His entire stance tensed as soon as I asked the question. His eyes still away from mine as he took a deep breath, his jaw locked tight.
“Rosebud, we just got together. Let’s keep the bitter chapter of my life out of our new beginning, shall we?” Gray orbs met mine. They held desperation for me to understand. “I don’t want to relive my past when all I want is to make new, beautiful memories with you.”
I knew it hurt him to talk about it, but I couldn’t let this go. I had this intuition that whatever Arthur was talking about was related to his father’s suicide. I needed to know everything to sort things out.
Even though it pained me to torture him with his memories, I didn’t back off. “Until you let go of your past, you can’t start fresh. You can’t be truly happy. I can see it, Ace. You’re battling with something. There’s something bothering you. And it’s not just Antonio. Please tell me, what is it? What happened to your father? I want to know everything.”
Closing his eyes, he pulled away and showed his back to me. Facing the window again, he stood there with his hands fisted.
“There’s not much to know, Rosebud.” His voice came out cold. “I used to always look up to my father as my idol. I wanted to become like him. Until I got to know his real face.”
I didn’t dare interrupt him, fearing he would switch off again. I just stood there silently, listening to him.
“He was a womanizer. After some years of his marriage with Mom, he started to cheat on her. And that broke my Mom,” he revealed.
A gasp slipped through my lips.
“But even after being unfaithful, he loved his reputation more than anything. He was always discreet about his affairs. He wanted his image to be great before the society and his children. Mom had always doubted his activities until one day he wasn’t careful, and she caught him with one of his girlfriends in their own bed.”
I stood there immobile, shocked at the revelation. That’s why they never had a good relationship.
“And it wasn’t only Mom who caught him. Caleb and I were also there, and so were Tobias and Tess.” His broad shoulders were rigid. “And not being able to handle the shame, he ended his life.”
Silence.
He stood with his tensed posture. Only his heavy breathing reverberated across the room.
Something clenched in my chest at the pain he wasn’t willing to show. I knew how much it was affecting him.
Padding closer, I wrapped my arms around him from behind. My hands rubbed across his chest slowly, trying to provide some comfort.
“I’m so sorry,” I whispered.
Grabbing my hand, he pulled me in front of him and engulfed me in his arms.
With his arms wrapped around me tightly, he nuzzled my neck. And I hugged him back, running my fingers through his hair softly.
“It was the worst day of my life. That night still haunts my dreams sometimes.” It pained me the way his voice cracked.
I placed a kiss on his shoulder. “I know saying it is easier said than done, but you’ve to let it go, Ace. I know whatever happened would be traumatic for anyone, but you can’t let it affect your whole life this way. Let it go. I know you still can’t accept it. But you have to. Accept it and move on. I can’t see you suffering like this.”
“I’m trying. But the demons of my past pull me back into their darkness whenever I try to move on.”
Moving away slightly, I cupped his face. “Then we’ll fight those demons together.”
“But will you always be there with me?” His features were unreadable.
I brushed my lips against his. “I will,” I promised. “I’ll be always there with you.”
Watching me for a moment, he smashed his lips with mine. The intensity of his kiss told me how he wanted to convey his feelings through the kiss.
Pulling away, he let out a sigh and pulled me into his arms again. “I love you, my Rosebud.”
“I love you too.”
Even though he told me everything, I felt like something was still left out. I didn’t find anything Arthur could use against him. Was Arthur really telling me the truth? Or did Ace not reveal everything?
Whatever it was, I decided not to ask him any more questions for now. He already told me enough. I didn’t want to torment him further.
But the tight grip of his around me, as if I’d disappear somewhere at any moment disturbed me. What was he hiding?
Stirring the pasta in the pan, I put the cake in the refrigerator after getting it out of the oven. Then I went busy with preparing the icing.
A pair of strong arms snaked around my waist from behind. The fragrance of his soap from his fresh shower reached my nostrils. A smile tugged at my lips.
“What’s my Rose doing?” he rasped in my ear. His thumb brushed on my belly in circles.
“I’m preparing dinner for the guards.” Tossing the pasta, I sprinkled some more salt.
He raised his brows.
I rolled my eyes. “Of course I’m making food for both of us. Though we can send some for them.”
“No. Only I can taste the food my Rosebud makes for me.” The place between his brows furrowed.
Shaking my head, I chuckled.
Unbelievable.
He nuzzled my neck again. A shiver ran through me as his stubble tickled my skin. I let out a giggle.
“Stop! It tickles!”
He rubbed his face more against my neck, making me laugh.
When his fingers crept up my sides, I let out a squeal, trying to get away. But holding me back, he tickled my sides, throwing me into a fit of laughter.
With a smile stretched across his face, he watched me wiggling in his arms, cackling like an idiot.
“S-stop! I can’t breathe!”
But he didn’t stop. His laughter followed behind, it sounded musical to my ears.
And when I started wheezing, only then he stopped. Wiping the tears from the corner of my eyes, I glared at him. He grinned, pulling me into him again.
“I’m hungry,” he whispered, his hand crawling into my blouse.
I bit my lip at the tug in my lower abdomen. “Dinner first.”
“I can’t wait anymore. I need you, baby,” he groaned, his hands inching closer from my chest.
Pulling away, I took the pasta off the stove. “No, I’m making dinner and we’ll enjoy the food now. Other plans are for later.”
He grumbled, trying to touch me again. But I put the ladle between us, halting his movements.
“Now let me finish my job. I need to ice the cake.”
His lips pressed together. “All right. Let me help.”
“No. Today is my turn to feed you. I’ll do everything myself. I’m almost done, anyway. You go finish any work you have left.”
“Oh, I can’t wait for you to feed me,” he commented, licking his lips.
My cheeks flamed at his double meaning. Letting out a laugh, he pressed a kiss on my lips and walked away.
Shaking my head, I let out a sigh.
I could see through his façade even though he acted like nothing happened. I saw the storm brewing in his eyes behind all his teasing and laughter. He appeared more tense than usual after our little talk in his office.
Something was bothering him, and it broke my heart to see him this way.
Turning under the blanket, I felt cold. I didn’t wake up to the warm body I went to sleep with. My hand stretched for him on the bed, but he wasn’t there.
Reaching out, I turned on the lamp that lightened the dark room.
The washroom and balcony doors were locked.
Where did he go?
After our dinner, he took me to the bedroom and made love to me until I was exhausted and couldn’t move a limb. With his gentle touches and sweet whispers in my ear, I had found myself in a peaceful sleep.
But now he wasn’t here.
Ignoring the discomfort down there, I got up and put on his T-shirt, the one he threw on the floor earlier during our hot session. Padding out of the room, I went to the living room and then the kitchen. Not finding him there, I checked the other rooms. But to no avail.
“Ace?”
Silence.
My gaze went to the narrow hallway that led to the library, gym, and his office. Biting my lip, I trudged through the hallway and came to a halt in front of the gym. Through the gap beneath the door, I could see the lights were on.
I frowned.
What was he doing here at midnight?
I pushed the door open and walked inside. “Ace—”
But I was cut off by the scene before me.
