She pushed him away.

"Are you deaf? I said don't touch me."


"But..."

Fanny pushed him again. This time it's harder.

"Stay away from me, Michel." She screamed as she continued to push him, somehow gathering a strength he didn't understand where she got from.


"Bastard. I hate you. I'm busy with you." Fanny's voice grew louder, piercing the wall.

Next thing they knew, Charles and Rosabella broke open the door, only to witness how Fanny knelt with her hands over her ears as she began to breathe rapidly, now in a state of complete panic.


Rosabella immediately lunged forward and yelled at Michel as she crouched down in front of her best friend and hugged Fanny in her lap.

"What did you do to her?"

However, Michel just stood there, frozen, with a pale face as the girl sobbed into Rosabella's shoulder, her cry filled with pain.

Charles wrapped his arms around Michel's biceps and led him out of the room, leaving Fanny crying with Rosabella behind.

Michel didn't even need to make an effort as all of his power had literally abandoned Michel, only to be dragged away by the second commander, still feeling shocked as well as numb.

She hates him. Fanny has actually said that she hates him.

Suddenly there was a bitter taste in his mouth as he closed his eyes, desperately hoping to extinguish the memory of the previous month.

"You can't take what she says seriously. She's seen some pretty terrible things and is currently on a lot of medication. I'm sure..."

"She's seen a lot of pretty terrible things and is taking a lot of medication for me. I'm at fault. You know it, I know it."

Michel gave him that look that Charles immediately understood.

It says Michel clearly remembers the moment when his mafia brother warned him that when Fanny left the house, she would be unprotected.

However, he still made the decision to let her go. It didn't even matter that Gwen pushed her to go on her own.

It was he who put this idea in her head in the first place.

Pushing both hands into his messy hair, Michel gripped the strands by their roots as he walked through the office he found him in.

Though the moment was soon interrupted when a knock sounded on the door, followed by none other than Rosabella rushing in.

"Fanny and I are leaving. Now." She is fearless demanding even though she has two tall and intimidating men standing right in front of her, glaring at her.

Michel didn't even notice her as he turned his back on her to go to the window to look outside as Charles stepped forward.

"No, you can't. Now, if you haven't noticed this office is only for a select few. You're not included in that. Then leave."

Rosabella glared at him.

"Fanny doesn't want to be here. You know that."

"Her passing is what got us into this situation."

"Her abduction is what brought us here."

"The answer is still no. Now leave." His voice grew darker and darker, sending a chill down her spine.

Yes, he is a scary man.

But Rosabella wasn't about to let him see that he had such influence over her.

So she tried one more time.

"I don't want to be here." She repeats, pronouncing each syllable to make her point clear.

"Especially nowhere near him." She gestured to Michel, who turned around halfway when he felt settled.

However, instead of feeling offended, he nodded in understanding.

"Fanny may have my room. I won't go near her unless she's okay with it. However, leaving is out of the question. It's not safe. For both of you."

"And where will you be?" Charles glanced at his team leader.

Michel shrugged.

"In her old room." Michel lowered his voice.

Charles looked at Michel in disbelief then sighed and accepted his decision.

It's not like he's going to press Michel about this.

Rosabella was given the last room available in the villa so Michel had no real choice but this.

A few weeks ago, Charles would have provided Michel's space, but his room now happens to be across from their new nurse.

And he won't overlook that. Especially while no one still has any clues about his little secret obsession.

So, back to the girl in the room, he raised his hand as if giving up.

"You heard him speak."

Rosabella frowned.

"It's like I trust your word. You want me to believe that your great leader will be in that room? As far as I remember, that's what he trashed."

Michel had had enough and finally walked out the window.

"I gave her my space. What more do you want? Go. Now." Michel rolled his eyes.

Swallowing at his menacing expression, Rosabella let out a huff and finally turned around, stomping out of the room.

---

"I don't want this. I know what it is." Fanny spoke softly as Christian handed Rosabella a pack of anti-depressants.

He prescribed medication for her but did not want to give her medication because of the prospect that she might hurt herself.

So he gave them to Rosabella, who was supposed to give her her daily dose along with other medications she was still taking.

"I understand, Short Legs. But it will make you feel better."

Fanny resolutely shook her head. "No drugs. I don't want to take anything." She insisted.

Rosabella sat down on the edge of the bed, gently placing her hand on her best friend's. "But what about painkillers? At least you don't want to take those?"

Fanny withdrew her hand from Rosabella's and shook her head again. "Please don't treat me like I don't understand any of it. I got that I need antibiotics, but my lungs are clear and I don't need any more. So I won't take them. anything." Her breathing started to get a little faster, she said.

Christian and Rosabella shared a quick glance and immediately understood that she was under stress on the subject.

They didn't want to push her into a full-blown anxiety attack so they dropped the subject as Rosabella got up to retrieve the tray she had set aside earlier.