Touching the Heart of Ace novel Chapter 78

I did not understand people most of the time. I did not get why some people behave the way they do, including myself.

Yet... I knew calling the Judge stupid inside the court was... well, stupid.

The exact sentence was 'Holy crap! Are you fucking stupid or what? Look at that ring... HE GAVE IT TO HIM!'

I wanted to laugh so bad at Marshall, Janice's lawyer, who was sweating pigs.

I had been attending all of their divorce sessions.

I never knew Janice was a pathological liar. She just got a kick out of lying for no reason whatsoever. I would get it, if she wanted to get sympathy from the audience and Judge herself... but, to lie that Robbie forced her to get a plastic surgery?

That was just a shitty thing to do.

Last session Robbie's financial worth was analysed and Janice was not at all happy with the amount.

Suck it up Bitch!

He was mine; everything he had was mine; everything he owned was mine!

He had transferred quite a big chunk of his unconcealed worth in Lia's name and Lia could not access it, until she was twenty.

The court was happy with it, but Janice was not. She claimed as his wife she had the right to decide how his money was handled and distributed, but not-so-sadly she did not.

Then the rest was in several investments which was dropping the values drastically in stock markets. With an iron clad prenuptial, Janice was leaving this marriage without much.

About his real assets transferred to hidden private accounts in both his and my names... well no one knew about that.

Hence Janice pointed out the cost of my ring. It varied from 3 million to 15.5 million in various online blogs but honestly I did not care. Robbie gave it to me... no... he slipped it to me. It could never get more precious than that.

It was in no sense the only ring or jewelery he had gifted me. I had quite a large collection of expensive rings which he had bought me; or cheap rings for that matter. Coming to think about it, I even owned a fifty cents plastic ring from his 'apology pile'.

But this was special.

Since they could not trace Robbie purchasing it, there was nothing the court could do. I was a multi-millionaire. I could buy a ring for myself, couldn't I?

Janice did not see it that way and she thought it was okay to ridicule the Judge by calling her stupid.

It almost seemed like court had heard from both sides but not even close.

I signalled Simon and he looked so giddy as a toddler on sugar rush and I could almost see him jumping on his soles.

Calm down, Si.

Marshall was afraid of Simon.

Every time Simon left the court without any objection he was steadily getting nervous. But Janice and Terry- Robbie's ex lawyer- were over the moon.

Janice had quite a box full of claims on how Robbie had 'destroyed' her life.

Him showing up in several of the offices she had worked, abusing her and making scenes had made the bosses fire her; him not letting her work and earn on her own, had made her afraid of work environments; him psychologically pressuring to get plastic surgeries, claiming that would make her a better wife, had destroyed her self-esteem and beauty; him traumatizing and alienating her from parenthood, had wiped her daughter from her life... and what not.

Well, now let us blow on her house of cards, shall we?

Unsurprisingly Robbie and his lawyers could not build up or bring up enough defences in their favour but who could?

Me!

Ace Davidson Truscott in play.

I did lose some nights' sleep but if this was the reward, I wanted to do it again.

Crap!

Now I was excited and shaking in my boots too.

"Ms. Janice, you had told the court... that you were thrown out of your working environments because of Mr. Brantley making it stressful. Am I right?" Simon sounded sympathetic.

"Yes, not once or twice... I finally lost my will to work. I am still worried to go for work. The amount of money I could bring in if I could work for all these years..."

"Hmmm... You say, you were working as Assistant General Manager in all these firms."

"Yes. I could have made so much money and..."

"Yes, yes... but why does all your termination letters say that you had lied about your education qualification and they had to let you go because of you not meeting their eligibility criteria and office conduct?"

"W... what? That is not true... I was working and he came... "

"Well, this says it so."

Simon handed her the termination letters of three of the firms she had claimed to be fired from because of Robbie.

"And the other five firms have given us the statement that a person named Janice had not worked there in over like five years... So?"

How could Simon sound so sympathetic and burning at the same time?

"W... Well these are forged documents. I... I have proof... my friend who worked... there... will... will..."

"Which college did you get graduated from?"

"Wha... what?"

"You heard me. Which college? Education qualification to the post of Assistant General Manager is at least graduation with 3-point GPA minimum, unless it is by promotion with 10 years of experience under the same firm as sales manager... So... which college?"

Janice said a made up college name and I saw the Judge's eyes popping out.

Yet, Simon waited for Janice to bring up the 'correct' name of the college... which was a bit cruel.

"How did you get in the college if you dropped out of high school?"

"I am not... I passed and I... I am stressed and could not... remember... I graduated from King..."

