“Then clear your every confusion. Go talk to him. And if you can’t, then talk to Tess. I think other than Achilles, only she can answer your questions.”

After I was done in the washroom, I rechecked my appearance and decided to join the party again.

I’d taken extra moments than I needed, considering the advice Cassie provided. I didn’t know what fate would bring out of Ace and my relationship, if there was something, but I wanted to know everything that happened in the past. Because hearing Tess’s confession that night on the terrace,observing Ace’s behavior, and his hints of knowing about my feelings years ago, forced me to think beyond. There was definitely something I didn’t know.

Even if whatever I saw was true, maybe they... had something between them. Or maybe it was just a heat of a moment. Whatever it was, I wanted to know everything. Because until I knew the truth, I would continue to suffer thinking of the possibilities.

Maybe I should talk to Tess.

Walking down the hallway, I stopped in my tracks.

While everyone was enjoying the night, he stood there before the floor to ceiling window, alone. With his hands in his pockets, he stared out at the dark sky. His expression was unreadable, eyes held anemptiness… loneliness.

My heart tugged. I wanted to reach out and wash away the emptiness in him, bring back the light in those gray pools.

A long sigh caught my attention. Caleb and Tess stood beside the pillar near the staircase. Tess put a hand on Caleb’s shoulder as a sadness washed over his face, his gaze fixed on his cousin.

“It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have been forcing him again and again to come here. Even after knowing how much this place gives him pain, how much he hates this mansion.”

She rubbed his back. “Don’t blame yourself, Cal. You just wanted your brother to stand beside you in your happiness, that’s all. And see, even after everything, he came. Maybe he’s finally ready to move on from his past? He can’t always live in that darkness, can he?”

A light chuckle left him. “We both know why he came here, both at the celebration night and this evening.”

Her lips turned up into a smile. “Yeah. For his Rosebud.”

My heart stopped in my chest. F-for me? And they knew about it?

When I glanced back at him, he was gone. Where did he go?

My eyes roamed the vast mansion he grew up in. How could the place he spent most of his life give him pain? And what past they were talking about?

Then I remembered.