THIRD PERSON POV
As soon as Ace left the study, Camilla turned to Victor, a sly smile spreading across her face. "You know, dear, I think we need to talk about Ace's little friend," she said, her voice dripping with intrigue.
Victor's expression turned questioning. "What are you talking about, Camilla?"
"Sharon," Camilla replied, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.
Victor's brow furrowed. "Who is this sharon girl" I don't know what you're talking about. Is she someone Ace is involved with?"
Camilla laughed, a low, throaty sound. "Involved with? Oh, I think it's more than that, Victor. She's just an employee at Ace's company. She was formally working under Diana's division, but apparently, she's been transferred to Ace's division recently."
Victor's eyes narrowed. "Go on."
Camilla leaned in, her voice taking on a conspiratorial tone. "I even found her in Ace's house once. I think there's more to this girl than meets the eye, Victor. You should talk to Ace about her."
Victor's expression turned thoughtful, his mind racing with possibilities. Who was this Sharon girl, and what did she want with his son? He made a mental note to look into her background, to find out more about her.
The more he thought about it, the more he was convinced that Sharon was a problem, a potential threat to the family's interests. And Victor always dealt with problems swiftly and decisively.
Camilla's expression turned benevolent, her voice filled with concern. "You know, Victor, I want what's best for Ace and the family. I just don't want him to be carried away or distracted by a girl who's just a one-time fling of his life."
Victor turned to her, his eyes softening slightly. "You're so good to Ace, Camilla. You've been the one upholding this family's values and interests when I couldn't be there."
Camilla's smile was warm, but her eyes gleamed with calculation. "I'm just doing what's best for the family, Victor. You know that."
THE NEXT MORNING
Ace packed up little thing's,heading toward the joint apartment he had with Diana, he walked into the apartment, his expression plain. Diana greeted him with a bright smile, trying to gauge his mood. "Good morning, darling! I made breakfast for us."
Ace barely acknowledged her, his responses curt and cold, Diana tried to hide her disappointment, attributing his behavior to stress but deep down she knew it wasn't stress at all.
As they stood in the living room, Ace took the small bag with his clothes packed. "I'll get changed," he said, his voice devoid of emotion.
He headed towards the bedroom, and Diana followed, excitement in her eyes. "I arranged a little surprise for you, Ace. I thought it would be nice to have a special morning together."
The room was indeed decorated with flowers and candles, but Ace's expression remained unimpressed. He scanned the room, his eyes lingering on the setup before dismissing it.
Diana asked, her voice hesitant, "Do you like it?"
Ace turned to her, his eyes cold. "You get your things out of this room. This is my room. You can sleep in any other room."
Diana's face fell, but she tried to speak up, to explain or apologize. However, Ace didn't give her the chance, turning his back on her as he grabbed his suits and headed out the door.
"I'm going to work," he said, his voice firm and final.
Diana spoke up in a hurry "Ace, why are you doing this? Why are you pushing me away like this?"
Ace didn't respond, his gaze fixed on his watch as he adjusted his cufflinks.
"Can't we just talk about this? About what's going on?"
Ace's expression remained unreadable as he turned to her. "You forced yourself into this, now you have to face whatever comes with it. Don't try to bow out of it."
Diana's eyes flashed with a mix of anger and desperation. "That's not fair, Ace. You know I did this for us, for our future."
Ace's voice was cold. "Our future? You mean the one you've mapped out for us? I didn't sign up for that, Diana. You need to understand that."
The silence that followed was loud, the tension between them felt thick. Ace turned to leave, his voice dripping with finality. "I'm going to work."
The door closed behind him, leaving Diana standing alone in the room, her heart heavy with unspoken words.
Diana's fingers trembled as she dialed Camilla's number, her heart racing with anxiety. When Camilla answered, Diana didn't waste any time on pleasantries.
"Ace has started," Diana said, her voice barely above a whisper. "He's being impossible, refusing to play along."
Camilla's voice was calm and collected on the other end of the line. "Don't worry, it's going to be sorted."
Diana's grip on the phone tightened. "How? What have you planned?"
Camilla's tone remained serene. "Don't worry, it's just sorted."
Diana's frustration boiled over. "What do you mean it's sorted? What have you done, what's the plan?"
Camilla's voice took on a warning tone. "Do not be dramatic, Diana. Just let things unfold as they should, don't try to question me."
Before Diana could press for more information, the line went dead. Camilla had hung up, leaving Diana staring at the phone in her hand, her mind racing with uncertainty and fear but her fingers flew across the keypad as she dialed another number, her eyes narrowing as she waited for the call to connect. When Beatrice's name flashed on the screen, Diana's expression turned icy.
Beatrice's cheerful voice greeted her. "Good morning, Diana!"
Diana didn't waste any time on pleasantries. "My husband is on his way to work right now. I want you to keep a stern eye on him and on Sharon. No mistakes made. Do you understand?"
Beatrice's tone turned as if she was hesitant. "Okay, ma'am..."
Diana cut her off, her voice low and menacing. "I don't pay you to think, Beatrice. I pay you to follow instructions. Keep them apart a and keep me infomred. No exceptions."
Before Beatrice could respond further, Diana barked another question. "Is there any update?"
Beatrice's voice was hesitant. "No, ma'am."
Diana's fingers tightened around the phone. "I'll expect one soon." With that, she ended the call, the sound of the line disconnecting echoing through the silence.