡¯s. When I told him about it, he justughed it off, saying I was just jealous. Yes, I was. I didn¡¯t want any gorgeous redhead having a crush on my man. So even though it sounded weird, I didn¡¯t want to go to a ce where the doctor was her close friend. It was that annoying for me. I didn¡¯t know, but for some days it felt like my jealousy was out of my control. Even if a random girl looked at him, I felt like hiding him with a shield so that no one could see him other than me. ¡°No excuses. We¡¯re going and that¡¯s final. I¡¯m not taking any chances with your health,¡± he spoke with finality. When I went to argue, the door opened and Arthur strolled in, guided by three cops behind him. I raised my brow at his state. He was limping. There were bruises and cuts on his forearms and face. The light of the bulb in the room shone on his newly shaved head as he watched us with murderous re. The hatred in his eyes shone as bright as his bald. A giggle left my mouth at the thought. It just made him throw daggers at me with his ck eyes. ¡°You two! What the h**l are you doing here? Came here to mock me?¡± he sneered. ¡°No, to give you something,¡± saying, I stood up from the chair and walked up to him. ¡°What?¡± At his confused face, I shed him a sweet smile and pped him across the already battered cheek of his. Hard enough to have my hand throb with pain and him hissing out a curse. ¡°This.¡± My hands were itching to do this since I got to know his truth. His furious eyes snapped to me. ¡°You b*tch!¡± Snarling, as he stepped forward raising his cuffed hands at me, I flinched away. But before he could hit me, a punchnded on his cheek, on the same one I just pped, sending him to the ground. ¡°Keep your filthy hands to yourself if you don¡¯t want me to f*****g pluck them out of your body!¡± letting out a bellow, Ace stood before me, shielding me from any harm. With eyes zing with fury, shoulders rigid, he red down at Arthur with wrath. Spitting out blood, Arthur went to stand up again but another harsh kick of Ace¡¯s polished shoe threw him back on his back. A grunt of pain left his mouth. When Ace went to hit him again, losing control, I held him back, at the same time the cops took Arthur away from Ace¡¯s reach. Tugging him up, they held him back. ¡°You think you won sending me behind the bars? But you¡¯re wrong! No one can keep me here for long! I¡¯ll get out and finish what I started. I¡¯ll k**l you both you piece of s***s!¡± struggling against the cops, he hissed at us. Ace tried to move to him again, but I pulled him back, running my hand on his chest. ¡°Ace, calm down. He¡¯s just trying to provoke you. You and I both know he¡¯s just barking out of rage. Even he knows he can¡¯t do anything anymore,¡± I said in a calm tone. ¡°How dare he try to threaten you again!¡± He tried to move away from my grip, but I only stood before him. ¡°Don¡¯t takew into your hands. The police will take care of him.¡± ¡°She¡¯s right, Mr. Valencian. We¡¯ll take care of him, we¡¯ve orders. You don¡¯t need to dirt your hands with his blood,¡± one of the cops agreed. Then Arthur¡¯s mockingughter echoed around the small cabin. ¡°What a pussycat! I knew you had be a ve of this b***h the moment you made her an equal owner of everything. Everything that I owned! Everything that should¡¯ve been mine!¡± Growling, Ace moved me away from his path and stormed towards him. Arthur¡¯s legs stumbled back as Ace raised his hand. But then, he stopped. A chilling smile tugged up his lips. Stepping closer to him, he fixed his orange jumpsuit a little at his shoulders and looked directly into his eyes. ¡°You know, you¡¯re right. I¡¯m a ve of my Rosebud, she owns me. So I can¡¯t be mad at you for that.¡± He cocked his head. ¡°But you¡¯re wrong about one thing. The Valencian empire isn¡¯t yours. It was just a mare company in my father¡¯s hand. I¡¯m the one who made it an empire. It was my hard work. And about your right, the luxury I provided you is worth much more than you actually would have gotten from grandfather¡¯s property.¡± Arthur stayed silent. But the gritting of his teeth was an evidence of how much he wanted to disagree. Suddenly a dizziness hit me again, causing me to walk up close to Ace. But I didn¡¯t interrupt him. Instead, I took deep breaths to keep the nauseous that was rising up my throat. Leaning in, he whispered in Arthur¡¯s ear. But loud enough for me to hear everything. ¡°And you and I both know you can¡¯t get out of here. Soon you¡¯ll be sent to the solitary confinement.¡± A malicious smirk tugged on his lips. ¡°And you know what can happen to you behind the closed doors, don¡¯t you? So I¡¯d be very careful with my tongue and hands if I were you.¡± Share Chapter 75 Chapter 75 Read The Trap Of Ace By Eva Zahan Chapter 75 ¨C The color of Arthur¡¯s face drained. With wide eyes, he watched Ace in h****r. ¡°Y-you can¡¯t do that to me! I won¡¯t let you!¡± I grimaced at the feeling in my stomach. The world around me started to spin. Stepping back from him, Ace wrapped a hand around my waist. ¡°I can and I will. You¡¯ve seen my respect for you these years, and now you¡¯ll see my enmity. You should¡¯ve thought ten times before you joined hands with Antonio and decided to go against me and tried to hurt my Rosebud. You did what you wanted, now you suffer the consequences. May G*d send you to h**l. Goodbye, Arthur.¡± ¡°No! You can¡¯t do that¡­¡± Not being able to contain it in anymore, I clutched my stomach, hunched forward and threw up. ¡°S**t! Rosebud! Are you alright, baby?