CHAPTER 6.

  Marchen stood frozen, unable to move. He kept staring at AnniBerry's naked body, his hands trembling. Suddenly, he heard hurried footsteps rushing toward the house.

  Quickly, he looked around for something to cover her. His eyes landed on her towel lying on the floor. He grabbed it and hurriedly wrapped it around her.

  "Marchen!" Linx called out in panic as he ran in, holding a gun firmly with both hands, ready to fire at any threat.

 Marchen turned to him.

 "I told you they already know," he said in a deep, troubled voice.

  Linx's eyes widened.

  "She's dead?"

  "No," Marchen replied. "She just has a habit of blacking out."

  He bent down and lifted AnniBerry into his arms in a princess carry. After giving Linx a signal, the two of them quickly left the house. When they got home, Marchen carried the still-unconscious AnniBerry inside and gently laid her on the sofa. Linx watched silently.

 "Linx, get me a shirt," Marchen ordered.

  Without asking questions, Linx hurried into one of the rooms, grabbed a clean shirt, and quietly left the sitting room to give Marchen some privacy.  Marchen slowly removed the towel wrapped around AnniBerry. He immediately shut his eyes for a moment, trying to remain respectful despite the situation. Taking a deep breath, he carefully slipped the oversized shirt over her before lifting her once more and carrying her into the guest room.  He gently laid her on the bed and pulled a white blanket over her.

  For a brief moment, he couldn't help but admire how peaceful she looked. Her caramel skin glowed softly in the morning light, making her appear almost unreal. He quickly shook the thoughts from his mind.

  "This isn't the time," he muttered to himself before quietly leaving the room.

  Marchen walked into the kitchen and found Linx drinking a cup of coffee.

  "Would you help me get her a dress to change into by morning?" he asked calmly.

  Linx nodded, but his face remained tense.

  "Mar... don't you think the Boss will know you killed them?"

  Marchen's expression darkened. His eyes turned cold as he inhaled deeply before letting out a slow breath.

  "I understand why the Boss wants her dead. It was all Mr. Mars' fault," he said quietly. "But I'll speak to the Boss first thing in the morning."

  Even as he spoke, worry filled his heart. The woman sleeping under his roof was trouble.

  What kind of trouble?  He didn't know.

  But he was certain that everything was about to change because of her.  Sending her back home wasn't an option, yet he couldn't tell her the real reason she wasn't safe there. He wondered what excuse he could possibly give to convince her to stay in his house. She would certainly continue searching for Merrilyn.

 If only she knew the truth...  He let out a heavy sigh.

  After spending most of the night lost in thought, Marchen finally went to bed.

  ---

 The Next Morning – 5:00 a.m.

  Linx arrived at Marchen's house carrying a shopping bag. He walked straight into Marchen's room and placed the bag on the bed. Marchen was already awake, busy going through a stack of paperwork.

  "Good morning," Linx greeted. "I brought some clothes for the lady." 

  Marchen dropped the papers onto the bed and opened the bag. Inside, he found a beautiful short blue gown, a pair of trousers, and a shirt. He had intended to quietly place the clothes in her room, but a mischievous thought crossed his mind. A devilish smile spread across his face as he took out the trousers and shirt and hid them in his wardrobe. Then, carrying only the blue gown, he quietly made his way to her room. Gently opening the door, he placed the dress inside her wardrobe before sneaking back to his room without making a sound, he resumed his paperwork.

  Two hours later, he heard the door to AnniBerry's room creak open. He turned toward the sound and heard soft footsteps approaching. A smile appeared on his face.

  "She's awake," he muttered to himself.

  He quickly changed into a fresh shirt and walked into the sitting room. There, he found AnniBerry standing quietly. He bit his lower lip before finally finding the words to speak. Marchen couldn't stop thinking about the way AnniBerry had looked.

 "Wait... why am I thinking about all this? She isn't even that pretty," he thought to himself.

 "What would you like to have for breakfast?" he asked calmly.

 "Have you heard anything from Merrilyn?" AnniBerry asked worriedly.

 Marchen shot her a stern look. "Worry about yourself, lady," he replied coldly.

 She frowned in disgust and rolled her eyes. She was about to walk away when a sudden realization struck her. She quickly turned back and hurried toward him.

 "I need to go home," she said anxiously.

 Marchen frowned. "Why?"

"My phone is at home. I need to get it," she said, panic creeping into her voice.

 Marchen let out a deep sigh. "AnniBerry, forget about it. You're actually safer without it."

 She stared at him suspiciously. Who exactly is this man? There was something strange about him. First, he had given her a note telling her to call if anything went wrong. Then, when something did happen, he somehow found her and took her to the hospital. Now he was acting as if he knew far more about her than he should.

 Hmm... he's definitely the boyfriend Merrilyn told me about, she concluded.

 "Aren't you worried about your girlfriend?" she asked with a teasing smirk, folding her arms across her chest.

 Marchen's eyes widened in surprise.

 "You mean me?" he asked.

 AnniBerry burst into laughter.

 "Haha! You think I don't know who you are? Merrilyn already told me about the two of you."

 Marchen was left speechless. He was completely confused, but he needed to find out exactly what Merrilyn had told her. Was AnniBerry really aware of who he was, or was she simply making wild guesses?

 "What did she tell you?" he asked cautiously.

 AnniBerry laughed again.

 "I know you two are dating. She said she's spent a few weekends at your house, and the two of you always have so much fun together."

 "Hmm," Marchen muttered.

 "Go take a shower. I'll make you breakfast," he said, dismissing her before walking into the kitchen.