ACE
Deadly

We sat down for dinner.

I ate quietly as the three of them spoke, but I was eager to ask about my family.

I never lived without them and I never wanted to.

"May I meet my brothers?" I finally asked, gathering courage considering that the last time I tried to talk at dinner, I was almost in serious trouble.

Ace's deadly gaze was directed at me. I froze when his eyes met mine.

"No." His deep voice responded quickly with a slight annoyed grunt.

I feel like my heart is racing really fast. I love my brothers so much, it is inconceivable that I could not meet them. It was torture for me.

"Please." I pleaded in a gentle tone so that I wouldn't look too demanding.

Ace's father started laughing wickedly.

I glanced at Ace and saw the expression on his face becoming colder.

"How dare you!" Ace's father's voice boomed in the dining room all of a sudden.

Makes me feel so scared.

I looked at Ace with an indecipherable expression on his face as he watched his father.

"I'm sorry." I said worriedly as I put down my knife and fork.

I don't know about my request that I think simple can make Ace's father very angry.

"What's wrong with asking to meet my own family" My inner self.

"You're gonna take me to the basement." Demand Kai firmly.

His voice echoed throughout the quiet room.

My eyes widened as Kai stood up from the table and approached where I was sitting.

"No, please." I whine in fear.

Sanggu, hearing his words made me think of my father.

I know very well what happened in the basement; Torture.

Kai grabbed my wrist but stopped when he saw Ace standing up.

Ace's heavy footsteps approached us.

I'd rather his father beat me than him.

But Ace did something I didn't expect. Ace grabs his father's wrist violently, forcing his father to relinquish his grip on me.

Kai's eyes widened towards Ace.

"She'll be my wife if you touch her without my permission. I won't hesitate to burn you alive." Ace growled furiously at his father.

Kai groaned in pain as Ace gripped his wrist very tightly.

"You think you're the devil? But you forgot, I'm also one with that nickname." Ace's whisper into his father's ear with the glare of his sharp eyes.

"I'll take you to see them tomorrow after school." Ace looked at me.

I nodded in panic before leaving the room.

I quickly climbed the stairs, not caring about the family debate.

***

My body was falling behind my bedroom door. With trembling shoulders, I cursed my fate like this.

I could still hear a muffled scream from below.

I decided to lie down on the bed and pull the pillow over my ears.

I've been feeling like I've been disappearing lately. It's a lot harder when you're married to a violent family when you've had a violent family before.

***

My eyes opened and I saw Ace standing in front of the window against me.

“What's he doing in my room?” My mind is confused.

"You're gonna let him see his brother or I'm gonna kill you." Ace's hiss was angry at someone across the phone.

"I always keep my word." He threatened her right before she hung up.

I lifted the blanket to cover my face so that only my eyes could be seen.

Ace turned

"I didn't mean to wake you." He said while looking at me.

“It's okay...” I replied quickly, still with the blanket attached.

"So your father, if you're curious." Ace told me.

I nodded small.

I felt like she was demanding me to let her know if anything happened to me, because she knew that if anything happened I wouldn't want to talk.

An awkward atmosphere filled this room as I avoided eye contact with her.

"Your father." I immediately shut my mouth after Ace focused his attention on me.

“Stupid you sofia.” My soul is in my heart.

"Why my father?" He looked at me with a look.

I knew he wouldn't let me go until I told him the truth.

“No.. no problem." Mumamku.

I pulled the blanket over my head.

Suddenly Ace pulled my blanket.

"Sofia ... tell me." Ace was a little growling in his voice.

I gulped while he stared at me sharply with his frowning brows.

"He said he'd replace my father." I said softly while staring at the blanket clenched in his hand.

"What does that mean?" Ace asked me quickly.

"T.... Nothing, it's just that he wants to be like a father to me." I stammered nervously.

"If I knew you were lying, you'd get punished! Understood?" Threaten Ace to me.

"Punishment?" My nails.

"Is there a problem with that" Grumbled Ace furiously .

" No- "

"Prepare to go to school, I'll drop you off and pick you up later." He finally left my room.

The heart to always beat fast whenever Ace was near me, making it difficult for me to breathe.

***

I finally got into the car with Ace.

Underline. Just the two of you.

“Do you always work?” I was curious, gathering the courage to talk to him.

"Yes. Most of the time I just work." Ace answered with his deep, hoarse voice.

“Are you not boring?” My toot.

"If it's boring, I won't do it. I just do what I want." Ace looked at me.

"So ..... Can you leave your job now?" I asked him while playing my hand.

Nervous. I don't know why that word came from my lips.

"No. not today."

“Why? Is there an important meeting today?”

“No...” His forehead, became irritated because of my question.

"You're going to kill someone?” I muttered as a joke.

"Yes, I kill people, that's what I do." Answer Ace acknowledges.

"No offense. I understand you" I replied.

I don't know why I've become more comfortable around him.

I think Ace was surprised because I saw one of his eyebrows raised.

"You forgot I was raised in an environment like yours. Killing people is something they do." My fists.

I saw Ace looking confused.

I smiled at him a little. I saw the serious look that was always attached to his face soften a little slowly.

***

We finally arrived at school.

"You're late." He mumbled casually.

"I know, I did it on purpose." I smiled as I got off Ace's car.

"I'll pick you up at 4. Don't be late." He raised his eyebrows warning.

"OKAY. Thanks for driving me. I'm leaving." I said with a small smile.