Ace's POV
"Here." She says putting the plate down.
"Fried Chicken?" I tilt my head.
"Yes." She answers.
"So is this your favourite dish or something?"
"Uh…yeah it is, I love it." A very suspicious smile on her face.
"Hmh? Then you should also eat it with me."
I know.
Something's not right.
"No, I am full." She stutters, definitely an excuse.
"Oh come on, I know you haven't eaten a single thing since you've left the office." I say. "Come." I pat on the sofa.
"No—"
"No questions Ms. Gray." I cut her off.
Did she actually poison this?
What's she thinking about so deeply?
"Come on, honey. We have to eat this for dinner not breakfast." I continue, a slight taunt in my tone.
"Oh, actually I need to go and teach my cat how to swim."
Funny.
She definitely did something.
"Ms. Gray… you don't have a cat. Come sit."
She thinks before sitting.
Staring at her, I wait for her to start eating.
She looks at me.
"…why aren't you eating?" She asks.
"Ladies first." I say sliding the plate towards her.
I softly squint my eyes and concentrate on her.
"Do you think I poisoned it?" She asks suddenly. An innocent look on her face.
"No." l answer.
"Don't you trust me, Mr. Hart?"
…
Did she just give me puppy eyes?
Unknowingly, I smirk.
"You can easily deceive anyone with that look, Ms. Gray."
Without second thought I take a bite.
She keeps looking at me as if she's waiting for a reaction.
I will give a— wait, why is this so spicy?
Fuck.
My tongue is burning.
"This is good, way better than that pasta." I give her a satisfied smile. "You know Ms. Gray," I pause. "I looove spicy food."
Lie.
I hate it.
"Oh, amazing." She says.
"Here, try it." I continue.
She quickly takes a bite.
Does she actually like spicy food? I see no reaction on her face. Maybe she was serious when she said she loved it.
I expected her to cry out and she's…smiling?
"Have more." I say.
"I am already full, Mr. Hart."
"Really? just one bite and you're full?" She doesn't swallow. "You're not swallowing?" I say as I notice. "Need my help?"
She quickly swallows it.
…oh god. Fire is gonna come out of my mouth.
I can't put on a neutral expression anymore.
"I'll be back." I say as I walk towards the bedroom.
I immediately close the door and open the drawer. I pick up a chocolate and start eating.
I need to drink some milk. After some munching I open the door.
And look what I see?
Ha.
Her eating ice cream as if she was not acting all cool a moment ago.
As if you were not doing the same.
Shut up.
My brain talks without my permission sometimes.
I am always cool.
I just…it had been a while since i've not eaten anything spicy.
…
Who am I explaining?
I cross my arms over my chest and lean against the door frame and enjoy the view.
This is what you get for doing bad deeds.
She suddenly looks back as if she could feel me staring at her.
She stands straight and hides th ice cream behind her. Even though she has ice cream all over her lips.
Scoff
"What?" She says.
I walk to her.
She's bad at hiding her expressions.
I go close standing almost inches away from her.
She bites her lower lip, not wanting to make eye contact.
Stop staring at her lips.
I'm not.
"Your phone keeps ringing, Ms. Gray." I clear my throat.
"Oh."
"It's on the coffee table." I point.
"Uh yeah, I forgot." She walks there like a penguin. She picks her phone and goes towards the guest room.
Who could it be that she can't talk in front of me?
I mean, I don't care but it's not that serious.
I'm not interested in listening.
I turn around and open the fridge grabing the bottle of milk.
I take a few sips before putting it back in.
Suddenly she she comes out of the bedroom sprinting towards the door and look out from the peephole.
"Have you gone crazy?" I say. "Why are you looking out as if you've seen a ghost?" I pause. "Is it your boyfriend?"
"No, my family." She gulps nervously. "Mr. Hart, can you help me?"
Oh.
That's something I never heard come out of her mouth.
"You're asking me to help you?" I point at myself wanting to confirm.
"Is there another way I can get out from here?"
"No, this is the only way." I shake my head.
"What do I do?" She says fidgeting with her fingers.
I've never seen her this nervous before.
"I have a plan." I open the door.
Three people are standing outside.
"Hey? Looking for someone?" I say almost loudly. "I can help."
"Oh, you're her neighbour, we're looking for Ra—" The aunty that looks like her Mom pauses and looks behind me. "Raya?"
"Mom." Raya steps out.
She glares at me.
Pfft.
"Raya? I thought you were—" Her mom pauses before a smile appears on her face as she looks at me. "Oh my, what a choice, he's a really handsome man." She walks towards me.
"I know, right?" I say, proudly.
"I knew that my daughter had a great choice and you're so tall." She circles around me.
Oh, she thinks we're a couple.
Ha. Cute.
"Mom—"
Her mom cuts her off. "Raya, great, amazing, superb… you two look so good together." She smiles widely. "You should've told me before that you already are dating a handsome young man."
"Mom we're no—"
She gets cut off again, this time by her Dad. "Wait isn't he James Hart's son, Ace Hart?" He says. "You work with him? you never told us, Raya."
"Actually she resigned and will be working in my company now." I say.
"Huh? like where Mr. James Hart is?" He says, his eyes open wide.
