The Trap Of Ace

Chapter 71

Read The Trap Of Ace [by Eva Zahan] Chapter 71 – An eerie silence fell over the ambience for a moment while I stood there frozen. Only the sound of my own heavy breath reached my ears.

Then I heard heavy footsteps of boots approaching from the other side of the room they were in.

Oh no! They’re coming!

I need to hide! I wouldn’t be able to run from them. They’d catch me if I ran.

Looking around frantically, I searched for a place to hide.

I couldn’t use the flower pot this time. They’ll find me.

Rushing to the one of the doors lined up beside theirs, I tried to open it without making a noise, but to my utter bad luck, it was locked. I tried another, but no avail. They were locked.

No, no, no! I can’t get caught! I can’t! I need to inform Ace about his plan.

My heart pounded under my rib cage as I went to the opposite side of the hallway and pushed at a door. And this time, it opened.

Almost letting out a sob of relief, I rushed in and quickly closed the door behind me, as silently as I could.

And right that moment, I heard that slamming of a door, their boots hitting against the floor harshly.

They didn’t make any sound with their mouth, but I could tell they were surveying the area.

Then I heard a voice, a cold thick Russian accent. “Search around.”

I gulped. Sweat rolled down my spine. With trembling knees and hands, I stood against the door with my back pressed against it.

Once several footsteps split up and jiggling of door k***s, slamming the doors open and close, the noise of them moving things reached my ear. Not trying to freak out my best, I tried Ace’ phone again. But he still didn’t switch it on!

D**n it! Why isn’t he switching his phone on?

“There’s no one on this side,” I heard one of them saying.

They must be the guards. Because neither Arthur or Ivanov’s voice could be heard.

“Try this side. He or she must be still lurking around. They couldn’t have escaped in just a matter of seconds,” the earlier cold voice stated. “Search every room. If it’s locked from inside, then break the door.”

My heart dropped. © 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

I locked the door from inside. If I leave it open, they’d find me either way.

My knees wobbled making me leaning into the door as I heard them opening and closing the doors. The ones are locked from outside, maybe they were left alone. Because I didn’t hear them breaking down any. But they would soon.

With shaky hands, I typed a message to Ace even after knowing that he wouldn’t see it anytime soon.

‘Ace, please switch on your phone. Please, I need you!”

With tears rolling down my eyes, my throat clogging up, I tried my best not to let out a sob out of fear and anxiety.

I slapped my hand over my mouth to stop me from screaming as I heard footsteps outside my door.

“Did you check this one?” the same cold voice asked.

“No. These three rooms are left,” answered another voice.

And then there was nothing. The other men continued to search around. But no one was pushing at my door. But I knew he was there.

My heart pounded down my chest so hard that I feared they would hear it. His footsteps came closer, right outside the door.

My eyes closed automatically, letting the tears roll down my cheeks to my throat. Biting on my hand, I covered my cries. Prying continuously in my mind not to let them find me, I hugged my body, falling on the floor, curling into a ball.

I needed to go out. I needed to go to my Ace. I needed to save him.

More tears fell as helplessness filled my chest.

I didn’t know if I’d be alive to be able to tell him everything.

Then landed two heavy fists on the door, making me jolt.

With eyes wide in fear, tears blurring my vision, I watched the door in h****r.

No, no, no! G*d, please!

Then came another.

Just as I closed my eyes, shrinking away from the door expecting him to jiggle the k**b and once finding out that it was locked from inside, he would break it, Arthur’s voice cut in.

“Easy there, boys. There’s no one. Don’t worry, maybe some curious cat passed by.” Came his nonchalant voice. “Let’s go now. We’re getting late. You guys need to reach the spot before Achilles does. Come on!”

With that, two pairs of footsteps walked away, followed by the others. And after a moment, I heard that man also moving away and then leaving.

Slumping against the door, I let out a relieved sigh. Thank G*d!

But then I jumped on my feet and rushed out of the door.

I need to stop Ace before he leaves. I’ve to hurry up!

I waited outside five minutes with all my inner strength. I knew I had to run to Ace right then but I had to wait for Arthur and his people to leave this floor.

In the meantime when I called Carter again, it sent my call to voicemail.

Where the h**l is he?

I didn’t even have the number of Ace’ guards. I wish I had saved one of theirs. There was no one I could call right now who could help me stop Ace.

