The Trap Of Ace By Eva Zahan

Huffing, I slammed the files on the desk. I've been brainstorming since the breaking news, but I couldn't come 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's company'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 it coming. 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 plan? 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.

The knock on the door didn't have my heart leap. Because I knew it wasn't him! He wouldn't knock at all to come 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 to lawyer 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 plan. 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 too late 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 become 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 would come to at risk." A sigh left him. "He didn't know where life was taking him, Em. And after knowing your plan 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 any complaints 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 to come 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.

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"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 play 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 place 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 accepted 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 placed 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."