ACE "Where is she?" I demand from Lucas when I get home. I had been sceptical about hiring him because of his calm face and nice smile. Compared to Dan, he has an approachable face. I didn't think much of it then, but now that I have these messed up feelings for Aella, I don't want her to ever look at another man the way she looks at me. My men know better, but I can't say for my Angel. "In the bedroom Mr Hale." He looks at me, then immediately corrects himself. "Of course, she went to bed immediately after dinner." I know she had just fruits for breakfast and an alarming number of cakes, for lunch she requested pasta which made me happy. "And dinner" I ask impatiently. "Chips and roasted chicken. She wanted wine, but I declined." "Good. She is not allowed to drink when she is not with me." He nods his head in understanding, resuming his position at the door. Ryan and Jake will be coming tomorrow, I want to ease Aella in before introduc
ACE"Thank you." Aella moves to kiss me but pulls back immediately. she looks at me infuriated. "Lucas wouldn't let me have wine, not even a glass of wine.""I know, he was only following my instructions."she folds her hands pouting. "Why can't I have wine, I am not a child.""You can have wine when you are with me, case closed.""Do you realise you are a control freak? You can't do that to me.""After what happened at the club..." I pause, I don't want to tell her she was almost raped."What happened? no matter how hard I think, I can't remember.""Then leave it be."I peck her lips smiling. "Let me make love to you Angel"."Ace" she replies moaning. I would never get tired of how responsive she can be."Please Aella, let me make love to you.""Yes," she whispers, tugging on my hair and kissing me. Her lips are demanding, firm and slow. She wants this as much as I do, we have waited enough.I push her robe open, while placing feather-like kisses across her jaw, chin and corners of h
ACE SHE DREAMS AGAIN I watch her from the camera feed, she frowns, and I only get alarmed, standing to my feet in a hurry when she screams my name. I have never considered my office so far as I do at this moment, I wish I didn't leave her on the bed alone, I wish I could sleep beside her and hold her instead of watching her sleep from a fucking live feed like a coward. But I know I would hurt her if I didn't. Even a strong man like me has fears, I lose control when I sleep off, I didn't have troubles with that before, but now that I know I have someone as precious as Aella, I would never be able to forgive myself if I hurt her when I am vulnerable. I meet Dan at the door, he has a panicked look on his face too. He must have heard her screams too. I wave him away as I reach the room with a hitched breath. The sight I meet kills me. She is on the extreme side of the bed, her body curved in a ball. I know she is crying. She look
ACE I gave her a new phone. she doesn't know that I installed a tracking device in it. I want to know where she is at any time of the day. "What about my other phone?" "This is safer," I speak. "Thank you." I don't know how to deal with her emotions, so I just smile. I pick up a short flowery dress, a bra and undies, handing them over to her. I don't miss the smirk on her face. "When did you have the time to do all this?" She inquires, dressing. "I had Sarah bring them in." she stops dressing, frowning at me. "You know I don't like that bitch." "I know, that is why I made sure you didn't see her." I massage the back of my neck, trying to calm the headache brewing. "For heaven's sake, stop swearing Aella." She follows me outside quietly, biting her lips which she is probably imagining as my ear. Amanda isn't in the kitchen when we get there, I guess she desperately wanted to avoid another epis
AELLAThe nerve! I sniff, forcing my tears back. I wish I were stronger, then I would have stabbed him deeper, and he would have bled more. Who does he think he is? ordering me around and making decisions for me. I would accept everything; I can take it with a frown, but he has no right to force a child on me.A baby, how can someone as broken as me carry an innocent child in her womb? Mama would be turning in her Grave, praying I become barren, and my breast become as dry as the dessert. Mama made sure I prayed every night, begging God to close my womb so I don't end up bringing another abomination, another sin into this world.I stare at the door for a long time, fisting the fork in my hands, willing him to open the door so I could stab his neck instead. He doesn't of course, I know he is gone. I almost sit back down to finish my food, but I go back to the bedroom instead. I will scream the roof down if he tries to spank me when he comes back home.I move to the closet where my new
AELLA I am sandwiched between the two men, Dan on my right, and Lucas on my left. I know they are with guns, and I laugh in my throat thinking about how I have moved from a plain girl to a girl important people want dead. I move to run to Eva when I see her, but Lucas holds my wrist, dropping his hand immediately like I might burn him. The fear of Ace is the beginning of wisdom. "Can you please not move further than five feet?" I swallow my sassy comment when Eva pulls me into a tight hug. She has always been a hugger, it makes me uncomfortable, but with Ace, I am always so happy that I never want to let go. I can't even go a minute without thinking of him. "You smell so rich!" she splatters kisses all over my face, ignoring the small crowd gathering at our back. "You also look rich. Is that Louis Vuitton? get out, I have been saving since last year for this cardigan. It is from their latest collection." I laugh. I knew they were expensive. She lets
