"Aren't you getting a little too comfortable with me?" Delores snapped, finally shaking off her thoughts. She shot Ace a sharp look, her gaze landing on his arm wrapped snugly around her waist and his head resting lazily on her shoulder—without her consent. He might not be pulling any wild stunts this time, but still, the sheer audacity of it all… He had some lion's balls, that was for sure.
"Really? This is what you want to focus on right now?" Ace groaned. "Let's just get to the local C.I.B. headquarters first. Hurry up!" His expression made it clear: Don't get started, again.
Seeing him dismiss her casually, Delores clenched her jaw, her frustration bubbling under the surface. But instead of lashing out, she exhaled sharply and informed him, "There's no point in rushing. We don't even have an invitation to the auction or permission to enter the headquarter's premises."
Ace's brows pulled together in a frown, surprised, "And you're just telling me this now? Can't you get an invitation?"
"No. I don't have that kind of influence anymore," she admitted, steering her board in the direction of Matthews. "But as an EAD, Matthews can. So, we need to wait for her. Without her, we will have to wait on the streets"
Ace mulled that over, his frown deepening. He was beginning to understand—Mrs. Martins hadn't told him about the auction just to help him. No, she had other plans. She was likely trying to lure him to the local C.I.B. headquarters quietly… and then strong-arm him into enlisting.
"Delores," he asked suddenly, his tone unusually serious, "do you think I should join the C.I.B.?"
Before she could answer, a voice cut in, dripping with menace.
"Yes, Delores," Mrs. Martins said mockingly, stepping forward she repeated Ace's words, "Do you think he should join the C.I.B.?"
Delores' eyes narrowed at her. She knew what Mrs. Martins was trying to do. The woman was planning to pressure Ace into joining whether he liked it or not. So, Delores made sure to stress, "It's up to him." She turned to Ace, locking eyes with him she made sure he knew, "Ace, this is your decision. No one else gets to make it for you. Don't let anyone else tell you otherwise."
Ace shook his head, unimpressed with Mrs. Martins. His gaze flickered over to her as he flatly asked her, "Can we go now? If we miss the auction I am blaming you."
"Let's get a few things straight first," Matthews said, her eyes narrowing as she watched Ace stubbornly resist her plans for him. She needed to make it crystal clear—there was no escaping this. The sooner he stopped fighting, the better for everyone.
"Good," Ace nodded, pretending to agree. Letting go of Delores's wrist, he strode to the head of the board, his posture relaxed but his eyes sharp. He met Matthews' gaze head-on.
"I don't see how the C.I.B. can do anything for me," he said, his tone calm but firm.
Matthews arched a brow. "Does it have to?" she countered smoothly. "Can't you just do it for your country?"
Ace snorted, shaking his head. He wasn't buying that patriotic nonsense, and she knew it. She wasn't actually appealing to his sense of duty—she was trying to guilt-trip him.
"Really?" he drawled, his voice dripping with disdain. "Since you brought it up, let me ask you something. Where was my country when a local gangster was abusing me? When he was planning to sexually assault my sister?" His voice darkened, fists clenching at his sides. "Don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about. We both know it was Layla who kept the 9Ks off Ava's back. I went through her cursed phone, remember? She knew everything—everything that was happening at our school, in our neighborhood." He let out a bitter laugh, shaking his head. "Yet, she did nothing. Just sat back and watched while those scumbags ruined more lives."
His jaw tightened, anger simmering beneath the surface. This was the real reason he hadn't hesitated to enslave Layla for life. To the C.I.B., she was a good agent. But to him—to his family and neighborhood—she was a sinner. Having seen the videos on Mark's phone he knew his sister wasn't alone he targeted many girls and women from the neighborhood and succeeded most of the time. Layla's inaction had ruined many lives in his neighborhood. And now? Now, she'd spend the rest of her life paying for it as his slave.
"The C.I.B. doesn't interfere with Mortal World affairs," Matthews stated flatly. "Agents like Layla are there to watch over the families of the C.I.B.'s curse masters. Don't blame her—or my daughter. Layla was just doing her job. And I sacrificed enough to make sure my family was safe and taken care of in my absence."
She didn't deny Ace's accusations. She didn't try to persuade him otherwise. Just a simple, matter-of-fact defense—Layla's hands were tied, and Matthews had paid her dues to secure the privileges her family enjoyed.
Ace snorted. His frustration and irritation flickered for a moment, but then—just as quickly—they evolved into a disdain-filled smirk. Mrs. Martins' words stung. But damn, he liked her brutal honesty. It was an eye-opener. The democracy he learned about in school and the one in real life were two different concepts.
"If you make the same sacrifice I did, your family will also get the same privileges as mine," Matthews continued, her tone unwavering. "That is what you gain from joining the C.I.B." She let that sink in for a beat before adding, "Obviously, just signing up doesn't entitle you to royal privileges. You'll have to earn them—prove your worth, fight for them."
Then, without giving him a chance to respond, she leaned in slightly, her gaze sharp as whispered like a siren, "So—are you willing to sacrifice your freedom so your family can experience real freedom? Not the cheap illusion they dangle in front of mortals to keep them in line but true freedom like royalty."