The Lost And Forgotten Memories

      A little bit more than one hour later, Daniel, Peter, Edward, and Terrence went to Maximilian’s home to show him the video of the mockeries toward Anna and tell him everything they knew. Rose quickly organizes the watch of the video by copying the file onto Mr. Seymour’s laptop. Anna’s father gets terribly shocked after watching the first few seconds. Seeing Julian mocking his daughter wildly makes his heart squeeze painfully. Even watching the video for the second time, Daniel, Terrence, Peter, and Edward can barely hold their emotions down, and Sammy whines quietly, sitting next to the blond.       After watching the record, Maximilian says nothing for a few seconds, sitting on the writing table with dumbfounded eyes in front of the laptop, leaning on the table with his elbows and on his hand with his head, and trying to come to himself after what he saw.       “I don’t know what to say…” Maximilian exhales sharply and shakes his head. “I’m overwhelmed after what I’ve seen.”       “Sadly, it’s true,” Daniel replies with sadness in his eyes. “Anna is in great danger… And if we do not find a way to save her, the consequences will be terrible. Now you’ve made sure about it.”       “Lillian is surely going to have a heart attack when she sees the mockery of her daughter.”       “We are very sorry that you had to see it,” Peter says with sadness in his eyes. “But you should’ve known who Julian Potter was.”       “Son of a bitch!” Maximilian hits his fist against the table. “This is how he loves my daughter! This is how he wants to help her!”       “I understand you didn’t want to believe he wasn’t decent,” Daniel says hesitantly. “Your family has known the Potters for ages. It’s hurtful to get a stab in the back from an unfamiliar person than the one you’ve known for ages and even considered your close friend.”       “I will not leave it unnoticed!” Maximilian says confidently. “Now we will do our best to put that stinker and his father in prison. These assholes will pay for what they did to my daughter. If I see them, I will cut their throats!”       “Trust me, we’re also shocked by such terrible violence toward the unprotected girl,” Terrence says confidently. “And we can’t believe it could happen to Anna… Who was always such an innocent and tender girl.”       “Yeah… Although she has a will, my daughter is very quiet, tender, and educated.”       “And I’m afraid that the man uses it,” Edward assumes with sadness in his eyes. “She thought she’d save her parents if she sacrificed herself. But she did not.”       “At some moment she started to cover that stinker Julian, while he was pretending to be an angel, hugging, and kissing my daughter, and was nice to my ex-wife and me.” Maximilian sighs heavily. “Gosh… I imagine how hard it was for her…”       “We understood it,” Terrence nods. “When I was in the hospital, and Raquelle, my fiancée, was with me, Anna came to us. And I was shocked by what she became.”       “I noticed that Anna changed a lot a long time ago, but I didn’t dare to think of blaming Julian. Even if my daughter originally blamed him. Not Daniel. But Julian.”       “Raquelle and I tried to talk to her, but, as you said, she tried to prove that Julian was good. Anna lied openly and slandered Peter. He kind of dreamed up everything, and Julian did not beat and insult her. You see how much that man terrified the girl!!”       “But we all know that Peter did not lie. This video is a wonderful proof. We have a chance to get a punishment for that bastard.”       “I thought this record would be needed if we had to prove his fault,” Peter confesses. “My hands reached my pocket, took my phone, and started to film…”       “That’s good you did it. Now we have some hope to get a punishment for that bastard.”       “Yeah, but…” Peter inclines his head for a second. “I’m very sorry about not trying to protect your daughter… I… I’m asking you for forgiveness again.”       “It’s alright, Peter, don’t blame yourself. I think it would’ve hardly changed something. You could have suffered seriously if you had fought with him alone. If that stinker beat Anna in the parking lot of the shop where there were many people, he would have easily brought you to the hospital.”       “I know, but…”       “Julian would’ve kept beating my daughter anyway. If you hadn’t been next to her, that cad would’ve started to mock her much more. Trust me, guys, that bastard could do anything. Remembering how he threatened me with a knife at my own home.”       “Do you think he would have dared to beat your daughter and also…” Daniel says hesitantly. “Kill her?”       “I’m afraid of it more than anything. Because that bastard has a knife with him, we can expect anything. Someday, Julian and Normal may even wish to kidnap Anna and claim something to let her go or kill her quietly. And we would hardly prove that they did it.”       “By the way, Mr. Seymour, do you know when Julian and his father are going to come back?” Edward specifies.       “Sadly, I don’t know. They did not call a specific day, but they said they left for a long time.”       “Could they be back suddenly?” Peter asks. “Without warning?”       “I think so. We can expect anything from them.”       “Excuse me, Mr. Seymour, but the policeman, who you and your ex-wife talked to…” Daniel says thoughtfully, stroking his chin. “Might it happen that he is related to the family of Julian? Maybe, that man knows someone? For example, the father of that stinker?”       “I was reflecting on it. And I don’t exclude this version. I don’t believe that the police easily refused to start the investigation. They should’ve accepted the application of Anna’s mother and me. The case is very serious: threats, blackmail, and violence towards our daughter. And having a doctor’s certificate, we have a higher chance to put him in prison.”       “Having the video would be enough,” Edward notices confidently. “Of course, taking a record of Anna’s bodily injuries would be hard. But this record is our everything. Julian can deny that it wasn’t him in the video as much as he wants, but he will not avoid the punishment.”       “Now the police will not dare to turn Lillian and me around after watching this video and say there is nothing criminal about it,” Maximilian says coldly, clenching his hands into fists tightly. “Otherwise, I will turn the police station upside down!”       “Listen, Mr. Seymour…” Terrence says thoughtfully. “I think we could help you get the case open.”       “Really?” Maximilian rounds his eyes. “But how?”       “Ask our familiar policeman for help.”       “Your familiar policeman?” Maximilian gets straight, looking at Terrence questioningly.       “Yes, that’s the old friend of the father of Terrence and me,” Edward explains. “They’ve been friends for ages. That man is a captain of the police. He is very smart, experienced, and trustworthy. You and your ex-wife can surely count on him. If someone comes to him, he always helps.”       “Besides, he knows something about Anna’s situation,” Peter adds.       “Hm, it’s interesting…” Maximilian frowns slightly, stroking his chin.       Sammy barks quietly, as if he agrees with the men.       “Of course, he will also need proof, but you can be sure that your report will be admitted,” Daniel says confidently. “Moreover, we have the video, on which you can clearly see that man’s face. So, they must listen to you. Yes, you were not lucky the last time and went to the Potters’ friend, but our familiar will surely help you.”       “Alright, men,” Maximilian pronounces. “When Lillian comes here, we will talk about it again. But I think Anna’s mother will agree to talk to your familiar. Since you all know my daughter and befriend her, we can trust you. No matter what, Anna can really pick up friends.”       “Not only do the men and I worry about her,” Terrence notices. “We have a few more friends, who Anna knows. They are all worried and want everything to be over well.”       “And the girls are really worried about her!” Edward exclaims. “They’d be happy to do something, but they don’t know what.”       “Yeah, the girls…” Maximilian sighs quietly with sadness in his eyes. “We were unfair to them… Unfair… The girls are probably not as bad as we always told her.”       “I think she got a little better after speaking to them,” Daniel assumes.       “Right… At first, Anna sat in her room all day and refused to go out. And when Julian came and took her somewhere, it was definitely torture for her. But now, after the Potters have left, she meets her friends. Yes, of course, Anna hasn’t come to herself yet, but something has changed. For sure.”       “Don’t worry, you can trust those girls,” Peter replies confidently. “They’re very good girls, whom Anna has known since school. Better than the men and I.”       “I know, guys, I know… And I’m very sorry for having such a bad opinion about them. Anna’s mother and I banned her from communicating with them because we thought they impacted our daughter badly and literally untied her hands. Anna was always an active and talkative girl and wanted to live to the fullest. But we always tried to control her and everything she did. We thought we knew everything better. We wanted to make her a shy, educated lady.”       “But Anna is very educated and shy,” Daniel notices. “She can be gentle and knows all the limits. And she can do anything: cook food, watch the house, clean it, sew something… Nothing to reproach her for!”       “Yeah, she definitely memorized everything we taught her.”       “Excuse me, did you really let her violate the rules at times?” Edward asks.       “Truth. I was the only one at home, who didn’t care about my daughter's behavior at times. I was just sure she was a young girl, who should’ve had fun, not spent hours reading books.”       “She has never done anything bad and has always behaved very shyly,” Daniel says confidently.       “But even if Anna was growing up in a harsh condition, she was never treated like a doormat. We never screamed or beat her. And even in this situation, my daughter wasn’t sad. However, she couldn’t bear the aggression of that bastard.”       “But she has a power of will. A wish to fight for what she wants. If Anna wants something, she gets it. Determination and a sense of purpose are in her blood.”       “Oh, Daniel, I’m afraid she doesn’t have it all,” Maximilian sighs with sadness in his eyes. “Anna has given up on Julian and does not fight with him.”       “Don’t forget that the poor girl was alone for a long time and couldn’t count on anyone.”       “Gosh, she was such a smiling and sanguine girl full of energy and strength… Looking at her without tears is impossible! That bastard did his best for my daughter to repeat that she’s ugly, worthless, and stupid. She cries all day and can’t think of anything but her alleged weaknesses.”       “But not everything is lost,” Terrence notices. “Anna can overcome that. She just needs someone to be strong and able to protect and comfort her. If we all are by her side, she will come to herself.”       “I support it,” Peter agrees. “There is a difference between the Anna I saw in the shop and the Anna we met in the hospital. That man’s departure impacted her for the better. Yes, she has a trauma, but she can get rid of it if she gets help in time.”       “Maybe,” Maximilian pronounces thoughtfully. “But no matter how this story ends, Anna’s mother and I will consult with a psychologist. Find out what to do in this situation. And get ready to take our daughter to the one.”       “She will not say anything by force. A psychologist could help Anna if she wanted it. Otherwise, it would be a waste of time and money.”       “But we would know how to behave.”       “Anyway, her friends are always near,” Edward replies confidently. “We are happy to help her forget that nightmare and believe in her again.”       Sammy barks quietly, looking at everybody with his sad eyes and still sitting quietly next to her. Silence settles for two seconds, and then someone rings at the door.       “It’s probably Anna’s mother,” Maximilian assumes.       While Daniel, Terrence, Edward, and Peter stay where they are, looking at each other sometimes, Maximilian goes to the hall door, opens it, and sees Lillian on the doorstep.       “Hi, Lillian,” Maximilian greets gently. “Thanks for coming.”       With these words, Maximilian greets Lillian by hugging her amicably.       “Hi, Max, sorry, I’m late,” Lillian replies amicably.       “No, no, you’re not,” Maximilian shakes his head. “You’ve on time.”       “You scared me with your call! You had a very exciting voice.”       “I’m now talking to Daniel and his friends.”       “They’re here?”       “Yes. Go to my room. The guys are there now.”       Lillian locking her shaking fingers tightly enters the apartment after Maximilian invites her with the gesture of a hand. Then the man closes the door and brings the woman to the room where the others are. Anna’s mother pays attention to Daniel, Edward, Terrence, and Peter, who look at the woman and immediately understand that this is Anna’s mother, who looks elegant and well-groomed but scared enough. Silence settles in the air for a few seconds, but then the woman breaks the silence a little differently, still looking at the men, while Sammy looks at the unfamiliar person with interest:       “Erm, hello…”       “Hello…” Daniel, Terrence, Peter, and Edward pronounce at a different time.       “So… Are you Anna’s friends?”       All the men nod in approval and throw a short glance at each other. Daniel looks more excited than his friends because he met Anna’s mother for the first time. And because she did not like him at first, this acquaintance is a little embarrassed, saying softly.       “Alright,” Lillian pronounces quietly and bites her lip. “And who is Daniel Perkins? If I called the right name…”       “Erm…” Daniel stutters, looking at Lilian with a little scared look. “This is me…”       “Actually, I thought so. Seeing that you were more excited than the others.”       “Sorry…”       “Do not worry. I am nervous, too.” Lillian glances aside and comes closer to Daniel. “Not very nice for the acquaintance. But I’m glad we have finally met.”       “Me too…” Daniel pronounces hesitantly.       At this moment, Maximilian comes to everybody.       “Guys, let me introduce Lillian Seymour, Anna’s mother, and my ex-wife,” Maximilian says quietly.       “Nice to meet you,” Daniel nods. “Mrs… Seymour…”       Lillian and Daniel shake each other by the hand, sharing a slight smile to seem gentle.       “If you want, you can use the last name, Dickman,” Lilian says quietly. “That’s my maiden name…”       “As you wish,” Daniel pronounces.       “So, are you the one, who Anna lived with?”       “Yes, I am.”       “And these guys?” Lilian glances at Peter, Edward, and Terrence.       “They are my friends,” Daniel replies quietly and introduces his friends, pointing at them in the order, in which they stand next to him. “This is Peter, Edward is next to him, and Terrence is at the edge.”       “Nice to meet you,” Lillian says with a slight smile.       “Me too,” Edward, Terrence, and Peter pronounce amicably and shake Lillian by the hand, while Sammy just stands next to the blond and watches what’s happening with his tongue out.       “Sorry about being a little late. I had something to do.”       “It’s alright,” Peter nods.       “Alright, let’s talk about the business…” Lilian tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. “Maximilian told me you wanted to say or show us something. It would kind of save our daughter Anna.”       “Yeah, we really have something,” Daniel replies quietly. “Mr. Seymour knows everything.”       “Tell me, please. I must know everything about my daughter. There are tons of reasons why I am madly worried about her.”       “Erm…” Maximilian stutters. “You see, Lillian… The case is that the young men showed me one video.”       “What kind of video?”       “But I’m warning that what you’re gonna see will shock you.”       “Gosh, something happened to Anna?” Lilian gets horrified. “For God’s sake, Max, don’t waste time!”       “Let’s sit down first.”       With these words, Maximilian brings Lillian to the office chair, seats her down, and opens the video. The woman quickly notices that everybody gets very nervous and starts to suspect she is going to see something horrible. Her heart beats much faster when Mr. Seymour finally opens the file and plays the video. The eyes of Lilian getting sharply white rounds more and more, and she starts to shake from what she hears in the dialogue of Julian and Anna and the way he beats her not paying attention to the poor girl’s tears and shouts. The woman closes her mouth with a hand and barely holds down her tears, making much more sure that Julian is a very dangerous man, whom her daughter must not be with.”       After the short video ends, Lillian sits on the chair for a few seconds, leaning on the table with her elbows, closing her face with both hands, and sobbing quietly multiple times, while Maximilian holds her by the shoulders softly.       “Oh, God, my daughter…” Lillian pronounces quietly and loudly sniffs. “My poor daughter… My gosh…”       “My heart bleeds when looking at these mockeries toward my daughter,” Maximilian replies with horror in his eyes.       “We did want to marry Anna off to that bastard!” Lillian puts a hand on her forehead and shakes her head. “My gosh… God…”       “I can’t believe those scumbags deceived our family for so many years. They pretended so good and innocent, but they were actually poisoned snakes.”       “We almost destroyed our daughter, Max.” Lillian makes a quiet sob, moving her wet eyes to Maximilian. “We almost signed her death sentence! The marriage with Julian would’ve been a fatal mistake for her! The connection with the Potters would’ve led to her death. Even if she had gotten married to Ryan, his brother and father would have made her life hellish.”       “Yeah, those assholes would’ve shut Anna up. And what if she had children with that bastard? What would happen to the babies of the sick father and grandfather?”       “Even if Anna really wanted, she would’ve hardly run away from Julian alone and especially with her children.”       “Do you think Anna could guess what a scumbag he was?” Maximilian asks hesitantly. “Maybe, it’s one of the reasons why she resisted it so hard?”       “I don’t know, I know nothing… Nothing…” Lillian closes her face with both hands and sobs two times. “I’m gonna lose my daughter! Because of that son of a bitch and his father, I’m gonna lose what I live for!”       “No, no, Lillian, don’t worry,” Maximilian pronounces quietly, hugging Lillian around the shoulders. “We will not lose her.”       “That sick scumbag beats our daughter, insults her, humiliates her, and claims his rights, even if he’s nobody to her! And we can do nothing to save her! Gosh, how could we be good parents after that!”       “We have a chance to save her. Thanks to these men, who are ready to help us.”       “Gosh, why? Why does my daughter suffer like this? What did she do? How could such an innocent angel suffer so much? What kind of injustice! Why do some scumbags live quietly while decent people suffer?”       Watching Lilian crying bitterly with pity in his eyes, Sammy whines quietly, comes closer to her, and sits down in front of the woman, patiently waiting for the moment when she wants to pay attention to him.       “But wait…” Lillian sniffs quietly and moves her eyes to Daniel, Peter, Edward, and Terrence, wiping her tears under her eyes. “Young men, how did you get this record? And what do you three have to do with her?”       “We are friends of your daughter,” Terrence replies quietly. “Not as long as the girls, whom she has known since school, but we three find Anna our close friend.”       “And how did you get the video? Who gave it to you?”       “Actually, Peter gave this record to us,” Daniel explains, pointing at Peter. “He met your daughter and Julian in a shopping center and became the witness to everything you saw on the video.”       “It’s true,” Peter nods confidently. “At first, I met only Anna near a shop for modeling stuff. And then Julian came to us, said Anna was his girlfriend, and left with her quickly.”       “Modeling?” Lillian wonders. “But what does it have to do with Anna? She doesn’t know what that is!”       “But Julian is obsessed with it,” Maximilian says thoughtfully. “Norman has always loved talking about this stinker creating some models of cars and airplanes. And his sonny does adore praising what he creates and wants people to admire his works.”       “Right,” Peter confirms. “But I must notice that he said ‘they’ were interested in the modeling, not ‘he’. I mean, Anna and Julian love it. Since he loves modeling, she loves it, too.”       “Alright…” Lillian nods. “But how did you get that record?”       “I met them later in the parking lot. I mean, I just saw them. They did not see me. I hid behind my car and decided to watch them. So, that man was acting like Anna was his property. He was mad that she talked to me and said he banned her from speaking to her friends and especially men. He let her know she allegedly had no rights. She only had one right. I mean, duty. She must obey him. And you know what happened later because it was on the video that I decided to take.”       “And did you do nothing to help her?”       “Sadly…” Peter pronounces with sadness in his eyes. “I’m sorry about not helping your daughter… I was scared… I was afraid to get in touch with that man, who I did not like. Thought I would not be able to deal with him.”       “You know… Although I don’t like the fact that you did nothing, I think it would’ve changed nothing. Julian would’ve kept mocking Anna. And he would’ve definitely gotten much madder.”       “I know… Anyway, forgive me…”       Lillian says nothing for a few seconds, trying to accept what she heard, still being shocked, breathing a little heavily, and rubbing her shaking hands nervously.       “I’ve always thought Julian was suspicious,” Lillian confesses quietly and sniffs. “I have never liked him. Though, I didn’t think this man was so nasty… His father is also not an angel. He’s as nasty as his older son, as I understand. Only scumbags could teach their children to be bastards.”       “Yeah, Norman is a very slippery man,” Maximilian agrees, stroking his chin. “He can step on others to get what he wants. He has always been a cold and stoned man. And it was very hard to work with him because he always wanted to take a better part.”       “He is a rag! But we had to smile at him and be gentle.”       “Trust me, it was also disgusting for him to smile at us.”       “Yeah, but why did these two decide to choose your daughter as a victim?” Daniel wonders. “If you had some misunderstandings, it doesn’t mean they should’ve used the innocent girl for revenge.”       “I think it’s all Norman,” Lillian assumes. “He can’t forget that he almost lost his money because of our fault. Yes, Maximilian and I made a great mistake, but it happened accidentally. Because of not being careful. We didn’t mean to bankrupt Norman.”       “And what about your daughter’s marriage with his son?” Terrence frowns slightly.       “The cancellation of her wedding with Julian also got him furious. And that situation would’ve made him angry, no matter if my daughter had gotten married to Ryan or not. His goal was the marriage of Julian and Anna.”       “Was it so important to him to make her the wife of that man?”       “To him and the parents of Maximilian and me.”       “By the way, we heard that Ryan had a bad relationship with his father and brother,” Edward recalls thoughtfully.       “It’s true,” Lilian nods. “Norman has never loved his younger son and called him his pride, even if Ryan is way smarter than Julian. If not for his father, Julian wouldn’t have gotten a good job because that man is non-educated. He barely graduated from school and was one of the worst students.”       “And did he treat his younger son like this because he’s not a part of their tricks?”       “Who knows. But Ryan is the only decent person in their family. I’ve always liked that guy. Educated, smart, decent, responsible… He doesn’t speak to bad people… That’s the one, who Norman must call his pride! Having a son like him is a blessing!”       “And does Ryan treat Anna well?”       “Ryan treats Anna very well. They are of the same age and have befriended since a young age. My daughter has always gotten on well with him. And he’s always been nice to her.”       “I’m surprised that such a decent man could come from this terrible family,” Daniel notices. “Ryan was supposed to be the same cad, looking at what his brother and father did.”       “I think Ryan just took after Genevieve, his late mother. She was a wonderful woman, who he loved very much. Genevieve was always close to Ryan. He was devastated after her death for a long time. Or maybe, he hasn’t come to himself yet…”       “And what about her relationship with Julian and Norman?”       “She was the only one, who could control Julian and Norman’s wide personalities. Genevieve kept everything in order and was harsh to them. It helped her hold them down somehow. But after her death, they got really loose.”       “Maybe, that's the reason why Julian treats women so terribly?” Peter assumes. “His mother controlled him then, and he wants to control Anna now.”       “Who knows. But I didn’t think Julian hated women so much. And Norman never said a bad word about them. There was no discrimination. But I don’t exclude that they just hid it so hard.”       “Excuse me, Mrs. Seymour, do you know whether there’s something that we could put Julian’s father in prison for?” Terrence asks hesitantly. “Well, expect the plan of mocking Anna… Maybe, he somehow did something, for which he didn’t pay?”       “I don’t know… But I wouldn’t be surprised if it were true.”       “I would like to try to find out something,” Maximilian frowns slightly. “He may obviously be caught in fraud and corruption. Norman is hardly such an honest businessman. He could do something wrong with taxes and reports and own someone’s money.”       “If something happened, the police have archives of cases with his name in them,” Edward replies confidently. “Moreover, we could also try to find dirt on Julian. What if that asshole was caught on something.”       “Yeah, but who would give us access to the archives?” Lilian throws her hands up.       “If the police open the case for those people, they may examine the archives and probably reopen one of the old cases.”       “Maximilian and I were at the police a few days ago. But the policeman refused to listen to us and said he would not accept our application without any proof.”       “They will not, this time,” Peter replies confidently. “We have the video that does prove Julian’s fault for hurting Anna psychically.”       “Oh, honestly, I’m not sure if this video will help us.”       “Don’t worry, Mrs. Seymour, we can do this. We have the checked familiar, who could help us save Anna and examine all the archives.”       “What if that man refuses to listen to us?”       “No, Lillian, I think he will listen to us,” Maximilian replies confidently. “The guys are ready to vouch for him. Moreover, as Terrence and Edward said, that man is a friend of their father.”       “That’s true,” Terrence confirms. “That man is trustworthy and very experienced.”       “He’s a fair policeman, who knows his business,” Daniel adds. “That man has investigated very hard cases and could ask his familiar lawyer to help us. Somehow, he helped the MacClifes put one terrible man in prison.”       “The MacClife are us, just saying,” Edward specifies, pointing at Terrence and himself.       “You know, young men…” Maximilian pronounces thoughtfully. “Give me the number of that man. Lillian and I will talk to him today.”       “Wait, I shall find it on my phone now.”       While Edward takes his mobile phone and finds the number, Maximilian comes to the writing table and looks for something. And when he finds a piece of paper and a pen, MacClife, Jr., writes down the number of Victor Johnson, putting his mobile phone on the table with the screen turned on.       “That man’s name is Victor Johnson. He knows much about Anna and tried to help us with a piece of advice. But the only thing he advised us was to help Daniel get his memories back as soon as possible because he was the only one to know how to contact you.”       “Say you came from Edward, Daniel, Peter, and me,” Terrence advises. “And in order for him to believe you for sure, mention the father of Edward and me. His name is Jamie MacClife.”       “Alright, I got it,” Maximilian nods. “Thanks a lot.”       Edward writes the number on the piece of paper that he gives to Maximilian. And while he puts his phone in his pocket, Anna’s father quickly runs his eyes over what is written on it and gives it to Lillian, who does the same.       “Yeah, thanks a lot, guys,” Lilian thanks with a slight smile. “We will talk to him today.”       “And yeah, it would be great if you showed him the video,” Daniel says thoughtfully. “I would do it, but I thought I should’ve shown the record to you.”       “We surely will,” Lillian promises confidently. “To Maximilian and me, saving our daughter from that monster is more important.”       “But be careful,” Edward warns. “Julian said Anna would be dead if you started to look for help.”       “No, we can’t fold our hands. If we do nothing, we will lose Anna for sure! I am not going to give my girl to that psycho bastard.”       “Lilian is right,” Maximilian agrees. “First of all, we must save Anna. We think about ourselves much less. We should protect our daughter from Julian.”       “Anyway, you can count on us,” Daniel says confidently. “We are taking the responsibility to protect your daughter. Anna will be okay. I promise you.”       “I wish…” Lilian says with sadness in her eyes.       “By the way, Peter, could you copy this video to a flash drive?” Maximilian asks.       “Yeah, sure,” Peter shrugs.       “Sit down,” Lilian pronounces and gets up from the chair to let Peter do it.       “I will find a flash driver now…” Maximilian looks around for two seconds. “I have an empty one…”       Maximilian comes to the table and starts checking all the drawers to find what he needs, while the others watch him and look at each other.       “How high is the chance to punish that stinker and save Anna?” Lillian asks with sadness in her eyes, locking her fingers tightly.       “We would like to believe it’s high,” Daniel replies thoughtfully.       “It would be great if you were next to her and protected my daughter after Julian’s return to the city.”       “It’s impossible. Anna doesn’t want to see or hear me.”       “Maximilian told me about your situation. I’m glad you are fine but upset because of your breakup with Anna.”       “You know, I’m worried about this less than anything…” Daniel replies hesitantly, running his hand through his hair. “I mean… Of course, I’m worried and want to fix everything… But now knowing nobody and nothing threatens Anna is more important to me. And she will decide if she forgives me. I will not annoy her when this nightmare ends.”       “Of course, it’s your business, but I advise you not to give up so easily,” Lilian smiles mysteriously. “My daughter really loves you, Daniel. She confessed it many times and said she never loved anyone as much as she loved you. That’s what she said even after you cheated on her.”       “Even if it’s so, the offense will be stronger.”       “Excuse me, but you know cheating is a serious thing. No matter what, you hugged and kissed another girl, and my daughter saw it.”       “I know, Mr. Seymour. But I didn’t want it.”       “Even if a person finds the courage to forgive someone for cheating, they will always have doubts about their loyalty. They lost their trust. Yes, you can work hard and save your relationship. But sometimes even time can’t do this.”       “At least it saved mine,” Terrence says with a slight smile. “I also cheated on my fiancée when I felt lonely in my relationship. It was hard, but we overcame the crisis.”       “And I thought my fiancée cheated on me,” Edward confesses. “Though, she was slandered. But after that case, I don’t even dare to doubt her loyalty.”       “Aren’t your fiancées the friends of my daughter?” Lilian frowns slightly.       “Yes, Raquelle is my fiancée and Anna’s friend,” Terrence confirms confidently.       “As well as Natalia, my fiancée,” Edward adds.       “Maximilian and I have known about those girls since Anna was a child, but never seen them,” Lilian confesses. “Our parents didn’t like them and thought they impacted Anna badly. Corrupted her and made her forget all the lessons of good manners that we gave her.”       “You may not doubt those girls,” Daniel replies confidently. “I know Raquelle, Natalia, and Helene well. They are all good girls, whom the men and I befriend.”       “We’ve heard about Helene a couple of times. And we know she wasn’t studying with Anna.”       “She was studying with Natalia and Raquelle,” Terrence explains. “But we found out about it at the last moment.”       “Yeah, when Peter introduced her to us as his girlfriend,” Daniel adds. “At first, it was awkward, but then it got better.”       “I got it,” Lillian pronounces quietly. “We’re sorry about not trusting the friends of our daughter. We always made her speak to those, who we found decent. For example, the Potters.”       “I think she understands everything,” Terrence smiles slightly. “She understands you did it for her best.”       “Yeah, how did you all meet her?”       “Well, I met her when Raquelle and Natalia introduced me to Anna,” Edward confesses. “But I met her much later than the men did. Terrence was the first one to meet her. The girls suspected him of spreading the false rumors about Raquelle and didn’t miss a chance to press my brother to the wall when they somehow met him at a café.”       “And then I met Anna,” Daniel adds. “And some time later, I introduced her to Peter. I introduced her as my girlfriend.”       “Great,” Lillian smiles shyly and moves her eyes to Sammy, who is standing aside quietly and watching the others. “By the way, your dog is sweet.”       “Everybody liked him,” Daniel notices with a slight smile.       Sammy comes to Daniel, Edward, Lilian, and Terrence.       “A boy?” Lilian asks.       “Boy,” Terrence confirms, pets Sammy’s head, and yanks his ears softly. “His name is Samuel, but he prefers being called Sammy.”       “Good doggy. Yours?”       “No, not mine. It’s Helene’s one. And Peter is like a second owner to him and watches him when she is busy.”       “I heard she had a grandmother and a grandfather.”       “She’s got a grandmother,” Daniel says. “Her grandfather died three years ago.”       “That’s how…” Lillian pets Sammy’s head with a slight smile, while he wags his tail amicably. “My gosh… He’s so quiet… Doesn’t look like aggressive.”       “Come on!” Edward exclaims and yanks Sammy’s ears softly. “Sammy is a very kind dog. Amiable, funny, and obedient.”       “Gem, just a gem.”       Meanwhile, Maximilian finds a flash drive and gives it to Peter, who starts to do something on the computer but keeps listening to the talk.       “He’s really precious,” Maximilian notices with a slight smile, coming to everybody and petting Sammy’s head. “I liked Sammy.”       “By the way, did you know Anna has been afraid of dogs since childhood?” Lilian asks. “She was attacked by the one when she was a baby. The owner of the dog and Maximilian barely took it away from my daughter, who couldn’t calm down for a long time.”       “Yes, yes, she told us about that case when Helene brought Sammy to us,” Daniel confesses. “But we made Anna sure that this dog was very good and would not hurt her, and she kind of stopped being afraid of him. Though, she sometimes looks at him with a scare.”       “Oh, I still remember that case!” Maximilian exclaims and puts his hand on his heart. “I was scared literally more than her and was shaking from horror for a long time! And I got kicked by my parents, my father-in-law, my mother-in-law, and Lilian.”       “I imagine what kind of horror she experienced when that dog sank its teeth into her hand,” Edward says thoughtfully.       “Thank God, Anna was okay. She was only deeply shocked. We all spent a lot of time calming her down. And the scar on her right hand from the dog’s teeth still reminds her of that day.”       “Yeah, she could’ve lost her hand…” Terrence replies hesitantly.       “Yeah, but she did not do it.”       Sammy whines quietly and gets some attention from Daniel, who pets the dog’s head.       “By the way, young men, I would like to ask you…” Lillian says thoughtfully, putting her finger on her lip. “Didn’t you notice bruises, abrasions, or something like that on Anna’s body when she was in the hospital with you?”       “We couldn’t notice them even if we wanted,” Edward throws his hands up. “Anna always wore the same turtleneck that closed her arms and throat. And sometimes she put on something shapeless. Moreover, she had many cosmetics on her face. As if she was kind of trying to hide something.”       “We thought it was suspicious,” Terrence adds. “Now it’s hot enough to wear such closed clothes, and she never put on so many cosmetics.”       “And you’re absolutely right,” Lillian replies. “One day, Julian came here, and we talked to him. I mean, we listened to his lie about his wish to help my daughter. At some moment, Anna flipped a cup of hot coffee on herself, and I took her aside to help her get off the spot. But when I went to her room, and she hadn’t put on a sweater, her turtleneck got a little up and… I saw a couple of bruises on her arms. I immediately asked her about it. And Anna said she got them after spilling the hot coffee on. This explanation seemed stupid to me because bruises do not appear after a flipped cup of coffee. And I started to suspect that Julian could be the one to blame for that.”       “Excuse me, Mrs. Seymour, but how long ago did it happen?” Peter asks, still working on the laptop.       “I don’t know exactly… But one or two weeks ago. Or maybe, more.”       “I thought… What if those bruises appeared after the beating that you saw on the video?”       “Do you want to say everything happened on the same day?”       “I would not exclude it.”       “Don’t you know how long ago this video was recorded?”       “Erm… Somewhere a week or two ago.”       “So, quite possible…”       “By the way, I forgot to tell you that she had a bandage on her forehead some time ago,” Maximilian confesses thoughtfully. “Anna said she hit her head against Julian’s car, and he allegedly helped her treat the wound.”       “Right!” Lilian exclaims. “I also saw that bandage when I came here and met Anna for the first time in a while.”       “Oh, damn…” Daniel gets horrified.       “But it happened earlier than Julian revealed himself,” Maximilian notices.       “And Anna hit her head many times on the video…”       “She didn’t have a bandage when she left home. Anna got it later on the same day.”       “So, that was his work…”       “Gosh, I’m surprised that nothing happened to her. Anna could have ended up in the hospital with brain damage a long time ago.”       “I guess she already felt bad,” Edward assumes. “Anna could lose consciousness and feel nausea… She could just hide it.”       “She might be okay at first sight, but the consequences of the hits on the head still bother her,” Peter notices. “Julian was beating her strongly enough. So, she’d hardly get off it easily.”       “She must get examined by the doctor before it’s too late. If Julian keeps beating her like this, excuse me, she will be two steps back from her grave.”       “Don’t worry, Edward,” Maximilian pronounces confidently. “We will surely take her to a doctor and a psychologist in the nearest time.”       “We already told you about a psychologist,” Terrence replies. “Until Anna wants it, a psychologist will not help her.”       “Lilian and I will take her to a doctor, even against her wish. And we will not fold our hands. Especially now, when we have proof of Julian’s fault. And it would be good to put his father in prison. However, we have no dirt on him.”       “I’m sure that Mr. Johnson will find something. But now we will be looking for a way to protect Anna.”       “We only hope for you now, guys. Be next to her, protect her… If you have to do this, spend a night with her. This is the only thing we can do now.”       “Excuse me, don’t you have a bad presentiment about Anna?” Daniel asks hesitantly.       “What’s wrong?”       “I don’t know…” Daniel grabs his throat with a hand. “When you said Anna left somewhere, I felt kind of weird… I’m not quiet now…”       “But, Daniel, why do you think so?” Lillian wonders. “Julian is not in the city!”       “But Mr. Seymour said Julian and his father could come back suddenly. So, it means we might have no time to help Anna.”       “Do you think he will warn nobody?” Maximilian frowns slightly.       “I’m sure it will happen.”       “You know, I agree with Daniel,” Peter says confidently, turning on everybody. “Julian might come back at any time without warning. And I would not be surprised if he wanted to kill someone. If his father and he caught Anna where nobody could hear and see them.”       “Right…” Lilian nods. “He could do…”       “Do you know where Anna went?” Terrence asks thoughtfully.       “Anna said she wanted to look at the wedding dresses alongside her friends,” Maximilian replies hesitantly.       “Erm…” Edward frowns slightly and bites his lip slightly for a second. “Excuse me, Mr. Seymour… But as I know, Natalia went to the store with her mother, Raquelle, and Helene. But there was no word about Anna. I mean, she refused to go with them.”       “What do you mean, she refused?” Maximilian wonders.       “Do you want me to call her now and ask her to confirm it personally to you?”       While everybody frowns slightly and looks at each other, getting definitely suspicious after these words, Sammy looks at them questioningly, making very quiet sounds.       “But if it’s true, where is she now?” Lillian asks.       “And you are surprised why I’m not quiet…” Daniel says thoughtfully. “I did feel something wasn’t right…”       “I don’t understand…” Lilian moves her eyes to Maximilian. “Max, why did she lie to you?”       “I don’t know, Lilian, I swear…” Maximilian throws his hands up. “I don’t get it… Why would Anna lie?”       “Do you let her walk outside?” Terrence frowns slightly. “Or do you ban her?”       “No, no, I don’t. But I always remind her that she must be very careful.”       “So, didn’t Anna say when she would come back home?” Daniel concludes.       “She said she’d be back in two or three hours.”       “Maybe, we should call on her mobile phone?” Peter suggests. “Just ask her where she is now.”       “Anna left her phone at home,” Maximilian confesses. “It’s now on the table in her room.”       “Damn, I don’t like this…”       “Listen, let’s wait for one or two hours?” Lillian suggests. “If she doesn’t show up, we will take measures.”       “No, we better do something now,” Edward protests. “Julian might really come back at any time to do anything to Anna.”       “I think Anna does understand that it’s dangerous to walk in desert places, knowing she may be beaten, kidnapped, or even killed.”       “The only thing I can do now is drive in the city,” Daniel shrugs. “There are some places where Anna loves walking. If she is at one of them, we will bring her here.”       “Listen, maybe, Julian came back a long time ago and told Anna to meet him?” Peter assumes. “So, she said nothing to anyone! Because Potter told her to do it!”       “I would not exclude it.”       “Alright, let’s do what Daniel suggested and go to some places in the city just in case,” Edward suggests confidently.       “Yeah, let’s do it…” Daniel agrees, crossing his arms over his chest. “If Anna doesn’t come back home, we will think of what to do.”       “Do you think she might not come back?” Lilian asks with horror in her eyes.       “I don’t know, Mrs. Seymour. I have a very bad presentiment and am not sure that she is fine. But I will not panic and scare you and Mr. Seymour earlier. Let’s wait for a while…”       “We will wait without folding our hands,” Maximilian replies confidently and moves his eyes to Peter. “Peter, what’s up? Did you copy the video on the flash drive?”       “Yes, yes, it’s done,” Peter says, ejects the flash drive from the laptop, puts it on the table, and gets up from the chair.       “Alright, thanks a lot. Lillian and I will try to meet Victor Johnson, talk about the situation, and show him the video.”       “Talk to him after we leave,” Daniel suggests. “The earlier you do it, the better.”       “Don’t worry, Daniel,” Lilian promises confidently. “We will do it immediately.”       “Remember that we are always ready to help you,” Terrence replies amicably. “Just tell us what to do.”       “Now your mission is to defend Anna against Julian in any way. Maximilian and I will talk to the policeman and report him. But we don’t have enough strength to protect our daughter. We need your help.”       “Yes, guys, we believe you can do it,” Maximilian adds. “You’re all young and strong enough, and your doggy has sharp and tough teeth.”       “Whoever Julian is, we can deal with him together,” Daniel replies confidently. “He will pay for everything he has done to your daughter.”       “Please, Daniel, I’m begging you…” Lillian begs with pity in her eyes and takes Daniel’s hands. “Do something to save my daughter. I know you can do this. Now we can only hope for you. You are the only one, who we can count on.”       “You can count on me, Mrs. Seymour. Despite the current situation, I will do my best to help Anna. Even if it’s very hard, I promise I will not leave your daughter in trouble.”       “Anna will surely appreciate your wish to protect her and realize that you are not indifferent to her. Yes, she doesn’t say it aloud, but my daughter is waiting for help from you. She wants you to protect her.”       “My goal is not an attempt to excuse myself and become good. It’s a wish to know Anna is fine and safe. I don’t care about what she thinks of me. I will not take my words back.”       “Thank you, Daniel, thank you so much…” Lilian sniffs quietly. “Don’t betray us…”       “We will owe you all if you help our little girl,” Maximilian promises. “You could ask us for anything, and we would do anything for you. But for the Christ, save our daughter. Do what you want, but we want Anna to become the sanguine girl that she was.”       “Don’t care about us. The most important thing is to make those snakes leave Anna alone. She must not suffer because of what she doesn’t have to do with.”       “If Norman started all of that because of our accident mistake, he can deal with Lilian and me. We will deal with him.”       “It’s going to be okay,” Daniel replies quietly. “I shall do my duty.”       “Together, we will find a way to punish Julian and his father,” Terrence adds confidently.       “The girls will help us, too,” Edward notices. “The men and I will protect Anna, and they will provide for her soulful quiet.”       “You know, I think you all should protect your girls, as well,” Lilian says thoughtfully. “Who knows what might happen if one of them stood in Julian’s way. That man is crazy! And he hates women…”       “Obviously, Mrs. Seymour,” Edward nods confidently. “But Julian hardly cares about them. He only needs Anna.”       “Anyway, the best thing your girls can do is to be next to Anna and help her get an interest in life.”       “They will do the possible and impossible,” Peter replies amicably.       “We will also do our best to help her come to herself,” Terrence promises. “Anna can always count on us.”       “Thanks, guys,” Maximilian thanks with a slight smile. “I’m glad we’ve agreed.”       Sammy barks quietly and gets the attention of everybody. Peter pets the dog’s head and strokes his hair down, while the pet gets closer to him during the silence that settled in the air.       “Oh, alright…” Daniel breaks the pause hesitantly, massaging the nape of his neck. “Since we talked about everything, we better leave… Anna will not be happy to see me here…”       “Don’t worry, Daniel,” Lillian replies softly. “We will not tell Anna you and your friends were here.”       “Thanks a lot.”       Maximilian and Lillian say goodbye to Daniel, Terrence, Edward, and Peter by shaking them by the hand, pet Sammy’s head, and lead them to the hall door.       “Goodbye,” Daniel, Edward, Peter, and Terrence say goodbye at a different time.       “Goodbye,” Maximilian and Lilian reply.       “Sammy, come to me!” Peter makes a calling gesture.       When Sammy comes to Peter, the men leave Maximilian’s apartment, while he closes the door after them. They silently go down the hall and go down to the first floor in an elevator, and end up outside, noticing that it got a little colder, and there are many people, who are going somewhere for their business.       “So…” Terrence pronounces thoughtfully, stopping and turning on the men. “Now, when we’ve met both of Anna’s parents, I can say they aren’t so bad.”       “But our acquaintance was awkward,” Daniel notices. “However, it’s clear that Lilian has nothing against the girls or me.”       “She seems a kind and understanding woman,” Edward confesses. “Who truly loves her daughter and wishes her the best.”       “Yeah, why didn’t Anna get on well with her?” Peter wonders, putting his hands on his hips and throwing a short look at Sammy standing next to him. “That woman is really very good. I thought she wasn’t aggressive to us. Vice versa, she was nice enough.”       “I think they didn’t just understand each other,” Daniel replies quietly. “And Anna’s parents were too dependent on their fathers and mothers’ opinions. Though, Maximilian tried to fight somehow.”       “Ah, a teenage age…” Edward says thoughtfully. “Maybe, Anna did everything she was told in childhood. But her family lost control of her when she grew up.”       “Anyone would break down if they were made to do what they didn’t like,” Terrence assumes confidently. “I understand those people wanted to make Anna an educated girl with wonderful manners. But everything has a limit. Moreover, she was a child. A child wanna run and play with friends instead of reading something from the world classics and try to remember which hand to hold a fork with.”       “But I’ve gotta confess that their work was worth it,” Peter notices. “Anna is a smart and well-educated girl. Intelligent, shy, with a high education… She knows everything about good manners… She can cook and do homework and has never been lazy.”       “And I understand their negative attitude toward Anna’s communication with bad people,” Edward says quietly. “But their attitude toward Raquelle, Natalia, and Helene surprises me.”       “I don’t also understand how they could dislike such sweet girls,” Daniel replies. “And… Why they decided how an adult girl should’ve lived…”       “It was a closed circle that Anna broke,” Terrence assumes. “All of her relatives were educated harshly and made to think that older people knew what was better. They were deprived of their voice.”       “And Anna became the one not to accept it,” Peter adds. “And she did it right. Her family would’ve ruined her life if they’d made her get married to the one they liked, given birth to as many children as they wanted, and decided if she should’ve stayed home or worked.”       “I’m sorry that her parents realized their mistake too late,” Daniel replies quietly.       “I don’t exclude that the same could happen to the other members of the Seymours,” Edward says thoughtfully. “After getting rid of the influence of the older people, they tasted what was a forbidden fruit for them and wanted more. But changing something was too late because their lives almost came to an end.”       “I guess Anna’s grandparents would’ve been good people if they’d lived until today and shown their real emotions.”       “Just like Anna’s mother,” Terrence notices. “She didn’t like Julian but said nothing ‘cause she knew they wouldn’t have caressed her head. And nobody would’ve listened to her because older people decided everything.”       “But she made her family and the Potters sure that Anna should’ve gotten married to the other man,” Edward notices. “The agreement wasn’t kind of violated, but she kind of saved her daughter from marriage with the terrible man.”       “Now, she’s gonna talk about it bravely. Nobody can close the mouths of her and Mr. Seymour.”       “Oh, lads, there’s no need to talk about it…” Peter sighs tiredly. “Now our mission is to defend Anna from the bastard, who may come back to the city at any time.”       “But I don’t personally know how to do it,” Edward throws his hands up.       “She might agree to accept the help of you three,” Daniel assumes. “But that girl wouldn’t love to see me.”       “If the situation gets worse, she’ll have no choice,” Peter replies. “Anna will have to accept our help. Her parents will insist on it and won’t listen to her protests.”       “Exactly!” Terrence exclaims. “So, you shouldn’t listen to her and just do what you need. Anna can protest as much as she wants – saving her is more important now.”       “I shall do it,” Daniel says quietly. “I can’t give up now.”       Sammy barks quietly and gets some caress from Edward, who pets his head.       “Erm…” Daniel stutters, putting a hand on his forehead. “Okay, guys… We’ve gotta leave before Anna sees us.”       “And what do we do?” Terrence asks.       “I can drive you home and go to some places that Anna loves,” Daniel shrugs. “What if I’m lucky…”       “Dunno…” Peter sighs tiredly and looks at the watch that he is wearing on his right hand. “I don’t wanna go home… I have nothing to do there, and Marta went insane again… And Sammy’s gonna be bored…”       “No, you won’t make me go home for a long time,” Terrence raises his hands up. “First, I’d be home alone. And second, lying on the bed annoyed me to the fuck. I wanna finally breathe in some air…”       “Honestly, I don’t also know what I’d do…” Edward confesses, glancing aside. “Father is working, Mother went to her friend, and Natalia is busy, as you know.”       “Do ya wanna hang around in the city?” Daniel puts his hands on his hips and shakes his head to move off strands of hair that get into his eyes.       “If we say goodbye, I won’t go home. I’ll walk somewhere.”       “And I’ll walk with Sammy,” Peter says quietly. “Play with him… So, he runs a little…”       “So, let’s drive around the city together and go to Anna’s favorite places?” Daniel suggests. “And discuss the plan for protecting her.”       “I agree,” Edward shrugs.       “I’m with you, guys,” Terrence waves a hand. “I don’t wanna stay alone. I’d better be with you…”       Sammy barks confidently.       “As well as Sammy and me,” Peter says amicably. “The fluffy won’t refuse to drive in a car for a little longer.”       “Let’s go then,” Daniel makes a calling gesture. “We’ve got nothing to do here.”       The four men look at each other and go to Daniel’s car. When Perkins unlocks the car with a key and sits in the driver’s seat, Edward and Peter sit in the backseat, Terrence sits in the passenger seat, and Sammy sits down between Rose and MacClife, Jr., A few seconds later, the car gives a start, leaves the parking lot, and goes on the road, on which there are not so many transports. Daniel, Edward, Peter, and Terrence say nothing for some time and look at the breathtaking views behind the window with sadness in their eyes. But then MacClife, Jr., breaks the silence, quietly knocking at the door of the car with his fingers:       “Hey, Daniel… Do you really have a bad presentiment about Anna?”       “Yup, I’m not quiet,” Daniel confesses, taking the steering wheel tightly. “And her father’s answer made me more suspicious.”       “Indeed, why did she lie to him? She must understand that if something happens to her, nobody can find her.”       “I won’t hide that it seemed suspicious to me,” Terrence replies, leaning on the door with an elbow. “No, I could understand that she wanted to be alone… But it’s all kind of weird… Mr. Seymour said he didn’t track her current location on GPS.”       “I could only suspect one thing: Julian told her to meet him and say nothing to anyone,” Peter says thoughtfully, leaning back in the seat.       “Maybe, she didn’t actually know she’d meet him,” Daniel assumes, changes the speed with the gearbox, and presses the gas pedal harder. “What if Anna really wanted to breathe in some air?”       “Anyway, we should contact Helene, Raquelle, or Natalia and ask them about Anna,” Terrence replies. “If they really wanted to go all together.”       “Anna didn’t lie to Mr. Seymour,” Edward replies. “Natalia told me she suggested Anna go with her. She texted her on WhatsApp, but Seymour said she couldn’t go.”       “Okay, but if she wanted to walk somewhere, she could tell her father where she was going,” Peter says confidently. “Anna has nothing to be afraid of ‘cause, as Terrence said, he doesn’t track her current location on GPS.”       “Or you’re right, and Julian made her go somewhere,” Terrence replies thoughtfully.       “And if it’s the truth, she’s gonna get many problems,” Edward assumes. “That bastard may ask her to meet him where there’s nobody. So, he may do anything to her, and nobody would know it.”       “I’m making sure about this version more and more,” Daniel confesses. “And it makes the situation much harder ‘cause we don’t know where to find Anna.”       “By the way, I’m making sure that the police’s refusal to listen to Anna’s parents really has to do with Julian and his father,” Peter replies thoughtfully. “That could be the order of the Potters. If the Seymours came to him, he would piss them off. A good policeman would have the third-degree with that stinker. But they did turn them around so easily!”       Sammy barks confidently.       “You’re right, it was really a familiar of that scumbag,” Terrence says gloomily. “They could probably agree on something. I don’t exclude that Potter could bribe him. Give him a lot of money and rub his hands with a sly smile.”       “It reminds me of the story of Uncle Michael,” Edward notices without emotions. “He was always sure money and contacts would solve many problems immediately. Or, as that old bastard loved saying, when you have money, you are God.”       “Maybe, our uncle was an asshole, but he wouldn’t have mocked an unprotected girl so much.”       “C’mon, Terrence… If he had a chance, he would do that. He was just caught and put in a cell in time.”       “As well as his bribed friends. Wainwright… Eric Brown… Those two guards with a little brain for both of them… The only good person at that house was the girl, who worked as a servant at his house undercover.”       “Yeah, Catherine… She did it well… Nobody noticed anything…”       “That’s good Mr. Johnson helped you end this story,” Peter notices thoughtfully. “Otherwise, that man would’ve kept poising the lives of you, your father, mother, Natalia, and Raquelle.”       “Oh, no, if this man was free, I would go insane,” Edward moans quietly and runs his hands over his face. “If my uncle ran away from where he is now, I’d prefer shooting or hanging myself. Because I wouldn’t be able to take his bullying towards me anymore.”       “But I do know what I’m gonna do if that bastard Julian does something to Anna,” Daniel says in a lower, ruder voice, taking the steering wheel tightly. “If I see him, I will turn him into dust.”       “Mr. Seymour said Potter was very dangerous,” Terrence notices.       “I give a fuck,” Daniel changes the speed with the gearbox. “Even if he’s got a hunting gun! For Anna, I’d cut the throat of that asshole.”       “If only he didn’t kill Anna…” Peter expresses anxiety. “If she went somewhere to meet him, nothing would stop that stinker.”       “I’m afraid of it. I’m afraid that we won’t manage to find her.”       “And the worst thing is that we don’t even know the approximate place of the meeting…” Edward sighs tiredly.       “They may be anywhere,” Terrence replies.       “Thinking logically, they may only be where there are no people and autos,” Peter assumes. “So, the territory of searches gets several times less.”       “Yeah, do you know how many places there are in the city?” Daniel asks a little louder. “While we check them, Potter may do what I’m afraid to think of to Anna.”       “I know, but what if we’re lucky?”       “No, Peter, it’s impossible.”       “But since we decided to drive in the city, we should check as many places as we can,” Terrence replies confidently. “I know we might be late if Anna met that bastard somewhere, but we’ve gotta do just something.”       “I know, Terrence, but I have no idea of where to go!” Daniel shrugs. “We are now going nowhere! I’m going straightly – where my eyes look!”       “Okay, let’s try to exclude Anna’s favorite places,” Edward replies quietly. “As someone knows about them, that man will hardly wish to meet her there. He will meet her where he wants.”       “Fuck, that’s bad we don’t know so much about Potter,” Peter exhales sharply, rubbing his forehead with a hand. “And the fact that his hobby is modeling gives us nothing.”       “I could assume he would wish to take her to his home,” Terrence assumes thoughtfully. “As his father started all of that, he agreed with that man and would help Julian.”       “Listen, we should’ve gotten his home address from the Seymours,” Edward replies confidently. “So, we go to his home and kick his ass! Hit him in the face a couple of times and say this is a greeting from Anna’s mother and father.”       “Although you wanna put your fingers in the socket again, your idea is very good,” Daniel smiles slyly. “If I had the address of that bastard, I would do something he would never forget.”       “Relax, Perkins, you’re gonna have a chance to deal with that man,” Terrence promises and smiles mysteriously. “And my bro will get pleasure and wave his wings a little.”       “We wave our hands to save the life of the innocent girl,” Edward recalls confidently.       “That bastard will regret deciding to mess up with me,” Daniel says gloomily. “The one to attempt my girlfriend attempts me.”       “It’s okay, he’ll pay for everything,” Peter replies quietly. “For every single day that Anna suffered because of him.”       “By the way, lads… Do you think that man found out about Anna’s visits to the hospital?”       “Do you wanna say he’s got spies at the hospital?” Terrence wonders.       “I wouldn’t be surprised!”       Sammy barks loudly and confidently.       “What, Sammy, do you agree, too?”       Sammy barks two times.       “Okay, what about the police? Could that man or his father agree with someone from the police, so the report of Anna’s parents wasn’t accepted?”       Sammy barks loudly again.       “Anyway, we’ve solved the problem with the police,” Edward replies confidently.       “It definitely calms me down,” Daniel confesses and changes the speed with the gearbox. “But there’s hope that not everything is lost. Though, I’m scared of what that stinker could do to Anna if he knew about her trips to the hospital.”       “Nevertheless, the case has been moved from the dead point,” Terrence notices confidently. “We’ve completed all the missions. And then we’ll be acting depending on the situation.”       “I really wanna believe we’ll help Anna in time. And there’s a wish to help her parents. The Seymours shouldn’t suffer because of one man, who can’t forgive them.”       “Yeah, the mollycoddle was hurt,” Peter hums quietly. “The innocent people are suffering because of those bastards, who must be in prison!”       “It’s okay, it will be over soon,” Edward says confidently. “Those motherfuckers will feel all the pain that poor Anna is feeling now.”       “I’d love to believe…” Daniel replies thoughtfully.       Sammy barks quietly, as if he shows his support and gives hope that everything will be alright. The young men say nothing for a few seconds, think about something, and look at what they are passing by. And then Terrence sitting in the passenger seat notices something lying under his legs and takes the thing that bothers him.       “A pack of cigarettes?” Terrence pronounces amazingly. “How did it end up here?”       “Erm…” Daniel stutters, slightly biting his lip. “Actually, it’s mine… I was too lazy to get down and take it.”       “Wait, do you smoke?” Edward frowns slightly.       “I wanna stop doing this.”       “How often?” Terrence concludes.       “Well, sometimes… In stressful situations. Smoking always helped me relax when I was terribly nervous.”       “And how long?”       “Since a teenage age.”       “It seems like Connor was right when he got you caught with a cigarette in your hands a couple of times before a show,” Edward replies thoughtfully.       “Yup, that pizza face shorty didn’t lie.”       “But cigarettes may be a reason for voice issues,” Terrence frowns slightly. “It’s getting clear why it all started. Why you screwed our performances up.”       “It’s true,” Daniel replies quietly.       “But if you say you smoked in stressful situations, what did they have to do with it?”       “Everything has happened over the last few months. I’ve been too nervous all this time and started to smoke much more than before. Though, I used to smoke a couple of cigarettes per week. That’s my problem: when I’m nervous, I start to smoke a lot. I could easily empty a whole pack for one day.”       “And you’ve lately coughed very much,” Edward notices. “You sometimes coughed before, but now everything is worse.”       “And I suffer from it,” Daniel exhales sharply and changes the speed with the gearbox. “I almost hurt my throat… When I cough once, I can barely stop. I’d cough because I hurt my throat.”       “But why didn’t you say you smoked? Why did you never smell cigarettes? I personally can’t remember that!”       “I just got rid of the smell with some mint candies. I washed my hands well… Changed my clothes… I used some perfume…”       “Were you hiding it even from Anna?” Terrence wonders. “How could she see nothing if she lived with you?”       “Oh, Anna terribly disliked the fact that I smoked. And we often fought because of that. I didn’t get time to cover my tracks and got eventually caught. Though, I can’t be mad at her ‘cause she was mad for a reason. She cared about me. She wanted me to stop. Of course, I always swore to Anna that I’d stop smoking, but my hand reached a cigarette.”       “So, she knew it?”       “Yes, she did. I didn’t hide that I smoked. But the problem is not smoking. The case is that I tried to hide it. I smoked secretly. I lied that I didn’t smoke, even if I had smoked literally half of a pack. That’s what made Anna mad.”       “But why did you lie to her?” Edward wonders.       “I didn’t wanna get her mad. Anna is from a family, whose members never smoke or drink. The Seymours aim to live a healthy life. And… She disliked the smell of cigarettes… And when she saw roaches and aches somewhere in the living room, the scandal would’ve happened.”       “You should’ve known you had no right to lie to your girlfriend. A lie in a relationship is a way to nowhere.”       “I know, but I was afraid… I was afraid to disappoint her.”       “Sorry, buddy, but she was disappointed,” Terrence replies confidently. “If you smoked, you shouldn’t have hidden it. Yes, Anna would’ve been mad. But it would’ve been better if everything happened before her eyes.”       “I am sorry that I was hiding from her when I wanted to smoke. It recently led to the most serious conflict we had ever had.”       “Recently?” Terrence rounds his eyes.       “Yeah… On the day when I got hit by a car, I had a fight with her because of that… Such a big one that I got outta my home in anger and was just going where eyes looked.”       “So, that’s why you ended up there…” Edward nods.       “But I’m really sorry about it and understand I would’ve rather locked myself in a room or somewhere in my house.”       “We guessed that something happened between you. But we doubted it at times, seeing how much Anna was worried about you.”       “But we thought about nobody the hell knows what!” Terrence confesses. “We found tons of reasons for a fight: from a second affair to banal things.”       “No, I didn’t have and don’t have any affairs,” Daniel exclaims quietly.       “Was that fight so strong that you wanted to get out of home?”       “We were excited… Anna was mad because she found a roach that wasn’t burnt down in the living room, and I went mad because she shouted and read the lectures I didn’t want to listen to.”       “Why didn’t you the fuck burn the roach down?” Edward wonders. “You could’ve lost your house, idiot!”       “I know… And now I understand that Anna was mad for a reason. I understand she did it for the best… She took care of my health and was afraid I’d burn my house down because of my irresponsibility. I understood it, but… I was too mad.”       “Yeah, Perkins, you surprise us sometimes,” Terrence sighs tiredly.       “I’ve always been an irresponsible bonehead, who does stupid things.” Daniel chuckles quietly. “Who’s been madly lucky. Because I, for example, could’ve burned my house down a million times. I can’t cook and throw roaches where they might easily cause a fire.”       “Do you really, naively think smoking would give you relief?”       “I really got a little better. Cigarettes helped me get rid of stress and be able to go and do something. I… I’ve always liked the smell of smoke… I’ve liked holding a cigarette in my hands… Shaking it… It calmed me down…”       “If you wanted to shake something, you could take any other thing. A pen, a pencil, a pedant…”       “I know, but it doesn’t matter now. But I don’t deny that my condition got a little worse because of smoking. My voice changed, a cough annoyed me… And I got weak in a psychical way…”       “If you keep smoking, everything will get much worse.”       “Oh, Terrence, don’t pretend to be a good boy, who has never tried to smoke a cigarette. I don’t believe you’ve never tried to smoke.”       “Yeah, I tried to smoke a couple of times when I was a teenager, but it didn’t go far. I must confess that I’m a terrible smoker.”       “I tried it, too,” Edward confesses. “But I didn’t like it. And Father would’ve killed me if I’d started to smoke. He’s never smoked and minded that Jeremy, William, and I took a cigarette.”       “My mother also resented when she felt I smelt smoke,” Daniel replies thoughtfully. “But he had so much to do that she gave a damn about it later.”       “Still, stop smoking, man. It won’t give you anything good.”       “Actually, I haven’t smoked since I got hit by the car.” Daniel changes the speed with the gearbox. “And it’s amazing, but I don’t think about cigarettes even when I feel a strong stress. Even if I’ve got tons of reasons to worry and pull my hair out.”       “Anna swore on you for a reason. She was just worried about your health.”       “I also wanna wean myself away from this shit. At least for my health. Not to make my condition worse. And I’m doing this successfully so far. And I’ve lately felt a little better… I can breathe easier… And a cough isn’t so frequent…”       “Okay, Perkins,” Terrence says confidently, clapping Daniel on the shoulder. “Since there’s nobody to watch you, the guys and I are taking this responsibility.”       “If you get caught with a cigarette, we’ll kick your ass enough,” Edward promises.       “Okay, guys, I trust you,” Daniel laughs quietly.       “We’ll wean you away from cigarettes and bring you in a good sharp. You’ve lately kinda been out of your sharp.”       “But let’s solve the problem of Anna and then work on my health.”       “Don’t forget that you still have a band,” Terrence recalls confidently. In which you sing, just saying. Not just play a bass guitar.”       “You know…” Daniel cracks a smile. “I forgot about my band, honestly… I think about how to help Anna… I don’t care about myself, my health, my habits… I just want that girl to be okay.”       “Don’t care even about your breakup?”       “At the moment, her safety and quiet are more important to me.”       “Don’t worry, she’ll be back to you!” Terrence waves his hand. “She just needs time to think of everything and let her offense go. And don’t forget that girls adore men, who do beautiful things for them. These brave guys get better for them.”       “The cases of you and Edward give me a little hope.”       “It’s not the end, trust me,” Edward says confidently with a slight smile. “Actions can say a lot about the way someone treats you and open all the cards. You can tell everyone you love someone as much as you want, but not everyone can prove it.”       “I know, guys,” Daniel sighs tiredly and changes the speed with the gearbox. “I know…”       Sammy barks loudly two times, and Daniel cracks a smile, as he watches the road and tightly squeezes the steering wheel.       “Hey, why did Peter become silent?” Terrence frowns slightly. “Edward, he fell asleep?”       “Indeed,” Edward pronounces and claps Peter sitting next to him on the shoulder. “Hey, Pete…”       “I’m still here,” Peter replies without emotions, leaning on the door of the car with his elbow and running his fingers through his hair. “Not sleeping.”       “But why are you silent?” Daniel asks.       “I’m just listening to the talk… You know my opinion about it.”       “M-m-m, I see you know much more than Edward and me,” Terrence notices thoughtfully.       “Yeah, a talk with a bottle of beer was long and open.”       “Aha,” Daniel pronounces. “While Sammy was coming to himself after he got himself exhausted, Rose and I emptied a bottle of beer and talked about life. The past. The current situation.”       “Share it with us?” Edward suggests. “What if Terrence and I don’t know something about you?”       “Actually, there’s nothing to say…” Daniel replies thoughtfully. “We just talked about our families, got nostalgic for the old times, and played with Sammy… Who decided to swim in the pool.”       “Maybe, you tell us something about your family?” Terrence asks. “We know nothing about it. What was your life with your parents?”       “My life with my parents was good, but there was a lack of warmth sometimes. We had everything we wanted, but my parents had to sacrifice time for all of that. The time they could’ve spent with my sister and me. We only came together on holidays, but time went so fast that nobody memorized how everything was.”       “It always happens. To get one, you’ve gotta sacrifice another.”       “I think my parents were sorry about it and tried to fix it. They tried… To make amends with expensive gifts and big money in the pocket. They never spared money. Their gifts were always expensive.”       “And did you and Cassidy feel unhappy?” Edward asks.       “To some extent. But Cassidy suffered from a lack of attention much more. I didn’t care about it at that time and was worried just because I couldn’t spend time with my friends and meet girls. But now I realize that I suffered at the bottom of my heart. And I sometimes wanted opener talks with my parents. I realized I discovered everything by myself or with my friends’ help. I heard about sex, cigarettes, and many other things for the first time from other people.”       “And do you still think you lived well?”       “Yup, I didn’t complain about anything. I felt good. My parents promised to provide for me for some time and never refused to give me money. Everything was cool… Before Father died first, and then Mother did. From a heart issue. With a difference of a few months.”       “Couldn’t they live without each other?”       “Yeah. I saw an example of the perfect relationship. And I’ve always wanted the same… I’ve wanted to have the same caring girl that my mother was. Who never forgot about her, even despite a lot of homework. That woman always took care of her and never let herself look terrible, even if she sometimes wanted to relax.”       “Are you missing them?” Edward asks with sadness in his eyes.       “Very much… And I’d love to see my parents again. Especially, Father… I was much closer to him but loved Mother very much, too. Cassidy was much more attracted to her. But our father always understood me well. Even if we rarely talked because he was at work all day long.”       “And your mother?”       “Mother was busy with homework. She spent hours running on her hamster wheel… She went to have a rest only when the house was clean, and Father, my sister, and I were fed. And it never got her annoyed. She liked homework.”       “Did your parents go somewhere together?” Terrence asks.       “Yeah, but rarely. But the two liked that type of life.”       “Maybe, it seemed to you that you felt happy?”       “No, everybody liked everything. But if my parents had given more attention to Cass and me, our lives would’ve been better.”       “And that poor girl wouldn’t have experienced what happened to her,” Terrence says with sadness in his eyes.       “She just couldn’t accept our parents’ death. And under the influence of grief, she got in touch with a bad company that offered her drugs.”       “Did your mother give you enough attention after your father’s death?” Edward asks.       “Nope… She was crying all day long with photos of Father in her hands, taking a sedative prescribed by the doctor and sleeping, or working to earn some money. They respected her situation. And they knew she lost a husband and stayed alone with two children.”       “You should be together at these moments. Otherwise, you may go crazy from grief.”       “That was our mistake. We were together, but we were on our own. Mother said she didn’t wanna live without Father… I suffered because my careless life ended… And Cass suffered because nobody thought of her. She was a baby then.”       “Yeah, buddy, I ain’t jealous of you…” Edward sighs quietly. “Your life was the same bullshit as ours.”       “Right,” Terrence nods. “We thought you were a certain rich boy, who had everything he wanted.”       “No, guys…” Daniel shakes his head and changes the speed with a gearbox. “I earned almost everything I have by myself. It was hard. There were moments when I had nothing to eat and couldn’t buy new clothes to replace my clothes with holes. I almost lost my house a couple of times ‘cause I didn’t pay for my taxes and utilities. I wanted to howl and pull my hair out. I was close to hysteria many times. I thought I couldn’t take it. But… Things got better later, and I braced myself and finally realized that childhood was gone.”       “And you never looked like there was so much drama in your life.”       “I’m telling everything briefly. But when I brace myself, I shall tell you the full story of my life. Well, or ask Pete – he knows everything now. I’d even be grateful to him. Talks about my past have always been a pain in my ass. And… Hurt me…”       “We don’t make you speak,” Edward replies confidently. “When you’re ready, you’ll do it.”       While Edward, Daniel, and Terrence talk, Peter listens to their talk silently and then, squinting slightly, turns back, starts to look at something he sees from afar, and rounds his eyes immediately. However, Sammy also pays attention to something and starts to bark loudly, making the men stop their talk.       “Sammy, what’s wrong?” Terrence wonders. “Why are you barking?”       “Daniel!” Peter jabs excitedly and starts to clap on the driver’s seat. “Daniel, stop the car! Now!”       “Why?” Daniel frowns slightly.       “Stop it, I say!”       “Sorry, dude, but there’s no restroom here. You have to wait. And tell Sammy the same if he wanna pee my car.”       “Just shut up and stop the car!” Peter demands a little louder.       “Fuck, what’s going on? Explain it clearly!”       Meanwhile, Edward and Terrence turn back, look at where Peter is watching, and round their eyes with a quiet gasp.       “Fuck,” Terrence pronounces with horror in his eyes.       “Perkins, stop it now!” Edward demands excitedly, clapping Daniel on the shoulder. “Stop it! Now! I see Anna!”       “What?” Daniel rounds his eyes. “Where?”       Because Daniel sharply presses the brake pedal, the car stops with a bad squeak immediately. The man turns back and sees Anna on the other side of the territory, while she is wincing from pain in her whole body strongly, as she is lying on the dirty ground.       “Oh, shit…” Daniel pronounces with horror in his eyes, getting sharply white with the thought that his heart beats faster. “That’s Anna…”       “I saw how she jumped out of the car!” Peter confesses, pointing at the car placed far from Anna. “It was driving at a high speed but stopped sharply after Anna opened the back door and jumped out.”       “Badly, I think…” Edward assumes thoughtfully. “Look how she’s wincing from pain!”       “I shall go back,” Daniel says quietly. “To see it better.”       Watching what’s behind him closely, Daniel turns on the reverse with a gearbox, goes back at some distance, stops the car, and puts it in park.       “Damn, you just look at her!” Daniel exclaims. “Her condition!”       “Is she trying to run away ‘cause she’s wanted to be taken away?” Peter asks.       “Is Julian trying to take her away?” Terrence assumes.       “Fuck, that’s what I was afraid of!” Daniel hits the steering wheel sharply. “I think that bastard came back suddenly.”       “And your presentiment didn’t lie to you,” Edward adds thoughtfully.       The excited Sammy barks loudly two times, and Edward pets his head and presses to himself, watching what’s happening with horror in widely open eyes. And while Anna is trying to find the strength to get up and run, the furious Julian gets out of the car immediately, runs to the girl still sitting on the ground, grabs her by the hair painfully, and slaps her in the face very strongly. That’s why she screams out loudly and tries to close some places with both hands, crying bitterly enough.       “BITCH, HOW DID YOU DARE?” Julian screams at the top of his lungs. “I DID TELL YOU TO BE QUIET AND NOT TO MOVE!”       “J-j-julian…” Anna pronounces in a strongly shaking voice with horror in her wet eyes. “Julian, no…”       “SHUT UP!” Julian pulls Anna by the hair much stronger. “NOTHING WILL HELP YOU! I SHALL KILL YOU!”       “P-p-p-please, don’t do this,” Anna begs loudly with tears and despair. “I w-w-wanna go home. Drive me there, p-p-please…”       “So, do you want to be next to your daddy? FORGET! YOU WILL NEVER SEE HIM!”       “Please…”       “CLOSE YOUR MOUTH, ASSHOLE!” Julian strongly slaps Anna in the face again, so that she falls to the ground with a loud shout. “AND STOP CRYING! TEARS IRRITATE ME!”       “I wanna be with Dad… Mom…”       “YOUR MOMMY AND DADDY DO NOT FUCKING CARE ABOUT SUCH A WORTHLESS FREAK LIKE YOU.”       “It’s not true,” Anna replies loudly with a greater despair. “They love me! And they wanna save me from a scumbag like you! I know they’ll protect me if they know who you really are!”       Anna screams loudly again when the furious Julian smashes his fist against her stomach. While Daniel, Terrence, Peter, and Edward sitting in the car get sharply white from horror and open their eyes widely, while Sammy barks excitedly and whines.       “Fuck!” Daniel exclaims, closing his mouth with a hand.       “Fuck…” Peter jabs excitedly. “Guys, that’s him! The one I talked at the shop with!”       “That’s Julian?”       “Yes, that’s him! That’s the one, who beat Anna in the parking lot!”       “Yeah, I recognized him!” Terrence confirms confidently. “I memorized that face well! And he has the same clothes, beard, and hairstyle that he has in the video.”       “Look, look, what he’s doing!” Edward jabs with horror in his eyes and closes his mouth with both hands. “Look, guys!”       Meanwhile, Julian strongly hits Anna’s head against the asphalt, making the men shake and Sammy whine quietly.        “Asshole…” Edward pronounces thoughtfully.       “So, we can finally look at his face,” Terrence adds confidently.       “Fuck, is that motherfucker gonna beat her again?” Daniel gets furious. “She’s beaten! Black and blue! And that scumbag does it again!”       Anna gets another hit in the face from Julian and lies on the ground, literally choking with tears and shaking from fear of this man, who decided to beat her much stronger than ever.       “Yeah, bros…” Edward says thoughtfully. “That man really made her meet him. To beat her…”       “Listen, that’s so good we met her!” Terrence exclaims. “Otherwise, she would’ve been dead!”       “So, Maximilian was right when saying that Potter might come back suddenly,” Daniel says irritably.       “Hey, hey, hey, he’s starting to beat her again!” Peter jabs loudly and excitedly. “Just like he did in the parking lot!”       Meanwhile, Sammy, watching what’s happening through the window of the car, starts to bark loudly non-stop. And Julian really starts beating Anna before the eyes of the men, who get dumbfounded when seeing this scene. He beats the poor girl, who does not try to protect herself, as if he is obsessed with a demon, not paying attention to her tears and shouts full of despair.       “BITCH, I SHALL MAKE YOU OBEY!” Julian says rudely and hits his leg in Anna’s nose, making her scream loudly and double over from the burning pain. “REMEMBER THAT A WOMAN MUST BE SILENT AND DO WHAT SHE IS TOLD!”       Not caring about his hands covered with blood, Julian slaps Anna in the face multiple times. Then he tightly grabs her under the elbows, gets her up sharply, and tries to push her into the car by force. But she starts to resist it, even if she is too weak, and his strength is many times stronger than hers.       “DON’T DARE TO RUN, CHICKEN!” Julian screams at the top of his lungs and slaps Anna in the face again. “GO! GO, I SAID!”       Julian pushes Anna in the back rudely, sharply pulls her to the side of the open car, and tries to push her into it by force. But at some moment, the girl glances aside and sees the car standing from afar that belongs to Daniel, and immediately finds it her salvation.       “I AM NOT GOING TO PLAY WITH YOU, STUPID FREAK!” Julian screams furiously. “GET INTO THE CAR! DO NOT WASTE MY FUCKING TIME!”       “I won’t let you kill me…” Anna hisses through her teeth, clenching her hands into fits.       “DO NOT BE SASSY, BITCH! OTHERWISE, SOME DOG IS GOING TO HAVE A DELICIOUS DINNER TONIGHT!”       “Early or late, you will pay for everything… For all your sins! Scumbag! You will burn in hell!”       “Hey, asshole, come here! COME THE FUCK TO ME!”       Being literally green from anger, Julian tries to slap Anna in the face again, but he magically avoids this hit. It makes him growl loudly and try to beat the girl stronger. But she finds the courage to hit the man on the leg strongly and push him off as far as she can. Then, she rushes to the car, in which Daniel, Edward, Peter, and Terrence are sitting.       “Look, Anna is running to us!” Terrence exclaims.       “Move, you two!” Daniel orders, throwing a short look at Peter and Edward. “And open the door! We’re driving her to the hospital and telling the Seymours about that bastard.”       Unfortunately, Anna does not reach the car because Julian runs after her with a loud and wide growl, catches her quickly, takes her hands from behind, pulls her to the car, and throws her sharply on the hood. She eventually hits her forehead and nose and falls to the ground like a stone, squeaking quietly and drying off the blood that she gets from her face. While Daniel, Peter, Terrence, and Edward shout with horror in their widely open eyes and their mouths with their hands.       “Holy shit!” Daniel swears loudly, grabbing his hair. “That bastard is gonna kill her!”       “It seems like he wants it…” Terrence expresses anxiety.       “Why is it her?” Edward wonders, putting his hand on his heart. “Why is such a good girl suffering because of that bastard? What did Anna do?”       “Listen, Anna won’t deal with him,” Peter expresses anxiety, petting the nervous Sammy. “He’s too strong, and she’s too weak. She’s not able to fight with him…”       “A little bit before he beats her to death!” Edward jabs loudly and grabs his throat with a hand.       “She must go to the hospital immediately!” Terrence replies confidently. “If we don’t drive her now, the consequences will be terrible.”       “Yeah, but we need to deal with that bastard at first,” Daniel recalls. “He won’t get off her so easily.”       Meanwhile, Julian gives Anna a few strong hits in her stomach and chest with his foot, while she screams at the top of her lungs with the pain and cries because nobody can help her.       “BITCH!” Julian bellows. “I SHALL KILL YOU! KILL! YOU, BITCH, WILL ANNOY ME! YOU WILL!”       “P-p-please, J-j-julian…” Anna pronounces in a strongly shaking voice. “Don’t do…”       “CLOSE YOUR MOUTH, BITCH!”       Julian hits Anna in the forearm and jaw with a fist, not thinking that he might kill her with such a strong attack of aggression.       “NOBODY WILL STOP ME!” Julian says rudely and hits Anna in the back with his foot. “EVEN MY FATHER!”       Anna makes a quiet sob full of pity.       “I, BITCH, TOLERATED YOU UNTIL THE END! BECAUSE MY FATHER DID NOT NEED YOUR DEATH. BUT NOW I DO NEED IT! AND I GIVE A FUCK ABOUT WHAT HE WILL DO TO ME! I HATE YOU! I WISH YOU DIED!”       Julian smashes his fist against Anna’s yawl with a loud shout, while the girl loses the rest of her strength and is just waiting to lose consciousness or actually die.       “YOU ARE GUILTY OF IT!” Julian roars, strongly hitting Anna in the stomach with a leg. “IF YOU BEHAVED WELL AND WERE NOT SO UGLY AND STUPID, YOU WOULD NOT MAKE ME LOSE MY TEMPLE AND BEAT YOU!”       “No…” Anna makes a very quiet squeak, literally not moving and just looking into the distance with her wet eyes. “Please… Stop…”       “DIE, ASSHOLE, DIE!” Julian sharply grabs Anna by the collar and hits her head against the car and the ground, literally killing her with his frightful look full of anger. “I CURSE YOU! I HATE YOU!”       “Julian, stop…” Anna whispers in a shaking voice. “For the Christ…”       “SHUT THE FUCK UP!” Julian painfully grabs Anna by the hair with a heavy breath and pulls it so strongly that she does not hold down a loud shout but falls into silence quickly because the man squeezes her throat. “SHUT UP, YOU, STUPID CHICKEN! IT WILL NOT IMPACT ME!”       “Julian…”       “DO NOT HOPE YOU WILL BE SAVED!” Julian presses Anna’s face tightly to the ground, literally killing her with his furious look. “IT WILL NOT HAPPEN! YOU ARE MY FUCKING SLAVE!”       Julian takes Anna under an arm, gets her up, and hits her temple against the door of his car. And when she falls to the ground with a heartbreaking shout, he gives her a couple of strong slaps on the back.       “JULIAN!” Anna bends her back sharply. “STOP! I FEEL PAIN!”       “YOU ARE DEAD, SNAKE!” Julian roars. “YOU WILL PAY FOR WHAT YOU DID TO ME! YOU WILL!”       While Anna is lying on the ground with tears in her eyes and shouting after every single painful hit from Julian, who lost control of himself, Daniel, Edward, Terrence, and Peter just come to themselves and realize they must meddle immediately and save the girl.       “Alright, I’m done!” Daniel strongly hits the steering whine. “Enough! I’m not gonna stay here anymore!”       “We’ve gotta save Anna immediately before that bastard brings her to death,” Peter replies confidently.       “That scumbag will pay for everything now! He will know what Daniel Perkins can do when any asshole dares to behave toward MY girlfriend like THAT.”       The excited Sammy barks several times.       “It’s gonna be hard to deal with him,” Edward shakes his head with dumbfounded eyes. “He’s too strong…”       “I give a fuck!” Daniel throws irritably and loudly. “I’m gonna beat that motherfucker so much that he’ll run away from me!”       “Yeah, stop sitting here!” Terrence pronounces excitedly. “Get out of the car, everybody!”       “No, guys!” Daniel glances at Terrence, Edward, and Peter. “You will go nowhere!”       “What?” Edward rounds his eyes.       “I will deal with that stinker. And then we will drive Anna to the hospital and tell her parents everything.”       “Perkins, are you crazy?” Peter gets horrified loudly. “What do the fuck mean you will deal?! That bastard will turn you into dust!”       “Yeah, you just look at what he’s doing to Anna!” Edward jabs excitedly.       “Don’t worry, I will take it,” Daniel replies quietly, switching off the motor and putting the keys into the pocket of his jeans cut on his knees’ level.       “No, Daniel, you won’t go there alone!” Terrence says confidently. “Moreover, you had brain damage! One hit on your head before you forget everything again! Or become a vegetable!”       “Even if I felt bad, nothing would stop me from wishing to beat the face of that bastard.”       “Daniel, please, don’t do stupid things!” Peter begs excitedly. “You don't have such good psychical data to deal with that asshole.”       “As I dealt with Wainwright, I shall deal with Potter!”       “We’re going with you, Daniel,” Edward says confidently. “It will be easier together.”       “I said stay here and don’t show up,” Daniel says quietly.       “Daniel…” Peter pronounces loudly. “Daniel, don’t do this! Don’t do it! Perkins! Where are you going, bonehead?”       But Daniel, not hearing Peter’s words, opens the door of the car, gets out of it as fast as a bullet, and goes where he needs, while Sammy whines quietly.       “No, guys, he won’t deal with him…” Edward shakes his head with a heavy breath. “We must follow him.”       “Let’s wait for two minutes and watch the situation,” Terrence suggests.       “If only Anna stayed alive,” Peter exhales sharply, putting his hand on his heart. “Her parents are gonna go crazy if she dies. And the girls… And Perkins…”       “We will quickly kick that bastard out together.”       Sammy barks confidently two times, as if he says he wants to help Daniel right now. Meanwhile, Julian does not hide his smug smile when seeing how weak Anna got and does not even try to run away from him. After a couple of slaps in her face and painful hits on her head, the man tightly takes her under an arm, places her up on her feet sharply, and tries to push her into the car. But at this moment, Potter hears the loud, low voice of Daniel, who is coming here confidently and tightly clenching his hands into fists:       “Hey, bastard! Leave her alone!”       Julian moves his gaze full of anger to Daniel and looks at him contemptuously from head to feet, while Anna rounds her eyes, being happy to get a chance for salvation but worried that it will not lead to anything good.       “Daniel?” Anna whispers under her nose.       “What’s wrong, sir?” Julian asks coldly. “Any problems?”       “Yes, there is,” Daniel replies in a rude, low voice. “You!”       “Everything is alright, no reason to be worried. We are just talking!”       “Talking, you say?” Daniel clenches his hands into fists much tighter. “But now I will talk to you, motherfucker! VERY SERIOUSLY!”       Daniel hits Julian in the jaw as strongly as possible with a fist. That’s why the man turns aside, being a little confused and not realizing what happened. And while Anna falls to the ground from weakness and watches what’s happening with horror in widely open eyes, her offender gets up sharply and tries to attack Perkins and hit him back. But Daniel avoids it immediately and gives Potter another hit in the jaw from the other side.       “Fucking snake,” Daniel hisses through his teeth. “Finally, I saw your rat face that I have wanted to beat for so long.”       “What are you doing?” Julian resents. “You have no right to attack me!”       “I DO! When the case is about my girlfriend! I have the right to do ANYTHING when any motherfucker dares to hurt her!”       “It’s our business!” Julian says confidently. “And the gal is guilty of everything. If she cannot behave well, she must get hits.”       “Hey, freak, has nobody beat your face for ages?” Daniel grabs Julian by the collar sharply and rudely. “Remember, if you dare to touch her even with a finger, I shall castrate you alive. YOU GOT, YOU, STUPID BASTARD?”       “HEY, HEY, easy, homeless dog!” Julian sharply pushes Daniel off himself. “Who are the fuck you to talk to me like THIS?”       “I am the one, who will teach you to speak to girls!”       “Don’t you give a fuck about what I’m doing to my girlfriend? You decided to play a hero?”       “SHE IS MY GIRLFRIEND, BASTARD!” Daniel screams at the top of his lungs. “AND SHE WILL BE WHILE I WANT IT!”       “What kind of bullshit…” Julian sneers evilly.       “You better do not make me furious, motherfucker. I swear you will be dead if you touch this girl with a finger again. And if she dies, you, scumbag, will not get off me easily.”       “Listen, Superman, get out before I bury you here. I shall deal with my woman and beat her as much as I need to. If she is brainless and does not want to obey me, I shall educate this bitch. So, she remembers that NO WOMAN must violate a man’s word.”       “Close your mouth!” Daniel hisses through his teeth. “And do not dare to insult this girl! I WILL NOT TOLERATE INSULTS TOWARD HER!”       “WHAT DO YOU THE FUCK NEED?” Julian gets mad. “DO YOU WANT ME TO SKIN YOU ALIVE?”       “No, I shall skin you alive! If you, motherfucker, GET CLOSER TO HER AND HER PARENTS!”       Daniel gives Julian another strong hit in the jaw.       “This is a greeting from Maximilian and Lilian Seymour,” Daniel adds rudely and gives Julian a very strong slap on the face on every cheek. “From the furious parents of this girl!”       “Ah, yeah…” Julian throws with a sly smile and looks at Daniel from head to foot contemptuously. “That’s why… So, you are the beggar deadbeat that this gal fell in love with. Because of whom all my plans WERE DOWN THE DRAIN!”       “Now I understand why Anna avoided marriage with you and any connection with your family so hard. She knew she would be dead. Because of the sick bastard, who believes he has the right to beat a girl for a reason or without.”       “Yeah…” Julian crosses his arms over his chest. “Seymour picked up a shabby cat again… Though, I am not surprised. This idiot has never been able to choose men. She has always got along with some schmucks and beggars. Her family got sick of rejecting them and telling her she was stupid. However, this whore gave a fuck and sucked some scumbag again.”       “I shall close my eyes to insults toward me,” Daniel replies confidently. “But I will not tolerate the insults toward this girl. RESPECT HER! ESPECIALLY WITH MY PRETENSE!”       “I will decide who to respect. But this gal does not deserve it. Not only because she is a woman, a creature without rights that must be silent. She does not also have brains and can do nothing.”       “I repeat, you, brainless mustard, DO NOT DARE TO INSULT ANNA! AND LEAVE HER AND HER PARENTS ALONE! YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO TREAT THEM LIKE THIS!”       “How much I despise such weak people like you.” Julian looks at Daniel from head to foot with disgust and contempt. “Weak men, who bend under women and let them control themselves. Whose small penis is the only thing that says they are men. A real man always keeps his woman on the leash and educates her constantly.”       “So, Potter, did you experience it?” Daniel smirks evilly. “I wonder who is that great woman? Your girlfriend? Or your own mother? Who knew you were bullshit and kept you on the leash.”       “M-m-m…” Julian hums with both arms crossed over his chest. “I see you, deadbeat, already know my name.”       “You must know your enemy! You should remember their names to know who you should wish to die and burn in hell.”       “That’s how… So, who told you that? The mommy and daddy of this gal? Or did this stupid chicken tell you about it?”       “DO NOT DARE TO INSULT HER!” Daniel bellows, clenching his hands into fists tightly. “OR I WILL BURY YOU RIGHT HERE!”       “Come on!”       “Leave Anna alone at your wish! She did NOTHING bad to tolerate THIS! If your father is mad at her parents, it’s his fucking problem! Which do NOT have to do with this poor girl.”       “You are wrong, deadbeat, this gal did what I will NEVER forgive her for.”       “Just because a certain girl hurt you or annoyed with control does not mean Anna or any other girl is guilty of that. You have no right to revenge all the girls and beat them like this!”       “YOU CANNOT COMMAND ME! HOW YOU, MOTHERFUCKER, DARE TO TEACH ME LIFE? ME, JULIAN POTTER!”       “I wish you were beaten the way you beat Anna twenty-four hours per day,” Daniel hisses through his teeth. “I wish you died, Potter! DIED! DIED!”       “Listen, brainless freak, get out of here and do not meddle in my business,” Julian demands rudely. “Or I will bring you to death. As well as I will do it with this stupid ugly.”       “You get out! And never dare to come to Anna and her family!”       “So, you left this gal at first, but now you came to her again?” Julian sneers evilly. “Fucked one woman and decided to go back to Seymour after you got sick of that one?”       “None of your fucking business, Potter! You DO NOT have to do with my relationship with Anna!”       “YOU ARE NOT IN A RELATIONSHIP WITH HER! THIS GAL BELONGS TO ME!”       “SHE IS MINE! AND IF YOU, ASSHOLE, TOUCH WITH A FINGER, I SHALL SKIN YOU ALIVE! STRANGLE YOU WITH MY OWN HANDS!”       “Oh, oh, oh!” Julian rolls his eyes up. “I am so scared! A shabby mutt dares to threaten me and believes I will pee my pants…”       “I am not kidding, Potter,” Daniel says with a heavy breath, clenching his hands into fists tightly. “I can do much when any bastard gets me wild. When any sick asshole hurts my girlfriend.”       “Relax, rooster, I shall deal with this gal anyway. And you will not stop me! Because you will die! I have wanted to find and kill you for a long time! Since I found out who this bitch ran away with!”       “Do not make me furious, Potter,” Daniel hisses, getting every single muscle of his body tense. “You have already made me furious!”       “If you are as stupid as this shorty, I repeat: GET OUT OF HERE!” Julian screams irritably.       “NEVER!”       “Hear, deadbeat, I am not going to play games with you,” Julian demands rudely in a low voice, setting his cold, contemptuous look on Daniel. “If you do not do what I tell you, you will go to heaven to your late relatives.”       “I give a fuck about your threats, Potter.” Daniel sneers contemptuously. “I will not calm down until you, bastard, burn in hell.”       “Do not waste my time. I have a more important business than talking to a pauper asshole, who this gal found in the trash among some homeless people.”       “Send me the address of yours, so I burn it down to the fuck.”       “I will not give the gal to you! She is mine and will do anything I say!”       “SHE IS MINE, BASTARD! AND SHE WILL BE MINE UNTIL I WANT TO LEAVE HER!”       “Buddy, she is not yours anymore,” Julian replies confidently. “You left her if you lost your memory! This gal said you sucked a woman from head to foot right before her eyes.”       “What’s your fucking business?” Daniel throws rudely. “Do you and your father have nothing to do? One bastard beats the innocent girl, and another asshole spends time revenging her parents.”       “The Seymours will not get off us until they die.”       “The Seymours did nothing bad to you to mock them like this.”       “Do not tell me what to do, bastard. And do not dare to come to this pipsqueak! She belongs to me! With the agreement of her father, just saying. He personally approved of our relationship and dreams of our wedding!”       “LIE!” Daniel shouts. “Mr. Seymour has NEVER approved of it! He already knows you are a nasty, sick bastard!”       “The first word is more important than the second one. Maximilian will not take his words back. He did insist that his daughter spend time with me. That fool did push her into my arms.”       “He didn’t just want to believe you were a poisoned snake. If he had known it, he would not have let his daughter come to you!”       “That idiot will change nothing now. His daughter belongs to me, and I can do anything I want with her. And the first thing I started with was her education. I shall beat Seymour until she understands she is nobody. A creature without rights, who must obey a REAL man. And even if her little brain works, I will keep hitting the gal’s head against the wall.”       “And what will you get?” Daniel hums with both arms crossed over his chest. “What do you want to get by beating her to half death and humiliating her? Are you trying to hide your insecurity? Or were you growing up with the thought that raising a hand on a woman is absolutely fine?”       “Listen, shabby rooster, stop wasting my time. I give a fuck about everything you say. You show off for nothing.”       “If I leave, I will only leave with Anna.”       “Seymour will not go with you!” Julian says rudely.       “She will not go with you! Because I DID say it!”       “Seymour does not care about such a worthless, beggar deadbeat, who could give her nothing!”       “Do not speak for her, Potter! She will give her opinion!”       “A woman has no right to open her mouth!”       “And bastards like you must be defeated!”       “CLOSE YOUR MOUTH, FREAK!” Julian screams.       “You will not dare to come to Anna,” Daniel says confidently. “From now on, I will personally protect her from such bastards like you and your daddy.”       “Anna does not want to go with you!”       “You asked her?”       “Want me to prove that she does not care about you?” Julian glances at Anna sitting on the ground. “Get up now! GET UP, I SAID! STUPID CHICKEN! GET BEFORE YOU GET A HIT IN YOUR FACE!”       Julian tightly takes Anna under her arm, gets her up, and tries to kiss her by force to make Daniel much more furious. Despite the girl’s hard resistance and attempts to scream and moan something, Potter kisses her on the lips rudely, tightly squeezing her by the yawl and strongly grabbing the girl’s hair with a free hand.       “Stop resisting, ugly!” Julian throws rudely and strongly slaps Anna in the face. “STOP, I SAID!”       “LET HER GO NOW!” Daniel roars, getting literally green from anger and starting to breathe like a furious bull with bloodshot eyes. “POTTER!”       “Watch, bastard, watch,” Julian says with a sly smile and squeezes Anna’s throat with one hand so that she can barely breathe. “You are already as sulky as a rooster! Maybe, you will do me a favor and die from anger.”       Daniel’s anger gets stronger when he sees how terrible and disgusting it is for Anna to be next to Julian, who gives her tender skin pain with his barbed beard, closes her oxygen, and tries to hit her again. Two seconds later, he loses his temple and, showing his contemptuous grin, uses the chokehold on his opponent when that one stands with his back turned to him. The man sharply pulls him aside, while the powerless girl falls to the ground, crying bitterly and praying that the man, who still means a lot to her, does not suffer.       “You stood in the way of the wrong man, bastard,” Daniel hisses through his teeth. “I am not a ball and can stand up for myself and my close people.”       “We will see it, fucking scumbag,” Julian throws rudely, breathing a little heavily due to the lack of oxygen. “SEE!”       Julian sets himself free quickly and starts a serious fight with Daniel, who, however, attacks first by giving him a very strong slap. He answers him with the same one and can do nothing more because Perkins grabs his hand, moves it back easily, and holds it for a few seconds. But Potter gets out and tries to strike his opponent down. But he gets pinned down and gets a strong hit in the underbelly with a leg that makes him wince strongly and double over with a loud shout. While Anna sometimes makes quiet sobs, keeps her mouth closed with both hands, and watches what’s happening with horror in her eyes with the hope for salvation caused by Daniel’s appearance that she needed so badly.       “So, scumbag, you like it?” Daniel roars, smashing his fist against Julian’s jaw with special pleasure. “LIKE IT, ASSHOLE?       Daniel hits Julian in the underbelly with his leg, grabs him by the hair, and hits his head against the ground a couple of times along with shouts of Anna being scared to death. While Terrence, Edward, and Peter are still watching what’s happening in the car and shaking after every single hit, and Sammy is whining with pity.       “He’s doing fine so far,” Peter says quietly, grabbing his throat with a hand.       “They’ve got the same power,” Terrence says thoughtfully. “No hits at the victory of someone.”       “Fuck, if only that bastard didn’t kill Daniel,” Edward expresses anxiety. “Remembering how he was beating Anna, I worry about Perkins.”       “Me too…” Peter confesses. “He’s not so strong to deal with that monster. One mistake before that asshole kills him.”       “If we help him, he will do it,” Terrence replies confidently. “Potter won’t be able to fight with four people at the same time. No matter how strong he is.”       “I dunno… We barely dealt with Wainwright. If he hadn’t fallen from the abyss, we would’ve chased him for two more hours.”       “Anyway, we’ve gotta go,” Edward notices confidently. “We can’t stay here while Perkins is fighting alone.”       Sammy barks loudly again when he sees Julian striking Daniel down very rudely and sharply and slapping him in the face strongly.       “Quiet, Sammy, quiet,” Peter calms down softly, petting Sammy’s head. “It’s okay, boy…”       “It’s gonna be okay, buddy,” Edward adds confidently, deciding to yank Sammy’s ears.       “Hold on, Dan, hold on… Don’t let that bastard defeat you…”       “Guys, look!” Terrence exclaims loudly. “Potter has a knife!”       While Edward and Peter try to calm Sammy down because he wants to get out of the car, Julian really strikes Daniel down at some moment along with the shout of Anna, and gives him a couple of slaps. In reply, Perkins hits his opponent in the abdomen with his leg, rolls aside sharply, gets up, and strikes Potter down easily. Then he moves his dumbfounded eyes to Anna, whose appearance makes him horrified.       “Hold on, Anna, please…” Daniel thinks. “The guys and I will only leave with you. I shall do my best to protect you from this sick scumbag. No matter what you say.”       As Daniel distracts for a while, Julian sharply strikes his opponent down, takes the knife from the pocket of his coat, and puts it to the man’s throat.       “No!” Anna screams with horror in widely open eyes, closing her mouth with a hand.       “You are dead, bastard,” Julian hisses through his teeth. “I shall kill you… KILL!”       But Daniel hits Julian in the chest with his knee, gets up sharply, and strikes the knife out of the opponent’s hand with his leg.       “Do not make me mad, scoundrel,” Daniel says confidently, breathing a little heavily. “If you’re so brave when you beat girls, show how sassy you are now, when the man wants to deal with you.”       “You will die anyway, fucking dog,” Julian replies in a rude, low voice. “Either today or next time! I WILL NOT LET YOU LIVE!”       “We will see it, bastard! SEE IT!”       Daniel looks at Julian lying on the ground for two seconds, moves his eyes to Anna, comes to her confidently, and squats down.       “You’re coming with me,” Daniel says confidently. “Think and say what you want, but I shall not leave you with this sick bastard.”       “I can’t get up…” Anna pronounces faintly. “Everything hurts…”       “It’s okay, I’ll help you.” Daniel gets up and takes Anna under his arm. “Grab me. Don’t rush.”       Thanks to Daniel’s help, Anna gets up but has to hold the man tighter because she wants to fall. The man wants to bring the girl to his car, trying not to rush when seeing that she can barely make a step due to the strong weakness and hellish pain in her body. However, by this moment, Julian comes to himself, gets up, and takes his knife. Potter glances at Daniel and Anna and runs after them with an irritated groan. The girl notices it quickly and warns Perkins about it with widely open eyes when he wants to take her in his arms:       “Daniel, watch out! Turn back!”       Daniel barely has time to help Anna sit on a stump that is, to her happiness, near them and grabs Julian’s hand with the knife, which almost gets into his chest, along with her loud shout.       “You will not leave, bastard,” Julian hisses through his teeth, pushing Daniel off or trying to resist when he pushes him but holding the knife tightly. “Especially with this gal.”       “Yes, I will not leave!” Daniel says confidently. “Without her!”       “Since you stood in my way… I have to defeat you first. SO, NOBODY PROTECT THIS IDIOT!”       “No, I shall kill you! FOR DARING TO HURT MY GIRLFRIEND!”       “SHE IS NOT YOUR GIRLFRIEND, MORON!”       “I DID NOT LEAVE HER!”       “Ar-r-r…” Julian groans irritably. “Living shit… Why did you the fuck not die when you were hit by the car? WHY? IT WOULD’VE BEEN MINUS ONE PROBLEM!”       “I wish an airplane crushed you, motherfucker! My Anna wouldn’t have suffered because of you!”       “Stop showing off, rooster,” Julian sneers evilly. “I cannot take people, who pretend to be heroes and literally try to save the whole world. You will die later! No matter how you show off!”       “Heroes never die! AND DESTROY BASTARDS LIKE YOU!”       Daniel sharply pushes Julian off himself with a loud shout, gets the knife out of his hand, and points it at his opponent.       “Get out now,” Daniel demands in a low, rude voice. “Get out of here before I kill you and give you to dogs as food!”       “Listen, you, pauper, stop pretending to be sassy,” Julian laughs evilly. “You will never get this gal back. She will not appreciate your efforts.”       “I don’t need anyone’s approval. I am doing what my coincidence tells me to do. And if something happens to Anna because of you, nobody will stop me from what I shall do to you.”       “Anna has belonged to me since she was born and WILL do anything I DO want.”       “YOU ARE NOBODY TO RULE HER LIFE! NEITHER A HUSBAND, A FATHER NOR ANYONE ELSE!”       “She will be my wife soon! And she will follow MY rules! She will give birth to as many children as I want! And she will not dare to refuse if I decide to spread her legs and get my penis into her.”       “IT WILL NOT HAPPEN! NEVER!”       “Alright, bastard, your time is up! Give me the knife and get out of here! And never stand in my way if you want to live.”       “DON’T DARE TO TELL ME WHAT TO DO!”       “Seymour’s destiny is to be my wife and live as her family wants.”       “Don’t waste my time, Potter. Get out of here and leave Anna’s family alone. And tell your father the same. If you try to do something against them again, we will take some serious measures.”       “Listen, the Seymours’ bodyguard, this is the last time when I am suggesting you do a good thing and get out to the fuck. Otherwise, you, motherfucker, WILL REGRET STANDING IN MY WAY!”       “This is the last time when I am demanding that you leave the lives of the people, who are NOT FUCKING GUILTY OF YOU.”       “A-R-R-R, FUCKING BASTARD…” Julian growls loudly and irritably. “ALRIGHT… YOU ANNOYED ME! START TO DIG A GRAVE FOR YOU, BASTARD! I SHALL KILL YOU!”       Julian rushes to Daniel to take the knife from him and grabs it tightly with both hands, but the man starts to resist. However, at some moment, the cold gun gets out of his hand and falls to the ground. Perkins throws it as far as possible with a leg and smashes his fist against Potter’s yawl. Then he glances at Anna shaking from fear and nods confidently.       “It’s gonna be fine,” Daniel says confidently. “He’ll do nothing to you.”       “I’m scared…” Anna sniffs quietly. “I’m afraid of him… He will kill me…”       “While I’m here, nothing will happen to you.”       “I feel too bad… My whole body hurts…”       “Hold on, Anna, hold on. I shall drive you to the hospital.” Daniel glances aside and frowns slightly. “But first, I shall hang the balls of this bastard.”       At this moment, Julian runs to Daniel with the knife in his hand and tries to get it into any part of his body. But Perkins avoids it in time and starts another cruel fight, staying absolutely cold and doing everything confidently enough.       “No, Julian, stop!” Anna screams with despair, closing her mouth tightly with both hands. “Let him go!”       “SHUT UP, CHICKEN!” Julian screams at the top of his lungs. “NOBODY HAS ASKED YOU ANYTHING!”       “JULIAN!”       “I SAID SHUT UP! GET INTO THE CAR AND WAIT FOR ME TO KILL THIS BASTARD!”       