"Well this is depressing," Jonathan said and placed the file on the table as he rested his head on the headrest of the sofa.

"Tell me about it," I shook my head and took another sip of the coffee.

Kevin Grace was back to our company with yet another project that made no sense whatsoever and not-so surprisingly he expected us to talk to our sponsors about the project and ruin our own reputation as well.

"I'm just gonna go grab a sandwich now. Do you want something from the cafeteria?" Joe asked while standing up fixing his coat.

"Ask Miss Reinhart to get me what she always does," I absentmindedly replied and tallied the amount of products mentioned on the e-mail Kevin sent me.

Bullshit.

"You know you can spare me the formalities, right?" Joe asked out of nowhere and I frowned and lifted my head to see him leaning against the door with a smug smile on his face.

"What do you mean?"

"Oh c'mon Ace, Miss Reinhart? Seriously? Even I call her Isabelle," Joe chuckled and I rolled my eyes and went back to doing what I previously was.

I said, "You're making no sense whatsoever. She's our employee and must be treated as such."

"Fine. Come to me when you finally admit it," Joe replied and left my office.

Like I didn't have enough people to go to already.

I rolled my eyes.

**********

One knock on the door, and I knew it was her, "Come inside."

"Good Afternoon Mr. Rhodes, here's your lunch," Isabelle said and set the tray on my desk right in front of me.

"Thanks a lot Miss Reinhart," I lifted my head up to look at her only to see her fidgeting with her fingers.

Since that day here in my office, when I let my emotions get to me, Isabelle hadn't looked straight at me in the eye. It had been three days and I expected her to forget about it by now but I guess she wasn't the one to let go that early.

"Miss Reinhart?" I tried once again.

"Yes?" she replied looking at the back of my laptop but still not meeting her eyes with mine.

"Have you had your lunch yet?" I was aching to just stand up and ask the damn girl what her problem was and why couldn't she look straight at me because honestly speaking, how much I hated to admit it, I was annoyed by the fact that she wasn't even meeting my eyes now.

"No, Mr. Rhodes."

There it goes. And all too professional and subtle answer that did nothing to lower down my annoyance. Wasn't it the way I wanted my secretary to be? Then why in hell was I exasperated when I was getting what I always wanted.

"Alright then I'd suggest you go now," I said, my voice laced with frustration.

"Sure."

Her reply was fast and eager and in no time she was out of my office like just being here was suffocating her.

*************

The butler opened the door for me and I nodded at him. I looked around the house and smiled, the girl really did love to paint.

"Oh look who finally realised that meeting old friends wasn't that much of a taboo," Noah came out of the living room and made his way towards me, spreading his arms for a hug.

"Hey man, how have you been?" I patted his shoulder.

"Never better," he winked and I rolled my eyes.

"Still whipped, I assume?" I chuckled and he smacked my head with his hand.

"Come on in, Acehole," he lead the way towards the living room.

"When are you going to stop with that Godawful name?" I asked and Noah obviously ignored me.

"Look Cupcake, who finally came," Noah said to Emily who was laying down on the couch with her head buried in a novel.

Typical Emily.

She raised her head up and her eyes lit up as she saw me and she smiled. She put the novel on the table and stood up, "Where have you been Ace? We've missed you so much."

"Shitload of work and all," I mused as Emily came up and side hugged me.

"Come on, have a seat," she said and the three of us sat down and as I loosened my tie and rolled up sleeves up.

"Dude you came straight from the office? Am I ever gonna see my friend involving in something that's not work?" Noah huffed and I chuckled.

"You need to find yourself a girl, Ace," Emily piped in and the way her eyes shone showed how excited she was about the idea.

"Haha. Nice one," I lifted up the glass of wine that the maid just served.

They didn't look happy with my answer.

"Okay fine I will. Now enough about me. I see you've moved in, Emily," I took a sip of my wine and Noah smirked.

"Of course she has. For how long could she have resisted the urge to wake up to my beautiful face every morning," Noah smugly stated and Emily threw the pillow at him.

"You practically begged me to move in with you, you lunatic," she rolled her eyes and I chuckled.

"Where's William?" I asked after a moment of silence.

"Off to Boston for yet another business meeting," Noah stated and I nodded.

After talking about embarrassing childhood stories to business establishments, we all were warm and cozy and Noah had somehow managed to put his head in Emily's lap while she was absentmindedly running her fingers through his hair while talking to me. That shithead obviously had his eyes fixed on her and a content smile on his face that made me realise that choosing Emily really was the best decision of his life.

"Ace we need to tell you something," Noah finally realised that there were other people in the room besides her fiancée.

"What's up?" I asked and tied my hands at the back of my head.

Noah lifted his head up from Emily's lap and sat up straight while Emily looked at him with curiosity. I guess even she didn't know what was up.

"Cupcake and I are pregnant," Noah's smile was everything that could make anyone's day. It was so raw, so pure. The emotions in his eyes showed how truly happy he was.

"Noah, it was supposed to be a surprise," right when I was about to congratulate them Emily whined and I chuckled.

"Oh c'mon you know I can't hide anything from him for long and you expected me to keep something as big as this from him?" Noah wrapped his arms around Emily and kissed the crown of her head.

"Congratulations you guys, I'm having her first dance if it's a girl," I raised my hands up in a surrendering manner and both of them smiled.

"Of course Ace," Emily said as Noah put his hand on her stomach and kissed her temple and I looked away, not to intervene in their intimate moment.

"I see you guys still haven't learnt to get a room when there's audience," I said after a moment and laughed as Noah narrowed his eyes at me.

"Typical Ace," Emily chuckled.

After their engagement a year and a half back, the three of them had moved to New York, where I was already settled. Emily was Noah's girlfriend since they were seventeen and I still didn't know for a fact that how on earth did they spend so many years together without even having a major fight.

I mean they bickered all the time but still at the end of the day, all I saw was love in their eyes.

I guess being in love did that to people.

*****************

Alright so for everyone who hasn't read A Hundred Fears and is confused as to who Noah and Emily are, let me explain this to you guys.

Noah is Ace's childhood friend. There isn't much about Ace in A Hundred Fears as he entered in like the last chapter of it because Noah sort of moved out of the state with his father William and poor Ace was left behind alone.

That's all you guys need to know for now ;)

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