He drove till he got to a mall and they both entered. Like she knew the place, she walked straight to the snacks aisle and began to pack some junk food into the crate he was wheeling.
Sullivan wanted to tell her to go easy on it but how could he when she was smiling at the bags of chips with that child-like excitement. Even with the accident, she should be weary and tired looking but Annabelle was glowing or perhaps it was just in his eyes seeing as he worshipped her every move.
With her youth, it was difficult to tell that she is twenty six already.
"What about that one on the top shelf?" She asked, pointing her finger at it.
He turned to check the products, his brows already furrowed at the tasty images drawn on it. Wouldn't she have an upset stomach if she eats these things?
Wouldn't it affect the healing of her wound or should he just hasten the process of her healing and feed her with his…he shook his head.
No. No. No going there. Not at all. Not ever.
He couldn't allow himself to be that selfish.
Anna knew he disapproved of her choice but she didn't care. She was about to say something when she saw them. Or rather, felt them across from her.
Just less than twelve feets separating them. Their smiles and giggles like they didn't shatter her whole life three months ago. If they turned, they would see her standing here. Looking weary, pathetic and scared.
These two people that had ruined her life were out and about, happily shopping and living like they didn't commit a crime.
Fary and Gigi didn't notice her but they were getting closer now and it made her start to panic.
Sullivan was still busy accessing the snack on the top shelf with keen eyes reading through the ingredients so he hadn't noticed the change in her emotion.
She glanced at the philandering couple some feet away and back at the man. She thought of what to do. Something she could do to keep them on their toes. To make them shake and twirl in fear that she had lived.
Knowing Gigi, if she saw her with Sullivan she would mock her. Call her a charity case because everyone knows Micheal Sullivan does not keep women around. In fact he despises them as much as he hates colors.
Which reminded her that he was wearing an all black outfit again compared to her peach colored wool blouse and faded blue boyfriend jeans.
Anna stepped closer, wanting to draw his attention to them. Eager to call him and ask him what she should do but for some reason her mind flashed back to the incident that had kept her away from him.
The one she had witnessed him do and had shocked her to the point where she went blank.
Paled to a moment where her heart had almost stopped working. Meanwhile, the man himself, Micheal Sullivan in his flesh and blood had gazed at her, clearly unfazed that she had just caught him in an act that would land him in jail.
He had wiped something off his brows and the blood stained his forehead. The streak of red slightly dull against his usual skin tone. Under the lightning, she didn't see properly except that she knew he had done it.
But then the light flashed. The moon shone like it was trying to expose his secrets and she saw it. She saw them. The one she had seen earlier. The one whose screech she had heard. The voice that pulled her to the crime scene.
Anna could still remember how shaky her legs had been. The man had stretched back then, risen to his full height and kicked the lifeless body at his feet. He stepped closer to her and she remained frozen already reciting her last prayers.
The Party was still going on at the main house and music was on full blast. One would have expected that classical music wouldn't be so loud but apparently, devices made these days can make the tiniest of whispers sound like echoed screams.
He stopped when he was at least three feet away from her. The metallic scent of blood radiating off him and she felt herself begin to shake, nausea brimming on the surface.
Even her breath was unstable, her legs were wobbly. Yet, Sullivan didn't in the least bit look affected.
From the scene, she could guess what had gone wrong. The other person must have caught him like she did and he had decided to silence the person. The dead tells no tale right?
Anna remembered seeing her whole life flash before her eyes when he took another step forward. Her legs almost gave in. But he leaned so slowly, brought one bloody finger to his lips and made a sign.
"Shhh…" it was so quiet she almost couldn't hear it with the epitome of the classical music reaching it's peak.
Funny how Lacrimosa was on play. It's as if the event organizers knew she would meet her death.
She thought he wanted for her to not speak while he quickly snuffed her as well but he just turned back and went to the crime scene again. When she didn't move from the spot, he turned around, lips stained with the crimson of blood and he shooed her away with his hand. Telling her to go.
Anna felt it was a sick act. Maybe he wanted to catch her while she ran but she ran and ran until she got to the party. Until she found her man and grabbed him. It has been five years since then and Micheal Sullivan still hasn't come for her.
She could remember telling Fary about him. Well not exactly his secret. She didn't want to die. "I don't like President Sullivan. Can you please not ask me to tag along when you go to places where he is?"
Fary had laughed it off at that time. He was glad that she was one of the few women who didn't fall into the Sullivan charm. Little did he know.
It would have been nice if their encounter stopped there. But she saw him again, after her marriage and it was then. That was when she knew…he had a crazy glint behind those amber eyes.
That he was definitely hiding a beast beneath that quiet expression of his.
And she could sniff that he was more than dangerous and completely different from them. That what she had seen that day was simply the tip of the iceberg.
'Why am I remembering these things?' She thought.
Anna guessed it was the fear she felt from seeing Fary and Gigi together. It was that fear that reminded her of the one she felt when she had caught him back then.
At that time she had thought nothing could ever beat that leg wobbling fear and she was right. Even right now, when she felt really scared, it still couldn't compare to his chilling gaze and his blood stained hands.
Nothing could beat the type of fear Micheal Sullivan commands in people.
Not even the sight of the two people who tried to murder her three months ago.
"This doesn't look healthy." She heard him whisper. She wanted to assume he could see her from his peripheral vision but she didn't want to take risks.
What if unlike her, he wasn't attuned to noticing these lechers who were now moving closer to them? What if he doesn't understand that she can't let herself be caught like this? Standing by his side utterly exposed and evident she didn't have anyone to rely on anymore.
Only one thing came to her. It was a horrible thought and she shouldn't dare to insult him in that manner. And now that she had briefed her mind of his secret, she should be appalled by it. Disgusted by the thought but it was perfect for the moment.
There was nothing Gigi hated more than her doing better than her and nothing would rock Fary off more than seeing her with a better man.
She shouldn't be using the man like this, not in this regard at all but nothing she could do.
They got even closer. They would smell the pity off her and know what dragged Sullivan to her. They would know she had nothing to use against them. Nothing to her name.
The man was looking through other snacks and she could feel the disapproval towards them radiating off his back. She grabbed his pinky and he turned around. So quick she almost felt that he had been electrocuted by her touch.
Before he could speak a word, she leaned on her toes, grabbed him by the lapels of his suit and pulled him to her height before crashing her lips against the fullness of his mouth the same way she had crashed into his company.
Except that this time was different.
This time she had a choice. And she made it. He appeared shocked, lovely eyes slightly rounder than usual before she closed her eyes.
She expected it to last a few seconds but he did something surprising.
Something that made her insides jittery and had butterflies fluttering around in her stomach and chest.
Sullivan chuckled against her lips, his hand snaked to her waist and he pulled her closer. Into a warm muscular body. Rigid lines of perfectly sculpted skin, his heart beating against her breast as he returned the kiss. Pressing his mouth to hers while biting her lower lips softly.