Anne felt safe and protected in Carl's arms as if nothing bad could ever happen to her while she was there. She threw her arms around his neck and pulled him closer to her chest with no intention of breaking free from him. She was scared that she might get into danger the moment she let go of Carl.
Anne shut her eyes tight and she started crying as her mind drifted to the pain she felt while she was handcuffed to the surgical bed in Dr. Ken's lab.
What if she had died at the hands of the wicked surgeon and his bodyguard? What if she never got the chance to stare at Carl's beautiful face and feel the warmth of his embrace ever again?
Anne sobbed in his arms, pouring out her emotions like a broken vessel. With every sob that reached Carl's ears, his heart felt like it was being pierced by a thousand needles. It broke his heart to see the woman he loved so much feel so much pain.
Carl knew that Anne must've gone through a lot at the hands of those kidnappers to hear her cry like this. He was so hurt that tears filled his eyes. He hated to see Anne hurt that was why he hired that PI to watch over her in the first place.
Right now, he was regretting why he fired the PI if not, Anne wouldn't have been in this mess.
Well, screw the PI, he never should've left her side in the first place. If only he had accepted Anne when she desperately begged him to come back to her life, things might have been different.
Carl inhaled sharply in Anne's embrace, holding back his tears. He gently stroked Anne's back to calm down her down and he assured himself in his heart that he'll never leave her side ever again. He would love and protect her till the end of time.
Slowly, Anne's sobs began to subside, and her breathing began to steady. She loosened her grip on his shirt, and finally pulled herself away from him, though their bodies remained only inches apart. Her eyes met his, and for a moment, they simply stood there, lost in each other's gaze.
They were both standing in the middle of the road, but since it was a quiet residential estate, the cars that drove by were few and far between.
Carl's eyes were locked on Anne's, taking in her piercing silver gaze that was brimming with sadness but also tinged with a glimmer of hope. Her tears were like diamonds, shimmering in her eyes and highlighting their beauty.
Carl cupped her face with both hands and gently wiped her tears with his thumb.
"I'm sorry I didn't come sooner… I should've been faster. And I'm sorry I almost hit you with my car," He said to Anne with so much guilt in his heart.
He couldn't bear to imagine what would've happened if he had run Anne over with his car. He was also angry with himself for not showing up earlier but the distance from his company to Dr. Ken's residence was just too far, even though he was speeding to get there. Carl got here by 1 pm sharp but it still wasn't enough. Thankfully, Anne had already escaped.
Anne felt herself sinking into the depths of Carl's gaze, which held her as if he needed her to stay there, with him.
But why? Anne was confused because she thought Carl no longer cared about her like he used to but here he is, staring at her like he still feels something for her.
But if Carl still cared about her, why did he send her that cruel text? Anne frowned as she remembered every word of the text and the fact that it was coming from someone who she loved broke her heart.
"Why are you here?" Anne finally spoke up in a harsh tone glaring at Carl like he was the cause of all her misfortune. She was upset because Carl didn't only reject her after pouring her heart and apologizing to him on voicemail, he also insulted her as a person.
Carl swallowed hard, staring at the beauty in front of him. Her sudden change of attitude wasn't a surprise to him at all. Anne is unpredictable and full of surprises so he has to be prepared for anything.
Nevertheless, Carl thought that Anne was angry at him for coming too late to save her or for nearly running her over with his car. Or perhaps she was still angry about the last time they met at the restaurant when he chose to be with Cassandra instead of her. Or the fact that he kissed her passionately and still ended up rejecting her.
There were so many reasons why Anne should be angry but Carl didn't know the exact thing that was making her angry.
"I asked you a question, why are you here?" Anne snapped, feeling frustrated that Carl wasn't speaking up.
"I... I came here so I can save you," Carl muttered.
Anne couldn't believe her ears as she looked at Carl with narrowed eyes. How can he come here to save her after he has made it clear that he never wants to see her again in his text? Was he confused about what he really wanted or what? And even if he came here to save her, why did he come alone? Is he nuts? What if Dr. Ken was luring him into a trap?
Anne's head was flooded with different questions but no answers. However, what stole her attention was the fact that Carl came here to save her alone without a cop.
Carl is a prosecutor for God's sake, he was supposed to figure out that Dr. Ken was only luring him into a trap. Fortunately, Anne managed to escape by herself and Carl didn't have to get into danger because of her.
"Well, as you can see, I don't need to be saved by you. I can survive on my own so I don't need your fucking help!" Anne said and walked away from Carl. Even though Carl came here to save her, she was still upset about the nasty text he sent her earlier today.
Carl stood frozen and he felt his heart skip as Anne walked away, telling him she didn't need him. This was exactly what he was scared of. He was scared of Anne's fickle attitude which was loving him today and hating him the next day, her emotions like a pendulum. He didn't know how to handle this fickle side of her. Besides, it was only two days ago when Anne was crying to him, telling him that she wanted him and now she's acting like she doesn't want him anymore.
Carl thought about what Dexter said about Anne. Dexter admitted that Anne had feelings for him, but was it a lie?
