IN THE CAGE

81. SIBLINGS

...NORMAL pov...

...----------------...

Carcel stood in front of the refrigerator, hand-held a glass of cold water. While he was about to chug the drink in his hand, Felix joined him in the kitchen while carrying an untouched cold food trolley. Carcel stared at the contents of the trolley and did not have to wonder where the food came from. Of course, it came from Ace's room.

"If this continues, I fear sooner or later I will lose my job as a servant in this house." Felix is dramatic. "Every day, my food ends up in Haru's room. The damn kid eats good every day without worrying that his boss doesn't touch his food at all."

"It's common, isn't it?" Carcel muttered, his hands lightly picking up an apple from the trolley. "Bos Ace used to be like this."

"You don't understand, Carcel. I was so happy when Ace's boss was actively eating his meal in the morning. When there was Fawn, she became very what huh...., healthy? He eats regularly, sleeps regularly, he's not in temperamental mode. While with Fawn, Ace's boss becomes a more pleasant person."

"I think you're happy that Fawn's gone." Carcel's leaning in the fridge. His eyes looked at the old Felix who was pulling himself with great difficulty in being able to sit on a swivel bench as high as the adult's waist.

"Fawn is chatty and annoying, but I don't hate it. Not if he exerts a good influence on Ace's boss."

"Mm, I get it." Carcel smiled faintly. "You want how else, right? The situation has happened."

"You're so good, Cel. Aren't you worried about your zombie-like boss?"

"Of course I'm worried. But I can't do anything. After all, I am a bodyguard. My only job is to keep an eye on Ace's boss and do whatever he wants."

"Despite that, I was sad to see Ace's boss become like this. If only Fawn hadn't gone."

"Your hopes are selfish for Fawn." Carcel has again commented.

"Oh, are you on Fawn's side to leave?"

"It's not like that" Carcel said. "I did agree on Fawn's decision to leave and be free from here, but that doesn't mean I'm having fun on top of Ace's boss's plight. I just feel, confining a person like an animal is not a human action either, right? It's all my fault for not working."

"If it wasn't for you, Ace's boss wouldn't have met his soulmate" Felix said.

"Wow, soul mates sound a little heavy. Do you think Ace's boss is that serious?"

"It's weird that he's not serious. Did you forget what happened back then? Even though Fawn threatened his life, Ace's boss still doesn't want you to point your gun at Fawn. He's very overprotective. Boss Ace is not an overprotective type of guy. No exception for you, Miss Margot."

"Yeah, I get what you mean..." Carcel exhaled a long, lethargic breath. "Now that the situation is back to what it used to be, I have a hard time imagining what will happen in the future. Boss Ace before Fawn was a very terrible figure. Now, she became her former self with renewed anger and disappointment."

"He'll be very scary." said Felix, shuddering. "You have to take good care of him, Carcel. Only God knows what Ace's boss is capable of with that stifled rage."

"Someone will burn." murmured Carcel, he put his glass on the sink.

Without needing to say who they were referring to, Carcel could imagine who would be the target of Arcelio Hunter's furious flames.

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Margaret Hunter was not an exception from those who worried about Ace. The day his younger brother was left behind by his most beloved figure, Margot saw Ace as if he were looking at a reflection of himself. He was horrified and at the same time sympathetic.

Margot wanted to calm Ace down, but even after a week had passed, Ace showed no signs he was about to explode again. His emotions were as calm as the surface of the water. Ace showed no fire of meaningful emotion and it was more frightening than him turning the table back then.

Ace must have been up to something, but his silence scared Margot.

No one knows what his sister is up to, think. No one can communicate from heart to heart with him.

Looking at Ace now, it felt like Margot wanted to drag Fawn with her own hands-back to this mansion. If that meant he could control Ace back, Margot would probably do just that. But, it's impossible. Fawn was already under the strong protection of his enemy. Stealing Fawn is tantamount to exposing Ace's weakness to everyone.

"I'm going crazy." Margot kicked the leg of the table. "Vera, tell me..., did Fawn really not divulge about Ace to the Rashid family?"

"No, boss Margot. I think Fawn's still considering you and Ace's boss."

"Or he was afraid that Ace would slaughter the Rashid family in one fell swipe."

"Boss Margot, Fawn's loyalty to Rashid's family is reasonable."

