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?”

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

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 you won’t able to love him no matter it’s because of Ace

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 my mind a little bit to assure myself that I’d moved on. I could show it to the world, to him. But in deep down, I knew the truth. I knew I was using Warner for my

with him for

fault. Though Warner doesn’t know about Ace, but he does know that why you

now, I need to do this when we’re face to face. He’s coming

you tell him

her a glance. “I will just talk to him about us. I just hope he will still be

my hand. “He

a silence, she shifted

“So?”

turned to her.

is sorted, will you give Ace a

“So you talked me into breaking up with Warner so that you

please! It’s not that you weren’t going to do

I scowled at her.

I both know what’s is your heart’s desire. And I know, in deep down, beside the fear of another heartbreak, you were stopping yourself from leaning towards Ace because of Warner. You didn’t want to cheat on

do anything with Ace. And about Warner, i still haven’t broken up

own good anyway. Because assessing your Valencian’s obsession with

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

know that Achilles Valencian has played his card. And now, you’re stuck

at her, waiting for

escape.

***

for 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 didn’t let sleep last night. Some of my own realization haunted my

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.

can’t fall weak this time. Be strong, use your head. Don’t let yourself fall into his trap. You don’t know what happened seven years ago. Even 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 he wouldn’t do that with your

Tess did say that she didn’t love

was nothing between them, then why? Or there was? Or it could be a moment of heat between them?

had been thinking that my sister betrayed

to ask Tobias about it. The truth of what actually happened seven years ago. But I didn’t know how to start this conversation with him. Did he even know what

noon and I’m already so tired! The preparations for the meeting with Arabs is taking a real troll on me,” Liza

so important about this meeting though? I mean, the way everyone

company. These chipmunks now started a new clothing line when they found out about our new business in this

as we reached the last stop, forty-ninth floor. It was a fifty floor building, then why there were only forty-nine buttons on the

announced, once the

only forty-nine buttons? It’s a fifty floor

floor, and no one can go there other than his closed ones. So the common elevator doesn’t have access there. They go there by the VIP one.” Her chit jutted towards

The golden one.

but I didn’t know only that one had access to

the presentation for the meeting, we d*****d our heads in the work to finish the final touches. As Liza said, the boss, meant Caleb didn’t want any deficiency with anything. I didn’t know these people

a guy from the management department. He was always paranoid with every

one hour left,”

boss can arrive at any moment

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