The Trap Of Ace By Eva Zahan
Chapter 48

He froze.

Slowly pulling away, he cupped my cheeks. "What did you say?"

I bit my lip. But the shy smile broke out on my face anyway.

"What did you say, Rosebud? Did you just," he gulped, his eyes were desperate, "did you just say that you..."

"I love you."

He let out a shaky breath, the intense emotions swirling in his grey orbs seared my heart.

"Say it again," he rasped.

Pulling him closer, I brushed my lips against his desirable ones. "I love you, Achilles Valencian. I love you so much that it hurts." Heaving a sigh, he engulfed me into his chest. I placed my cheek right above his heart listening to his fast heartbeat.

I didn't complain about his vice grip around me as we stayed like that for some moments. Though I didn't like his silence. "Ace?" I whispered into his chest.

"Just a minute, Rosebud." He took a deep breath into my hair. "Say it again."

I smiled. "I love you."

"Again."

Laughing, I smacked his chest. "No, I already told it three times."

Slightly leaning back from me, enough to look at my face, he placed his palm on my cheek. "Please, baby. Just once more. I want to hear it again. You don't know how much I've waited to hear those words. How many times I've dreamt of you saying those words to me."

Something bloomed into my heart. Blinking away my tears, I placed a kiss on his chest. "I love you, Ace. I love you so freaking much! More than anything in the world."

I looked up at him. His eyes were closed as if feeling every word that left my lips.

"Happy now?"

Those stormy grey eyes met my turquoise again. A content smile stretched across his heavenly features as he pulled me in his gentlest kiss. Not the demanding punishing kisses.

But to my dissatisfaction, he pulled away, leaving me crave for more.

"Come with me?" he asked, running his hand through my locks.

"Where?"

"Somewhere where I can have you all to myself." His heated gaze ran slid down to my cleavage. "Did I tell you how beautiful you're looking in that dress? More than I'd imagined you'd look." I blushed.

Alone with him to have him all to myself?

Tingles ran down my body as unholy thoughts flashed across my mind. The idea sounded tempting. But we couldn't just leave the ceremony like that. "Thank you. But we can't. The ceremony."

"I don't care. Now that I finally have you in my arms, I don't want to let go of you." He placed a sensual kiss in my neck, arms tightening around me.

A moan threatened to leave my lips.

I had to stop him before I lost my control. We couldn't do anything right now. At least not until the ceremony was over.

"You can have me all to yourself after the reception is over. Everyone must be looking for us. We need to go outside." I tugged at his hair gently.

He groaned, latching his mouth on my throat. "I don't want to. I need you, Rosebud. I need you right now. I've waited so long." The last sentence came out like a breathy whisper.

I clenched my thighs at his deep voice. No matter how much I wanted to stay here, I couldn't. As a maid of honor, I had to see if everything was going smooth for the reception. Tonight. I could wait till tonight.

"Later, baby. But we're needed outside right now. Caleb and Tess must be looking for us." The sexual tension that was floating around us from the last months threatened to burst right now. Now that there was no barrier between us, we both wanted each other like two broken poles of magnet needed the other to be completed.

Pulling away, his eyes held mine. They held dark promises.

"Later?" A mischievous smile tugged on his lips. "I will keep that in mind."

With my cheeks burning, I looked down.

Grabbing my chin, he tucked a strand behind my ear. "Let's go outside and get done with everything as soon as possible. Because I can't wait any longer." Neither could I.

I wanted to say, but chose to stay shut. It wasn't a wise idea to tease the beast right now.

Nodding my head, I placed one lingering kiss on his lips before opening the door and stepping outside. He followed behind, pulling me into him again. But then due to an important phone call, he had to leave me. But only for some minutes, as he said before walking away receiving the call.

When I was finally outside, Tess and Caleb were busy chatting with some guests and clicking photos. She didn't seem to be bothered with her pimple anymore.

After checking out if everything was good with the reception preparation, once I was outside again, I found Warner approaching me. Instinctively, my eyes did a glance around to see if my caveman was anywhere around. I didn't want his horns to come out seeing Warner near me again.

I seriously needed a serious talk with him about it.

"You're free now? Come aside for a minute. I've some information about Arthur."

At the mention of him, I looked around the place. I've not seen him after the wedding. The moments he lingered around, he wasn't focused on the ceremony either. He was too busy on his phone with his tensed old features. Nodding my head, I pulled him to a scheduled place where guests weren't roaming around. "What did you replace out? And sorry for earlier. Ace, uh, he could be a little possessive when it comes to me."

He snorted. "A little? Can't you see, Em? That man is obsessed with you. He thinks of you as his property that belongs to him. And trust me, men like him like to chase. You were like a challenge to him, so he came after you suddenly after all these years. And now that you finally gave in, just wait until he shows you his true color."

My fists clenched. Gritting my teeth I kept myself from saying something that might hurt him. His hatred towards Ace was getting on my nerves now.

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"Warner, can we just talk about what's important right now? We've an issue in our hands. And that's Arthur. So let's just stick with it for now. And I already told you to not make any assumptions about me and Ace's relationship. So I'd appreciate it if you respect my wish here."