¡± Wrapping his arms around my shoulders, he pulled my hair back as the cops and Arthur jumped back from my puke. ¡°What the f**k!¡± Arthur screeched. Looking up with watery vision, I found his legs covered with yellowish substances. A look of disgust twisted his features. ¡°Rosebud, baby, are you alright? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Ace¡¯s concerned voice sounded distant in my ears. Everything around me got blurred. The ck dots across my vision and the foul stench of vomit made me throw up again, before I slumped into Ace as darkness slowly engulfed me. *** The next time I regained my senses, I found myself in a hospital bed with him tightly gripping my hand in his. The smell of bleach and white walls of the hospital room surrounded me. ¡°Rosebud?¡± Shooting up to his feet from the chair, he came up and sat beside me. ¡°Thank G*d, you¡¯re awake. I was going crazy thinking why it was taking you so long to open your eyes.¡± ¡°Ace¡­¡± The foul taste in my mouth made my stomach clench. ¡°Water,¡± I croaked. He didn¡¯t waste a second before filling up a ss from the water jug that rested on the side table. ¡°Here, be careful,¡± cautioning me, he helped me sit up and held the ss against my lips. I drank it greedily, quenching my parched throat. Then memories of my visiting Arthur in the j**l and then throwing up on him before fainting into Ace¡¯s arms flooded into my mind. As much as I wanted tough remembering his face when I threw up on him, I was confused about my getting ill all of a sudden. ¡°How are you feeling now, Rosebud? Do you still feel dizziness or nauseous?¡± he asked, his tone still held alert and concern. I shook my head, giving him the empty ss back. ¡°I¡¯m fine now. I don¡¯t know what happened. All of a sudden the world around me began to spin and then I had this intense urge to puke.¡± He suddenly got abnormally quiet as he ced the ss back on the table. Stormy grey eyes were anxious. There weren¡¯t any doctors or nurses around. We were alone in the room. ¡°What happened? What did the doctor say? Did I have food p*******g?¡± I frowned. It could be, considering the amount of food I hadst night. He didn¡¯t say anything. Instead, leaning in, he kissed my forehead. ¡°You should take some rest now. We can talkter.¡± My frown deepened. ¡°I don¡¯t need rest. I¡¯m fine now. You can tell me what the doctor said. Is it something serious?¡± Nervousness now started to rattle inside me. Was there something wrong? ¡°Of course not, baby. Everything is alright. It¡¯s just¡­¡± he trailed off, clearing his throat. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s just what?¡± I probed, getting restless. ¡°The doctor said you¡­¡± ¡°Good afternoon, Ms. Hutton! You¡¯re finally up I see!¡± Ady in her early thirties strolled inside the room unting a white coat on. shing a blinding smile, she stood beside my bed. ¡°Your man here was literally threatening to close this hospital down if you we didn¡¯t bring your senses back soon. Anyways, how are you feeling now?¡± Cracking up a small smile, I nodded my head. ¡°I¡¯m good.¡± ¡°Great! I¡¯m doctor Hazel, by the way. A close acquaintance of Mr. Valencian.¡± ncing at Ace, she checked my nerves while my smile threatened to fall. So at the end he brought me to Le¡¯s friend, didn¡¯t he? After my nerves, she checked my eyes. ¡°You¡¯re good to leave I think. I thought you¡¯d have to stay here for at least a day, but you seem to be alright now. Be careful though, at this early stage, you¡¯ll have to be very careful at least for the first three months. No traveling or taking too much stress. I¡¯ll prescribe you some meds that you¡¯ll have to continue for a week.¡± ¡°Wait, I¡¯m sorry but I¡¯m a bit lost here. What are you talking about? Why should I be very careful for three months? What happened to me?¡± She raised a brow before casting a nce at Ace, who shifted on his ce ufortably. ¡°Oh, I thought Mr. Valencian already informed you,¡± she said, before showing her white teeth at me again. ¡°But no worries, let me give you the good news. Congrattions, Ms. Hutton! You¡¯re pregnant!¡± I stilled. With my eyes wide, mouth agape, I stared at her, stunned. ¡°What?¡± A whisper left my lips. She nodded. ¡°Yes. You¡¯re two weeks along. Because it¡¯s a very early stage, you¡¯re facing these morning sickness and dizziness. But don¡¯t worry, it¡¯ll be gone soon.¡± Still shocked, I looked at Ace who was sitting there very quietly beside me. Grey eyes were closely observing me. As the doctor left the room, giving us some privacy, not a word was uttered by any of us. We just stared at each other. ¡®You¡¯re pregnant¡¯. Her words were still swirling around my head. But how was it possible? I never forgot to take the after pills. Well, these pills were never hundred percent safe. There was always a chance. But I had no choice other than these as this Greek man never wore a condom every time we made love. He didn¡¯t want any barrier between us while he imed me. And of course, with the speed we were going since we got together, it was supposed to happen. Even on our vacation, we barely left our hotel. And now, I¡¯m¡­ pregnant. I didn¡¯t know what to feel about it. I was too confused. He cleared his throat again, watching me carefully. ¡°What are you thinking?¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m surprised. I didn¡¯t expect it at all.