The Last of Sansora

THE REASON

I remain in my seat, very still, overcome with shock. Ace? I thought he was dead. What if he's come back for revenge? The afterlife is great, he would've remained there and let it go.

That means he didn't die. Hudson thought he did, but he didn't. Whatever it is, he's definitely up to no good. I need to call Hudson right away. But there are no phones in the room.

No communication devices, no phones, nothing. Just a big bed, big empty desk and a dresser. So I walk out of the room, since Ace didn't bother to lock the door, and find myself in the middle of a vast, immaculate and fabulous house. Everything is black, white, glass and teak. Classic and beautiful.

I roam around the house, and search every desk, table, drawer, sofa, and shelf. But there's nothing. No phones to reach out to anyone. Tsk. Did I actually expect Ace to leave stuff like that around?

I finally cave and plop down on one of the black sofas in the living room. There was no gadgets around. Just furniture and vague paintings on the wall, no pictures. A big chandelier hung from the ceiling.

I decide to take a tour of the house. The entrance and exit doors are locked, as well as the windows. But part of the walls are made of solid glass, giving me a perfect view of the compound outside.

There was a large swimming pool, flower pots, swingseats and railings. This place wasn't bad at all. In fact I could have no problem staying here. Except I should be getting married right now. And I don't even trust Ace. What if he's going to kill me though he said he wouldn't?

What if he's up to no good? And I can't even call Hudson to tell him anything. Ace seems rich, I don't think he wants Hudson's money.

And people, it's either money or blood.

In this case, it's definitely blood.

I decide to look for Ace's room. I must find out about him. The first two rooms are as empty as the one I was tied up in, so I venture into the third one which happens to be Ace's room. It's very neat and spotless clean. Now I feel guilty.

I rummage through his stuff, trying not to leave any traces. Still nothing of importance. The last place I search through is his wardrobe.

That is when my eyes land on a portrait. I pick it up and stare at it with confusion. It's a picture of a family.

Wait a minute. Is that Hudson? On a throne? Holding a scepter? And are those Ace and Elinor and Britney standing next to him? Why is the picture in black and white? And why are they wearing weird outfits? That looks like something Shakespeare would wear.

Oh. Maybe they were playing the Tragedy of Macbeth. Or the Moor of Venice. The picture looks very old, the frame is a little scratched. Hudson didn't tell me he ever...

"Hi." I hear a voice behind me. I panic and shove the portrait back into the wardrobe. I turn around to face Ace, who is holding shopping bags in his hands.

"Hey... um... I um," I stutter, a shiver running down my spine. But he looks relaxed. He doesn't look mad about me intruding.

"I don't mind you barging in here. The only reason why I asked you not to come here is because you'll only see things you don't understand." he says.

"What are you up to?" I demand. " I know who you are. You killed Hudson's ex wife over a business rivalry due to your jealousy. And I thought you were dead."

Ace chuckles at my statement, setting down the bags onto his bed. "You were told. But as you can see, I'm alive." he says. "Anyway, I got you some clothes. You can go through them."

"I'm not staying here. Please take me back home. Don't hurt me. Or Hudson. It's not worth the risk." I say.

"You are so naive, Miss Cardale." Ace says, smiling. He sits down on his bed and takes off his shirt. Confident abdominal muscles and big pectorals stare back at me. A long scar travels from his stomach to his abdomen. It looks old, but it hasn't healed completely. I almost choke on my breath. This is very distracting. But he continues to talk, totally ignoring my stare. "You don't even know who you are, how much you're worth, and what people want from you."

I cross my arms over my chest, trying to pull my eyes away from his glorious chest. "Why don't you tell me then?"

He leans back on his arms, smiling again. "You need to figure that out yourself. Have you eaten?"

"No. And I don't want to." I say. I mean, what if he poisons me.

"I don't want to kill you. And you don't want to kill yourself either. So go and get yourself something to eat. And take your clothes with you."

"Why are you not killing me? Maybe you don't know how kidnapping works, but you need to tie me up and limit my movements. And definitely not allow me to cook. What if I use the kitchen knife to stab you?" I ask.

Ace chuckles again. "You won't do that. You can't kill anyone."

I eye him suspiciously. "You can't trust me. I really really hate you right now. For everything you did in the past and everything you're doing right now. So don't think I'm weak."

Ace walks towards me slowly as I stand there wondering what he's up to. He walks towards me until our faces are almost touching. I flinch, feeling very uncomfortable. He's trying to intimidate me.

"You are not weak. In fact, I know that better than you. But that doesn't mean you can't control it." he says. Well what a twist.

"I don't understand. And you're in my personal space." I manage to say. "Put on a shirt."

Ace cocks an eyebrow at me teasingly. "Why?"

"It's indecent... and very very...inappropriate." I muse.

He gives me a small smile. "It will be nice sharing an apartment with you. And you need to eat."

I sigh. "Whatever." I'll just do what he wants me to until he trust me enough. And then I'll bolt.

"Miss Cardale?" he calls, as I'm leaving. I turn around and face him.

"What?"

"Don't be too desperate to run away. This is the safest place to be."

"A kidnapper is never safe."

"I'm only here to get back what I deserve. And I need to protect you in the process."

"Protect me?" I ask.

"Anyone looking for you right now wants to kill you, Miss Cardale."

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