Chapter 182: HEAVY ANTICIPATION
"Why won’t Luxe sign the fucking contract renewal!" Ace Atticus slamd the unsigned docunt on the table in a fit of rage.
"You need to calm the fuck down, Ace! I don’t know what has gotten into you, but you get more reckless by the day," Landon said.
"I don’t give two fucks, Lan! I just need to close as many deals as I can. Don’t you understand? Celine is quiet. Too quiet. She has been quiet for the last four years. Best believe it’s not because her children ca around. She’s plotting!"
"And you’re being fucking paranoid, Jesus Christ!"
"Im—"
His phone began to ring, interrupting his next outburst.
He sighed, as he glanced at the device on his table.
Walking over, he grabbed it, and checked the screen to see who was calling.
His eyes rolled all the way behind when he saw who it was.
"Is that from Luxe?"
"Nope. It’s a King."
"Reign?"
"Worse."
"Oh—"
Ace answered, and brought the phone to his ear.
"Hello, Ace," the booming voice of Mr King called.
"Can you be quick with it? I’m working on sothing important," he replied.
"I think you may want to act like that adult I believe you are, and be reasonable. I called because this is the third week of you avoiding eting up with . Why’s that?"
Ace shut his eyes for a few seconds to calm his nerves. Anything less, and he would be blasting off.
"Because I’m busy. I’ve been busy. It’s been a chaotic month, alright?" He finally answered.
"That doesn’t stop you from taking out thirty minutes to drop by, and speak to your father-in-law."
"I don’t rember being married to Reign," he retorted.
"But she lives with you. She has lived with you for four years. And that brings
to my next question, when is the wedding going to be held?"
Ace flipped, damning consequences. "I don’t know what you’ve discussed with your daughter, but I would hope she’s sensible enough to know how hard I’m working. I don’t have the ti for this conversation. And even when I do, I’d be discussing it with her, and not you. Good day, Mr King’s."
He ended the call, and slamd the phone back on the table.
"Marriage?!" He scoffed. "I’m thinking about saving Spades, and he’s talking about marriage?"
"I an, I kinda see their point. You two have been through four years, and a miscarried child. It’s not crazy for her to want so sort of commitnt." Landon shrugged.
"Oh you’re suddenly a Reign supporter?" He eyed him from his head to his toe.
"Never that. You know I could never be on her side. I’m just saying I can see where her family is coming from. You chose her four years ago. This is the result."
"No Lan–" he lifted a warning finger. "I didn’t choose her four years ago. I chose my family. She just happened to be carrying my child, making her part of my family."
"Well it’s four years later. The deal with Saintshore went horribly wrong, hence the ss Spades currently is. Reigns family is on your neck. Now is the perfect ti for your Aunt Celine to resu her evil operations. If you ask , four years ago was much better than today."
"You know what? I’ve had enough of your pessimism. If you have nothing positive to say, leave!" He pointed at the door.
"Don’t you see it?! Every ti soone disagrees with you, you tell them to leave. You try to walk away. You barely speak to your own mother because she didn’t like how you handled the Fay situation. Sa thing with the matriarch. It’s been four years already, and Spades still isn’t fully yours. Can’t you see the problem?!"
"And what is the problem?"
"Your stubbornness for fucks sake! It’s your way, or the highway."
"Isn’t that how I elevated Spades?"
"And now it’s dwindling faster than a falling star!"
The room went silent, save for their heavy breaths.
Sowhere deep down, Ace knew Landon was right. He just didn’t want to face the tune.
Spades was in trouble, and it was because of a terrible decision he made.
He thought if he could get Luxe to renew their contract, he would be able to work around the fracture that deal gone bad, caused.
Unfortunately, he wasn’t getting any positive feedback from Mr Richard Jackson.
"Why’s Richard rejecting us?" He sighed, and went to his seat.
Landon saw that was the end of the argunt, and followed suit.
"I don’t know, man. Maybe you can ask him at the event tonight?"
"Which?" He lifted a brow.