Waiting enough for them to leave this floor, I rushed down the hallway, remembering my way back to the staircase. The corridors were so long that I took almost a lifetime to pass one.

Without stopping my legs, I called Caleb. Maybe he could help me in any way.

After some rings, just as he picked up the phone, my phone was snatched from my hand.

Halting abruptly, I looked over my shoulder.

My breath caught at my throat, a gasp slipped my lips.

Standing before me was two of the guards who were with Arthur and Ivanov.

“Going somewhere, Ms. Hutton? You seemed to be in a rush,” said the same cold voice. I recognized his voice. With an ungly scar running down from his brows to his cheeks, he towered over me with his huge body. Dark eyes stared without any emotion.

With fast and heavy breath coming out of my lips, I took a step back and turned around to run. But another two were already standing there blocking my way.

My eyes widened as my hands curled into fists.

No, no, no! This isn’t happening!

What should I do now?

When I tried to pass them, they pushed me back.

“Let me go!” I hissed. They didn’t leave then, they knew I was here. They were waiting for me to come out. They set a trap for me and I got stuck in that.

One of the guards before me smirked. “We’ll. But to the heavens, not anywhere else.”

A chill ran down my spine. With my throat suddenly getting very perched, I gulped.

“L-listen to me. I’ve nothing to do with you. I need to go right now, so let me go,” I stuttered out.

“Right, we’ve nothing to do with you,” said the man with scar on his face, making me turn to him. “But our boss does. If you’re eager to leave, you shouldn’t have come here in the first place. There’s a saying in English, ‘Curiosity k****d the cat’. It became true for you.”

Maybe a curious cat passed by.

I remembered his words.

Fear rushed through me.

He knew. He knew I was here. But then why didn’t he do anything about it?

I let out a shaky breath. “P-please let me go. You won’t gain anything by k*****g me. My Ace will k**l you. Y-you don’t know him,” licking my lips, I said. “But if you let me go, i’ll give you more money than Arthur offered you. Please, just leave me.”

As if my words didn’t even reach his ears, he got out his phone from his pocket. “Before you d*e, the boss wants to give you his greetings.”

I stared at the phone in his hand.

Gulping again, I shook my head, turned around and pushed the guards away. But as soon as I started to run, I was pulled back harshly by my hair.

I whimpered at the pain that shot through my scalp.

“F*****g s**a! Don’t test my patience! I’ll make your d***h more painful than I want. So just do as I say!” Shoving the phone to my ear, he hissed, “Talk!”

Tears streaming down my eyes, hands trembling, I held the phone against my ear. “H-hello.”

“Ah, Emerald, my dear.” Came his mocking voice. Even hearing his voice, rage and hatred boiled through my veins. “Didn’t I tell you to stay away from my way? But you clearly didn’t take my warning to your head. Now see what you’ve done. You followed me there and got trapped. I thought I would get rid of you slowly after I was done with your boyfriend, but see, I had to change my plans again for your stubbornness. Now I’ve to k**l you first.”

“You knew I was following you,” I stated, hatred laced my voice.

I heard his malicious chuckle. “Of course, I knew. You think I didn’t notice you? My vision didn’t get that old yet, now did it? I saw you behind me but I still let you come and listen to our conversation.”

“Then why didn’t you catch me earlier?” I spit out. The grip on my hair tightened making me gasp in pain.

“Suffer. I wanted you to feel the fear of me and suffer a little before you died, Emerald dear,” he replied, no hint of emotion was in his tone. “And I thought to do you a favor and let you know everything before you leave all of us forever. At least I could do that for my beloved nephew’s Rosebud. I knew you couldn’t escape because I already told my men to wait for you at the exit of that floor. You did notice me doing something on my phone, didn’t you?”

I remembered. He was messaging someone while talking to Ivanov.

He was giving instructions to his men.

“You’re not getting anything out of it, Arthur! You won’t be able to harm Ace. I won’t let you even touch a single strand of his hair!” I screamed through the phone, trying to fight off that man.

“Goodbye, Emerald. Don’t worry, I’m sending your Ace to you to heaven soon. You can live there together forever because unfortunately, you won’t be able to do that in this world.”

“You b*****d! I will k**l you!” I thrashed into his hold but in return he only smacked me across my face sending me right to the ground.