AELLA I start regretting my decision when Jacob drops us off at Eva's house. I frown disgusted when they start kissing nosily and fondling each other like desperate schoolchildren. "Don't wait up, I will call you immediately after we are done. We, girls, take time cleaning up but for you?" She touches his nose playfully. "I will take extra time to clean up this lady's garden for you. I know you like eating me because I am your favorite taste in the world." The fuck Eva? How does she get all nasty with boys and not turn red? I can't even get naked in front of Ace without feeling shy. Speaking of Ace, I am sure he is going out of his mind looking for me right now. Jacob fondles her breast, using his other hand to grab her buttocks. "We could go inside together, let me show you how much I love your taste." Okay, that is it. "Really guys? I am standing right here." Eva pecks him, freeing herself from his embrace. "I will call you baby. You can show me
AELLA The article spoke of his success as a young entrepreneur, his involvement in various industries, and his immense wealth. He founded his company Hale Enterprise at the young age of twenty-one and made his first billion a few months later, making him one of the wealthiest businessmen in the world and a prominent philanthropist. I continue reading intrigued by his successful career. I discovered he is just twenty-eight and recorded in Forbes as one of the richest men below thirty. He also owns different clubs, hotels, and houses around the world. I Stare at Eva shocked, finally understanding her reaction. "I think the man is a freaking billionaire." "I think he is." I knew he had money, but surely not this kind of money. I clicked on the first article and I immediately regretted my decision when I started reading. The headline read 'ELIGIBLE BACHELOR AND HOLLYWOOD PRINCESS' They looked cosy in the pictures which made me very mad. She was
ACE EPILOGUE I frown, holding my tongue when Aella carries a chair outside, Ryker is whispering to North beside me, he must be saying something funny because it has her giggling. I lose it when Aella comes back inside to carry the second chair "Baby, let me do that" "Christ Ace, I am four months pregnant not handicapped!" North laughs beside me, and I give her the side eye. "You might shake the baby up with all those lifting" Why can't my wife see that I am making a lot of sense here? I have more than enough men around to help arrange, but Aella is hell-bent on doing things her way. When I confronted her yesterday, demanding that she let an event planner do it, she cried her eyes out and told me she wanted to plan her daughter's third birthday party herself, like she didn't plan the last two. "Dada, dada!" The smile on my face widens when Mia runs towards me. I bend to carry her, and she yawns. Aella immediately abandons everything, giving her attention to our daughter. "D
AELLA I push her hard when she tries to punch my stomach. I have blood all over me, but I take consolation in the fact that they are hers. She screams furiously when she lands on her butt. I am getting dizzy from all the hair-pulling. I yelp when she grabs my hair. "You should never have left your cage whore. You caused all of this, you drove me to this point child" She shouts, pushing, me to the floor and kicking me accurately. Pain slices through me and my eyes tear up, flowing freely. If I could get my mind past the pain and shock, I would fight back, she is trying to kill our baby. She draws her leg back and kicks me, I scream, my body folding over protectively, my arms wrapping around my tummy to protect my baby. Her first connects with my thighs in an angered, frenzied scream. "You will die with this bitch inside you, I will save the world from another whore like you." She sounds breathless. I don't know where I found the courage, but I suddenly got on my feet, punching
ACE My hands were shaking when Jake turned on his laptop. "Thankfully, she was taken here, I don't think she knew you had cameras in here." He clicks on the video, and I suddenly forget how to breathe "Aella mo... you know her?" I was suddenly sweating, "Not as Aella's mother." We would have found her sooner if I ever took the initiative to request pictures of my woman's mother. I slightly open my mouth to assist myself with breathing. "She was there that night Jake." Jake pauses, staring at me like I might have lost my mind. "We have never seen any woman in any of the videos sent to us all these years. You confirmed that they were all men." I sit, I fear I might fall if I don't. "I think my memory has been messed up all this while, I might have gotten it all wrong. But I swear to you, I know her," I look back at the video playing on the laptop. "Her hair, voice, that smile, how could I ever forget it? She had the same smile on her face when she killed my mother." "You said
