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Chapter 73 - BAD NEWS

"Thank you for the ride, Lucas." I found myself hurrying out of the car before my best friend could fire a series of fiery, ardent questions that could burn me alive. I heard nothing from him after I clambered out of the car with quick, hurried movements of a thief then closed the door with more force than required.? Before the door closed I caught a glimpse of the irritated scowl crumpling his wholesome features. When the car dashed forward that\'s when I finally let go a deep sigh of relief. I survived another dreadful encounter with Lucas. \'Thank God.\' I mumbled to myself while hastily moving to the iron gates.

Lucas should not be worrying about me. I told myself after the iron gates swung open. The wide, breathtaking lawn of the Crawford\'s came to my view after I strode inside. I quickened my pace with eager anticipation. Soon I would see my little angel and my secret ex-wife—I mean wife. True the divorce papers had been processed but the documents are fake. The lawyer I hired was a fraud. And that makes Phoenix and I husband and wife under the law of man and the law of the church. I don\'t know if I should be happy or not but either way I\'m still destined for doom after Phoenix or Beatrix regains her memory.

True, I could tell her the truth when it\'s not yet too late but it would only make things worse. Her life is now at peace, she too was happy, and I couldn\'t destroy her little paradise. Bringing the past would only open old wounds back to life. The truth will hurt her even more. I rather keep it myself than hurt her again. She doesn\'t deserve what happened in the past. She should move forward as Beatrix Crawford because even before she became Phoenix De Amore, she was already a Crawford Heiress in her mother\'s womb.

\'Time to go back to work Ace Carter.\' A part of my brain told me. I took a deep breath and shook all chaotic thoughts away and focused my attention on my daily routine. Alexander Crawford would bury me alive if I forgot to water his precious babies for a single day. If given a chance I prefer to get buried alive rather than fired from my job and lose all the chance to watch over my daughter and wife.

I hastily moved to the garage, pulled an old cabinet open, and took the watering hose inside. After pushing the cabinet close a shiny red sports car caught my attention. It doesn\'t belong to the Crawford\'s, I\'d been working long enough as the gardener to know if it belongs to them. Surely, they have visitors and whoever it was, he has all the plans to stay longer.

The morning sun stood proudly on the blue horizon promising a beautiful day ahead with no possible chance of rain. The sun\'s glorious rays kissed my exposed skin and somehow I found myself comforted by its warmth. The wind blows softly, refreshing my senses with the coolness it brings. This is what I call paradise. I wouldn\'t have known this safe haven if I wasn\'t courageous enough to let go of my old life. I\'m content to indulge in life as simple as this.

I cheerfully hummed a song as I proceeded on watering the plants using the hose I took from the garage. The automatic water sprinkler was under repair so I should stick to watering the plants on my own. Later when I finish this task, I shall proceed on trimming the overgrowing grasses on the lawn.

When I look upon the wide terrace located on the second floor of the mansion I caught sight of Beatrix. As usual, she looked so ethereal in her plain pink dress that I forgot everything around me exists. She\'s the only one I could see because she shines the brightest like the sun that illuminates everything that surrounds it. Her luminous hair cascade down her back like an endless waterfall. When she suddenly turned towards me my fingers tightened on the house. Just one look from her was enough to break all my self-control.

I pretend not to see her and continue to water the plants. Despite not looking, I could feel the weight of her gaze on my shoulders. Even if my eyes were closed I will always be aware if she\'s nearby since her presence has a different effect on my nerves. Only Phoenix could make my heart skip a beat. She\'s the only girl who could melt all my self-control. She\'s the only one whose existence makes my whole life worthwhile.

When her gaze moved away from me, I took the opportunity to watch her intently.

From the transparent floor-to-ceiling glass window of the terrace, I could see Faith Vienne beside her on the stroller. What a breathtaking sight to see both my wife and daughter at this early hour. I wish I had my canvas and paintbrush with me so I could paint the beautiful scenery.

"Bloody Hell."

The moment was shattered when \'Strawberry\' emerged from behind Beatrix. I call him strawberry because the man\'s hair somehow reminds me of a dry strawberry. He flashes Beatrix one of his dazzling smiles I found so damn irritating. I had this sudden urge to run and fly to the second floor and dragged him to the garden. I never liked the man at first glance and seeing him frequently visit the Crawford Mansion made my dislike transform into the size of a monster. The cheerfulness that made my adrenaline pumping ceased to exist. It was replaced by a stabbing sensation in my chest I call jealousy.

Her jubilant smile brightened the terrace, it surpassed the sun with its brightness. But it has the opposite effect on me knowing it wasn\'t exclusively mine. I found myself plunged into the deepest darkest corner of a secluded place. Damn. I just found my heart broken this early in the morning.

I walk out of the garden. I couldn\'t just take the sight.

Two hours later \'strawberry\' left. I was tracking the time and that\'s why I know how long he stayed. I\'m the gardener but I\'m acting more like a personal bodyguard. Not that I could help it, I\'m just guarding what\'s mine, I mean what once been mine. I need to watch over Phoenix or Beatrix just to make sure no other asshole would dare to break her heart the way I did. Whoever dares to hurt her again I will drag him to the deepest, darkest corner of hell.

I checked the time on my wristwatch. It\'s almost ten o\'clock. Alexander Crawford has summoned me to the library. The time was still early but It\'s better early than late. I\'m not that punctual before. Perhaps I\'m just eager to enter the mansion in hopes to have a glimpse of Faith Vienne or Beatrix.

When I entered the Grand door of the regal mansion I wasn\'t disappointed with my expectations for it was Faith Vienne sitting on her grandmother\'s lap who greeted my eyes the moment I entered. My heart melted at the sight of her seraphic face and cute smiling lips.

What an adorable little girl. She looked so much like Vien when she was about her age. My gaze lingered on her until I had to shift my attention to where I\'m going. But before she disappeared from my view I smiled at her. Call it a miracle or something faith Vienne actually smiled back. My heart fluttered with happiness.

The room to the Alexander Crawford\'s office slash library was slightly ajar. I moved forward to push it open but stopped midway when I heard Phoenix\'s soft voice from inside. I peeked on the slight crevice of the open door and saw her standing in the middle of the room opposite, arms folded beneath her chest, her beautiful countenance scrunched in a frown.

"You will be leaving for Brittania next week, Beatrix. You will bring Faith Vienne with you."

I couldn\'t believe what I\'m hearing. I have to press my ears closer to the door to make sure I heard Alexander right.

"Are you sure you want me to leave Pa? Isn\'t it too soon? I\'m going to miss you."

"And so I will miss you Beatrix and so my little angel. But I\'m doing this for you. You need to leave so when you return you will be ready to take over our chain of hotels."

Shock rendered me frozen. The thought of Phoenix leaving shattered my world at my feet. I just found my wife and yet she will leave too soon. My happiness was short-lived. She would have to go to Brittania soon and I would never have the chance to see her again. Maybe if I could that would be after four or maybe five years. She would become an unreachable star by that time.

I walk away from the door. Life without her would never be bright as sunshine. I would once more plunge into the darkness.