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“I’m sorry that this happened, and you have to worry so much,” Ace apologized softly.

His hand moved to stroke my hair while I listened to his steady heartbeat. The regular rhythm of his hand stroking my hair and the sureness of his presence helped to calm me down.

“It’s not your fault so why are you apologizing?” I asked as I hugged him a little tighter to me.

“We should have been more careful, Elizabeth and I…” he replied calmly.

“The photos were of that night when you two came back together, right?” I asked.

“That’s right but then there are many others as well. Of course, all of them taken out of context…” Ace said before letting out a sigh that sounded so regretful.

I agreed that when taken out of context the photos of them together made them look like the perfect couple. Given the history that they were engaged before, I could understand that people would have biased view when seeing those photos. Photos of them sitting together or just walking side-by-side could be misinterpreted given how biased people were already from the fact that they shared a past relationship. On top of everything else, the public probably did not know that Ace and Elizabeth were never truly romantically involved.

“It’s just so ridiculous how far they would go just to produce gossip to attract people’s attention,” I said before having a sigh.

“It is…” Ace agreed readily although he didn’t sound upset.

He seemed to be so used to it and I found that fact so depressing. It must have been hard living almost his entire life in the spotlight and I began to really wonder if all those things that I’ve read or heard in the news about Ace were true at all. For the time being, I decided to believe in the man that was holding me tightly in his arms. My eyes narrowed when I thought of the perfect timing of this rumor that was spreading around like wildfire and the fact that Ace’s relationship with Elizabeth was being highlighted although I was the one that spent more time with Ace.

Was it simply just because our relationship made the rounds once already and wouldn’t attract as much attention as before, so they had to find another target? Was that it?

My eyes narrowed in suspicion as my body stiffened in Ace’s arms. He must have sensed the change in me because his hand stopped stroking my hair and then he loosened his arms from around my body. That gave me the opportunity to sit up in his arms so that I could look up into his face.

“Ace…” I whispered his name as I tried my best to gather my thoughts and find the right words.

“What is it?” he asked.

“I don’t know if I’m just over thinking things but…don’t you think that it’s a little strange?” I asked before I paused a little.

“What’s strange?” he inquired, and I could tell that I had his full attention.

“Well, Elizabeth did come to your place once, but I’ve been coming over to your place so often especially lately. So, I was wondering why they never took photos of me or of us together…” I told him what was plaguing my mind.

Ace was silent for a moment as we stared deeply into each other’s eyes. If eyes were really the windows to someone’s soul, then at that moment, Ace’s soul seemed to be calm and at peace.

“So, you did realize as well…” he said before smiling a little at me.

The way he smiled at me and the way his hand landed softly on top of my head made me feel like he was complimenting me for realizing. Ace chuckled softly after smiling at me and I wondered what he found so amusing when I was trying to be serious about all this.

“What do you mean?” I murmured as the nagging feeling at the back of my mind became stronger.

“I thought that it was strange as well that something like this had to happen just when we’re in the middle of discussing the merger. The timing just seems too perfect, and it hasn’t been long since Elizabeth had that fall out with her father,” Ace stated his observations before he grinned wryly at me.

The knot in the pit of my stomach twisted and a sense of dread came over me when I thought that my suspicions may be spot on after all. Ace was right about the timing being too perfect. That and the way that the press seemed so focus on digging up things between him and Elizabeth and then there was that fight that they had with Chairman Chase.

“Do you honestly think that her father did this? Really?” I asked after I gasped from shock.

How could he go that far just to pressure his own daughter into doing what he wanted?

Although I thought that it was highly probable, I just didn’t want to believe it. There was no proof but if he was the one pulling the strings behind this, then everything would fall into place and make sense. At that time, I didn’t fully understand why the chairman would do such a thing and how that would help him get what he ultimately wanted; however, it would explain perfectly why there were no gossip regarding the relationship that I had with Ace.

“I don’t know for sure, and I don’t have any proof. But if I had to make a guess, then I’ll bet that he’s the one behind this,” Ace replied.

“Does Elizabeth know about this already?” I asked while wondering how she would feel to learn that her father might be the one behind this.

“She does. Well, I know that she shares the same suspicion that I do. She’s probably confronting her father right now…” he replied before pressing his lips together and staring deeply into my eyes.

“Oh…that’s…” I murmured without knowing what to say to comment on the harsh situation that Elizabeth was undoubtedly going through.

--To be continued…