Chapter 460 Fuel to the Fire

Chapter 460 Fuel to the Fire

The call was from Ace and the moment that I saw his name on the screen of my phone, I knew that he had somehow found out about the rumors that had been going around. Although he was no longer in the company, I guessed it wasn’t surprising that he could still find out what was going on.

“Ace...” I said as I answered the phone.

“You don’t sound so panicked,” Ace stared off by complimenting me. n--OvelB1n

“It’s not the first time but...how I wish it could be the last...” I replied before smiling weakly although I knew that he couldn’t see my face.

“I’m actually very impressed. You’re getting the hang of dealing with these things,” Ace said, and he did sound impressed.

“Thank you, I guess...” I replied before suppressing a sigh.

“Don’t sound so down. Hang in there and keep your chin up. You didn’t do anything wrong and none of this is your fault,” Ace reminded me reassuringly.

I wished that I could see what kind of face he was making at that moment. Just the sound of his tender voice and the strength and care behind his words made my heart clench in my chest with intense emotions. Times were tough and they made have gotten much more challenging since I started dating Ace, but I had to admit that there wasn’t a time when Ace wasn’t there to support me through it all.

“I’ll try,” I replied.

“I know this might be hard to swallow but it would be great if you could try to work as normal for the day. Don’t let something like this impact your work and your life. That’s the only way you’re going to persevere and win, Rina,” Ace advised quite sternly.

I could tell where he was coming from. If I kept letting these rumors mess up with my work and my life, then I wouldn’t be getting anywhere. That being said, it wasn’t so easy to focus on work and simply pretend that nothing was going on. Even if I could control myself, there was no way that I could possibly control the reactions of the people around me. In truth, I was distracted by them even if I didn’t want to be.

“I’ll do my best to remain professional,” I promised.

“Let me teach you that there’s a right time for everything,” Ace said with a hint of excitement in his voice.

“What does that even mean?” I asked as I started to get a pretty bad feeling.

“I’ll come and pick you up from work. What time do you get off?” he asked.

“Umm...” I murmured as I tried to figure out what he had in mind.

“I’ll be nice and pick you up right at the end of the working day. How’s that? All you have to do is hang on until then,” Ace suggested.

“Umm...why? Wait...Ace? Ace...” I called his name, but it was already too late.

Ace had already hung up after telling me that he would pick me up at the end of the working day. I cocked my head slightly to the side as I wondered why he sounded so excited all of a sudden. A gasp escaped between my lips when I realized all too late that this might not be the best time for Ace to just randomly turn up at the office to pick me up.

“How can I forget something so important?” I asked myself before letting out a loud sigh.

Ace’s call surprised me, and I found myself so absorbed in his comforting words that I had forgotten the most important question that I wanted to ask him. Now I didn’t know how Ace planned to deal with this mess or how I should act apart from the fact that I should go about my work as per normal. Suddenly, it felt like I was truly in need of some strong coffee.

I wondered if Ace ever considered that if he turned up to pick me up at the office, it would be like pouring fuel on a fire that was already burning so brightly. The old me would have tried my desperate best to stop him but the new me was surprisingly different. It didn’t mean that I didn’t worry, because I did. However, I felt like I was worrying less than before and there was a sense of curiosity that also looked forward to seeing how things would play out. If Ace wanted to, then I didn’t quite see what was wrong with my boyfriend picking me up at work.

Ace was right. I needed to stop worrying too much and I had to live my life like I wasn’t in the wrong because I really wasn’t in the wrong.

...

“In you go...” I mumbled to myself as I packed my stuff into my handbag.

I was aware that time was ticking by and in a few minutes, the end of the working day would finally arrive. It was a challenge keeping the promise that I made with Ace to focus on my work like normal. My colleagues were definitely not focused and that ended up hampering my progress at work. Surprisingly, I felt less and less bothered by their inquisitive stares and incoherent whispers.

I headed for the door without saying any words of farewell to anyone in the project team room. If Ace said that he would pick me up when work ended, then I had no reason to believe that he would be late. I could already picture Ace waiting for me in his car in front of the building. Undoubtedly, his presence would draw everyone’s attention. There wasn’t a soul in this building who wouldn’t recognize Ace.

When the elevator doors slid open and I was in the lobby of the office building, my eyes immediately darted in the direction of the front entrance. Although I could not see him yet, something told me that Ace was already there waiting for me. My heart beat a little faster in my chest as the speed of my steps sped up as well.

I want to see Ace...

--To be continued...