¡± Subconsciously, I hand went to my stomach. ¡°Rosebud, look, I know what you must be feeling. Even I didn¡¯t expect anything like this so soon. I¡­I¡¯ll understand if you don¡¯t want it. I¡¯ll support you whatever your decision will be. Don¡¯t feel pressured with anything,¡± he said, giving my hand a light squeeze. I nced up to his stormy grey eyes, the eyes I was so in love with. They watched me with tenderness and understanding. My gaze went back to my t stomach, where a life was growing. A little baby. Our baby. We made it. All of a sudden, an intense emotion surged through my chest. The sudden feel of love and the urge to protect this baby surprised me. With hesitation, I rant my hand over my still t tummy. I looked up at him again. Though he said he¡¯d support me if I didn¡¯t want it, it didn¡¯t go unnoticed by me how his gaze followed the movement of my hand. How his hands twitched, as if he wanted to run his hand over my stomach. And his eyes, they held¡­ longing. My heart clenched for him. He longed for a family for half of his life. He always wanted a happy family which he never had. And I¡¯ll give it to him. I¡¯ll give him everything he ever wanted, every happiness he always deserved. Taking his hand, I ced it on my stomach. His gaze snapped up to mine, watching me in confusion. Smiling, I nodded, my vision burned with tears. Tears of happiness. ¡°It¡¯s our baby. I can never give up on it. We¡¯ll keep him, or her.¡± ¡°Are you- sure?¡± His voice came out uncertain. ¡°Yes!¡± Letting out a shaky breath, he pulled me into him and mmed his lips against mine. Wrapping my arms around my neck, I kissed him back, eagerly. The intensity and passion his kiss radiated, told me the love and appreciation he had for me. Pulling away, he rested his forehead against mine, peering into my soul. ¡°Rosebud¡­you don¡¯t know what you said. You¡¯ve already given me everything I¡¯ve ever wanted, you, and now, you¡¯re making my worldplete by giving me a family. A family where there will be you, I and our baby. Thank you so much, I¡­I can¡¯t express how grateful I¡¯m. I love you so f*****g much!¡± Grinning, I kissed his lips again. ¡°I love you too!¡± He smiled. But it was a different one. There was a light glinting in his eyes, light of felicity and love. Leaning down, he ran his hand over my tummy lovingly before showering kisses all over my stomach. A giggle escaped my lips as I watched him spooning my belly as if he was already holding the baby in his arms. Never had anyone saw this side of Achilles Valencian. So soft and doting. Only I got the luck to watch him like this. And now our baby will experience this rare moment too. ¡°We made it,¡± he whispered, looking up at me with a gleaming gaze. I nodded, smiling as brightly. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to tell everyone. Mom and Dad will be ecstatic.¡± Agreeing, he got back to me, pulling me into his arms, pecking my temple. ¡°I know. Let¡¯s invite them to dinner and share the news with them.¡± ¡°Great! I¡¯ll call them right now!¡± When I reached for my phone, he grabbed my hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go home first.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± I smiled. I was so confused and shocked when Hazel gave me the news. And now, I was so excited to share this with everyone that I could barely keep my hands away from my phone to call them and give them the good news. I never thought I¡¯d be that happy when I¡¯d be pregnant. The thought of giving birth to a baby always had me shuddering. It still did when I thought about thebour pain. But that was nine monthster. Right now, the only thing I wanted to think about was our baby. Once the doctor gave us the prescription, Ace helped me freshen up and then got me ready for home. Through the whole car ride he kept my hand in his and showered kisses time to time. I never saw him that happy. And that only added more content to my heart. Once reaching the penthouse, he opened the door for us, letting me walk in first. Padding inside, I threw my purse on the couch and turned on the switches. Every corner of the hall lit up with bright lights, overtaking the darkness. I think some fairy lights would look good around the window frame at night. Maybe I¡¯d put some in our bedroom too. ¡°Ace, I was thinking of getting some fairy lights¡­¡± Turning around, my words got caught at my throat at the sight before me. Achilles Valencian was on his knees right in front of me, with the most beautiful ring in his hand. A gasp left my mouth. ¡°Ace?¡± I whispered, eyes still lingered on the ring. It was a simple tinum ring with a gorgeous blue round diamond sitting proudly in the middle. The tiny sparkling diamonds that surrounded it only made it more marvelous. ¡°I couldn¡¯t wait any longer, Rosebud. I thought to give you a beautiful surprise first before going to my knees before you. But¡­¡± Gulping, he shook his head. ¡°I couldn¡¯t wait that long. I needed to see my ring on your finger right now. So, my beautiful rose, will you do the honor of marrying me and make me the happiest man on earth?¡± I was surprised for the second time in the day. And I didn¡¯t know which one was more surprising. Getting pregnant or having the man I loved with everything I had asking my hand for marriage. ¡°I know I didn¡¯t deliver some unique lines to make it more special. But Rosebud, what I feel for you can¡¯t be exined with words, nor can be expressed with acts. Nothing will be enough to justify the endless love I have for you,¡± his said in his deep voice, grey eyes watching me with an intense look that always managed to speed up the rate of my heart. ¡°I¡¯m obsessed with you Rosebud, I¡¯m possessed by you, I¡¯ve been all my life and I¡¯ll be till thest breath I take. Sometimes I¡¯ve to hold myself back from losing my control and keep you all to myself so that I can have you in my arms all the time. But not to scare you away, I always suppress my urges. You¡¯d think I¡¯m crazy, but it¡¯s how I am. I¡¯m crazy for you, my rose. From the day you asked me to marry you on your ninth birthday, I¡¯ve been dreaming of our marriage. I¡¯ve been waiting since. I¡¯ve waited for so long. But I can¡¯t anymore. Without you, my life is iplete. I¡¯m nothing. I want to make you mine forever. I want the world to see who you belong to. So Ms. Emerald Hutton, will you marry me and be Mrs. Valencian? Will you be my other half and spend the rest of your life with this crazy obsessed man of yours?