"You shouldn't have touched what's mine!" He smirked like a savage beast watching him struggle like a fish out of water and just when the choked guy was about to pass out Ace felt someone trying to free the struggling lad.
His dark steely gaze snapped to the intruder and instantly they softened when he noticed visible evidence of tears on her eyes, and just like that his hand lost it's grip over Max's neck letting the man cough urgently. He hungrily gulped huge puffs of air letting his lungs find a way to live again. Ace clenched his jaw watching her crouching beside Max helping him to sit up as he stood up from the tortured man.
"Are you OK?" Max coughed hissing as he felt her finger tips touching his neck, he knew his neck be bruised up now. He glared at Ace whose eyes were stuck over the crying girl, he didn't even spare a single glance at the guy he almost killed.
"You fucker! I would have died!" Ace finally trailed his cold eyes towards the wincing guy before rolling his eyes.
"But you didn't, did you?" Max wanted nothing than to claw at his face and gauge this pride out of him. This bastard had always been the main reason of his shoot up temper!
Soon, his head got slammed with a new unique idea to get back at him, the only thing that could kill him without lifting a finger was right beside him. His sparkling eyes went to Aurora who was still gazing at his neck which was painted with purplish bruise, his lips slightly flickered with a twisted plan.
"Sweetheart, I am sorry. I know I was too impulsive, are you ok?" And just like that, the girl melted shaking her head, she squeezed his hand in comforting grip.
"It's fine, let's get you to medical room," He nodded before sneakily eyeing the cause of his injury and he instantly flared with joy, the anger and jealousy burned on Ace's face like a lava being forcefully tugged in a mountain and was ready to burst anytime.
"Aurora!" Ace growled grabbing her arm, she finally gave her namesake boyfriend a glance and before he could utter a single word she snatched herself away from him, Ace found familiar emotions in her eyes that he was used to seeing in her father's.
Resentment and disgust.
"Stay away! You almost killed him Ace!" He scoffed gritting his teeth, he always disliked her friendship with this good for nothing asshole but never said a word to till today.
"He was hurting you! I defended you!" Somewhere in her heart she knew he was right, he did that only to help her but she wasn't ready to accept him or maybe she didn't want to accept the fact that she actually wanted to agree with him and blame Max.
"Did I ask you to defend me?" Disbelief was written all over his face as he stared at her in shock, did she really just say that?
"What is wrong with you? Is he that important that you are actually defending his wrongdoings in front of me?!" Aurora felt like she was reaching at the last point of her patience, the students had already gathered around them, even though they were in parking area of the school but still the news travel fast.
"Yes! He's important, really important! He's my b----"
"Best friend!" Before she could ruin everything Max stepped in cutting her sentence in mid, his sudden interruption made her realize the mistake she was about to commit. Max side eyed her asking her to shut up before facing the scowling man who looked at Aurora with complete displeasure.
"Ace, stop this nonsense! People are watching." With that he grabbed Aurora's hand and left the place, Ace watched them disappear but the deep disdain scowl didn't waver off.
He always knew how short tempered Aurora was, she always said something hurtful whenever they had an argument and it was always because of the shits her friends put her in. This time too he knew she must have something terrible to say only to beg for his forgiveness later, it had almost became their routine. Argue, hear her degrade him and forgive her as he couldn't endure her tears.
"Don't be upset," His scowl deepened when a familiar face stood in front of him with a soft smile playing over her lips.
"Ms. Lively," Bree sighed in dejection, his politeness was one thing but stubbornness was another, she had literally begged him so many times to call him with her name but no except for Aurora he had never taken anyone's first name not even his female classmates.
"Ace, call me Bree please, we are friends after a---"
"I am not your friend." His open declaration took her aback, she was startled at his bluntness but recovering from the shock she awakwardly smiled at him.
"Come on, you're Aurora's boyfriend so obviously it makes us friends too." His cold look didn't change making her gulp down. His eyes looked domineering with the look he gave her, he had always been soft to Aurora but when it came to her friends he seemed polite yet hostile.
"For the last time Ms. Lively, I am not your friend. You're my girlfriend's friend that's it, kindly remain your distance from me, If I never had been mean to you doesn't mean I like you, so never try to become something you're not." With that he walked away leaving the proud spoilt girl seething in anger, she clenched her jaw watching his back in pure rage. She had never been shoved away this harshly before by anyone.
Two days later.
"Ace, I am sorry." Aurora mumbled watching him wearing his leather gloves as he was getting ready for the underground race they had today, it was final of the match he had been working on for the last month.
"Please, Ace you had been ignoring me from the last two days." She tugged at the sleeve of his black jacket, brushing his messy hair, he finally turned to walk away but paused when her tiny arms got wrapped around his waist.
"What should I do to make you forgive me?" He took a deep breath trying to push back the softness that started clawing at his heart, he didn't want to forgive her this time, she had hurt him real bad.
"Ace," Her voice stuttered his name indirectly indicating that she was about to start shedding tears, and just like that his cold wall of not giving in to her this soon broke scattering along with his self esteem. He steadily grabbed her arms forcefully breaking her grip over him and turned around.
She looked in his grey eyes with her watery ocean ones giving a painful tug at his heart, palming her cheek with her gloved her hands, he sighed, "Don't cry, I am not mad anymore." She sniffed fisting his jacket watching him with her doe eyes.
"Really?" He nodded before giving her a small smile.
