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The demons of the past
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2024-10-29 19:42:56His 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 suicide. 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 yo
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Sweat trickled down his strong back along the tensing and flexing of his muscles and shoulders as he was lost into killing his huge punching bag. Only the sound of his ragged breathing and punches echoed around the gym. But what had me shocked was the bloody spots on the punching bag. And I knew where they were coming from. Rage boiled inside my veins as my fists clenched. He was doing it again. "Ace! Stop it!" His movement stilled with his hands gripping the bag to halt its swaying. The broad shoulders of his moved up and down with every heavy breath as he moved his head to me. Dark stormy grey eyes met my flaming turquoise. Striding closer, I snatched his hands from the bag. A gasp left me at the sight. They were worse than I'd ever seen before. They weren't just bruised, they were bloody. "What the
The Trap Of Ace Missing him
What? Murdered? I stilled, his words were slowly processing in my head. "W-what are you talking about? Everyone knows he did suicide. And I even know why he did that. Ace told me everything." I heard him scoffing. "Your Ace definitely lied to you again. Just like he did every time. Just like he created a sham to break your heart." I ignored his jab and the urge to right his words. Though he was right, there was a truth behind that act also. "How do you know that his father was murdered? Who told you that?" "Digging out Arthur's truth as we got to know what illegal businesses he runs, I had a suspicion that Achilles could have some connections with his uncle's activities. I mean, Arthur was doing all these under his nose and he had no idea about it? Now that sounds a little unbelievable. So I told my cousin to loo
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"Came to meet my best friend. Why? I'm not allowed in Achilles Valencian's cave?"I rolled my eyes. I knew inviting him in could cause a catastrophe if Ace comes and sees him here, but I couldn't just send him away."It's not like that. Come in!"He strolled inside as I opened the door wide for him."Coffee?" I asked while he looked around the penthouse, his hands stuffed into his pockets."Thanks!"Nodding my head, I padded into the kitchen and he followed behind."So, what brought you here all of a sudden? You didn't tell me you were going to drop by.""After last night, I thought to talk to you personally. I wanted to see if you're okay," he replied."I'm fine, Warner. Don't worry!" I put water on the stove."Did you ask him yet?" He watched me
The Trap Of Ace Stormy night
"Ace?" I called again, but the shadow didn't move.Padding closer, I squinted my eyes. The lightning that cracked outside left a flash of luster on his face for a fleeting second. Stormy grey eyes were set on me. But they were dark tonight. Much stormier than I'd even encountered.I let out a sigh of relief. "What the hell is wrong with you? You almost gave me a heart attack!"When he didn't answer, I found the switch and turned the lights on.And there he was.Still in his last night's pants and a fresh black shirt, the one he must have worn before storming out, his disheveled form sat silently on the couch. Some of the buttons of his shirt were undone, giving me a sinful sight.Even the dark circles under his eyes and a day's of old stubble didn't do anything to make him look any less sexier.I missed him.
The Trap Of Ace Leaving him
With clenched fists, I stood there with tears brimming into my eyes, watching him going still. Color slowly drained from his face, as his grey eyes widened to a friction."W-what did you say?" his deep accent asked."I said what you heard. If you don't trust me at all, I don't think this thing between us can work." Shaking my head, I wiped my tears furiously. "I'm tired of you continuously keeping me in the dark! I've already suffered for years because of your one sided decision, I won't take more. You can now happily stay in your penthouse with your stubbornness, secrets and privacy! No Emerald will nag you again and again to know your past from now on!"Ignoring the way his shoulders tensed, the crazed look that flashed across his eyes, his clenched jaw, I turned around and stormed out of the room."Don't you dare put even a step out of the penthouse, Emerald! You aren't going anywhere!"
