The Trap Of Ace By Eva Zahan

Chapter 55

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 related 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 become 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.

"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 revelation. So that's why they never had a good relationship.

"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 some comfort. "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 placed 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 accept it. But you have to. Accept 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 place 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 me laugh.

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 of laughter.

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. His laughter 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 glared 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 plans are for later."

He grumbled, trying to touch me again. But put the ladle 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," he commented, licking his lips.

My cheeks flamed at his double meaning. Letting out a laugh, he pressed a kiss on my lips and walked away.

Shaking my head, I let out a sigh.

If you're loving the book, nel5s.org is where the adventure continues. Join us for the complete experience all for free. The next chapter is eagerly waiting for you! 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 the lamp 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 discomfort 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.