The Rhyme of the Depositary

THREE EIGHT

Alice initially thought there would be awkwardness between Axel and Anson. After all, they had been separated for a year. To a child's memory, Anson is just a stranger who suddenly comes claiming to be his father.

Alice's guess was completely wrong. It didn't take half an hour, they were both like two inseparable people. Alice heard a crisp laughter that was mutually disheveled in the playroom. It looks like Anson managed to make the three-year-old child take a big interest in him.

Alice let out a sigh of relief and returned upstairs. She felt grateful at least Axel was still getting the attention of his father. After all, the conflict he had with Anson was their personal conflict. Axel shouldn't have gotten carried away.

Children are vulnerable in a family. Psychics are easily disturbed by bad conditions that occur in both parents. Many broken home families are dragging their children to new polemics so mentally unhealthy.

Alice did not want this to happen to her son. Axel is the most precious gem. For her sake, Alice would do whatever she could just to make her smile. Even if he had to pass through thorns once.

For Axel's sake as well, Alice would put aside her dispute with Anson. He had to show the appearance of being a happy family in the presence of his only son.

Axel spent an hour playing around with Anson. The boy was getting more and more active running around and around screaming in excitement. Alice heard the voices from the next room. He nodded meaningfully.

After stepping on dinner time, Alice told a waiter to take them to the dining room. The atmosphere became a little awkward as the masculine figure entered the same room as Alice. The air felt tight for a moment.

"Mommy!" axel yelled his trademark embrace at Alice.

"Darling, sit in your usual seat." Alice helped Axel sit in a chair beside him. He brought the ceramic plate close to his son and prepared a spoon.

"Daddy, sit here!" pinta the boy pointed at the chair next door. Both of his eyes were hopeful.

"Well, as long as you're a good boy tonight, Daddy's gonna sit next to you." Anson filled the chair Axel had appointed. He sat like a graceful tiger. It gave off a very domineering aura. Alice swallowed hard. My God, why does this man always carry so many reactions that he did not expect.

"Mommy, can Axel sleep with daddy?" ask the boy in the middle of eating.

Alice looked at her son with an indecipherable look. He closed his eyes.

"Maybe next time" he said firmly.

Although Alice allowed Anson's visit, it didn't mean she was willing to loosen all her defenses.

"But Axel wants to sleep with daddy." Axel hit a spoon on the table, making a loud clanging sound.

"Axel, be nice tonight. Don't play the spoon!" reprimand Alice firmly.

Anson glanced at Alice in a flash and chose not to respond. Gently, he rubbed next to his son's shoulder trying to calm down.

"It's okay, we'll sleep together sometime. What if after this you go to bed and daddy tells me a new story?" it's full of promise.

Anson's voice was very soft. Carrying a faint beauty that slowly burst into Alice's heart. The woman weakly stared at a strong hand that rubbed her son. Hands that promise strength and protection. His unlucky hand, he longed for in a painful way.

Life is so unfair. How can a desire be mixed with hatred of equal capacity.

"I want daddy's superhero story." Axel stared expectantly.

Anson nodded lightly and continued to eat dinner. The mood became increasingly tense. There was not a single word that Alice put out for Anson. His communication was limited to his son. He half-deadly tries to think of Anson's existence as a past wind, but ends up failing. How could such a figure just be the background?

When he was done, Anson carried Axel to the room followed by a nanny. The man left Alice alone in the dining room. With a heavy breath, Alice stared at their departure.

Alice stretched her fingers. Her body was very tense being in one room with Anson. A foreign feeling akin to anticipation was always preparing to explode from his heart.

Inviting him to dinner was really a very stupid decision. They were like tense strings that were ready to break at any moment. The air between them gave off an aura of incompatibility.

As Axel's sleep task has been carried on by Anson willingly, Alice decides to spend some time by checking some of the pending financial statements on her business. Reluctantly, the woman enters the workspace that used to belong to Kendrick.

Books and articles on business are neatly arranged on shelves along the walls of the room. Map-maps are scattered along with important files and reports.

Alice took a map with the inscription "CAPITAL CHANGE REPORT" on it. He opened the map and immediately activated the computer to open a financial application updated to date. Several times he matched those reports with automatic calculations of the system he was using. Alice smiled with satisfaction seeing no difference from the two reports she examined.

Alice was immersed in the latest financial statements, trying to digest a lot of numbers. Time seems to pass so fast. Alice's dark hair unraveled the more messy it blocked her two beautiful eyes. Since her marriage to Krndrick, Alice decided to dye her hair dark.

After nearly an hour passed without feeling, a knock shocked him. Alice's forehead seemed to wrinkle with annoyance before finally reluctantly opening the door.

Alice's eyes widened for a moment. His face showed shock.

"Anson."

How did he find himself here? From the beginning of Anson's arrival, Alice had tried her hardest not to go head-to-head with him too often. He limited the space of movement himself, staying away from direct interaction. Except at dinner, of course.

"I want to talk to you about something." Anson said flatly.

Alice grumbled softly. He was disturbed by the presence of this man.

