CHAPTER 19.

  Marchen looked at AnniBerry with deep, pleading eyes. He couldn’t risk letting her go. Right now, he was certain that someone had been sent to his house to either kill him or AnniBerry. But deep down, he knew the target was not him. He couldn’t afford to take his hands off her wrist as he tried to stop her from leaving.

  “AnniBerry, listen to me.” Marchen looked at her desperately. “If I have ever done any despicable things to you, please find a way in your heart to... to... forgive me,” he said in a low tone.

  Marchen couldn’t believe he had just asked for forgiveness. He had never pleaded with anyone in his life, yet here he was, begging a woman to forgive him. AnniBerry quickly snatched her wrist from his grip.

  “I have a life. I have things I need to do. I have a family, even though I lost my parents. I cannot sit in your house like a cripple. I need to leave,” AnniBerry said, raising her voice.

  Marchen thought about what he could say to her, but nothing came to mind. He hated situations like this. Normally, he would have simply let her go, but he couldn’t bring himself to watch her walk into danger.

  After what had happened the previous night, he felt he had already hurt her enough without even realizing it. He silently swore that no harm would ever come to her again.

  “Fine,” Marchen finally agreed. “I’ll take you home. Can I please freshen up first?” he pleaded.

  AnniBerry looked away from him.

  “No, thanks for the offer, but I can find my way home,” she insisted.

  Marchen rubbed his head in frustration.

  “It might be dangerous, girl. I can just drop you at your house and leave. Nothing more,” he pleaded.

  AnniBerry was skeptical, but after a moment, she reluctantly nodded.

  “Fine. I’ll wait.”

  She walked into the sitting room and sat on the sofa, waiting impatiently for Marchen to finish.

  Marchen walked with his back turned toward her, making sure she wouldn’t see the gun tucked into the back of his trousers. He entered his room and immediately picked up his phone.

  He quickly sent a few messages to someone before changing into a white shirt and blue jeans.

  He then walked into the bathroom, opened a hidden compartment, and brought out two more guns. He loaded them with bullets before quickly leaving the room.

 “Shall we?” he asked.

  AnniBerry, who was already impatient, immediately stood up and walked out of the house.

  As she stepped outside, she noticed that the entire compound was brightly lit. She looked around curiously.

  “Why are there so many bright lights around your house?” she asked.

  “Oh, I must have mistakenly left them on or something,” Marchen replied casually, his eyes scanning the area.

 He immediately unlocked his car.

 “Get in. Fast.”

  AnniBerry quickly got into the car.

  Marchen scanned the area once again before getting behind the wheel. He started the engine and slowly drove out of the garage. As they drove away, Marchen kept his eyes on the road the same direction the intruder had escaped the previous night.

  Then something caught his attention.

  Drops of blood.

 They were scattered across the ground. Marchen's eyes narrowed. A realization suddenly hit him. He had actually shot the person.

  Marchen kept glancing at the side mirror and front mirror as he drove AnniBerry home. He looked at her occasionally, wondering if anything he had said would be enough to make her change her mind.

  She sat quietly beside him, looking so small and all dressed up, almost like she was late for school. Marchen noticed how much leaner she had become, and the sight made him worry. He lowered his head slightly before speaking.

  “Would you like to eat something before you get home?” he asked.

  AnniBerry looked at him briefly before turning her gaze back to the road ahead.

  “No, thank you,” she replied.

  Marchen said nothing more. He simply continued driving, paying close attention to their surroundings and checking the mirrors every few seconds.

  Almost an hour later, they finally arrived at AnniBerry’s house. But the moment Marchen parked in front of the gate, AnniBerry noticed something strange.The gate was wide open.

  She stared at it for a moment, wondering if it had been left that way since the day she was taken from her home or if something else had happened while she was away.

 She immediately got out of Marchen’s car. As she stood near the gate, she noticed Maryann, an elderly woman who lived next door, taking a stroll with her dogs. The moment Maryann spotted AnniBerry getting out of the car, her face lit up.