"Was. Now I am the chairman."
"Oh? really that's great. It's nice meeting you Mr. Hart." He puts his hand forward.
"You can call me Ace." I shake his hand.
Her Mom leads her to a corner and starts whispering.
"Can I see your house? Do you have ice cream? Can you play games? Can you fight? Are you—"
"Woah woah, so many questions…let's start with an introduction first, what's your name?" I crouch as this minion starts speaking.
"Alexander, i'm Raya's little brother, she calls me Alex you can also call me that."
"Hmm, Alex that's a cool name, how old are you?"
"12, i'm almost an adult, you know I can take a shower by myself now?"
"Oh? really… what a coincidence, me too."
"And I can also speak Spanish just like my sister."
"Uh-an?"
"Listen. Hola, tu?" He looks at me a proud smile on his face.
I accidentally almost laugh but quickly do a silent clap trying to look impressed.
"Darling, come, Raya you too." Her Dad calls them.
Raya walks towards her apartment door and takes out her keys.
"Baby? Here." I point at my apartment.
You think it's over Ms. Gray? Not yet, I like to see you frustrated.
All of them enter and she's still standing outside glaring at me.
"What's wrong Ms. Gray, want me to carry you?"
"Why did you lie?" She asks.
"Lie? about what?"
"About— whatever." She sighs. "I'll come for you one day."
"Make sure you do it on my face."
"Wha—. Pervert." She walks by and goes towards her Mom.
They sit on the sofa, I take a steat beside her Dad, who's been staring at me with a smile on his face.
"I thought you'd never be over—"
"Mom." Raya cuts her mom off.
"Ok ok, I won't talk about that. I'm happy that you're dating."
"I'm not. We're not dat—"
"So, Mr. Hart you've already taken over the company?" Her Dad asks.
"Yeah." I answer.
"So, Raya will also work with you, that's great actually you two will be together. You know when I was your age I had no time to give to my girlfriends— I mean girlfriend, now my wife, so for that we had some problems but I was a really good boyfriend not just good but great and you know—"
"Alright…" Her Mom 'smiles' definitely telling him to shut up through her eyes. "Once he starts talking he doesn't stop." She smiles at me.
"My Dad also talks a lot." I say.
"Oh, then you can also call me Dad."
"What? Dad I just told you he's not—"
"Raya, sweetheart i'll always be your Dad first don't be jealous. By the way since when did you two start living together?"
"Not so long—" I get cut off.
"No, Dad we don't—"
"Did you guys do that?"
Awkward silence
Her Mom clears her throat. "Haha, they're adults so don't ask th—"
"I mean, she's my daughter i'm just being a father—"
"Henry darling, it's Raya's birthday, give her the present."
"Oh yeah."
Birthday?
Hm.
Ding Dong
"I'll check." I get up.
Who is it?
Opening the door I instantly regret.
"You thought I wouldn't know that you moved here?" Rose says hugging me immediately.
She was my… uh 'side chick'. She used to think we were dating.
"You missed me didn't you?"
"Aa…hahah well, i'm surprised to see you."
"I know, it was supposed to be a surprise~"
"Who is it son-in-law?" Raya's dad asks.
Son-in-law?
"Son-in-law?" Rose says with a shocked tone.
As soon as I open my mouth I get interrupted.
"Ace, we're back, I go to know that it's Raya's birthday so…" Mom pauses looking at Rose. "I brought a cake…" She looks at me. "Who's she?"
"Aunty, i'm Rose. You don't know me but I saw you a lot of times when I was—"
"Uh yeah yeah alright, Ace come we should plan her- oh look Raya is here." Mom looks at her family members a confused smile on her face. "These are…"
"Oh, Hi, i'm Raya's mom Carla that is Henry my husband and this is Alexa my son."
"Alexander Gray, The Great Alexander Gray nice to meet you, i'm Raya's little brother, call me Alex."
"Oh my, you're so cute. Hey Alex, nice to meet you too." Mom looks at Raya's parents. "I'm Erica, this is my husband James and this- oh wait…" She looks back. "Ally! come here sweetie…and that's my daughter Alicia."
"She's cute, my type-"
"Alex! behave." Raya says.
"Ace!" Ally runs and jumps on me hugging me. "I missed you."
"Me too, princess."
"She wouldn't stop talking about you. You're happy now that you're with your 'best brother in the world'?" Mom says.
"Yes!" Ally gets down.
"Ally look, this is your brother's girlfriend." Mom introduces her to Raya.
"Oh, hi. You're dating my brother?"
"N—"
"Are you dating anyone?" Alex interrupts Raya.
Ally looks at him up and down.
"Alex, you're too young for this baby." His mom says, a threatening smile on her face.
"I'm happy to see your family here Raya, we can celebrate your birthday together." Dad says.
"Yes and we're also happy to celebrate it with you guys."
Raya suddenly gets up and leaves.
"Oh… Raya?—" Her mom calls her but she doesn't stop.
What's wrong with her?
Hmm…maybe she went out to talk with her boyfriend.
"I'll go talk to her maybe she's not feeling good." I say walking out of there.
If she has a boyfriend than her parents should know about it.
I see… 'secret dating'.