No! Carl shook his head because he believed Dexter wholeheartedly. He knew that Anne loved him and she was only acting up because she was still jealous about him taking Cassandra on a date.
Carl turned and ran after Anne, his heart pounding in his chest. When he reached her, he grabbed her hand and held it firmly, refusing to let her go. "Anne, wait!" he called out, his voice full of emotion.
"Ouch!" Anne pulled her hand away, hissing in pain. She looked at him with so much anger like he had committed a terrible mistake in touching her.
Meanwhile, Carl was confused by Anne's reaction to him touching her hand. Could he have hurt her? he wondered.
He reached out and grabbed her hand again, only to see why she had pulled it away and his eyes fell on the red marks around her wrist.
Anne had gotten those red marks around both wrists from struggling to break free from the handcuffs.
When Carl saw the visible marks, he furrowed his brows with anger. He was furious to see that Anne must have been through so much physical pain at the hands of those kidnappers. He also noticed her limping and now, red marks on her wrist. This was too much for him to bear.
"Who did this to you? I need a name," he said, his voice cold and raspy. His expression was stern and serious as he was desperate to know who had hurt Anne. All it would take was one phone call, and he would send those imbeciles to jail.
"I told you I don't need your help," Anne said forcefully, pulling her hand away from him. Even though she could see how intent he was on teaching the kidnappers a lesson, she was still angry at him. The harsh words he had said to her in that text were still stinging, and she couldn't forgive him that easily.
"Stop pretending that you care about me when you don't! You told me to stop bugging you, and that's what I'm going to do. So please, just leave me alone!" Tears of pain stung her eyes as she yelled at him.
Carl looked at Anne with a confused expression. "When did I ever tell you to stop bugging me?" he asked, his voice high with disbelief. He knew he had never said such words to her.
"Forget it! You wanna act like you never sent that text? Fine! I also want you to forget that I ever confessed my feelings to you!" Her agitation grew as she spoke, her voice raising in volume. She was upset that Carl was acting dumb.
"What text? What the hell are you talking about Anne?" Carl was beyond confused. He had no clue what Anne was talking about
Anne shook her head in disbelief and started walking away but Carl quickly reached for her arm causing her to stop in her tracks.
"you're coming with me," He said to her in a firm tone and it sounded more like a command.
Anne scoffed at his command, trying to break free from his grip, but she felt powerless in his hold.
"Let me go!" she cried out, her voice filled with desperation.
"Never!" Carl replied, still holding her arm. "…Now that I've gotten you in my grasp, I'm never going to let you go again for any reason. And even if you try to run away from me, I will find you and keep you by my side until you realize that you belong with me. I'm never going to let anyone or anything keep us apart again,"
Anne stared at Carl in astonishment 'What has gotten into Carl?' She asked herself in her head because she couldn't believe what she just heard.
Earlier today, she received a heart-breaking text from him that made her feel unworthy of love. And now, Carl is acting so passionately, almost obsessively toward her. She couldn't make sense of the sudden change.
His eyes were full of determination and desire, and Anne found herself unable to break away from his gaze as if his eyes were casting a spell over her. Her heart was racing in her chest, and she felt like she was frozen in place, unable to move or speak.
Anne knew that, despite the pain and confusion she felt, she still had strong feelings for Carl. And after everything that had happened, a part of her still wanted to believe that he truly cared for her. The way he looked at her made her heart flutter, and she couldn't deny the love she felt for him.
***
Meanwhile,
In a room high above the street, Dr. Ken was watching Anne and Carl through a large window. He could see them clearly, even though they were a little ways away, but he couldn't hear what they were saying. They were too far for him to make out their words, but he could see their body language, and he could feel the tension and emotion between them.
As he looked down through the window, he could see Anne and Carl arguing, but he couldn't hear what they were saying. He could only see them from a distance. But despite this, he could feel the chemistry between the two.
Dr. Ken's hands were clenched into tight fists, his nails digging into his palms as he watched Anne and Carl. It was like a knife in his heart as he watched them hug, their bodies pressed so close that even air couldn't come between them. He didn't like what he saw at all and he thought he'd die of jealousy if he kept watching them.
When did he start feeling this way? He had no idea but from the moment he laid eyes on Anne, he desired her and he wanted her for himself. He also hated the fact that Anne was in the arms of the man he hated the most.
Just then, Dr. Ken heard a knock on the door of his room. "come in," he said calmly and his bodyguard entered.
The bodyguard came in with so much anxiety, feeling scared that his boss would get furious once he revealed what he was about to say. But regardless of his worries, he spoke up. "I'm sorry boss… but… but the delivery lady has escaped"
However, Dr. Ken who already knew from the moment Anne escaped from his mansion was unbothered about the situation. His eyes were still fixed on the window as if he were in a trance. He didn't even turn to acknowledge the presence of his bodyguard as he entered the room.
"It's okay. She was only a bait anyway. It's Carl who I want," the surgeon said.
"If it's Carl you want, then that's what you'll get," the bodyguard replied, his tone just as chilling as his boss's.