The Trap Of Ace Panic
Knocking on the door, I waited.The hallway of the hotel was quite empty. I didn't even notice much rush of customers around. This hotel's being so old and deep in the city could be the reason behind it.This was the hotel Warner was staying at for the time being. He once gave me his address to meet him there, but I couldn't make up my time to do so. Well, I had been ignoring him a lot in the last few days, even months. And here I was thinking not to hurt him anymore.It was my luck to have such a great friend like him. Even after everything, he was here for me.When some moments passed and nobody answered, I knocked again. And this time I heard his voice."Who's it?" asking, as he opened the door, his slightly swollen eyes met mine.Surprise flashed in them."Em? Y-you came?" A uneven smile stretched across his face. "I thought you don't care for me eno
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Letting out a cry, I got up from the floor and ran to him. His strong arms wrapped around me as protective wings as soon as I reached him.I shook in his chest as hot tears ran down my cheeks. With my heart still pounding from panic, knees weak, I clung to him as if my life was depending on him."Rosebud?" he called out. "Hey, hey! Baby, look at me, are you alright? What happened? What did he do? Tell me?" Cupping my face, he attempted to make me look at him, but I hid my face in his warm chest again, still trembling from what just happened."He… he…" I hiccuped in between my sobs, not being able to form any words. His arms tightened around me.I could feel his turning all rigid, the way his muscles tensed. His hands shook around me. His breathing came out heavy."WHAT DID YOU DO?" Deep Greek accent echoed in his voice, tone darker and rougher than I had ever heard. "What had you done to
The Trap Of Ace Mrs. Valencian
A sigh left me with the continuous feathery kisses gliding down my neck and shoulder, when the gentle yet possessive touch of a pair of calloused hands over my curves pulled me out of the sleep.His hot breath fanned across the skin of my neck. A raspy deep groan reverberated through his chest when his palms slided over mine."So perfect…" husky voice murmured into my ear.A gasp slipped my lips as he softly bit on the skin of my throat. My eyes fluttered open to the shadowed room. The curtains blocked the sunlight out, only some rays of light peeked through the gaps.And then I found a pair of beautiful stormy grey eyes peering into mine. With some strands of his ruffled bed hair falling over his forehead, a day's old stubble across his sharp jaw and that familiar intense look of his whenever he looked at me left me breathless; as always."Good morning, my beautiful Rose.
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The last time I saw him was at the police station. After that night, Ace handed him over to the police for trying to force himself on me. And as much as that night managed to send a shiver down my spine for months after that, I pressed down on my grudge against him and thought rationally. Yes, what he did was wrong, but he was drunk at that moment. Not that it gave him any excuse to do that to me, but I decided to let things end and requested Ace to withdraw his complaint.Even I did wrong to him, though it was nothing compared to the deed he tried to do. But for the sake of our years of friendship, I decided to let him out after fifteen days of his jail, much to Ace's dismay. He wanted him to rot behind the bars forever.Even though he apologized for his actions endlessly, I had told him to stay away from me and not to try to reach out in any way.But here he was today, probably with his fiance. I just hoped Ace wouldn't see
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Dragging myself out of the car with some struggles, I got out the box and looked up at the enormous glass building towering before me.EMERALD ENTERPRISES was written in bold red letters at the top.A goofy smile tugged up my lips. With the warmth that surged through my chest, emotional tears burned my eyes.Valencian Corp's new branch, which he opened with my name. It was his gift for me on my birthday, passed just last week.Rolling my eyes, I let out a breath through my lips.I was getting sentimental again.Shaking my head, I closed the car door behind me with a thud and dawdled inside.Once in, my eyes took in the interior. As fancy and elegant as I remembered from a week ago. Though there weren't many people working here that day. But today, the way everyone was at their best speed, it seemed like they were working here for years.
