Love In Crimson

Chapter 15 - Request granted

After leaving the study, Natalia retreated to her room, somehow feeling defeated. Everything she had seen in the study only deepened her suspicion that her marriage to Ace was far more complicated than it appeared.

What hurt her the most was the document she hadn’t been able to read completely because of that damn alarm. Natalia silently prayed that Ace had no idea she had entered his study.

And if the worst came to pass, her excuse would be simple, she had only gone into the study to clean and left almost immediately after remembering his instructions.

Natalia found herself thinking back to the life she had endured in her uncle’s house. Was this how she was destined to spend the rest of her life? Caged by people whose intentions she didn’t even understand.

What could she possibly do? Her pitiful existence as a trapped bird had to end someday. She had an education, yet it felt utterly useless.

Then, an invisible light bulb seemed to flicker above her head as an idea came to her. If only she could get a decent phone and a little freedom to go out. After all, Ace had only said she needed his permission before leaving the house.

As a graduate of cyber security, she was certain she could find a way to earn money online. She was done being treated like some disposable asset. And going out would mean interacting with outsiders, something she desperately needed.

It was already close to afternoon, yet Natalia remained sprawled across the bed, completely drained of motivation. But the moment she remembered her plan to speak with Ace when he returned, she forced herself up and began attending to her tasks for the day.

As she mulled over her plans, Natalia sincerely hoped Ace wouldn’t turn out to be a control freak like her uncle. Otherwise, everything she was planning might fall apart before it even began.

And then there was still the matter of the alarm. She knew she must have triggered something for it to go off.

A dreadful thought suddenly struck her.

Could there be cameras in the house? “Damn that devil,” she muttered under her breath. He really might have cameras installed.

The realization made her even more uneasy. If there were surveillance cameras around the house, then getting information would become nearly impossible unless she resorted to sneaky methods.

And did she even know how to be sneaky? Absolutely not.

Meanwhile, at the headquarters of Da Silva Corps, Ace left Kieran in the private meeting room before making his way back to his office.

What Kieran had said lingered heavily in his mind. Was he really becoming emotionally compromised?

Ace lowered himself into his chair and turned his attention back to the camera feeds from the house ,this time,on his tablet.

All he could see was Natalia cleaning the house.

He sighed deeply and closed his tablet, still ruminating on Kieran's words. Ace looked at the numerous files on his tables and his mood only grew from bad to worse.

The digital table clock struck midnight just as Ace finally signed the last document on his desk. The sound echoed subtly in Ace's massive office, subtly enough for him to hear.

Ace leaned back in his chair, loosening the knot of his tie with one hand while the other rubbed against his temple. The city lights beyond the glass walls stretched endlessly beneath him, but he barely noticed them anymore. Numbers, contracts, meetings, negotiations…..his entire day had dissolved into one endless cycle of work.

And yet, somehow, his thoughts still drifted back to the woman waiting at home, Natalia.

Ever since sneaking in his study in the morning, something had changed.

She had become quieter in the house when he watched the camera feeds again. She had become somewhat downcast. She didn't dance or sing as usual when working and Ace hated that he noticed.

His phone buzzed. “Sir,” Scott's voice came through the speaker, “your driver is ready.” Ace doesn't usually move around with a driver unless his destinations for the day seem congested.

Scott mostly drives him around but goes home after work. He had to use his driver today because even Scott had tasks to complete.

Ace glanced at the time again. 12:07 AM. “Mm.”

He stood slowly, taking his coat from the back of the chair. His eyes briefly landed on the camera footage paused on his tablet screen. It showed the living room downstairs. Natalia was sitting there earlier that evening like she was waiting.

His expression darkened slightly before he shut the screen off.

The mansion was silent as usual when Ace arrived home.

He saw that she had switched off most of the lights in the house and only the dim chandelier lights illuminated the living room.

Ace stepped inside, removing his tie slowly. Then he saw her.

Natalia sat curled at the edge of the couch, still awake despite the late hour. A blanket rested over her legs, and a book lay forgotten beside her. The moment the doors opened, she straightened herself up immediately like she had been waiting for him. Of course she has been waiting for him.

Ace paused his steps and called her name. “Natalia.”

Her fingers tightened together nervously. “You’re back, welcome sir.”

His sharp gaze swept over her face carefully. “Well , cut off the sir from now on, understood?” , he said to Natalia.