¡± Tears rolled down my cheeks as I stood there. His words were like sharp arrows, arrows of love and promises, that hit right into my heart. I had always dreamt of him going onto his knees and proposing to me in my childhood, asking me to be his princess. I never thought my dream would evere true. But here he was, on his knees, with a gorgeous ring in his hand, asking me to marry him. Not to be his princess, but his queen. ¡°Rosebud?¡± he asked, anxiousness etched into his beautiful features. ¡°Will you? Will you marry me?¡± Wiping my tears, I shed him the broadest grin and nodded my head. ¡°Yes! Yes, I will marry you!¡± A breathtaking smile spread over his face as he let out a sigh of relief. Moisture glistened into his grey eyes making my heart tug. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. Taking my left hand, he slipped the ring into my ring finger and stood up on his legs before pulling me into his chest and capturing my lips with his. ¡°Thank you so much, my rose. You gave me everything I ever wanted. I couldn¡¯t ask for more. Thank you so much, baby!¡± Murmuring against my lips, he took my mouth into a hungry kiss again, making my knees weak. Without breaking the kiss, he lifted me up and spun us around, making meugh against his mouth. ¡°What are you doing? Put me down!¡± Happiness bloomed into my heart as he peppered kisses all over my face, clutching me tight to his chest. Letting out a sigh, I leaned into him once he put me down on my feet. I watched the ring that shone on my finger. ¡°You liked it?¡± he asked, tucking a strand behind my ear. I nodded, looking up at him through myshes, suddenly getting all shy. Heat crept up my cheeks. I was his fiance now. Even the thought of marrying him made me feel all giddy. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful.¡± Cupping my chin, he made our gazes lock. ¡°Not more than you.¡± Biting my lip, I looked down, hiding my face into his chest. His chuckle sounded musical to my ears. Wrapping his hand around my neck in a possessive grip, he me made look up at him again as he captured my mouth again into his usual demanding kiss. ¡°You¡¯re mine now. In every way possible.¡± The deep dominant yet husky voice of his sent a shiver through my entire being. ¡°And you¡¯re mine,¡± I whispered, biting into his lower lip, clutching his cor into my fists. ¡°All yours, baby. Always and forever.¡± I peered into those stormy grey eyes as I felt our souls getting entangled just like our breathing at the moment. I found myself getting lost into those dark pools and I never wanted to look away. ¡°I love you so much, my rose.¡± He kissed my forehead as I closed my eyes, letting out a sigh. My heart filled with content and bliss. ¡°I love you too. Always and forever.¡± Share Chapter 76 Chapter 76 Read The Trap Of Ace [by Eva Zahan] Chapter 76 ¨C Dragging myself out of the car with some struggles, I got out the box and looked up at the enormous ss building towering before me. EMERALD ENTERPRISES was written in bold red letters at the top. A goofy smile tugged up my lips. With the warmth that surged through my chest, emotional tears burned my eyes. Valencian Corp¡¯s new branch, which he opened with my name. It was his gift for me on my birthday, passed justst week. Rolling my eyes, I let out a breath through my lips. I was getting sentimental again. Shaking my head, I closed the car door behind me with a thud and dawdled inside. Once in, my eyes took in the interior. As fancy and elegant as I remembered from a week ago. Though there weren¡¯t many people working here that day. But today, the way everyone was at their best speed, it seemed like they were working here for years. I padded closer to the reception, where a girl in her early twenties, with dark curly hair and tall height typed away furiously on her keyboard, eyes on theputer screen. ¡°Uh, hi!¡± Letting out a puff, I said. Only some steps and here I was, panting and sweating. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. She looked up at me, then her blue eyes slid to the rest of my body, halting at my huge belly that I tried my best to cover with my jeans jacket over my white sundress. ¡°How may I help you?¡± A perfectly shaped brow of her arched. I smiled. ¡°Can you please check if Mr. Valencian is free at the moment? I brought lunch for him.¡± Now both of her brows raised to her hairline, taking another once over at me. ¡°May I ask who you are? And why would I let you in the boss¡¯ office with this box? Do you have an appointment?¡± I knew what she must be seeing. A red faced sweating, pregnant woman whom she didn¡¯t know was requesting to see her boss. As a new employee, she didn¡¯t know me. Even if I understood that, I didn¡¯t appreciate her judging looks. ¡°I¡¯m Emerald Valencian. I made lunch for my husband and would like to feed him these foods if you would kindly tell me if he¡¯s busy.