Warner? Why was he calling me?
The phone buzzed again. But this time, it was a message from him.
“Who is it?”
My thumb halted in mid-air from opening the message. Slowly turning around, I put my phone back into my purse. “It’s Mom.She asked if we’ve reached the party safely.”
I couldn’t mention Warner’s name. No matter how sweet Ace was at that moment, jealousy didn’t sit well with him. He proved it many times before. And I didn’t want to ruin this night when it just started.
I’d just talk to Warner later.
Nodding, he put the trays of food on the table and gestured to me to sit. Of course, he pulled out a chair for me.
Shaking my head, I smiled. “Thank you.”
When he settled in his chair, my eyes fell on his broad shoulders. His jacket was gone, now he was only in his black shirt. It clung to his sculpted chest and arms like a second skin. Those folded sleeves up to his elbows, displaying the veiny strong hands, had me staring.
A breathless sigh left my lips. Why was he so perfect in every way?
Except his stubborn self, of course!
The delicious aroma of the covered food snatched my attention. My stomach growled again. He took the lids off the food platters, and my mouth watered.
Cheesy garlic shrimp!
My eyes snapped up to him. Smiling at me, he put some shrimp on my plate, drizzling the sweet and sour sauce on it. Just the way I liked.
Seeing my surprise, he said, “How could I forget to make my girl’s favorite food on our first date?”
I gasped, eyeing the shrimps, roasted potatoes, chicken sizzling, and spaghetti. All my favorites. “You—you made all of this?”
I didn’t know he had culinary skills.
His gaze locked with mine. “You didn’t argue about me calling you my girl or it’s our actual date.”
Oh!
My cheeks turned hot. I was so stunned he made all those dishes for me I totally ignored his other words.
“I—yes. It’s just a friendly date. Don’t forget that! And I’m not your girl.” I cleared my throat, shifting in my chair.
He chuckled. That beautiful sound always made me feel something inside me. It felt like he was a totally different man around me. He talked more, he laughed more. His eyes held light.
“Well, our kiss proves both of your beliefs are wrong.” He put some spaghetti on my plate and reached for the roasted potatoes. “And yes, I cooked them myself.”
I tried my best not to turn beetroot out of embarrassment. Though whatever I said, my actions told the opposite. But it wasn’t my fault. I tried my best to resist him, but he always crossed my boundaries.
“I didn’t know you knew how to cook.” I changed the subject, sticking my fork into a shrimp.
He shrugged. “I only know to make my girl’s favorite dishes.”
My fork stopped halfway to my mouth. My heart skipped as I stared at him. He only learned to make my favorite dishes?
“W-why?” I stuttered.
“So I could always keep my queen happy and full.”
His intense gaze made me gulp. Something soared in my chest as I struggled with the tons of emotions he made me feel.
Averting my eyes, I took a bite of the cheesy shrimp. And I was amazed. It was delicious! Eager, I put two more into my mouth, and then tasted the chicken. My eyes closed at the savory flavors bursting into my mouth.
Once I opened them, I noticed he didn’t even touch his plate yet. With an uncertain expression, he watched me. As if waiting for something.
With my mouth full, I raised my brow.
He scratched the back of his head. “Uh, how’s the food? Did you like it?”
I gaped at him. Was Achilles Valencian nervous? And he needed my approval?
Swallowing, I bit back my smile and nodded. “They’re delicious. You’d be an excellent chef if you weren’t a businessman,” I answered truthfully.
Relief washed over his features as he relaxed in his seat. Wait, was I hallucinating? Was that pink tint I was seeing on his cheeks?
Achilles Valencian was blushing! Oh shit! I should have clicked a picture of it!
Noticing my wide eyes, he cleared his throat, and put back on his confident expression.
This time I couldn’t hide my smile. “You were blushing.”
“I wasn’t! Now eat your food. They’re getting cold,” he said, filling his own plate.
“Here, try some spaghetti. I’m sure you’ll like it.”
“You were blushing. I saw it!” I argued, teasing him. “It’s okay to blush, you know. It’s normal.”
He cursed under his breath.
I snickered. “Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me. No one will ever know that Achilles Valencian blushed.”
“Rosebud!” he warned, his gray orbs formed into a scowl. “Eat your food.”
Biting my lip, I finally decided to leave him alone and concentrate on my food. As we silently ate, my eyes fell on his knuckles again. None of the movements of his hands seemed to bother him, even if they were black and blue. He didn’t even wince once.
My hands itched to drag him inside and put some ointment on them. But I knew he wouldn’t let me until the date was over.
“When did you buy this place from Tobias’s friend’s family?” The way the guard outside greeted him, staff working for him here, and the way he planned everything said that he owned this house and the private beach.
He didn’t have to look up at me as he already was watching me. He was watching me more than he ate his food, not letting me eat comfortably. How could I when his hawk-like eyes were watching me?
Annoying man!
“Three years ago. They didn’t want to sell it at first, but I convinced them.”
“How?”
His shrug was casual. “By offering them triple of the actual price of this property.”
My eyes widened. “Triple? But why? You could just buy any other property, much bigger than this.”
Again, the intensity was back in his gray pools. “Those didn’t remind me of my Rosebud.”
My heart caught at my throat as I stared at him.
He-he brought this beach house for me? First that company, then that canvas, and now this.
I was out of words. I didn’t know what to say or react. So dumbfounded, I went back to my plate.
Once we finished the dinner, he stood and gave me his hand.
“Dance?” A slow music hummed in the background.
