The Trap Of Ace

Read The Trap Of Ace [by Eva Zahan] Chapter 13 – “So you mean, he literally declared that he wants you? That you’re his?” asked Cassie, with her jaw on the floor.

“He didn’t exactly say that.”

“But this is what he meant with whatever he said. Even a kid can see through it!” she argued.

I threw the cards we were playing on the table and sat back against the couch, huffing. After the auction I got a call from her to meet at her place. With a feeble flu, she was getting bored out of her mind. So I came to give her company.

“G*d! I’ve seen people being crazy in love before. But this? This is insane!” She shook her head in disbelief. “Buying an entire company just to bring you closer to him, forcing you to join the board meetings so that he could meet you more and wasting a million over just a canvas?”

At the mention of the ‘L’ word, I sat up straight. “There’s no love! It’s- it just could be a want of possession or obsession of his. I don’t know. But there is nothing like that you’re implying!”

She raised a brow. “Even Jeff Bezos wouldn’t do something as crazy as buying an entire company that would cost him a fortune just to bring a girl close to him he wants.”

I rolled my eyes, but the skip of my heart didn’t go amiss. After I found out from Tobias that OC Textiles’ owner was Ace, and not Caleb, I was shocked. I even had a doubt that he’d something to do with my transfer, it wasn’t just Caleb. Though, I wasn’t sure. And when I told Cassie accidentally about this, she got this illusion that he bought that company from Mr. Cooper for me. Even though I didn’t want to believe her, but it did make some sense.

“He must’ve had some other agenda behind it. And it could be a pure coincidence that he found out I’d be working in that company, and so he told Caleb to transfer me here. That’s it.” I still denied.

“Really? And what about the message he sent you just the previous night? That you can’t escape from him anymore? Your time was over and blah blah? Can you explain that?”

I opened my mouth and then shut it. Crossing my hands over my chest, I shrugged.

She gave me a look. And to my utter surprise, she changed the subject. “How’s Warner?”

I cocked my head. “Uh, he’s good?”

What was she trying to do now?

She nodded. “You guys talk everyday?”

“No. Both of us were really busy the entire week. But he did call this morning.” I checked my phone but there were no calls or messages from him. “He was supposed to call me again tonight.”

“So long-distance is already at its work,” she hummed.

My brows creased. “What do you mean?”

Her shoulders lifted as she grabbed her coffee mug and took a sip, sniffling. “Isn’t it simple? Even strong relationships don’t work with long-distance most of the time, and here we’re talking about your one sided relationship.”

“It isn’t one-sided.”

“Oh?” She raised her brow. “So you love him?”

Silence.

“Knew it. Look, Em-” placing the mug back on the table, she leaned in, “-you and I both know that what you and Warner have, isn’t gonna last long. And now that you’re worlds away from each other, and with your a new, slash old lover is back in the picture, you should take a decision on your relationship with Warner now. You and he, both are aware that you were never in this. You never had any feelings for him other than seeing him just as a friend. Yes, maybe he does like you, but trust me, in deep down, he also knows that you won’t be able to love him no matter how much he tries.”

I looked down at my lap. “It’s not my fault that I can’t do it. I tried, I tried my best to love him. But…”

“But your heart still belongs to someone else?”

Yes, he does effect me still, but… it’s just the awkwardness. Nothing else.” I averted my eyes from her piercing ones. “And I

much as you did back at you siblings’ birthday party that night. You’re just scared to get hurt again, that’s why your denying your feelings, aren’t you?” she asked. When I didn’t answer, she sighed. “Don’t you think you’re doing wrong to Warner? Even if he was the one who insisted to try, but you know that

doing fair with Warner. It’s been eating me out for a long time now. But I was too selfish to let him go. Though I didn’t love him, but his friendship did give a huge support. Truth to be told, him being my boyfriend helped

it with him for last some months, I couldn’t do it.

a hand over mine. “It’s okay. I know what you’re feeling. But don’t. It’s not your fault. Though Warner doesn’t know about Ace, but he does know that why you agreed to be his girlfriend. Talk to him, I’m

need to do this when we’re face to face.

you tell

about Ace.” I casted her a glance. “I will just talk to him about us. I just hope he will still be my friend after everything

squeezed my hand.

shifted and cleared

“So?”

turned to

Warner is sorted, will you give

breaking up with Warner so that you can pair me

to do that in some time anyway.

I scowled at her.

is your heart’s desire. And I know, in deep down, beside the fear

with Ace. And

will be better for his own good anyway. Because assessing your Valencian’s obsession with you, I don’t think he would take this nicely if he has any competitor in the way of

this!” Red in the face, I got up and collected my

Achilles Valencian has played his card. And now, you’re stuck in his trap. No matter what you want, you can’t

stared at her, waiting for her to

want to escape. Your

***

another person to reach their destined floor leaving only me and Liza inside. My one hand was filled with files and the other occupied with a cup of tea. After the small talk with Cassie, her words

was beginning to accept my fate, the change and him around me again. It didn’t scare me as it did the first couple of days. And it scared me the most. It’s just been not more than twenty days I met him again, and I was already thinking about him more and more. I was turning weak again. Just

if he knew about your feelings, you don’t know if he really had anything for you in his heart. But that wasn’t possible, if he did feel something, then

say that she

why did they do it? If there was nothing between them, then why? Or there was? Or it could be a moment of heat between them? But do

sigh. It was all so confusing. I didn’t know what to think anymore. All my life I had been thinking that my

seven years ago. But I didn’t know how to start this conversation

even noon and I’m already so tired! The preparations for the meeting with Arabs is

so important about this meeting though? I mean, the way everyone is taking it over seriously,

rival company. These chipmunks now started a new clothing line

my eyes as we reached the last stop, forty-ninth floor. It was a fifty floor

announced,

It’s a fifty floor building,

“Yes. The boss’s penthouse is on the fiftieth floor, and no one can go there other than his closed ones. So the common elevator doesn’t have access

The golden one.

did know that that was for VIPs, but I didn’t know only that

Liza said, the boss, meant Caleb didn’t want any deficiency with anything. I didn’t know these people were that terrified of Caleb. Even the

meeting?” asked Matt, a guy from the management department. He was always paranoid with every little

hour left,”

boss can arrive at any moment and demand a

let me print those papers in the meantime,” I said, gathering the