¡± My voice came out sarcastic even though I didn¡¯t want to. Her attitude was pissing me off. Calm down, Em! Calm down! At my answer, she seemed taken aback. Wide wide eyes, she typed something on herputer and then nced up at me again; the color of her face drained. ¡°Uh, i- I¡¯m so sorry, Ma¡¯am, I didn¡¯t recognize you. I just saw your picture¡­ uh, I apologise for my behavior, sure, Mr. Valencian is free now. You can go and see him.¡± Wiping the perspiration off her forehead, she offered me her best smile. I nodded. ¡°Thanks. Just be a little nicer to people next time.¡± ¡°Y-yes, of course, Mrs. Valencian. It won¡¯t happen again,¡± she stuttered. Even she was aware of the judging looks she was throwing me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry again.¡± shing a small smile, I turned around and walked away. *** Knocking on the door, I waited, rubbing my tummy. The smile was ear splitting on my face. ¡°Come in!¡± His deep Greek ent grumbled from the other side of the door. A sigh left me. Even if he just left home this morning, I already missed him so much. And I was the one who literally threw him out of home to go and take care of his work, because since he got to know that he impregnated me, for the second time, he barely left my side. Pushing the door open, I padded inside before locking it behind. ¡°Yes?¡± he asked in a very cold voice, without looking up, too busy with signing on files. An adorable frown was etched between his brows. ¡°I got lunch for you, Mr. Valencian. Thought you would be hungry,¡± I said, making his gaze snap up to me. Surprise shed across those stormy grey orbs, and it didn¡¯t take long for the softness to appear in those hard eyes. ¡°Rosebud?¡± Standing up, he strode to me, immediately taking me into his warmth. ¡°What are you doing here? You didn¡¯t tell me you wereing.¡± I kissed his cheek. ¡°I wanted to surprise you. See, I got you home made food.¡± He looked at the box in my hand and then back to my face. Pressing his lips together, he got out his handkerchief and dabbed it on my forehead. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to stay home and rest? You have exhausted yourself!¡± I pouted. ¡°I¡¯m fine! Aren¡¯t you happy that I¡¯m here? I made these foods for you with my own hands!¡± Sighing, he pressed a kiss on my forehead, brushing away some strayed strands. ¡°You know my eyes crave to see you around me every second of the day. But you¡¯re eight months along, baby, you shouldn¡¯t exert yourself much. But now that you¡¯re already here, let¡¯s eat, I¡¯m starving to eat the food my wife made for me.¡± The grin reappeared on my face as I nodded my head and dragged him to the couch. ¡°Oomph!¡± pping at his chest, I tried to move away from his hungry mouth from mine. ¡°You¡¯re supposed to eat lunch, not me!¡± ¡°I¡¯m just expressing my appreciation to my wife who made my favorite dishes specially for me, with her own hands,¡± he rasped against my jaw, pulling me back on hisp when I tried to move away. Seriously. In pregnancy, I should be the always h***y one here, which I was, most of the time, but it never surpassed his lust for me. Where I would get tired after making love once at night, he would be all set to ravish me all night long. Even after waking up, I would find him seducing me. As much as I loved it, it leaves me sore and sleepy all day. He wouldn¡¯t let me work because I would exert myself too much that way, but he wouldn¡¯t mind to tire me out with pleasure. Nine years of marriage, and here we were, still behaving like newly mated rabbits. He would be at fault mostly. Seriously, half of the day he would spend his time thinking about s*x! At his burning touches on my inner thighs, I bit back a moan and slid off hisp. ¡°Show me your appreciationter. Let¡¯s eat now. I¡¯m hungry. Your child needs food,¡± Iined, roaming my hand over my huge bump. As much as I loved the little one inside, I hated that I looked like a c*w now. But he didn¡¯t seem to mind at all. In fact, weirdly, he keeps saying that seeing me pregnant with his kid only turned him on. It boosted his ego, because he could show the world that I was his. I rolled my eyes in my head. What would I do with this man? At the mention of the baby, he sobered up from his lust. cing a hand on my bump, he caressed it gently. A look of felicity shone into his eyes. ¡°Right. Daddy is sorry for keeping Mommy busy. The food is on the way, little one,¡± saying, he kissed my belly, then pecked my lips again before starting to serve the food on our tes. ¡°Here, let¡¯s feed your mommy.¡± Roasted chicken, creamy Alfredo pasta, mashed potatoes and some veggies were scattered across our tes. I wanted to make some garlic shrimps, but recently I started to dislike the taste of shrimp. So I just opted for chicken instead. ¡°How¡¯s it?¡± I asked, once he put the pasta in his mouth. Chewing, he put some pasta into his fork and held it against my mouth. Which I dly epted. ¡°My Rosebud made them for me, how could it not be good?¡± Taking my hand in his, he kissed my knuckles. ¡°These hands have magic. Just like every part of your body.¡± My eyes widened. Blood rushed to my cheeks as he let out a chuckle. I shook my head. ¡°Concentrate on the food, will you? And they¡¯re not that good. Just fine.¡± ¡°All of them taste amazing, baby. Especially the pasta. I love it.¡± Still keeping my left hand in his, he went for another spoonful, letting out a moan. ¡°Thank you for this, honey.