Chapter 7

Something inside me was harrowing. I couldn't take it anymore. Slowly, my feet stepped back, and I turned to leave. The joints in my entire body felt weak. I rested one hand on the table's edge to avoid collapsing. I didn't want to cry, but the tears were welling up.

"Don't cry, Vic. That bastard doesn't deserve your tears," I told myself.

Why was I crying over him? Why was I in pain for him? Shouldn't I be happy he found another girl to spend his nights with? But why did it hurt so much?

"Hey, you! What are you doing there?" Someone called out and came to me.

I wiped away the tears with my fingers and lifted my face. I turned to the man standing a few steps to my right.

"You're here to serve guests, not to daydream. Go back to your place quickly! Don't get me in trouble for your behavior," he ordered, his eyes glaring at me.

From how they treated me, it seemed that no one in this mansion knew that Ace and I were mates. Or maybe they knew, but it meant nothing.

"Sorry. I'll be back there," I said, uninterested in arguing.

A man in the drinks department handed me a tray with filled glasses. My hands were shaking, and I hesitated to pick it up.

"Hurry up! The guests are waiting," the man said.

"My hands are shaking. Give me a second," I pleaded.

I wanted to avoid attracting more attention by dropping the tray of glasses. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. I suppressed the pain in my heart until my hands were no longer shaking. Once I had everything under control, I quickly picked up the tray and returned to work.

Even though I had chosen the side furthest from Ace, he seemed to have a magnet that attracted my eyeballs to roll in his direction. It was so distracting that I accidentally bumped into a guest.

"Hey, watch your step!" The guest snapped at me.

"Sorry, sir," I said, not daring to raise my gaze. Fortunately, I could maintain the tray's balance, so no glass fell over.

Damn it! I'd been careful not to be seen, but I became the center of attention because of the incident. The other guests were looking at me, as well as Ace. I could see Ace swinging his steps before I looked the other way. What was he going to do? Was he going to punish me in front of his fiancée?

"What's going on here?" asked Ace.

My heart was beating so fast. But I didn't dare look at him. I was afraid he would see my puffy eyes.

"You should fire her, Alpha Ace. This waitress is incompetent at her job," the man I bumped into replied.

My head was still down. I saw Ace's feet moving towards me.

"Isn't this an effortless job? Why can't you do it properly?" Ace asked.

I sealed my lips tightly. I didn't want to answer that all this was because of him. Ace caused me to be careless. Ace made me lose focus.

Ace grabbed my face, flanking my cheeks with his fingers. Then he pulled my face until we were facing each other, eye to eye. This made my heart go wild inside my chest like it was about to jump out.

"Do your job properly, or I'll give you a punishment you'll regret," he hissed with an intent look.

His expression, words, and the look in his eyes further convinced me that this man did not deserve my tears. I looked him straight in the eye without replying to his words. My legs snapped back when he violently let go of my face.

"Get back to work!" ordered Ace as he turned to leave me.

A moment later, I sighed while looking at Ace's retreat. He approached the girl with his arms around her again. From where I was, I could see Ace smiling satisfactorily at what he had done.

I didn't want to hurt myself, so I quickly turned my gaze away. I went back to the drinks table and put down the tray.

"I'm going to the toilet," I excused myself.

My legs swung quickly. My eyes were heating up. My vision grew blurry. The warm liquid obscured my eyes. The tears I had been holding back finally spilled out. Inside the toilet, I sat limply on the cold floor. I could no longer hold back the sobs. I let the tears stream down my face as I hugged my knees.

Some time passed, and my crying subsided. I got up and stood in front of the sink mirror. I looked at the reflection of my miserable-looking face in the mirror. This could not be allowed. I had to do something. I had to get out of this prison.

"I have to go," I muttered as an idea flashed.

I washed my face with cold water. My adrenaline spiked as I thought of an escape plan. When else would I get this chance? I was sure Ace would keep me in that room again if this party ended.

My mind was made up. I had to get away from this cursed place. I opened the toilet door and found no one outside. This was an excellent opportunity. I sneak around, looking for a way to leave the party venue.

The mansion is very spacious. I need to find out where the exit is. I was guessing. I kept walking down the corridor, taking in every room I passed. Once in a while, I walked casually with my head down when I passed someone. I finally managed to find my way to the central courtyard.

"They're everywhere," I said as I looked around. Many of Ace's men were on guard.

The distance from where I was to the gate was quite far. I had to run fast and out of sight. It was hard, but I had to try.

"There won't be another chance." I made up my mind.

I dove down, hiding behind a line of parked cars. I waited for Ace's men to let their guard down so I could sneak towards the gate. As soon as I got the chance, I ran.

"Hey! Who's there?"

Oh crap! Ace's men saw me.

There was no point in hiding anymore. They were after me. The only thing in my head was to run as fast as I could.

"Stop!" shouted the man behind me.

"Catch her!" shouted the others.

I turned back and saw them so close. It was still too far to reach the gate. Ace's men were in front of it. I had to find another way. Unfortunately, I couldn't find any way out. I was faced with a three-meter-high fence.

"There's no other way." I decided to climb over the fence.

"She's over there, climbing over the fence!"

I turned around and saw Ace's men pointing at me.

"Damn it!" I cursed under my breath.

After much struggle, I finally made it to the top. At once, I jumped up.

"Aargh!" I groaned in pain as my foot hit the road.

My ankle hurt like hell. It looked like it was sprained. However, I didn't have time to mourn it. I had to dash so they would miss me. Limping along, I ran. Sadly, the pain in my leg was getting worse.

"God! It hurts!" I gritted my teeth as I continued to move my legs. I couldn't run anymore. I wasn't going to make it.

"Split up!"

The order made me turn away. I saw their shadows. I quickly looked for a place to hide before they caught up. I turned my head around. Then I saw a car parked on the right side of the road. It was my only hope. I wish it weren't locked.

While enduring the pain, I dragged my feet towards the car. I tried to open the front door, but it didn't work. Then I tried the back door.

"Unlocked!" I sighed with relief.

I quickly got into the car. The next second, Ace's men appeared. I covered my mouth and dug down so they wouldn't see me.

"Ouch!" I groaned as my forehead hit a hard object.

I rubbed my forehead while wincing. Then I lifted my head, and at once, my eyes bulged. The object in front of me was someone's foot.

"Oh, shit," I said almost silently.

I slowly rolled my eyeballs upwards, and to my surprise, I saw a man sitting beside me, looking at me with a flat gaze.