CHAPTER 11.

"Oh, Daddy... yes, yes, yes, Daddy!"

Those were the loud screams echoing from Marchen's bedroom. AnniBerry sat on the sofa, listening, unable to stop feeling sorry for herself. She couldn't understand how a man could sleep with two women in the same day, and to make matters worse, she was one of them. She wondered why she had allowed herself to be kept in the apartment of a man she barely knew. She picked up her phone and stared at it before letting out a deep sigh of frustration.

"Is he really keeping me here because of the windshield of his car? But that was clearly an accident."

She hissed in disgust.

AnniBerry stood up, intending to sneak a peek at Marchen's bedroom when the front door suddenly creaked open. She froze and turned around. A tall, light-skinned, muscular man walked in. His neatly trimmed black hair and clean-shaven face immediately caught AnniBerry's attention.

"I'm Linx. You must be AnniBerry," he said politely.

 AnniBerry was momentarily stunned. She liked how warmly he introduced himself. A bright smile spread across her face.

"You're here to see Marchen?" she asked, unable to take her eyes off him.

"Yes," he replied with a smile.

"Well, he's busy. He's got a visitor," she informed him.

Linx glanced toward Marchen's bedroom and smirked knowingly.

"Okay, I'll come back later," he said, turning to leave.

"Who are you?" AnniBerry asked curiously.

Linx smiled and looked at her with amusement.

"I'm a friend," he answered calmly.

"Great," AnniBerry replied excitedly. "How long have you known him?"

Linx wondered why she was asking so many questions. His smile widened.

"You can ask him," he suggested, not wanting to overstep his boundaries.

AnniBerry puffed out her cheeks before giving him an innocent, almost childlike smile.

"I just wanted to know if you knew the password to the house Wi-Fi," she admitted.

Linx pointed toward a framed piece hanging on the wall.

"The password is written on that frame," he told her.

AnniBerry's eyes widened. She couldn't believe the password had been hanging there the whole time. She wondered why Marchen had chosen those particular words for the Wi-Fi password.

"Thank you so much," she said excitedly.

"My pleasure," Linx replied with a smile before leaving.

AnniBerry quickly entered the password into her phone, connected to the Wi-Fi, and immediately logged into her F******k account. Without wasting another second, she sent Merrilyn a message. She waited impatiently, hoping to receive a reply from Merrilyn, but the message never showed the second tick. Growing more anxious, she scrolled through her friends list until she found Merrilyn's mother and sent her a message as well. It still didn't tick twice. Refusing to give up, she searched for Merrilyn's profile, hoping to find her brother, Mark's account. She found it and immediately sent him a message. While on his page, she also came across Merrilyn's father's account and sent him a message too.

Mark's message quickly showed two ticks. Overjoyed, AnniBerry clutched her phone tightly as she anxiously waited for his reply. Every few seconds, she glanced at the screen, hoping a notification would appear. As she waited, she suddenly saw Marchen walk into the sitting room with the lady. The woman sat gracefully on the sofa while Marchen headed into the kitchen, returning moments later with a bottle of wine and two glasses for his guest. AnniBerry quietly rose from the sofa and moved to the dining table instead. Her heart raced nervously, but she forced herself to remain calm.

"So tell me, Alexis, did your brother catch the thieves?" the lady asked with a warm smile, looking directly at AnniBerry.

AnniBerry frowned in confusion. She glanced around, wondering who the woman was talking to. Maybe she has a wireless earpiece in her other ear, she thought before lowering her gaze back to her phone.

"Alexis... or don't you want to talk about it?" the lady asked again.

AnniBerry's eyes widened in surprise as she looked up.

"You're talking to me?" she asked curiously.

"Yes. Your brother told me about the thieves who attacked you at your apartment in China," the lady replied.

AnniBerry's expression instantly changed. She looked towards Marchen, who was in the kitchen polishing the wine glasses. Their eyes met briefly, and the stern look he gave her was enough for her to understand what was happening.

"Yeah," AnniBerry replied, forcing a smile.

"I'm really sorry that happened to you, honey," the lady said kindly, offering her a comforting smile.

"Thanks," AnniBerry answered softly, lowering her eyes back to her phone.

  AnniBerry shot Marchen a hard, stern look as he walked out of the kitchen. He looked back at her with a mocking smile.

"A glass of wine for my lady," Marchen said, stretching out his hand to the woman.

"Thank you, Daddy," she replied in a sultry tone, her eyes filled with seduction as she accepted the glass.

Marchen sat beside her and took a sip from his wine. The woman kept her seductive gaze fixed on him as she sipped hers. AnniBerry watched them with a look of disgust. She rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to her phone, waiting for a response from Mark or anyone else she had messaged.

A loud car horn echoed from outside Marchen's house.

"Oh, my ride is here. Time to leave," the woman said, setting her wine glass down as she picked up her bag.

Marchen stood and walked her to the door. AnniBerry let out a deep sigh. "User," she muttered under her breath before looking back at her phone. A few minutes later, Marchen returned. AnniBerry looked at him, her eyes red with anger and hatred.

"Wow, so you really have what it takes to sleep with two women in one day," she said mockingly.

Marchen remained expressionless. He sat on the sofa, picked up the television remote, and switched channels as though she hadn't spoken.

"Why am I still here?" AnniBerry demanded. "I want to leave. I need to go back to my house, or better yet, go to the police station. I have a life, and I can't just stay in your house. I don't even know who you are, and I do not intend to waste another second here."

Marchen kept his eyes fixed on the television, refusing to say a word or even look in her direction.

AnniBerry let out a frustrated laugh. She walked over to him, snatched the remote from his hand, and switched off the television. Marchen picked up what remained of his wine and took another sip, his gaze still fixed on the blank television.

AnniBerry's anger flared. "You lied to your whore that I'm your sister and that I was attacked by robbers back home in China?" She let out a loud, sarcastic laugh. "Who are you?" she asked, her voice calm despite the demand for answers.

Marchen finally turned to look at her. "I'm the one saving you from being killed, since you ask so many questions," he replied in a cold, hard tone.

AnniBerry burst into laughter. "You're a liar too, huh? Nobody is trying to kill me. I'm a nobody an orphan who sells pancakes and who recently lost contact with my cousin and her entire family!" she shouted, tears streaming down her face.

Marchen turned his attention back to the blank television.

"You know nothing, AnniBerry," he said expressionlessly. "The attack at your house that night... who do you think they came for?" he asked, his eyes still fixed on the TV.

AnniBerry paused, trying to process his words. "It was an armed robbery. I need to inform the police," she said anxiously.

Marchen set his wine glass down and rose to his feet. Looking directly at her, he said, "The less you know, the safer you are. You're safe here, and when it's time for you to leave, I'll kick you out."

AnniBerry was stunned. For a moment, she couldn't speak. She bit her lower lip in frustration.

"I could let you go right now," he continued with a mocking smile, "but you still haven't repaid your debt to me."

She glared at him, wishing she could punch him in the face, but she swallowed her anger and returned to her seat at the dining table.

Marchen walked over to her with a devilish smile. Leaning down until his face was only inches from hers, he said, "When it's 9 p.m., come to my room. Let's come to an agreement."

AnniBerry instinctively leaned back. "Why your room? Why not here in the sitting room?" she asked loudly.

Marchen straightened up and began walking away.

"I think you like it here," he said with a smirk before disappearing into his bedroom.