CHAPTER 28: HE IS ACE

A1 heaved a sigh of relief when she started to ask. He was contemplating if he should tell her his story. He peered at her and decided to share his childhood.

"My real name is Ace Santiago. I grew up in the orphanage and met Benjamin Baltazar when I was 12. He took the eight to twelve boys and sent us to train as his killers. At first, it looked like a common training ground, but later on, the training became more intense and brutal.

They feed us once a day, every morning. Some kids, especially the younger ones, could not bear the brutality and hunger, so they died. I saw them throwing their dead bodies in the woods and becoming the food for the wolves.

I was so scared to die and be thrown away like that after I died. So, when Benjamin visited the training ground one day and heard his conversation about how stupid his nephew is, an idea came to mind. There's a kid named Nilo beside me who was barely hanging on to his life at that time. Nilo saw what happened to the other kids and begged me to help him survive. He's smart, so I told him what I'd heard and went on with my plan. And it worked. He asked us questions, and he was impressed with our answers. That's when he brought us to his mansion.

Benjamin left the kid in the mansion, and he entrusted him to his assistants. He adopted me when he noticed that I was more capable than others. As for me, Benjamin planned on using me to continue his illegal business even when he sent me abroad.

When he sends me to study overseas, he will always call me every weekend telling me about his business and force me to pay attention to it. He will send me an email from time to time. I know his business is just a front for his illegal activities.

He's very thorough when it comes to his business. Although I've learned a lot throughout the years that I was his son, I don't have access to his study at home or offices. He used me for networking. Since he sent me to a boarding school, he mingles with families who can afford to send their kids there. They are people who have money and power. And Benjamin loves to have both."

Athena yawned and said, "No offense, but can you make the story short?"

A1 chuckled, "As you wish," he said and thought of how he could explain it to her better.

"In short, I helped him to find you so that he can fully trust me. I need him to lower his guard on me to access his study.

"How about the office?" Athena asked irritatingly. She's pissed that A1 used her to reach his goal.

"There's someone who can do it for me, and I trust him," he said as he smiled at her. Then his look became firm. He is worried about Nilo's safety because he cannot protect himself.

"Okay, continue," Athena said without looking at him.

A1 felt helpless as he continued. "He is hiding right now and cannot leave this city at will, so if he will need someone in City B. He cannot entrust it to Anton, so..." he stopped and let Athena think of the following words.

"Since Anton is out of the picture, it will only be you?" Athena continued.

"Yes!"

"How did you join the organization without him knowing?" She asked. With Benjamin's network, it takes a lot of courage to sneak behind his back.

"Well, he knew that I love studying. That's why he thought I'm in Europe for my masters. I told him that I still need to learn. There's someone posing as me over there and all his calls in my dormitory go to me directly, so he didn't doubt it." He said proudly.

He has a schoolmate in the boarding school whose family went downhill, and that student was obsessed with studying. He took advantage of his situation, but with the condition of pretending to be him. Their height is about the same, though he's slightly skinnier. It doesn't bother him because Benjamin hasn't seen him for a long time, and he doesn't visit him. All he does is call his school records and whereabouts.

"So, what are you going to do with his minions?" He answered all her questions, and she didn't want to ask anymore, so Athena changed the subject.

She just thought of driving the vehicle miles and miles away from Marco's property earlier. But now that A1 took over the wheels, he might have something in mind to deal with them.

"I made arrangements for them," he replied coldly.

"Where is your destination after this?" He asked. Though he knew Athena wouldn't dare return to Chavez's mansion, he wanted to know her plans.

"Heading to CamZ, she's waiting," she said absent-mindedly. Even if she can go back, she won't dare do so. She can't take the risk of staying on Marco's side, especially now that Benjamin Baltazar probably has an idea about her relationship with Marco.

Two hours later

A1 stopped the vehicle at the port. There's a motorboat big enough for five people waiting at the end. Athena smirked at his idea, 'I guess his idea is much better than my plan,' she said to herself.

Athena heard a muffled sound behind her, and when she glanced back, she saw that the driver was waking up. "Hmph! So you're up? Well, not anymore!" She scoffed, then fixed her position and punched him on his jaw. The driver fell back, and Athena knocked him out again. The medicine still affected his system, so he was unconscious again.

A1 shook his head when he witnessed what Athena did. He shivered when he thought of almost experiencing the touch of her fist earlier. 'Whew! Glad I'm good at avoiding punches.' he said to himself.

A1 carried the men, one after another, and put them in the boat. He then tilted the engine down and turned the key. He jumped off the motorboat before it roared away.

Athena watched as the boat left the port. 'This is it,' she thought. Her mission of saving herself and keeping Marco safe is now complete. She felt lost as she stood still, looking at the vast sea in front of her.

'Marco, I'm sorry for leaving without telling you. Please, wait for me. I love you." She whispered, praying that the wind would send her message to him.

"Let's go," A1 knew that she was sad, and he was guilty of separating her from Marco Chavez. He knows that she plans to leave Marco, and she is waiting for an opportunity to do it and prepare herself. But it became abrupt when his ploy interferes.

"Okay," she answered without glancing at him and started walking away.

A1 followed behind her. He has a car waiting for them half a mile away. They cannot use the vehicle anymore, so they have to walk until they reach their destination.

Chavez Mansion

Marco woke up but did not open his eyes. He felt his wife's side was empty but ignored it. He tried to listen to any sound around him to know her location. But there's none. Marco's eyes immediately opened, and he sat up quickly.

"Babe..." He waited for a few seconds but no answer. He opened the bathroom, but she was not there. 'She must be in the kitchen,' he said, consoling himself.

He hurriedly opened the door, and there was no sign of her in the living room, and there was no noise coming from the kitchen either. He starts to panic, but he forces himself to calm down. 'She might be outside, yes, she's outside,' he was convincing himself that she is not gone.