Simon handed over the documents I had pulled up and it, in fact, stated she had not got her highschool diploma.

Then it was gorgeous, beautiful fall from there.

I was not even kidding. The way she beautifully crumbled from the cloud of her lies was so smooth and I wanted to push a replay button.

God! I did an amazing job.

I pulled up the call records of Janice threatening to hurt our unborn Lia for money. Then after pregnancy, guilt tripping Robbie for plastic surgery, stating the delivery destroyed her body. Some I could not listen to without having a panic attack.

Robbie had recorded a video of her slapping his cheek when he refused to give her money; which reinforced the call proof.

Another call record of her stating she would bring up Aunt Marie's Will about handing over Lia to foster care. I wanted to clear my Aunt's name- my other mother. Whatever her one mean bitch of a daughter did, my Aunt had nothing to do with it.

Oh I loved it. I loved it so much.

The final nail on her coffin was when I could hack into Terry's PC and bring up the original contract my stupid man had signed... and surprise surprise... a video of them talking about changing the one year to five years... which tapered off to him putting his hand between Janice's thighs. It got nasty from there.

Terry did not trust Janice that she would give him the 'promised' amount.

So he had thought a video was enough of a blackmail material.

Yeah it was, but tsk... sorry man... Wait... oops... I was not sorry...

Not one bit.

He messed with my man.

I did not know how I could sit still and not scream out in joy and excitement. The difficult part was controlling my urge to look at Janice and stick my tongue out.

Whaaat?!

She had called my man names. She had no right to.

He was mine.

Even when knowing I could get away from calling him any names I wanted to and could get him to do anything, I could not bring myself to hurt him.

He was mine, yes... But he was mine to love, to protect, to cherish, to make a better home for him than yesterday, to touch his body with reverence...

Not mine to hurt, twist and break. And if I could not do it, no one should.

The court was adjourned until next session but we knew what the outcome was, but I refused to celebrate. I would not let myself be happy until I could see those documents with my own eyes.

I heard a collective gasp and saw Janice slapping Terry. But unlike all the other men Janice usually dealt in her life, Terry was not at all a gentleman; he back stabbed his client to fuck his wife and get away with his money.

In what universe was that an honourable man's doing?

He slapped her right back, if not, with more force.

I felt a thick coat over me and Robbie ushered me out before I could get a good look at the commotion.

It was as if he was not breathing at all until we safely reached our car and I supressed my giggles.

"You are something else, you know that?" Robbie was staring at me with wonder. "From where did you get all these?"

I wiggled my eyebrows. "This would be the ideal time to admit you were wrong and be eternally grateful to me."

He pulled me to his lap and gave my butt a tight spank. "Brat!" I giggled, looping my hands around his neck and cuddling close. "But I am." I heard a bare whisper and I frowned.

"Huh?"

"Eternally grateful... not to you but everything in this earth, heaven and hell... for giving me you... I gave you pain and yet..."

"Shh... we don't talk about that ever again, remember?" I gulped down my saliva. Even after these much time passing, even after giving him everything and receiving everything from him, I could not... I could not...

It was better left unsaid.

I... did not want to talk about it.

I could already feel my happiness depleting. Why did he have to bring up that again? He knew I hated to remember that incident, I hated the feeling of helplessness and... hated that it was how I lost my first kiss, how our first sexual encounter was like...

My heart started to beat erratically and I hated that.

Why the big deal? It was nothing. It was Robbie, why was I making a big deal? It was not like I wanted anyone else to touch me that way. Then why?

"Baby..." Robbie brushed his finger on my cheek.

I pushed away from his lap.

"You are taking us out. Nick, let us go home and pick my Little Baby up."

Nick nodded before informing the cars that were tailing us for protection.

"Babe..." He tried again

"You can talk about it one more time, then I am leaving this car. You pick." I crossed my hands in front of my chest and looked outside the windows.

The calmness of the passing greenery slowly took away the weight and pain in the middle of the chest, until I lied down on Robbie's shoulder.

"Daddy, I love you. I always did... I always will... I just... just... wish things were a little... different."

He had so many ways... so many, so many ways but... he chose to... whatever.

I heard his sigh and we left that topic at that.

I closed my eyes and thought of that fateful day when I lost my shit.

"YOU SAVE ME FROM NOTHING! YOU NEVER DID!!!" I had screamed.

"Baby please. You are not sleeping well as it is. Let lawyers handle..."

"Oh! You are worried about my sleep now? You are fucking worried about my sleep? Then listen well, Robert Brantley... Nobody, no fucking body made me lose my sleep like you had. You think I was sleeping peacefully after you fucked me, behind your wife's back? You think I..."

