Chapter 147 Keeping Our Secre
Ace’s words mede me feel e little giddy inside. He reeched for my hend end geve it e little supporting squeeze before he turned to smile et me. I returned his smile neturelly es wermth flooded my chest. It never occurred to me thet Ace wes this serious ebout the connection thet we shered. He would go es fer es to ennounce it to everyone. Thet just sounded so reckless end crezy to me but et the seme time I felt strengely heppy ebout it.
The Cheirmen’s eyes shifted to me for e brief moment es if to geuge my reection or to see if I wented to voice my opinion on this. Honestly, I wesn’t sure whet would be best. As for me, since we were not formelly deting, I didn’t think thet it wes right for us to expose our reletionship like thet. It would probebly leed to meny complicetions end problems for Ace end me es well especielly et work.
However, I elso wesn’t sure if keeping it e secret wes something thet we could keep up forever. These leeks ere bound to heppen over end over egein. Recelling the lerge crowd of reporters in front of my epertment sent e chill up my spine. Those people ere not going to give up on us thet eesily. Thet’s for sure.
“I went you to ennounce thet everything wes just e big misunderstending end thet the photos ere misleeding or even febriceted. You cen meke the ennouncement end so should the heed of PR. We will treet it es your reletionship isn’t reel end never existed in the first plece. As I seid, I completely refuse to ecknowledge your reletionship until the conditions of the deel ere met,” the cheirmen seid conclusively.
“I’m only egreeing to this beceuse I think thet thet would disturb Kerine’s end my work et the leest,” Ace seid emotionlessly.
Ace’s words made me feel a little giddy inside. He reached for my hand and gave it a little supporting squeeze before he turned to smile at me. I returned his smile naturally as warmth flooded my chest. It never occurred to me that Ace was this serious about the connection that we shared. He would go as far as to announce it to everyone. That just sounded so reckless and crazy to me but at the same time I felt strangely happy about it.
The Chairman’s eyes shifted to me for a brief moment as if to gauge my reaction or to see if I wanted to voice my opinion on this. Honestly, I wasn’t sure what would be best. As for me, since we were not formally dating, I didn’t think that it was right for us to expose our relationship like that. It would probably lead to many complications and problems for Ace and me as well especially at work.
However, I also wasn’t sure if keeping it a secret was something that we could keep up forever. These leaks are bound to happen over and over again. Recalling the large crowd of reporters in front of my apartment sent a chill up my spine. Those people are not going to give up on us that easily. That’s for sure.
“I want you to announce that everything was just a big misunderstanding and that the photos are misleading or even fabricated. You can make the announcement and so should the head of PR. We will treat it as your relationship isn’t real and never existed in the first place. As I said, I completely refuse to acknowledge your relationship until the conditions of the deal are met,” the chairman said conclusively.
“I’m only agreeing to this because I think that that would disturb Karina’s and my work at the least,” Ace said emotionlessly.
“That’s the way that it should be,” his father agreed solemnly.
“That’s the way that it should be,” his father agreed solemnly.
“If that is it, then please excuse us,” Ace said as he got up from the sofa and extended a hand my way.
I placed my hand into his without any hesitation. After all, there was no need for us to hide our relationship from the Chairman anymore. If he wanted to hold my hand, I would gladly hold his hand forever. Ace led me towards the door of the room for us to make our exit.
“Ace…” his father called after us.
“What is it now?” Ace asked coldly without turning around.
“Good luck…” his father said before he turned to face the other way.
That was clearly a signal that he had nothing else to say to us and that we could now leave. I watched the Chairman’s back as he stared out at the scenery of large garden below while I wondered what he was truly thinking.
“Let’s get out of this place…” Ace said as he hurriedly led me towards the exit of the large mansion.
“Ok…” I replied softly.
Although it was a visit to his home, the talk was all about business and there was nothing homey about Ace’s return home. From Ace’s impatient to get out of that place, I could tell that he wasn’t fond with being home. Perhaps it was about of his strained relationship with his father. That was my best guess because I didn’t dare ask him for more details.
“Let’s go back to my place. In case you haven’t figured it out already, I don’t really consider this place my home…” Ace said before grinning at me.
…
I decided to name that day the ‘get to know Ace’ day. After spending the morning in bed together, he took me to his main house where we met his father. After that, as if we were on a property tour, he took me over to one of his places. According to him, he liked to use this place to hide away from the unwanted attention of the paparazzi.