¡± And this brought a smile on my face. As usual, most of the cooking was done by him in our home. I would just sit there for him to feed me. It was just on some asions I cooked. It was just not my thing. But still, I made him and Archer something from time to time. Archer, my eight years old son, who was currently at his school. Remembering his school¡­ ¡°We need to go to Archer¡¯s school, you remember that, right? We have a meeting with his teacher about him joining the football team,¡± I said, chewing on the chicken. He nodded. ¡°Of course, how can I forget that? We¡¯ll go there after we¡¯re done with your check up.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve an appointment today?¡± I blinked. I forgot again? D**n, I didn¡¯t know pregnancy hormones could make you forget things so easily. I wouldn¡¯t have remembered about Archer¡¯s school either if I didn¡¯t get a call from his teacher just an hour ago. He chuckled, eyes amused. ¡°Yes, Rosebud. You¡¯ve an appointment today. And we¡¯ve to leave in half an hour. I was about to pick you up from home, but since you¡¯re here, I¡¯ll just call Judy to send your reports fromst month with the driver.¡± Judy was our house help, a middle aged kinddy whom he hired to take care of me whenever he wasn¡¯t home. Nodding, I went back to the food. Once we were done with the lunch, we cuddled on his couch for a while until it was time to leave for my regr check-up. So when the driver got me my medical reports, we headed to the hospital. *** ¡°Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Valencian, please have a seat. The doctor will see you in a few. She¡¯s on an important phone call,¡± said the nurse, ushering us to wait in the waiting room. ¡°She should be doing her job instead of attending her phone calls. Did she forget that she has an appointment with my wife?¡± Ace shot a re at the poor nurse, making her fidget in her ce. ¡°Uh, I- i¡¯m extremely sorry for the inconvenience, Mr. Valencian. It¡¯s an emergency. She needs to attend the phone call,¡± she stuttered, casting me a nce that asked for help. I put a hand on his shoulder. ¡°Ace, it¡¯s alright. She¡¯ll just take some minutes. We can wait.¡± Pressing his lips, he gave a curt nod to the nurse, dismissing her. And she didn¡¯t take a second to flee away. I shook my head. ¡°You didn¡¯t need to be rude.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t tolerate any carelessness when ites to you.¡± Tone strict. Smiling, I caressed his cheek, standing closer. His arm wrapped around my waist. ¡°No need to be so grumpy. I¡¯m just fine.¡± ¡°Yeah, anyway, you want anything? Juice?¡± ¡°Orange.¡± I beamed. I was just craving it since we left his office. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be back with it in a minute. Stay here.¡± cing a kiss on my forehead, he strode away. Sighing, I took a seat. Another pregnant woman with strawberry blonde hair and freckles on her cheeks sat beside me. ¡°How long?¡± I asked, offering her a smile. ¡°Five months and two weeks,¡± she replied politely. ¡°What about you? Seven, eight?¡± My brows raised in surprise. ¡°It¡¯s eight, how did you guess?¡± A smile tugged up her lips. ¡°I¡¯m a midwife.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s great. You must not need anyone¡¯s guide in your pregnancy then!¡± I joked. Laughing, she shook her head. ¡°Sometimes it helps. Though my fiance still insists on having a doctor¡¯s guideline.¡± ¡°He¡¯s right though. Even the doctors go to another doctor about their health issues,¡± I said. ¡°My name is Emerald, by the way, Emerald Valencian.¡± I offered my hand for a handshake, but the only thing she did was watch me with wide eyes. At my raised brow, she asked, ¡°You¡¯re¡­ are you by any chance the famous fashion designer, Emerald Hutton, who¡¯s now married to Achilles Valencian?¡± My cheeks warmed. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m the same Emerald Hutton.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m a fan of your designs! I never miss any disys of your brand,¡± she gushed, watching me with her eyes sparkling with awe. Though I was proud of the name I gained in the market, I was never good at facing the fame. I had started my own clothing outlet after Archer¡¯s birth. In between the pregnancy and marriage, I didn¡¯t get any time to think about this particr dream of mine, until Ace gifted me the studio in our house at our first anniversary where I now worked on my designs. And from then, I didn¡¯t stop. Even now, through my second pregnancy, I did my work as much as I could. ¡°Uh, thanks. I¡¯m d you liked them,¡± I said, shifting awkwardly. She smiled softly, still watching me. I had a feeling she wanted to say something else to me, but decided against it as she looked away. ¡°Oh, here you are! I¡¯m so sorry, I¡¯mte, honey! I was stuck in the traffic,¡± a familiar voice spoke out as a man approached the woman beside me. He halted in his tracks the moment his gaze fell on me. My lips parted in shock. It¡¯s been years since Ist saw him. ¡°E-emerald?¡± Brown eyes were wide. ¡°Hello, Warner.