“Al.. alright s..oh, alright”

“You stayed awake?”

“I…” She swallowed. “I needed to talk to you.”

That answer alone filled the living room with tension.

Ace walked toward her with slow measured steps, each sound of his shoes against the marble making her heartbeat worsen.

By the time he stopped in front of her, Natalia could already feel the familiar pressure he carried around him. The kind that made people instinctively cautious. He was always dangerously calm.

“What is it?” he asked.

Natalia stood up quickly, almost too quickly.

“I know it’s late but….”

“You waited until midnight to ask me something?”

His tone wasn’t angry and that somehow made it worse for Natalia. She was already nervous, did he have to make it worse!

Natalia forced herself to maintain eye contact. “You’ve been leaving early and coming back late every day.”

Ace stared at her for a long moment. “And?”

“I didn’t know when else to ask.”

A silence stretched between them.

Ace removed his coat and hung it over his shoulder.

Natalia’s pulse quickened. She suddenly wondered if this had been a terrible idea. It was just the two of them, why was she scared!!

Ace loosened his cufflinks slowly. “Did you suddenly become mute, I've been out since morning, I need to rest Natalia.”

Natalia inhaled softly. “I want a phone.”

His movements stopped slightly but Natalia noticed.

“I also…” Her voice became quieter. “I want permission to leave the house sometimes.”

The air shifted immediately. Ace looked at her fully now. Not casually or distracted like he sometimes does. He looked at her fully.

The intensity of it nearly made her step back.

“A phone,” he repeated slowly.

Natalia nodded.

“Yes.”

“And leaving the house.”

“Yes.”

Ace said nothing.

That silence was unbearable.

Natalia’s palms began sweating. She had practiced this conversation in her head for hours with the confidence she thought she had , yet standing before him now made every sentence disappear from her mind.

Ace walked past her towards the light control and switched on the light, not satisfied with the illumination the chandelier was giving.

“Natalia,” he said calmly, “do you know how suspicious your timing is?”

Her breath caught. “What?”

He walked towards her again. “You suddenly want freedom after wandering near my study?”

Her stomach dropped. So he did know after all. The realization hit her like cold water. Natalia tried desperately to keep her expression steady. “I wasn’t….I just wanted to clean”

“Shush”, Ace said while raising a finger up signaling that she should stop talking.

The single word cut through her sentence immediately.

“You are many things, but I don’t think you’re stupid enough to lie badly.”

Natalia's chest tightened. For a terrifying second, she genuinely thought he would confront her directly about whatever reason she might have for breaking into his study after he has warned her to stay clear.

But Ace merely watched her in silence, as though studying every tiny reaction on her face.

Natalia forced herself to speak carefully again. “I only went there because I felt it needed cleaning but I forgot to ask you first. .”

“Mm.”

“I left almost immediately after I emtered.”

There was another stretch of silence between them. Ace now looked at her intently like a scout agent accessing a model's features.

“ Are you sure.”

The statement startled her. Natalia blinked. “Er..er..yy..yes.”

“You hesitate before every sentence like you're selecting what truth to say and what lie to say.” Ace said as he took another step closer to her.

Natalia’s throat tightened because none of what he said was wrong.

Ace stopped in front of her again, close enough that she could smell the faint scent of expensive cologne on him.

“Tell me the truth,” he said quietly. “Why do you suddenly want a phone?”Natalia looked away first because of course she can't afford say the truth.

Natalia was still confused and half happy. All what Ace has been saying looks like he knows she entered the study but not the details of what she did. Maybe it was even the alarm that alerted him, right?

She was still thinking on how to answer Ace's question. Because she needed a way to investigate him and get answers about her supposed uncle's company and her father's connection to it. But she couldn’t say any of that.

“I feel trapped here,” she admitted softly instead which was still a truth.

The honesty of it seemed to catch even Ace off guard.

Natalia continued before she lost courage. “This house is beautiful, but its always me in it.” Her voice shook slightly. “I can’t contact anyone. I can’t go anywhere. I spend entire days waiting for time to pass.”

Ace’s expression became unreadable again. “You have the most basic things you need here, food, clothing and shelter.”

“No,” she said before she could stop herself. The room fell silent again. Natalia realized too late that she had interrupted him. Ace’s eyes narrowed slightly.

She quickly lowered her gaze. “I mean… well…yes but in your words, they're still the most basic things.”

