CHAPTER- 13

                                    

                                          
Ace POV:
"Do you like it, Acey?" Athena chirped beside me, her voice dripping with an over-enthusiastic sweetness.
I stared at my phone, scrolling through it with disinterest. Athena had asked me what I liked to eat, and I'd mentioned fried rice.
Now she was pretending she made it herself, though I knew it was actually from the maids.
I sighed, annoyed by the charade. "Yeah, sure," I muttered, though my mind was elsewhere.
Since that day with Iris, she had been avoiding me at every turn.I was tipsy that day.
I had tried to bring her some clothes, but she had declined, claiming she had her own to wear.
What a dumb girl she is?
Why does she have to be this difficult?
"Come on, Acey~ Nowadays you're not giving me attention," Athena whined, her hand resting on my arm in a way that was meant to be endearing but only grated on my nerves.
"Stop it," I growled through clenched teeth.
Today was Sunday and this women is gonna make me rip off her tongue.
"Boss," Ivan's voice cut through my irritation.
I glanced at him, and his smirk made my irritation flare even more. Asshole.
"What?" I snapped.
"I ragazzi sono qui (The boys are here)," he said with a smug grin.
Fuck! I thought they were all out of town.
I stood up and told Ivan to make sure Iris stayed in her room.
As I walked through the hallway, my mind was racing.
The thought of Iris being in the house when the boys were here made my heart pound with anxiety.
"Fuck!" The curse escaped my lips as I collided hard with something solid.
I stumbled and fell, landing awkwardly on top of whatever I had run into. Fucking hell.
SHIT! FUCK ME! What the hell is she doing here?
"Ouch~" A soft whimper came from beneath me, and I looked down to see Iris lying on the floor with me on top of her.
Her eyes were glossy with pain, and I felt a surge of panic.
I am fucking done if they all saw her.
I stood up hurriedly and scooped Iris into my arms in a bridal carry.
"Wow!! Who is she?" Felix's voice rang out from the hallway.
Fuck me! Someone fuck me.
"Ace, you didn't tell us... that you adopted a child," Alex said, amusement dripping from his tone.
My fucking child!
If I were to die right now, I would never accept her as my kid, for fuck's sake.
Before I could respond, I felt a finger jab into my chest, jolting me out of my panic.
I looked down at Iris. Her head was hanging limply, her lips slightly parted, and her eyes closed.
"Shit! Iris, are you okay?" I asked, worry edging my voice.
I carefully lowered her to the stairs, but her head remained drooped and her body slumped.
"What the fuck happened to her, Ace? Did you drug her?" Hudson's voice was sharp, and he approached us with concern etched on his face.
"What! No, asswipe!" I shot back, frustration boiling over.