The Trap Of Ace

Chapter 26

Read The Trap Of Ace [by Eva Zahan] Chapter 26 – 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 his lap as Carter poked his head through the door. His eyes widened seeing my flushed cheeks and Ace’s murderous glare.

“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 glance 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, glancing at Ace. “Uh, I gotta go now. I’ll see you later.”

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 flashed 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,” he complained.

“What? But you can’t just miss Tess’s wedding!” He’d to come. 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 anytime later, 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 that coming. 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?”

He laughed. “Your uncomfort 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…”

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 played 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’d come 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 place. 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 salary 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.

He laughed. “Yeah, that’s why I didn’t waste a moment to say yes!”

Chuckling, I glanced 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 accompanied him to Liza’s old office.

Doing small chattings with him and laughing 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 explaining 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 declared of the storm that was raging inside him.

He was… furious.

When he saw us, he came to a halt. Flaming 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 glared 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 glance 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.

Placing 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 flaring. “You are. You’re mine, Emerald Hutton. The sooner you accept it the better.” He took a swift glance at his wrist, with his hands still around my cheeks. “I’ve somewhere to go right now. I’ll talk to you later. This talk isn’t over yet.”

“But this is ridic…”

My words died down at my throat with his mouth claiming 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 flashing with rage.

Carter came out of the cabin and stood behind him but I was too busy thinking of his words.

Giving me a last deep kiss, he said, “I’ll see you later. 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 glaring 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 blank 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?

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