Julian immediately gets a very strong hit in the jaw from Daniel. Such a strong one that he turns aside sharply. And a hit in the underbelly with a knee actually makes him double over from a burning pain that echoes in all parts of his body.       “Ugh, fuck, fuck…” Julian winces strongly.       “You will shut up now,” Daniel hisses through his teeth and hits his foot against Julian’s nose, from which blood starts getting out. “ONCE AND FOREVER!”       “I wish you died, bastard… You ruined everything… AGAIN! YOU STOLE MY GAL FROM ME!”       “I came for what belongs only to me.” Daniel gives Julian a strong slap in the face. “My girlfriend!”       “You will never get the gal, deadbeat. SHE WILL BE MINE FOREVER!”       Julian sharply puts the knife to Daniel’s throat, setting his burning look into his eyes, while Anna shouts loudly. Perkins shows absolute coldness and makes himself forget about any fear with the thought that the life of his beloved girl depends on his actions.       “Oh, shit, he’s threatening Daniel with a knife!” Peter exclaims.       “Perkins’ gonna lose control early or late,” Edward shakes his head. “That man is by far not weak. Daniel won’t defeat him alone.”       “Okay, guys, we can’t stay here anymore,” Terrence says confidently, putting the safety belt off. “We’ve gotta go. Dan is doing fine alone, but it won’t last forever.”       “Yeah, it’s really time.” Edward also takes off the safety belt.       Sammy barks loudly and confidently.       “Okay, Sammy, we’re coming,” Peter says confidently, putting the safety belt off. “Get ready.”       “Get out, lads, get out,” Terrence orders, opening the door of the car. “Quick, quick!”       Terrence, Edward, and Peter leave the car, close the doors after Sammy jumps out of it, and rush to the place they need.       “No!” Anna shouts loudly. “Julian!”       “I shall deal with you, fucking dog,” Julian laughs loudly and evilly and puts the knife tighter to Daniel’s throat. “Revenge on the one, who is the reason why MY PLANS WERE RUINED TO THE FUCK!”       “Don’t do this, Julian, I’m begging you!” Anna begs with despair.       “SHUT UP, CHICKEN! I SHALL DECIDE WHAT TO DO!”       “Please, don’t hurt him! Do anything you want to me, but please, don’t hurt this man. Please, Julian… Let him go…”       “Oh, that’s what you’re saying!” Julian sneers contemptuously. “You just recently hated this deadbeat and wanted to forget him. What happened now? Huh, Seymour? Put your tail between your legs? Afraid to see a pool of blood? Or do you still love this bastard?”       “L-l-let him g-g-go, Julian, I’m begging you,” Anna begs with tears in a shaking voice. “P-p-please…”       “If you keep meddling in the business of the man, I shall stitch your mouth,” Julian hisses. “WITHOUT NARCOSIS!”       “And I will cut your fucking arms if you hit her again,” Daniel hisses through his teeth.       “Close your mouth, bastard!” Julian puts the knife tighter to Daniel’s throat.       “Julian, no!” Anna screams with horror in her eyes.       “You played a hero for a while – it’s enough! Your corpse is supposed to get rotten in the ground.”       “And piranhas are supposed to eat your corpse!” Peter’s loud, confident voice sounds.       At this moment, Edward, Terrence, and Peter run here and set their cold eyes on Julian. Sammy is also with them and growls quietly, as if he is ready to attack the men’s friends’ offender. While Anna closes her mouth with both hands with horror in her eyes, Julian getting red from anger growls irritably at the thought that all his plans went wrong.       “Gosh, guys…” Anna whispers under her nose. “No…”       “WHAT DO YOU WANT?” Julian bellows.       “What that guy needs,” Peter replies confidently, throwing a short look at Daniel.       “WE ARE SOLVING OUR PROBLEMS! GO YOUR OWN FUCKING WAY!”       “Problems?” Edward smirks evilly. “Well… We did see how you solve them!”       “GET OUT OF HERE BEFORE I KILL YOU, BASTARDS!”       “No, bastard, YOU get out of here,” Terrence demands in a cold voice, clenching his hands into fists tightly. “I advise you to take your knife, get out as far as possible, and never stand in our way.”       “HA! HERE ARE PROTECTORS! ONE IS SHOWING OFF SO HARD, BUT HE CAN DO NOTHING!”       “He will do it with our help,” Edward says confidently.       “So, did you, asshole, take your pals with you?” Julian hisses through his teeth, pointing the knife at Daniel. “YOU BROUGHT A WHOLE FUCKING ARMY TO SAVE THIS GAL? With a smelly dog!”       Sammy starts to groan at Julian furiously, show his sharp teeth, and bark loudly.       “CLOSE YOUR MOUTH, MUTT! OR YOU WILL BE DEAD! AS WELL AS THESE FUCKING HEROES!”       “Hey, hey, buddy, be nice to the doggy,” Peter says coldly, grabbing the growling Sammy by the collar. “You don’t know how sharp his teeth are. He can bite you black and blue. So, you become the same half-disabled person as you made Anna!”       “Are you threatening me?” Julian sneers evilly. “Do you, three assholes, want to terrify me?”       “We want to cut your balls much more.”       “My advice for you, pal, take this dog and these idiots and get out of here,” Julian demands rudely. “BEFORE I BURY ALL OF YOU ALIVE!”       “YOU will get out, not US!” Edward says rudely. “Run very fast! And be afraid to get close to us and this girl.”       “Oh, oh, oh, how scared I am!” Julian rolls his eyes up. “Three more fucking heroes decided to wave their hands to heroically save this stupid chicken and her daddy and mommy.”       “Show respect to this girl and her parents with our pretense. If any bastard dares to insult or especially beat our friend, we will not be silent.”       “Ha, who are you to tell me what to do?”       “Those, who will teach you good manners,” Terrence says rudely, confidently. “Since your father did not teach you, we will do it. We will treat you the way you treat the poor girl.”       “Listen, clowns, get out of here, while I am nice,” Julian laughs evilly, looking at his knife, and glances at Daniel clenching his hands into hard fists. “Or what is waiting for this fucking rooster will be waiting for you.”       “We will not leave without these two,” Peter says confidently.       “Don’t show off. You will not save this brainless chicken. She belongs to me, and I have the right to do anything I want to her.”       “SHUT UP!” Daniel screams irritably and loudly. “CLOSE YOUR DIRTY MOUTH, YOU, PIECE OF SHIT! DO NOT DARE TO INSULT HER WITH MY PRETENSE!”       “I TOLD YOU TO SHUT UP!” Julian screams at the top of his lungs, grabbing Daniel by the collar with one hand and putting the knife to his throat.       “You will shut me up when you kill me.”       “THAT’S WHY YOU, MOTHERFUCKER, WILL GO TO THE GRAVE FIRST!”       “You will reach him and the girl when you deal with us,” Peter says loudly. “We will beat your wrinkled face with pleasure.”       “Who will beat my face? You?” Julian sneers contemptuously. “Huh! IT IS HILARIOUS!”       “Do not show off like an MMA fighter before a fight,” Edward says coldly, clenching his hands into fists tightly. “You will lose. Because you are nothing.”       “Seymour will go nowhere with you.”       “No, Potter, she will not go with YOU,” Peter says confidently. “We came here to save Anna from the beast before her name and photo appear on a grave at the cemetery.”       “Do not terrify me, ragamuffin,” Julian throws coldly, wrapping his knife in his hand. “You are not a threat to me. Vice versa, I am sure that I could kill you after the first hit. I know freaks like you well. There were lots of rejects in my school.”       “As far as I understand, were you one of them?”       “None of your fucking business, dirty…” Julian, frowning slightly, looks at Peter better. “Second…”       Julian sharply pushes Daniel aside and comes closer to Peter looking confident enough.       “Hey, you, blond! Your face seems very similar to me. I have seen you somewhere before.”       “Come on!” Peter crosses his arms over his chest.       “Right…” Julian nods. “I recognized you! Were you talking to Seymour on that day? Yes, yes… You are the four-eyed one! Why did I not guess it?”       “Sorry, Potter, I don’t have glasses now,” Peter shrugs. “So, I cannot wear them now.”       “That’s why…” Julian looks at Peter from head to foot with contempt. “As it turned out, is this shabby rooster your pal?”       “Second, man, second…” Peter raises his hand and crosses his arms over his chest again. “Do not insult my friends with my pretense. I recommend that you treat my friends with respect. Including this girl.”       “Huh, since when have you been so sassy?” Julian sneers loudly. “You looked so pathetic, but now you got insolent! YOU WENT INSANE, I SEE!”       “I could feel in my bones that you were an asshole when I saw you. I realized everything when you came to Anna, who got pale and started to shake.”       “I do not advise you to insult me, you, fucking scumbag.” Julian points the knife at Peter. “Or I shall quickly close your mouth.”       Sammy starts to growl quietly after being silent for some time, showing his sharp teeth.       “And will deal with you, fucking dog,” Julian throws rudely. “You would be a good cutlet.”       Sammy barks loudly two times, not moving his eyes full of evil off Julian.       “And yeah, not only does your face seem familiar – I also recognize your pals,” Julian confesses thoughtfully with a sly smile and looks at Terrence and Edward standing behind Peter. “A fucking actor of one role, over whom all little girls were drooling. And a little punk that is making PR thanks to his brother, thinking that he has a talent.”       “You better close your mouth, Potter?” Terrence demands rudely, clenching his hands tightly into fists. “I cannot stand those, who dare to insult my friend and close people.”       “Yes, yes, I know you have had mental health issues since childhood. You must be brought to a mental hospital for forced therapy, but you are not still there.”       “The one, who must be in a mental hospital, is you. And the best place for you is your grave.”       “Stop showing off, six-foot column. You better do what you can do much better. Suck some famous ladies for your career.”       “Potter, do us a favor, do not waste our time, and get out of here,” Edward says coldly. “And do not dare to stand next to Anna and her parents.”       “You better shut up, punk!” Julian throws rudely. “And yeah, why are you not at home with your mommy? Who would dry off your saliva? Feed you and change your clothes? I guess your diaper is already wet!”       “I will not be silent when some bastards like you hurt innocent people! And especially beat unprotected girls.”       “Do not meddle in the business of adult people, baby. I understand that every single baby pretends to be sassy, but a business of ADULT men is the business of ADULT MEN!”       “Potter, do not waste our time and get out of here,” Peter says confidently. “No matter how hard you resist, Anna will go with us.”       “Ha!” Julian laughs evilly. “Hey, blond, since when have you been so sassy? You were a timid boy then, but now you are a so-called sassy bastard! Are you so afraid to confess that you peed your pants from fear?”       “So, tough guy, are you afraid that four tough guys will beat you? And how you were shaking at the sight of the doggy… That wanna bite your balls so badly…”       “Ha, seriously? I would deal with you quickly!”       “Try then. But do not underestimate your opponent. And think you are unbreakable.”       “Are you threatening me?” Julian sneers contemptuously.       “Do not terrify us, Potter. We are not weak girls that cannot fight against freaks like you.”       “I will never believe you are really so brave.”       “And you are brave only when you beat girls,” Peter raises his head proudly. “When you pull them by the hair in the parking lot of the shopping center and beat them with your legs and hands, giving a fuck about their pleas to stop.”       “What kind of birdie did whisper to you that I had to give another lesson of education to this gal?”       “I saw everything. Yes, Potter, I know what you did to the poor girl when she was crying and screaming from pain.”       “Seymour is guilty of that. She must not provoke me! I have told her a million times that I cannot stand women’s tears and protests! And she has no right to TALK to someone!”       “Who are you to treat her like this?” Peter resents. “Anna is nobody to you! Why do you the fuck think you are?”       “Anna has been mine since she was born! AND I SHALL KILL ANY BASTARD, WHO WILL DARE TO STEAL HER FROM ME!”       “She has NEVER been yours!”       “You do not decide it! And your pals!”       “Look what you brought my friend to!” Peter glances at Anna, who is sitting on the stump with a bloody face and wincing slightly from the pain in her whole body. “Look! And we only know about a couple of cases. But how many times did you beat her before?”       “I am not guilty that Seymour is stupid and does not understand simple things. If it’s so, I shall beat her cruelly until she learns to behave as ANY DECENT woman must behave.”       “If one girl hurt you somehow, it’s not a reason to take it out on everyone!”       “Do not teach me, blond. I am not an adult man, who WILL decide how to treat women.”       “That’s bad you do not get brain through the years.”       “Close your mouth, bastard! You were in your hole and should’ve never left it!”       “I am really sorry that I did not beat your face on that day,” Peter says in a low, rude voice. “And ashamed. Ashamed of letting the scumbag mock the poor girl like that.”       “You did the right thing,” Julian replies confidently. “Otherwise, I would have buried you in the ground. Even if you had run away with the gal, I would have found and killed you.”       “But now I will help my friends beat your face with pleasure and protect the poor Anna.”       “Come on!”       Julian waits for two seconds before he tries to attack Peter with a knife. But the blond immediately grabs the hand with the gun and holds it for a few seconds, while the excited Sammy barks loudly, staying close to the boyfriend of his owner.       “Wrong turn, bastard,” Peter hisses through his teeth. “I am not as weak and unprotected as you think.”       Peter sharply pushes Julian off himself, smashes his fist against the man’s yawl, fights with him hand in hand for a few seconds, hits his leg against Potter’s abdomen, and strikes the knife out of his opponent’s hand.       “So, it’s not enough, bastard?” Peter asks coldly with his head proudly raised, looking at Julian with contempt and clenching his hands into fists tightly. “I can keep doing this with pleasure.”       While Sammy keeps barking and groaning at him, Julian barely gets up, despite the pain in his abdomen, and moves his cold gaze full of hate to Peter.       “Nice attempt, blond,” Julian pronounces coldly. “I am impressed… Impressed that nerds could show a grin and wave their hands at times.”       “But you didn’t impress me. I didn’t even get a scar.”       “You will be overwhelmed when you are in your grave.”       When Julian comes to Peter to attack him again, Sammy closes the blond with himself and starts to bark loudly and show his teeth with an evil growl, as if he says he will not let anyone hurt his second owner.       “GET OFF, YOU, STINKING DOG!” Julian bellows. “AND STOP BARKING!”       But Sammy groans at Julian more cruelly, not even thinking of moving just a little.       “Guys, please, go away,” Anna begs desperately with tears in her eyes. “I don’t want you to suffer.”       “It’s gonna be okay, Anna,” Edward replies confidently. “We won’t leave you here.”       “I don’t want your deaths…”       “KEEP SILENT THERE!” Julian screams at the top of his lungs. “A WOMAN HAS NO RIGHT TO MEDDLE IN MEN’S BUSINESS!”       “Julian, please…”       “CLOSE YOUR MOUTH BEFORE I SEW IT!”       “You close your mouth!” Daniel demands loudly and irritably.       “AND YOU TAKE YOUR FUCKING GANG AND GET OUT OF HERE!”       “Only with Anna!”       While Daniel comes confidently to Anna sitting on the stump, Julian takes his knife, which he points at Perkins.       “GET OFF HER, BASTARD!” Julian demands. “GET OFF, I SAID!”       “She will only leave with FRIENDS and ME!” Daniel says confidently.       “You do not have rights to this gal! She is only mine! If you, scumbag, has not stood in my way, I would have gotten full control of her. No matter who she would have gotten married to!”       “Luckily, she ran away in time,” Terrence throws coldly. “If she had become a part of your family, you and your father would have turned her life to hell. And your brother would’ve hardly protected her!”       “You noticed it right,” Julian sneers evilly. “Ryan is a fucking reject. A mammy’s sonny that will never be a real man.”       “That man was lucky he had a mother, who taught him the right things. And he wanted to understand them.”       “That kid is a girl, who still cries bitterly over his beloved mommy. It is been nobody the fuck knows how many years since she died, but Ryan still thinks of her.”       “But he will not suffer and grieve if something happens to your father,” Peter replies confidently. “He will not remember the bastard, who made his older sonny another motherfucker that does not know what respect for girls is.”       “Do not dare to insult my father! Unlike you, he is a very honorable man with many contacts and a great source of money.”       “Yeah, who is he honorable for?” Edward asks coldly, crossing his arms over his chest. “Among all of your friends, who support all of your dirty tricks or know nothing about how you two mock the weak girl? Or you are trying to show off for us? Thinking we’d be scared by the bag of wags of dollars!”       “Hear, defective kid…” Julian sneers contemptuously and looks at Edward from head to foot. “You are kind of similar to my brother. The same worthless and brainless idiot that does not let anyone live.”       “Are you calling me a kid just because I look younger at the age of twenty-six?”       “You are twenty-six?” Julian laughs loudly with a widely open mouth. “Do not make me laugh, baby. You are not still eighteen yet!”       “Excuse me, I do not have documents with me. But if I had known I’d meet you, I would have taken my driver’s license and put it to your face. Though, I’m not sure if you can subtract two thousand seventeen from one thousand ninety-one. You’re stupider than a donkey.”       “Did you go insane? HUH? I SEE YOU ARE BOLD!”       “However, at the age of thirty-five, with such an ugly face, even your intellect and a bag of money will not help you meet at least one brave girl.”       “Hey, kid…” Julian comes to Edward with a quick, sharp step, setting his icy gaze into his, while the guy, however, stays cold and confident. “If you do not close your mouth, your mommy will cry over your coffin.”       “Oh, yeah, you’re so frightful!” Edward smiles slyly. “The more someone shows off and talks about some non-existing wealth and goals, the higher the chance that they’re trying to hide their insecurity and can only be proud of getting up from the bed and going to the bathroom.”       “But the only thing you can be proud of is the fact that you don’t have to fuck actresses and singers to get something. Because you’ve got a brother, who would do anything for you.”       “And it’s funny to me that the forty-year-old man is still living with his daddy and does not even think of leaving his housing.”       “Hey, kid, let’s bet that you die after my first hit? Want me to prove that I do not have to apply too much effort?”       “Go then!” Edward suggests insolently and throws his hands aside. “Come on, bastard! Try to hit me! What are you waiting for? Go!”       “Come on, start to scream, ‘MOMMY, SAVE ME! I AM A COWARD! I PEED MY PANTS!’”       “You made me laugh,” Edward sneers evilly. “You could go to work as a clone instead of examining pieces of paper at the hot office.”       “So, your legs are shaking? Your hands are getting sweaty? The heart is beating and about to jump out of the chest?”       “Hey, why don’t you hit me? Are you scared? Afraid to fight with a man? A much stronger opponent?”       “Are you strong? Ha! Funny!”       “Attack then! Come on, Potter, show everything you can do!”       “Maybe, you stop showing off for your pals and proving that you are not a coward?”       “So… You have shame and courage to beat the unprotected girl. But you put your tail between your legs instead of hitting a man? Yeah… Your daddy tamed you so well. I imagine how much he beat you with a belt! How much time he spent making you something that overshadowed its creator.”       “SHUT UP, FUCKING SUCKER!” Julian bellows loudly. “LITTLE SON OF BITCH! YOU ARE ANNOYING ME!”       “Then get into your car and go away as far as possible!”       “Say it to you and your pals!” Julian glances at Daniel still standing next to Anna. “AND TELL THIS BASTARD TO STEP AWAY FROM THE GAL!”       “We came here to help Anna! And we will no longer let you hurt her.”       “You and your pals do not have to do with the business of this gal and me!”       “We have to do with everything about our friends!”       “Get out, baby, get out. You better go to your mommy or spend time with your brainless blonde.” Julian sneers evilly. “It seems like the gal wanted to get married so much that she agreed to be with the mamma’s boy in despair.”       “Do not dare to insult my fiancée,” Edward says in a low, rude voice, clenching his hand tightly into a fist and threatening Julian with a finger. “Or you will be dead. I swear, Potter, you will be DEAD! As well as another bastard, who has paid for what he did to her.”       “Slow down, boy,” Julian says confidently. “I am not interested in that Barbie doll. I do not get hard for stupid, squeaky and whining idiots. Someone like your beloved Anna.”       Edward strongly smashes his fist against Julian’s face so that the man turns sharply aside.       “SHUT UP, MOTHERFUCKER!” Edward screams. “I SWEAR YOU WILL BE DEAD IF YOU SAY ONE MORE WORD ABOUT HER!”       “This kind of hate for girls is an illness!” Terrence exclaims.       “Your famous worldwide model is not worth a nail, either,” Julian snuffs with contempt. “The worthless, stupid airhead that was just madly lucky. I do not know why she got so famous and was literally pronounced a sex bomb!”       “What are you saying?” Terrence clenches his hands into fists tightly, tensing his muscles and starting to breathe heavily.       “One of the most sexual women on the planet! Huh! I would look at the idiots, who called that anorexic gal the one! She probably sucked someone enough. So, she was pronounced a goddess.”       Getting literally green from anger, Terrence gives Julian a much stronger slap in the face.       “One…” Terrence hisses through his teeth, threatening Julian with a finger. “One. More. Word. About. My. Fiancée. And I will turn you to dust. You got it, asshole? OR DO I REPEAT IT, THE FUCK?”       “Do not scream, hysterical,” Julian winces strongly. “A mental hospital is a few miles away from here. They are waiting for you with a straitjacket!”       “Settle down, Julian!” Anna shouts with tears in her eyes. “Don’t dare to say these things about my friends!”       “You are the same as they are!” Julian says rudely. “As worthless as a doll, which gives you nothing good.”       “You, asshole, will be a doll in my hands now,” Daniel shouts. “I will cut your hands and beat your fucking face!”       Daniel rushes to Julian and smashes his fist against his jaw. Then Potter, barely coming to himself, sharply pushes his opponent off and points the knife at him.       “No, I shall kill you,” Julian says rudely. “I WILL KILL YOU, BASTARD! I WILL NOT LET YOU LIVE!”       “WE WILL SEE IT, FREAK!” Daniel screams.       “I kindly let you take all these bastards and this dirty dog and get out of here. I have wasted too much time on you, even though I could have done more important things.”       “Get out of here if you are such a busy lord!”       “We could have brought Anna to the hospital a long time ago if you had not held us,” Peter adds.       “The gal will not go with you!” Julian explodes. “I WILL NOT GIVE SEYMOUR TO YOU!”       Julian strongly smashes his fist against Daniel’s yawl and strikes him down. Then he runs to Anna quickly, gets her up by force, and takes her aside sharply, putting the knife to her throat. While the girl opens her eyes widely and shouts loudly in horror.       “SHE IS MINE! SHE WILL BE UNTIL THE END OF HER LIFE!”       “WRONG, ASSHOLE!” Daniel throws rudely and gets up quickly. “I AM TAKING WHAT’S MINE!”       When Daniel gives a start, he stops sharply when Julian points the knife at him, keeping his free arm tightly wrapped around Anna’s neck.       “STAY THERE, DICK!” Julian screams. “OR I WILL STAB YOU!”       “No!” Anna screams with despair. “No, Julian, don’t do this!”       “Let her go now, Potter,” Terrence demands confidently. “She is guilty of nothing!”       “YOU ALL STAY THERE, TOO!” Julian sharply moves his knife to Terrence, Peter, and Edward by one. “I SHALL THE FUCK STAB ALL OF YOU!”       “Please, Julian…” Anna begs loudly in despair. “Leave the guys alone…”       “SHUT UP, UGLY! NOBODY ASKED YOU!”       “You shut up, bastard!” Peter screams.       Sammy starts barking loudly and growling at Julian again, standing next to Daniel.       “FUCK, WHEN WILL YOU, MOTHERFUCKER, SHUT UP?” Julian screams. “MY HEAD HURTS BECAUSE OF YOUR ‘WOOF, WOOF, WOOF!’”       But Sammy keeps standing against Julian fearlessly, hoping to scare him with his frightening growl.       “DO I STAB YOU?” Julian moves his knife to Sammy. “CLOSE YOUR MOUTH, BASTARD! CLOSE, I SAID!”       “Stop, Potter, enough!” Terrence exclaims. “Your show is too long! Let Anna go and get out of here.”       “NEVER!” Julian screams.       “We will not leave without our friend!” Edward says.       “YOU WILL DIE THEN!”       “Go!” Daniel puts his hands aside. “Come on, Potter, kill us!”       “Try to beat us the way you beat Anna,” Terrence suggests confidently.       “No!” Anna screams with despair. “Don’t do this, guys! You will not deal with him! He may put you in the grave!”       “Close your mouth, chicken!” Julian hisses through his teeth, putting the knife tightly to Anna’s throat. “If you say one more word, you will die. YOU WILL MAKE ME ANGRY, UGLY!”       “DON’T DARE TO SCREAM AT HER!” Daniel screams irritably.       “I shall decide how to talk to my woman!”       “We will not get out until MY girlfriend goes with US!”       “Leave your attempts to become a hero for her, beggar. Whatever you say, the Seymours will not believe you.”       “Her parents know you are a bastard and how much their daughter is suffering because of you.”       “Even if it’s so, they will do nothing! The Seymours are in the hands of my father and me. They will dance attendance upon US.”       “We will see it, BASTARD!”       “Close your mouth, scumbag!” Julian sharply points the knife at Daniel. “Or I shall do my best for you to lose your memory again.”       Sammy starts to groan at Julian cruelly again, definitely dreaming of getting the command “Attack!” from the men.       “A-R-R-R, FUCKING DOG?” Julian growls irritably, rolling his eyes up. “YOU CAN ONLY EAT, PEE, AND BARK!”       Still growling loudly, Sammy barks multiple times and shows his contemptuous grin.       “Hear me, piece of shit, if you do not shut up, I shall stab you with the knife,” Julian hisses through his teeth, pointing the knife at Sammy. “YOU WILL BE WHINING FROM PAIN AND DYING IN TORTURE!”       “Ha, you have been threatening to do it for twenty minutes,” Peter says loudly. “But you don’t the fuck do this!”       “You better calm your dog down before I lose my temple.”       “A coward… A chatter… You immediately put your tail between your legs when we came here. You are brave only when you mock Anna! When nobody sees you. When she says nothing from the fear of getting much more bruises.”       “DO NOT SAY BULLSHIT!”       “Scared… You’re afraid to beat men’s faces. You’re afraid that they would be stronger. Moreover, you are alone, but we are the four. And you will not deal with us alone.”       “Do not underestimate me, bastards,” Julian hisses through his teeth, threatening all the men with the knife. “You will know who Julian Potter is.”       “We do know it! You are a nasty, sick bastard, the father of whom must have his balls cut for educating some fucking motherfuckers!”       “DO NOT DARE TO INSULT MY FATHER!”       “Please, guys, don’t provoke him,” Anna begs in a shaking voice with tears in her eyes. “Stop it…”       “DO NOT MEDDLE, BITCH!” Julian roars and gives Anna a strong hit on the back of her head. “WHEN MEN SAY, WOMEN ARE SILENT!”       “Go, guys, for God’s sake! Leave!”       “I TOLD YOU TO SHUT UP!” Julian slaps Anna in the face strongly. “BRAINLESS IDIOT! HOW MUCH ARE YOU GOING TO PROVOKE ME?”       “Leave her alone!” Daniel demands loudly, clenching his hands into fists tightly and taking two steps forward.       “GET BACK!” Julian sharply points the knife at Daniel. “BACK, I SAID!”       “Samuel, attack!” Peter orders loudly.       Sammy runs to Julian with a loud bark and sinks his teeth into his hand with the knife.       “A-A-A, LET ME GO!” Julian winces strongly and shouts in pain. “LET ME GO! LET ME GO, ASSHOLE!”       Daniel takes the knife out of Julian’s hands without problems and throws it as far as possible. Potter himself sets his hand free quickly by hitting Sammy strongly with a free hand and pushing him aside. Then he starts a hand-in-hand fight with Perkins, who slaps him in the face strongly at some moment, gets the same one back, and gets struck down.       “Julian, stop!” Anna screams with horror in her eyes, closing her mouth with both hands.       “SHUT UP, BITCH!” Julian roars, rushes to Anna, and pushes her so that she falls to the ground with a shout. “I WISH YOU DIED, CHICKEN!”       Julian strongly smashes his leg against Anna’s underbelly, which makes her scream loudly and double over with the unbearable pain and tears in her eyes.       “Anna!” Daniel, Edward, Terrence, and Peter pronounce with horror in their eyes, while the excited Sammy starts to bark non-stop.       “Go away…” Anna pronounces faintly with tears in her eyes. “Please, guys…”       “FUCK, WHY ARE YOU STILL ALIVE?” Julian screams at the top of his lungs, grabs Anna by the hair painfully, and hits her head against the ground. “WHY?”       Julian only hits his foot against Anna’s nose before Daniel being red from anger runs to him and smashes his fist strongly against his yawl from both sides. And when Potter wants to answer back, Perkins grabs his hand in time, taking him far from Anna quietly crying from pain and weakness.       “Do not dare to hurt her, bastard,” Daniel hisses through his teeth, threatening Julian with a finger. “DO NOT DARE, ASSHOLE!”       “I shall kill you, motherfucker,” Julian says in a low, rude voice. “FOR RUINING ALL MY PLANS!”       When Julian gets ready to smash a fist against Daniel’s face, Peter runs to him and hits his leg against the opponent’s solar plexus so that the man gets sharply thrown two meters away and falls to the ground. Then Terrence shows up from nowhere, hits Potter on the underbelly with his leg, grabs him by the hair strongly, and hits his opponent’s head against the ground a couple of times. Then Edward rushes to help by hitting his leg against the back of Anna’s enemy. But the next, Julian grabs MacClife, Jr., by the leg and pulls him so that the guy falls sharply to the ground. And when he wants to hit him with a rock that he takes on the way, the guy sharply rolls to another side and gets up in a jump. Then, Potter gets a strong hit with a foot and starts a hand-in-hand fight with Edward, who pushes his opponent off himself at some moment, grabs the rock that the man let go, and throws it strongly at Anna’s offender, getting into his forehead. And while Julian winces from pain, Peter smashes his fist against the man’s yawl and, locking his fingers tightly, hits him right on the spine when that one doubles over. And then Daniel and Terrence twist Potter’s arms around the back together and strike him down easily, while Sammy loudly barks at him and growls.       “So, scumbag, you got what you deserved?” Daniel asks rudely with his head proudly raised, stepping on Julian’s back with his leg, while Potter himself growls irritably after the unsuccessful attempt to get out.       “Huh, he didn’t resist even once,” Edward sneers evilly, squats down, tightly grabs Julian by the hair, and looks at him with contempt. “I don’t know what about you, guys, but fighting with such a worthless fighter is boring to me. We had much more fun with Wainwright.”       “This is not the end, motherfuckers…” Julian hisses through his teeth, not caring about the pain. “Not the end…”       “Look who is barking here!” Terrence sneers contemptuously. “What would you do, mangy dog? Bark a little and hide in a bust? Calling your daddy?”       “Ha, and you dare to call yourself a man!” Peter exclaims and hits his foot against Julian’s nose. “Huh! You are a pathetic coward! You want to seem better thanks to weak people, who cannot answer you.”       Sammy barks confidently several times.       “You think you are tough and unstoppable?” Julian sneers evilly. “Wrong! I shall prove that you STOOD IN THE WRONG WAY!”       Julian sharply rolls onto his back, sits up, and gets up quickly enough. And when Edward, Daniel, Terrence, and Peter try to grab him, he easily strikes them down, smashing a hit against someone, giving someone a slap in the face, or hitting someone on the underbelly, and pushes Sammy with a leg.       “You will not defeat me, bastard!” Julian hisses through his teeth, threatening the men with a finger and Sammy whining from pain. “I SHALL DESTROY YOU!”       While Edward, Peter, Daniel, and Terrence help each other get up and make sure they and Sammy are fine, Julian runs to Anna sitting on the ground and crying quietly, and grabs her by the hair rudely.       “STOP CRYING, CHICKEN!” Julian screams irritably and gives Anna a strong slap in the face. “GET UP QUICKLY AND GET INTO THE CAR! WAIT FOR ME, BITCH!”       “Stop, Julian, I’m asking you…” Anna begs with pity in her eyes. “Stop it…”       “ARE YOU THE FUCK STUPID OR DEAF? I TOLD YOU TO GET INTO THE CAR! NOW!” Julian hits his leg against Anna’s chest and stomach a couple of times, while the feeling of the unbearable pain echoes in every single part of her body.       “NO!” Anna screams with horror in her wet, widely open eyes, closing her face with both hands. “DON’T BEAT ME!”       “SHUT UP, UGLY!” Julian roars at the top of his lungs. “WHEN I DEAL WITH THOSE BASTARDS, I WILL DO IT TO YOU!”       “NO! DON’T HURT THEM!”       Anna starts screaming again because Julian slaps her strongly in the face again and starts to beat her with hands and legs on everything he sees, acting like he is obsessed with an evil demon that got control of his mind. It happens until Daniel runs to him and smashes his fist against his temple so strongly that the man falls to the ground immediately.       “You will not get off me so easily,” Daniel says in a low voice and hits Julian on the temple with a leg. “I will beat you every time you hurt my girlfriend.”       When Julian gets up sharply, despite strong pain, Edward runs to him, strikes him down in a jump, and uses a chokehold on him. But Potter sets himself free quickly, strikes his opponent down, and attacks him with his fists. However, MacClife, Jr., easily fights off any hits on the face and strikes him down without problems by hitting him on the groin with a knee and pushing him rudely off himself. And when Julian grabs Edward by the hair and pulls it strongly, Terrence hits his leg against his nose. Then Peter runs to them and has to start a fight when Potter barely gets up and attacks him with his fists. The blond avoids hits successfully, leaves them on the most sensitive areas, and easily twists his opponent’s arm around. Edward uses it when he hits him on the knee with his leg and sneers evilly when the man winces strongly from pain with a quiet squeak.       “So, bastard, do you want to leave on your feet or keep fighting?” Peter asks, using a chokehold on Julian. “If your pants are not wet, we will be happy to accept the challenge.”       “I shall not give the gal to you!” Julian says rudely, trying to get out of Peter’s tight grip unsuccessfully. “She will go WITH ME!”       “Do not dream, scumbag!” Daniel throws coldly and smashes his fist against Julian’s solar plexus. “Anna will go with ME AND MY FRIENDS!”       “OVER MY DEAD BODY, BASTARDS!”       “Hey, Terrence, watch Anna and find out how she’s doing,” Edward says, putting his hand on Terrence’s shoulder. “Or better carry her into the car, while we have time.”       “You can handle it?” Terrence asks.       “Yes, go, we’ll deal with this bastard.”       Terrence nods and comes quickly to Anna, who is crying quietly and cannot move because any little movement gives her unbearable pain.       “Anna, darling…” Terrence pronounces with pity in his eyes, gets down on his knees beside Anna, and caresses her shoulder and head. “Hold on, friend, please. The guys and I will drive you to the hospital now.”       “I feel so bad, Terrence…” Anna pronounces faintly and sniffs quietly. “Very…”       “Wait for a while. We will not leave in trouble.”       “I can’t… My body hurts… Whole body…”       “Don’t worry, that man will no longer hurt you.”       “I’m dying… I will not bear it…”       “No, sweetie, don’t say that,” Terrence calms down softly, caressing Anna’s head. “It’s gonna be okay. The guys and I are here and will protect you.”       “You shouldn't have come. You can do nothing. Julian is very dangerous and strong and may kill you.”       “Julian is a coward. He attacks only weak people and is afraid of strong ones. Look at the lads!” Terrence glances at Daniel, Edward, and Peter, who are fighting with Julian, who really seems much weaker. “They’re dealing with him much better.”       “No…” Anna sniffs quietly. “It’s not the truth… Julian is not weaker than you… Not weaker…”       “Don’t worry, Anna, we can stand for us and each other.” Terrence cracks a smile. “We’ve gotten through that.”       “For God’s sake, guys, stop. Save yourself! Don’t make the girls excited! Please, Terrence, take Edward, Daniel, and Peter and leave. Moreover, you just left the hospital, as I understand.”       “We will not leave without you.”       “Please, Terrence…” Anna begs with pity in her wet eyes. “End this… Be smarter… You’re the oldest… The wisest… And the smartest…”       “We promised your father to protect you.”       “Don’t meddle in this business, please. Julian and his father won’t pity you.”       “Potter is powerless against four. And he does understand it. So, he’s fretting and fuming. He doesn’t wanna recognize his loss.”       “He’s mad! Mad at me! Mad at Perkins! You know how much Julian wants to kill him! Potter’s obsessed with this thought!”       “I know, friend…”       “The guys and you better think of protecting him. Daniel won’t handle it alone. He won’t…”       “Don’t worry, Anna, we’ll help him and you,” Terrence replies confidently, taking Anna by the shoulders softly when she barely gets up. “Dealing with Julian will be the mission of the lads and me. And the girls will take care of you.”       “Please, Terrence…”       While Terrence is trying to calm Anna down and hugs her touchingly at some moment, Daniel, Peter, and Edward are fighting with Julian, who sometimes wins but loses in most cases. Sammy does his best to help them, grabbing his opponent’s hand, holding it tightly with his tough teeth, and not stopping to bark and growl at the one, who dares to hurt those he loves.       “Fuck, can someone calm this barking thing down?” Julian demands rudely.       “This dog will tear you apart if we tell him,” Edward says confidently, bends sharply to avoid the hit of Julian in the face, and gives him a slap.       “He would not be worthless if this smelly dog tore one of you apart.”       “Filter your words, bastard!” Daniel exclaims, grabs Julian’s hand when the man wants to smash his fist against his face, and hits him strongly in the solar plexus with his foot. “He understands everything and will not tolerate the insults from him!”       “Ha, what does this piece of shit understand? This is just a worthless shit that only eats, sleeps, and pees all shoes at home!”       “He understands much more than you,” Peter says confidently, jumps sharply aside when Julian raises his hand to hit him strongly. “And he can be a wonderful, loyal friend.”       “We will see how this shit will react if I kill you right here.”       Julian raises his leg with a loud growl to hit Peter in the abdomen, but the blond jumps back in time. But he falls the next second after stepping on something accidentally. Potter wants to smash his fist against his face, but Rose rolls aside sharply, stands on one knee, and gets up on both legs. Anna’s offender also stands up quickly and starts a hand-in-hand fight with the blond, not caring about Sammy, who is running around him and barking loudly non-stop.       “Hey, Edward, run to Terrence,” Daniel addresses Edward, putting his hand on the man’s shoulder. “Pete and I will deal with this bastard.”       “You can do this together?” Edward expresses anxiety.       “We can. We’ll choose the moment and get out all together.”       “Okay, deal!”       “Okay, go to Anna. Go, go!”       With these words, Daniel claps Edward on the back, and the guy leaves with a quiet step but quickens later. Perkins watches him for a few seconds before he hears the bark of the excited Sammy and the loud voice of Peter, who has been struck down by Julian:       “Daniel, watch out!”       When Daniel turns back, he sees Julian running to him with a thin wood board that he took from a small, half-ruined bench placed not far away to hit his enemy on the head as strongly as possible. But Perkins jumps aside in time and forcefully tries to take this thing, which the man pulls on himself sharply. He does not have to fight for a long time because Peter takes a second board from the bench, runs to the opponent. and, jumping highly enough, hits him on the head strongly. It deprives him of the ability to orientate for a few seconds, but then he starts to fight off the blond with his board like a sword, getting confused because of the brilliant reaction of his opponent. And at some moment, Peter takes the board from Julian, pushes Anna’s offender off himself with his leg, and throws it to Daniel, who immediately attacks Potter.       Meanwhile, Edward runs to Terrence, who is still trying to comfort Anna, who is bleeding and crying quietly.       “Hey, I thought you were in the car!” Edward exclaims.       “I was gonna carry her there,” Terrence explains.       “It’s okay, Anna.” Edward gets down on his knees and caresses Anna’s shoulder softly. “We won’t leave you.       “No, guys,” Anna pronounces faintly in a shaking voice. “I don’t want you to suffer… Nobody should suffer because of me.”       “We’re gonna be fine. And nobody will hurt you anymore. While you’re with us, nothing threatens you.”       “Leave me…” Anna makes a quiet sob. “Leave… Please…”       “And let that beast tear you? Never! We don’t leave friends in trouble!”       “Don’t protect me. I don’t deserve it…”       “No, no, friend, don’t say so,” Edward protests confidently and takes Anna’s hands. “You’re guilty of nothing.”       “I’m so stupid and worthless… Just an idiot… A worthless idiot…”       “For God’s sake, Anna, stop believing everything that sick man told you,” Terrence begs with pity in his eyes. “You’re not the one he considers you.”       “I wanted to save my parents so badly…” Anna replies quietly with tears, while her whole body is shaking slightly. “Julian… And his father… They want revenge… They said… They’d pity them… If I was silent…”       “We know,” Edward nods. “Your parents told us everything.”       “What?” Anna rounds her eyes. “But how? When?”       “We’ll explain it later,” Terrence promises confidently, taking Anna’s hand. “Now saving you is more important to us. The lads and I will protect you and do our best to end this story.”       “You can do nothing…” Anna says in a shaking voice.       “No, Anna, we can do a lot. Any situation has a solution.”       “No… If we ask for help, the Potters will kill us. Julian’s father can’t forgive my parents for their mistakes in the past, and Julian… I dunno… I don’t know why he treats me like this… He probably just dances attendance upon his father…”       “Remember, being silent is not always good,” Edward replies confidently. “Now, even your obedience wouldn’t fix everything. If Julian and his father wanna kill you, they won’t stop. And all these claims are just excuses. A way to torture you.”       “They can do anything to me, but they should leave my father and mother alone. I don’t want them to die. I have no one else but them! Nobody from my family!”       “You also have us,” Terrence cracks a smile. “Your loyal friends.”       “I know.”       “I promise it’s gonna be okay. You’ll be saved from this nightmare, and your parents will live.”       “I know, guys, but you can do nothing…” Anna makes a quiet sob. “At least, I’m doomed to suffer.”       “No, sweetie, don’t say it,” Edward shakes his head. “We’re with you and will always be by your side. The men and the girls – all of them love you so much and wish you only the best.”       “I’m sick…” Anna whispers and sniffs quietly. “I have no strength to take this pain…”       “Wait for a while, we’ll take you to the hospital now.”       “I wanna die… I don’t wanna feel pain… I don’t wanna hear these humiliations… I don’t!”       “What?” Edward rounds his eyes.       “Please, Edward, Terrence…” Anna moves her eyes full of tears to Edward and Terrence. “Leave me… Let Julian kill me… I’m ready for anything… I’ve got nothing to lose…”       “No!” Terrence and Edward get horrified with dumbfounded eyes.       “You’re crazy!” Edward pronounces loudly.       “What are you talking about?” Terrence gets horrified. “Did you think of your parents? Friends? Daniel? Did you think of what would happen to us?”       “I have no strength to fight…” Anna pronounces with tears in her eyes. “I’m too weak… If Julian hits me several times, I shall die…”       “Listen, we understand you feel very bad now. But you’ve gotta fight. You can’t let that bastard think he can do anything. He can’t win!”       “For what, Terrence?” Anna wonders a little louder. “For all these insults and humiliations? For feeling like shit? Feeling this unbearable pain?”       “For the people you love. Those, who love you. It’s a good enough reason to hold on.”       “No…” Anna sniffs quietly. “I don’t want… I can’t… No strength…”       “Anna, please…”       “Let Julian hit me strongly several times…” Anna says without emotions. “So, I just close my eyes and stop feeling anything…”       “No, sweetie, hold on, please…” Edward begs with pity in his eyes, caressing Anna’s head. “You’re a strong girl. We believe you can do this! Don’t dare to give up on the sick bastard, who wasn’t hit enough in childhood.”       “I’m so sorry, Edward, but I’m tired…” Anna replies in a shaking voice with tears in her eyes. “It's hurtful for me to say it, but… My time has come…”       Wincing strongly from the unbearable pain, Anna doubles over and keeps crying quietly. Edward and Terrence caress her back with pity and sadness in their eyes respectively and then look at each other and shake their heads.       “I’m worried about her,” Terrence whispers, grabbing his throat with a hand.       “Me, too,” Edward confesses in a whisper and swallows up nervously. “I dunno what to say…”       “We’ve gotta get away from that asshole and take her to the hospital. Anna is in a terrible condition. She’d be madly lucky if she got nothing serious after what Potter did to her.”       “Let’s leave her in the car and help Daniel and Peter.”       “Yeah, okay. Help me.”       All the time Terrence and Edward spent next to Anna and tried to calm her down, Daniel and Peter were fighting against Julian together with the help of Sammy, who sometimes held the opponent with his sharp teeth. Although the friends avoided a bigger part of strong hits, they sometimes got them, even if both of them are fine. Unlike the girl’s offender, who has blood on his face, and whose clothes are ripped in some places. Potter tries to prove that his psychical data is not worse than the young men’s. But it’s madly hard for him to fight against Daniel, who is obsessed with anger, beating him on everything he sees without shame, and hardly thinks he may make him disabled or even kill him.       “So, motherfucker, it hurts, huh?” Daniel sneers evilly and hits the underbelly of Julian lying on the ground with his leg. “She does feel the fuck hurt, too! SHE IS DYING FROM PAIN!”       Daniel grabs Julian by the collar, slaps him strongly in the face, and pulls his hair out painfully.       “If I know you come to her or her family again, you will be dead,” Daniel threatens, looking at Julian with an icy look. “I shall bury you in the ground! YOU GOT IT, ASSHOLE?”       “I’m not afraid of your threats,” Julian sneers evilly.       “You must!” Daniel squeezes Julian’s throat tightly, pulling his hair strongly with a free hand. “You will know who I am. What I could do if I got mad. If you think I am not dangerous, you are deeply wrong. And you do underestimate me.”       “Stop…” Julian barely pronounces, trying to catch some air that he lacks. “Pretending… To be… Tough! Plucked… Rooster!”       “Where’s your bravery, Potter? You’re tough only when you mock weak people?”       “You do not know me, freak!” Julian sharply grabs Daniel by the collar and strikes him down rudely. “YOU DO NOT KNOW!”       Julian sharply gets up and tries to hit Daniel in the nose with his fist, but Perkins rolls aside in time and gets up shortly.       “Do you really think you can defeat me?” Julian sneers evilly.       “As you see, we didn’t even get a scar and get tired!” Peter puts his hands on his hips. “And your face is all in blood! And you can barely walk!”       “It’s alright, now it’s my time to beat your faces and bury your corpses in the ground!”       “Slow down, Potter. You can’t fight against young men at the age of ninety? It’s your time to get your own first-aid kit and collect the documents to get the status of a retiree.”       “You are talking too much, nerd.” Julian goes a few steps back, takes his knife that he lost some time ago, points it at Peter and Daniel, who sneer quietly, and goes on them confidently. “It’s time to give a lesson to you and your pal, for whom there is already a place at the cemetery.”       “You can’t do it without your knife?” Daniel smirks evilly. “Do you feel insecure without it? You can’t fight with your legs and hands and decided to try to seem frightful by waving this thing?”       “CLOSE YOUR MOUTH, ASSHOLE!” Julian screams at the top of his lungs.       “Don’t be nervous, Potter,” Peter says confidently. “You will lose. Because you have nobody to help you. Your daddy is not here. As well as your pals. Though, I doubt that a bastard like you has them.”       “Unless you pay money to someone,” Daniel adds thoughtfully. “We knew one bastard, who gave a lot of money to some motherfuckers, so they licked his legs and did anything he wanted.”       “You are talking too much, bastards,” Julian hisses through his teeth. “Alright, I shall shut you up quickly now. As well as I did to that nasty gal.”       Wrapping the knife in his hand, Julian goes confidently on Daniel and Peter, who strike a fighting position. But then Sammy helps them out by running to Potter quickly, grabbing his hand with the knife with his teeth, and starting to hold it tightly.       “A-A-A-A, SCUMBAG!” Julian shakes his hand sharply. “GO, MOTHERFUCKER! LEAVE! LET GO! A-A-A!”       Peter runs to Julian immediately and strikes him down easily with one hit of the foot on the abdomen, making him let his knife go.       “Good, Sammy, good boy!” Peter encourages with a slight smile, petting the head of the growling Sammy.       But two seconds later, Julian strongly pushes off Sammy, who whines quietly in pain. Then he gets up quickly, takes his knife, and wants to get it into Peter’s stomach. But the blond grabs one of the two boards placed not far from him and strikes out the knife, the edge of which is a few meters away from him. Next, Rose throws the board aside and tries to avoid the attacks of Potter, who is still determined to wound the opponent. At some moment, Daniel helps him out by pushing the opponent off and striking the knife out of his hand with a leg so that it lifts highly. Peter watches the flight path, catches this thing in a jump, and points it confidently at Julian lying on the ground.       “Nice attempt, Potter!” Peter pronounces confidently. “I am sorry that you are going to lose your gun.”       Peter puts the knife on the ground, steps on it with his leg, and easily breaks it into two parts, which he shows to Julian with pride.       “Alright, you have no knife,” Peter smiles slyly, breaks the blaze into little pieces, and just throws them on the ground. “Ah, what a pity!”       “SCUMBAG!” Julian screams at the top of his lungs, getting literally green from anger. “DO YOU, BEGGAR, KNOW HOW MUCH IT COSTS?”       “Got nervous? You felt so sassy with the knife, but it’s been broken! Damn! How are you going to pretend to be tough? How are you going to hide your fear from us?”       “Alright, four-glass one, you annoyed me,” Julian hisses, clenching his hands into fists tightly. “I SHALL KILL YOU!”       Julian wants to hit Peter in the yawl with a leg, but the guy immediately bends, avoiding the hit successfully. Then the blond gets straight sharply, gives his opponent a strong slap in the face, and, closing the man’s face with his hand, pushes him off rudely. Potter tries to attack Rose again, but the guy fights off all the attacks easily enough, showing that he is better than the opponent. Since Daniel helps him, as well, both of them feel much more confident.       “Give up, freaks,” Julian encourages with a sly smile, fighting with Daniel and Peter at the same time with both hands. “You will get nothing.”       “You get out of here!” Daniel throws rudely and smashes his fist against Julian’s temple.       “Do you really like to pretend to be heroes and wave your chicken wings?”       “We like to protect our friends!” Peter says confidently, squats down sharply to avoid a hit, and hits his leg against Julian’s knee. “This is our duty!”       “Maybe, the gal will appreciate the fact that you want to save her. But it will change nothing. I shall not give her to you! NEVER!”       “Nobody will ask you!” Peter pulls Daniel aside sharply, grabbing him by the hand, when Julian throws a rock at the man. “We will just take her away from here and keep protecting her from you and your daddy!”       “Your pals have already peed their pants and ran away from me! They were afraid of getting their faces beaten!”       “They have a responsible mission,” Daniel says with a sly smile and takes Peter aside when Julian throws a bigger rock at the man.       Julian, not caring about Daniel and Peter’s hits, glances aside and sees Terrence and Edward sitting beside Anna and deciding to carry her into Perkins’ car at some moment.       “Bastards…” Julian hisses through his teeth. “You will not dare to take her… YOU WILL NOT DARE!”       Julian gives strong slaps in the face to Daniel and Peter and rushes to the MacClife brothers, who help Anna sit up. Wasting no time, Rose and Perkins run after him as well as Sammy, who catches Potter earlier but gets thrown aside after a strong hit. However, the dog comes to himself quickly and starts to bark when Peter and Daniel shout at the same time:       “Terrence, Edward, watch out!”       The MacClife brothers turn around sharply and see Julian running to them. Edward gets up first and, making a full twist, smashes his fist against his yawl and pushes him as far from Anna as possible with his leg.       “Don’t dare to get closer to her,” Edward hisses through his teeth. “Or you are a corpse.”       Edward sharply moves his eyes to Sammy, who barks quietly, as he holds a board in his teeth. The man takes it and starts to fight off Julian, trying to take him far from Anna, who is still crying bitterly from the pain in her whole body. Even when Potter gets the board out of MacClife, Sr.,’s hands, and tries to hit his opponent strongly, the guy shows a brilliant reaction, as if he literally foresees all his actions. And at some moment, Terrence comes to help him by striking the board out of the hands of the girl’s offender on a run and joins the hand-in-hand fight, sparing no strength, even if he left the hospital today.       “Ar-r-r, fucking MOTHERFUCKERS!” Julian growls irritably. “WHEN WILL YOU DIE? ALONGSIDE THIS DOG THAT BITE MY LEGS AND ARMS!”       And while Terrence and Edward are fighting with Julian, Sammy comes to Anna lying on the ground and, whining quietly, softly nuzzles his nose in her face.       “Sammy…” Anna whispers, barely reaching her hand to Sammy. “Boy…”       Sammy starts to whine with greater pity and licks Anna’s nose or touches it with his paw.       “I feel madly hurt… I’m dying…”       While Sammy runs around Anna, not knowing how to help her, Peter comes to her and gets down on his knees beside his friend.       “Anna, sweetie…” Peter pronounces with pity in his eyes.       “Peter…” Anna pronounces quietly and sniffs with tears in her eyes. “You…”       “Forgive me for not helping you on that day.” Peter caresses Anna’s shoulder and head softly. “I shouldn’t have been so cowardly.”       “It’s okay… You shouldn’t apologize…”       “I’m really very sorry. This sense of fault has kept me anxious for a long time.”       “No, no, Pete, don’t do…” Anna caresses Peter’s hand softly. “I didn’t want you to fight with Julian…”       “I should’ve done it! But I was too cowardly. I didn’t believe in my strength and me.”       “Your attempt to save me would’ve led to nothing good… Julian would’ve had a grudge against you…”       “Now I know I would’ve dealt with him,” Peter replies confidently. “I know I can do anything for my friends.”       “But I don’t want!” Anna pronounces in a shaking voice with horror in her wet eyes. “I don’t want anyone to suffer because of that man. It would be unfair!”       “It’s gonna be fine, Anna, the guys and I will do our best to defend you from that snake. We will become your trustworthy shield.”       “Don’t do it, Pete, please… It’d change nothing…”       “Listen, friend, I know you feel terribly bad. But please, hold on. Now we’ll drive you to the hospital, and doctors will examine you.”       “I don’t wanna go to the hospital…”       “No, darling, you have to. What if you have brain damage? Contusion, dislocation, fracture, or something like that!”       “Just let me die…”       “No, Anna, never!” Peter protests confidently. “Don’t even think about it!”       “Please…” Anna begs with pity in her eyes. “Let me die… I don’t wanna live… I don’t wanna take this pain… I have no strength…”       Sammy starts to whine with greater pity, putting his face on Anna’s laps and letting her know that he is madly worried about her. A little later, Daniel runs to them, comes to the girl hesitantly, and gets down on his knees beside her, looking at her with pity in his eyes.       “Hold on, Anna, hold on,” Peter says confidently. “You’re a strong girl and must overcome that.”       “I can’t…” Anna makes a quiet sob. “I can’t…”       “It’s gonna be fine, trust me,” Daniel says softly and confidently. “I won’t leave you and will do everything to help you.”       “Go away, guys… Please, leave me with Julian. Let him do anything he wants to me… I don’t want you to suffer because of me.”       “We will only leave with you! If that man is here ‘till the evening, we will stay, as well.”       “Don’t do it, Daniel… He’s gonna kill you…”       “He won’t do. Julian is a coward, who attacks only weak people. He would be afraid to mess up with us. He’s alone, we’re the four. And Sammy is helping us. No chances.”       “Exactly! “Peter says confidently. “Potter isn’t so dangerous to us. We’ve only got a couple of slight scars and skinned knees.”       “No…” Anna shakes her head. “Don’t put yourself in danger…”       “No danger will stop me and the lads,” Daniel says confidently. “None of us will let that man mock you.”       “Don’t do… It’s not worth it…”       “No, Anna, we will not leave.”       “Don’t put yourself in danger, Daniel, Save yourself. Julian has always wanted to destroy you. Nothing will stop him.”       “I don’t care. I don’t care how many people wanna kill me when the case is about you. Even the whole world can chase me!”       “But don’t think… That… It will help you… Whatever you do, everything will remain the same.”       “Anna…”       “Oh…” Anna makes a quiet moan, being too weak to show aggression toward Daniel, and turns her face upon him. “You’re lucky… Lucky that I have no strength to be mad… And remind you of all of your tricks… For which I shall never forgive you.”       Despite a wish to say something, Daniel decides to say nothing and just inclines his head, moving his sad eyes aside. Understanding that awkward tension settled in the air, Peter decides to change the subject, while Sammy whining quietly comforts Perkins, touching his knee with his paw.       “Okay, Anna, we’ll talk about it later,” Peter says quietly, raises Anna by putting his hand under her back and hugs her around the shoulders. “You better say nothing.”       “I wonder…” Anna pronounces very quietly. “What did this man count on… When deciding to do this? He thought that… I would appreciate it?”       “Please, friend, save your strength.”       “I will not be back to him, Peter,” Anna shakes her head, breathing a little heavily. “Never… Perkins is doing all of this to make amends. To… Become good for everyone.”       “Quiet, quiet, don’t be nervous,” Peter pronounces softly and caresses Anna’s head. “It’s okay… It’s okay…”       “I shall never forgive him… He can stop trying…”       Sammy whines with pity in his eyes and touches Anna’s hand placed on her stomach with his paw, literally tearing himself between her and Daniel and not knowing who to comfort.       “Let’s get in the car,” Peter suggests confidently. “We’ll deal with that scumbag now, and then we will drive you to the hospital.”       “I won’t forgive…” Anna pronounces in a shaking, much quieter voice with half-closed eyes. “Never…”       “Don’t talk. Don’t waste strength.”       “Afraid… To lose… To watch a murder… I don’t want…”       “Anna…”       At this moment, Anna is already half unconscious and cannot get up without someone’s help. She is shaking slightly, crying quietly, and breathing heavily enough with the feeling that she is losing the ground, and all the sounds are getting muted.       “No, no, Anna, hold on!” Daniel jabs with widely open eyes. “It’s gonna be over soon, I promise. Just wait for a while. I’m begging you!”       Anna starts to say something very, very quietly and quite unclearly. That’s why Daniel and Peter cannot understand her and look at each other questioningly.       “What?” Daniel frowns slightly.       “What did she say?” Peter wonders.       Sammy looking at Anna with pity in his eyes barely touches her face covered with blood with his paw and barks quietly. Although she is awake yet, the strength is leaving her beaten body, and the girl is not able to speak and is just trying to breathe quietly, while Peter is holding her suspended.       “Hold on, Anna, I’m begging you,” Daniel begs with pity in his eyes, taking Anna’s hand. “It’s gonna be okay… We’ll not leave you.”       Maybe, Anna would say something and try to move Daniel’s hand off, while he caresses her head. But since she is not able to do anything, she does not give any reaction and just sighs painfully.       “Just don’t lose consciousness and stay with us,” Peter says. “Hear me! Anna! Anna!”       Sammy softly nuzzles Anna’s face with his nose and touches it with his paw, as if he is trying to bring the girl to life, while she puts her head on her forehead with closed eyes and a quiet, painful moan.       “Fuck…” Peter shakes his head. “She won’t hold on ‘till we come to the hospital.”       “I know,” Daniel exhales sharply and puts his hand on his forehead. “We’ve gotta fuck Potter off and take her away. We can’t waste time anymore.”       “What if that motherfucker chases us in a car? I won’t be surprised if he decides to kill her!”       “He won’t do this in the center of the city. It would be too risky.”       “Would you do it?”       “I dunno… But Terrence could. He can drive a car at a high speed. He did run away from Michael MacClife’s people when they were chasing him in a car.”       “Yeah, I remember…”       “Anyway, we’ve gotta go to the hospital immediately and tell the Seymours about what happened.”       “Anna would be madly lucky if she didn’t get fractures or brain damage.”       “I’m afraid of this…” Daniel carefully caresses Anna’s cheek with a scare in his eyes and dirties his hand with the blood, which her face is covered with. “Looking at her, I’m not sure everything is fine.”       “If she’s not been fine for a long time, it might be bad for her. She could be silent about how she felt.”       “All those will lead to some consequences. And she won’t take one more hit.”       Sammy whines quietly with pity in his eyes, nuzzles his nose in Anna’s face, and licks the tip of her nose shyly.       “We must carry her in my car and stay with her ‘till that bastard gets out,” Daniel adds. “I have a first-aid kit… Maybe, we can do something before we drive her to the hospital.”       “One first-aid kit ain’t enough,” Peter shakes his head. “Her traumas might be internal.”       “Anyway, she’s gonna be safe in my car.”       “Agree.”       “Okay…” Daniel takes Anna from Peter’s arms and presses her to himself, hugging her around the shoulders. “C’mon, Anna, try to get up. We’ll take you to the car.”       “I think she’s unconscious,” Peter notices thoughtfully, taking Anna’s hands. “She’s barely breathing… And so cold…”       “Definitely.” Daniel gets up on his feet, holding Anna suspended. “C’mon, Pete, help me.”       While Daniel and Peter watched Anna, Terrence and Edward were fighting cruelly with Julian, whom they did not give any chance. Potter gets much madder at the thought that he is really weaker than the men, who beat him to blood and bruises so easily.       “Hey, Potter, is your gasoline gone?” Edward sneers evilly, fighting off Julian brilliantly with both hands. “Girls can give much stronger slaps than you can beat us in the face!”       “Be happy, freaks, be happy,” Julian growls and tries to give a hit to Edward and Terrence on their jaws, but they avoid it successfully. “If you don’t die today, you will do it the next time.”       “There will not be next time,” Terrence says confidently, steps back, and smashes his fist against Julian’s temple and jaw after making a twist. “Because you will pay for everything you have done.”       “We will see, fucking heroes. Since you decided to help that deadbeat, you can say goodbye to your mommies, daddies, pals, and women. I shall destroy you. ALL OF YOU!”       Julian grabs the board placed not far from the ground and tries to hit Edward and Terrence strongly in the face, but they avoid it in time by running on different sides. Growling irritably, Potter runs to MacClife, Jr., who pushes him off with a hit of the leg on his solar plexus, stands on his hands, strikes the board out of the opponent’s hands, makes a successful backflip, and gets straight quickly. Next, Terrence grabs Julian’s hand when the man wants to hit him, and twists his arm around easily. Then his brother strikes Potter down on a run and uses a chokehold on him.       “You have lost, bastard,” Edward says confidently and squeezes Julian’s neck much tighter while that one tries to catch air so hard and set himself free somehow. “Confess it.”       “Better leave on your feet before we make you disabled,” Terrence demands with his head proudly raised and, squatting down, grabs Julian by the hair painfully. “But remember, if we meet you again, you will be dead.”       “Right, you are dead,” Julian sneers evilly. “I shall not wait for anything and will kill you TONIGHT!”       Julian hits Edward in the abdomen with an elbow, gets out of his grip, smashes his fist against Terrence’s yawl as strongly as possible, and gets up quickly, while they wince slightly from pain and then help each other get up by taking each other’s hand.       “You, motherfuckers, do not know who Julian Potter is,” Julian says confidently. “You do not know what you got into by deciding to help that deadbeat and his chicken.”       “No, YOU do not know what you got into by deciding to mock the poor girl and her family like THIS,” Terrence says, clenching his hands into fists tightly.       “If that girl was not so stupid and headstrong, everything would be different.”       “Different?” Edward wonders and sneers quietly. “Huh! If she had become a part of your family, she would’ve been dead!”       “It’s weird that you decided to destroy her now,” Terrence adds. “Even if you had had so many opportunities to do it.”       “I just gave her a chance to get better and become a sweet, obedient lady, who would do anything a man wants and would not dare to protest against him,” Julian says confidently. “But she did not use it and will pay a lot for that.”       Julian runs to Edward and wants to give him a strong slap in the face, but the guy grabs his hand in time and gets the man a little confused by hitting him strongly on the knee with his foot. Then Terrence slaps Potter in the face and easily strikes him down with one push.       “Yay, Potter, I’ve had much better opponents,” Edward smiles slyly. “I had much more pleasure from the worst sex in my life than the fight with you.”       “Of course, we could beat you until the evening if you let us work on hits with your help,” Terrence adds thoughtfully. “But we have no time to play with you.”       “Even if you all get into the car and get out, I shall not leave you alone,” Julian says confidently. “I shall chase you until I take the gal with me.”       “Oh, are you challenging us? I mean, me!” Terrence puts his hands on his hips with his head proudly raised. “I doubt that you took classes in extreme driving and could drive at a very high speed.”       “Oh, come on, plucked rooster!”       “If you do not believe us, we will show it,” Edward replies confidently. “Right now.”       “Have some fun with this bastard, bro,” Terrence claps Edward on the shoulder with a sly smile. “I shall take the keys from our friend and give you a sign.”       When Terrence turns around, Julian wants to attack from behind. But Edward rudely pushes the opponent with a hit of his leg in the solar plexus.       “Hey, hey, where are you going, pal?” Edward asks. “If you want to attack, do it openly. With your face turned on.”       “I shall not let you take that gal away!” Julian screams loudly. “YOU HAVE NO RIGHT!”       “Oh, we do have! We have the right to protect our friend from bastards like you.”       “THAT GAL IS MINE! MINE, HEAR ME!”       “First, ask Anna if she wants to be yours, and then you can claim your rights.”       “I WILL NEVER LISTEN TO A WOMAN’S OPINION! SHE IS DUST! NOBODY! A CREATURE WITHOUT RIGHTS THAT COULD ONLY SILENTLY DO WHAT SHE IS TOLD!”       “Alright, if you don’t want to hear a girl, you will have to hear the MEN!”       “Exactly, MEN! Not a fucking kid that lost his pacifier somewhere and peed his diaper!”       Julian grabs the board and wants to hit Edward, who jumps aside sharply, takes it out by force, and gives a strong hit on the back of his opponent, who falls to the ground with a deafening shout after this.       “Do not underestimate your opponent,” Edward says confidently. “Because they can be stronger than you think.”       Edward turns quietly and wants to go, while Julian, showing his contemptuous grin, clenches his hands into fists tightly and growls quietly.       “Alright, scumbag, I am done with you,” Julian hisses through his teeth. “This time, I shall not let you beat me. YOU WILL PAY! I WILL KILL ALL OF YOU!”       Julian gets up barely and, not caring about the pain in his whole body, rushes to Edward to attack him from behind. But the guy kind of feels it and smashes his foot against his opponent’s yawl in a jump with a full twist. Then Potter, being disappointed by his failure, starts to fight with quite the young, fast guy, who is flexible and looks like he is not afraid and does not doubt himself.       “You think you are so tough?” Julian smirks contemptuously. “You are sure that you will defeat me?”       Julian hits Edward in the yawl with a fist and uses a chokehold on him from behind. However, the guy gets out quickly enough thanks to his quick reaction and a couple of strong hits. Later, Terrence comes to help him out and strikes Potter down with one hit of the leg against his abdomen. While their opponent is lying on the ground and wincing from pain, MacClife, Sr., takes his brother under his arm and runs to where Daniel, Peter, Anna, and Sammy are now.       “STOP!” Julian screams at the top of his lungs. “YOU WILL GO NOWHERE! NOWHERE!”       Julian gets up with a quiet growl, catches Terrence and Edward quickly, and strikes the two down by hitting them in the back. Then he moves his eyes aside and gets wild when he sees Peter and Daniel being next to the weak Anna. While he runs to them sharply, Edward gets up first and helps Terrence do the same, and starts running alongside him. And while Perkins and Rose want to carry the girl to the car, Sammy feels danger first, takes a fighting position, and starts to bark and growl non-stop. And then they hear Edward’s loud voice:       “Daniel, Peter, watch out!”       “Cover Anna up!” Terrence orders loudly.       Daniel pushes Julian off in time, covering Peter, who is holding the unconscious Anna suspended, pressing her to himself, caressing her head, and trying to bring her to life by clapping her on the cheeks slightly.       “Get back!” Daniel demands in a loud bass voice. “You will not touch her with a finger!”       Sammy stands next to Daniel and starts to growl at Julian cruelly, showing his sharp teeth.       “I WILL NOT GIVE THE GAL TO YOU, BASTARDS!” Julian screams at the top of his lungs. “SHE IS MINE!”       “Nobody asks you about it!” Daniel says rudely.       “GET YOUR DIRTY HANDS OFF HER, BLOND!”       “And let you beat her to death?” Peter resents loudly. “Do not even dream!”       “I SHALL CRUSH YOU WITH A CAR IF YOU DO NOT GIVE SEYMOUR TO ME!”       When Julian tries to attack Peter, Sammy stands in his way and starts to bark much louder, protecting his second owner bravely and determinedly, while the blond is caressing Anna’s head.       “OUT OF MY WAY, SCUMBAG!” Julian bellows. “I AM NOT AFRAID OF YOU!”       “We will not let you kill her, bastard!” Daniel says loudly. “WE WILL NOT!”       “Close your mouth, plucked rooster!” Julian throws rudely. “You better get out of my way, shut this smiting dog up, and take this freak off the gal!”       Julian pushes Daniel rudely, but the man does it to him much stronger and crueler and smashes his fist against Potter’s yawl.       “You will get her over my dead body, bastard!” Daniel says in a low, rude voice. “While I’m alive, you will not dare to come to her!”       “That’s why I will kill you and your pain FIRST!”       Julian gives Daniel a strong slap in the face, making him shake slightly. But the next second, Perkins answers him with the same one and attacks him with his fists. A few seconds later, Potter pushes Perkins aside so strongly that he scrapes his elbows when falling to the ground. Edward and Terrence come to help him immediately: one hits Anna’s offender in the jaw with a fist, and another gives him a hit in his underbelly with a leg. While Daniel wincing slightly gets up quickly enough and gives Potter several strong hits on the whole body.       “I shall destroy you, scumbag,” Julian hisses through his teeth. “YOU ALL WILL DIE!”       “We will see it!” Daniel exclaims, closes Julian’s face with his hand, pushes him off sharply, and moves his eyes to Terrence and Edward. “Take care of Anna, guys! I will deal with this bastard!”       Daniel gives Julian a couple of more slaps in the face, after which Potter falls to the ground.       “Go, guys, faster!” Daniel waves a hand. “Help the blond!”       Some time later, Edward and Terrence run to Peter, along with whom they try to wake Anna up. Meanwhile, Daniel starts another cruel fight with Julian and prevents any of his attempts to get closer to the men and the girl, while Sammy helps him as much as he can.       “You will not do away with me!” Julian hisses through his teeth and gives Daniel a strong slap in the face. “Without the gal, go whatever you want, but you will go nowhere with her!”       “Do not even dream!” Daniel says rudely, pushing Julian off and starting to fight with him with his legs and hands. “I will not let her stay with such a sick bastard like you!”       “You have no right to get close to her! After you left her!”       “YOU do think so! BUT I DID NOT LEAVE HER!”       “So, deadbeat, did you get sick of living with this brainless idiot, who could only ruin everything?” Julian smirks evilly. “But who was literally made an expensive brilliant by her mother and father.”       “DO NOT DARE TO INSULT THAT GIRL WITH MY PRETENSE!”       “I say what I want! And you will not shut me up!”       “CLOSE YOUR FUCKING MOUTH, MOTHERFUCKER!”       