Louisa's p.o.v;
"Are you sure about this?" Mateo, one of Ace's closest bodyguards, asked me when I got into the car along with my bag of clothes.
"Yes."
"I hope you don't regret this."
The car started. While we're on the way to Ace's house, I looked outside thinking about the rich guy I saw that day. How would I find him just by his face? It would be better if I had known his name by that time but they didn't talk much. I wonder how I'm going to find him in this big city with only remembering his face.
After thirty minutes of travelling in the car, we reached Ace residence. I got out of the car with my bag and walked inside the house.
Ace was standing near the door saying, "I didn't expect you to be here when you said you're coming. I thought you were lying."
I walk past him into the house. He grabbed my hand and said, "Don't ignore me while I speak. I hate people when they're not paying attention."
"Then hate all you want. I didn't come here to earn your love or something." And walked inside the house.
Inside the house, there are many rooms and I saw the room where I was held captive. It brought back some bitter memories from the past.
"You can stay in my room like before."
When he tried to take my bag, I said, "I don't want to. And, i didn't willingly stay in your room before, you held me as a captive and tortured me like you wanted. So stop saying whatever pops up in your head. And, I want a separate room for myself. Does your house only have rooms for hostages or Do you have a room where people can actually stay?"
He let out a smirk and said, "I do." And walked in front of me.
I took the bag and followed after him. Mateo whispered, "Shall I say something, if you don't mind?"
"Yeah, go on."
"Make him your lover."
"Huh?"
"I never seen him like this before. He never gives in to anyone just like that. He doesn't like people who talk back or talk against him so we never do that in this house. When you talked back at him, he didn't get mad or yelled at you. That's new."
"It's because I have information which he wants. Nothing more than that."
"But I feel like there's more than that."
"That'll never happen. It's all in your head. And, don't gossip behind him. Did you forget that he hates it too?" And gave a smile at him.
When Ace showed me a room, I peeked in and took a look around.
"Is this room suitable for you or should I show you another room?"
I placed my bag on the bed and said, "It's fine for me."
He stared at the bag like a hawk.
"What is it?"
Mateo took the bag from the bed and placed it on the floor and said, "Ace doesn't like keeping dirty things on the bed."
I laughed and walked to Ace and whispered in his ears, "Then you shouldn't sleep on the bed i guess."
When I backed away, his face was filled with anger. I tapped on his shoulder and said, "Since it's my room for now, you don't have to worry about it. I'll take good care of it. You may leave now."
After Ace and Mateo left the room, I closed the room behind him. I took the laptop from my bag and turned it on. I opened the internet to check about the rich guys in the trend but i couldn't find him. What if his picture wasn't here instead of a dark web? How should I find him through this? I don't know any dark webs.
I heard knocks on the door. Who's now? I closed the laptop, kept it in my bag and opened the door.
I saw Antonio standing in front of the door. When I tried to close it, he stopped it by keeping his foot in between the door.
"What is it?" I asked.
"Sorry for my substandard behaviour in the past."
When I looked at him properly, his lips were bruised like he got punched in his mouth.
"I don't want an apology which was forced. If you're really sorry about it, you can just help me by keeping an eye on Bernie. He's the only person I'm worried about right now."
He gave me a stare and walked away from where he stood.
I heard Ace laugh nearby. When I came out of the room, he was leaning on the wall and looked like he was listening to the conversation between me and Antonio.
He said, "Was he really your friend?"
"Yes."
"Not more than that?"
"No."
"But it doesn't look like it. The care you show towards him didn't look like friendship. Are you hiding something from me?"
"What are you doing here? Wasn't eavesdropping wrong in your wordbook?"
"I came to pick you up. Let's go, I have something to show you."
"What is it?" I asked worriedly.
He didn't say anything and proceeded forward. After a few steps, he took me to a room where there are more bodyguards in the house. When I stepped in, it felt like I was walking into a den of lions. Those taller muscular built bodyguards have a fierce look in their eyes and I walked in like a trapped rabbit. When i came to the centre of the room, some men were on the floor being flooded in the blood. They were all alive but it doesn't look like they'll be alive for the next moment.
Ace, "Check them if anyone's recognisable."
How can I look at them while they were covered in blood?
Ace stepped on one of the men's throats and asked, "Is it him?"
I shook my head and looked at the man who was struggling under Ace's foot to breathe.
Ace stepped down from him and pulled another man's hair asking, "Or is it him?"
"No!"
I ran out of the room with a vomiting sensation and came to my room to spew up whatever came out of my mouth into the sink.
After a while, I sat on the bed trying to forget what I just saw back then.
Mateo gave me a glass of something saying, "Take it. Ginger tea helps in stopping the sensation of it."
I received the glass from him and drinked it slowly.
Ace, "How are you going to survive here if you can't handle a small thing? Leave at once, I'll call you when you're needed."
When he tried to walk out, I said, "I can do it."