"There's nothing to talk about between us. If you're done visiting Axel, go home. I hope you don't forget where the exit is." Alice tries to close the door rudely, but is hindered by Anson's nimble footwork to confront her.

"We don't have to make a deal. I let you visit Axel it's been a miracle for you. Never discuss anything more than that."

There was a loud crack.

Without warning, Anson forced the door blocking them open with a loud push. Alice flinched back a few steps in surprise at Anson's actions.

Leisurely, Anson closed the door of the study. His towering body stood firmly blocking him from the only exit access. Alice narrowed her eyes looking suspiciously at the man standing a few meters away from her

"What do you want Anson? You're trying to intimidate me in my own house?" Alice walked around putting herself behind the desk. He needed a solid barrier to protect him from any intentions Anson was now thinking about. Although actually if you want to admit, any object in this room will not be able to hold Anson. Alice still had to try.

Alice regretted not keeping a gun in this room. He should have had to create full alertness for a guy like Anson. At least, he needed a pretty powerful weapon.

"If you're going to kill me here, that's not a good idea, Anson. This room has a security camera." Alice was a little relieved to realize that.

Anson chuckled softly. He still did not shift his place. Her sturdy figure with a side blindfold reminded Alice of the ruthless pirate figure.

"You think I'm gonna kill you?" Anson laughed cynically.

"Can. You're a crazy psychopath who has stained your hands with a lot of blood." Alice shuddered in horror. He recalled how Kendrick was slaughtered by Anson and his men. That memory was able to make Alice trapped in the deepest sadness.

"Yes. For the first time you're right, Alice. I'm a crazy psychopath. So if I want you dead, it's easy for me to do it. But I don't intend to kill you for now." Anson walked slowly closer to Alice. Each step he took brought a multiplied fear to Alice's mentality. It was as if the war drums had started to be pounded.

"You're really Anson's demon. One day your life will be ruined. When that happens, I'll be the most grateful person to see you suffer."

Anson laughed more and more. He was eager to tell her that right now, he was already suffering enough. She wants Alice very much, but is stuck with all her past mistakes. Instead of approaching and adoring Alice, she had to pretend to hate her. Because after all, this woman never deserves to have. Their gap is too high.

"If you hate me enough, why don't you take up arms and kill me yourself? Maybe you'll make it, Alice."

If Anson had to die in Alice's hands, maybe it could have been his own atonement. Had Anson not had Kimberly in need of her protection, Anson would have been tempted to leave her own life in the hands of this woman.

"Because I don't want to dirty my own hands to commit such a lowly act of murder. I love the peace and quiet. For Axel's sake, you can't bother me."

Thas right. After Alice recovered from the accident, no matter how much hatred she bore for Anson, she never had the slightest interest to disturb this man's life. The grudge in his heart was already eroded by a lot of sadness. Moreover, slaughtering Anson was something that was extremely impossible. Just bringing a lot of losses on his side.

He wants peace. He needs calm. For his remaining moral sake, he even relented to accept Anson's visit to his son. If all that is not appreciated by Anson, Alice really needs to ask the man's sanity.

"alright. Let's forget about this hostility. I want to make a deal with you about our son. In a month, give me two or three days to visit him. You can set any date you want. During those two days or three days, I will be completely with Axel. I don't want to just come in for a few hours then leave."

Anson sat in a lean chair across the desk. His two hands intertwined on the table showing the strength he possessed.

"alright. What if the last three days of each month? you can take Axel to your house. But you have to promise to bring him back. You've given this upbringing to me, Anson. You can't take back your words."

Alice surrendered. He should be able to work with Anson. Alice fears that if she does not approve this request, Anson will undertake another plan to take back Axel's custody. For a guy like him, anything he can do.

"I'll give it back to you." Anson nodded slowly. There was a clear seriousness in his eyes.

"alright. You can do that starting next month." Alice sighed heavily. His eyes were half closed.

Anson stood up and observed the woman's reaction to him.

"How much do you hate me, Alice?" suddenly tanyanya.

Alice gasped in surprise at this question.

The air between them grew increasingly tense. There was a terrifying aura that was ready to explode at this moment.

"Do you need to ask me something that's very obvious, Anson. I hate you half to death. It's just that I'm too smart not to lure you. You're a very cruel demon, Anson. Your hand has killed the man I love the most." Alice's two eyes lit up, revealing many thick auras of hostility. There was a deep wound from his face.

"I can be more ruthless than all that, Alice. You're still judging me from the surface."

Alice's forehead folded in. He looked at Anson with speculation.

"Do you mean to threaten me, Anson? Or do you mean to make me hate you even more?"

Anson chuckles and leaves Alice alone. Without giving an answer.

No one knew of an injured look Anson was hiding quite well. He clenched both hands on his side full of despair.

Anson closed his eyes, sipping the night air that seemed stifling to his broken soul. That hope had already begun to develop in a frightening manner. His feelings began to be out of control. He asked, just to be sure. Now that he had seen the hatred directly from the look in Alice's eyes, he wished that she could disappear as soon as possible. Nil. His old passion and obsession grew. It took an incredible amount of strength to push him back.

A powerful voice from within his soul, as if demanding him to regain control of Alice. From all sides that woman has.

...