A Game Of Cat and Mouse

Chapter nineteen

* Soifon and Ace's P.O.V*

Soifon awoke gradually from her slumber. Attempting to mobilize her arms, she soon realized her inability to do so. Gazing upwards, she observed that her hands were restrained above her head. In response, she emitted a chuckle, swiftly transformed into a groan due to a piercing discomfort in her neck.

Shaking her head, she possessed awareness of the event that had transpired, yet remained oblivious to her present location or the whereabouts of Erin. Feeling concerned, the raven-haired woman harbored worry, considering that had Erin been in the vicinity, her presence would have been discernible.

Soifon needed to ascertain her location beforehand and determine whether or not she could liberate herself from the restraints, although there seemed to be no apparent means to free her hands. Releasing a sigh, she uttered softly, 'I sincerely hope Erin is unharmed; I would not be able to forgive myself if any harm befell her.' As her gaze, adorned with blue irises, roamed the room, she noticed its complete emptiness save for the solitary bed.

But Soifon was aware that if Ace were to find out, he would not let Erin go unharmed. This is simply how he is - he would harm anyone who is close to her. Soifon glanced up at the cuffs once more, attempting to pull them away from the bedpost, but they remained firmly in place, only making a hollow sound as they clashed against the metal of the bed.

Soifon was occupied with attempting to extract her wrists from the restraints, oblivious to the opening of the door. She made various futile attempts to free herself, but the cuffs were too tightly secured. Expressing her frustration with a sigh, she reclined on the bed with a grunt.

Startled, the young woman leapt when she heard a voice near the bed, turning her head to see Ace entering with a metal table, accompanied by a collection of tools and a whip.

'Please refrain from excessive movement, Soifon, as the amusement is about to commence,' he remarked with a smirk. He positioned the table at a distance from her and approached her, causing her to gaze at him fearfully.

The primary thought that entered Soifon's mind was the whereabouts of Erin. "I advise you not to have physically harmed her, Ace, as I shall ensure that you deeply regret such actions." Soifon conveyed a threat, acknowledging the insignificance of this threat while being restrained; nevertheless, once she gained her freedom, the consequences for him would be severe.

The woman with black hair became tense upon hearing Ace's laughter. Ace then said, "God, you make me laugh, Soifon" as he stopped by the bed and leaned towards her with a smirk on his face. He continued by saying, "I'm not hurting Erin, that is Jack's responsibility, and besides, you are incapable of doing anything anyway." Ace taunted Soifon, his smirk growing wider as he observed her wide-eyed expression. Soifon asked, her entire body frozen with worry for her lover, "What do you mean by that? Did you involve Jack in this?"

"Indeed, I did. Who else, in their right mind, would desire harm upon you? After all, it was you who inadvertently caused the demise of his sister, correct? Consequently, he believed that inflicting pain upon Erin would result in a greater impact upon you." Ace responded softly, gently brushing a strand of hair away from Soifon's face.

"Feel free to make all the threats you wish, my dear, but they are rendered futile, as your punishment for being apprehended and subsequently divulging details about our shared endeavor is imminent. This is precisely why Erin must also face retribution," he murmured, his finger tracing a path down the woman's cheek.

Soifon shifted her face away from his hand, as Ace firmly grasped her chin, forcing her to make eye contact with him. 'And do you know what?' he whispered, leaning in closer to her ear. 'If any harm befalls Erin, it will solely be your responsibility. Will Voight forgive you for endangering his foster daughter? Or will others also hold you accountable?' His words dripped with malice as he reminded her of Jack's blame for Julie's death. A smug smirk played across his face as he observed her futile attempts to break free from his grip.