I could see he wanted to disagree. But the stern look of mine had him shut up. Slumping his shoulders, he let out a sigh.

"Alright. Let's talk about Arthur now."

I nodded. "Thank you! So? What did your cousin replace out about him?"

"Tobias told about the small business he had in Wales, right?"

I bobbed my head.

"Well, he used to run small cheap hotels for people to spend nights there. And after researching some more, we got the information that he did some illegal businesses under the cover of those hotels. He was even suspected by cops out there many times, but due to lack of evidence, they couldn't take any action against him."

My brows furrowed. "Illegal businesses? What kind of illegal businesses he ran?"

"Not hundred percent sure, but from what pieces of information my cousin got, it seemed like he managed a brothel at nights behind the service of hotels. Sources says that he even forced helpless girls into prostitution for money." I gasped. A brothel? Well, I didn't know he would be that low of a creature. Did Ace know about this? I was sure he didn't. He'd never allow such a man to stay around him if he had even a hint of it.

"How come he never got caught?"

His lips thinned. "He's a shrewd man, Em. He made sure not to leave a single evidence behind him for anyone to use that against him. He was doing that until Achilles's father passed away and he left UK to come to California." Why did he return after so many years leaving all his businesses behind like this? Because I didn't believe he was that kind of man who'd leave everything behind just so he could look after his nephews.

He must have some other agenda. But what?

Then it hit me. Of course! His brother's property. That passed down to Ace. And he won Ace's trust to get a hold on the power and money that Ace had. With his help, he expanded his business more within the whole UK now. "Can't your cousin get even a single proof? I mean, there must be something."

He shook his head. "He stopped his illegal businesses a long time ago after he started handling Valencian Corp in Achilles's absence. Now he only runs legal businesses across the UK. And with the power Ace had given him, I can't say if he still runs something in the shadow while wiping along every evidence he has against him. Though I told my cousin to look more into it. He'll get back to me as soon as he replaces anything out."

I sighed. He was right. He was quite a powerful man all thanks to Ace's trust in him. I wished I could tell all these to him. But without any proof, will he believe me? But he could also hire someone to look through Arthur's past just like I did right?, He'd replace out the truth himself.

A determination etched into me. I'll talk to him as soon as possible. But just not now. We've come into a relationship just now. I didn't want any tension in it right now. Maybe with a day or two, when Warner's cousin would replace something solid against him? Then I could easily reveal everything before Ace without fearing to ruin anything.

"Alright. Tell him to do it fast. Before Arthur gets even a hint of our quest, we've to get a hold onto something strong against him." I looked into his eyes. "And thank you, Warner! I couldn't do this without you."

He put a hand on my shoulder. "No need to thank me. What are friends for after all? And I can do anything for you, you know that, right?"

Nodding my head, I smiled.

"You just be careful around him, Em. He's a very dangerous man. Don't get yourself into any trouble."

I squeezed his hand. "Don't worry. I'll be fine."

***

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"You didn't tell me he gave you this dress. Nor did you tell me that you guys are together now," Casie grumbled, holding her cocktail in her hand. "I thought you confided me in with everything."

I chuckled.

The reception was about to begin. After helping Tess with retouching her makeup, Casie pulled me aside to throw questions about the faint hickey on my throat. Of course, nothing went past her eyes. And then I told her everything. "Don't be overdramatic now. We just sorted things up."

She eyed my gown again, a slow smile stretched across her lips. "Remember you asked him to make you his princess one day?"

Warmth crept up cheeks as I remembered the day on my ninth birthday.

"Well, you're looking like one today in this gown. And now that you've finally become his princess, how are you feeling right now?" She held an imaginary mike before me.

I looked down, running my hands on the beautiful gown he chose for me. "Well, I don't want to be his princess anymore."

Her brow raised in confusion.

A smile graced my lips. "I want to be his queen now."

Chuckling, she rolled her eyes. "Now you're getting greedy here, aren't you?"

At my narrowed eyes, she burst into laughter and soon I joined in.

A throat clearing interrupted us.

Turning around, I came face to face with a tall man in his late twenties and a beautiful blonde in his arms. What caught my attention was his pale blue eyes that weirdly lingered on my face for too long for my liking. "Hi, Emerald. Remember me? I'm Jane from Tess's high school," the blonde said, flashing her pearly white teeth.

Yeah, I remembered her. She used to hang out with Tess sometimes.

I smiled. "Hi, Jane. How are you doing?"

That man still didn't move his gaze from me. And his features were too blank to read anything.

"I'm doing great! It's been so long since I last saw you. And look at you, you've turned into such a beautiful woman."

Before I could open my mouth to thank her for the compliment, that man interrupted. Oddly enough, I felt like I saw him before. But couldn't place a finger on it.

"Indeed. Now I understood why my friend is so smitten by you," his northern accent said.

"Friend?" I frowned.

He nodded. "Achilles Valencian. I'm a really close friend of his."

How come I didn't see him ever if he was that good friend of Ace?

Then he held his hand out for me to shake. "Hello, my name is Antonio, Antonio Reymond. And I feel very blessed to finally meet you, Ms. Hutton."