“Took you long enough, Miss Hutton.” Greek accent was deeper than usual. The boss was extremely mad. But that didn’t stop me from studying his face. It was like ice to my burning heart.

“Well?” His head tilted. But today it didn’t irritate me.

“I could ask you the same,” I said, walking closer. The black long-sleeved, high neck T-shirt fit him well, manifesting the cuts of his hard muscles to me. “What took you so long to come back?”

Surprise flashed over those gray pools, but it was fleeting. “I didn’t think you cared if I were here or not.” He observed me, as if waiting for my answer.

The words ‘I do care’ were at the tip of my tongue, but I held myself back. “It’s not suitable for a businessman to leave his companies behind for days like that.”

He stayed quiet. The anger behind the calm façade threatened to blow out as he watched me. I could tell he wasn’t mad at my comment. It was something else.

Come on, Ace. Get out with it.

When he managed to keep calm for another half a minute, my patience ran out. He couldn’t just stay quiet when I was in a constant hell worrying about him.

“Why did you leave like that?” I spilled. “You phone was unreachable! I called you like a hundred times! What the hell were you doing?” I wanted to ask if he was all right but held myself back.

Both surprise and shock flickered over his face. But again, he was quick to cover it. Damn him for such control where I was a mess here.

He stood, strolling towards me, making my legs urge me to step back. Grabbing my chin gently, he peered into my soul. “And may I ask you what the hell you were doing last night, sweetheart?” The edge of his deep voice sent shivers down my spine. Gray orbs flashed with rage. “I was away just for one fucking day, and you managed to get yourself into trouble already?”

“How-how do you know?” I blinked.

“Do you really think I’d leave you behind just like that? Without anyone to watch over my Rosebud?”

A gasp left my lips. “You had someone to stalk me? How dare you!”

“And how did you dare to put yourself at risk by going in that shady place alone! Anything could’ve happened out there, and nobody would even get to know where you were! Damn it, Emerald! What the hell were you thinking?” His nostrils flared, stepping back. “Thank God my men were there watching over you! Otherwise, I—”

His hands balled into fists as his intimidating form shook with rage, jaw clenching and unclenching. His flaming grays told me he wanted to destroy something. A volcano inside him wished to unleash. I never saw him this furious before.