CHAPTER- 21

Ace POV:

I took a long, measured breath, my eyes drifting over to the clock.

The clock had just struck past five in the morning, and the faint rays of the rising sun were starting to filter through the curtains, casting a soft glow across the room.

The silence was comforting, almost peaceful, but my mind was anything but.

Lying on my side, I cradled her head gently in the crook of my arm, her small, delicate form pressed against me as she slept.

I watched her for a moment, my gaze tracing the soft curve of her face, the way her breath came slow and steady.

My other hand moved on its own, brushing against her bare shoulder, feeling the warmth of her skin under my fingertips.

She looked so peaceful, so innocent— completely unaware of the turmoil that was gnawing at me.

Last night, I told her to strip down to nothing but her panties. She’d hesitated, her fear so palpable I could almost taste it.

But she did it anyway, trembling the entire time. Now, though, she was curled up against