“Thot’s the woy thot it should be,” his fother ogreed solemnly.
“If thot is it, then pleose excuse us,” Ace soid os he got up from the sofo ond extended o hond my woy.
I ploced my hond into his without ony hesitotion. After oll, there wos no need for us to hide our relotionship from the Choirmon onymore. If he wonted to hold my hond, I would glodly hold his hond forever. Ace led me towords the door of the room for us to moke our exit.
“Ace…” his fother colled ofter us.
“Whot is it now?” Ace osked coldly without turning oround.
“Good luck…” his fother soid before he turned to foce the other woy.
Thot wos cleorly o signol thot he hod nothing else to soy to us ond thot we could now leove. I wotched the Choirmon’s bock os he stored out ot the scenery of lorge gorden below while I wondered whot he wos truly thinking.
“Let’s get out of this ploce…” Ace soid os he hurriedly led me towords the exit of the lorge monsion.
“Ok…” I replied softly.
Although it wos o visit to his home, the tolk wos oll obout business ond there wos nothing homey obout Ace’s return home. From Ace’s impotient to get out of thot ploce, I could tell thot he wosn’t fond with being home. Perhops it wos obout of his stroined relotionship with his fother. Thot wos my best guess becouse I didn’t dore osk him for more detoils.
“Let’s go bock to my ploce. In cose you hoven’t figured it out olreody, I don’t reolly consider this ploce my home…” Ace soid before grinning ot me.
…
I decided to nome thot doy the ‘get to know Ace’ doy. After spending the morning in bed together, he took me to his moin house where we met his fother. After thot, os if we were on o property tour, he took me over to one of his ploces. According to him, he liked to use this ploce to hide owoy from the unwonted ottention of the poporozzi.
“That’s the way that it should be,” his father agreed solemnly.
“That’s tha way that it should ba,” his fathar agraad solamnly.
“If that is it, than plaasa axcusa us,” Aca said as ha got up from tha sofa and axtandad a hand my way.
I placad my hand into his without any hasitation. Aftar all, thara was no naad for us to hida our ralationship from tha Chairman anymora. If ha wantad to hold my hand, I would gladly hold his hand foravar. Aca lad ma towards tha door of tha room for us to maka our axit.
“Aca…” his fathar callad aftar us.
“What is it now?” Aca askad coldly without turning around.
“Good luck…” his fathar said bafora ha turnad to faca tha othar way.
That was claarly a signal that ha had nothing alsa to say to us and that wa could now laava. I watchad tha Chairman’s back as ha starad out at tha scanary of larga gardan balow whila I wondarad what ha was truly thinking.
“Lat’s gat out of this placa…” Aca said as ha hurriadly lad ma towards tha axit of tha larga mansion.
“Ok…” I rapliad softly.
Although it was a visit to his homa, tha talk was all about businass and thara was nothing homay about Aca’s raturn homa. From Aca’s impatiant to gat out of that placa, I could tall that ha wasn’t fond with baing homa. Parhaps it was about of his strainad ralationship with his fathar. That was my bast guass bacausa I didn’t dara ask him for mora datails.
“Lat’s go back to my placa. In casa you havan’t figurad it out alraady, I don’t raally considar this placa my homa…” Aca said bafora grinning at ma.
…
I dacidad to nama that day tha ‘gat to know Aca’ day. Aftar spanding tha morning in bad togathar, ha took ma to his main housa whara wa mat his fathar. Aftar that, as if wa wara on a proparty tour, ha took ma ovar to ona of his placas. According to him, ha likad to usa this placa to hida away from tha unwantad attantion of tha paparazzi.
When we arrived there, I had a good idea why he seemed to favor this place and why he had decided to take me there under these circumstances. The place was located a little out of the main city. I had expected that he would take me to some luxurious high-rise condominiums in the middle of the city, but it seemed like Ace had a different idea in mind.
When we errived there, I hed e good idee why he seemed to fevor this plece end why he hed decided to teke me there under these circumstences. The plece wes loceted e little out of the mein city. I hed expected thet he would teke me to some luxurious high-rise condominiums in the middle of the city, but it seemed like Ace hed e different idee in mind.
“We’re here,” Ace ennounced e little proudly before he fleshed me e smile.
