Bodyguard: Ace Cain

|34| Where's Ace?

|Where's Ace?|

As I processed what my father had just said, the world around me seemed to collapse. How could someone as strong and resilient as my mother be gone? The very idea felt incomprehensible to my fragile mind. The last thing I wanted to hear was that my mother was no longer with us. Two months of silence should have given me some hint about what was happening, but I had been holding onto the hope that my father would bring her home, that he would protect her as he always had. The news of her disappearance devastated me.

The only question left was how anyone could do something like this. How did my father know that she was deceased, and why didn't he tell me sooner? He had left me in a state of worry while knowing where she was. I hadn't even had the chance to say goodbye.

My body felt numb as Noel laughed triumphantly, putting the revolver back inside its case, relieved that my father had finally informed me. Noel knew what had happened to her, but for some reason, he wanted my father to break the news. There was no sense in his madness—only confusion. Based on his demeanor, I wouldn't be surprised if Noel had anything to do with my mother's death.

My father sobbed amidst Noel's laughter. Tears eluded me; I felt I had cried enough to last a lifetime. Even with my heart shattered, all I could do was stare, the pain evident on my face. It irritated me that Noel was enjoying this moment. I wished I could wipe the smug expression off his face.

"What? You don't have any smart remarks to throw my way now?" Noel continued to revel in his own triumph. "You know, Reign, when I had your mother on her knees, I realized where you got that sharp tongue from."

My father immediately frowned. "Shut your mouth!" He bellowed.

Noel sneered. "Or what?" He teased. My father seemed helpless against him.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I could have left the disturbing details a mystery, but something inside me compelled me to question him. It was unclear why he had chosen to harm my mother; she had never done anything that my father hadn't told her to do. Her duties were limited to smiling and maintaining a stunning appearance. Making connections was crucial to my father's business, whatever that entailed. If she had crossed a line with Noel, I needed to understand what had happened.

"Why her?" I scowled. "My mother was the friendliest woman to ever grace this wretched world."

Noel shrugged. "So she was," he agreed. "But she married a crook." He shot a furious look at my father.

I glanced back at him, noticing how he avoided making eye contact with me. At this point, he realized he had made a mistake, and there was nothing he could do to help us escape this situation. It was difficult to sympathize with him, given that he had inadvertently brought himself into this predicament. Unfortunately, as his daughter, I was also ensnared in it.

The one aspect that seemed illogical was his relationship with Noel. My understanding was that he first mentioned Noel when he hosted him at an exhibition. Why had my father made such a big deal about talking to him when they had previously interacted? He acted as if Noel was a client he had been trying to secure for a long time. Following their exchanges and Noel's words, it became apparent that there was more to this story.

"W-What happened?" I stammered.

Noel stuffed his hands in his pockets and, for once, looked at me normally. "I expected your father to perform a sting operation for me," he clarified. "The task was simple, but your father, being the calculating man that he is, double-crossed me."

After hearing what he said, I furrowed my brow and became more agitated. "That has absolutely nothing to do with me," I insisted. "I have no idea what my father does for a living, and yet I'm involved."