Beneath The Surface

Chapter 33: The Truth

--- Ace's POV ---

I drove through the night, the hum of the engine the only sound accompanying my frustrated thoughts. I had traced the call to an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of town, only to find it completely emptied out. Whoever had been there had vanished, leaving no trace behind.

"Dammit," I muttered under my breath, gripping the steering wheel tighter. The frustration of the fruitless mission gnawed at me. I had hoped for a lead, something to give us an edge in this escalating situation. But now, I was returning to Marco empty-handed, and the weight of failure bore down on me.

As the city lights came into view, my thoughts drifted to Bella. Despite the chaos of the past few days, the memory of her questioning eyes and gentle presence brought a strange sense of calm. I realized how much I missed her. Her warmth, her smile, the way she had started to fill the void in my life.

The thought of seeing her again brought a small, hopeful smile to my lips. I hoped she was doing okay, despite Marco's distant behavior. The tension between them had been palpable, and it worried me. But seeing her again, hearing her voice, might be the only thing to lift this heavy cloud of frustration hanging over me.

As I pulled up to the estate, I let out a heavy sigh. I needed to clear my head and find a way to confront this mess. But first, I wanted to see Bella. I parked the car and stepped out, the cool night air doing little to calm my stormy thoughts.

I headed inside, each step heavy with the weight of the past few days. The house was eerily quiet, the darkness amplifying my sense of unease. I made my way to the kitchen, hoping a stiff drink might help clear my mind.

Pouring myself a glass of whiskey, I downed it in one gulp. The burn was a welcome distraction from my tumultuous thoughts. I poured another and leaned against the counter, staring into the amber liquid.

I thought about Bella again, the way she looked at me, the softness in her eyes. Despite everything, despite the chaos and danger, the thought of her brought me a strange sense of peace. I needed to see her, to make sure she was alright.

Taking another swig, I straightened up. First, I needed to find Marco and figure out our next move. But the thought of Bella, and the hope of seeing her soon, gave me the strength to face whatever came next.

I made my way upstairs, the familiar creaks in the floorboards under my feet echoing in the silence. Marco's office door was slightly ajar, a faint glow of light spilling into the hallway. I approached quietly, unsure of what I would find.

Pushing the door open, I stepped inside. Marco was sitting behind his desk, a glass of whiskey in hand. His eyes were fixed on the amber liquid, and he didn't seem to notice my entrance at first. The tension in the room was palpable, and a knot formed in my stomach.

"Marco," I said softly, hoping not to startle him.

He looked up, his eyes meeting mine. There was a darkness there, a weight that I hadn't seen before. Something was deeply troubling him, and it sent a chill down my spine.

"What's going on?" I asked, stepping closer. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

Marco took a slow sip of his drink, his gaze never leaving mine. "Ace, we need to talk," he said, his voice low and strained. "There's something you need to know."

I pulled up a chair and sat across from him, my unease growing. "I'm listening," I said, trying to keep my voice steady.

He took a deep breath, setting his glass down on the desk. "It's about Bella," he began, his words heavy. "There's something I found out... something that changes everything."

My heart skipped a beat at the mention of her name. "What is it?" I asked, leaning forward.

Marco hesitated, as if searching for the right words. "She... she admitted something to me," he said finally. "Something about her past. Ace, she's Alexander Knight's daughter."

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. I felt the room spin for a moment, the weight of his revelation crashing down on me. "Are you sure?" I managed to ask, my voice barely above a whisper.

He nodded, his expression grim. "She told me herself. And it explains so much. Why she was so secretive, why she was always looking over her shoulder."

I ran a hand through my hair, trying to process what he was saying. "But... why would she hide something like that? Why wouldn't she tell us?"

"Because she was afraid," Marco said, his voice softening. "Afraid of what we would do, afraid of how we would react. And now, everything is different. I don't know how to handle this, Ace. I don't know what to do."

I sat back in my chair, the weight of the situation settling over me. "We need to talk to her," I said finally. "We need to get her side of the story, understand why she did what she did."

Marco's eyes flickered with unease. He took another deep breath before speaking. "There's something else," he said slowly. "I... I kicked her out."

The words hung in the air, heavy and ominous. My heart pounded in my chest. "You did what?" I asked, my voice rising with anger.

Marco looked away, unable to meet my eyes. "I was angry, Ace. I didn't know how to deal with it. So I told her to leave."

My fists clenched at my sides, a surge of fury coursing through me. "You kicked her out?" I repeated, my voice dangerously low. "Do you have any idea what you've done? Where could she have gone?"

Marco's expression was pained, but my anger didn't waver. "I thought it was the right thing to do," he said quietly. "I thought it would be best if she was away from us."

"Best for who?" I shot back. "You? Because you couldn't handle the truth? Now she's out there, alone and vulnerable. We need to find her, Marco. And we need to do it now."

Marco's shoulders sagged, the weight of his mistake evident. "You're right," he admitted. "I messed up. But we can still fix this."

I nodded, the urgency of the situation propelling me forward. "Then let's go," I said, already heading for the door. "We have to find her before it's too late."

As we rushed out of the office and into the night, a sense of dread settled over me. Bella, Raven was out there, and we had no idea what she was facing. But one thing was certain, we wouldn't stop until we brought her back safely.