IGNORING HER TOO

As Ace walked into his mansion, his workers and staff greeted him with their usual warmth and respect. But Ace barely acknowledged them, his expression cold and distant.

"Good evening, sir!" his butler, Jenkins, said with a bow.

Ace merely grunted in response, not even bothering to look at Jenkins. His workers exchanged worried glances, shocked by Ace's behavior. They were used to seeing him confident and charismatic, but tonight he seemed troubled and withdrawn.

"Is everything okay, sir?" one of the maids asked, trying to sound discreet.

Ace didn't respond, just kept walking towards his study. The staff watched him go, their faces filled with concern. They knew that Ace was a private person, but this was unusual even for him.

As the door to his study closed behind him, the staff looked at each other nervously. Something was clearly bothering Ace, and they had no idea what it was.

Jenkins, the butler, shook his head and whispered to the others, "I've never seen him like this before. Something's really got to him."

The staff nodded in agreement, their faces filled with worry. They knew that Ace was a complex person, but they had never seen him so withdrawn and troubled.

As they went about their duties, they couldn't help but wonder what was going on with Ace. Was it something to do with business? Or was it something more personal?

Meanwhile, Ace sat in his study, staring blankly at the wall. His mind was still reeling from his encounter with Lucian. He couldn't believe how much she had affected him, how much she had made him feel.

He thought back to their conversation, to the way Lucian had looked at him with such kindness and concern. He thought about the way she had made him feel, like he was worth something, like he was more than just a wealthy and powerful man.

Ace's eyes narrowed as he thought about Lucian's words. "You're my friend's ex-lover, not his." The words stung, but Ace knew they were true. He had been Jenny's lover, not Lucian's.

Ace took a deep breath and pushed the thoughts of Lucian away. He couldn't let himself get caught up in feelings for her. It was too complicated, too messy. He had to ignore the way he felt and focus on forgetting.

With a newfound determination, Ace stood up and walked over to the bar in his living room. He poured himself a drink and sat down on the couch, trying to distract himself from the thoughts of Lucian that lingered in his mind.

As he sat there, sipping his drink, Ace felt a sense of numbness wash over him. He was pushing aside his feelings, ignoring the ache in his chest. He turned on the TV, trying to focus on something else, but his mind kept wandering back to Lucian.

NEXT DAY

Lucian walked into Ace's office, a stack of papers in her hand. She approached his desk, expecting him to look up and acknowledge her presence. But instead, he continued to stare at his laptop screen, his eyes fixed on the case he was working on.

"Ace, I brought the papers you asked for," Lucian said, trying to sound casual despite the tension between them.

But Ace didn't even flinch. He didn't look up, didn't acknowledge her presence. It was as if she was invisible.

Lucian felt a sting of hurt and embarrassment. She had expected Ace to be cold, but not to the point of ignoring her completely. She placed the papers on his desk, her hand brushing against his keyboard.

"Fine," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I'll just leave them here then."

Ace still didn't look up, didn't respond. Lucian felt a surge of anger and frustration, but she bit it back and turned to leave. As she walked out of the office, she couldn't help but wonder if she had been foolish to think that she and Ace could ever go back to the way things were before.