¡± My voice came out tight. Share Chapter 77 Chapter 77 Read The Trap Of Ace By Eva Zahan Chapter 77 ¨C Thest time I saw him was at the police station. After that night, Ace handed him over to the police for trying to force himself on me. And as much as that night managed to send a shiver down my spine for months after that, I pressed down on my grudge against him and thought rationally. Yes, what he did was wrong, but he was drunk at that moment. Not that it gave him any excuse to do that to me, but I decided to let things end and requested Ace to withdraw hisint. Even I did wrong to him, though it was nothingpared to the deed he tried to do. But for the sake of our years of friendship, I decided to let him out after fifteen days of his j**l, much to Ace¡¯s dismay. He wanted him to rot behind the bars forever. Even though he apologized for his actions endlessly, I had told him to stay away from me and not to try to reach out in any way. But here he was today, probably with his fiance. I just hoped Ace wouldn¡¯t see him here. The woman beside me stood up and he rushed to her side immediately, before turning to me again. ncing at my bump, a soft smile etched on his face. ¡°How are you doing, Em¡­ I mean, Emerald.¡± He cleared his throat awkwardly. I nodded. ¡°Good.¡± I didn¡¯t say anything else as he fidgeted in his ce. ¡°And¡­ Achilles?¡± ¡°Great.¡± ¡°This is my fiance, Sarah,¡± he said, making that woman smile at me. The look in her eyes told me she knew more than just about my designs. ¡°Hi, I- uh, I wanted to introduce you myself, but I didn¡¯t know how you would react. Warner told me so much about you that I feel like I know you for years!¡± My eyes cut Warner. ¡°Then he must have told you the reason behind our distance now?¡± Guilt shed over his eyes as he looked down in shame. Sarah squeezed his hand. ¡°Yes, he told me everything.¡± Her voice came out soft. ¡°You don¡¯t know what guilt he was going through for years. He still curses that night. I can¡¯t say he deserves your forgiveness, but he¡¯s extremely sorry, Emerald. Nothing can justify his act, but it was not him. The alcohol, the anger, the jealousy and his heartbreak made him react like that. You knew him for years, he isn¡¯t that person.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Em!¡± Warner took a step forward, eyes pleading. ¡°I know you hate me. But please, maybe for the sake of the friendship we had, forgive me? I don¡¯t want any ce in your life again, I lost the right to be your friend again, but at least say that you forgave me. It¡¯ll be easier to live thinking that my best doesn¡¯t hate me anymore.¡± Something clenched in my heart. The b**n in my eyes made me look away. Even after the hatred, I had missed his presence in my life. He was my best friend after all. Even deep down, I knew he wasn¡¯t the person I met that night. But sometimes, if a rtionship is broken, it can¡¯t be fixed. So we better stay away from each other. ¡°I know that wasn¡¯t you, Warner. That¡¯s why I made Ace let you out of j**l. Honestly, I don¡¯t really hate you, I never did. But yes,¡± I looked at him in the eye, ¡°the hurt you gave me that night, I can¡¯t forget it so easily. Yes, I can forgive you for that night. It¡¯s been years after all. But don¡¯t expect me to be all nice and friends with you. We¡¯ll be the way we have been for years.¡± When I said I would forgive him, a light of hope had lit in his eyes. But as soon as I finished my talk, it died down. ¡°Em¡­¡± He let out a sigh before nodding. ¡°Thank you. At least I¡¯ll get your forgiveness. But I will always hope that maybe someday, we could be friends again.¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± ncing at Sarah, I shed a small smile. ¡°All the best for your future.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± she nodded as a small smile tugged up Warner¡¯s lips. *** When the car screeched to a halt, I looked out of the window. School hours were over. So most of the kids were out in the yground, running and skipping around. Some were leaving with their respective parents. ¡°Don¡¯t you think joining the football team will add more pressure on his shoulders? He already has his studies and swimming lessons to take care of,¡± Ace grumbled for the third time since our son informed us that he was taking a part in the football team. I smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he can take care of all of them.¡± I was thankful that Warner and Sarah left for their turn for check up before Ace showed up. Otherwise I was sure Warner wouldn¡¯t be going home today, which was now in this city, he would be on the hospital bed instead. He gave a slow nod. ¡°He¡¯s my son after all.¡± Only his son? I raised my brow. ¡°I didn¡¯t remember it was you who gave birth to him.¡± A husky chuckle reverberated through his chest. Leaning in, he brushed his lips against mine. ¡°Yeah, but I was the one who made you pregnant.¡± Letting out a huff, I scrambled out of the car. ¡°Yeah, but I was the one who carried him for nine months in my womb and gave birth to him. So he¡¯s my son.¡± Rounding the car, he strode to me, wrapping a possessive arm around me. ¡°Our son.¡± And that broke out a grin on my face. ¡°Let¡¯s go and meet his teacher now. He must be waiting for us.¡± Nodding my head, I let him guide me into the school where we met Archer¡¯s teacher, with Archer present in the office. ¡°Don¡¯t worry at all, Mr. Valencian. He¡¯s very good at whatever he does, be it studies, swimming or football. I¡¯m sure he can manage it all without hampering his studies,¡± assured Mr. Devaski from the other side of his desk. ¡°We know that. But still, we don¡¯t want to ce much pressure on him, you know? He¡¯s just a kid,¡± I said, ncing at our son, who stood straight beside the desk. At my addressing him as a ¡®kid¡¯, an almost non visible crease formed between his brows. I bit back my smile. At just eight, he was much more mature and quiet than most of the kids of his age. To say, he was just like his father. He liked to keep to himself, wouldn¡¯t share any of his thoughts unless it was necessary and tends to observe everything quietly. Not only did he have his father¡¯s characteristics, he got his looks too. Same dark hair, grey eyes and facial features. But when Ace had stormy grey eyes, his were slightly smoldering. I sometimes feared that he was missing out his childhood due to his being serious most of the time. He didn¡¯t even have many friends other than Raphael, Tess and Caleb¡¯s son and Calvin, another boy in his ss. That was it. ¡°Rest assured, Mrs. Valencian, we¡¯ll be making sure we don¡¯t give him much load,¡± Mr. Devaski said. ¡°Good, make sure to stick to your words. I don¡¯t want my son to suffer in any way,¡± Ace warned, pinning the middle-aged man with his sharp gaze. That poor man fidgeted on his chair, clearing his throat. ¡°Sure, Mr. Valencian. Don¡¯t worry about that.