"You are destroying me."
Linus reached Alvin and heard Anya Owen who walked away with her shoulders slightly trembling and her fingers tightly curled into fists.
He pressed his lips to a thin line mulling over her words and agreed with her, "Ms. Owen is right. We are playing with her life to save other people." He sighed.
Alvin's darkened face couldn't be darker anymore. He felt bitterness in his mouth and frustration hovering around his neck. He clenched his teeth and continued to hear Linus without acknowledging his thoughts or opinion.
Linus turned to Alvin and gave him a possible instance Anya will have to face, "Bro, just think. If Harper Johnson doesn't release the hostages or probably threaten us to kill them... Dad will have no choice but to trade with the information that's in the hard disk. That time, one has to take responsibility. He will have to blame everything on Ms. Owen... She is pitiful. I feel bad for her little one though. He is a smart kid."
Law of nature. Sacrifice one to save many.
Alvin kind of accepted it a few days back. But everything changed when the Young Mommy stole his sleep, kept him awake all night, and made him restless until he was able to see her safe right in front of his eyes.
Law of nature!? He will reverse the Law of nature. He was ready to sacrifice the whole ship of people so that he could keep her safe.
However, he won't go behind her and coax her. Where will she go? Sit in a corner, trembling in the cold. She couldn't escape his estate… She could escape his estate if she got a laptop in her hand. She could mobilize the security system and flee. Anyhow, who will give her the laptop?
Spoiling a woman is an invitation for more headaches. They will learn after suffering a little. She ran out throwing a fit, she will return after suffering a little in cold and being hungry. He turned his heels and went to the dining hall.
Linus: "..."
He looked at Alvin and the hallway. He was expecting Alvin to bring Young Mommy back by telling her everything. After all, they are 'friends.'
His lips twitched when Alvin served the dinner to his plate. It slowly sat in Linus's mind that this is Alvin Matthews, an apathetic, unreasonable, heartless man. If Linus or anybody else was in Anya's place, Alvin would have reacted the same or worse. It was already a miracle to see Alvin had brought Young Mommy home and let her stay at his place to keep her safe.
"When will the next miracle happen?" Linus thought.
He glanced at the hallway considering speaking with Anya; however, if he goes, his brother might go wrong at him thinking he was seducing her. He couldn't take the risk.
He went to the table and started eating while noticing every reaction of Alvin. It was clear as day that Alvin lost his appetite and was struggling to even have his first spoon.
Linus's eyes glinted playfully. He started to guilt-trip his brother while pretending to be talking to himself at each bite of his dinner. "Young Mommy looks so delicate, will she faint due to the cold?... What if she trips herself and falls somewhere?... Ah, is she scared of darkness?... She must be crying her eyes out, after all, she is still a sweet lady..."
'Slam'
Alvin, who swallowed his second spoon with great effort, slammed his spoon on the table and glared at his brother.
Linus swallowed hard. He was glad it was the table under the spoon, not his head. He awkwardly laughed without understanding why Alvin got angry instead of being worried, "Bro, she is your friend… So I am just worried about her." He again added uneasy laughter.
Alvin named his worry as an annoyance. He couldn't believe that Anya Owen turned into an annoyance like the rest. He hissed through his teeth after hearing Linus, "Nonsense." He stood up and strode away.
Linus: "..."
He waited till Alvin entered the hallway. Shoving another spoonful to his mouth, he cautiously went to the hallway to check where Alvin was going.
His shoulders dropped with a sigh escaping his lips. Alvin took the stairs instead of stepping out of the mansion and bringing the Young Mommy. "Cold-hearted Devil." He remarked and went back to complete his dinner.
While eating he suddenly recalled why he had come to Oasis in the morning. He decided to check the content once before going to bed.
-------
In the study room,
Alvin had no appetite so he decided to do some work. After twenty minutes, he ended up looking for Anya by playing security videos of his lawn around the mansion.
He found her sitting on the grass with the hood of the jacket over her head. From his angle, he could only see her back, she was probably supporting her elbow on her leg and leaning her head on her palm.
He watched her sit like that for more than ten minutes. Then she changed her position as she stretched her hands. She would repeat the same but never once turned to the mansion.
'Why is she so stubborn?' He could guess she wasn't going to act pitiful and return. Well, he was no less headstrong so he again ignored her for a few more minutes.
He scolded himself when he was itching to bring her back. Anyhow he suddenly rose from his seat, 'It would be so annoying to bring the doctor if she falls ill.' He gave himself a reason to bring her back and went out.
----
Anya had slept for a long time in the morning and evening so she wasn't sleepy. Instead, she was craving to go for a jog but she wasn't wearing shoes and she might trip if she runs on the slipper.
She didn't think of going back inside because she was a little embarrassed and wasn't prepared to answer Alvin's questions. She also had a lot of questions for him, would he respond to her?
'What if I escape from here and hide in Krystie's place?' She needs to be in a safe place, it doesn't matter if it's Alvin's or Krystle's place. However, she was worried thinking Harper Johnson might trouble Krystle's family.
While mulling over everything and where she could hide after escaping from Alvin's mansion, she suddenly felt something move towards her.
'There couldn't be any snakes, right?' After all the estate was so huge and there were many trees at some distance as in the forest. She instinctively tried to run away.
Alvin: "..."
Should he be happy she didn't attack him? Seeing her trying to flee, he took a long step and grabbed her wrist before she could even turn around.
Anya was craving to kick that somebody who held her from behind. Nevertheless, she controlled her reaction with all her might, afraid of hurting somebody innocent.
She gasped loudly when she felt a tug and the next second she crashed into somebody's chest and her hood fell back. From the wooden and cinnamon cologne, she knew it was Alvin and stumbled back.
Probably she should have kicked him. 'Couldn't he talk? Doesn't he understand it's creepy to silently go behind somebody?... What am I expecting again? How could this insensitive man even know that?'
If the women fawn over him, all she could do was admonish him in her mind despite knowing he saved her and keeping her safe.
When she craned her neck to look at him, she couldn't make out his emotions due to the lights behind him. Unaware of whether he was angry, she flinched when his hand reached her head. Then she felt his grip on her wrist tighten and assumed he was angry.
Alvin tugged her close again and gently brushed her messy hair with his long fingers. He was treating her hair as if those were priceless treasures. Anya was inarticulate. She doesn't even care so much for her hair. She had chopped them off to avoid spending time behind caring for the long hair.
Due to a small shift in position, she could see half of his face. The warm light softened his sharp features and his deep-set unique cognac eyes were running on her hair trying to find any strand out of place. For a second she felt like he was concerned about her but the next second she found nothing but the coldness in those eyes.
Anya didn't struggle anymore. She felt like her hair belonged to him and he would be pissed off if she didn't let him tidy her hair. 'Weirdo.'
'Will I stay sane if I stay at his place?' She doubted. She used to be such a calm and collective person. For some reason, Alvin was affecting her temperament.
Alvin was satisfied with his job and caught her eyes staring at him. For a second she tried to look away, then she looked back into his eyes. "What!?"
"You shouldn't touch anybody without permission." She tried to educate the man.
"... Anybody!?" He mused. She wasn't just anybody to him, "... I know you."
Anya: "..."