Bab 76: Wounded Beast.

Even after Hannah passed out, Axel didn't move from his position. He sat still thinking of Hannah's last words. She wanted his help. She begged for his help. How was he supposed to help her?

Hannah, her kind, was not someone he got too close with. In fact, their natures were worlds apart. If she was a wild, untamed feral beast, then he was the demon who caused beasts like her to exist. It was because of people like him that people like her existed. He was the true beast. So how was he supposed to help her revert to normal?

After listening to her, he realized that Hannah, underneath that expressionless face she carried around, was extremely pitiful. Hannah was shackled with gold chains, molded out of fear, guilt, sorrow, and pain. All of these were now a part of her life. She is alert all day and night to check how long it would take for the sword hanging above her head to fall.

He pitied her.

Who would want to like that kind of life?

Just then, Hannah's head rolled off his shoulders but before her head could hit the table, Axel, with his quick reflexes, caught her head and cradled her head in his hand.

He stared at her face for a long time, not moving, fearing that she would wake up and begin to cry again. He didn't want that.

"So pitiful". He mumbled as his thumb shifted in its position, itching to wipe her tear-stained face.

Minutes passed by and Axel finally moved. Slowly, he stood up, carrying Hannah along with him, and walked out of the bar.

His car was packed right in front of the bar. When one of the bodyguards at the entrance saw Axel approaching with a woman in his arms, the bodyguard reacted quickly and walked to the car, taking over the duties of a driver.

Axel carried Hannah into the rear seat of the car and got in after her. He laid her down on the seat with his thighs serving as a pillow for her head to rest on.

His movements were slow and gentle. Like he was handling a delicate and fragile antique and was scared that it would break if he applied too much pressure.

When he was sure that she was comfortable, Axel, with a signal to his bodyguard, ordered him to start the engine and drive slowly. The bodyguard nodded in understanding. Even though Axel didn't tell him to drive slowly, he would still do that because he had seen the way his boss was handling the woman who was now laying on his thigh.

"To the estate". Axel ordered in a low voice and the bodyguard turned on the engine and drove off. All the way to Hannah's house, Axel's eyes were fixed on her face. Her face was still flushed with dried tears on it which he used his thumb to wipe off gently.

Hannah stirred and her eyelids opened to see Axel's brown ones staring back at her. "What are you doing?" She asked, referring to Axel's thumb that was caressing her face.

Axel thought that she was uncomfortable with it, so he withdrew his hand but Hannah caught his hand mid-air and placed it back on her face. "Don't stop. It feels good".

With that, Hannah closed her eyes and went back to sleep, feeling safe in the arms of the man she once tried to kill.

Axel placed his palm back on her face, his cold palm a great contrast to her warm face. He continued moving his thumb on her face just like before, but this time, it was not to wipe away the dried tears, but he did it in an attempt to ease her heart.

Right now, Hannah was a wounded beast and he hoped that this little action of his was enough to soothe her aching heart and heal her wounds.

Finally, they arrived at the estate and the bodyguard rushed down immediately to open the door for Axel. The bodyguard wanted to help carry Hannah but Axel stopped him with a wave of his hand.

When he reached Hannah's front door, Axel realized that he didn't have her keys and Hannah's purse was nowhere to be seen so he ordered the bodyguard to open the door.

With expert skill, the bodyguard picked the lock and bent the handle, making way for Axel to walk in.

Axel entered the house with Hannah cradled in his arms. He noticed that the house was just as quiet as the last time he was there. Everything was the same except that the child was not lying on the floor behind the door.

He walked to the master's bedroom and there, he found the child lying at the foot of the bed. Seems like the child liked sleeping on the floor or was just used to it.

He placed the sleeping Hannah gently on the bed and raised the quilt over her to stop at her chin. He went to where the child was and picked her up from the floor to lie on the bed beside Hannah.

When Penelope was placed on the bed, Hannah's hand moved, eyes still closed, and stopped when she touched Penelope's hand. Her fingers coiled around Penelope's wrist, making sure that the child was there beside her before she finally relaxed and went back to sleep.

Axel watched this action and he felt his heart go heavy again. He didn't need anyone to tell him that the child was not Hannah's but Hannah still loved and cared for the child like her own. He thought back to the time when he first saw Hannah cry because the child was laying on the floor. He also remembered that Hannah gave her mask to the child even though it was dangerous for Hannah's face to be exposed. And now, she was holding the child even in the state she was in.

Both of them looked pitiful.

One of them comes back home after drinking and the other lies at the foot of the bed, waiting for her mother.

They were like two beasts licking each other's wounds. They found solace in each other's warmth and embrace.

Axel turned around to leave the room but stopped, suddenly remembering something. He turned back and went to the foot of the bed, where Hannah's dainty white feet were exposed under the quilt. He bent down and saw the wound caused by the nail she stepped on.

There was dried blood around the small hole. The wound was not deep but it would be uncomfortable if she tried to walk later on.

After checking the wound, Axel turned around and left the room. He closed the door behind him gently when he left the house. When he got out, his bodyguard was nowhere to be seen but Axel didn't bother looking for him. The bodyguard was going to come back when he was done with what he was doing. That is if he manages to stay alive.

Axel hopped into the car and roared it to life. Looking at the building that contained Hannah and Penelope one last time, he drove out of the estate and straight to his home.