As usual. Dad never stopped any of our siblings to chase our dreams. He always supports us. Just like Mom.

“Uh, Ms. Hutton?” Carter slipped through the conference room’s door. Face weary, shoulders slumped. “Could you please do me a favor and inform the boss that the meeting is about to start? I’d do it myself, but I need to take care of some urgent issues before the meeting starts.”

I’d told him a thousand times to call me by my name, but he seemed to be adamant on calling me formally. So I stopped objecting.

I nodded. “Sure. I’ll go get him.” My mind screamed to say no. I really didn’t want to be alone with him again. But I couldn’t deny Carter. It’d be rude.

Flashing a relieved smile, he thanked me and rushed away down the hallway.

“It’s him again, isn’t it?”

At Tobias’s question, I raised my brow.

“Him being around you still troubles you.”

I shook my head. “No, it’s not like that.”

“Then why are you procrastinating?” he queried. When I didn’t answer, he sighed. “I know how you might be feeling, Em. I can see your resistance. But don’t. We both know how he still affects you so much. At least give him a chance. Maybe you don’t know, but trust me, that man’s world revolves around you.”

My eyes snapped to him, breath catching in my throat. That meant whatever Ace said was true? He did have feelings for me. Even Tobias knew it. Then why didn’t any of them tell me?

This time, I didn’t deny his claiming what Ace meant to me. Instead, I asked, “You knew? Yet didn’t care to tell me?”

Sadness washed over his blue eyes. “Everyone knew except you, Em. Everyone knew what you meant to him. But no one can fight the fate.”

I frowned, my throat tightening. What did he mean by that?

“Life has given you another chance, so don’t let it go. Achilles has suffered a lot in his life, Em. He needs you,” he said, his tone was soft. A distant look came over his eyes, as if recollecting the past.

My heart clenched at the thought of him suffering. I knew his father’s death put him into a lot of agony, but hearing Tobias’s words, I could feel there was more.

“What suffering?” My gaze searched for answers.

He shook his head. “Ask him yourself. But know this one thing, Em. His past is a sore subject for him. Especially… his mother. So be careful with your questions.”

His mother? I had this idea that his mother had something to do with his pain. I saw the hatred in his eyes when he looked at his mother’s former room. What happened to him and his mom? Where was she?