"I'm bored of your confidence." And he walked out of the room.
Mateo took the glass from my hand and left the room.
In the middle of the night, I couldn't sleep so I came out of the room and headed to the room where he kept those guys. The doors weren't locked. When I opened the doors, it was empty. Where did those guys go? Did Ace murdered them all? Or did he let them go? I couldn't think of anything since my mind was filled with that rich guy's face. I made myself remember him again and again so that I won't forget his face till I find him.
What about a surveillance camera in that street? It must have captured his face or his henchmen's face.
I knocked on the Ace room and waited. He opened the door and asked after taking a look at me, "What are you doing here?"
"Did you check the surveillance camera in that street?"
"What are you talking about?"
"The surveillance camera. If his face was caught on…"
Before I finished, he said, "Let's talk tomorrow. Go to your room." And slammed the door against my face.
I walked away from his room and headed to my room. Ok the way, I thought, 'How did he sleep peacefully like that while I couldn't sleep because of the stone? Wasn't he the one who has to be more involved in this?'
Someone tapped on my shoulder which gave me a jerk. When I turned to take a look, it's Diego.
"Did I scare you?" He asked.
"A little. What are you doing here?"
"I heard something in the hallway so I came to check what it was."
"But I didn't hear anything."
"What are you doing here?"
"Nothing. Wait, did you know Edgar was a spy? Because you two looked pretty close than any other. Did you know about this before?"
"No, he didn't say anything about it. If I knew he was a spy, I would be the first person to report about him. I tried to shoot him but Ace stopped me from doing it."
So he was the one who tried to shoot Edgar among Ace's bodyguards. These people are so loyal to their bosses. That explains why he tried to shoot Edgar even though he was a friend of his.
"I'll get to my room then."
When I tried to go to my room, he asked, "I can't let you go unless you tell me the purpose for your visit to the Ace room."
"Are you threatening me right now?"
"I…" he let out a sigh and said, "Leave but don't roam around the hallway again."
I nodded and headed to my room.
Inside the room,
I took my phone to make a call to Bernie. He answered.
"Hey, how are you? Why didn't you make a call when you reached there? Did you forget about me already?"
"Stop shooting questions at me. Did you have dinner?"
"Yes. What about you?"
"Yeah, I had too."
"What did you have?"
"Smashed potatoes and toast. Didn't you sleep? Why are you still up?"
"I was working on my assignment so I stayed up."
"Did you finish it or halfway through it?"
"Almost finished it. Louisa, come back soon. It feels lonely without you in the apartment."
"Okay, I'll be back soon. Good night."
"Goodnight then."
I ended the call with him and curled up in bed.
When i tried to go to sleep, someone banged the door hard. What's wrong with these people? Who's banging the door in the middle of the night?
I opened the door to see many bodyguards standing in front of me nervously.
"What happened?"
Mateo walked among the bodyguards and held my hand and said, "Don't come out of the room. Stay inside. I'll leave some bodyguards here and some outside the door." He signalled some to enter my room.
While they were walking into my room, I asked Mateo, "Tell me what happened?"
"Antonio got shot."
"What? How did this happen? Wasn't he here? Did someone barge into the house?"
"No, he wasn't here. He got shot near your apartment. Do you know why he went there?"
Did he go there for what I said? What did I just do?
"How's he now? Is he alright? Is he alive?"
"He's okay. He's on the way to the hospital right now. He'll be alright."
Near my apartment? What about Bernie?
When I tried to ask about Bernie, he was already left along with Bodyguards.
I came in and asked the Bodyguard whom he left to take care of me, "Where's your boss?"
"He went to the hospital to check on Antonio."
"Take me to the hospital."
"I'm afraid I can't. Your safety is important to us."
"Atleast, give me your phone."
After I got a phone call from the bodyguard, I rang Rafael. He didn't pick up. When I looked at the time, it's past midnight. I made a call to him again. He picked up.
"Rafael, i need a help."
"What is it? Why do you sound nervous?"
"Can you please go and check on Bernie? I felt something was wrong. I couldn't because I'm staying far from him. Can you please do it?"
"Okay, okay. I'll do it."
"Call me after you check on him."
The call ended.
I walked here and there waiting for his call. Please, please, he should be fine. He should be alright.
Twenty minutes passed, and I still didn't get a call from Rafael. What's happening there? I got a call from Rafael.
"Yes, did you check on him? How is he? Is he alright? Is everything okay?"
"Yes, he's fine. I said it was a routine patrol check and checked his room. He's okay. What happened?"
"I'll talk about it later. For now, thanks for checking on him."
"I don't know what it is. Is this related to Ace?"
"No, no. I just freaked out from a nightmare about Bernie… Bernardo. That's all."
"It is only a nightmare?"
"Yeah, it is."
"Okay, don't hesitate to call me."
I ended the call and gave the phone back to the bodyguard asking him to discard the phone and sim card since it was a call to a cop.
I hope Antonio is fine too.