I was feeling dizzy. I rubbed my temples and pushed the heavy hand that fell on my shoulder.

"You gave me nightmares."

Stop talking Ace. Stop talking.

"You made me feel worthless. You made me question my morals, honour, and you fucking... fucked me like a cheap whore... made me believe I was a whore... gave me anxiety... gave me so much shit that I could not look into my own mirror, for several days..."

"W... what? Sweetheart, what are you talking about?"

"Don't play the victim card, now, you asshole."

I wished I could take it back whatever I said, but I never could. It was even more disheartening to know that he understood me, he felt my pain and he accepted that an apology would only humiliate me further.

Once the words started to pour out, I could not help it. I was in trance and I was struggling to breath properly. Yet with my fuzzy head, I somehow managed to convey the hurt in my heart; which I did not even know it was this deep.

"But you are the only one for me... It was me Angel... me... Do you not... feel the same? It was me... You love me and I love you..."

What would I tell the man who was kneeling in front of me clutching my hands?

That I did not get it either? That I was as confused as he was? That I did not know or feel his love when he came to my hotel room that day? That the time when he kissed me and rubbed on my body, drunk out of his mind, I was seeing it as a third person? That I was hurting for that person but not for me?

It made no sense.

It was me... but not me.

It was him... but not him.

Then above all when he asked if I felt the same about the night I lost my virginity, I had said no.

As truthful as it was, I was confused about why it did not feel the same.

I was okay, more than okay with that... I felt as if that was the moment I was aching for though I was not ready then. I felt happiness when I remembered him slipping inside me for the first time.

But I lost my virginity. He was married and I had not wholeheartedly wanted it but...

How was that okay, this was not? How I could remember 'that' with fondness but 'this' with shivers.

"Baby..."

I had cried on his chest, asking for the answers he clearly did not know and I hated asking him that knowing it was hurting him even more.

"Jesus Christ!" That was what he said when I was done with my stupid ranting. "Are you going to leave me now, Angel?"

"No." I had said with finality and climbed on him, straddling his lap.

"GOOD! Ah, good... it is good... so what are we going to do now? I will do whatever you ask me to do... you know it... I... uh..."

"I don't know, Robbie. I don't know. Can we just not talk about it? No, there is one thing you can do..."

"Whatever... whatever it is."

"I want you to let me in your life."

"I..."

"Not like this. In my terms. I want to know. Unless you are sure it would literally kill me or Lia, I want you to be truthful and I want to help. And... we don't discuss about this ever... ever."

He had nodded, even when he did not completely agree.

"I have forgiven you a long time ago, Robbie... just don't expect me to forget."

I opened my eyes suddenly and saw Robbie gently shaking me. I left the car without saying anything.

Little Lia was the only person who could make every bitter emotion in me completely go away and she knew it.

"Come here little girl, come to Davey."

She cackled and came to me running her tiny arms already flapping on her sides for my hug.

My sweet baby girl. What I would do without her?

I peppered her tiny face with lots of kisses and then asked if she had fun, had the food I had placed on her high-chair only for her, was she a good girl to Windy and her girlfriend, and what not.

It was only four hours, but I did miss her like crazy.

Robbie did not interrupt our time and I quickly dressed her up for the outing. I wanted to do something to take my mind off the ugly facts.

Daddy took us to the mall and we had the absolute best time in our life. I had a feeling Robbie was sucking up big time for bringing up nasty stuff but it was okay.

Little Lia made a new friend at the bakery Simon's boyfriend owned. It was funny to watch the kids use Robbie's legs to play peek-a-boo. He did not even blink or look down before placing a hand on the little boy's head to settle him when he had stumbled while Lia was busy twisting his pants.

Robbie was an excellent father, though he needed to get his words right.

It was heart-warming to watch how he managed to spit it out the scary L word to Lia.

His hand was squeezing mine hard while he took shallow rapid breaths and asked Lia to join him.

"Wha?"

Lia was confused; she had no idea why Daddy was sitting on the floor and staring at her. Her big adorable eyes looked into mine to check if she was in trouble.

"Lia... uhhh... You know I am your daddy, right?"

Way to go, The Robert Brantley!

Cue the mental eye rolls.

I could not believe he was the same man who made his employees sniffle on daily basis; but Uncle Andy said the office atmosphere had improved so drastically in two months.

Of course it did.

I fired everyone who did not make any effort. We were not very surprised to find the hands of Robbie's competitors to be the reason of unrest among disrespectful employees. They were just waiting for an opportunity to resign. So, I just handed them their termination letters with insubordination as the reason of firing.