Daniel smashes his fist against Julian’s face with a loud shout and strikes him down. But the man gets up quickly and tries to hit his opponent in the same way. But Sammy closes Perkins with himself and starts to bark at Potter and growl loudly, standing in a fighting position.       “FUCK, SHIT THIS CRUMMY DOG UP!” Julian screams at the top of his lungs irritably. “MY HEAD HURTS! I HAVE HATED THESE BASTARDS SINCE CHILDHOOD!”       Sammy starts to groan at Julian with greater aggression.       “CLOSE YOUR MOUTH, BRAINLESS PIECE OF SHIT! SHUT UP, I SAID!”       Julian rudely pushes Sammy away from himself with a leg, making the dog whine quietly from pain. Then the man gets up sharply and attacks Daniel again by hitting him in the face with a fist, grabbing him by the hair painfully, and throwing him aside. As a result, Perkins falls to the ground, hits his shoulder painfully, and skins his knees, the wound on which starts to sting. However, he decides not to pay attention to it and gets up quietly enough. While Anna’s offender being obsessed with anger and opening his open widely goes shortly to Terrence, Edward, and Peter, who decide to carry Anna in the car.       Since the blond is the first one to stand in his way, Julian decides to start with him. But Rose starts to fight off his opponent with his legs and hands very bravely, covering the MacClife brothers, who are taking care of the girl. But after a short fight, Potter hits his knee against Peter’s abdomen and, using the fact that the guy doubles over sharply, pushes him so that the blond hits his temple against a small stone. Then Sammy grabs Julian’s hand with a bark full of hate and starts to pull it on different sides, not stopping to bark evilly.       “A-A-A!” Julian screams at the top of his lungs, wincing strongly and shaking his hands with the hope of making Sammy let him go. “LEAVE! LEAVE, FUCK! A-A-A-A!”       While Daniel comes to Peter, helps him get up, and asks him if he is fine, Edward hits his foot against Julian’s nose as strongly as possible.       “THIS SMELLY SCUMBAG TORN MY SHIRT!” Julian resents loudly and sharply moves the hand that Sammy is holding tightly. “IT HURTS, ASSHOLE! LET ME GO!”       “I wish he had torn your balls,” Edward throws rudely. “So, you, scumbag, feel the pain that Anna is feeling!”       “FUCK, GET OFF ME, BULLSHIT! GET OFF, I SAID!”       Julian barely gets his hand out of Sammy’s grip and pushes him off rudely, and then Terrence starts a hand-in-hand fight with him.       “YOU WILL NOT TAKE THE GAL WITH YOU!” Julian screams at the top of his lungs. “NOT TAKE!”       A few seconds later, Julian pushes Terrence rudely so that the man falls to the ground, does the same to Edward, Daniel, and Peter, and rushes to the unconscious Anna lying on the ground.       “Sammy, attack!” Peter commands loudly.       While Sammy runs after Julian with a loud bark, the man runs to Anna, pulls her by the hair for two seconds, gives her a couple of slaps on her cheeks, and beats her whole body shamelessly with both hands and legs.       “Die, bitch, DIE!” Julian hisses through his teeth. “YOU WILL PAY ME FOR EVERYTHING! DIE! DIE!       Julian strongly hits Anna in her nose with his leg, hits the back of her head against the ground, and gives her more strong hits on her whole body. Then Sammy sinks his teeth into his hand, striking the man down and trying to pull him far from the unconscious girl.       “A-A-A, LEAVE!” Julian screams and shakes his hand strongly. “LET ME GO! LET ME GO, I SAID! AR-R-R… I WISH YOU DIED, ASSHOLE! DIE!”       Some time later, Peter runs to Sammy as fast as he can.       “Good job, Sammy, good boy!” Peter encourages, pets Sammy’s head, and starts to take him far from Julian. “Stop, let him go! No! Stop! Let go!”       When Sammy lets Julian go, he keeps barking loudly and groaning at him, while the man is lying on the ground and looks at Daniel, Edward, and Terrence, who just run up here.       “ASSHOLES!” Julian bellows at the top of his lungs. “I HATE YOU! AND THIS DOG! THIS SCUMBAG RIPPED MY CLOTHES! YOU, BEGGARS, WILL NEVER EARN THE MONEY IT COSTS!”       “Get out of here if you do not want your ass to suffer much more,” Peter demands rudely, holding Sammy by the dog collar.       “I will leave, alright!” Julian gets up quickly, shakes the dirt off himself, and dries off blood under his nose. “But remember, our next meeting is going to be the last one for you. Now you beat my face, but I shall not let you treat me LIKE THIS again.”       “Do not worry, we will have the pleasure of beating your face for the second, third, and tenth time,” Edward says confidently. “If we see you near Anna, you will regret it.”       “If that gal died, I would be happy. I would correctly use the time that I would spend drowning this fucking piece of shit.”       Julian gets a hit in his stomach with a leg from Daniel, and Edward and Terrence come closer to Peter standing so that they and Sammy are closing the way to Anna.       “If she dies, you will pay for this, motherfucker,” Daniel says in a low, rude voice, threatening Julian with a finger. “Pay for every tear of hers! All the pain that she felt because of you!”       “I shall not pay for what I will never regret,” Julian replies confidently “And I will not especially pay you and those fucking bastards.”       “Get out of here now! I do not want to see you next to her and her parents anymore! You got it, scumbag?”       “Remember one thing, deadbeat.” Julian sets his look full of anger and evil into Daniel’s eyes. “Do not dare to stand in my way. If I see you, I shall beat your insolent face so strongly that you will die immediately. And your brainless pals and this worthless dog will not help you.”       Sammy starts to growl and bark at Julian loudly, standing next to Daniel.       “Do not scare a chicken with an egg, Potter,” Daniel hisses through his teeth. “It’s super easy for me to make a cutlet out of you.”       “I am not bluffing, bastard,” Julian says confidently and, barely standing and limping slightly, grabs his stomach burning from pain. “If you stand in my way again, you will be dead! I mean, you will die earlier than I plan to kill you.”       “No, I have not dealt with you, asshole. Our next meeting will send you to the middle of hell.”       “We will see it! Early or late, I shall kill you, the Seymours’ bodyguard!”       “GET OUT!” Daniel screams. “WHILE YOU ARE ALIVE!”       “I wish you died, motherfucker! I hope a train will crush you sooner than I meet you again.”       Julian turns around sharply and goes to his car, gets into it, starts the motor, and presses on the gas pedal strongly, going nobody knows where. Sammy keeps barking and groaning loudly until the wheels stop squinting, and the car disappears. Daniel watches this man with contempt and anger in his eyes and clenches his hands into fists with a heavy breath. But later he relaxes a little and runs his hands over his face, feeling quite exhausted after this fight. At some moment, the dog moves his eyes to Peter, Edward, and Terrence, who are trying to wake the unconscious Anna up, makes a quiet sound, and runs to them. Daniel stands in the same place for a few seconds before he comes to them and gets down on his knees.       “He got out?” Edward asks.       “Yup, he finally did!” Daniel exhales sharply.       “I think we’d fight with him ‘till the evening,” Terrence says thoughtfully.       “That asshole was just afraid to fight with the four,” Peter notices.       Sammy barks confidently, and Terrence pets his head, while Daniel moves his eyes to Anna.       “Anna…” Daniel pronounces quietly, raises Anna slightly, holding her under the back, presses her to himself, and puts her head on his knees. “Hey, can you hear me? Anna! Say something, please!”       Daniel claps Anna on the cheek to try to wake her up, just starting to realize what’s happening.       “Anna, please…” Daniel begs excitedly and loudly.       “She’s unconscious, but she’s alive, luckily,” Terrence calms down. “Though, her pulse is very weak.”       “Fuck! Shit!” Daniel presses Anna’s head to his chest and kisses the top of her head, starting to breathe much heavier and understand that his mouth gets dry. “It can’t be the truth… It can’t be! At first, it was Cassidy, and now it’s Anna! What the fuck?”       “Calm down, Daniel, she’s gonna be okay,” Peter assures, putting his hand on Daniel’s shoulder.       “Seriously? You just look at her condition! She’s all in blood! She’s beaten black and blue!”       Sammy, whining with pity, touches Anna’s face with a paw or nuzzles his nose into her cheek.       “I believe she’s gotten too light and skinny,” Daniel confesses with horror in his eyes. “I don’t have to make efforts to hold her suspended.”       “Yeah, she lost enough weight,” Terrence exhales slowly, putting a hand on his forehead.       “Ar-r-r, Potter… I wish you died, bastard!”       While Daniel caresses Anna’s head and cheek, Peter grabs his throat with a hand, and Terrence shakes his head, Edward pays attention to the girl’s arm, on which a sleeve of her turtleneck is raised. MacClife, Jr., frowning slightly, rolls the sleeve up carefully and rounds his eyes, seeing tons of bruises that she got now and a long time ago.       “Oh, fuck!” Edward gets horrified loudly, closing his mouth with both hands.       “Fuck, her arm!” Terrence exclaims and takes Anna’s hand. “There are so many bruises! Many of them haven’t gone yet.”       “So, did that bastard beat her much more than we thought?” Daniel concludes.       “One hundred percent,” Peter replies confidently and rolls the sleeve of Anna’s other arm. “All the same on the other arm. There are the newest and oldest bruises.”       “If she’s got bruises on her arms, what about the other areas? I’m even afraid to imagine!”       Daniel hesitates for a few seconds, looking at the excited men, Sammy whining with sadness in his eyes, and the unconscious Anna in his arms. But later, his shaking hand reaches the edge of her turtleneck, and then he, swallowing up nervously, opens a part of the girl’s stomach slowly. And the man sees that there are not just bruises, but also blood and bones sticking out.       “Holy shit!” Daniel swears, setting his widely open eyes full of horror on Anna’s bruises.       “Poor girl…” Edward shakes his head. “How much she had to experience…”       “And her father and mother didn’t even suspect it,” Peter adds thoughtfully.       “Everything’s worse about her back,” Terrence notices with widely open eyes, using the moment when Daniel presses Anna to himself and slightly opens a part of her back. “That bastard used her as a punching bag.”       “I can’t believe it…” Daniel pronounces in a shaking voice. “I can’t believe it’s all really happening…”       Sammy whines with pity in his eyes and inclines his head, while Peter pets his head, embraces him, and presses him to himself.       “I know, buddy…” Peter says quietly. “It’s horrible… And I’m afraid to think everything could’ve been much more.”       Sammy howls quietly, literally making the hearts of the overwhelmed men tear apart.       “She…” Daniel pronounces in a shaking voice, barely shaking his head. “She’s beaten black and blue…”       “But now it’s clear why she put on turtlenecks and used so much cosmetics,” Peter replies thoughtfully, pressing Sammy to himself.       “The Seymours are gonna be shocked when they see her like this.” Daniel exhales sharply, hugs Anna a little tighter, and caresses her head, which he puts to his chest. “Why is she experiencing it all?”       “But Lilian said that she saw the bruises on her body,” Edward notices. “And Maximilian said something was wrong with her face.”       “We only know about one act of beating recorded on the video,” Terrence adds. “But I can’t exclude that he didn’t do that before. Before this story started.”       “Do you wanna say Potter could beat her before?” Peter gets horrified.       “No, no, I don’t think so,” Daniel shakes his head. “Anna never had bruises on her body. And she didn’t speak to them… No…”       “Who knows what had been happening to their family before we all met her,” Terrence replies. “The Seymours could be silent about many things. Or maybe, they know nothing. Maximilian believed that Potter was an angel until the end. He didn’t listen to Anna when she begged him to help.”       “No, guys, I’m also sure that it started some time ago,” Edward protests confidently. “After she left Daniel’s home and started to live with her father. And Potter knew nothing about it. Maximilian himself told him everything when that bastard visited him for a cup of tea.”       “Right,” Peter nods. “But a fact is a fact. That bastard didn’t need a lot of time to bring Anna to such a terrible condition.”       “He has a talent, though… To turn a brave, confident girl into a quiet, timid one for a few days!”       “Yeah…” Daniel shakes his head. “He easily made her believe in her worthlessness.”       While Sammy whines with pity again, all the men say nothing for a few seconds and look at each other and Anna, being so shocked by what happened that they can barely think soberly. However, they understand that sitting and doing nothing means letting Anna die.       “Alright, guys, stop whining!” Daniel says determinedly, exhaling sharply. “Now we must drive Anna to the hospital immediately. I am not going to stay here and wait for nobody the fuck knows what. And I give a fuck that she will not just wish to say ‘thank you.’”       “Yeah, you’re right,” Edward agrees and claps himself on the cheeks. “We can’t waste time.”       “Brace yourself, men!” Terrence exclaims. “Every single minute does matter!”       While Sammy barks confidently two times, Peter, Edward, and Terrence get up at the different time and look at each other.       “Hey, lads, one of you should drive the car,” Daniel says confidently and puts his free hand in the pocket of his cut jeans. “I’ll sit next to Anna in the backseat.”       Daniel throws the keys from his car that Terrence catches.       “No problem!” Terrence exclaims. “I will drive!”       “Quick, guys, quick!” Daniel orders. “Waste no time!”       “Go without me, guys,” Peter says confidently. “I’ll join you later. We won’t be able to go to the hospital with Sammy. He’ll have to stay outside, but we may spend a lot of time waiting for news.”       “Right! I didn’t think about it…”       “I will go to Helene’s home, leave Sammy with Mrs. Marshall, and come back to you shortly.”       “But the way from here to Helene’s home is too long!” Edward exclaims. “You’d spend a lot of time reaching the center of the city!”       “I know, but I have no choice.” Peter takes the leash from the pocket and puts it on Sammy’s collar. “Besides, there are too many of us. We can’t put Sammy in the trunk.”       “Are you sure you can reach the city?” Daniel frowns slightly.       “Yes, I can. And Sammy will walk a little. Passing two or three miles would be good to him.”       “Okay, do what you need,” Terrence replies confidently.       “I’ll try to come back as soon as possible. I’m gonna go there on my feet and come to the hospital on a bus or a taxi.”       “Go to the central one,” Daniel says.       “Okay! See you there then. I’m always on the line! But you drive Anna to the hospital as soon as possible.”       Sammy barks loudly, accepting some caress from the men. After this, Peter takes the leash, waves his hand at everybody, and takes the dog away. Terrence runs to the car, sits in the driver’s seat, and starts the motor, Daniel takes the unconscious Anna in his arms with unbelievable ease and goes after him, and Edward helps him place the girl in the backseat and sits in the passenger seat. After getting into the car, Perkins hugs the beaten girl and puts her head on his shoulder, while MacClife, Sr., presses on the gas pedal and goes on the road. They spend some time in silence. Sometimes Edward looks back, watching Daniel caressing Anna’s head, cheek, or hand tenderly and kissing her forehead or the top of her head with the feeling that he is tearing apart at the sight of the exhausted, white, and beaten girl.       “Oh, fuck…” Daniel exhales slowly with sadness in his eyes. “I’m gonna have hysteria when I see her like this.”       “I’m shocked, too…” Terrence confesses with horror in his eyes, as he drives the car and watches the road.       “I was sure the case was bad, but I didn’t think it was so bad…” Edward says quietly, leaning on the door of the car with his elbow and putting his head on his hand.       “What would’ve happened if we hadn’t gone by there? The parents could’ve lost their daughter, and the friends could’ve lost their friend…”       “No, no, I don’t even wanna think about it,” Daniel shakes his head sharply. “I don’t know what I’m gonna do if she dies.”       Daniel moves a strand of hair off Anna’s eyes and runs the back of his hand over her cheek.       “I…” Daniel pronounces in a shaking voice. “I won’t take it… I’m now worried about my sister and have to be anxious because of what’s gonna happen to the girl I love.”       “We understand you, buddy,” Terrence says quietly. “But let’s hope we saved her in time.”       “That bastard is gonna pay me,” Daniel hisses through his teeth. “Potter will pay for everything.”       “We’re gonna fight with him at least one more time,” Edward replies confidently. “Potter’s gonna show up again and become more aggressive and determined to destroy Anna and her parents. He’ll probably ask his father for help.”       “It’s okay, if they show up again, they will get what they deserve. I won’t let them harm the Seymours.”       “His father does know what to press on. He knew if he chose the Seymours’ daughter as a first victim, her parents would grieve.”       “Those deadbeats won’t be unpunished,” Terrence replies confidently and changes the speed with a gearbox. “Mr. Johnson will do his best for them to get what they deserve.”       “I hope Anna’s father has talked to him already,” Edward expresses hope. “The sooner they’ll agree, the sooner we’ll make them pay for everything.”       “No, they won’t delay. The case is about their daughter. But if those people knew she could’ve died, nothing would stop them.”       “By the way, we must tell them what happened to Anna,” Daniel replies with sadness in his eyes. “And we should contact the girls.”       “I know, but I wouldn’t like to make their mood bad…” Edward exhales slowly, running his hand through his hair.       “Still, we must tell them,” Terrence replies thoughtfully and changes the speed with the gearbox. “I’ll talk to Raquelle when we come to the hospital.”       “Yeah… I think I’ll talk to Natalia in the hospital. And Peter will tell Helene everything.”       “I’ll also talk to Anna’s parents in the hospital,” Daniel replies hesitantly. “But I don’t know how I will find the courage to do it.”       “This is the first time someone beat a girl so cruelly before my eyes,” Terrence confesses.       “It’s a shock for all of us,” Edward replies with sadness in his eyes. “I also shake when I think about what that bastard did to Anna.”       “I think I’m starting to understand Peter better,” Daniel says thoughtfully. “Why he did nothing on that day. I can imagine how shocked he was. If you weren’t with me, I’d also be shocked and be able to do nothing.”       “Fuck, how many bastards exist in this world… The old bastard Michael, his henchman Eric, the pervert Wainwright, and Potter…!”       “The killer Simon Ringer…” Terrence adds thoughtfully.       “Wainwright is already burning, but Potter is gonna go to a dirty prison cell soon,” Daniel replies gloomily. “I hope someone will cut his balls without narcosis.”       “His father is gonna be there, too,” Terrence says confidently and changes the speed with the gearbox. “No money and contacts will help him.”       “Right,” Edward nods. “If Mr. Johnson works on this case, we may not be worried.”       “That man is the only one, who can stop me from lynching him,” Daniel confesses in a much lower voice. “If not for Mr. Johnson, I would strangle Potter and his father. And I would never regret it.”       Terrence and Edward say nothing, just look at each other and exhale slowly with sadness in their eyes. Then, MacClife, Sr., keeps driving the car and watching the road closely, and MacClife, Jr., just looks forward with widely open eyes full of horror, grabbing his throat or just keeping it on his heart that is beating fast. And the tense Daniel keeps silently being worrying about Anna, whom he does not let go, hugs tightly but tenderly, and kisses, praying that she is okay, and that Julian pays for everything he has done.       

***

      After a long walk at wedding stores Helene, Raquelle, and Natalia decided to go to the home of the latter, being nicely tired, and did not refuse to spend time with Letitia and Adriana Lascano, the grandmother of the blonde, who is successfully battling blood cancer. The woman’s appearance is similar to her daughter and granddaughter. A tall, slim, natural blonde with blue, slanting eyes, short enough hair, nice and kind features of the face, and wrinkled but soft skin. Despite living many years in Mexico, Adriana can still speak English, even if she does it with a little accent, which her relatives got used to a long time ago, however.       “Oh, I’m so excited because of my granddaughter’s wedding,” Adriana confesses with delight, sitting on the sofa in the living room with a cup of tea in her hands. “I’ve been dreaming of seeing Natalia in a wedding dress for so many years.”       “Trust me, she is excited, as well,” Helene replies confidently with a slight smile. “Although getting ready for the wedding is a hard thing, Natalia likes it all.”       “My girl talked a lot about her wish to get married, but nobody proposed to her, sadly. Though, I don’t understand it. My granddaughter is so beautiful, caring, and careful. Even if her mother and father are provided people, she has never been too spoiled.”       “But she found the guy, who rated this girl highly and decided to make her happy,” Raquelle notices.       “So, she believed in tales for a reason. Our Natalia is such a romantic and tender creature that has always dreamed of a princess’ wedding.”       “That’s true,” Natalia smiles cutely. “Thank God, I have a chance to feel special on that special day.”       “Ah, sweetie…” Adriana laughs amicably and puts her cup aside. “I’m sure that you and Raquelle will look stunning on your wedding day.”       “Yeah, but you know how it’s so hard to pick up something when there is so much beautiful, and you like everything.”       “I get you, my sweetheart. But you will do it. It will be the day of you and your friend, and you will decide how you should look.”       “I’m doing my best to surprise Terrence,” Raquelle says confidently. “To make him speechless.”       “And I should look so that Edward loves it,” Natalia replies shyly. “I want him to feel proud when standing next to me.”       “Oh, girls, for them, you’ll always be beautiful,” Helene says confidently, putting her hand on Natalia and Raquelle’s shoulders. “Terrence and Edward like your appearance without makeup not less than with makeup.”       “Christ, that’s just wonderful!” Adriana smiles widely. “If a man really loves a woman, he loves her anyway. Not only when she has beautiful makeup and a great hairstyle and wears gorgeous clothes. True love is when you love a person’s soul, not a shell.”       “Trust me, Mrs. Lascano, Edward, and Terrence care about what Natalia and Raquelle are much more,” Helene replies confidently. “The guys love them for taking care of them and supporting them in everything. Well, they treat them like queens.”       “M-m-m, you’re intriguing, Helene. Really. I want to meet Edward more and more.”       “You’ll love him, Mrs. Lascano. Edward is a very good man.”       “And handsome?”       “Handsome and young.”       “The most handsome man I’ve ever known,” Natalia smiles widely with a slight blush on her face. “Everybody says he’s just sympathetic, but Edward is irresistible to me.”       “Although I consider Terrence handsome, I try to say it much less,” Raquelle confesses. “Because he loves himself too much and starts to show off when someone praises him.”       “My gosh…” Adriana smiles mysteriously.       “Do you know something about Edward now?” Helene asks.       “My daughter has told me a lot about him. And my granddaughter always glosses when she hears his name. Just like she does.” Adriana glances at Natalia smiling shyly. “I haven’t seen this gloss in her eyes for ages!”       “I just love him, Grandma,” Natalia replies shyly. “He’s the best thing I’ve ever had.”       “I wish I saw your fiancé at the nearest time.”       “I’m sure you’re gonna love him. Just like he’s gonna like you. And you could even talk to him in Spanish.”       “Seriously? He knows Spanish?”       “Yup, Edward speaks it very well and thinks this language is very beautiful,” Raquelle confesses.       “We often have a practice,” Natalia adds.       “That’s how!” Adriana wonders. “But how did he learn it?”       “In school. So, as I speak it fluently, I taught him what he didn’t know. And I must confess that Edward is a very good student.”       “Oh, girls, you’re teasing me!” Adriana laughs shyly, takes her cup, drinks some tea, and puts it on the table. “I cannot really wait to meet him! And make sure it’s your man.”       “Grandma…”       “Yes, yes, Natalia, until I see him, I shall not approve of your marriage. I must know who I’m giving my granddaughter to. And who must treat her like a queen.”       “That’s my man,” Natalia replies confidently with a wide smile. “I realized it a long time ago. And I need nobody else.”       “So, I want to make sure you’ve made the right choice.”       “You’ll get along well with him.” Natalia takes Adriana’s hands. “Despite his shyness, Edward can get along with people. He quickly got along with my mother and father, and they accepted this man when they found out that we dated. Now Edward is like a son to them.”       “Your mother and father really have a nice opinion about Edward. They like the fact that he takes care of you the way they do it and is never cowardly when he needs to protect you.”       “With him, I feel like I’m behind the brick wall. While he’s with me, I fear nothing. I don’t feel cold because that man is full of warmth and love. I would go anywhere with him.”       “Your parents have said many times that they are giving you to him with a calm heart. Your former admirers weren’t as good to them as Edward.”       “Don’t worry, Mrs. Lascano, Raquelle, and Natalia’s partners are very good,” Helene replies confidently. “I’ve known them for a few months, but Terrence, Edward, and I became friends quickly.”       “Don’t get me wrong. Natalia is about to have a wedding, but I haven’t seen her fiancé. That’s wrong, girls! I am the grandmother of the bride and have the right to meet my new family member.”       “You will, I promise,” Natalia replies confidently. “And if there is a chance, you’ll also meet his parents and older brother. They’re all the wonderful people I love so much.”       “Yeah, brides, have you decided on a wedding day?”       “Not yet.” Natalia tucks a strand of hair behind her ear and folds her hands in front of herself. “We’ve got a couple of problems…”       “But they don’t have to do Terrence, Natalia, Edward, or me,” Raquelle adds. “It’s about our friend…”       “Yeah, Anna… Do you remember her?”       “Yes, yes, I remember her,” Adriana nods. “And your mother told me about her situation. If everything Letitia said is true, it’s all terrible. I’m very sorry for that poor girl. No girl should experience such horrible things.”       “We are all worried about her,” Helene confesses with sadness in her eyes. “And we’re doing our best to find a way to save her.”       “I’ve prayed for Anna since the day I heard about her.”       “It’s so hurtful that it happened at the wrong time…” Natalia sighs heavily. “I wanted all my closest friends to help me get ready for my wedding…”       “It won’t last forever, sweetie. Early or late, everything will get better.”       “I’ve known the girls since childhood,” Raquelle says with sadness in her eyes. “They’re so close to me… I don’t need to have hundreds of friends to be happy. Having my beloved girls is enough. And their men. I also adore them with all my heart.”       “That’s right. Having two checked friends is better than having a hundred fake friends, who would easily betray you.”       “But that’s bad we can do nothing to help Anna,” Helene sighs heavily. “Though she’s suffering so much… She needs our help…”       “I do believe everything will be alright,” Adriana replies confidently, caressing Natalia and Helene’s hand. “Yes, any type of violence against a poor girl is terrible. But God shall not leave your friend and help her.”       “You can’t even imagine how much her offender mocks her,” Natalia shakes her head with sadness in her eyes. “A sanguine, open, and smiling girl with gloss and life in her eyes turned into a withdrawn, unhappy, and scared person that tolerates mockeries every single day for a short time.”       “Anyway, Anna is not guilty of her offender’s behavior. It’s only his fault. Maybe, his father behaved in the same way toward his mother. Maybe, a girl hurt him somehow. Who knows! Anyway, he wasn’t born like this. He was made like this.”       “I even say nothing about her breakup with the man she loved so much…” Raquelle says thoughtfully. “It broke her down, but those mockeries killed Anna at all.”       “That man was framed, I guess.”       “Yes, that man didn’t want to leave our friend,” Helene replies confidently. “He just became the victim of the events! A toy of one liar. And Anna is too mad at the thought that he cheated on her.”       “Yes, yes, my daughter said.” Adriana cracks a smile. “But don’t worry, girls. It’s gonna get better. Her friends will not stay aside, and the police will do their best… And the situation with that man will be solved.”       “We will help her even if she doesn’t ask us about it,” Helene promises confidently with sadness in her eyes. “Anna will not do it because she is a victim of the violator. Though, we’ll always remind her that she’s not alone, and all of us are ready to listen and support her.”       “She will open herself to you early or late. And if it happens, you can confidently say Anna completely trusts you.”       “We’ll be by her side, despite nothing,” Natalia replies confidently. “We’ll be waiting for her to wish to talk to us. The girls, the men, and I won’t leave Anna.”       “If someone trusts you with something important, they make you one of the chosen. One of those, who would not leave and betray even under torture.”       “Of course, we aren’t psychologists…” Helene adds thoughtfully. “Even if I understand psychology and know a little bit about violence towards girls. But the guys and I will do our best.”       “I believe in you!” Adriana exclaims. “Your friend needs you, even if she doesn’t say it openly.”       “And she’s a fighter deep inside,” Natalia notices thoughtfully. “If Anna wants something, she gets it early or late. She’s very determined and brave.”       “Your friend will get through it. And she will have fun at the wedding of my granddaughter and her friend.”       “It’s my dream.”       “The guardian angel of that girl will get her out of the hands of the beast. And she will someday get a perfect gift that will become her reward for everything she has experienced.”       “Aw, Grandma Adriana, you inspire us, as always,” Natalia smiles shyly.       “Don’t get upset, birdie.” Adriana slaps Natalia on her nose, holding her hand. “And don’t worry so much. It will make your health worse.”       “We try to believe in the best,” Helene shrugs. “Besides, our men don’t make empty promises and will surely help Anna and their friend, who dated her.”       “It’s gonna be okay, my sweeties. Believe in the best and don’t get stuck on bad things.”       “Thanks, Mrs. Lascano,” Helene cracks a smile. “You gave us hope.”       Adriana nods with a slight smile and drinks some tea from her cup. And a few seconds later, Anthony enters the living room, being a little tense.       “Natalia, Edward just called me,” Anthony says excitedly, putting his hand on Natalia’s shoulder. “He said he couldn’t call you because your phone is turned off.”       “Really?” Natalia rounds her eyes. “Oh, I think my phone is discharged… And I forgot to put it on a charger…”       “He asked me to tell you to call him.”       “But what happened?” Natalia frowns slightly. “And why are you so excited? Did Edward tell you something terrible?”       “Yes, daughter.” Anthony moves his sad look down for a second. “He told me that Anna has ended up in the hospital.”       “What?” Helene and Natalia open their eyes widely, getting a little white.       “Anna in the hospital?” Helene gets horrified.       “Edward, Terrence, and Daniel drove her there,” Anthony replies confidently.       “But what happened?” Helene wonders. “Why is Anna in the hospital?”       “Sorry, Helene, but Edward didn’t tell me the details. He only said that he, his brother, and their friends found her somewhere on the way. As he said, she was strongly beaten by a certain stinker.”       “My gosh…” Natalia shakes her head.       “Oh, Christ…” Raquelle pronounces with horror in her eyes. “Did the man, who was mocking her before Peter’s eyes, do it?”       “Maybe, yes,” Letitia assumes with sadness in her eyes, as she enters the living room. “Edward said the guys and he barely saved Anna from that stinker.”       “Oh, God…” Helene gets horrified and shakes her head. “I can’t believe it… Did that cad beat her so strongly?”       “She’s now unconscious and is in a terrible condition. The men are afraid that Anna might have some serious traumas.”       “Poor girl…” Adriana pronounces with widely open eyes, closing her mouth with a hand. “How could someone mock the unprotected girl?”       “Yeah, here’s another scumbag that loves mocking women…” Anthony throws gloomily, leaning on the back of the sofa with both hands.       “Where was she brought her, Dad?” Natalia asks excitedly. “Which hospital? I’ll go there now!”       “The central one, I think,” Anthony replies thoughtfully. “Edward, Terrence, and Daniel are there and waiting for news.”       “And Peter?” Helene rounds her eyes. “He isn’t with the lads?”       “Peter decided to drive your dog to your home at first.”       “I think he is gonna call you soon,” Letitia adds confidently. “Edward said Terrence went to call Raquelle, and Daniel reached Anna’s parents when he was trying to contact Natalia.”       “Oh, damn…” Helene exhales sharply, running her hands over her face. “I don’t know what to say…”       “We’re going to the hospital!” Natalia says confidently and gets up quickly from the sofa. “Helene, Raquelle, wait for me for two minutes! I will just call Edward from the home phone.”       “Okay, I’m waiting.”       “I’ll be back now!”       Being excited, Natalia goes to her room with a quick step, while the others watch her with sadness in their eyes.       “Jesus, when will all the problems be over?” Letitia asks with sadness in her eyes. “One or another thing happens!”       “At least, we have fewer problems than some time ago,” Helene replies thoughtfully.       “Oh, poor Anna’s parents…” Anthony shakes his head with sadness in his eyes. “I imagine what they are going to feel when they find out what happened to their daughter.”       “I’m even afraid to imagine it…” Letitia exhales sharply, putting her hand on her heart.       “Oh, I’m sorry for them… I don’t want anyone to experience what they are going to experience.”       “Thank God, that girl was saved in time,” Adriana notices confidently. “And nobody’s gonna leave her. She will not overcome it without her close people.”       “Yeah, Mother…” Letitia agrees. “You’re right… I’d go crazy if something like this happened to Natalia. I would be ready to suffer for her just to know she’s fine.”       “Don’t worry, Mrs. Rochester,” Helene comforts softly. “It doesn’t threaten your daughter because she has Edward, who won’t let any horrible man get closer to Natalia.”       “Yes, Helene, I know. But the thought that something like what happened to Anna could happen to her makes me shake.”       “Not just you, darling,” Anthony replies confidently. “Any pain of my daughter is my pain that I take as my own.”       “Now we only count on Daniel,” Raquelle says quietly. “He’s the only one to be able to protect Anna from the attempts of that sick man to defeat her. I’m sure that man wouldn’t stop after beating her today.”       “And I’m sure that he will do this, despite their relationship. He will not leave her, and his friends will help him with pleasure.”       “Having men like these, their girls are in full safety,” Anthony says with a slight smile.       “You are right, Mr. Rochester,” Helene smiles shyly. “Our men are very brave and resolute.”       “We’re lucky to have our men,” Raquelle adds.       Silence settles in the air for two seconds, after which Adriana sighs with sadness in her eyes and drinks some tea from her cup.       “Oh, so sorry that we can’t have dinner all together,” Adriana says thoughtfully. “I came to the USA two days ago and wanted to see Natalia, who I terribly missed. But she will leave now.”       “Don’t worry, Mrs. Lascano, you will have a chance to spend time with her,” Anthony replies confidently.       “I hope, Anthony, hope.”       “And now we will not have to tear myself apart between New York and Mexico to visit you.”       “Yes, Mother,” Letitia smiles shyly, caressing Adriana’s shoulder. “And for you, it’s a perfect chance to see Natalia more.”       “Moreover, she can always help Letitia and me take care of you. Natalia always wanted to go to Mexico with us to help you.”       “Aw, my sweeties…” Adriana smiles widely. “I am also really happy to be back in my motherland.”       “Are you back forever?” Helene asks. “Or for therapy and the wedding of Natalia.”       “No, I’m back forever. Of course, I shall miss Mexico, which I got used to for the years that I lived there after I got married to Enrique. But it would be better for me to be with my close people: my daughter, my son-in-law, and my granddaughter.”       “Will you tell us something about Mexico?” Raquelle asks.       “With pleasure, honey. I shall answer all your questions. When you don’t have to rush.”       “And while you and Natalia will go to the hospital, my mother, Anthony and I will have to go somewhere,” Letitia adds confidently.       “Yes, we haven’t solved all the problems after she moved here,” Anthony confirms. “So, we’re gonna have many things to do at work and at home.”       “Sure,” Helene shrugs. “We’ll talk the next time…”       Anthony, Letitia, and Adriana nod silently, looking at Helene with sadness in their eyes and truly hoping that the men saved Anna in time, not letting the girl die far from the city.       

