Ace's jaw dropped. "Wait—you were actually holding a grudge over something that petty?" He stared at her in disbelief. Even Ava hadn't held it against him for rejecting her, but her mother? Now that was crazy.
Delores sighed, shaking her head in warning. "She loves her daughter too much, Ace. Just be careful—if you mess with Ava any further, it'll come back to bite you in the ass."
Ace scoffed, throwing his hands up. "Mess with her? Ava's the one entangling with me, not the other way around! Now I'm supposed to play nice with her just because her mother might come after me? That's completely unreasonable!"
Yet, judging by the look on Matthews' face, Ace realized that "reasonable" had never been part of the equation when it came to Ava. Taking a cautious step back, he quickly added, "She's leaving for witch training soon, right? So, I don't think we'll be crossing paths ever again."
He really hoped Ava would find someone else to latch onto at the C.I.B. and forget all about him. The last thing he wanted was to make an enemy out of Mrs. Matthews. But his relief was short-lived.
"No," Matthews sneered, her sharp gaze locking onto him. "You'll be joining them in 'Witch' training too. So, you'll be seeing a lot more of her."
Listening to her, Ace's stomach dropped causing him to exclaim, "What?"
Before he could properly object, an excited "Yes!" rang out.
It was Lola, practically bouncing with excitement at the news. However, her enthusiasm was quickly overshadowed by a sharp, mocking comment from Sonia, "I didn't know the C.I.B. had such low standards."
Ace shot everyone a glare yelling in frustration, "What the heck? I never agreed to any of this!" He threw his hands up, feeling increasingly irritated and annoyed as people he barely knew made life-altering decisions for him. Even his parents did not do so without seeking his opinion.
Before he could rant further, Janice cut in, reminding Matthews with a firm tone, "You can't just enlist a mortal into the C.I.B. against their will even if you are an EAD."
Matthews met her gaze evenly, nodding in agreement, "No, I can't." Then, her eyes flicked back to Ace, her eyes unreadable but lips curved in an amused smile, "But he's not a mortal. Or at least, not just any mortal."
Ace stiffened unable to understand what she was getting and asked for more details, "Excuse me?"
"Something about him doesn't add up," Matthews stated, watching him closely. "I'll hand him over to the crafters at the C.I.B. They'll figure out if he's lying or if there's something special about him. Either way..." She tilted her head, a slow, knowing smirk forming. "He's going to die as a C.I.B. agent. If worse comes to worst, at least his parents can collect the benefits."
Ace felt a cold chill crawl down his spine. What the hell had he just gotten himself into? He now felt he would have rather taken his chances with Astrid.
Janice frowned, turning to Delores, who subtly shook her head—a silent warning not to act rashly. Yes, Delores could hold her own against Sky-tier curse masters, but Matthews was in a league of her own, just like Crimson Eyes.
Feeling helpless, she glanced at Ace before turning back to Matthews, her tone almost pleading as she bargained for Ace's freedom, "Can't you just let him go? I'll make three curse tools for the C.I.B. in return."
She saw the slightest hesitation in Matthews' expression and quickly pressed her advantage by increasing her offer, "Five curse tools."
For a moment, she thought she had a chance, but Matthews ultimately shook her head rejecting the offer, "You and I both know you can't make those kinds of promises without your family's approval."
Janice's jaw tightened. However, she did not give up. "This can be a secret between us," she insisted, voice low. "They wouldn't know if neither of us talks."
Matthews exhaled, unimpressed, she made herself clear, "No, that won't do. Your uncle is already breathing down my neck. I don't plan on handing him a loaded gun."
Her tone was final. The tension in the room thickened as the unspoken weight of their factions' rivalry settled between them. Matthews and the McSuile faction had been at odds within the C.I.B. for years, both sides waiting for an opportunity to knock the other down. Besides, she had her own agenda. Ace might just make the perfect test subject for the new curse slave research—it was already in human trials and still needed volunteers.
Seeing Matthews wouldn't budge, Janice turned to Ace, urgency flashing in her eyes, "Ace, if you're hiding something, tell me now while I can still help you. Once you're enlisted in the C.I.B., no one except the president can save you."
Ace blinked, staring at them as if they'd all lost their minds. His breathing grew unsteady, his shoulders rising and falling as the gravity of the situation sank in.
"This is just a joke, right?" His voice was hoarse, almost pleading. "You're all pulling some kind of prank on me, right?"
His heart pounded. Slowly, he took a step back, then another—until his back hit the wall. His legs gave out, and he slid down onto the floor, sitting against the cold surface.
"…You guys can stop now," he muttered, defeated. His gaze flickered between them, his voice barely above a whisper. "I'm genuinely scared."
"He's lying. Both Scratchifer and I can't sense any of the emotions he's showing right now," Sonia chimed in, arms crossed, her tone laced with certainty.
Lola and Janice immediately shot her fierce glares, their expressions practically screaming, Not now, Sonia!
Delores sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose before muttering, "Kid, read the room."
But Sonia just rolled her eyes. If she thought she could get away with it, she would've attacked Ace right then and there—just to prove she was correct from the very beginning. But she knew they'd stop her before she even got the chance.