"Good morning Miss Hannah". His deep voice resonated in her ear and she stared at him without saying a word. This was it! She was going to work in this company as Axel's secretary just like a normal person would.
"Good morning Mr. Axel". She greeted him politely. She stood still waiting for him to give her orders like usual but instead, he remained silent. That was when she noticed that something was wrong.
Axel had a grim expression on his face as he looked at her and she became nervous immediately. 'Did I do something wrong?' She asked herself. She had just come back after her three weeks' leave so she couldn't have done anything wrong right?
And that was when it hit her. She was late! Again!.
Raymond had delayed her earlier before coming to work and now she was in trouble. Memories of her punishments flooded her head and she face-palmed mentally.
"Come closer," Axel ordered, jolting her out of her thoughts. She obeyed without hesitation and moved closer as she didn't want to anger him and add to her punishment.
"Miss Hannah… here." She raised her head and saw Axel placing her Annunciator on his desk.
Okay, never in a million thoughts did she ever think that Axel was going to return her Annunciator, that too right after she had been kicked out of the gang. What was she supposed to do with it? She no longer has any use for it as she was certain that Raymond has already disconnected her annunciator from the basement's server.
She hesitated for a while before stretching out her hand to pick the annunciator. Her hand was only an inch from reaching her annunciator when Axel spoke again.
"Take your annunciator and go back to your gang. You don't need to work here anymore".
Hannah retracted her hand immediately like there was a fire in place of the annunciator. 'You don't need to work here anymore?' What did that statement even mean? She knows what it meant, but what did Axel mean?
"Huh?" She looked and sounded confused but she couldn't say anything more than 'huh?' Why was everyone kicking her out today? First, Raymond, and now, Axel? What was going on in their minds?
Raymond was hellbent on keeping her in the gang and Axel was determined to make her life a living nightmare in the company so what was with these two suddenly dismissing her?
"Hmm… sir… " Hannah started but she was cut short by Axel.
"Didn't you hear what I said? Take your annunciator and leave!" Axel thundered. He narrowed his eyes at Hannah's confused face. He thought that she was going to be happy when he gave her back her annunciator but instead she looked confused. Maybe because he was suddenly letting her go.
"Miss Hannah…"
"I… I don't want to leave.." Hannah stammered as she didn't want her words to anger him because, from the look on his face, she could tell he was not in a good mood.
Axel's expression screamed surprise at her words but he quickly arranged his features. Was she not supposed to be happy about it? It was not like he treated her well before so why does she want to stay?
"I'm sorry miss Hannah but you can't continue working here". Axel said calmly as he watched the expression on her face change from confusion, then shock, and back to confusion and for a moment, he thought he saw panic.
Hannah's lips parted in surprise at Axel's words. She didn't want to leave the company. Her days here were not very good but now that she was no longer an assassin, she wanted to work like every other normal person. She didn't really have anything else doing and she wasn't the type to stay idle for long.
On the other hand, Axel sat still looking at Hannah. It looked like she had a lot of things to say but she couldn't. He had thought about it for a long time and he had decided to let her go. Ever since he found out that that gang was after her too, he realized that it was not safe to let her stay close to him. It would just attract unnecessary attention to him and he didn't want that. He could very well conceal himself but he wasn't sure about Hannah seeing how the assassins found them easily that night. The farther she was away from him, the better!
"You can leave now". He gestured to the door and Hannah looked at it for a second before looking back at him. "I really don't want to go". Hannah said to his surprise.
"And why if I may ask? You can go back to your gang and you don't have to work here anymore so why do you want to stay?".
Hannah hesitated for a while before deciding to tell him the truth. There was no harm in letting him know. If he was dismissing her because she was an assassin then maybe telling him that she was no longer a member of the gang would make him change his mind.
"I was kicked out of the gang". Hannah said and she jolted when axel stood up abruptly with shock written all over his face.
"What?!" Axel's voice was now several octaves higher as he stared at her in shock. It was rare for an assassin to be kicked out of the gang but when kicked out, he becomes the target of other assassins.
If he had any doubts about sending her away before, then there were none now. If Hannah was no longer a member of a gang then she certainly can't be anywhere near him!
An assassin who had been kicked out of the gang had lost the protection of the gang. He or she was synonymous with a wanted criminal who has walked right into the police station with the word 'CRIMINAL' boldly written on their forehead. It was like telling the whole world to attack them and it was also dangerous for the assassin especially if he or she was a strong one, and after seeing Hannah fight and kill those assassins that night, he was sure that she was a strong one, if not one of the strongest.
The mere fact that that deadly gang was after her, was enough for him to worry about and now she has lost the protection of her gang!
How nice.