"Yes, you hurt me that day, I was just trying to protect you but you took side of the man who hurt you." She looked down not denying his words, after calming down she actually accepted the fact that it was Ace who saved her wrist from getting dislocated that day. If he hadn't interrupted Max would have hurt her beyond measure.
She had no idea why did she even took Max's side that day? Maybe because he wasn't the man she claimed to fell in love with or maybe the fact that the man she thought wasn't worthy of her had became her savior and he saved her from her actual boyfriend that she chose herself. She didn't want to believe that her decision was wrong, she just didn't.
"I know, I realized it after thinking about it with calm mind. I have decided to not talk to Max until he realized the gravity of his doing." Ace finally felt a sense of relief passing through his chest, at least she was sensible enough to not let that asshole get away scot-free.
"That's good, alright I will take you for dinner tonight. Right now I have a match. Wish me luck." He smiled pecking her forehead, she held herself from shrinking back and smiled at him.
"Good luck." With that he walked out of the room leaving the blank woman behind.
Aurora always rolled her eyes and praised herself for her incredible acting whenever he forgave her easily, but today was different. She actually felt a weird satisfaction in her heart when he smiled at her, the way his eyes sparked with affection made her gulp down, she closed her eyes taking the seat on the edge of the bed palming her forehead.
She couldn't help but recall the time she entered his room and was struck by a wave of admiration for him, it wasn't a hidden thing that how handsome and attractive he always had been. His bright grey eyes, well sculptured face and tall muscular body that any boy of his age would die to have. He looked dashing with the all black dressing look today but she didn't want that. She didn't want to admire his looks.
She wanted to become unbothered and unaffected by his presence like she was before this bet. She had never glanced at Ace for the second time until Max proposed that bet bullshit. This new rise of her heartbeat started scaring her, she didn't want to accept it but somewhere she knew he had started influencing her.
"No, I can't let that happen." She whispered before her phone started vibrating, she looked at the caller and couldn't help but feel a tug of resentment towards her.
Max was her boyfriend, he was the only one who had any right on her heart and body. No one but he should be the only one to affect her and make her feel safe and secure. She shook Ace's thoughts away and picked the man's call who invited her to have a lunch with him which she agreed reluctantly, she wanted to forget Ace and his unwanted affection.
When she returned home, she almost gasp in horror after witnessing the scene in front of her. Her father had Ace on his knees as he was shirtless, the middle aged man had a whip in his hand and not just a simple one, it was filled with sharp razors. Her whole body jolted in shock when her father moved the whip and slammed it against Ace's back without a single look of guilt or mercy.
"Useless bastard! I told you we needed to win this race but you just had to fell of the bike and ruin the almost won match!" Ace didn't defend or beg for mercy for himself instead he clenched his jaw letting Alvin be done with the torturous punishment.
Before another whip could touch his flesh, they heard a meek yelp, "Dad," Alvin got startled hearing the familiar voice and dropped the whip right away. He panicked when he noticed his daughter had for the first time caught the sight of him hurting Ace. He always gave punishments to Ace in the basement where she wasn't allowed to enter but today he was so mad at Ace for losing the match that he couldn't wait to torture him.
"Aurora! Go to your room, you shouldn't be here." She didn't move an inch instead, she steadily approached the injured man, Ace looked at her with his blurry gaze, his eyes were filled with tears but he was holding them back.
"Dad, are you crazy? Look at his back, what has gotten into you?" She said in shock, even though she didn't like Ace as well and never cared about his well being much but this sight was just inhumane, she couldn't even look at his back, it was covered with blood and deep brusies.
"I am done, the doctor is here. He will treat Ace, don't worry I am not a monster." Her father tried to coax her into believing that whatever he did was justified as he explained further.
"It is business, princess. If he lost any of the match he had to bear the consequences so he wouldn't make the same mistakes again, don't worry. It's just a part of the business so go and rest." She still didn't have the heart to believe her father so she shook her head.
"I will help him, send doctor to my room." Before Alvin could protest she already was on Ace's side helping him to stand up, he staggered unconsciously throwing his weight over her but she held him with great effort. With the assistance of the doctor she took him to her room, ignoring her father who looked disapprovingly at her.
"I am fine, it's nothing I cannot bear." She gritted her teeth ignoring his words and gently laid him on his stomach exposing his bloodied whipped back.
She closed her eyes turning her back to him, the irony! She couldn't stand seeing the damage her father did on him but he was bearing it. The doctor treated his wounds and the man hissed occasionally whenever the stinging ointment touched his injury. Soon enough his back was wrapped in a heavy bandage and without realizing he drifted to sleep after he was injected with a sedative.
"The wounds are deep, they will leave scars." Aurora nodded her head staring at the sleeping man with mixed feelings before escorting the doctor out.
Gently locking the door, she walked near him and crouched beside the sleeping man, his sharp featured face came into her sight, he looked so innocent and pure while sleeping like he had never been familiar to any evil in this world. Caressing his cheek with her soft fingers she got lost in him and didn't realize when the sleep took over her and she let her head rest over the bed and submitted her mind to the world away from reality.
That night, Aurora learned new side of her father, the man she considered as her ideal. And she was forced to admit, she didn't want a man like her father anymore.
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Unedited.
Next will be updated soon, there will be a few more chapters based on past. I wouldn't be revealing the whole past at once but might 60 percent of it.
Keep on liking and commenting. Keep on following me here and on Instagram it's mirah_selim
Till the next adios
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Intoxicated Vengeance 
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