44.

The thoughts wouldn’t stop swirling in my mind as I stared at Liam, trying to ground myself in the present. But the past was relentless.

Xander’s unyielding comfort, Ace’s sharp words, they haunted me. I wanted to escape Ace, run far enough that his presence could no longer suffocate me. Yet, I couldn’t deny the truth that lingered in my chest: Ace still had a hold on me, just as he always had.

That night, when he touched me for the first time, it was as though the world had fallen silent. No one had ever touched me like that, so reverent yet possessive. Ace had shown me what it meant to be loved, or at least, what I thought love was.

But as I stared into the bleakness of the present, a pang of bitter pity struck me. Ace, the father of my child, loathed not just me but our son.

"Enjoying the dark, hmm?"

The familiar, husky voice made my heart stutter. An arm snaked around my waist, pulling me against something firm and unyielding.

Ace.

I knew it even before I looked. My body recognized him before my mind could protest.

My breath hitched as his lips brushed my hair, the faint scent of him filling my senses and setting my nerves ablaze. His fingers trailed across my waist, a featherlight touch that sent shivers rippling down my spine. My eyes fluttered shut, every sensation amplified, every nerve alive.

This was wrong. Entirely, wholly, irrevocably wrong.

But oh, how blissful it felt.

And that was the most dangerous part. I hated how my body betrayed me, how it craved the comfort of his touch even when my mind screamed at me to stop.

He leaned closer, his nose brushing the crook of my neck, sending an electric pulse through my body. I froze, caught in a moment where everything—time, breath, logic—seemed to halt.

"Ace," I whispered, his name slipping out in a breathless moan that made me cringe at myself. Why did I always lose my composure around him?

"You kissed him," he said, his voice low, a quiet storm brewing beneath the surface.

My eyes flew open, the haze lifting. I wrenched myself out of his grasp and turned to face him. His gaze pinned me in place, those glowing eyes simmering with barely contained fury.

"I didn’t," I said, my voice trembling despite my best efforts. "I didn’t let him kiss me."

Ace’s jaw tightened. "But you let him try," he said, his voice a dangerous whisper.

"It felt wrong," I admitted, my chest tightening with the weight of the confession. "Like I was cheating."

His eyes narrowed, the intensity of his stare cutting through me like a blade. I took a step back, needing space, air—anything to escape the fire raging between us.

But Ace stepped forward, closing the distance, his voice a quiet growl. "You’re mine. Don’t forget that."

My chest burned with his words, as I straightened my spine and stared at him with anger brewing in my guts.

"No, Ace."

"This is not a game where you win either way. And I wouldn't let you win. How could I be possibly yours, when you are not ready to accept me and my child. Nope, you aren't going to get away with this all. Either you accept us or you lose us." I couldn’t stop, even when the fear coiled and steeled my spine.

He slowly neared me until my back was pushed against the cold metallic wall. My defiance slowly crumbling under his piercing stare.

"You have got a quite a big tongue, now. Hm?" Hu husked sniffing my breath. His hands trapping me from either sides.

"Despite the warnings to stay away from my brother, you go ahead and kiss him. Where is the dignity, Zephyr? You always had your dignity and self respect om the top of the shelf, didn't you? Never letting anyone walking on you and all?" The mocking on his words made me grit my teeth as I glared at him.

"It's such a shame, now, that you are cheating on two men. Tch, toh, tch. Shame on you, Zephyr." He tutted making me flare my nostrils at him

"I am not cheating on anyone. And for your information, you were the one who trea me disrespectfully, you left me behind, impregnant with your child and now you deny to accept him." My voice raised with every word.

"You cheated on me and went without letting me know about it. You were the one who played with me, my feelings and my future."

The mockery of his words faded seriousness masked upon his face as he glared at me.

"I didn't play with you."

"You did, you played with me. Treating me like a slut."

"Zephyr!" He roared cutting off my words making all my confidence crumble into fear. Leaning over me, he flared his nostrils as he gripped my neck and pulled me towards him.

My lips were mere inches away from him, as his eyes glowed furiously.

"Mind your words, Zephyr." He gritted put the words, making me arch my back.

I wriggled in his hold, but he didn't left me instead he circled my waist from his other hand, pulling me dangerously close to him making me close my eyes.

I closed my eyes, my chest heaving against his as I tried to steady my breath. His grip on my neck was firm, but not painful—just enough to remind me who held the power in this moment.

"Open your eyes, Zephyr," he growled, his voice low and commanding.

I shook my head, refusing to give him the satisfaction. My pride was the only armor I had left, thin as it was.

His hand tightened ever so slightly around my waist, pulling me impossibly closer until there was no space left between us. His breath fanned against my lips, like a feathery touch. I almost crumbled in his arms.

"Don’t make me repeat myself," he warned, each word dripping with barely controlled fury.

Hesitantly, I opened my eyes, meeting his fiery gaze. The intensity in his eyes sent a jolt through me. A dangerous mixture of anger and something deeper, which I couldn’t name.

"You think I played with you?" he asked, his voice quieter now, but menacing.

His hand at my neck loosened slightly, as his thumb brushed across my thumping pulse.

"Do you think I’d waste my time on someone I didn’t want?"

"You used me," I shot back, my voice trembling but defiant. "You made me believe I was nothing, you left me behind naked on the cold bed-"

"Enough," he interrupted, his voice a sharp blade cutting through my words.

His eyes bored into mine, challenging. "You think you know what’s in my head? What’s in my heart?"

I swallowed hard, unable to look away. The way he held me, the way his eyes burned into mine, it was too much.

Too overwhelming, too raw.