SHARON'S POV
As I walked out the door, I couldn't help but think about Ace's behavior. One minute he wants me gone, the next minute he's holding me back. What's going on with him? Is he playing some kind of game with me? I felt a shiver run down my spine as I quickened my pace. I had to get out of here, fast.
But as I walked, I couldn't shake the feeling that someone was following me. I glanced over my shoulder, but I didn't see anyone. Still, the feeling persisted. I picked up my pace, my heart racing with fear because I didn't want to even have another conversation with him, fearing that I might break down in presence of such a cold jerk.
Suddenly, a hand grabbed my arm, holding me back. I spun around, ready to defend myself, even though I knew it was just Ace. His eyes were fixed on me, his expression cold and unyielding.
"You're not going anywhere," he said, his voice firm.
I scoffed, trying to shake off his grip. "Just now you want me gone, and now you say I'm not going anywhere," I said, my voice bitter.
Ace's expression didn't change, but his grip on my arm tightened. "You're not going anywhere," he repeated.
I struggled to get free, but he held me back tightly.
"Aec let me go" I was trying my best not to shout, the feeling already heavy on me
After a while, I gave up, and we walked back together.
As we walked back downstairs, I saw Maxie, Zion, and Marcus waiting by the door, ready to leave. But when I told them I wasn't going with them, they looked at me in surprise.
"What's going on, Sharon?" Maxie asked, her voice concerned.
I just shook my head. "Nothing, Max... You guys go ahead. I'll catch up with you later."
Zion did not seem to like the idea the most but he didn't say anything
They exchanged skeptical glances, but eventually, they left, I just watched as they walked out the door, feeling a sense of relief wash over me.
The door closed behind Maxie, Zion, and Marcus, and Ace and I were left alone in the house. I turned to him, feeling a sense of frustration and anger.
Now that i was alone with Ace in the house, the tension between us was palpable, and we gave each other cold attitudes.
"I don't think I can do this anymore, Ace," I said, my voice firm. "I don't think I can keep up with your... character. I'm tired of being treated like a servant, tired of being ignored and belittled."
Ace's expression didn't change, but his eyes narrowed slightly. "The contract is still in place, pookie," he said, his voice cold. "You can't just walk away."
I felt a surge of anger. "Then you need to change, Ace," I said, my voice rising. "I need you to treat me with respect and dignity. I need you to see me as a person, not just a contract."
Ace's gaze was unyielding. "The contract doesn't include emotions or feelings, Sharon," he said, his voice flat. "You're not my girlfriend, you're my... associate. So stop behaving like you're my girlfriend."
I felt a sting, but I tried not to show it. "Then stop placing me in girlfriend positions, Ace," I said, my voice calm. "Stop expecting me to do things that a girlfriend would do or rather don't do thing's you'd do for a girlfriend because I'm not your girlfriend, and I never will be... Stop confusing me, because I feel you already"
Aec for once looks at me concerned "what do you mean by that"
But I didn't answer him
There was a brief silence, the tension building up strong. Then Ace spoke up, his voice cold. "Go to bed, Sharon. We have somewhere to go tomorrow."
I raised an eyebrow, my voice sarcastic. "Oh, really? And where might we be going this time?"
Ace's expression didn't change. "You'll see tomorrow."
I shrugged, feeling a sense of unease. "Fine. I'll go to bed, you always do what you like anyways."
But as I turned to walk away, I could feel Ace's eyes on me, watching me, waiting for me to make a move. I knew that this was far from over.
---
I woke up to the sound of pots and pans clinking in the kitchen. I stretched and yawned, feeling a bit groggy, got out of bed and headed downstairs, my hair a mess.
As I entered the kitchen, I saw Ace standing by the stove, cooking breakfast. He looked up and saw me, his expression neutral.
"Come and eat breakfast," he said, his voice calm.
I nodded, walking over to the sink to wash my hands. I quickly packed my hair into a messy bun and joined Ace at the table.
We ate in silence, the only sound the clinking of our utensils against the plates. I didn't look up at Ace, focusing on my food instead.
As we finished eating, Ace spoke up. "Are you ready for the outing today?"
I knotted my hair, still not looking up at him. "Yeah," I muttered.
Ace nodded. "After breakfast, go prepare. We'll be leaving soon."
I nodded, taking a last bite of my food. I stood up and headed upstairs to get ready.
Twenty minutes later, I was back downstairs, dressed and ready to go. Ace was waiting by the door, his eyes fixed on me.
We walked out to the car, and Ace drove us out of the city. As we left the city limits, the scenery changed. We were no longer in the bustling metropolis, but in a smaller town, with fewer buildings and more trees, just like the last time.
The road wound through the hills, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. Where were we going? And what was Ace's plan?
I glanced over at Ace, but his expression was unreadable. He was focused on the road, his eyes fixed on the horizon.
I turned back to look out the window, trying to shake off the feeling of unease. But it persisted, lingering in the back of my mind.
We pulled up in front of a small restaurant, the sign above the door reading "Mama's Kitchen". Ace turned off the engine
"We are here"
I looked at him, wondering what was going on. "Okay," I replied, my voice neutral.
Ace's gaze didn't waver, his eyes fixed on the restaurant. "Get down," he said, his voice firm.
I raised an eyebrow, feeling a surge of irritation. "Okay," I repeated, my voice calm.
I stepped out, looking around at the quaint town. It was like something out of a movie, the buildings old and charming.
Ace stood in front of the restaurant, looking at me expectantly. I nodded, and we went inside.
The restaurant was cozy, with a few tables scattered about. We sat down at a table by the window...
"Waw fancy restaurant , but I didn't come all the way here to get food" I squinted at him but he didn't reply. A woman came over to take our order.
Ace spoke up, ordering a few dishes in a mix of English and Arabic. I raised an eyebrow, impressed by his language skills.
The woman, who looked like she was in her late 40s, she looked beautiful and neat, nodded and took the order. But as she turned to leave, she suddenly hit the back of Ace's head.
I was taken aback, surprised by the sudden action and Ace shouted making me startle in shock
"Mum!" ...and looked up at the woman, a smile spreading across his face.
My expression was drop dead or maybe I heard wrong... Did my CEO just refer to this woman as mom???
The woman, who I assumed was Ace's mother, scolded him in a mix of languages. "You have not stopped your badly eating habit, you are supposed to eat balanced diet," she said, her voice stern but loving.
Ace looked up at her, still smiling. "Mum, I'm fine," he said, his voice calm.
His mother shook her head, muttering something under her breath. She patted Ace's head, and then looked at me.
"And who is this?" she asked, her eyes curious.
Ace turned to me, a hint of pride in his voice. "This is Sharon," he said. "My... friend."
Her expression gave surprised "This is odd...you never brought your friend's no matter how much I asked you too"
With a warm smile spreading across her face she looked over to me. "Ah, nice to meet you, darling," she said, her voice friendly.
I smiled back, confused on how to even behave around her... Aec was a complete moron for doing this