For some reason, that answer lingered heavily in Ace's heart. Ace stared at her for so long that Natalia became painfully aware of every breath she took.

Then unexpectedly, he asked her “If I give you freedom, what do you plan to do with it?”

Her heart skipped. She had not prepared this part. Oh how foolish she was,she thought to herself.

“Nothing dramatic,” she answered. “I just want to go outside sometimes. Maybe shopping, cafes, bookstores and maybe something to ea…earn.”

Ace watched her quietly. “A bookstore?”

“Yes.”

“You like reading that much?”

The sudden change in topic confused her slightly.“Yes.”

“Hm, I see.” His gaze shifted briefly toward the forgotten novel on the couch then back to her. “You should’ve asked sooner.”, he said.

Natalia frowned slightly. “That means…?”

“It means I was already planning to get you a phone.” Her eyes widened a little. Was he switched at work or she's the one dreaming!! “You were?”, she said almost like a scream.

Ace looked mildly irritated by her reaction. “Well, technically, you're my wife, Natalia, not a prisoner.” Ace hates to admit, but can her expressions be anymore appealing. Seeing tiny cracks in her stiff expression whenever she's around him makes him feel somehow that he can't explain.

The irony of Ace's statement almost made Natalia laugh. Instead she asked carefully, “Then why was I never allowed one?”

“You only get it when I think you can.”

“What does that even mean?” Natalia realized suddenly that everything with Ace revolved around control. Even this marriage.

Ace moved toward the staircase before stopping midway. “Well…you can have both.”

Natalia's eyes lifted immediately. She pinched herself to be sure she heard him right.

“The phone and permission to leave the estate.” Ace said.

Relief flooded her so quickly she nearly smiled until he added..

“Under my conditions.”

Of course what did she expect. Natalia straightened carefully. “What conditions?”

Ace turned slightly toward her, one hand resting against the railing. “First, the phone's location will remain connected to my private network”

Her smile faded. That means he'll be tracking her!!. It'll be a major flop to her future plans!! Natalia decided to still go with it, moreover, does she have any other options. She figured she'd find a way around it later.

Ace continued calmly, “Second, no one must know that you carry my name, I repeat, no soul, understood?”

“Er…yes..I understand” Even though he said it from the onset of their marriage, that sentence still made her chest tighten strangely. Ace continued again.

“Third…” A faint almost dangerous look crossed his face. “You inform me before leaving anywhere.”

Natalia stared at him. “You want me to ask permission every single time?”

“Yes.”

“That’s ridiculous.”

“It’s non-negotiable.”

Her frustration finally broke through. She had expected this but still not as direct as he was . “But right to movement is a basic right for me as a human”!!

“You misunderstand something important, Natalia.” The calmness in his tone suddenly felt far more threatening than anger. “In case you don't know, I am already compromising.”

She opened her mouth to argue again but stopped when he added quietly…..

“And don't do stupid things or put your ass in trouble, I won't be your knight in shining armour”

The warning landed on Natalia. Of course she wasn't willing to put herself in any sort of trouble.

Natalia’s overthinking made her heartbeat become uneven again. Did he know about her actions in the study? Or was he simply saying those words to see her reaction?

Ace held her gaze for several unbearable seconds before finally speaking again. “You’ll receive the phone tomorrow.”

Natalia blinked. “That’s it?, thank you”, she said excitedly.

Then, unexpectedly, Ace said something again. “One more condition”, a faint hint of wicked amusement flickered briefly in his eyes.

“Make sure to tell me a night before whenever you're going out so that I can decide whether you're permitted or not”

Natalia stared at him in disbelief. What an unbelievable man. But what choices does she have. “Okay”

“Alright then, since we have reached an agreement, go get some sleep, Natalia.”

And just like that, Ace turned and walked upstairs leaving Natalia standing there alone with her heart racing violently. It had been much easier and overly ridiculous than she thought. But at least she had gotten what she wanted.

Natalia switched off the light bulbs and left only the chandelier light to serve as a source of illumination for the living room.

Natalia packed her blanket and book from the sofa and went to her room. At least she'll sleep with a happy heart tonight.

But as Natalia laid on her bed, one thought refused to leave her mind.

Why did he agree so easily. Was he truly g

ranting her what she asked for? It seems more like he was extending the length of her leash.

Natalia pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind, deciding to face whatever comes her way one at a time.

One thing was still hung on her chest, how was she going to contact Chenghao!!