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The color of Arthur's face drained. With wide eyes, he watched Ace in horror."Y-you can't do that to me! I won't let you!"I grimaced at the feeling in my stomach. The world around me started to spin.Stepping back from him, Ace wrapped a hand around my waist. "I can and I will. You've seen my respect for you these years, and now you'll see my enmity. You should've thought ten times before you joined hands with Antonio and decided to go against me and tried to hurt my Rosebud. You did what you wanted, now you suffer the consequences. May God send you to hell. Goodbye, Arthur.""No! You can't do that…"Not being able to contain it in anymore, I clutched my stomach, hunched forward and threw up."Shit! Rosebud! Are you alright, baby?" Wrapping his arms around my shoulders, he pulled my hair back as the cops and Arthur jumped back from my puke."Wh
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"Rosebud?" His deep voice murmured into my ear, followed by a lingering kiss on my neck. "Wake up, baby. We're here."Groaning, I moved on his lap and made myself more comfortable against him, snuggling my face into his chest. "Let me sleep."His husky chuckle sent a shiver down my sore body. Well, the reason behind my tiredness was him. After our fifteen days trip to Greece and Turkey, we were supposed to meet my family at dinner directly after landing in California. So here we were, outside my parents' home. But here I could barely move without wincing.Because this man just can't keep it in his pants.Just because a male cabin crew flashed me his biggest smile, he literally banned that man from his private jet and took me like a ragged doll in the posh cabin of his, claiming me again and again as his.As if I wasn't already his!Not that I didn't beg him for more and
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His pupils darkened more in rage even if it was possible. "You remembered the accident when we were returning from the house I bought for us?"My eyes widened. "H-he was behind it?"He nodded, a muscle of his jaw ticked. "It was him. Even though I was his target, he shouldn't have involved you in this."I let out a breath.So that was the reason behind his intense hatred against Antonio. That's why he was so mad at Tess' wedding when Antonio came to meet me."When Arthur brought up the Russians offer to me, his desperation for me to sign it and his being the head of this project had me suspicious. So I had his phone tapped. To know what was brewing in his shrewd head. And I was right. I got to know about his intention behind the project while he discussed it with Ivanov on the phone. But as cunning as he was, he never unfolded his whole plan to him. Until this morning, when everything in h
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Across the open field, a black car that I knew really well passed through the empty road. No other sign of vehicle or human was there.Then a truck sped through the field, going directly to the car.I tensed. The rate of my heart beat peaked up. I had to stop it.But when I tried to open my mouth to say something, yell his name, my body didn't move. A panic set in when I attempted to open my eyes but they didn't move either.No!I watched as the truck neared the car with full speed. It was going to hit it!A desperation to stop it rolled inside, making me restless. I wanted to move but as if my body got paralyzed, I couldn't move even how much I wanted to.I wanted to scream, thrash to be set from whatever that held me back. I wanted to stop that truck. But all I could do was watch as the truck went ahead and hit the car with a force that it flew
The Trap Of Ace Curiosity killed the cat
An eerie silence fell over the ambience for a moment while I stood there frozen. Only the sound of my own heavy breath reached my ears.Then I heard heavy footsteps of boots approaching from the other side of the room they were in.Oh no! They're coming!I need to hide! I wouldn't be able to run from them. They'd catch me if I ran.Looking around frantically, I searched for a place to hide.I couldn't use the flower pot this time. They'll find me.Rushing to the one of the doors lined up beside theirs, I tried to open it without making a noise, but to my utter bad luck, it was locked. I tried another, but no avail. They were locked.No, no, no! I can't get caught! I can't! I need to inform Ace about his plan.My heart pounded under my rib cage as I went to the opposite side of the hallway and pushed at a door. And this ti
The Trap Of Ace He dies...
Six men stood there in the middle of the room. Before Arthur, stood a man in his early fifties with short height, a thin mustache on his upper lip and a shining bald. Four more much younger men surrounded him with the same black clothes the guards wore before the VVIP entrance.The way they stood behind and around that bald man, indicated theirs being his men.And obviously working with Arthur."Pozdravlyayu, Mr. Valencian," said the man with his thick Russian accent. His mustache twitched as a smirk tugged onto his dark lips.Arthur shook his hand with his. "Congratulations to us, Ivanov. After all, it's the result of both of our hard work."I frowned.Ivanov? Why did this name sound familiar…My lips parted in shock. Ivanov, one of the partners of the Russian company Ace was going to sign the deal with.He was with Arthur? Oh
The Trap Of Ace Forbidden place
Walking through the endless corridors, I walked watching out for the room numbers not to get lost.The hotel was huge. Not just a hotel, it was a palace built in the middle age, now turned into a lavish five star hotel. With the mixture of antique architect and modern decorations, it gave out a feel of royalty. From the masterpiece paintings on the walls, to the gorgeous chandeliers shimmering with golden glow. Not to forget the huge gold plated flower pots at the both sides of the corridors, aside the red carpet down the way.As soon as I neared my destination, I found the whole area totally separated from the others by a pair of glass doors. VVIP Area was written in bold red letters on the glass. Two bulky men in black stood at the both sides of the door.Not again!I remembered Carter warning about some restrictions.Mentally groaning, I approached the VVIP conference area.
