THE BILLIONAIRE'S CRYBABY
Chapter 193: DAMAGE CONTROL

Chapter 193: DAMAGE CONTROL

Landon drove into Ace’s compound, and stopped the car.

"Are you sure you’re going to be fine? I know you needed this project. If you don’t mind, I could invest in Spades, so you can—"

"Don’t do that, Lan. My dumb decision put Spades in this mess. I should be able to handle the situation. There’s still the landmark project. If I can clinch that one, I think Spades will be back on the map."

"But at this rate, you can’t convert into sole ownership anymore. I know it’s been your dream for a very long time."

"I guess," he shrugged. "Anyway, the universe knows best. The way I think of it, I could use the shareholders to cover a lot of things until we’ve left the danger zone. If I had gone into sole ownership already, the impact would have been deadlier."

"So you’re saying it’s a win?" He cocked a quizzical brow.

"For now, yes. I just need to get my hand on that landmark deal. It’s all I can think of right now."

"You will. There’s no one more qualified. Besides, your acceptance is not hinged on the mercy of a vengeful ex."

Ace sent a sharp look his way. "You clocked that too? I knew I wasn’t the only one that could tell Fay is being vengeful. First the failure to renew our contract with Luxe, and now this? That girl is out to get me!"

"She is. I thought she would be above petty actions like the one she pulled today, but I guess she proved me wrong," he sighed defeatedly.

"And you all refused to believe me, despite the solid proof I brought of her conniving action’s."

Landon stared at his friend through the corner of his eyes. He still didn’t believe Fay had been anything but good in the past.

He had seen first hand the look Celine and Reign gave each other that night.

It wasn’t a look of innocence. That look held too much smugness to be anything other than a celebration.

But despite how hard he had investigated, he still couldn’t find substantial evidence to prove his intuition.

At this moment, he just wanted to side with his best friend.

He knew deep down whatever Fay did, she was justified to do.

She had been treated worse than dirt that night. He never thought he’d see that side of Ace flare up so boldly.

"Should I drop by the office and see what’s going on there? Or is it okay to call it a day?" he asked on a lighter note.

"Are you calling it a day, or are you going to pick up the doctor?"

A large grin appeared on Landon’s face. "I wish I could pick up the doctor. She’s on active duty today."

"Yeah, too bad her partner who would usually cover up for her is not around to do so anymore."

Landon chuckled. "I thought you didn’t want me bringing up Alexan—"

Before he could complete his words, Ace opened the door, and alighted.

"Drive safely, fool!"

He called behind his shoulders as he walked into the house.

Landon honked, calling for his attention. When he didn’t respond, he broke into a fit of laughter.

The smell of cookies filled the air, as Ace walked into the living room.

As usual, Marilyn was immediately by his side.

"Sir Ace, I saw Fay on the television today!" She blurted, hopping from foot to foot in excitement.

He rolled his eyes, immediately losing his appetite.

"Where’s Reign?" He asked , so she could lose hers for making him lose his.

Her excitement dwindled, as she frowned.

"She’s not home yet," she replied.

"Great. I’m going to be in my home office until evening. I don’t want any disturbance."

He climbed up the stairs two at a time, and went straight for his home office.

Ace didn’t close his laptop until he had gone over the project presentation at least ten times.

Everything was set for the meeting with the CEO of landmark.

Before rumours would start to spread about the Spades deal gone bad, and how it was affecting the company’s financial situation, he needed to get things sorted out.

He closed the laptop, and settled into his seat. Cracking his knuckles, he yawned, and even stretched.

It had been a disappointing day, but he could turn it around. He’d have the meeting with landmark the next day, and everything would be fine again.

He was about to rise from the chair, when his eyes went to his drawer

His hand began to play with its handle, as he contemplated opening it or not.

Eventually, he gave in to the pressure of his heart, and opened the drawer.

The perfume Fay made four years ago was still there. It had halved over time, but it was still intact.

He picked up the bottle, and turned it around within his palms.

In his mind, he wondered if she still made perfumes.

Her scent had changed. It had gone from innocent to sophisticated.

He wondered if she had made a new fragrance to match the undertone of her natural scent, since it had progressed.

"You’re wondering a lot of things about her, Ace," he cautioned himself, aloud.

He wished he could forget about her. He wished he hadn’t spent the last four years questioning the decision he had made that night.

What if he had been patient enough to investigate further? Would he have found out that everything he discovered was a lie?

And if truly he did discover everything he unearthed was a lie, what would their relationship be like four years after? Would they still be married?

"Would I have surrendered to my feelings, and confe—"

A knock sounded heavily on the door, jolting him.

In a flash, he placed the bottle back into the compartment he picked it from, and closed it.

Settling into his seat, he cleared his throat. "Who’s there?" He called.

He remembered telling Marilyn he didn’t want to be disturbed. How come she never listened?

"It’s me." The door opened, and the matriarch’s cane announced her presence even louder than her voice did.

"Grandma?* He called, rising to his feet.

"Please sit," she replied, and took a seat herself.

"Is everything okay back home?" He asked, his eyes trailing all over her.

"Everything’s fine, Ace. I just dropped by to talk to you about something very important."

"Oh," his eyes squinted. "What’s that?" He asked, caution heavy in his voice.

"Relax, I’m not going to bring up Fay. You’ve made it very clear she’s not your cup of tea."

He indeed relaxed into his seat. His entire family still talked about her with so much adoration.

Sometimes, it made him feel like they didn’t respect his judgement.

Crazy how the one time he had something in common with his evil aunt, was their shared disdain for Fay.

"Do you really hate her?" A traitorous voice asked in his head.

He quickly silenced it, by focusing on his grandmother.

"There’s a rumour about Spades that is gearing to break the internet next week. I got Intel from my media friends, and that’s why I’m telling you right now. I think before it happens, you need to take a brief break from Spades. Allow it to run on its own for a week or two."

"What?!"

"You heard me. I know about the deal gone wrong. The press has also gotten wind of it. If the news comes out whilst you’re still active in the company, it would do irreparable damage to your reputation. You’re my grandson, and I don’t want to be in a situation where I wouldn’t be able to help you out of a huge mess."

"You’re joking right?" He questioned in disbelief.

She had to be joking. There was no way he was taking a break from Spades. At this point in his life, that was the only thing that kept him motivated.

He wouldn’t survive it if he had to leave, be it for two weeks, or even a day.

"Ace, this is a serious issue. It’s a miracle we were able to bury the rumours four years ago. Your competency will be questioned if this comes out. And you best believe Celine will return to capitalise. Do you want to lose Spades forever?"

He jumped to his feet in rage. "This is absolute bullshit, grandma! Sure I made a mistake in my choice of investment, but it wasn’t a reckless decision. I was meticulous about that entire project. I still don’t know how I took a loss."

"I’m not saying it’s your fault. I only dropped by to tell you what I heard. You’re a grown man, and can make your own decisions. But make no mistake, Ace. Every decision we make has its own consequences."

With the help of her cane, she rose to her feet. "Take a break. If you think you’re going to be bored, spend the two weeks helping me plan the debut of Glam. You know how to find me if you need me."

The door closed behind the matriarch, its sound causing a dingle in Ace’s ears.

He staggered back, and fell to his seat, the horror of the situation, kicking him in the head.