A cry left my lips as the world spun around me, blood rushing to my head.

“Yes, boss,” he said pressing the phone to his ear and then nodded, glancing down at me with cold merciless eyes. “Don’t worry, we’ll not leave any evidence behind.”

With wide eyes, I stared at him in shock. Feart rattled inside me as he cut the phone call and got a gun out of his back pocket, holding it directly at me.

“No,” I whispered, backing away from the gun. My stomach churned as I glanced at the cold deadly nozzle. My heart pounded down my chest.

“Goodbye, Ms. Hutton. See you in the h**l,” saying, he curled his finger around the trigger and pulled at it. A deafening sound boomed across the hallway.

Letting out a scream, I fell on the ground, my arms before my face.

A pain shoot through my back, the spinning in my head only increased. But it wasn’t as severe as I thought a bullet’s hit would be.

I didn’t feel any piercing pain on any parts of my body.

And then a thump before me, made me open my eyes.

The man with the scar was lying on his chest on the floor, right before my feet, in the pool of his own blood.

Before I could understand anything, gun fires started across the hallway, a chaos rose around as the other guards kept firing at the direction my back faced while trying to save themselves from the incoming bullets.

I screamed at the ear-piercing sounds, closing my ears. Tears rushed down my eyes, heart thumped down my chest. I shook as I curled into a ball on the floor trying to stay away from the bullets.

The air filled with smoke and the smell of gunpowder, making me cough.

After some hisses and yells, crying out with agony, the firing finally stopped.

Lifting my head, I surveyed the area. Three of the guards were d**d, red blood soaked the carpet, turning it into dark crimson. One of their lifeless cold orbs stared at me.

I watched the sight before me in h****r. I couldn’t move. For a moment, I couldn’t even hear anything. Though I could feel the fast racing of my heart beat.

Then footsteps reached me. A pair of polished shoes came into my vision.

“Jesus, Emerald! Are you alright?” A familiar deep voice, laced with Italian accent made me look up.

Duncan De Sylvano.

I met with a pair of familiar striking blue eyes. They watched me in concern and alert.

“Emerald? You okay there? Are you hurt?” he asked. “Don’t worry, we’ve got you. You’re safe now.”

I- I was almost d**d.

When I didn’t say anything, he shook my shoulder.

“Emerald? You hear me? You alright?”

My eyes snapped up to him, finally realizing my surroundings. Five men stood behind him. The guards Ace left for me outside of our home. They just save me…

Ace?

Panic washed over me as I remembered what Arthur’s plan was.

He can’t leave the building!

With my breath caught at my throat, I grabbed my phone that lied before me and jumped on my feet, swaying a little afterwards. Duncan tried to hold me but I was in too much rush to wait.

The only thing in my head was reaching Ace.

Tears blurred my vision as I ran.

“Emerald, wait! Where are you going?”

Without answering him, I rushed to the floor the conference room was in. The guards weren’t there anymore. Even the lights were off.

I shook my head. No, G*d, please. Please don’t let him leave yet.

Knowing there was no one, I hurried down to the ground floor of the hotel.

People threw glances at my disarranged state. But I didn’t care. I needed to find him. My Ace.

But where was he?

G*d, please let him be safe! Please, just let him be alright.

Wiping my cheeks, I dialed his phone again. But again, it went directly to the voicemail.

D**n it! What do I do now?

I pulled at my hair not knowing what to do. My knees were still wobbly and my heart still raced from my almost facing d***h.

“Ms. Hutton?”

I turned around. Carter rushed to me, limping, with an equal disheveled state as me.

“Carter! Where the h**l were you?! I called you so many times! Where is your phone?” I snapped, walking closer to him. “I told you to stop Ace then why the h**l didn’t you tell him anything? He f*****g signed the contract!”

I didn’t know what I was saying, I only felt desperation and fear. The only thing that ran in my mind was keeping him safe.

“Ms. Hutton, I’m sorry, I don’t know why but after you left those guards grabbed me, took my phone and locked me in a room,” he said, eyes wide in shock. “I tried to fight them but they were too strong. Until a hotel staff heard me and let me out, I was too late. The meeting was already over and everyone left.”

As if nothing he said reached me as all I could hear was the last two words he said.

My stomach dropped, blood drained from my face.