AELLA I remember Ace telling me his father came home angry, and for the first time, raised his voice, he died that same day. Oh God, my eyes widen in shock, and I stare at Mama, hoping she tells me I am wrong "Please, tell me you didn't kill him." "Well technically no..." She smirks. "I only told Joe that he tried to rape me when I found out he was planning on snitching on us. Joe and Luciano were furious, so they made his death look like a car accident." I want to throw up, so I do. Ace would hate me when he found out that Mama had a hand in his father's death. "You would need a bowl by the time I finished my story." "It doesn't end there?" "Is that question number three?" God help me "Yes." "Tighten your seat belt, honey, it is about to get messy." She said, "I didn't like the fact that he chose his family over me, I wanted to destroy everything he worked for." "God, please no" "We went to their house, it was easy, Luciano had made a name for himself, he had m
AELLAI just want Ace, I know I would feel better when I saw his face. I make quick work of locking the front door, before running upstairs to the bedroom. I burst through the door, frenzied and out of breath, only to be met by a woman, standing in the middle of the room, staring at the window. She turns to face me almost immediately, and the knife in my hand falls to the ground dramatically. "Mama?" I feel dizzy and confused all of a sudden. I must have died at some point and ended up in hell with Mama, how else do I explain my sudden ability to see the dead? "You haven't changed Aella." She looks at my bump with disgust "I always knew you would end up a whore, prophesies never lie child." I don't know if I need to run, or defend myself. "You are dead." Someone, please wake me up from this dream. She laughs and my eyes widen in shock when I see the syringe. why is everyone so obsessed with drugging me? "You haven't changed Aella, still the same old child, looking for val
AELLA My heart immediately breaks, but I sniff to avoid crying. "Oh God, you were... you were like that till morning?" "Yes, I was at the hospital for weeks. My father's family took me in but later sent me away, Mike came to the rescue when I had no one else to turn to." "All of these don't define you, Ace, it only proves that you are a strong-willed man." "Thank you""I love you now, more than ever." "I have not been able to properly sleep since then. I keep having nightmares Aella, crazy ones. I end up physically hurting anyone around me when I am unconscious." "You are scared of hurting me? We wouldn't know if we didn't try Ace." "Remember I told you my uncle sent me out after a month because Lysandra told them about my trauma?" "Yes, how could I forget that." "We happened to spend the night together once." I raise my brow "Just sleeping Aella, we were kids." "Don't blame me for going there, I don't like her, you know that." "I hurt her, it could have been so mu
ACE I watch Aella sleep. There is something peaceful and calm about it, her red hair spread around her like a blanket, her small mouth slightly opened, and her eyes tightly shut. She looks like an angel straight out of a museum. I gently touch her hair, then her brow and she sighs. I never imagined I could ever have someone who genuinely loved me like my parents, someone ready to protect me like Mike and my mother. I fucking love Aella with all of me, and she doesn't even know she is giving me the most perfect gift which is our child. I never truly wanted to be a father until I laid my eyes on her. I suddenly had this animalistic urge to own her, to get her pregnant and when all this was over, she would be completely mine, she would be legally tied to me forever. I want to call her wife so badly, this time around, I don't want to just slip a ring on her finger like I did the first time she met my family, I want to properly ask her to marry me, and I know she would say ye
AELLA Ace looked older and tired, I didn't notice how much his hair and beard had grown, or the dark circles around his eyes, he looked like he hadn't slept in weeks. I wish I could say he looked like he hadn't slept in two days because I was away. I sigh, and he stares at me. We have been silent since I came back home, I guess he feels guilty after all. "When last did you sleep?" "Uhh?" My question threw him off guard. "I want to tell you the truth." "Then, tell me." "I hardly ever sleep Aella, and no, it didn't start because of you, It started way before I met you." "When you were molested?" I haven't seen the video, but with the little North told me, I guess molested is the best word to use. "You have seen it?" I am immediately mad when he buries his head in his hands in shame. I hear him sniff, and I force my butt to remain on my seat, if I move to console him now, he would think I perceive him as weak. "I am sorry you had to watch that, I would not stop you from leaving
AELLA "How could a beautiful woman like you, love a man like Ryker," I say, copying her. She laughs, smoothing her baby hair. "I know right." She frowns "I have been a terrible host. Do you want anything Aella?" "Water please." My throat is so dry. "Of course. Elena, a minute please" A beautiful young lady in her twenties comes in, holding a glass of water. I accept it with a smile, drinking greedily from the cup. "Here, do take her with you." She pouts, and Elena smiles, holding a laugh "I hope she sleeps longer; I might cry with her if she starts again." Elena loses the battle, laughing her ass out, with her hands on her belly. "I now understand why Mama sent me here, what would you do without me North? Give her to me, I will leave you two to talk, don't worry about this sleeping beauty." She waves at me, before leaving the room with the baby. "Your sister?" "Yes. bless her, she agreed to go to school from here, she is obsessed with Celeste." That explains Elena's bea