There were some people who handed the resignation letters respectfully, following protocols; I gave them excellent conduct certificate based on their CR. It was not their fault for wanting to leave a 'sinking ship' though I had a feeling they would regret once Robbie was out of his ex-monster's clutches.

Rest of the employees who had decided to give their best shot until the last second they would work for us, were given an immediate raise and promotions to the positions vacated by terminated employees.

Good, yeah?

Robbie was a force to reckon with. Some tried to ass lick their way back to his company when they did not receive the salary package they were expecting from his competitors' firms.

He had made a 45-year-old man cry like a little kid.

Yet, here he was shaking to say the L word to his own daughter who loved him to moon and back.

"Daddy has something to tell you, Little Lia." I prompted my Big Baby and he gulped before pulling Lia to his lap.

He pushed her curls off before kissing her forehead. "I love you so much, girl. Dada loves you so much."

There he had done it; said it.

The earth still rotates, revolves and thankfully sun has not fallen down on our heads from sky... yet.

I felt bad for making fun of his fear but... Come on, it was a bit funny.

No, it is not Ace.

My man did a very good job.

But I could not help but start chuckling when Lia was still waiting for what Dada had to tell.

"That is it, Baby girl, go back to play." I told her and she frowned in confusion.

"Dada." She scowled.

"Yes, Baby Angel."

"Wha?"

"Uh... that is it. I love you. Yeah. I wanted to tell you that I love you."

She was confused and adorable. She looked at me again to understand the situation but honestly this was it.

Little Lia gave out a deep huff, more mature and understanding than an army veteran, left her dad's lap, stood up on his thighs and patted his back.

Such a caring mama at this young age; I could feel my Aunt Marie in her tiny heart.

"I lub you too... Goo jo, Daddy... Goo jo. Naw go wek." She patted and pecked his cheek before leaving to her playroom.

"Did she say 'Good job Daddy, now go to work?' Did she really? Angel, please tell me I am not insane."

I fell back on the floor, clutching my stomach and laughed very good, tears streaming down my face.

"I cannot believe I was scared for this reaction." He grumbled and I laughed again until my sides were hurting.

God, it had been weeks and I still found it funny.

"What are you laughing at?" Robbie asked me after placing treats on our table and handing me a giggling Lia to hold. Her little friend was holding onto Robbie's pants and Robbie pulled him to his lap.

"Hello young man. Who might you be?" I booped his nose and chuckled when he wiped it; frowning.

"Winston's kid; Raphael. Simon and Logan are babysitting him. Isn't that right, kid?" Robbie juggle the baby on his knee.

"Big boy. No babysitting." Raphael blushed, looking at Lia and asserting her that he was not a baby at all.

Aw...

Someone had a crush on my baby girl.

I hoped Daddy did not notice. Thankfully, Logan, Simon's boyfriend and the owner of this bakery, took him away before Robbie could notice that the kid was staring at Lia with open mouth if he was not giggling at what Lia says .

It was cute.

When we were done eating all the goodies up, Lia was jumping around because of sugar rush.

So, when I asked her to stand still to tie her shoelaces, the little brat jumped on her soles whenever I almost got to her feet.

"Lia, stand still, baby... Let Davey... Lia... St... stop... Lia... Lemme... let me tie... St... Lia stop"

She cackled and started jumping again.

"Daddy, help me." I called out and the bastard only laughed along with his child.

"Come on, little babe, stand still."

She thought it would be cute to take off running. But I was quick on my feet, ran right after her, caught her by her tiny tummy and threw her in the air.

I squished all of her body to my chest, savouring her shrieks and baby breaths, before trying to 'eat' her cheeks. "I caught you, you tiny adorable little monkey... I got you..."

"No... menkey... Pincess, Davey... Pincess..."

"Oh, no you are no Princess. Princess won't make Davey run." I threw her in the air again before twisting her legs to Robbie's face and demanding to tie her laces.

She was such a tiny trouble maker.

"I love you, Princess." I pecked her cheek when she had calmed down and we went home.

What I wouldn't give to have this time with my family every day for rest of my life.

My dream felt closer to reality.

There was nothing Janice could do at this point. We had given her all the previous sessions to feel victorious.

Her untrustworthy character and abusive personality was out in the open but I stood vigil.

They were my life; Robbie and Lia. My life was circling around them as they circled around mine.

I could not believe that I was capable of having this life.

During my teenage years I thought I was someone incapable of having a happy family because I was alone most of the time. I loved my solitude, my computers, my coding, the rush of brainstorming and just being myself.

But now, I could not believe how I managed to be like that; without my Lia, without my Robbie.

I meant, look at them. Daddy was holding Little Lia by her waist while my adorable baby bunny was poking on his dinner plate.