Everyone left?

“W-where is Ace?” I asked. “He didn’t leave, did he? He…”

“He also left, Ms. Hurtton. The manager told me the boss and Mr. Balakin left in his car.”

I stumbled back. My blood ran cold as I gasped.

Tears blurred my vision as I shook my head. I felt everything crashing down on me. I couldn’t breathe.

No, no! I won’t let anything happen to him. I will keep him safe. I won’t let him d*e.

“Ms. Hutton…”

“Give me your car keys!”

“Keys? But why…”

“I said give it to me!”

Once he hurriedly took out his keys and handed them over to me, I turned around and rushed towards the exit.

“Ms. Hutton, wait!”

“Emerald!” I heard Duncan’s voice called out.

But I didn’t stop. I needed to go. I didn’t know what I was going to do. My mind wasn’t working. The only thing I knew was I needed to reach him.

“Send me Mr. Balakin’s number!” Yelling it over my shoulder, I ran to Carter’s car and drove away, as fast as I could.

Ace’ phone was switched off, but if Mr. Balakin was with him then he definitely had his phone with him. Hopefully on.

I didn’t know if Mr. Balakin was working with Arthur too. But if he did, what was he doing with Ace in his car?

I pressed the honk when a car didn’t move from my way. I needed to drive fast.

I didn’t know when Ace left the hotel. I had no freaking idea how far they’ve gone. I didn’t even know if he was going directly to home.

A frustrated sob left my mouth as I hit the steering. I couldn’t prevent the signing and now I couldn’t stop him from leaving the hotel.

I never felt so helpless and weak before. My heart was clenching in my chest in fear. Fear of losing him.

What if Arthur succeeds in his plan? What if I really lose…

With my eyes prickling with tears, I drove the car as fast as possible.

No! I won’t let that happen.

I went down the road that led to our home.

Arthur planned to make Ace’ car meet an accident while he would be going for our home. And Ace did promise that he’d go home as soon as the meeting finished. And he never broke his promises.

I had a feeling he was heading this way.

My phone blared in the car. My heart skipped thinking it might be him. But then I saw an unknown number flashing over the screen.

Maybe it was Carter?

I picked it up.

“Carter? Why didn’t you send me the number yet…”

“Emerald, it’s me, Duncan. Wherever you’re going, stop. I’m coming to get you. You…”

I cut him off. “Where is Carter? I told him to send me Mr. Balakin’s number! I need to talk to Ace, doesn’t he understand?”

A curse left my lips as a car suddenly came into my way. Moving the phone away from my ear, I turned right, barely avoiding a hit.

But it didn’t make me concerned as all I could think about was Ace.

When I put the phone in my ear back, I heard him asking if I was alright through the phone.

“I’m fine, please tell Carter to send me the number. I need to call Ace, Duncan. He’s in danger! Arthur is planning to k**l him. Please help me. Give me Mr. Balakin’s phone number!”

Passing another car, I put on more speed. The knot of fear and anxiety only became worse in my chest.

Where are you, Ace?

Just stay safe.

“Emerald, listen to me. Stop wherever you’re going. Ace is going to be alright…”

“You don’t understand!” I snapped, getting frustrated. “He’s in danger…”

My phone buzzed, signaling a message.

Putting the phone down, I checked the message.

Maybe Carter sent me the number.

Desperately, as I opened the message, a small text awaited me from an unknown number.

You got lucky. But he didn’t.

I stopped the car in the middle of the street. Something churned into my stomach. An ill feeling rose up my throat.

My mobile vibrated again.

This time with a video message.

With trembling fingers, I played the video.

This was a video shot from a distance.

Across the open field, a car was passing through the empty road.

Ragged breath came out of me. My palms turned clammy as perspiration rolled down my forehead. My heart pounded in my chest.

I knew the car very well.

Then suddenly a huge truck sped through the field out of nowhere and went directly to the black car, hitting it from the side. With the severity of the hit, the car flipped and rolled over the road, the middle part of it got crushed with the blow. A fire immediately set on the backside, letting black smoke surround the car.

My heart stopped beating. Breath caught at my throat. The mobile slipped through my hands as I went numb.

A feeling of nothingness swept over me.

My world started to spin, vision got blurred while a deafening silence rang into my ears as darkness slowly consumed me.

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