THIRD PERSON POV
Ace pulled up to his father's mansion, the gates swinging open as the guard recognized his car. He drove up the driveway, the trees lining the path a blur as he navigated to the main house.
As he stepped out of the car, the guard approached him, a hint of concern on his face. "Good evening, Mr. Ace. Your father is expecting you."
Ace nodded curtly, striding towards the front door. He burst into the house, his father looking up from the living room where he was reading a book.
"Ah, Ace. I see you're back," his father said, his voice neutral.
Ace didn't bother with pleasantries. "What was that today, sire?" he demanded, his voice low and even.
Langley set his book aside, a hint of annoyance creeping into his expression. "If you are talking about my visit to the company then I don't need your consent to run my company, Ace. I made the decision, and it was necessary."
Langley's eyes narrowed. "You don't understand the decisions that need to be made to run a company like this, Ace. You need to focus on your own responsibilities and let me handle the business."
Ace's face twisted in frustration. "I understand more than you think, Father. And I know that what you did today was wrong."
Ace walked into the living room, his eyes fixed on his father. "You fired them."
Langley looked up from his book, his expression unyielding. "It was necessary."
Ace's voice was icy. "You didn't need to humiliate them like that. There were other ways to handle it."
Langley's gaze didn't waver. "I did what needed to be done. Don't question my methods, Ace."
Ace's eyes flashed with anger, but his voice remained cold. "I'm not questioning your methods, Father. I'm stating a fact. You showed everyone in that room that you're ruthless. Congratulations."
Langley's expression didn't change. "That's what it takes to be successful, Ace. You'd do well to remember that."
Ace's voice dripped with disdain. "I'm well aware of what it takes to be successful, Father. Why do you feel the need to be so brutal all the time."
Langley's eyes narrowed. "Brutal? You call it brutal? I call it business. And if you want to succeed in this world, you'll need to toughen up and learn to make the hard decisions."
Ace's face was a mask of indifference. "I think I understand the business just fine, Father. What I don't understand is why you can't just treat people with some level of respect."
Langley laughed, a cold, mirthless sound. "Respect? You want to talk about respect? In business, respect is earned through power and results. Not through coddling people's feelings."
The air between them was thick with tension, the silence that followed was draining. Finally, Ace spoke, his voice devoid of emotion. "I'll keep that in mind."
Langley's voice cut through the silence, his tone dripping with amusement. "I've always known you to be cold, Ace. You never let anyone or anything get under your skin. Why are you so bothered about this?"
Ace's expression didn't change, but his eyes flashed with anger. For a moment, it seemed like he might lash out at his father's jibe. But then, without a word, he turned and walked away.
Langley watched him go, a small smile playing on his lips. "Ace?"
Ace didn't respond, didn't look back. He just kept walking, the door slamming shut behind him.
Langley's smile faded, and he turned back to his book, his eyes narrowing as he read the words on the page. The sound of the door slamming still echoed through the room, but he didn't flinch, he was never bothered.
Ace went back home, as he walked into the living room, his contenance felt distant. Diana looked up from her phone, a smile on her face. "Hey, Ace. How was your day?"
Ace didn't respond, didn't even acknowledge her presence. He walked over to the bar and poured himself a drink, his movements economical and precise.
Diana's smile faltered, but she tried again. "I was thinking we could go out for dinner tonight. There's a new restaurant that just opened up."
Ace didn't react, he didn't even glance in her direction. He just stood there, sipping his drink, his eyes fixed on some point in front of him.
Diana's face fell, but she tried to keep the conversation going. "Okay, well, maybe we can just stay in then. I can order something-"
Ace's movements were abrupt as he pulled out his phone and dialed a number. The sound of the phone ringing filled the room, and Diana's eyes widened as she saw the name on the screen, he was calling Sharon.
Ace placed the phone on the coffee table, his eyes never leaving Diana's face. He began to remove his tie, his movements slow and deliberate.
The phone continued to ring, and Diana's face paled. She felt a pang of jealousy, but she tried to keep her voice steady. "Why are you calling Sharon?"
Ace still didn't respond . He just kept staring at her, the phone still ringing on the table between them.
The place was suffocating, and Diana felt like she was going to scream. She knew she needed to leave, but her legs felt rooted to the spot.
The phone's ringing stopped as the call was picked up. For a moment, there was silence on the line. Then, Ace's deep voice spoke up, low and commanding. "Share your location. I'm coming to get you."
Diana's eyes widened as she heard the words, her heart sinking. She felt a pang of hurt and anger, wondering why Ace was going to such great lengths to see her.
There was a pause on the other end of the line, and for a moment, Diana thought she heard a soft voice, but it was too quiet to make out what was being said. Then, Ace's voice came again, his tone unyielding. "I don't care. Just send me your location."
Diana's face burned with humiliation and anger. She couldn't believe Ace was doing this in front of her, couldn't believe he was so blatantly disregarding their relationship. She stood up, her eyes flashing with tears, and walked away, leaving Ace and his phone behind.
Ace walked into the bedroom, headed straight for the bathroom, shedding his clothes as he went. The sound of the shower turning on echoed through the room, and a few minutes later, Ace emerged, a towel wrapped around his waist.
He walked to the closet, his movements precise. He pulled out a fresh set of clothes and got dressed, his mind seemingly preoccupied.
Within minutes, Ace was ready to leave. He grabbed his keys and wallet, and headed out of the bedroom, leaving the silent tension behind him.
Diana just kept looking at him until he left. She picked up her phone and dialed Mrs. Langley's number. She had to talk to someone, had to get this off her chest and the only person who could help was Aec's stepmother.
The phone rang a few times before Mrs. Langley's cool voice picked up. "Hello, Diana."
Diana took a deep breath and launched into her tale of woe, telling Mrs. Langley everything that had happened with Ace and Sharon. She expected sympathy, maybe some words of comfort, but what she got was something entirely different.
"Diana, dear, you need to let them be," Mrs. Langley said, her voice as cold as ice. "Ace and Sharon...they have a certain dynamic. They need time, and you need to give it to them."
Diana was taken aback. "But Mrs. Langley, I don't understand. What about me? What about our relationship?"
Mrs. Langley's voice was unsympathetic. "You're worrying like a cat, Diana. Ace will do what Ace will do. You can't change him, and you can't compete with Sharon. Just...just give them space."
The words stung, and Diana felt a surge of anger and hurt. "That's it? You're just going to tell me to sit back and do nothing?"
The line was silent for a moment before Mrs. Langley spoke up again. "Yes, Diana. That's exactly what I'm telling you. Let them be, and stop acting so out of line, unlike you I have a husband at home I don't want him hearing this."
The call ended abruptly, leaving Diana staring at her phone in shock and anger.