Lia refused to come to dining table for dinner. She was so enthralled by Frozen and was playing Elsa along with the lines on T.V.

So we all ended up sitting on the floor having the Chinese fried rice I had cooked under Robbie's request.

Lia tried to reach the chicken piece on the other end of Robbie's plate and my heart warmed when he scooped all his chicken to Lia's side.

"Let Daddy eat, baby. Come here."

She did not even bother to look at me; instead thrusted her whole fist inside her mouth with one grain of rice before licking it all over, missing the grain.

So spoiled and adorable.

"Da..." She whined and yanked on Robbie's fork. She then started to wiggled her tiny forefinger inside the scoop of rice.

"What? What are you looking for Lia?" The whole food had fallen back to Robbie's plate under Lia's inquisitive chubby finger.

Lia smiled triumphantly and plucked out a piece of green bell pepper I had not properly diced before popping it inside her mouth.

God, I could watch this all day every day.

The way she was making the fuss, anyone would assume she would have at least eaten a plateful. Not even close. All she was managed to eat was two teaspoons of rice at most.

Then the little spoiled Princess left his hand to waddle to me when she saw the purple beetroot pickle on my steel chopsticks.

"DAVEY!!!... Aahh" She opened her mouth a mile away from me.

I watched her scrunching her face at the vinegary salty taste of pickle before her body shivered and she opened her mouth again.

"Mo."

I gave her a tiny piece again at her expectant look on her face. Jason would have loved this pickle too.

Too much salt and vinegar was not good for babies. So Daddy called her back to eat from his plate again.

She was cute leaning to him, in her knee length singlet.

There was a bit of sauce and a rice grain on her right cheek, which she had pasted on her daddy's face when she kissed him.

My adorable babies.

It was a war between Lia and me when I tried to wipe her down after the dinner.

Yes, Lia we had taken a bath before.

No, Davey did not forget.

She could fight logically given how young she was. But she did not get why I was wiping her down again...

"Davey, bwaby clee... we wata... rember, Davey? Rember?"

"It is because you dribbled half a cup of sauce down your chin, to your chest, to your underwear, Lia."... was not logical enough for her.

Huff!

But after lots of pulls and pushes and running a thousand miles around the house, I got my baby brat clean... again.

Seeing her lying on her bed with tiny fist closer to her mouth and a leg thrown over my thigh, no one would think that she had made me almost cry with her stubbornness to stay naked in this cold night.

Robbie literally had to keep her down while I wrapped my girl in her onesie.

God!

My back was killing me.

I cracked my aching back and went to our bedroom; forgetting about all my pains when I saw my man ?C wet and hot ?C fresh out of shower.

I could almost see his confident, arrogant, smile behind my back when I yanked him to our bed by his angel chain.

The man knew he was hot.

Come on, all that muscles that were seasoned with sparring, hard work and gym; I did not wait for him to dry his body properly.

Well, we would have to change sheets, anyways, when we were done.

It was funny how different we were when we tried to seduce each other.

Robbie would spend quite some time kissing my shoulder, groping my waist and licking my cheek to get me all nice, wet and aching for him, while I could just yank him by his neck chain or buckle of the belt and he would be leaking like a faucet by the time we reached the bed.

I laughed as I played with the scar on the side of his stomach.

"What got you all giggly?"

"Nothing."

But my poor big baby; I should give him more kisses. A little late for that, but... oh well. He should be thankful that I was feeling bad for not seducing him properly.

See, I care!

I kissed his cheek, neck and forehead before nipping his lips.

"Keep that up, you are so going to get it once more."

"Mmm... I do what I please."

"Good, so can I, Kitten."

He took that time to gently prod into my already open warmth.

"Stop it, Robert."

Not really, keep on going, it feels nice.

"Oh, I am Robert, now?" He gave an angry push with him middle finger.

Dammit, it felt good.

He did again.

Fuck!

"What? Is it not your name? uhhh..."

How long was his finger really? It felt like it had gained another inch.

"Call me Daddy." He purred and pushed his tongue into the shell of my ear.

He rolled us around with his hand firm on waist, until I was lying spread and vulnerable under him.

"What happened to 'Call me Robbie'?"

He was so going to give it to me good.

"I grew out of it. So let us get you screaming 'Daddy'."

I did.

Several times, until my throat was sore and voice raspy; I loved it so much.

It was perfect and amazing. I had no idea when I had fallen asleep. I remembered talking to him about some nonsense about Lia growing up too fast. I remembered him laughing at my dream of seeing Little Lia going to college and sitting next to me studying in my class.

Bully!