"The one for the elites?"
"Oh, that’s true. I almost forgot that it was today. Reign wouldn’t stop yapping about it."
"Any opportunity to be seen publicly with you, yeah?" he teased more light-heartedly.
Ace spared him a glance, the corner of his lips twitching a little.
"Whatever man."
Just then, Landon’s phone rang. He brought it out of his pocket, and smiled.
Ace’s eyes regarded him as he answered the call. He couldn’t believe he had managed to bag the girl of his dreams.
He was happy for him, but at the sa ti, he couldn’t help but feel an emptiness in his own heart.
"Alright, love you."
Landon ended the call, and turned to Ace. "I’ll see you tonight then?"
"Sure Lan."
Sure enough, night ca quickly, carrying with it a heart thumping Ace, as he sat in the car with Reign.
They were on their way to the event, and Reign could not hide her excitent.
"It’s been so long since we went out together. I can’t wait for the magazines to picture us together!" She bursted out in excitent.
"I’m sure you can’t," he replied dryly.
"Hey, are you sure you’re okay? You’ve been moody all month."
She leaned into his body, and moved to kiss him.
He easily swerved, leaving her hanging.
"Why are you being so evasive? What wrong have I done this ti?" She questioned, losing her patience.
"Why don’t you tell your father to stop hounding
over so freak ass marriage? I have enough darn things to think about!"
"And what am I? Not important? If you would just give
another child, I wouldn’t bother you!"
"Don’t bring that up, Reign."
"Why? It’s been four years since I lost that baby. Why can’t we have another one?!"
The car rolled into the compound for the event, shutting Ace’s next word right up.
"Let’s just get this night over with," he said under his breath, as he hurried out of the car.
Reign imdiately followed after him.
Cam sighed as he watched them put on a fake smile the second the caras began to flash.
Every year, he said to himself they wouldn’t survive the year together.
He severely underestimated the powers of Reigns’ manipulative skills, he was beginning to realise.
"Poor Sir Ace," he thought, shaking his head.
The shots were taken, and Ace adjusted his tie as he entered into the event room, Reign by his side.
Reign was beside herself with joy, as the won shot her envious looks.
Like wine, Ace only got finer with age. Only for soone as irkso as Reign to have him in her arms.
They hated and envied her for that single fact. However, none was bold enough to confront her with it.
"You made it bro!" Landon called when they arrived at their table.
"Hello Ace," Leighton leaned in for a slight hug.
Reign rolled her eyes behind. She knew the doctor was with Landon now, but she still hated any interaction between her and her man.
"You look great, Leigh," Ace said, as they pulled away.
"Reign." Landon stretched out a hand, making it known they were still not friends.
She shook his hand, and withdrew just as swiftly.
"What’s going on?" Ace asked, ignoring the awkwardness between his best friend, and present girlfriend.
"They made an announcent just before you arrived. Apparently, the heiress of Luxe is going to be the special guest for the night."
"Heiress of Luxe? I didn’t know they had one," Ace said, confusion written all over his face.
"That would explain why Richard hadn’t gotten back to you, I guess. Power has changed hands."
"True." He nodded.
They exchanged pleasantries with the other guests around their table, and even went into small conversations.
Soon the lights began to dim, and it was ti for the event to begin in full.
The host, who was the president of one of the leading ship companies, strolled to the podium, and began his speech.
"Fabian has gotten much better with his speeches," Reign observed out loud.
"That I can agree with," Landon said.
"And to continue this night," the host continued. "Please help
welco our special guest today. The heiress of Luxe empire, Fay Luxe."
Ace’s heart skipped a beat, and his head sprang up.
He hadn’t heard that na in years. By personal design of course.
But he knew there was no way it was the sa Fay he thought of in his head. She was Fay Landon, not Luxe.
Everyone stood up, and began to clap, in anticipation of her presence.
Ace look around, and from the expression on his friends faces, they were thinking the sa thing he was.
A chord struck, as the heiress began to descend from the stairs.
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