Chapter 70 - Blood

Under the gazes, Alvin and Anya completed their lunch. No one approached them mainly because of Alvin's intimidating air. Even they spoke nothing and had their lunch in absolute silence.

Since Anya wanted to take a look at the room where the Harper's men were controlling, he asked as he stood up, "How is your ankle? Did the swelling reduce?"

Anya glanced at her feet, the swelling had reduced a little when she used the ice pack but it had swollen back. Since it wasn't very painful, "I can manage."

Alvin elegantly stood up and pressed her shoulders, making her sit back on the chair. He kneeled and held her leg. The redness and swelling were enough to tell him she was bearing the pain. He heard her say, "It's alright, Alvin."

He stood up and scooped her into his arms without giving her a chance to escape. Anya gasped and involuntarily wrapped her hands around his shoulders. Feeling numerous gazes and murmurs around, she kept her voice down, "Alvin, I can walk."

He briskly started walking towards the exit of the banquet hall without responding to her. Anya stayed quiet, having no choice. 

When he entered inside the compartmentalized floors, Anya's ears sharpened hearing an extra pair of footsteps. She looked behind thinking other guests might be leaving the hall with them. However, suddenly the steps ceased.

Alvin took the stairs to go downstairs and the footsteps sped. Anya was now sure somebody was following them. She looked at Alvin who looked calm on the surface. She was sure he noticed it too. "Doing Nothing?" He wasn't the man to run from danger. Rather silence it before it becomes huge.

Alvin glanced at her. She was very alert to her surroundings. "Your leg is more important." And it hasn't been a few hours, if they create too much ruckus, it will just trouble them more.

Anya: "..."

'Why is he caring so much about me?' Is she imagining? Is he acting as a husband? She desperately wanted to stop her thoughts. "It's just a small injury. We will go around the ship." 

He ignored her words and quickened his footsteps when he stepped to the fifth floor. He hid behind the entry of a cabin. Soon they heard the voice of two men discussing where they went before running down to the fourth floor. 

Then Alvin went to their cabin, left her on the bed. He saw her pouting for ignoring her words repeatedly. His hand reached to her braid and carefully unclipped a small pin looking at her eyes widened. His fingers run down her braid, "Sleep." His unyielding voice sounded, "We will go around after the dinner." 

Anya touched her head where her braids were undone. She had thought he knew nothing but he was so good at a few things. She would have removed her braid as it would be uncomfortable to sleep with a pin in the hair. She asked out in amusement, "Why are you so good at this?"

Alvin glanced at her face and her eyes twinkle. He had seen her uncomfortable with a ribbon in her hair while she was sleeping due to drugs. So he thought she would be uncomfortable with that hairdo.

Instead of responding to her, he teased, "So good?" He repeated her words in her tone of exaggeration, "I see you are liking it." He had thought his actions just annoys her. He felt good and took it as a compliment.

Anya: "..."

Honestly, she liked it. In the past years, living as an independent single mother, she took care of herself and her son. She had forgotten how warm it feels to be taken care of by someone and be all spoiled. His attention to her little things was warming her frozen heart.

She wasn't going to accept it aloud. She flustered thinking how to change the mood, "I- I am not your guinea pig." Experiment with her to learn.

Alvin gently laid her on the bed and smirked hearing her. He bopped her nose looking down at her, "I would rather make you my wife for better experimenting." He had a playful smirk on his face just like his tone.

She felt her heart skip a beat looking at him and her face flushed instantly. She wasn't sure if she was angry or embarrassed for imagining herself as his wife.

Was he teasing her? He was definitely making fun of her to laugh at her. "Who wants to be your wife?" She scoffed and pulled the duvet over her face.

She heard him laugh as he went away. She removed her shoes and flipped to the side, ready to catch some good sleep.

Nevertheless, she suddenly jerked up when the comforter was lifted. She was shocked for a second by thinking he was climbing on the bed but he wasn't. He lifted the comforter to place an ice pack on her swollen ankle.

Anya: "..."

Why was he doing all these? 

Her heart pounded in fear at how she was reacting to his actions. He neither looks gentle nor caring, he always does as he wants and ignores her words as if her opinion has no value. Sometimes she felt humiliated, sometimes hurt. Then his little actions were enough to soothe her. 

'Something's really wrong with me.' She gets angry if he doesn't treat her well or ignore her words. Now, she couldn't handle his care either. She felt suffocated in the confusion. She took the blanket and ice pack and got off the bed.

Confused, Alvin watched her. She was fine till a few seconds back, why did she turn aloof? Unaware about the reason, he asked looking at her running away, "What's wrong?"

Paused, Anya took a shallow breath through her mouth. The problem was with her, she doesn't have to provoke Alvin and make the situation worse. She plainly said, "The bed is too soft for my comfort. You grab some rest." She looked at the blanket in her hand, "I am sorry, I need this." Then she went to the couch, used the cushion as a pillow, and laid down. She kept the ice pack on her ankle to avoid him, going near her again.

