“I think at his age, he’s more worried about the long-term future of his daughter. He might not be taking such a kind approach but I’m sure that he’s doing what he thinks is best for his daughter,” Ace explained calmly.
“I don’t know about that…” I mumbled because I couldn’t quite agree with Ace on that point.
I honestly did not like the fact that he seemed to be defending Chairman Chase even if there may be some truth behind his words. My body seemed to be boiling with anger and I knew that most of it was from the fact that Ace was dragged into this as well. The merger was one thing and the issue with Elizabeth was bad enough; however, what probably bothered me the most was seeing people get the wrong idea about my own boyfriend.
No matter how hard I tried, I could never fall in love with the idea of people misunderstanding that my boyfriend was in a relationship with someone else. The fact that it wasn’t true did not make the matter easier to swallow. To make matters worse, while everyone was under the impression that Ace and Elizabeth had rekindled their romance, my real relationship with Ace had to be kept a secret. It was hard not to laugh and then cry at the irony of it all.
“Do you remember the last time this happened?” Ace asked.
The sudden change in the direction of our conversation caught me slightly off guard. The memories of the last time that something like this happened came flooding back to me and sent a shiver down my spine.
“Oh…of course, I remember. Those were some pretty dark days...” I said before shaking my head in an attempt to rid myself of the thought.
“When the news came out, we couldn’t get into this place. Do you remember?” he asked before letting out a chuckle.
“Yes, I surely remember that…” I replied.
I remembered that we came back to my place together and couldn’t get in because the reporters were swarming the place and blocking the entrance of the building. The day the news came out, how everyone around us reacted, and how I almost lost my job because of it, all the memories came rushing back to me. Ace pulled me into his embrace and gave me a hug before he smiled at me reassuringly.
“I’m sorry for bringing it up. I didn’t mean to scare you. This time things are also different…” he coaxed gently as if speaking to a child.
“It’s not your fault. Thank you for saving me and protecting me back then,” I thanked him before showing him a brave smile.
Actions truly spoke louder than words. I finally understood why Ace was so adamant for me to leave the office earlier in the day. It was all for me to get away so that I didn’t have to recall such disturbing memories or the difficult times. Suddenly, Ace began laughing. The carefree sound of his laughter was a stark contrast to the gloomy atmosphere that hung about the room due to our worries. I watched him laugh in pure confusion because I couldn’t see what was entertaining in this situation.
When Ace caught me staring at him with a dubious look on my face, he tried his best to stop laughing. I continued giving him a questioning look until he managed to stop laughing completely. I stared at him as I demanded silently for an explanation.
“Sorry, I just thought that it’s very ironic and funny that we’re hiding out at your place right now. Back then, this place was off-limits and so unsafe but now it’s almost like the safest place for us. I’m glad that you’re still renting this place instead of taking my advice and moving in completely with me,” Ace explained before he chuckled softly at the thought.
“Well, if you put it that way then I guess it really is ironic. Things have really changed…” I replied before I started laughing a little myself.
“Don’t worry about it. This too shall pass…” Ace advised lightly.
“I just wish that there was something that I could do to help you too…” I mumbled softly.
“Honestly, I think you’re doing enough already by just being understanding. I’m sorry for this mess…” he said before showing me a tight smile.
I opened my mouth with the intention of telling him that it was fine but the sound of his phone ringing disturbed the flow of our conversation. Ace stared at his phone and then his eyes immediately met mine. The message in his gaze wasn’t at all hard to understand. The call was from someone important, and my sense told me that it must be a call from Elizabeth.
“Elizabeth…” Ace said her name sternly when he answered the call.
To my surprise, instead of walking away from me to take the call in private outside, Ace remained by my side. Unlike before, it seemed like he was willing to let me listen in on his conversation with Elizabeth. It made me happy that he was allowing me closer to him in this regard.
“Hold on a second. Rina is here too so should I put you on speaker?” Ace suggested.
My eyes widened in surprise at his sudden suggestion. I had no idea that he wanted me to be that involved in their conversation.
Did Elizabeth want to talk to me too?
“Wait…there’s no need…” I protested softly as I waved his suggestion away with my hand.
“I see. That would work as well. It’s late, though…” he said into the phone.
I had no idea what they were talking about, but it seemed like there was no need for Ace to put the call on speaker anymore. Ace looked at me before he showed me a smile that told me that things might work out. I wasn’t sure if I just wanted to be optimistic about it or if Ace seemed to be in a better mood than before.
--To be continued…
