76 Somewhere (1/2)

He pressed on her scratches a little harder as Abi gaped at him and she winced again.

”Ahh… Alex, stop! I'll tell you...” She finally gave in and the man let go.

”Good,” he said before he lifted her hand and gently blew on the wound as if he was trying to soothe the pain he inflicted. Abigail was speechless. This jellyfish was truly unpredictable. Why was he like this? ”Now speak, little fruit,” his tone was extremely demanding.

With a sigh, she told him the truth; that she was about to cross the road when a random fast car drove past so close to her that it nearly hit her. She fell down and that was how she got the scratches.

Abi saw his jaws clench and something flashed in his eyes, so quick that Abi almost missed it. He looked down and focused his attention on her palm.

”I-I am fine, though. These scratches are nothing,” she immediately tried to reassure him, but the man continued his interrogation without looking at her face.

”What about the driver? Did you see his face?” His voice was emotionless, as if he was a detective trying to get information from the victim.

Abi found his way of questioning strange to her. She also didn't understand why he was asking so seriously but his overbearing aura was forcing her to cooperate with him.

”He didn't stop and it happened so fast I didn't get a look at his face.”

”You didn't see the plate number?”

She shook her head. ”I didn't see it but I think the car looks the same as that black car in the garage.”

Alex fell silent after that, as if he had found his answer or as if he had finished taking all the necessary information. Still, there was something in his silence that made Abi feel like he was hiding something about this matter.

”Why were you trying to hide it from me?” he asked again after a long while of silence.

”I wasn't trying to hide it. I just thought that this wasn't something important that you needed to know,” she replied and Alex paused. He looked at her with a sharp gaze before he grabbed her chin.

”Listen carefully, little lamb. While you are here living with me, I am the one responsible for you, you understand? From today onwards, while you are staying in my house, don't hide this kind of thing from me, you get it?”

Abi blinked at him and eventually nodded.

He finished tending to her wounds and he put the first aid kit back. ”Sleep now, Abigail. You now owe me 12 sessions and one punishment. That is your debt currently, little fruit. You need to heal these hands of yours quickly or else…” he grabbed her chin and stared into her eyes with an aura of both danger and mischief. ”Or else, I can't guarantee if this little fragile body of yours will be able to handle it if you keep accumulating debts you can't pay.”

He walked towards the door and before he left, he said, ”I'll go get the kid.”

…

Downstairs.

Alexander saw that the girl was already asleep next to Zeke.

Alex walked towards the couch and as he drew closer, he gave Zeke one long, hard stare. It was as if there were many unspoken words conveyed with that one look.

Without a word, he took the girl and brought him upstairs. Abigail was still awake when Alex entered her room with little Betty in his arms.