I Alone Have Outnumbered You

Ace had chosen a well-tailored outfit for the job he had received from Quinn.

“I think you look rather handsome in that suit,” Luther had remarked as Ace was about to leave, but Ace waved it off.

“I don't need your snarky comments, Luther. I'm already aware of how good I look,” Ace replied with a subtle smile.

He had slept in a hotel the previous night and mentally noted that he would need to find his own place soon.

“I want to drive the car,” Ace declared as he snatched the Lamborghini keys from Luther.

“Please don’t scratch it,” Luther pleaded, his eyes wide with concern as he watched Ace open the car door with more force than necessary.

“Get another one, Luther, and let me be. If you don't see me by midnight, get reinforcements,” Ace ordered, slamming the car door shut, making Luther wince.

Ace drove to the General Chancellor's house at a leisurely pace, his expression stoic. His midnight blue suit added an air of royalty and majesty to his presence.

Ace arrived at the house a minute before the scheduled time and noticed the snarky lady waiting with her bodyguards.

“Looks like Quinn doesn’t fully trust me if he still hired these wannabes,” Ace muttered as he stepped out of the car.

Some of the guards overheard his comment and frowned.

“How dare he question our abilities? Who does this guy think he is, dressed like a pompous prince? Such men are nothing but babies in the face of true war,” one guard whispered to his colleague.

“I heard we’re supposed to be under his command,” his colleague whispered back.

Ace heard them, of course, but chose to remain silent.

Over the years, he had honed his senses to pick up the slightest sounds, but he preferred to stay under the radar.

“You’re finally here,” the girl greeted, her tone dripping with pride. Andrea was still unhappy about being babysat, but she couldn’t go against her grandfather’s wishes. After her parents' death, he was the only one who had stood by her.

“Get in the car. Tell your men not to bother me. It’s just going to be me and you in that car, no one else,” Ace ordered, getting straight to the point.

He had to admit the lady looked stunning—Lisa couldn’t compare to her beauty—but today was all about business.

“Don’t speak to me that way, Mr. Ace. I deserve respect if you want yours,” Andrea narrowed her eyes.

Ace raised an eyebrow. He could have tossed her over his shoulder if he wanted to.

“Okay then. Please get in the car,” Ace said with a small smile.

Andrea nodded and moved toward the car.

“I don’t think the mistress should be alone with you,” a young man with blonde hair stepped out from the team of guards, speaking up.

He looked rather young to be in the squad but had a stern face.

Ace glanced at him and then ignored his presence.

“Get in, Princess, so we can get to the venue as soon as possible,” Ace said.

“Call me Andrea,” the lady replied with a smile as she walked to the car.

Ace opened the door and allowed her to sit comfortably.

The young blonde, who had spoken, felt his face turn red with embarrassment and anger. It was as if he wasn’t even there.

Ace turned to the squad.

“Know your place. I’m the leader of this team. I don’t want to see any guards near the Chancellor’s daughter. Stay five arms' lengths away from her. No one needs to know she brought protection,” Ace commanded with such authority that they immediately respected him.

The young blonde scoffed and returned to his position.

“I want everyone to get proper attire for this event. We’re not going to war just yet. Meet us at the event in thirty minutes,” Ace chuckled and was about to enter the car when the blonde man spoke up again.

“I’d like to go with you,” he said.

“You’d only slow me down. I don’t need you,” Ace shut down his request and closed the car door.

“What happened?” Andrea asked when he got in.

“Nothing a damsel should worry about,” Ace answered as he started the car.

“I know you think I’m just a child because my grandfather asked you to watch over me, but I’m more than that,” Andrea chuckled.

Ace didn’t bother to respond. He had more important things on his mind.

Andrea remained silent for the rest of the ride. The watchdog annoyed her, but she had other things to focus on, like preparing for her speech.

They drove quietly until Ace noticed something was wrong.

“Is this the address sent to you?” Ace asked.

“Yes. It was sent by my secretary,” Andrea quickly replied. She, too, felt something was off about the route.

Ace let out a sigh. He hadn’t wanted to follow the address in the first place but didn’t know where the event was being held.

“What’s wrong?” Andrea asked, her voice tinged with urgency.

“We’re about to be ambushed,” Ace muttered.

Andrea chuckled, “They’re making a big mistake,” she said with annoyance.

She didn’t want to be delayed. One thing she hated was being late, and these people were about to make her late.

“Get ready. There’s a gun under your seat—take it and hide it well. We don’t know if these people are heavily armed,” Ace spoke with caution.

It wasn’t surprising to see how desperate these people were.

“You need to fire your secretary,” Ace smiled as he looked in the mirror, seeing her drop her phone.

“I already did,” Andrea replied.

“What did she say?” Ace was curious. The mood, even after realizing they were about to be ambushed by hardened criminals, was surprisingly light.

“She wished I would die,” Andrea laughed out loud.

Just as they were about to make a U-turn, two cars and five motorcycles surrounded them.

“It seems they’re here,” Ace’s expression turned serious. He gripped the steering wheel tightly, making a sharp swerve on the road.

“I found two guns,” Andrea said, ignoring the screeching tires.

“Keep them close,” Ace loosened his seat belt and turned off the car engine when he saw the criminals stepping out.

Andrea wanted to ask if he needed a gun, but Ace had already exited the car.

The leader of the group frowned and looked at the guy to his right.

“I thought you said she’d bring a whole squad, but it’s just one man. I could have left some guys behind. We brought too many people for this one guy,” the leader cursed at the waste of time.

A loud laugh echoed through the area. The man who stepped out of the car was laughing at them.

“Why is he laughing?” one of the thugs asked his neighbor.

“Do you think they’d bring a madman to guard such a wealthy lady?” his neighbor replied.

They were baffled by the way this young-looking man was laughing. It seemed like he was actually enjoying himself.

Ace suddenly stopped laughing and stared at them.

He assessed their weapons and physical builds, and a sharp glint appeared in his eyes as a wide grin spread across his face.

He was going to enjoy himself today.

“I’m sorry to say, but it’s you guys who are outnumbered,” Ace declared loudly.

***