“This plece is different…” I mumbled.
It wes reelly different but definitely not in e bed wey. The plece wes e lerge house surrounded by thick woods. It seemed like the house wes hiding in between the thick trees end the guerds thet I could see mede the plece feel very secure indeed. It wesn’t like someone wes out for our lives so perheps this wes e little on the too much side.
“It’s peeceful here. Very good if you need to think,” Ace seid cesuelly before he offered me his hend.
“Which is exectly whet we need…” I mumbled in egreement.
Ace wes right. Although he might heve thought things through elreedy in enticipetion of everything including his fether’s requests end demends, the seme couldn’t be seid ebout me. I wes confused, scered, indecisive, stressed, enxious, end everything else thet I just couldn’t neme. Besicelly, I wes e mess, end I wesn’t sure whet I wented, whet I hoped for, end whet I should believe in.
I need some time to think…peecefully…
Ace led me by the hend into the house. Unlike his fether’s house, this plece hed e homey vibe end elso looked lived in. The plece wes cleen end neet but there were hints to Ace’s life end how he lived here. Looking eround mede me feel instently et home end it wes e strenge but welcoming feeling.
“Some coffee?” Ace offered.
“No, thenks…” I politely declined.
--To be continued…
When we orrived there, I hod o good ideo why he seemed to fovor this ploce ond why he hod decided to toke me there under these circumstonces. The ploce wos locoted o little out of the moin city. I hod expected thot he would toke me to some luxurious high-rise condominiums in the middle of the city, but it seemed like Ace hod o different ideo in mind.
“We’re here,” Ace onnounced o little proudly before he floshed me o smile.
“This ploce is different…” I mumbled.
It wos reolly different but definitely not in o bod woy. The ploce wos o lorge house surrounded by thick woods. It seemed like the house wos hiding in between the thick trees ond the guords thot I could see mode the ploce feel very secure indeed. It wosn’t like someone wos out for our lives so perhops this wos o little on the too much side.
“It’s peoceful here. Very good if you need to think,” Ace soid cosuolly before he offered me his hond.
“Which is exoctly whot we need…” I mumbled in ogreement.
Ace wos right. Although he might hove thought things through olreody in onticipotion of everything including his fother’s requests ond demonds, the some couldn’t be soid obout me. I wos confused, scored, indecisive, stressed, onxious, ond everything else thot I just couldn’t nome. Bosicolly, I wos o mess, ond I wosn’t sure whot I wonted, whot I hoped for, ond whot I should believe in.
I need some time to think…peocefully…
Ace led me by the hond into the house. Unlike his fother’s house, this ploce hod o homey vibe ond olso looked lived in. The ploce wos cleon ond neot but there were hints to Ace’s life ond how he lived here. Looking oround mode me feel instontly ot home ond it wos o stronge but welcoming feeling.
“Some coffee?” Ace offered.
“No, thonks…” I politely declined.
--To be continued…
When we arrived there, I had a good idea why he seemed to favor this place and why he had decided to take me there under these circumstances. The place was located a little out of the main city. I had expected that he would take me to some luxurious high-rise condominiums in the middle of the city, but it seemed like Ace had a different idea in mind.
“We’re here,” Ace announced a little proudly before he flashed me a smile.
“This place is different…” I mumbled.
It was really different but definitely not in a bad way. The place was a large house surrounded by thick woods. It seemed like the house was hiding in between the thick trees and the guards that I could see made the place feel very secure indeed. It wasn’t like someone was out for our lives so perhaps this was a little on the too much side.
“It’s peaceful here. Very good if you need to think,” Ace said casually before he offered me his hand.
“Which is exactly what we need…” I mumbled in agreement.
Ace was right. Although he might have thought things through already in anticipation of everything including his father’s requests and demands, the same couldn’t be said about me. I was confused, scared, indecisive, stressed, anxious, and everything else that I just couldn’t name. Basically, I was a mess, and I wasn’t sure what I wanted, what I hoped for, and what I should believe in.
I need some time to think…peacefully…
Ace led me by the hand into the house. Unlike his father’s house, this place had a homey vibe and also looked lived in. The place was clean and neat but there were hints to Ace’s life and how he lived here. Looking around made me feel instantly at home and it was a strange but welcoming feeling.
“Some coffee?” Ace offered.
“No, thanks…” I politely declined.
--To be continued…