"Yayayaya, whatever." Margot stood up from her bed. "I need to visit Ace. What is my beloved sister doing?"

"Boss Ace is in his room."

"Say, Vera...., what should I say when visiting her?" Margot who was about to step out-hanging her movements for a while. He was hesitating and felt very stiff.

"Tell me what Margot's boss wants to say, what else is it?"

"Vera, get creative a little bit. Do I look like a brother who would check his sister's condition with disgusting words of wisdom?"

"I didn't tell boss Margot to be poetic."

The thing is, showing concern is Margaret Hunter's main weakness. He hates to show his sensitive side because he always thinks the action is disgusting, excessive and unreasonable.

Margot built her apathetic, cruel and evil image years into the stage that the image became a part of herself. He now forgets how to show affection - even to his own sister.

"Huh? Why go there?"

"Because I set him up in this situation. If it wasn't for me, he wouldn't have had to be an evil figure. He didn't need to punish Fawn on the first day they met. I made him a mean person, you know."

"What happened, has happened. Ace's boss is an adult, no matter how much Margot's boss influences him, I guess Ace's boss still makes the decision to obey Margot's boss of his own accord."

"You think so?"

"Mm, now don't mind much and just meet Ace's boss straight away."

"Uh, okay." Margot's not feeling all right. His heart was pounding due to the intense fear and nervousness.

...----------------...

While the people in the mansion were going about their activities like walking on glass cracks, Ace-the figure that was the cause of everyone's unrest sat on the lip of the bed with a gun in hand. He loaded a bullet into his gun and stared at the deadly object with a twinkle of an eye capable of burning a person in one glance.

There were a lot of things going around Ace's head back then, but he didn't voice it. Not showing his feelings. He just did his job as usual, giving everyone who met him a terrible impression throughout the meeting.

"Meow.." The only person who was reluctant to leave him was the gray-fucking cat. Ace was getting used to the cat's fur clinging to the legs of his trousers, and was already indifferent to all the indulgence the cat had bestowed upon him.

"I fed you earlier, don't be fussy." Ace looked at Butter. The cat's blue eyes glared at him wryly.

"I know," Ace murmured. "I miss your mother too."

"Meow..."

"I can't do that. If I kidnap her back here, it's the same way I repeat the same mistake." Ace took a breath.

"Now, the only thing I can do is to remove all obstacles that limit our togetherness."

Butter jumped on Ace's lap, whether he understood it or not.

"I don't know if you and your mom are going to meet soon or not, it's all her decision. But that's for sure for me now.." Ace looked back at the weapon in his hand. "I'll hunt first."

Geck! Geck! Geck!

A knock made Ace raise his gaze from the gun to the door. "Come in." Ace replied.

Margot came and developed a drab wide grin. Ace was not touched at all over the existence of that crazy woman. He looked at Margot for a moment before stroking Butter's head again.

"Is that your welcome to me? Your own brother?"

"What do you want?"

"I came to check on you, my goodness. Don't be so bad."

Ace grinned thinly. "Don't be afraid, Margaret. I won't go crazy and forget the main purpose of our family. Ah, errat, I mean your main goal."

"Ace," Margot's voice softened. "I'm your brother, I'm still worried about you."

"Don't make me laugh." Ace with caution-putting Butter on the blanket. He stood up and slipped the gun behind his back. "The empty tooth doesn't fit you very well."

"Ace.., do you hate me too."

"Is there a reason not to?"

"I'm sorry. That's a silly question." Margot leaned near the door frame. His eyes lit up into the room that reminded him of Fawn.

"So, what are you gonna do now?" margot is back.

"Hmm?"

"Ace, I want to know. What are you going to do to Emery's family now?"

Ace glanced at Margot from the corner of his eyes and grinned witfully. "Don't interfere in my business, Margot. Even if Jem was your best friend, I wouldn't be afraid to kill him at all."

"You know, it's not Jem I'm worried about here."

"Huh, then who?" Ace responded to Margot with a strange look. He then passed in front of Margot in a well-groomed suit.

The answer to Ace's question should be obvious. Margot's worried about Ace. But, unfortunately for Margot, Ace has turned a blind eye to just care about what Margot is worried about.

In Ace's eyes, Margot was forever just a brother using her. A curse that won't disappear until he successfully completes a vendetta. Margot was no longer a brother, but a burden on his shoulders.

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