THE BILLIONAIRE' Chapter 165: WAR OF WORDS

Chapter 165: WAR OF WORDS

Ace walked into Spades after spending the entire weekend at the lake house.

The mont he stepped into the lobby, his phone rang. His eyes went to the screen, and a crease ford on his head when he saw it was Reign calling for the hundredth ti.

He was starting to accept the fact she was pregnant for him. After he discovered Fay’s treachery, he decided the devil you knew was better.

That didn’t stop him from wanting to keep her at arm’s length. It didn’t also an he could magically go back to the way things were between them before the fall out.

"Good morning, Mr Ace. Looking good as always," Landon’s secretary stopped before him, a smile on her dimpled face.

For a brief second there, Fay’s cheeks flashed before his eyes. She had dimples too. On both sides. They were very deep and pretty.

He shook his head out of the haunting thought that was Fay, and returned the secretary’s greeting with a nod of his head.

And that was how the rest of his walk from the lobby to his personal elevator went. The greetings from all corners, which he simply answered with a nod of his head.

It wasn’t lost on him Grant had not co to welco him in. A ritual they had started since he began working for him. All of a sudden, there was no trace of him.

Landon had gone in earlier because he had a eting. Thankful to him, Ace was wearing a well ironed suit.

Just as his elevator was about to close, soone slid into it.

He lifted his head, and the sinister smile of Celine Atticus trickled into his vision.

"What do you think you’re doing?" He asked as the elevator closed.

"Going up? I can’t access mine. Engineering said they’re working on it. And you?"

"And

what?" He rolled his eyes.

"Why do you look so—disgruntled?" She settled for a less harsher word than what was in her mind.

"None of your business. And the next ti your elevator has problems, use the general one. I don’t want you infecting my private space with the disease that is you."

The door opened, and he stepped out imdiately.

"Soone is testy this morning."

He heard her footsteps behind him, and his frown deepened.

She was trying to get a rise out of him. Perhaps, this was the day she would truly succeed.

"I heard you and your wife are currently not on speaking terms. But whether this pleasant news is because of your baby mama or your wife, remains a mystery." She fired on, because she knew she had all the ammunition in the world now.

"Hey, why don’t you grab a mic while you’re at it? I’m sure any mont from now, my business would be all over the news. You’ve never been the type to know how to shut up," he said behind his shoulders, as he kept walking.

"Well if you controlled your business more, maybe you wouldn’t be afraid of it getting out," she cackled.

He ca to an abrupt stop, and turned. She missed running into him by a slight margin, and froze on the spot.

"Why did you stop without a warning?" She scolded him.

"I spoke to your husband last night."

Her eyes widened. "What for?"

"I was curious. Growing up, I always wondered how soone as calm as he was could put up with soone like you. The day he filed for that divorce you’ve still refused to sign, was one of the best days of my life. I called because I suddenly had all these bright ideas on how he could actually get you to sign the damn papers. Isn’t it amazing the kind of inspiration you get when your own personal life is shit, and you need soone else, preferably an enemy to feel the sa way you feel?" his eyes twinkled with mischief as he stared down on her.

She took a challenging step forward, and stopped.

"Don’t you dare think for one second I won’t hit ten tis harder if you ddle with my marriage. I will co at you so hard, you’ll need clutches to walk for the rest of your miserable life."

He chortled mockingly, his shoulders shrugging as he did.

"Oh dear Celine. You talk one hell of a ga for soone who is under the rcy of a marriage. I never really understood why you didn’t want to let go of him, when you don’t even love him. Turns out, I just wasn’t paying enough attention. Now I am. And the good thing is I actually happen to like your estranged husband. Tick tick, Celine. Tick tick."

"It’s Aunt Celine to you!" She called after him in rage. "And don’t you dare think for one second you can threaten ."

He chuckled loudly, getting her even more furious.

Walking into his office, he banged the door shut, so she could hear from the hallway where she stood, raging.

His secretary entered the office just as he took his seat.

"Where’s Grant?" He asked.

"He’s not too well. He forwarded a ssage to you about his ill health. Didn’t you see it?" She asked.

"Tell Grant I want to see him in my office before the close of the day. If he loves his job, he better be here, sickness be damned!"

The warning in his voice rang like an alarm bell in her ears. Swiftly, she bowed, and fled out of his office.

Ace settled into his seat, and began the onboarding process for the week.

He checked his schedule first, and took a deep breath when he saw his schedule for the next two weeks.

A dotted circle in particular caught his attention. He clicked on it, and discovered it was a reminder of the Atticus party that was to be held soon.

Grabbing a pen from the desk, he began to physically map out his own calendar.

In this digital age, he still loved to do things manually. When he made plans with his hands, it was easier to morise them.

He was still in the process when the door opened, and he felt Landon’s presence.

"How was the eting?" He asked without looking up.

Landon fell on the couch, and reclined his back into it.

"Why are the Russians so strict when it cos to business?" He asked.

"Because they have value for their ti and money?"

"Good observation. Anyway, they want to speak with you before they decide if it’s a deal worth closing or not. When will you be free to speak to them?"

He crossed out the event he had put for the next two days on his paper, and replaced it with a eting with the Russians.

"How does two days sound?"

"Excellent. Now, to sothing more interesting. Why did I see Aunt Celine fuming when she walked past ? She didn’t even wave back when I waved at her." He asked with a knowing smile dancing on his face.

"She tried to intimidate

this morning. I wasn’t having it."

"More of that please. Focus your negative energy on her, and not on people who are actually good."

He paused his pen long enough to look up. "You promised you weren’t going to bring her up anymore."

"You said you were going to have a talk with the matriarch before you conclude on what to do next. Until you do that, I think I can bring anyone up. Besides, I wasn’t outright with it. There’s a reason you hear good, and think about her."

"Damn it, Lan! Why can’t you just be supportive? Do you know Grant didn’t even co into the office today? What does that tell you?"

"That he’s actually sick? Your secretary told ."

"Just because he said so, doesn’t make it true. Can you just be real for once?" He argued in frustration.

"Okay, that’s enough. I think we’re not going to see eye to eye on this subject," he said, rising to his feet. "The best I can do is leave, so we don’t have to argue."

"I never said you should."

"Well I want to. I’ll see you later, bro."

Ace held back his tongue. He didn’t want to be alone, but he would rather die than tell Landon to stay back.

Landon made to open the door when it pushed open, and the sound of a cane beating the ground echoed around the room.

"Granny!" He called, and hugged her.

As they separated, Landon was t with a scowl.

"Young man, is this your office?" She asked.

"Yep, that’s my cue to leave. Stop by before you leave?" He raised a brow.

"You know I will."

She laughed when he pinched her cheeks before walking out of the room.

"Grandma," Ace called, rising to his feet in acknowledgent of her presence.

"Sit," she said. "We have a lot to discuss."

"Alright. Let’s discuss," he replied.