***

      A half-hour later, Daniel, Terrence, and Edward successfully arrived at the hospital with Anna. After explaining everything to the doctor, the men went to the hall to wait for the arrival of Lilian, Maximilian, Natalia, Raquelle, Helene, and Peter. While the MacClife brothers are sitting on the chairs, Perkins is either standing or walking in circles, as he prays so hard that his beloved girl is fine.       “I still can’t forget what we saw,” Daniel confesses, understanding that he is shaking slightly from excitement. “And thinking that she could’ve died is more horrible.”       “I was literally jumping every time that man beat her,” Terrence confesses, running his hand through his hair. “The way Anna could do nothing and screamed in a heartbreaking way… While a man can stand up for himself, not every girl would fight with a guy. Especially, when she’s too weak, and he’s too strong.”       “Anna would never fight with a man or even a girl. She never raised a hand on anyone.” Daniel glances aside. “Well… Before the day when I got a slap from her.”       “Yeah, Natalia said Anna never fought with anyone,” Edward nods. “She even never pulled girls’ hair out. Anna was always very gentle and intelligent.”       “She didn’t actually like to fight with someone! Anna was literally burning with shame when she attacked someone with unfair charges. She could apologize many times, even after getting forgiveness.”       “Hey, do you think she’s regretting the slap she gave you?” Edward asks hesitantly.       “I think she wanted it…” Daniel replies thoughtfully. “But I can’t and won’t be mad at her for that. Though, I don’t exclude that Anna would say she regrets slapping me someday…”       “Did you feel jealousy when that bastard tried to kiss her by force?”       “What kind of question, Edward!” Daniel puts his hands on his hips. “Obviously, that bastard got me furious! I was ready to kill that motherfucker!”       “But you know they aren’t dating,” Terrence notices.       “I know, but Potter made me fret and fume. However, I get obsessed with anger when I think another man might be next to her. And Anna always knew it! She knew I wouldn’t stand another man next to her because she is only mine. And I keep thinking so! Anna still belongs to me. I didn’t leave her and wasn’t gonna do!”       “But if she doesn’t wanna come back to you, you’ll have to accept it,” Edward notices with sadness in his eyes.       “I know…” Daniel pronounces hesitantly. “Anyway, everything is fair in this case. It’s something like a payback for my actions. Anna was jealous of that foreigner and me, and I was obsessed with jealousy for her and Potter.”       “But notice that everything was happening against your wish in both cases,” Terrence notices. “Neither you nor she wanted it.”       “Fuck it up, Terrence, it doesn’t matter now.” Daniel glances aside. “That man can make me feel jealous hundreds of times. My main mission is to save her from Potter and his father. And make sure that she is safe.”       “Anyway, don’t lose hope that she'll change her mind about you,” Edward replies thoughtfully, locking his fingers tightly. “Yes, the case is hard, and Anna is headstrong, but everything is not lost.”       “It doesn’t matter. No matter if Anna wants it, I shall bring this case to an end. Because I love her. Because I promised her parents to save her. I can’t betray them.”       “Dude, I saw she was scared when you were fighting with that man. And after seeing him threaten you with a knife, Anna was close to hysteria. Because she didn’t wanna lose you.”       “I dunno… I didn’t kind of see it.”       “She’s not indifferent to you, Daniel, trust me.”       “And I agree,” Terrence cracks a smile. “If that girl gave a fuck about you, she would’ve been quietly watching that man beat you. But Anna did care. She screamed and was really frightened. So, that girl still loves you deep inside. Yes, she’s hurt. But she’s got love. And, maybe, she hopes to come back to you.”       “No, lads, it’s just your guesses,” Daniel shakes his head without emotions. “Your fantasies. I understand you want Anna and me to be together and see what’s not true. But still…”       “It’s not a fantasy, Dan, it’s what we saw. Anna was scared to death when Potter started to threaten you with a knife. And when you just came to him, she definitely thought of the worst things.”       “A typical reaction in dangerous situations! She was worried about you two and Peter and begged all of us to leave, so Potter did nothing to us.”       “She’s worried about us as friends, but she’s worried about you as the man she loves. If something terrible happened to you, Anna would be defeated with grief. Just like she was when you got hit by a car. She was crying, and we didn’t know how to calm her down.”       “She was worried not less than Raquelle was worried about Terrence when he ended up here after the situation with Wainwright,” Edward adds.       “She wasn’t just mad,” Daniel shrugs. “I mean, she was, but she forgot it. She forgot about our conflict because of my habit of smoking.”       “Yeah, but cheating is a more serious thing than smoking or throwing clothes around the whole house. These things can be forgiven, but a betrayer can easily make you forget all the good things someone gave you.”       “That’s what I mean! Anna won’t forgive me for cheating! Even if I didn’t want it!”       “If you were in a critical condition, she would be too worried and forget any of her offenses. Forget about any betrayer. Anna would only pray that you survive and don’t die. Yes, maybe, you can have to solve that question someday, but I guess it would be… Kind of easier…”       “I don’t know, Edward…” Daniel exhales sharply and sits on one of the chairs, looking into the distance. “Honestly, I’m starting to accept this. And I wanna solve this situation, let Anna live her life, and do what I need as soon as possible.”       “Do you really think so? Or do you try to make yourself think that it’s true?”       “I can’t suffer from my love for that girl forever! I must get better early or late. And maybe, I’ll actually forget Anna after living alone for some time. I shall remember her as the one, who gave me the best time of my life. But I’ll feel no pain, sadness, grief, thrill, happiness, or pleasure… Nothing! As some people say, you just need to wait and survive it…”       “Excuse me, Daniel, but you’re kind of lying,” Terrence notices confidently. “You’re trying to make yourself and us sure about it, but you’re actually suffering. You still want Anna to come back to you.”       “I shall dream about it. I’ll just learn to live without her. Live with the thought that life moves on.”       “You won’t forget Anna for one day, Dan. Love will go away slowly if you don’t think about it.”       “I know this process is gonna be painful this time. But I will handle it somehow. If Anna doesn’t wanna give me a chance, I won’t even try and will give in after dealing with Potter.”       “Maybe, you’ll really get used to this thought. Maybe, you’re no longer as hurt as before. But the feelings are still alive. Until they’re gone, you can't get ready to meet other girls.”       “But I really feel better now,” Daniel confesses. “Even if I felt so bad that I wanted to choke myself. Because I’ve got friends. Next to them, I don’t think of what happened. And even if I start to talk about Anna, I don’t feel hurt. It’s hard for me, but I can handle it.”       “Are ya really ready to give up so easily?” Edward wonders. “Give up without a fight?”       “I don’t deny that I have hope and feelings. But I understand I’ll have to find the will to keep moving on. I have to get ready for this earlier. Not to be overwhelmed when I’m pissed off.”       “I completely understand you, Daniel. Because I got through the same thing. I almost lost hope of getting everything to the right places, but I kept dreaming that it would get better someday. And no matter how hurt I felt, I didn’t give up. I did my best to fix all my mistakes. It was madly hard, but I knew I should’ve done it.”       “I’ve said many times that I ain’t gonna refuse to help Anna and will bring the case to an end. Even if I have to sacrifice a lot for that. I’ll give everything for her life, calm, and safety. Now I have a real chance to prove I’m truly sorry about cheating. Let her know that she can count on me as a friend.”       “I’m sure that she completely understands it. But she hasn’t just confessed it yet.”       “Anna will decide if she’s gonna forgive me or not. I’ll just do what I should and let her live as she wants.”       “Anyway, the fact that you wanna help her is very good,” Terrence replies confidently. “Anna will surely appreciate your help. Maybe, silently. But she will.”       “I’m doing this not for the ‘thank you’ phrase, but for feeling remorse.”       “Hey, I think you said Anna said some words before she lost consciousness,” Terrence frowns slightly.       “Erm…” Daniel says nothing for two seconds. “She… Said something like, ‘I won’t forgive, but I am afraid to lose, see the murder, don’t want.’”       “If you want, I’ll decipher the meaning with amazing rightness,” Edward replies confidently. “Anna can’t forgive you yet, but she’s afraid to lose you and watch you be murdered by someone.”       “Aha!” Terrence smiles slyly. “You can think that Anna has already confessed that she isn’t indifferent to you.”       “What if she wasn’t in her mind?” Daniel throws his hands up. “She was losing consciousness! In this condition, you could say many things that you wouldn’t remember!”       “I don’t think so,” Edward shakes his head. “Anna felt bad, but she understood everything.”       “When Michael MacClife’s accomplices knocked you out with a hit against the wall, you said something to Natalia. You were about to lose consciousness. And you couldn’t remember what you said after waking up. And whether you said something.”       “Right, I still can’t remember what I said. But I heard Natalia’s voice. I heard her cry for help.”       “Exactly! Anna will deny everything if someone tells her that she talked about her fear of losing me. She couldn’t remember anything or couldn’t say it at all.”       “Here’s what I wanna say, bro. Fear and despair are such strong feelings that they can reveal anything a person is worried about and all their real feelings.”       “Maybe. But it’s not my case.”       “Oh, Perkins, stop making yourself sure that we aren’t right,” Terrence sighs tiredly.       “I don’t say you aren’t right. Vice versa, I agree with you. Let’s just put all our dreams aside and be realists.”       “Don’t let things happen as they want, buddy. If you do it, you’ll fix nothing. Do what you need and forget about her for some time. And she’ll calm down a little, come to herself, think about everything, and make a decision. Not thinking about her offenses, madness, and pain.”       “And we’re sure that her decision is gonna make you happy,” Edward adds with a mysterious smile. “As people say, miracles happen when you don’t expect them.”       “You think?” Daniel asks hesitantly.       “We wouldn’t insure you if the situation was worthless. It’s hard, I don’t deny it. But there’s hope for the best.”       Daniel puts on a fake smile, gets up slowly from the chair, turns to Edward and Terrence, and claps them on the shoulder.       “Thanks for the support, guys,” Daniel thanks amicably.       Edward and Terrence nod silently and crack a smile in the hope of encouraging Daniel. Silence settles in the air for a few seconds, and then Peter comes to them with a slow step and looks at the three with sadness in his eyes.       “Any news?” Peter asks.       “No yet,” Daniel replies. “We’ve been waiting for an hour.”       “What did the doctors say?”       “Nothing,” Terrence pronounces. “Just wait…”       “But they were definitely shocked when they saw all the bruises on her body,” Daniel notices thoughtfully, sighs tiredly, and starts to walk down the hall in circles.       “Not surprised,” Peter pronounces quietly and says nothing for two seconds, throwing a short look aside. “Have you told the girls and Anna’s parents what happened?”       “Yes, I talked to Natalia,” Edward replies quietly, scratching the back of his head. “But she didn’t answer immediately ‘cause her phone got uncharged. I called her father, asked him to tell her to call me, and told him about Anna. I was lucky they were all home. Natalia quickly called me from the home phone, and I told her everything.”       “I thought so,” Peter nods. “And Helene called me herself. I told her about Anna and warned her that I left Sammy with Mrs. Marshall.”       “Hey, do ya feel after this race?” Terrence asks. “Got tired?”       “A little. But I came to myself when I was coming here on a bus. But Sammy went home super exhausted.”       “Yeah, you made the marathon…” Edward chuckles.       “I had no choice.”       “Hey, when will the girls come?” Daniel asks.       “I thought they’d come earlier than me.” Peter looks around quickly. “Yeah, did you already contact the Seymours? They know what happened?”       “Yup, they do,” Daniel nods, crossing his arms over his chest. “They promised to come shortly after solving something.”       “And how did they react after they heard about Anna?”       “They were shocked. They could barely speak. I talked to Maximilian at first, but when he heard about Anna, he became speechless, and Lilian took the phone. And then she could barely speak, as well.”       “But they’re gonna be much more shocked after seeing how beaten their daughter is,” Edward says thoughtfully. “I’m afraid to imagine what’s gonna happen to them when they know Anna was hiding her bruises on her whole body.”       “If our jaws literally fell to the ground, the girls are gonna be deeply overwhelmed.”       “We better be close to them when they come…”       “Oh, fuck, everything happened at such a bad time,” Edward sighs tiredly, running his hands over his face. “I thought we’d have a quiet day today. Raquelle would have a good time on a shoot… We’d hang out with Ben, Chris, and Kevin. Natalia, Raquelle, and Helene would try on dresses and go to the Rochesters’ home…”       “Yeah, the mood got much worse…” Peter pronounces thoughtfully.       “Moreover, Natalia’s grandmother is now at the Rochesters’ home. She wanted to spend time with her granddaughter so badly.”       “Natalia’s grandmother?” Terrence asks surprisingly. “She is in New York?”       “Yeah, two days ago, Mr. and Mrs. Rochester came back from Mexico with her and her stuff that they brought to the apartment where that woman would live.”       “Wow, what news…”       “I found it out yesterday. But Natalia said she’d meet her grandmother today.”       “You haven’t met her yet?” Daniel asks.       “No, but she wants it so badly.” Edward cracks a smile. “She says she won’t let us get married until she meets the fiancé of her granddaughter.”       “Yeah, MacClife, as it turned out, you haven’t passed the test yet,” Peter laughs shyly.       “I don’t doubt that I’ll pass it.”       “It’s okay, bro, you’re gonna have time to get ready,” Terrence says confidently.       “Definitely…” Edward glances at the thick, black bandage on his wrist. “But we have to delay the meeting. Natalia’s grandmother will hardly meet me in the next few days.”       “Or the next few weeks,” Peter replies tiredly, sits on one of the chairs, and leans back. “We don’t know when that bastard Potter will get caught. When he’ll wish to show up again…”       “Anyway, that scumbag won’t stay unpunished,” Terrence replies confidently. “Anna’s parents are really determined to put Potter in prison. And we ain’t gonna leave the Seymours in trouble.”       “You’re right, he won’t get off it easily,” Daniel says coldly. “I shall personally do my best for what happened today to never happen again. If I see Potter from afar, he will be howling with pain.”       “But be careful next time,” Edward warns. “Otherwise, you’ll skin your knees and elbows too deeply. It’s gonna be super hurtful.”       “It’s okay…” Daniel glances at his skinned elbow. “I’d take any pain for Anna.”       “Not just you,” Peter pronounces thoughtfully. “We’re ready for anything to stop that motherfucker.”       The men say nothing for one minute or two and think about something with sadness in their eyes, sitting on the chairs or walking in the hall and looking around without emotions. And later, they hear the sounds of women’s heels that get louder and closer. And a few seconds later, the excited Helene and Natalia show up and make the four stand up.       “Here you are, guys!” Helene exhales sharply.       “We were looking for you,” Natalia pronounces excitedly.       “Hey, girls,” Peter greets amicably.       Edward, Peter, Daniel, and Terrence come to Natalia and Helene and greet them by hugging them tightly and kissing them on the cheek amicably.       “Oh, Terrence…” Natalia smiles shyly. “I didn’t know you were released from the hospital.”       “Yeah, I left today after lunch…” Terrence replies thoughtfully. “But I came back here again… As a visitor.”       “I’m glad you’re fine and with us again,” Helene says amicably with a slight smile.       “Thanks a lot,” Terrence smiles shyly. “I’m fine now.”       “Thank God,” Natalia says confidently.       “Hey, where’s Raquelle? Why isn’t she with us?”       “She’ll come now,” Helene says confidently. “She received a call from a member of her management team to talk about something important.”       “Yeah, when Raquelle discusses everything, she’ll come to us,” Natalia promises.       “Okay,” Terrence nods.       “So, what happened to Anna?” Helene asks excitedly. “Has she really been beaten?”       “Really, Helene,” Edward confirms.       “Did that stinker do that?” Natalia opens her eyes widely.       “Yup, we met him face-to-face,” Daniel replies gloomily. “We saw what that Julian Potter was.”       “And the guys and I had met Anna’s parents before we met him,” Terrence adds. “I mean, Edward, Peter, and I met both of them, but Daniel saw her mother for the first time.”       “We were at their home. Her father’s one.”       “But how did it happen?” Natalia frowns slightly.       “It started with Peter,” Edward explains. “I mean, from what he showed the guys and me.”       “Yeah, I forgot to tell you something on the day I asked all of you to come together,” Peter confesses.       “But what did you forget?” Helene wonders.       “I had a video. It clearly shows how that stinker mocks Anna in the parking lot of the shopping center where I met them.”       “Christ, but how could you forget that?” Natalia wonders. “That video could help us a lot!”       “I know, but I was so excited that I forgot about it. I thought about the video when we talked to Kevin, Chris, and Ben. I mean, when Spencer mentioned cameras at stores.”       “And you all saw it?”       “Yup, I showed it to the lads, and then we decided to show the video to Anna’s parents.”       “Right,” Daniel nods. “I immediately talked to her father, and we four went to his home.”       “His home?” Natalia asks excitedly. “So, you saw Anna?”       “No, Anna wasn’t there. But we did show the record to her father and mother and told them everything they should’ve known.”       “We also gave them Mr. Johnson’s number,” Terrence adds. “They agreed to contact him and promised to do it immediately.”       “That’s right,” Helene pronounces thoughtfully.       “And yeah, as it turned out, the Seymours already went to the police,” Edward confesses. “But they were immediately sent home.”       “What?” Natalia wonders. “But why? That man committed a crime!”       “We suspect it had to do with Julian and his father. That policeman could be a pal of the Potters. Yes, they didn’t really have proof that he demanded, but even in this case, that policeman must’ve listened to them and accepted their application.”       “But now they’re gonna use the video when they’re talking to Mr. Johnson,” Peter says confidently. “Nobody will dare to protest against this kind of proof.”       “And do you wanna say the Seymours accepted you well?” Helene frowns slightly.       “Even better than we expected!” Daniel exclaims.       “Yes, they turned out to be very good people,” Peter adds. “Maximilian and Lilian were very nice to us.”       “Wow…” Natalia pronounces with sadness in her eyes. “They never loved Raquelle, Helene, and me.”       “I think you’ll get on well with them,” Terrence expresses hope. “Those people confessed that they were unfair to you. At least because Anna got much better after a few days that she spoke to you.”       “Do they know what happened to her?”       “Yup, they are coming here,” Daniel nods confidently. “So, girls, you’re gonna meet them soon.”       “Oh, God…” Natalia puts her hand on her heart. “I’m kind of scared…”       “I can’t imagine what’s gonna happen now…” Helene expresses anxiety.       “Don’t worry, girls, it’s gonna be okay,” Edward says quietly. “And now we need to pray that nothing serious happens to Anna.”       “We’re afraid of it… After Mr. Rochester told us Anna was beaten, we were madly scared.”       “And the video…” Natalia pronounces hesitantly, grabbing her throat with a hand. “It’s… Is everything so terrible?”       “We were dumbfounded when we saw it,” Terrence shakes his head. “And saw how that stinker was insulting Anna and beating her.”       “The men and I almost got gray hair,” Daniel adds with sadness in his eyes. “If we couldn’t watch it quietly, you don’t better see that horror.”       “Poor girl…” Natalia gets horrified with widely open eyes, closing her mouth with a hand. “I’m even afraid to imagine what happened there…”       “Her parents became speechless when they saw it,” Peter confesses. “And now they’re blaming themselves for literally defeating their daughter.”       “Anyway, you’ll see everything when we’re allowed to visit Anna,” Edward replies quietly.       “You say they’ll show that video to Mr. Johnson,” Helene says thoughtfully, putting her finger on her lip.       “Yes, Peter helped Anna’s father copy the video to the flash drive. And he’s got one more copy on his computer.”       “And I won’t delete it from my phone,” Peter promises.       “Hey, don’t you know when Anna went?” Helene frowns slightly. “Why wasn’t Seymour at home?”       “We don’t know,” Terrence shakes his head. “Daniel was also wondering where Anna went. Mr. Seymour said she was supposed to go with you, Natalia, and Raquelle to try on a wedding dress. But Edward said Anna wasn’t supposed to be with you.”       “Right,” Natalia nods with sadness in her eyes. “I suggested she go with us, but she refused. So, I went with Helene, Raquelle, and my mother. My father can confirm it – he was at home when I was gonna leave.”       “And it made us much more scared,” Peter confesses confidently. “We started to suspect that Potter could make Anna meet him and say nothing to anyone.”       “So, did Anna lie to her father?” Helene rounds her eyes.       “We don’t know, Helene,” Daniel throws his hands up. “This is still a guess to us.”       “But how did you know where to find Anna?” Natalia wonders.       “After the talk, the lads and I decided to drive into the city and talk about this situation. But at some moment, Peter got nervous and started to ask me to stop the car. At first, I was confused, but then Edward said he saw Anna. So, I stopped, and we saw Anna and Julian.”       “I saw Anna jumping out of the car that was driving at a high speed,” Peter confesses. “Although I can barely see from afar, I managed to recognize Anna. And then I recognized the man, whom I met in the parking lot.”       “He shamelessly started to beat her and scream,” Edward adds. “Just like he did in the video! Potter beat Anna after every single word she said. Anything got him mad: her words, her obedience, her tears, her indifference… Moreover, when she jumped out of the car, she had already been beaten and gotten blood on her face. But that bastard beat her much stronger… She was beaten black and blue. Anna was all in blood and with bruises!”       “Oh, gosh,” Natalia pronounces with horror in her wet eyes, closing her mouth with both hands.       “We shook every time that sick freak beat her, and she screamed and cried,” Terrence says with horror in his eyes. “And we were shocked by what happened. Sammy was also madly scared and couldn’t stop barking and whining.”       “At first, we just watched, and then I told the men to stay in the car and went to that bastard,” Daniel continues. “I told Potter to get out, but he refused and didn’t let me take Anna away. And later, that deadbeat started to threaten me with a knife.”       “Then, we realized he couldn’t do that alone and left the car to help him,” Edward adds. “And when there were the four of us, that stinker got definitely cowardly. We beat him without any problems. He didn’t almost resist us.”       “But did he leave?” Helene asks with her widely open eyes.       “Yup, Potter got out, Peter nods. “But he beat Anna so much that she lost consciousness. We tried to wake her up and found out that Julian had beaten her before.”       “What?”       “She had many new and old bruises and blood on her whole body. Everywhere! On her arms, back, and stomach! And her face was all in blood.”       “Oh, my gosh…” Natalia pronounces with horror in her eyes.       “I can’t believe it…” Helene pronounces in a shaking voice. “I don’t know what to say…”       “Poor Anna… She… She… Damn it…”       Natalia comes to one of the chairs, sits down, doubles over, and runs her hands through her hair, starting to sob very quietly.       “But is she gonna be fine?” Helene asks, looking at the man with hope in her wet eyes. “Please, guys, tell us that Anna will live!”       “We did everything we could,” Terrence replies with sadness in his eyes. “But if we hadn’t been there, we could’ve lost Anna.”       “No, I don’t even wanna think about it!” Helene shows the palm of her hand to the men. “No… I don’t…”       “But her condition scares us to death,” Daniel confesses in a low, little shaking voice. “Those bruises, abrasions, and blood and her weight loss. Anna became too skinny. Seriously, I didn’t have to apply some effort to take her in my arms and carry to the car. Yes, she was always light, but now she is too light.”       “Her bones are slightly stuck out,” Edward adds. “We could literally count every single spine and rib.”       “That’s why she wore turtlenecks and shapeless clothes,” Natalia says thoughtfully in a shaking voice and sniffs quietly. “She hid the bruises.       “We thought so,” Peter replies confidently. “And our suspicions were confirmed.”       “I was sure it was suspicious ‘cause Anna always hated turtlenecks and never wore a shapeless thing.”       “And cosmetics!” Helene exclaims. “So, she tried to hide any bruises on her face. It also seemed suspicious to us! Anna never put on so much foundation and powder. And it’s bad for the skin. You’d at least have acne.”       “She probably had a thick layer of foundation all day, so her father saw nothing.”       “I just needed to touch her face to understand that she hid something,” Daniel says confidently. “My hand was covered with that thing when I touched her cheek and caressed it.”       “Moreover, Anna knew that man could do something to her parents,” Edward confesses with sadness in his eyes. “She said it to Terrence and me when we were watching her. The poor girl thought silence would help her save her parents. But it didn’t mean anything.”       “We told her that Potter would keep mocking her and use her silence with pleasure, but she didn’t believe us,” Terrence adds.       “But she’s not alone now,” Daniel replies with his head proudly raised. “This case won’t remain unnoticed. Whatever Anna says, we won’t give her to that beast.”       “By the way, when are Anna’s parents gonna come?” Helene asks hesitantly.       “I think, soon.”       “Anyway, I will wait as long as I have to,” Natalia says confidently. “I wanna know what happened to my close friend. And see her…”       “We all will stay,” Terrence replies not less confidently. “We all need to know what happened to her.”       “You helped her in time, guys,” Helene says with sadness in her eyes, embracing herself with both arms. “Without you, Anna would’ve disappeared and could’ve died.”       “And nobody knew he’d be back,” Peter notices. “We thought Julian and his father had left somewhere. But as it turned out, he’s back. And he warned nobody.”       “But could Anna know it? Or she didn’t expect it, either?”       “Hard to say. Anyway, we were right when thinking Potter could return suddenly.”       “Listen, guys, where did you actually find her and that stinker?” Natalia asks hesitantly. “How far?”       “Well…” Edward pronounces hesitantly, scratching the back of his head. “We took the way to the hospital for twenty-thirty minutes, if I’m not mistaken. That was an unpopular place not far from the automobile road… There was nobody, and none of us had been there before.”       “Potter wanted to defeat Anna there?” Helene frowns slightly.       “I don’t think so, he was driving the car when I noticed him,” Peter shakes his head. “I mean, Anna jumped outta the car. I assume she tried to run away from him.”       “Gosh, what was she thinking of?” Natalia wonders and sniffs quietly. “Anna could’ve crushed herself!”       “We know, Natalia,” Daniel nods. “She could’ve really died. For example, if she’d hit her head against the asphalt.”       “But I saw blood tracks on the elbows of her turtleneck,” Edward confesses. “So, she strongly skinned her elbows. Maybe, also her knees…”       “Just like Daniel…” Helene pronounces thoughtfully, looking closely at Daniel and his elbows and knees skinned to blood. “His elbows and knees are also covered with blood.”       Daniel glances at one of his strongly skinned elbows.       “It’s okay,” Daniel dismisses. “I’ll get well as soon as a dog…”       “By the way, about dogs!” Terrence exclaims. “We must notice the way Sammy acted. He helped us protect Anna and was very confident.”       “Yeah, when we gave him a command, he immediately attacked Potter,” Edward adds confidently.       “He practiced all the skills that he got during obedience training,” Peter adds, putting his hands on his hips.       “I was so worried about my boy,” Helene confesses a little hesitantly. “I was afraid something could happen to him. But as I see, Sammy did it.”       “But that stinker always screamed at him, injured him, and dared to hit him with a leg several times.”       “Oh, Christ…”       “Is Sammy really okay?” Natalia expresses anxiety.       “Luckily, yes,” Peter nods confidently. “He’s okay. The fluffy didn’t let Potter hurt him, gave a good lesson to that stinker.”       “And Sammy tore a piece of his clothes,” Edward confesses. “When he grabbed the hand of that stinker, Potter screamed as if someone was cutting him with a knife.”       “It’s true,” Daniel confirms. “It was clear that he put his tail between his legs when the guys and I showed up. While beating Anna, he was brave and sassy because she’d do nothing to him. But when the four tough men showed up, his toughness was immediately gone.”       “That’s why we beat him strongly,” Terrence adds confidently. “But to be honest, we felt bored. Of course, ‘bagel’ is good, but we didn’t feel any kind of adrenaline.”       “Yeah, Potter tried to hide his cowardice so hard, but we saw him through,” Edward chuckles kindly. “He didn’t hold on for a long time.”       “It doesn’t matter now,” Natalia sighs quietly, gets up slowly, and comes to the others. “The most important thing is that you’re all fine and helped Anna in time. She would’ve died without you.”       By this moment, Natalia comes to Edward, who hugs her tightly and presses her to himself, while she makes very quiet sobs.       “But if that man was beating her regularly, she would definitely run into some consequences.”       “There will be consequences anyway,” Daniel gets upset with sadness in his eyes. “After everything she’s taken… For saving her parents…”       Daniel falls into silence and shakes his head, looking into the distance.       “It’s my fault for that,” Daniel whispers. “I could’ve protected her… But I wasn’t by her side at the right time…”       “You’re not guilty of that, Daniel,” Helene says softly.       “At least, I could’ve been next to her. And I would’ve been with her if not for that fucking betrayer.”       “But you’re with her now,” Natalia notices quietly. “That girl is alive thanks to you and the lads.”       “I will not when she wakes up. Because Anna will want it. She will piss me off and reject my help.”       “Daniel…”       “It’s okay, I shall understand her. I shall.”       Daniel turns around, comes to the window slowly, and looks through it with sadness in his eyes, leaning on the windowsill with both hands, while all his friends watch him with sympathy.       “I’m sorry for him, guys,” Peter says quietly, embracing and pressing Helene to himself. “He’s so broken, even if he doesn’t show it. Dan’s suffering… Because Anna doesn’t even wanna see him.”       “I understand him well,” Edward confesses with sadness in his eyes, caressing Natalia’s head, while she slowly runs her hands over his back. “He doesn’t believe he can get everything back, but he is dreaming about it.”       “It’s not the end of their story, trust me!” Terrence waves his hand. “Daniel loves Anna, and Anna loves him. She just needs to calm down, think better, and figure out what she wants.”       “Hey, how did she react to his appearance and wish to protect her?” Helene asks.       “She was scared. She was afraid Potter would do something to him. Screamed when Julian took a knife from his pocket and started to threaten Daniel.”       “Potter was pretending to be sassy when he had the knife,” Edward notices. “But when Rose crushed it, Julian peed his pants from fear. After losing his gun, he became more vulnerable.”       “Anyway, Anna will surely appreciate Perkins’ efforts,” Natalia expresses hope confidently. “And start to think if it’s gonna be right to leave him.”       “Maybe, everything will be solved later,” Helene shrugs. “But it doesn’t matter now. Now helping Anna get saved from that stinker and doing our best for her to get back to her normal life is more important.”       The friends say nothing and just keep watching Daniel, who is blaming himself for everything that is happening and trying not to show that he is madly nervous and can barely hold down his wish to let his emotions go outside. But somewhere one or two minutes later, they hear the sounds of women’s heels that get louder and louder after every contact with the white tiles on the floor. And later, Raquelle being excited enough shows up in the corner of the hall and comes to everybody with a quick step.       “Hey, guys,” Raquelle jabs in a little shaking voice, waving her hand. “Sorry for not coming earlier. I received a call from one of the members of my management team.”       “It’s okay, you didn’t miss anything,” Terrence replies confidently. “We’re still waiting for any news.”       Raquelle greets Terrence, Edward, Peter, and Daniel by sharing an amicable kiss on the cheek and hugging them.       “What happened to Anna?” Raquelle asks excitedly. “Was she really beaten?”       “It’s true,” Daniel nods without emotions. “Everything happened before our eyes, but we meddled and saved her at the right time.”       “That was the man, who mocked her?”       “Yup, him. And we found out that Potter had mocked Anna before. There are tons of new and old bruises on her whole body.”       “Oh, no!” Raquelle closes her mouth with a hand with horror in her eyes and shakes her head, looking at everybody. “My gosh!”       “The guys told us such horrible things while you weren’t here,” Helene confesses. “My hair stood!”       “Will she survive?” Raquelle asks in a shaking voice. “Don’t tell me that Anna is about to die!”       “We believe we saved her in time,” Terrence expresses hope. “Anna could’ve died if the lads and I hadn’t been at the place where she and the man were.”       “No, I don’t even wanna think she could’ve died,” Natalia shakes her head. “I don’t!”       “But which place?” Raquelle frowns slightly.       “It’s located a few miles away from the hospital,” Peter explains. “The way takes somewhere half an hour. Just a deserted place where there is only the automobile road.”       “But, guys, what were you doing there? You were supposed to spend time with Ben, Kevin, and Chris!”       “We did!” Edward exclaims. “But at some moment, we started to talk about Anna's situation. And Peter remembered about one video and showed it to us. Then the guys and I eventually decided to go to Anna’s father’s home with this record. And…”       “Wait, wait, Edward, what are you talking about?” Raquelle jabs excitedly. “What kind of video? And what does Peter has to do with it? I don’t understand!”       “He means the video of the case at the shop that I told you about,” Peter explains. “I forgot about the record, but I remembered about it today.”       “And how did you get it?”       “I recorded it on my phone.”       “And… Anna’s parents saw it?”       “They did. And they wanna use it as proof of Julian Potter’s fault in mockeries toward their daughter.”       “Okay, I got it… But how did you end up where Anna was?”       “After the talk with the Seymours, we decided to search for Anna. She probably didn’t tell her father that she went to the meeting with her offender, who came back to the city after his departure. We didn’t know where to go, but we found her and Julian on the way. Who refused to leave Anna alone for a long time.”       “I don't know what to say…” Raquelle shakes her head for two seconds, understanding that she is shaking slightly. “What do doctors say?”       “Nothing yet,” Daniel shrugs. “But Anna is in a critical condition. She’s beaten strongly and looks too skinny.”       “And by wearing turtlenecks and shapeless clothes and using cosmetics, she was hiding all her bruises,” Edward adds. “Potter threatened Anna by killing her parents in case she opened her mouth. So, she believed that silence would save the lives of the Seymours and… She let him destroy her…”       “Do they know about Anna?” Raquelle rounds her eyes.       “Yes, and they are going to talk to Mr. Johnson and come here,” Terrence nods confidently.       “Which means…”       “You, Natalia and Helene are gonna meet them.”       “Christ…”       “No, no, don’t worry. They’re good people. The Seymours accepted the lads and me very nicely. Anna’s father and mother were very sweet and amicable.”       “No, I’m not worried…” Raquelle embraces herself with both arms. “I care about it much less… I just wanna know that Anna is okay. The poor girl didn’t deserve all of that and shouldn’t suffer…”       “My heart bleeds when I think that she was treated like this,” Natalia says with sadness in her eyes. “Nobody ever screamed at her… And nobody especially raised a hand on her.”       “Right,” Helene nods. “Of course, her family was harsh. But they always treated her well: no hits, no insults, no humiliations…”       “Gosh, she’s so sweet and innocent…” Natalia sniffs quietly. “Just like an angel… Why was it her? Why was it Anna?”       “She’s such a little, weak, and unprotected girl,” Raquelle adds in a little shaking voice. “Anna never screamed at anyone. Quiet, shy, not a lover of scandals…”       “Jesus, what’s gonna happen to her?” Helene puts her hand on her heart and sniffs quietly. “After those humiliations, Anna might never come to herself.”       “Oh, thank God, the lads found her!” Raquelle exhales sharply. “Who knows where that deadbeat would’ve driven our friend.”       “She tried to save herself and run by jumping out of Potter’s car,” Edward says with sadness in his eyes.       “What? Anna? Jumped out of the car?”       “Anna had already been beaten and barely stood on her feet. But after her attempt to run away, Potter beat her much stronger. The poor girl couldn’t stand and was too weak. She was bleeding. Suffering… So much that she dreamed of dying… She said it several times before she lost consciousness.”       “Oh, my gosh…”       Raquelle lets herself cry but tries to hold herself down not to start hysteria. While Natalia and Helene sometimes wipe tears off their faces, feeling how their hearts squeeze painfully when they briefly try to imagine what their best friend had to experience.       “Why?” Raquelle wonders and sniffs quietly, embracing herself with both arms. “Why was it her? What did Anna do to suffer like this? I don’t get it…”       “It’s all unfair,” Natalia replies in a little shaking voice. “It shouldn’t happen! It’s all wrong!”       “That bastard won’t stop until he puts Anna in the grave. He will keep mocking her after she leaves the hospital. Or he will actually find her room and try to strangle her.”       “No, Raquelle, it’s gonna be okay,” Terrence replies confidently, hugging Raquelle tightly and pressing her to himself. “From this day on, the lads and I will personally make sure that Potter doesn’t get close to Anna.”       “No matter if she wants it, we’ll become her protectors,” Edward adds confidently. “Her bodyguards.”       “Anna is our close friend, and we can’t leave her in trouble. And we united with her parents, who’ll do their best to put Potter in prison.”       “Even if she begs us to give up, we won’t listen to her,” Daniel adds confidently. “Refusing to help her means letting her put herself in the grave early or late. But we can’t let it happen. We have help. We have proof. We aren’t unprotected and could stand for her and ourselves.”       “Now the most important thing is that she stays alive,” Helene replies. “Anna will be very lucky if she doesn’t get health issues after all these hits and has only bruises and fear.”       “But I’m afraid she’s gonna run into some consciences,” Peter assumes with sadness in his eyes. “I don’t wanna scare or make anyone upset, but that’s true. Potter beat Anna too strongly, and she could hide that she didn’t feel good.”       “Anyway, you did everything you could, men,” Raquelle replies thoughtfully. “Thank you all so much for that. Who knows what would’ve happened to her if you hadn’t been next to her.”       “Yeah, guys, you acted like brave heroes again,” Natalia adds with a slight smile and her head proudly raised. “As well as Sammy.”       “Our duty is helping our friends and protecting those we love,” Edward smiles shyly.       “And my personal duty is protecting the girl I love and providing for her calm and safety,” Daniel says thoughtfully. “I can’t leave her in trouble… And I won’t do it even after millions of blames for cheating and strong slaps.”       “I think you’ll no longer get slaps from her,” Helene expresses hope. “She… She wanted to let some of her emotions out. Anna isn’t the type of girl, who would raise a hand to a man. It’s not about her.”       “Or she doesn’t want you to know her real feelings and behaves so aggressively for this reason,” Raquelle shrugs.       “Aha, she can say anything, but words aren’t always the same as thoughts,” Natalia smiles mysteriously. “I’m personally sure that Seymour will tell everything early or late. When she’s sick of pretending that she gives a damn about you.”       Daniel says nothing and just shrugs, crossing his arms over his chest, while Helene, Natalia, and Raquelle look at him with sadness in their eyes and press themselves closer to their beloved men, who try to comfort them so hard. And a few seconds later, someone comes to Daniel quickly, claps him on the shoulder, and pronounces cheerfully:       “Hi, bro!”       Daniel turns around slowly and sees the smiling Cassidy in front of him.       “Cass?” Daniel pronounces surprisingly. “Whatcha doing here?”       Daniel touchingly hugs Cassidy, who answers him with pleasure, and shares an amicable kiss on the cheek with her.       “Just walking in the hospital,” Cassidy shrugs. “I got sick of being in my room and staring at the white walls. And my whole body hurts after lying.”       “Yeah, is it okay if someone notices you here? What if someone is worried you aren’t in the room?”       “Calm down, Danny, I walk here for a little time to warm my legs up. And then I come back to the room quietly and jump into my bed.”       “Yeah, but before that, your doctor would call me, say you disappeared, and make me pull my hair out.”       “Oh, c’mon, bro, don’t be so nervous!” Cassidy claps Daniel on the shoulder. “I ain’t gonna run away from the hospital.”       “I won’t let you, hooligan!” Daniel ruffles Cassidy’s hair. “You’ve run away somehow! Stop! I will not take it anymore!”       Besides, there is one cleaning woman, who always screams at everyone and swears. But I try to keep myself far away from her.”       “Okay, okay, Dan, don’t worry. It’s okay! I never walk in the hospital for too long. Moreover, there is a cleaning woman, who always screams at everyone and is unhappy with something. I try to keep myself far from that old witch, ‘cause I don’t want her to scream at me.”       “Oh, Cassidy…”       Cassidy shrugs with an innocent smile and just notices Peter, Edward, and Terrence, whom she smiles at much wider.       “Oh, hey, guys,” Cassidy shyly waves a hand. “I didn’t see you.”       “Hey, Cassidy,” Terrence, Edward, and Peter say amicably at the different time.       Cassidy greets the men by sharing a hit with the knuckles of her hands and letting every one of them hug her amicably.       “How are you doing here?” Peter asks.       “Much better than some time ago,” Cassidy replies amicably and moves her eyes to Terrence. “Oh, Terrence, have you been released?”       “Yup, today,” Terrence nods with a shy smile. “I’m absolutely healthy.”       “Cool! I’m happy nothing happened to you.”       “Thanks, Cassidy. I’m glad you’re fine, too. And even smiling, as I see.”       “I’m just lucky all the doctors are very nice to me. My doctor treats me too tenderly. Although I feel terribly bored, I feel like home.”       “Wait for a while, Cassidy,” Peter says amicably. “You’re gonna be released soon and go home. Where you belong.”       “And honestly, I’m a little nervous…” Cassidy locks her fingers tightly. “Because I’d have to leave this place soon. This place is safe… I feel quiet here.”       “Don’t worry, Cassidy, it’s gonna be okay,” Edward smiles shyly. You’re not alone. “You’ve got a brother, who will always be by your side. And there is a place where you’ll go after being released.”       “I’m so happy to know I didn’t lose my whole family. I… I thought I was lonely for many years…”       “You’re not alone, girl,” Peter says confidently. “You will never be alone.”       “I know,” Cassidy smiles much wider and looks at all the men. “Hey, I think I haven’t thanked you. Thank you so much, lads. Thanks for saving me and… Bringing my brother back to me.”       “You could’ve found him a long time ago,” Terrence says amicably. “He didn’t move from the house that your parents gave him.”       “Yeah, I know…” Cassidy moves her sad eyes to her hands. “I was afraid to go there… But I should’ve tried…”       “Don’t think it, sis,” Daniel says softly, hugging Cassidy around the shoulders, and caresses her head. “We’re together again, and you’ll live with me. You’ll never be back to the life you lived.”       “Remember, Dan, I am determined,” Cassidy replies confidently. “I will be doing my best to get well and start a new life. I wanna forget my past.”       “You can do it, I know it.”       “Thanks, bro, you’re just a gem.”       Cassidy cutely kisses Daniel on the cheek and hugs him tighter with both arms. And while she was talking to the men, Raquelle, Helene, and Natalia had gone aside to talk about something together. But now the girls come back to everybody and get interested in the young girl hugged by Perkins.       “Oh, who is this?” Raquelle asks. “Who are you hugging, Daniel?”       “Is this really your sister?” Helene wonders.       “Yes, it’s her,” Daniel replies confidently and glances at Cassidy, holding her by the shoulders. “Girls, this is Cassidy, my younger sister.”       Cassidy waves her hand shyly.       “Cassidy, it’s Raquelle, Natalia, and Helene,” Daniel introduces with a slight smile, pointing at every girl by one. “Some of my best friends and the beloved girls of Terrence, Edward, and Peter.”       “Oh, hi, Cassidy,” Natalia says amicably. “Nice to meet you.”       “Same,” Cassidy pronounces shyly. “Daniel has told me a lot about all of you.”       “We’ve also heard enough about you,” Raquelle says with a slight smile. “By the way, I must confess that you’re very similar to your brother.”       “Yeah…” Cassidy glances at Daniel and hits him on the hip with an elbow. “This bad boy is really similar to me.”       “When are you gonna leave the hospital?” Helene asks. “If you’re walking in the hospital, you feel better.”       “I don’t know, but I guess I’ll do it, soon. Though, I don’t wanna leave it.”       “Don’t you want?” Raquelle wonders. “But why?”       “It’s safe to be here, but the world behind the doors of the hospital is much more terrible.”       “Don’t be afraid, Cassidy,” Natalia says softly. “Nobody will hurt you anymore here or behind the hospital’s doors.”       “Moreover, you’ll have to leave early or late,” Helene adds. “You can’t stay here forever.”       “I know,” Cassidy pronounces thoughtfully. “But I’m scared anyway.”       “Don’t be, ‘cause you’ve got such a cool older brother,” Peter says confidently. “And you can always count on us. If you need something, you can always ask any one of us.”       “I know, but it’s too hard…”       “You know, sometimes starting something really makes you scared,” Edward replies with a slight smile.       “I’m quiet just because I have Daniel. Only with him, I feel safe.”       “It’s gonna be okay, sweetie,” Daniel says softly. “I shall help you. Maybe, it’s gonna be a little hard at first, but you can do it. We can do it. Together.”       “I hope…”       Silence settles in the air, during which Cassidy glances aside.       “Hey, whatcha doing here?” Cassidy frowns slightly, looking at everybody. “Did you come to me?”       “Erm…” Daniel stutters.       “Let’s go to my room and talk there! The doctor does allow people to visit me!”       “Oh, you see, Cass…” Daniel scratches the back of his head, getting a little nervous. “I would come to you. But we’re here… Not quite because of you…”       “But what’s wrong?” Cassidy steps back from Daniel and looks at him closely. “And hey, why are you so nervous? You have problems?”       “I don’t have problems…”       “His girlfriend has problems,” Terrence confesses hesitantly. “She’s here… In the hospital… She was seriously hurt.”       “What?” Cassidy opens her eyes widely and glances at Daniel. “Anna is here?”       “Here,” Daniel nods with sadness in his eyes.       “But what happened to her?”       “She was beaten,” Edward pronounces. “Very strongly.”       “What?” Cassidy gets shocked. “Beaten?”       “The guys and I barely saved her from the beast, who did that.”       “Oh, how awful!” Cassidy closes her mouth with a hand, having horror in her eyes. “Poor girl… I can’t believe it…”       “She’s lucky the guys saved her in time,” Raquelle says with sadness in her eyes. “Otherwise, we would’ve lost Anna and never seen our friend again.”       “My gosh… What do the doctors say? How’s she?”       “Bad,” Daniel pronounces quietly. “The doctors say nothing yet, but you should just look at her to see that the case is hard.”       “But who? Who dared to do that?”       “The one I told you about.”       “Ah! The man, who says girls are creatures without rights?”       “The guys and I had to apply much effort for him to get out and leave the poor Anna alone.”       “He definitely hates her for something, but we don’t know why,” Peter adds with sadness in his eyes.       “Or his relationship with a certain girl went wrong, and he is taking it out on Anna,” Natalia assumes. “Though, it’s not a secret to us that she’s more innocent than an angel. Such a sweet, kind, quiet, and shy girl…”       “Oh, Daniel…” Cassidy pronounces with pity in her eyes, caresses Daniel’s shoulder softly, and hugs him. “I’m so sorry…”       “I can’t calm down,” Daniel shrugs.       “Hold on, bro, she’s gonna be fine. I believe that Anna is really very good and guilty of nothing.”       “Thanks a lot for the support, Cass.”       “But what’s gonna be with that stinker?” Cassidy frowns slightly. “He’ll get arrested? You reported him to the police?”       “Don’t worry, Cassidy, that man will pay for what he did to our friend,” Raquelle replies confidently. “We won’t leave him unpunished.”       “As well as her parents,” Helene adds. “They’re determined.”       “I’m really very sorry for her,” Cassidy confesses. “Daniel has always said very nice things about her.”       “You’d like her if you met her,” Natalia replies with sadness in her eyes. “Anna is the kindest girl angel that has never done anything bad to anyone. We all love her so much. She’s the youngest one… Among all of us.”       “I hope she’ll survive and be saved from the stinker, who dared to beat her.”       “Thanks a lot, Cassidy,” Helene replies thoughtfully with sadness in her eyes. “We definitely need words of support. We are all devastated and emptied…”       “I’m by your side, guys. And… Maybe, I don’t understand something, but… If you wanna talk, I’m ready to listen to you. Maybe, it can help you feel better.”       “Thanks a lot, Cassidy,” Peter thanks with a slight smile.       Silence settles in the air again, during which Cassidy scratches the back of her head and looks around.       “Okay, come back to your room now,” Daniel says confidently. “And don’t leave it again.”       “Okay, I’d really rather go to my room before that evil woman catches me,” Cassidy says thoughtfully.       “I’ll come to you when I know something about Anna.”       Daniel hugs Cassidy amicably and shares a kiss on the cheek with her.       “Don’t forget me,” Cassidy says confidently. “I’m waiting for any piece of news about your crush.”       “Sure,” Daniel nods. “I shall tell.”       “Deal!” Cassidy waves a hand at everybody. “Bye, guys, see ya soon!”       “Bye,” all the men and the girls pronounce amicably.       Cassidy turns around and goes somewhere quickly, while the others watch her and crack a slight smile.       “Sweet girl,” Natalia notices. “I liked her.”       “She looks much better than on the day we found her,” Edward notices thoughtfully. “Though, her eyes are still sad.”       “Oh, she won’t forget that horror soon,” Terrence replies confidently. “You can barely survive something when you are twenty or thirty. A nineteen-year-old girl can’t especially do this.”       “But I hope she’ll forget that nightmare someday,” Daniel expresses hope. “She has no reason to remember that: her offender is dead, and she’ll no longer get in touch with a bad party.”       “I noticed that she was too attracted to you,” Helene confesses with a slight smile. “As if she lacks love. A love of her close person.”       “She’s missing our parents too much and hasn’t accepted their death… For Cassidy, it was a strong hit that she couldn’t bear…”       “I get it…” Raquelle sighs quietly. “I do know what it means to lose your parents when you’re a child. You can accept it somehow, but you’ll never forget the pain of the loss.”       “And this pain won’t get weaker, no matter how many years are gone…” Natalia adds thoughtfully.       Meanwhile, Terrence hugs Raquelle tightly and caresses her head to comfort her and give her his shoulder in case she needs to cry, while she runs her shaking hands over his back. Natalia watches the girl with pity in the eyes, as she presses herself closely to Edward and puts her head on his shoulder, not feeling any relief from how tightly he is embracing her, caressing her head, and stroking his hair. Helene and Peter also say nothing and just watch everybody silently, holding each other in a tight hug. And at some moment, they hear someone’s steps that are getting closer and see the dumbfounded Maximilian and Lillian appear here and go to the friends shortly after they see the familiar men.       “Daniel…” Lillian pronounces, putting her hand on Daniel’s shoulder.       “Young men…” Maximilian gives the voice.       “Mr. Seymour…” Daniel exhales with sadness in his eyes. “Mrs. Seymour…”       Daniel shakes Maximilian by the hand and accepts an amicable hug from Lilian crying quietly.       “You scared us to death with the news about our daughter,” Maximilian says anxiously.       “What happened to Anna?” Lillian asks with horror in her wet eyes. “What did that stinker do to her?”       “He beat her to the loss of consciousness,” Daniel confesses with sadness in his eyes. “My friends and I did our best to save her from that sick man.”       “So, was that cad back without warning?”       “He was, Mrs. Seymour. We saw Julian.”       “And where did you meet him?” Maximilian asks. “And what was Anna doing there with that stinker?”       “I don’t know. We were just going by, and then Peter saw your daughter jumping out of the car, and Julian running after her and starting to beat her shamelessly.”       “My gosh…” Lilian pronounces in a little shaking voice, closing her mouth with a hand.       “She had been beaten by him and terribly weak before, but Julian made everything worse. He was kind of obsessed with a devil!”       “So, did Anna meet that stinker and say nothing to me?” Maximilian gets horrified.       “Maybe,” Natalia pronounces confidently. “I suggested she go with me, but Anna refused.”       Maximilian and Lillian move their eyes to Natalia and pay attention to Raquelle and Helene. Then, all of them struggle with a little tension and a feeling of embarrassment for a few seconds.       “Excuse me…” Lillian pronounces in a little shaking voice. “You… Must be…”       “Raquelle, Natalia, and Helene?” Maximilian specifies hesitantly. “Are you Anna’s friends? Am I right?”       “Yes, right,” Natalia nods. “I’m Natalia.”       “Raquelle,” Raquelle introduces herself.       “Helene,” Helene also introduces herself.       “Nice to meet you,” Lillian replies hesitantly. “I’m Lillian Seymour. Anna’s mother.”       “Maximilian Seymour, Anna’s father,” Maximilian introduces himself amicably. “I’m also glad to meet you. For the first time ever.”       “We are happy to meet you, too,” Raquelle replies correctly.       An awkward pause settles in the air for two seconds, during which everybody glances at different sides.       “So…” Maximilian pronounces hesitantly. “You say, Anna wasn’t with you?”       “No, Mr. Seymour, she wasn’t,” Natalia shakes her head, folding her hands in front of herself.       “She refused to go with you? Or she said she could join later?”       “No, she said she wouldn’t come,” Helene says quietly. “But Anna didn’t explain why. She didn’t just want – that’s all.”       “Of course, I was upset because I wanted all my friends to go with me,” Natalia confesses. “But… I had to go with my mother, Raquelle, and Helene.”       “It’s true,” Raquelle confirms shyly.       “I must confess that when Daniel asked us where Anna left, we were too worried,” Lillian confesses in a little shaking voice. “And we tried to believe we were wrong until the end. But we were right… My daughter was with that stinker.”       “What would have happened to her if the men hadn’t been there?” Maximilian gets horrified. “What would that bastard have done to our daughter?”       “We would’ve hardly seen her…” Peter replies hesitantly with sadness in his eyes. “Julian was beating her just because she opened her mouth and begged us to leave.”       “It was horrible!” Edward adds. “We shook at every single hit of that crazy man. I do not want to scare you, but what you saw in the video was nothing in comparison with what the men and I had to see.”       “Oh, God, my girl!” Lillian pronounces with horror in her eyes, closing her mouth with a hand.       “Yeah, but…” Daniel pronounces hesitantly. “Do you know the most terrible thing?”       “What?” Lilian puts her hand on her heart. “What did that stinker do to my girl?”       “As it turned out, Anna was hiding all the bruises that Julian was giving her. By using cosmetics and wearing turtlenecks and shapeless clothes. And the bruises that you saw on her body and what she had on her forehead are what that stinker did. He beat her regularly, terrified her, and humiliated her.”       “No…” Lillian closes her mouth with both hands and makes a quiet sob, shaking her head. “No, no, no!”       “I can’t believe it…” Maximilian pronounces with horror in widely open eyes.       “Sadly, it’s true,” Terrence confirms. “She had many old and new bruises on her whole body.”       “Gosh… Anna… My daughter… She… She was tolerating all of that for Lillian and me?”       “She knew danger was threatening you and believed she could save you by becoming his victim.”       “Daughter… My poor daughter…”       Maximilian squeezes the bridge of his nose and exhales slowly, feeling that he is too tense, while Lilian being white from horror cries quietly and bitterly.       “No…” Lillian pronounces in a shaking voice. “No, it wouldn’t have saved us! That stinker would’ve done his best for our daughter to die and then dealt with us with his father’s help.”       “We tried to explain it to her, Mrs. Seymour,” Edward says confidently. “We said Potter would use the situation and mock her shamelessly. But Anna didn’t want to listen.”       “Oh, God, why is this happening to us?” Maximilian asks, grabbing his head. “Why should Anna suffer? Why do we take this punishment? Why does my little girl have to take all of this?”       “I’m very sorry, Mr. Seymour, Mrs. Seymour…” Daniel shows regret. “I did everything I could.”       “No, no, Daniel, don’t blame yourself. You’re guilty of nothing.”       “Maximilian and I are grateful to you and your friends,” Lillian adds softly, putting her hand on Daniel’s shoulder. “Thanks to you, my innocent daughter is still alive.”       “Yeah, how did you deal with him?” Maximilian asks.       “He didn’t wish to leave for a long time,” Peter replies thoughtfully. “He felt very confident with a knife in his hands. But after losing it, Potter immediately stopped showing off.”       “Potter was scared when the four of us surrounded him,” Edward notices. “But he didn’t show it and was kind of tough. He threatened to kill, but he did not do it. He promised to leave, but he attacked with fists.”       “Potter was sassy only next to the unprotected Anna,” Terrence says confidently. “There were more of us, and we were stronger. And the doggy helped us a lot. Potter looked at him like he was afraid, but he did not show his fear.”       “Thank God, you didn’t suffer,” Maximilian replies quietly. “As I see, all of you have good physical data. And you are young and tough guys. Julian is no longer a boy. You can’t run as fast at the age of forty as at the age of twenty.”       “You were right: Julian is a hard man and kind of dangerous, but we can fight with him,” Daniel confesses. “Without a gun, he becomes much more vulnerable.”       “And you did it because there were the four of you, but he was alone,” Lilian notices confidently.       “I could say there were the five of us!” Peter exclaims. “The doggy was a part of this mission and completed it brilliantly.”       “It’s clear the doggy is well-trained. Very smart and quick.”       “Samuel has always been very smart and obedient,” Helene smiles shyly. “And now we do not have to doubt that he could protect a person.”       “You’re educating him right, Helene. That’s your dog, as the guys said… Right?”       “Right.”       “I admire that dog, too,” Lilian says quietly and sniffs with tears in her eyes. “And I'm grateful to him for protecting my daughter.”       “Please, Mrs. Seymour, don’t be so excited,” Terrence says softly.       “Will she die? Hide nothing from me, for God’s sake! If the case is hopeless, say it.”       “Yes, the case is hard, but there’s hope for the best. Anna is alive, but she is unconscious. The guys and I didn’t waste time and brought her here shortly after Potter left.”       “How strongly was he supposed to beat the girl so that she lost consciousness?” Maximilian asks. “And the important thing… How many times?”       “Trust me, Mr. Seymour, if you had seen that hell, you would’ve been deeply shocked,” Edward replies, putting his hand on his heart.       “Julian has a lot of strength,” Lillian says with anxiety in her soul, grabbing her throat. “He could easily break an arm… And leaving a bruise on the body is super easy to him…”       “He could, but he is not so dangerous to be unstoppable for us,” Daniel replies confidently.       “But I see you got injuries…” Lillian looks at Daniel’s skinned elbows better and frowns slightly. “You skinned your elbows hard…”       “It’s alright. It hurts a little, but it will be gone soon.”       “By the way, guys, how do you all feel after meeting Julian?”       “Don’t worry, Mr. Seymour, we are fine,” Peter smiles slightly and barely touches the scar on his forehead, which he got after the hit against a stone. “We only got a couple of scars.”       “You didn’t suffer, and thank God.”       “I think you all exactly know what Julian is,” Maximilian says confidently.       “Yeah, I’ve finally met the one, who I will wish to burn in hell…” Daniel pronounces thoughtfully.       “You were madly lucky that your friends were with you. You wouldn’t have dealt with him alone. As Lillian said, he could easily break an arm. But with a gun in his hands, he really becomes more confident.”       “It’s alright, Mr. Seymour, even if I had been alone, I would have saved Anna.”       “Confidence is good, but I advise you to rate your strength soberly and not to ask for trouble if you know you can’t do this alone,” Lilian advises. “If you get confused once, you lie on the ground and suffer from pain, while Julian breaks any part of your body.”       “I know, Mrs. Seymour.”       “That’s good Julian broke nothing on Anna’s body…” Raquelle replies thoughtfully.       “Oh, we can’t be sure about it,” Maximilian shakes his head. “I wouldn’t be surprised if that scumbag broke Anna’s leg or arm.”       “No matter how sad it sounds, we should be ready for anything,” Lilian says with grief. “Even the worst things… Anna has experienced so many attacks all this time.”       “We know, but we try to believe that she is going to be fine,” Natalia replies quietly, embracing herself with both arms. “Luckily, she is alive, and doctors are helping her.”       “If something happens to her, Maximilian and I will not survive this hit.” Lilian shakes her head with wet eyes. “She’s our only daughter… Our closest person… We don’t have any other children… And one child can’t replace another. If we had two or three children, it wouldn’t make our pain weaker.”       “We understand your pain, Mrs. Seymour,” Terrence expresses regret with sadness in his eyes.       Lillian says nothing, just makes a couple of sobs and carefully wipes tears off her face, while Maximilian hugs her around the shoulders.       “Don’t cry, Lillian, don’t cry,” Maximilian says softly and confidently. “Our daughter will be alive. She is strong and must get through it.”       “I still don’t believe it’s happening to her, Max,” Lillian replies in a shaking voice full of despair. “My heart is squeezing at the thought that my girl is suffering like this.”       “I’m also suffering and going crazy from grief.”       “I don’t know how I’ll live if something happens to my daughter…” Lilian sniffs quietly. “I won’t bear it! Without Anna, I’ll have no meaning of living!”       “I know, darling, I know…”       Maximilian hugs Lilian tighter with both arms, letting her cry on his shoulder. Looking at this heartbreaking scene, Helene, Natalia, and Raquelle cannot hold their tears down and sometimes dry them off their faces, while Peter, Edward, and Terrence try to comfort them somehow.       “Ar-r-r, I wish that bastard Julian burned in hell as well as Norman,” Maximilian says in a low voice. “I wish they became beggars. Became those they’ve always been afraid to be.”       “I hate them…” Lilian pronounces quietly with the same low voice and sniffs. “I hate! Because of them, my daughter might die. Because of them!”       “No, no, honey, she won’t die. Anna will live!”       “Gosh, what would have happened if Anna had been married to that stinker? He wouldn’t have let her live quietly! My daughter would’ve been afraid to take a step without his permission!”       “Those stinkers will pay for everything they did to our daughter. We will talk to the policeman, whom the men recommended to us, tomorrow!”       “Excuse me, haven’t you talked to Mr. Johnson?” Daniel asks hesitantly.       “I called him shortly after you left,” Maximilian replies quietly. “Lillian and I explained the situation to him, and he said he really knew everything and promised to help us.”       “Really?” Helene rounds her eyes.       “Tomorrow morning, we will meet him to talk about everything and show him the video you gave us.”       “He’s our hope,” Natalia says quietly and sniffs. “Mr. Johnson is very smart and conscientious… He will do his best to help Anna.”       “The men vouched for him, and I prefer believing them. Moreover, Victor Johnson knows Edward and Terrence’s father. It makes us trust him much more.”       “You can trust him,” Raquelle replies confidently. “Mr. Johnson will not betray.”       “Judging the way he speaks, he seems to be smart and responsible,” Lillian replies. “And I liked his speech. It’s so clear and right… It definitely bribed me.”       “Now you aren’t unprotected in front of the Potters. I mean, Julian and Norman.”       “Yeah, we hope that those stinkers will be punished,” Lilian adds.       “You can always count on us,” Peter says confidently.       “Us, too,” Natalia adds amicably. “The girls and I will help Anna come to herself. And listen to her at any time.”       “Thanks a lot,” Lilian thanks truly.       “I think we better talk about it later,” Maximilian adds. “Now the important thing is that Anna stays alive after the hell that she will not…”       Maximilian has to fall into silence because a short young man goes by them. With gray, rounded eyes and brown, slightly wavy, thick hair. At first, he is interested in examining some papers, but then he stops sharply, pays attention to Maximilian and Lillian, and comes to them hesitantly.       “Mr. Seymour?” the young man pronounces hesitantly. “Mrs. Seymour?”       Lillian and Maximilian turn on the voice and round their eyes immediately.       “Ryan?” Maximilian and Lillian get surprised.       As Daniel, Terrence, Peter, and Edward already heard this name from Anna’s parents, they look closely at that guy, who is much shorter than all of them.       “Ryan?” Daniel frowns. “They said, ‘Ryan?’”       “Listen, isn’t it the one, who was supposed to become Anna’s husband?” Peter frowns slightly.       “Julian’s younger brother?” Terrence wonders.       “Maybe…” Daniel pronounces thoughtfully.       “I think this Ryan has some resemblance to Potter,” Edward says thoughtfully, looking at Ryan better. “Though, he looks kinder.”       Silence settles in the air for a few seconds, during which everybody looks at the guy named Ryan, who gets a little confused because of this at some moment.