Chapter Three

"Hannah? Is th-that you?"

"H-how, how did you- what's going on Luca?" She asks looking between us like she cannot believe what she's seeing.

"She works for me, sit Hannah." I scowl at his command. "She works for you?"

"Yes."

"And how did that come about?"

"By chance dear sister, now sit. Quietly."

The moment she sits, she still looks like she cannot hold back her many questions.

"You look so different yet the same Hannah, since my brother refuses to tell me, would you mind telling me he found you."

"He didn't find me." I say through gritted teeth. "I applied for a job in his company, I met him by chance and here we are." I have a feeling I would be losing my appetite if she keeps asking questions.

"Oh wow, Luca looked for you over the years but-" she clears her throat.

"What happened to you Hannah? I missed you." She tells me as she holds my hands together. "I would like to leave." I jerk my hands from her hold and stand.

"You always leave, you can't keep running from every altercation." I turn and walk towards the door.

"Easy for you to say, you didn't get bullied and beaten everyday of your life all through high school." I spit out each word, the calm burning hatred in my chest, igniting again.

"Hannah, wait please, I'm sorry, just keep in touch okay, please." I don't say anything, I just walk out with Mr. Maverick in tow.

I missed Dianne too. I might look like her but I'm not the same girl I was at 17, always frightened and scared.

"It's fine, you don't have to drop me off." I try to brush him off. "I insist, you are going home, no work for the rest of the week." "You can't do that."

"Yes. I can." I sigh tiredly and just get in the car.

"Well, your loss then, you can't deduct that from my salary then." I say before closing my eyes and pretending to sleep, after the last time I will remember to remain alert around him.

Mr. Maverick drops me off in front of my apartment building, I thank and bid him farewell and don't wait for his reply before walking off. The moment I go up the stairs, I see some group of men packing down my belongings, I run up to my apartment building and my landlady is standing there barking order.

"Mrs Angie, what are you doing?" I ask her, frustrated.

"No, don't look at me like that Hannah, I gave you a quick notice 3 months ago."

"And I explained to you that I have a lot going on, I just need a few more weeks and I'll pay you, I swear, just don't do this." my hands start to shake at this point.

"I heard that already too many times, there's nothing I can do for you, it's too late." She hisses at me.

"At least give me until the end of the week, where am I supposed to go?" I'm desperate at this moment.

"That's your problem sweetheart, look I wish I could help but my husband just sold this apartment to someone, you have to move out tonight." Her words sounded sympathetic but there's nothing sympathetic about the expression she's giving me right now.

I don't even realize I'm crying till she leaves, I try to breathe and think of a solution. Yes Luisa, my best friend and only thing close to a family I have can help so I called her.

"Luisa?" I sniff.

"Hey Hannah, what's wrong with you Hun?"

"Uhm I-I just got thrown out of my apartment, can you come pick me up?"

"Oh dear, I'm so sorry, I'm not in the country right now so are my parents, and I can't let you go stay at our home, alone." She says the last part in a low voice. I go quiet for a few seconds before laughing it off.

"Ohh, it's fine, I can handle myself."

"Are you sure Hanny boo boo?" I cringe hard at the sound of that Nickname, she knows how much I hate it and why, yet she still insists on calling me that everytime, but I love her, she surely has her reasons.

"Yes." I end the call and just arrange my belongings into two of my boxes and drag them with me along the road, I walk and walk endlessly till I'm too tired to move and I break down in a heap of my tears and cry my eyes out in the middle of a fucking lonely road. I don't know what to do and I'm too exhausted to think.

"Hello, you beautiful thing." My head jerk up from my knees to see three, probably drunk men from the way they keep swaying, old enough to be my Father or more.

My whole body tenses. "What do you want?" I try to look unfazed.

"To know your name beautiful." Another man comes closer flicking my hair and I jerk away from his touch.

I quietly but quickly weighed my options, I could run but I would be caught in no time, I need help. I don't understand how I manage to find myself in more problems and trouble than not.

I stand up to run but one of them jumps on me to catch me and we both roughly land on the floor.

"Where are you going, beautiful, we just want to talk." The man says shining his disgusting teeths at me, groping my breasts and I go limp. My visions goes blur, a loud ringing in my ears from the deja Vu, I hear them tearing my clothes to pieces but I don't move, my brain is shut down from doing anything, I hear loud noises that draw the men's attention but I still don't respond.

"I got you, I got you, I got you, you are safe with me." Is the gentle whispers I kept hearing but I couldn't bring myself to reassure the scared voice.

'Did I die? Is that the voice of an angel?' I want to remain here, I strangely feel safe and secure and when I manage to open my eyes, too curious about this angel, I see Luca kissing my face and hugging me still whispering, I feel so relieved and safe seeing his face, I pass out.