Filed To Story: The Trap Of Ace Book PDF Free
Running behind him were some black-suited men, busy explaining something desperately.
The tightness of his jaw and a day’s old stubble announced his mood.
Anyone with a sane conscience wouldn’t want to cross his path today.
With widened eyes, I turned around and ran to the staircase before he could notice me.
Climbing the stairs was a good exercise, anyway.
But of course, my legs didn’t let me listen to my mind and took the elevator to the fifth floor.
Once I was at my destination, for the first time, I pushed the thought of him to the back of my mind.
I had something else important to do.
I went to look for Sierra.
Even with so many things, her exhausted, pale face didn’t slip my head.
Nor did Arthur’s mocking smirk he threw me as a challenge.
Even though I could be wrong, I could feel it in my gut that something wrong was going on.
And I needed to find it out.
But again, I didn’t find her at the office.
Matt was the closest friend of hers after Liza in the office, so I asked him her whereabouts.
But even he didn’t know much about her, except her not being herself for the past few weeks.
“What do you mean?”
I asked him, outside of his current office.
He shrugged.
“Her always bubbly personality was gone, as if something was really troubling her.”
“Didn’t you ask her what it was?”
My brows furrowed.
I had this doubt that whatever it was, Arthur had something to do with it.
“I did.
But she didn’t tell me anything, Em.
She can be really secretive when it comes to her personal life,” he replied, seeming to wonder himself.
“Anyway, why do you ask?”
“Uh, nothing.
I haven’t seen her for a few days.
I heard she is sick.
So, I thought to ask you, as you’re quite close to her,” I lied.
I couldn’t tell him my doubts.
Arthur was a very reputable man in the office.
I couldn’t just bluff anything without solid proof.
It was just my intuition that he shouldn’t be trusted.
He nodded.
“Yeah, due to ill health, she took a few days off.
But don’t worry, I’m sure she’ll get better soon.
I’ll let you know if I hear anything from her.”
I smiled.
“Please do.
Anyway, I’ll see you later.
Got some work to do.”
Again nodding, he went inside his office.
I tried to call her last night, but she didn’t pick up.
She even ignored my messages and emails.
It wouldn’t bother me this much if I didn’t see her with Arthur.
And seeing tears in her eyes at both times I found her around him didn’t sit well with me.
She looked scared.
What was going on?
I let out a breath.
I wished she would tell me.
Shaking my head as I pushed the door of my office open and padded inside, a gasp slipped through my lips.
My eyes widened.
I was running away from the devil, and here he was waiting for me in my own cave.
With one hand in his pocket, he stood before my desk, touching a picture of me and Tobias.
Putting the frame in its previous place, he turned around.
Dark, stormy gray eyes fell on me.
“W-what are you doing here?”
His head tilted to the side.
“Did you really think you could escape me for that long?
In my own office?”
THIRTY-ONE: TIME TO MAKE A DECISION
“W
hat are you talking about?
I’m not escaping you,” I said, not meeting his eyes.
“Really?
Then what was that at the lobby?”
Gaze hard.
Surprise lit inside me.
He saw me?
Damn!
I knew I’d gained weight.
My fat ass couldn’t even run faster!
“W-what was what?
What did I do now?”
I feigned innocence.
His lips pressed together in annoyance.
“You ran away seeing me.”
I shrugged.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.
I was already late for the office.
A lot of work was piled up.
I was busy.
You’re mistaken.”
“Busy talking to my employee?”
he asked, nostrils flaring.
My eyes widened.
How did he know I was talking to Matt?
Was he keeping an eye on me now?
Could this man be any weirder?
“You don’t have time for me, but you have time to talk to another man?”
I staggered back as he took slow steps towards me, like a predator approaching his prey.
“How many times do I have to tell you I don’t like seeing you with other men?
You seem to be fond of him too much.”
A muscle of his jaw ticked, hands curled into fists.
In another time I’d have told him off, that he didn’t have any right to decide who I would talk to and who I wouldn’t.
But at that moment, I decided to cool him down first.
“I was just talking to him about work.
And yes, I do like him.
But just as a friend.
Nothing else.”
My heart skipped when my back hit the wall and I realized I had no other way to escape with him standing just a hand away from me.
I was stuck between him and the wall.
Closing the rest of the distance, he put his hands on both sides of my head on the wall, trapping me completely.
Leaning closer, he said, “And it’s better if it remains that way.
It’d be good for him.”
I frowned at his warning.
“What’s wrong with you?
You’re behaving like a caveman!”
My breath hitched as he pulled me against him, resting his forehead against mine.
The heady scent of his had me light-headed.
“You’re mine, Rosebud.
And I can be worse when it comes to you.”
Staring in his stormy grays, I went speechless at the intensity of his words.
“I have been going mad since last night, thinking about what your answer would be.
You weren’t picking up my calls or answering my messages.”
He sighed, brushing his thumb on my cheek.
“I was even outside of your house last night, but seeing the lights of your room off, I left.”
I gasped.
“You were outside my house?
Why?”
“For your answer.”
Oh!
I averted my eyes from his piercing ones, biting my lip.
“I-I can’t go on a date with you just like that.”
“Why?”
His tone was somber.
“Because…” I trailed off, not knowing how to give him an answer.
His shoulders tensed as his nostrils flared.
“Is it for that boyfriend of yours?
That boy is still in your life?”
I remained silent.
With his lips curling into a sneer, his arms tightened around me.
“When will you stop denying us?
When will you let that sham of your relationship go and accept the truth?
The truth that you belong to me?”
When I still didn’t say anything, closing his eyes, he let out a breath.
When those gray pools opened again, it wasn’t anger that I witnessed.
It was pain and exhaustion.
My heart clenched at being the reason for his pain.
Cupping my cheeks, he grazed his lips at the curve of mine.
I let out a shaky breath at the tingling sensation his touch left behind.
My heart pounded beneath my chest.
Was going to kiss me again?
“Tell me you don’t feel what I’m feeling right now.
Tell me you don’t feel anything for me, for us.
Tell me your heart still doesn’t beat for me,” he said, grazing his lips against mine.
Just a slight brush and I was leaning for more.
“Ace…” a breathy whisper left me.
With his intent eyes on my lips, he rasped, “I’m going to kiss you now.
If you kiss me back, I’ll take it as a yes that your heart still belongs to me.
And if you don’t… then I’ll take that as a no.”
My eyes closed on their own as his soft, firm lips pressed against mine and molded around me into a slow, passionate kiss.
My whole body trembled at the sensations that ran through me, at our mere lips touching.