CHAPTER 18.

    AnniBerry held tightly onto Marchen's shoulders as she felt everything he was doing to her. Her breathing became uneven, and she struggled to gather her thoughts.

  "I thought you said you were leaving for your room," Marchen asked, a devilish yet seductive smirk playing on his lips.

  She couldn't answer. Instead, a soft moan escaped her lips.

  "I should punish you for wanting to leave," he murmured.

  He stood, lifting AnniBerry effortlessly into his arms. Spreading her legs on his hands, he carried her to the bed and laid her down gently while he spread her legs widely and he leaned his face towards into her entrance while he used his tounge to sweep her entrance. He stood up, removed his trousers, and carefully lowered himself over AnniBerry, making sure not to place his full weight on her. Just then, a troubling thought crossed AnniBerry's mind. What if, after everything, Marchen simply dismissed her once the pleasure was over? The thought consumed her, and she immediately went numb to his touch. Marchen gently parted her legs and slowly entered her, moving with measured, careful thrusts. He noticed that AnniBerry remained completely silent. He thrust a little deeper, then deeper still, yet she made no sound and showed no response. Concerned, Marchen immediately pulled away, stepped off the bed, and stood in front of her. AnniBerry quickly adjusted her nightwear, climbed out of bed, and stood facing him.

  "I want to know something, Anni."

  "Tell me, why don't you moan out loud when I was fucking you" Marchen asked with a devilish grin, his arrogant tone dripping with mockery.

  "I don't know," AnniBerry replied. "Maybe it's because you're too selfish and arrogant. All I can think about is how I became your sex toy. That thought is so deeply rooted in my mind that I forget to moan. I'm sorry."

  "Sorry?" Marchen stepped closer until only inches separated them. His broad chest towered over her, his well-defined abs making him look even more intimidating. A devilish grin spread across his face.

  "Did you just say sorry to me, Anni?"

  "Anni, my love, you've been disrespecting me a lot lately. Do you want me to teach you a lesson you'll never forget? Have you forgotten how easily I can get women of any status to lie in my bed while I fuck them hard?"

  Disgust flashed across AnniBerry's face as she stared into his eyes.

  "Then let me go. Stop calling me over just for sex. Stop treating me like a dog. Even a dog is treated better than the way you treat me. Just stop calling me!" she shouted, the veins in her neck almost visible with rage. Marchen looked at her in shock. "You think I called you over just for sex and would treat you like a dog?" he asked.

  Tears streamed down AnniBerry's face as she stormed out of his room.  Marchen stood there, frozen. He couldn't believe AnniBerry truly felt that way.

  "Do I really make her feel like that?" he asked himself.

  He quickly picked up his trousers from the floor, put them on, and hurried after her. He checked the sitting room first, but she wasn't there.

  "Fuck," he muttered under his breath.

  He rushed to her room and tried opening the door, but it was locked.

  "AnniBerry! AnniBerry!" he called, but there was no response.

  "AnniBerry, I know you can hear me. Please open the door," he said calmly, yet silence answered him.

  He knocked gently several times.

  "Anni, remember you're afraid of being attacked. Please open the door."

  Still, there was no reply.

  Then, suddenly, he heard a loud sob from inside the room.

  "What have you done, Marchen?" he muttered to himself, rubbing his hands over his head in frustration.

  "Anni, please open the door. Let's talk," he pleaded.

Again, no response.

  Marchen let out a deep sigh and leaned against the wall before slowly sliding down to the floor. He sat outside her door, worry etched across his face.

  A moment later, he stood up.

  He switched on every light in the house before stepping outside to check the window of AnniBerry's room, making sure it was tightly secured from the outside. After that, he returned inside, locked both the front and back doors, and walked into his bathroom. He reached up, opened a hidden compartment in the ceiling, and pulled out a pistol and a box of bullets.

  He loaded the pistol, closed the compartment, and returned to sit on the floor outside AnniBerry's bedroom door, keeping watch.

  .....

  Ella stood across the street on a power bike, her eyes fixed on Marchen's house as she spoke quietly into her phone.

  "Hello, Sir. I think he suspects something. He turned on all the security lights," she reported.

  She felt she had missed her chance earlier because she had attempted the mission in broad daylight. That was only because Marchen had claimed he was leaving on a trip. Ella had never failed a mission before, which was why the elderly man had trusted her for so many years. But infiltrating Marchen's house was different. She had trained under him, and she knew better than anyone how observant and dangerous he was.

  Ending the call, she started her bike and rode toward the house. She parked two houses away to avoid attracting suspicion. Slowly, she removed her helmet and hung it on the bike's handlebar. Then she pulled a face mask from her jacket pocket and covered her head and face, leaving only her eyes visible. Finally, she drew the pistol tucked into the back of her waistband.

  Gun in hand, she cautiously approached Marchen's house. The security lights illuminated every corner of the compound, making it look almost as bright as daylight. She let out a quiet sigh. Breaking into the house would not be easy. She couldn't understand why the elderly man had assigned her such a difficult mission. She stopped at the entrance, carefully calculating how she could bypass the lights and reach AnniBerry's room through the window. Inside the house, Marchen had been half asleep while sitting outside AnniBerry's bedroom door. His eyes suddenly snapped open. He immediately stood up, cocked his gun, and rushed toward the front door. Throwing it open, he stepped outside and quickly scanned the compound with his weapon raised.

  The moment Ella saw him, she turned and sprinted away. Marchen spotted the fleeing figure and chased after her. He fired a single shot, but Ella leaped onto her bike and sped away before he could get close enough. Realizing she had escaped, Marchen hurried back into the house and locked the front door. He tried opening AnniBerry's bedroom door, but it was still locked.

  "Shit," he muttered under his breath.

  He rushed back outside to inspect her bedroom window. Seeing that it was still intact, with no sign of forced entry or an intruder, he finally let out a sigh of relief.

  He returned inside and resumed his position outside AnniBerry's room, remaining on guard.

  The next morning, Marchen opened his eyes and noticed that the sun was already high in the sky. He sat up, rubbed his eyes, and glanced at AnniBerry’s door. He got out of bed and walked over, giving the door a gentle knock.

  “Anni, good morning. Are you in there?” he asked calmly.

  There was still no response.

  Marchen leaned against the door and let out a frustrated sigh. “Anni, I’ll go make you some breakfast. Please open the door when I return,” he pleaded.

  He turned around to walk away, but just then, AnniBerry’s door creaked open.

  Marchen quickly turned back.

  AnniBerry stood in the doorway, fully dressed in jeans and a top. Her hair was neatly tied into a bun, and she carried a clothes bag filled with her belongings. Marchen stared at her in surprise.

  “Are you going somewhere?” he asked.

  AnniBerry exhaled sharply. “Thank you for looking out for me all this while, but it’s time for me to leave,” she said firmly. Marchen looked devastated and confused. He moved closer to her, desperation evident in his eyes.

  “AnniBerry, you can’t leave. Not now. Please,” he pleaded.

  AnniBerry let out a short, bitter laugh before her expression hardened again.

  “Wow. I can’t leave? You really enjoy having everything this way, don’t you?” she said sarcastically. She turned to walk away, but Marchen quickly reached out and held her by the wrist.

 “AnniBerry, please believe me. You can’t leave. You’re not safe out there. Please, just believe me,” he pleaded again.

 AnniBerry looked down at his hand around her wrist before slowly raising her eyes to meet his. Anger was evident on her face.

 “Take your hands off me,” she demanded.