Once the car pulled up in front of their house, Anaya unbuckled her seatbelt, slid out of the car, and marched towards the door.
She attempted opening it but remembered that it was only operated by Don's fingerprint.
He chuckled softly from behind her only making her fume all the more.
She rolled her eyes and stepped aside for him.
The usual unlocking routine took place, and soon the door was open.
She dashed inside, marched up the stairs, and straight to her room.
He just watched her silently. With time, she would realize that he was doing this for her well-being.
**************************************
He switched off the fire from the gas cooker and covered the pot.
It had been hours since they came back, yet he hadn't heard a single sound from Anaya.
It could have been as a result of the heavy downpour of rain outside, but that couldn't have stopped her from coming down to eat.
He knew she was probably still mad at him, but he thought that her love for food would at least make her come down to eat.
He waited for about 30 minutes more, hoping she would put her annoyance aside and come down to have dinner, but was disappointed when she didn't.
"Why is she so stubborn on understanding?" he groaned and went to her room.
Once he opened the door, a gust of freezing cold wind greeted him, causing him to shiver a bit.
He found the source.
She was sitting on the window sill, staring at the city, adorned with lights of different colors, with the window half open, despite rain falling heavily outside.
"You'll catch a cold if you continue sitting there"
Without turning her head or saying a word, she glanced at him from the corner of her eye, rolled it, and continued staring out of the window.
He sighed frustratedly.
"Being angry with me will only affect you. Put it aside, come and have your dinner, and when you have gained more energy, then you can continue being angry with me"
She turned to him with an even angrier expression.
"Seriously?" she came down from the window sill and stood in front of him.
"You're not even sorry for what you did and what you're still doing"
"No, I am not. Besides, what am I to be sorry for? Protecting my wife when she is being hunted down by an enemy?"
"I don't know how you are my Dad have problems. You two are so fucking alike except for your ages. You are both overprotective, over possessive, and keep treating me as if I'm a docile little girl incapable of defending herself" she yelled.
" 'Keep your Daddy out of this', wasn't that what you said, princess?"
"First it was 'Love', and now it's 'Princess'. You know, I have a name, Ace"
"And I have the tendency to pound a brat's attitude out of them and force them into submission if they're not willing to listen" he arched an eyebrow.
"I honestly wonder how you're siblings put up with you. You're impossible" she grumbled and sat back on the window sill, crossing her arms around her chest and wearing a grumpy face.
"I'm protecting you from harm and hurt. I can't allow anything happen to my wife when I haven't even fully enjoyed her yet" he grinned playfully, casting a mischievous gaze her way.
She rolled her eyes.
"Come on. We can continue arguing later. Come and eat first"
"I'm not hungry!" she interjected immediately with a pout.
"You haven't eaten since we got..." "I said I'm not hungry... At least not for anything you've made"
"You're being immature and over dramatic" A dramatic shocked look washed over her face.
"Me? Immature and overdramatic?" "Yes. You were even already coming out of the park when I got you, so what the fuck is your deal?"
"You don't even understand what you did wrong and you still have the balls to call me immature and overdramatic?"
He rubbed his temples. "Love?" "Don't 'Love' me!" she mimicked his voice.
"In fact, neither am I talking to you, eating your food, nor do I want to see your arrogant face. Leave me to be 'immature and over-dramatic' peacefully and without judgment" she pouted and continued staring outside the window.
He sighed and walked out of her room, closing the door behind him.
'When she calms down, she will come back to her senses'
***************************************
He sat in an armchair in his room with a glass of whiskey in his hand and a half-empty bottle of the same liquid on the table.
How on earth was he supposed to deal with a woman like her when she wasn't willing to obey or listen to him?
All the women he had been with were always softer, meeker, and willing to listen. Why was she so different?
He picked up his phone and dialed Andrew's number.
It rang a couple of times before he answered.
He heard him say a small, 'One second' followed by a feminine whine before he said anything on the phone.
"Busy?" "A little, but it can wait. What's wrong?"
"Were you able to track the message?" Don asked, "Nope. Just like all the others, this one is also untrackable" he replied flatly.
"Fuck!" He raked his hands through his hair and took another gulp of whiskey.
"She is even more cunning than we expected," he remarked, "Seriously. I told you it was suspicious when she didn't do anything after you broke up with her" Andrew reminded.
"So how's the marriage going? I doubt the feisty bloody angel would have allowed you to sleep with her, and I haven't seen you with any girl recently"
"We almost had sex a couple of times, and after those times, the only girl I wanted was her"
"So you're already falling for her, is that it?"
"I don't know. Maybe I am, maybe I'm not. For now, she's just really stressing me out. I can't leave the house with peace of mind that she wouldn't sneak out"
"I thought you had a fingerprint-operated security system"
"That's the surprising part. I locked everything up, but she still found a way to leave the house" "No wonder she is her father's best weapon. I can still remember the punch she gave me the day we took her"
Don chuckled.
"You'll have to change if you want to be able to live side by side with her. She looks short-tempered, feisty, free willed and independent. Unlike Camilla, Natasha, and all the rest, I doubt she'd follow your every command" he advised.
"However way one would try to see it, all women are the same in one aspect or the other. All that is needed is time and patience"
"This one seems different. She looks like all those sadistic female revenge-seeking demons who wouldn't mind to stab the fuck out of you even if you as much as take their phone away from them"
'Tell me about it'
"We got into a fight today just because I found out that she snuck out and I went to get her. She threw a fit saying that I'm treating her like a child, and underestimating her when I'm simply looking out for her"
"I wouldn't blame her though, you can be too much in that area. And she is right. She is a fucking adult who is more than capable of defending herself in times of danger"
He sighed.
"I understand that her being married to you is a punishment, but if you want her to like you then you have to give her a little freedom"
"Freedom? When she is Natasha's target? Didn't you see the photo I sent you?" "Come on, allowing her to have a little fresh air once in a while isn't dangerous. It could even make her be more open with you"
"You're making this sound like I asked for dating advice. Is this what you go through with your women?"
Andrew chuckled. "If you like the woman, then you'll be able to accept, handle and manage all these" he added and hung up.
He downed the rest of his drink and allowed it to sink in.
Andrew was the guy who slept around when single, and stayed loyal when in a relationship.
He on the other hand had never been in a serious relationship; only those for the sole purpose of having a woman ready for sex and ready to submit to him.
Controlling temper tantrums wasn't something he did, neither was the act of trying to appease or please a woman just so she wouldn't stay mad anymore.
So why was he eager to do this for her?