Hesitantly, I placed my hand on his, letting him pull me to my feet and gather closer to his warmth. His heady cologne filled my senses as we swayed slowly along with the harmony. Gazing at my eyes, he tucked a strand behind my ear.
“Did I say how beautiful you’re looking tonight?” his low voice said.
With heated cheeks, I shook my head.
“Well, you’re looking enchanting tonight, Rosebud,” he rasped.
I blushed some more. “Thank you. You’re not looking bad either.”
“That’s it? Nothing more I get to hear?” He raised his brow.
I rolled my eyes. “You’re looking good.”
“Just good?”
I glared at his mischievous gray eyes. Though he teased me, I could feel the change of mood in him after the dinner. His shoulders were tense, eyes were disturbed.
“What happened? You look tense,” I asked.
The smile slipped off his face. He shook his head. “Not now. Later, Rosebud. Let’s enjoy our dance first.”
With a sigh, I nodded and allowed him to pull me closer to his chest and hug me. I placed my head under his chin, closed my eyes and enjoyed our slow dance, the music, and his warmth without objecting. Just as he said.
“Check mate!” I said, lining my soldier right before his king.
With his hands adjoined before him, he just stared at the chessboard in silence.
After our dance, he led me inside to play chess, just like old times. In the first match, he won, as always. But in the second match, I won. Same went with the third one. Not because I was better than him on the chessboard, because he let me win. His mind was somewhere else.
The more time that passed, the more his stance got tense. Those gray eyes grew more anxious as our game came to an end. He was stalling, I was aware of it.
And even I was now afraid to ask questions. What happened in the past to make him this agitated by the revelation?
What terrified me most was the fear in those gray pools. Tonight was the night I discovered his many faces. But I didn’t ever expect I’d see fear in his eyes.
“Ace? You again let me win. It’s not fair!” I pressed my lips together. He used to do it in our childhood. He’d always let me win and even after I was aware of the fact, I’d be jumping up and down on my seat out of excitement. And he’d just watch me. But I wasn’t the little Emerald anymore.
“No problem. We can play another match,” he said, rearranging the board.
I stopped his hand. His stormy gray met my turquoise. “Three matches are enough for tonight. Don’t you think it’s time to fulfill your promise?”
His jaw clenched, eyes looking away from me.
“You promised, Ace. I want to know everything.” My voice came out firm, though my hand fumbled with my bracelet under the table.
Hands balled into fists, he took a deep breath; gaze set on the board. “What do you want to know?”
“Everything,” I whispered, gulping. “Everything that happened that night seven years ago. If you claim you always had feelings for me, you always wanted me, then… what were you doing with Tess on the balcony?”
I let out a breath, finally asking the questions that have been nagging under my skin for so long.
Silence.
The only sound I could hear in the room was the ticks of the hanging clock on the wall, and my pounding heart in my chest.
His gaze drilled into mine as he sat there with an unreadable façade. Though the storm in his gray eyes was transparent.
“Ace?” I probed.
“Before you know what happened that night, you should be aware of my past first,” he said. “Remember, Emerald. Before reaching any conclusions, know that whatever I did was for everyone’s good. Especially yours.”
What good was in there for me? But putting my question aside, I nodded, encouraging him to go on.
He closed his eyes before opening them again. The muscle of his jaw ticked. “After my father passed away, my… mom went into depression. She couldn’t take the loss of her husband and drowned herself in alcohol and parties. I was about to turn eighteen at that moment.” The pain in voice was visible, though he tried to mask it hard. “As you knew, my father was an idol for me. Even if he never spent much time with us, I… loved him a lot. And after he passed, I—I was lost. I didn’t know what to do with my life then.”
Something squeezed in my chest, imagining how much agony he must have gone through.
“With my mother never at home, I found myself alone. Though Caleb was there, no one could take the place of my parents. On the top of that, the company’s burden was falling on me. For an eighteen-year-old, it became too much for me, Emerald.” He looked away from me as if ashamed. “Not being able to take everything in, I—I took the support of drugs.”
A gasp slipped through my lips as I sat there, shocked.
“I became a drug addict.” His voice was as hard as steel, eyes flashing. “There wasn’t anything I hadn’t tried to forget everything. To get a moment of peace, not knowing it was only pushing me towards destruction.”
My eyes burned. My heart pained at the emotional downfall he went through. And I hadn’t had even any idea of it. Guilt washed over me like a tsunami.
“Why didn’t you tell me anything?” My voice croaked.
He held my gaze. Different emotions swirled into those stormy gray pools. “I couldn’t let my darkness taint you, Rosebud. I’d never.”
“You could at least tell me. I’d be there with you. Maybe I could help you out.” A lone tear escaped my eye.
A soft smile tugged at his lips. “You were helping me, Rosebud. You were the only hope in my life that didn’t let my darkness engulf me completely. You were the only one who kept me sane.”
My lower lip trembled. No matter what he said, I couldn’t help but feel the guilt clutching me in its grip. Here I was fantasizing about him, not knowing what problems he was going through.
“Then what happened? H-how did you get out of your addiction?”
“I couldn’t for two years. Until…”
“Until?”
“Until I lost you.” Taking a deep breath, he cleared his throat. “I knew about your feelings for me, Rosebud. I knew everything. You were my princess even before you asked me to make you one. But…” His features hardened. “No matter how much I wanted you, I couldn’t let you wait for me and ruin your life when I didn’t even know if I had a future or not. What I’d do with my life.”
Something churned inside me. An ominous feeling rose in my chest.
“That’s why that night I took Tess’s help. To…”
My heart pounded down my chest, breath came out harsh, eyes burning. My nails dug into my palms.
“To push you away from me.”