Though she closed her eyes, she could feel Alvin's gaze boring through her skull. He hadn't moved from his place and stared at her. The air turned intense and uncomfortable in the room, yet both refused to speak up.

He could feel she was trying to go away from him, avoid him for some reason. He didn't like that and that made him angry. Thus it started bugging him if he did anything wrong. Irritated, he didn't take a wink of sleep and sat on the armchair. He was also annoyed that he had nothing to do. 

As if to fulfill his wish, he heard some voice speaking, [They disappeared on this floor.]

[Then they must be on this floor.

[How dare that puny woman hit us?]

'Puny!?' Alvin snickered. If she was weak she wouldn't have taken the upper hand against those three men so easily.

]Does she think her use for nothing husband could save her?]

'Use for nothing?' A dark smile appeared on Alvin's face. His mood had worsened due to her behavior, so they sparked the fire.

[We will teach them a lesson.]

Alvin looked at Anya on the couch, she was sleeping peacefully. He decided to stay in the corridor so that he could be there if anybody dares to enter the cabin.

Stepping out of the cabin, he went to the corridor and took some steps until five men's eyes fell on him, "There he is." Said the leather jacket man. He was the same man whose jaws were in pain that caused his face to swell.

The other four men were new. They turned behind and saw Alvin. "What about the woman?" Another young man in a blue shirt asked.

"Let's teach him a lesson, she will naturally come out." Leather jacket man growled and held his jaws due to pain.

However, seeing Alvin fearlessly go towards them, the other men looked at each other. They swallowed hard when Alvin met everyone's gaze as he folded his sleeves. 

In university, students naturally feared him so once he protected Anya, none dared to trouble her. Of course, they spoke about her behind their backs and never stopped judging her by her looks and simple background. Now he needs to warn people. If they don't learn, he will break some bones. Just enough for those five men to be bedridden until the ship reaches the port.

The youngest one looked at Alvin's arms and his cold face that was thirsting for blood. He tried to persuade them, "I think we shouldn't provoke him."

"Are you chickening out?" A man who was in his mid-twenties spat at the younger one.

"Coward." 

"He is alone, we are five." Another one encouraged others to beat Alvin.

"Let's go." The leather jacket man launched towards Alvin with another man next to him. The other two men followed them to attack. The younger one hesitated but he seemed to dislike being called a coward so he ended up running behind them.

If Anya could handle three, couldn't he handle two more? Alvin was at complete ease. He held the leather jacket man's hand and kicked the other man in the stomach.

The man behind the leather jacket froze in shock looking at the other two falling to the ground. He and the youngest one saw Alvin twist and dislocate the arm of his friend as if wringing a wet cloth.

The fear crept up to their bones realizing they underestimated him for being single. The youngest one trembled as he took a step back. Then he started to run to hide. However he heard Alvin's sharp voice among the groaning of his friends, "Stop right there."

Shaking, he didn't dare to go against the cold and daunting tone. He paused and turned around. He witnessed two men from the second line attack Alvin one after the other.

'Pak'

Alvin slapped one who hit the wall and staggered on the floor, seeing stars above his head. His cheek reddened and started swelling as if a bun in hot steam. 

Alvin kicked another one who fell a few meters away and started rolling on the floor due to pain. 

Alvin sensed people's eyes on him. Some had come out of their room hearing the cries of the men and peeking at them. So Anya's sleep could be disturbed. "Shhh…" Alvin shushed them, "My wife is sleeping." 

As soon as his words ended, the four men understood they needed to be silent, or else this man was going to thrash them worse than his wife. They shut their lips and endured the pain by crying silently.

Satisfied, Alvin noticed the youngest one was still standing away. He cued him to go near him. When he hesitantly took a step, Alvin grunted, "Quick."

The youngest one ran over and stood in front of Alvin. The beads of sweat due to fear rolled on his face, he lowered his gaze and waited for Alvin to hit him.

"What is your age?"

He stammered, "N-nineteen."

Alvin furrowed. "Why are you with them?"

He pointed at a groaning man in his mid-twenties and responded shakily, "H-he is m-my s-s-stepbrother." If he didn't go, his stepbrother would have called him names and beat him later.

And Alvin kicked that stepbrother. He warned at last, "Stay out of my sight." Then he was leaving when the teenager alerted him in a frightened tone, "Watch out."

Alvin jerked and missed the leather jacket man's strike from landing at the side of his face. He swung his leg in reflex by blocking his face with his hand and suddenly felt a sharp pain on his forearm.

'Thud,' The leather man's back hit the wall hard and fell on his stomach groaning in pain.

Alvin gritted his teeth and clutched his right fist. The red warm liquid rolled down his left forearm and started dropping on the blue carpet. He had thought these men were just spoiled brats and didn't expect them to carry sharp objects. 

As if one wasn't enough, he saw three other men holding kitchen knives and breathing heavily, while their faces continued to twist in pain.

## Doesn't affect the coin value ##

Bonus chapter goal: 700 weekly power stones or 25 golden tickets.

Keep voting....