CHARLOTTE’S POV
1:
55 Vouchers
Ethan and Ace showing up at the hotel ruined my plan. I had come there because I needed time alone, time to think, before going back to the pack house. By morning, I had made up my mind. I packed our bags quietly, woke Liam up, and we left for the Brimstone pack house to see Dad.
Ace didn’t call through the night. A part of me was bothered, but another part felt strangely relieved. Everything was starting to come out into the open. The festival was only a week away. Maybe this was my sign to move on from something that was never truly meant to be. My heart ached as that thought settled in.
The house lightened up the moment we walked in. The staff surrounded me, greeting me, hugging me, touching my arms like they needed to be sure I was really here. They were smiling, and I realized I had missed them just as much. Liam looked the happiest. The moment they reached for him, he went into their arms, laughing as they lifted him up. They disappeared into another part of the house, his giggles filling the building.
Daddy’s personal butler, Mr. George, told me he was in a meeting in his study with a few associates. I decided to go unpack while I waited for him to finish. The butler helped me take my bags upstairs. He came back an hour later to tell me Dad was done and wanted to see me.
As I walked closer to his study, I heard Liam’s tiny footsteps running toward me. His face was smeared with chocolate, and he was giggling like someone was tickling him.
“What did I tell you about eating chocolate before food?” I asked, pretending to be mad. His lips stretched into a wide smile, the kind that always melted my heart, and I couldn’t help smiling back at him.
“They all missed me,” he said proudly. “They took me to the kitchen and Chef Lydia gave me chocolate. How could I say no to my old, cute chef?” He shrugged like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
I lifted my hand to open the door, then paused when I heard a male voice inside, one that wasn’t Dad’s. I wondered if someone else had come to see him and the butler didn’t know. Not wanting to interrupt, I turned to take Liam away and clean his face, but Dad’s voice came from inside, asking me to come in with his grandchild. He must have picked up our scent. A smile settled on my face as I opened the door.
The smile on my face faded halfway when I saw who was in the office with him. How did he get here before
me?
“Uncle Ace!” Liam yelled. His happiness tripled as he ran past me straight into Ace’s arms, leaving Dad staring in surprise.
“Hey, my big man. I missed you,” Ace said, lifting him up and pressing a loud kiss to his cheek. Liam burst into giggles. Ace didn’t even care that his face was sticky with chocolate.
“Uncle Ace, you didn’t tell me you were coming here to stay with us,” Liam said. He slipped down from Ace’s arms and ran to Dad. “Grandpa, is Uncle Ace going to spend time with us here in our pack?”
Dad cleared his throat, clearly thinking about how to answer. “Uncle Ace is a very busy man,” he said carefully. “He’s only here for business and doesn’t have extra time to spend.”
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Chapter 70
Liam shook his head. “No, Grandpa. For mummy and me, Uncle Ace will always create time. He leaned close to Dad’s car and whispered loudly, loud enough for everyone to hear. “Especially for my mummy. He’ll always make out time to spend with mummy.” His voice dropped like he was sharing a serious secret, but we could still hear him. “He likes mummy a lot.”
“Liam!” I yelled. I felt cornered and embarrassed all at once. Heat rushed to my face and my cheeks turned slightly pink as I felt Ace’s gaze on me.
Liam and Dad drifted into their own little world, talking and laughing softly. I lifted my eyes to steal a quick glance at Ace, but he caught me. He wasn’t even trying to hide it, he was shamelessly staring straight at my face, his eyes filled with something I couldn’t fully read. But beneath it, I could see love, he wasn’t trying to hide it.
He wasn’t making this easy for me at all. How was I supposed to get over him when he looks at me like this? The anger I saw last night wasn’t there anymore, it completely wiped away. And how did he even get here? He didn’t call. I thought he had gone back to America and probably would send someone else to handle the business.
I cleared my throat to get Dad’s attention. That was when I noticed he had already cleaned Liam’s face with a wipe. How long had Ace and I been staring at each other? I hoped that he didn’t notice, because that would be too embarrassing.
“Right,” Dad said. Liam was settled on his lap, playing with his stubble, which had grown fuller in the past weeks. “Since you’re both here, why don’t you head to the plant now. Ace would love to see the progress, how far we’ve come, the new machines we brought in, and how production is moving.”