  “Anni! Anni!” she called loudly.

  AnniBerry turned toward the voice and walked over to her.

  Meanwhile, Marchen remained in the car. He discreetly checked his gun and kept his eyes on the two women through the mirror, alert to everything happening around them.

  “Where have you been, Anni?” Maryann asked as she pulled AnniBerry into a hug.

  AnniBerry forced a smile.

  “I went to visit my cousin,” she replied.

  Maryann's expression suddenly changed.

  “But the men said you weren't there when I told them you would be,” she said.

  AnniBerry's smile disappeared.

  “What men?” she asked, her voice filled with confusion.

  “Oh, you don't know?” Maryann asked. “They said they're friends of your late parents. They claimed they came from far away just to check on you. There are three of them, and they come almost every day.”

  AnniBerry felt a chill run through her.

  Three men, driends of her late parents.

  Coming to her house every day.

  She forced another smile, trying not to let Maryann notice her sudden fear.

  “I understand, Maryann. I'm home now. I guess I'll see you later,” she said quickly.

  Without waiting for another question, AnniBerry turned and walked back toward Marchen's car. She opened the passenger door and quickly climbed inside, shutting it behind her. Marchen immediately looked at her, surprised by the sudden change in her behavior.

  “What happened?” he asked.

  AnniBerry looked at Marchen. “The old lady next door just told me about three men who come around every day asking about me. They said they were friends of my late parents,” she said.

  Marchen kept his eyes on the side mirror, his expression suddenly becoming more serious. “I see,” he replied quietly.

  AnniBerry sat in silence for a moment, thinking about what the woman had told her. “Do you think something is wrong?” she asked curiously.

  Marchen finally turned to look at her. “Have you ever heard about these men before?”

 “No,” she replied.

  After thinking for a while, AnniBerry picked up her bag. “Alright. Thank you so much. You can leave now.”

  She stepped out of Marchen’s car and walked toward her compound.

  Marchen watched her for a few seconds before getting out and following her. Something about the old lady’s warning didn't sit right with him.

  As AnniBerry approached her front door, she suddenly stopped.

  The door was wide open.Her heart skipped.

  She slowly turned around, fear creeping into her eyes. Marchen was already behind her.

  “Marchen…” she whispered.

  She dropped her bag to the floor and cautiously stepped inside.

 The moment she entered the house, AnniBerry let out a terrified scream.

  Everything was in complete disarray.

  Furniture had been overturned, drawers were left open, and belongings were scattered across the floor. It was obvious that someone had searched the entire house.

  “Mom… Dad…”

  AnniBerry hurried into her late parents’ room. Her heart pounded as she looked around.

  It had been ransacked too.

  She rushed toward the drawer where she kept some of her late parents’ belongings and pulled it open.

  Her heart sank.

  Everything inside had been thrown around, and several important documents were missing.

  “No… No, no, no…” she whispered, panic taking over.

 She quickly ran to her bedroom.

  It was in the same condition.

  “Who did this?” she screamed, tears streaming down her face.

  Marchen stood behind her, his eyes turning cold. He immediately reached beneath his clothes and pulled out a gun.

  AnniBerry froze when she saw it.

  “Don’t panic,” Marchen said urgently. “We need to leave. Now.”

  But AnniBerry was too overwhelmed to listen. She stood there staring around the room, tears filling her eyes.

  Marchen grabbed her wrist.

  “AnniBerry!”

  Before he could say anything else, a gunshot suddenly rang out.

  BANG!

  A bullet tore through the wall beside them.

  AnniBerry screamed.

  Marchen reacted instantly, pulling her down and shielding her as they hit the floor.

  For a moment, everything went silent. Marchen quickly looked at AnniBerry.

 Her eyes were closed.

  “AnniBerry?”

  He shook her gently, but she didn't respond.

  She had passed out.