“You don’t understand, Em. Something really fishy is going on. Achilles isn’t the right person for you! He’s only manipulating you into his trap—”

“I’ll talk to you later.” I cut the call.

Keeping the phone aside, I rubbed my temples.

I had no strength to argue with him right now. All the mess spilling into my life from the last few months was rising an exhaustion in me. Why were there so many questions and I had no answers?

And the person who could free me from the torture wasn’t ready to open up to me.

I tried to tell him about Arthur so many times, but every time I chickened out, thinking I could ruin our relationship out of my rash decisions. But now that I was finally ready to tell him everything with Liza’s subtle confession, Arthur’s threat to destroy him stopped me.

Was Arthur talking about this? Was it related to Ace’s father’s murder? But what could it be that was lethal enough to ruin him?

And was this secret connected to Ace’s fear of losing me?

Did he think I’d leave him once I found out how he closed the cops’ mouth to hide a crime?

Letting out a frustrated breath, I picked up my phone and called him again. But again, it went to freaking voicemail!

Hours passed away. But he didn’t return. Nor did he call. I even called Carter to see if he knew anything, but he didn’t have any idea of his location.The flashes of his enraged gray eyes that hid an unspoken agony behind them replayed in my mind when sleep slowly engulfed me.

Carter: Sorry, Ms. Hutton. I still couldn’t find out boss’s location. But don’t worry, he’s fine. He’ll come back soon.

Sighing, I put the phone on the kitchen counter and took a sip of my tea.

It was ten in the morning, and he still wasn’t here. I again messaged Carter to look for him, but this was what I got as an answer.

Worry nagged me constantly. With Arthur and Antonio roaming free, I couldn’t sit in peace. That infuriating man didn’t even take the guards with him. No matter how sinfully built he was, he couldn’t fight against five or ten men, could he? He shouldn’t have left like that alone.

The blare of my phone put a break on my fuming.

Tess’s blinding smiling face showed up on the screen after I received the video call.

“Em! You won’t believe how beautiful this place is. Look at the background! It’s the view from my balcony!” Her gushing in happiness put a small smile on my face. Behind her, blue sea glittered under the sun that peeked through the mountains adorned along the long beach.