He shifted Liam slightly. “You can also check the assembly line and quality section, see if everything is meeting our standards.” His eyes moved to Ace. “And you mentioned you wanted to test–drive the new model.”
“The Black Vortex,” he added.
I understood right away why Ace would want that. It was our latest release. Built low and wide, the kind of car that hugs the road. The body was reinforced, heavy without looking bulky. The windows could take impact without cracking, the tires could keep moving even when damaged, and the security system was the kind you couldn’t override easily. It was fast, dangerous in the right hands, and safe in a way. Ace loved fast cars. I had seen his collection before, and most of them were built for power and speed.
“That one was designed for high performance,” Dad added proudly. “Reinforced body, bulletproof glass, run- flat tires, armored undercarriage, and advanced security systems. The kind of car people like you prefer.
His auto company also makes those impenetrable fancy cars, like the type we were in the morning when we were attacked by Rougarous the first time. Of course he would want to drive it himself.
He turned to Ace and spoke about the revised agreement, the performance reports, the expansion timeline, and the export terms. He said everything would be sent over for review.
Ace nodded. He said he would go through everything after seeing the facility and if everything checked out, they would get it signed.
I frowned slightly and looked at dad. I asked why Ace wanted to go with me when Lawson could handle it. Lawson was more experienced with this side of the business.
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Chapter 70
100
Vouchers
Dad said Lawson would be there but Ace knew me better and trusted my judgement. That only made things more uncomfortable.
We walked toward the private garage where Ace had parked his car. We got in and drove off. None of it made sense to me. Ace didn’t need to come himself and he didn’t need me with him, yet he insisted on both.
When we got to the plant, Lawson rushed out almost immediately. He had been told Alpha Ace was coming, but the fear on his face was obvious. He bowed deeply and avoided Ace’s eyes as he greeted him. He quickly led us inside.
He took us to the section where the newly finished cars were lined up. Lawson handed Ace the key with both hands. Ace got inside and started the engine. The sound vibrating through the space. He stepped back out, walked around, and reached for my hand. He helped me into the passenger seat carefully.
It was a two–seater. My breath twitched when he got inside and it was only the both of us in here
“This is really nice but I don’t think I’m in the
mood to go for a…” my words were cut short when he zoomed off. He was driving so fast, I was literally choking. I suddenly felt the urge to puke my lungs out. He must have noticed my discomfort because he slowed down, pulled the car to the side, and rushed out to help me out of the car.
I squatted on the ground, taking slow, deep breaths to calm myself. My stomach still churned, but at least I wasn’t about to throw up. He knelt behind me, rubbing my back, making small circles with his fingers. I hated how comforting it felt, hated that it made me feel calmer, hated that I wanted it.
“I’m sorry,” he kept saying, voice low. “I didn’t mean to drive so fast.”
I shook my head and got back into the car, still feeling queasy. “Could you… please take me home?”
He hesitated, looking at me with those unreadable eyes. “I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean to make you sick.”
I glared at him, frustration building. “Please don’t apologize. I made it very clear I didn’t want to do this, but you didn’t listen. What I say or what I want… it has never mattered to you, has it?” My words were sharp, accusing, and I didn’t hold back.
“Please don’t say it like that. I didn’t know you meant it, I thought you only said that because you to drive with me.”
didn’t want
I let out a bitter chuckle. “Exactly what I’m saying, what I want has never mattered to you. You think it’s okay to play with people’s emotions because you think you can. Why can’t you read between the lines, I don’t want to spend time with you. I don’t want you anywhere around me anymore, don’t you get it?”
He nodded, slowly processing what I was saying. “I get that you don’t want me around you anymore but I want to know why. A few days ago we were good, you had just given me a chance to prove myself and the next day you blocked me off like I was a pest bugging your life. I look everywhere for you only to find you kissing another guy at the pool. How do you think that makes me feel?” His eyes were an ocean of hurt that he couldn’t mask.
“I don’t care how you feel. Your feelings are irrelevant to me.” My words were cold but I didn’t care any longer, I wanted him out of my life and son’s life. Our lives were peaceful before he stormed in like a tornado.
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Chapter 70
“I can’t do that,” he said in a soft voice.
“Why?!” I yelled on top of my lungs. “Why can’t you leave me alone?”
“Because I love you.
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