¡± Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Ace gave a curt nod. ¡°Anyways, how¡¯s his studies going? I hope he¡¯s on his best behavior?¡± Archer sneaked a nce at his father, not saying a word. Mr. Devaskiughed. ¡°Oh, his studies are good. He¡¯s a genius in every subject. His behavior is also good, except¡­¡± he drawled out, casting a look at Archer. ¡°Except?¡± Ace titled his head. ¡°Except the asional res he sends to his teachers.¡± He let out an awkwardughter as Archer did the same thing he was used of. His narrowed eyes fixed on Mr. Devaski. ¡°But it¡¯s alright. Kids can have tantrums sometimes. I can understand.¡± My eyes widened. ¡°Archer? Is that true?¡± He didn¡¯t say anything, just removed his gaze from his teacher. His posture was too proud to be sorry for his behavior at all. ¡°Young man?¡± At Ace¡¯ voice, he turned to his father, as obedient as ever. I got jealous of Ace sometimes that he had more control over our son than I had. But at least Archer respected and feared his father which was good. ¡°What am I hearing? Is it true? If it is, then may I know the reason for your behavior?¡± Mr. Devaski watched Archer from behind his sses that fell in the middle of his nose. ¡°They waste my time asking irrational questions,¡± was his short answer, tone polite. Ace nodded. ¡°Then it¡¯s understandable,¡± saying, he stood up, buttoning up his coat. My mouth fell open at this. ¡°You have anything else to say Mr. Devaski?¡± That poor man closed his mouth that opened followed by mine at Ace¡¯ response, and nodded his head. ¡°N-no, Mr. Valencian. That was all. Hope to see you soon at our annual sports day.¡± Giving a curt nod, Ace wrapped an arm around me and ushered us outside; Archer followed closely behind. Once outside, I shrugged his arm away and stomped inside the car. After they piled in, I red at both of them. Both of them didn¡¯t meet my eye. ¡°Then it¡¯s understandable? Really Ace? Howe that is understandable? He can¡¯t be just rude to his teachers!¡± I fumed, cing a hand on my stomach. I didn¡¯t say anything before Mr. Devaski to avoid creating a scene. But I just couldn¡¯t let it go. ¡°Rx, Rosebud. Don¡¯t worry, he won¡¯t be rude to them anymore,¡± saying, he grabbed my hand. But I snatched it away, making him grimace. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to be rude. But they always ask stupid questions and talk like I¡¯m a two years old kid who doesn¡¯t know anything,¡± Archer grunted from the back seat. ¡°They¡¯re your teachers. They do what¡¯s best for you. So don¡¯t say like they¡¯re stupid. They know what they¡¯re doing.¡± My tone came out hard. ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Archer,¡± warned Ace, sending a sharp look through the rearview mirror. ¡°Apologize to your mother. Didn¡¯t I tell you not to talk back with her? If it¡¯s your mistake, then apologize. Don¡¯t argue.¡± He went quiet, before mumbling, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± I looked out of the window, still mad at his behavior. He even didn¡¯t go along with the other kids in his ss. In his opinion, they were too annoying for his liking. When I didn¡¯t say anything, a small hand caught my wrist softly. Turning around, I found his smoldering grey eyes watching me in hope that I would forgive him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mom. It won¡¯t happen again.¡± A sigh left me. How could I stay mad at him for so long when he would look at me with these eyes? ¡°I¡¯m sorry too,¡± said his father. ¡°Are we forgiven?¡± At this, a smile curved up my mouth. ¡°Yes, but make sure not to repeat it, Archer.¡± Then I looked at my man. ¡°And you too, don¡¯t encourage him with his mistakes.¡± ¡°Done. Thank you, baby. Let¡¯s go now.¡± Kissing my hand, he ruffled Archer¡¯s hair which he didn¡¯t appreciate at all, before driving off. Sighing, I leaned back against the seat. Though I let this matter go for now, I¡¯d have to talk to both of them about it, especially Ace. Archer¡¯s behavior worried me. I just wanted him to be more carefree, to be yful just like the other kids at his age. At a squeeze on my hand, I nced at Ace. His dark eyes met mine. ¡°I¡¯m starving. I hope you¡¯re ready to feed me,¡± he said, in his deep husky voice which sent a shiver down my spine. I very well knew which hunger he was talking about. My eyes went to the mirror where our son was sitting quietly, watching the passing road, unaware of his father¡¯s double meaning and with a too proud stance to say that he wasn¡¯t feeling even a little guilty of his ring at his teachers. I shook my head. I didn¡¯t know what I would do with these two stubborn Valencian men. They got on my nerves sometimes. But then, they were the best things that ever happened to me. And I loved them with everything I had. Share The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!