8| I want to help you

"Miss, it's me!" scolded Axel, who was already standing at the end of the alley while putting on a worried face.

"Stay away from me!" Blair shouted. "Do not come close! I will scream if you do something bad to me. I knew from the start that you weren't helping me. There are no perfect humans in this world."

Blair gasped.

"I realized that after I became a bum," Blair thought later.

"Wait, Miss. You must have misunderstood me. I didn't mean to hurt you or want to take advantage of you. But, yes, I did follow you for one reason."

"What do you want from me? I have nothing, sir. I don't even have a penny to eat. If what you want is my body, I assure you before making that decision, you will regret it."

Blair's voice trembled softly. She was terrified. She tried her best to keep the tears from falling. Blair had to cling to the wall between the two alleys where she was currently hiding.

"I'm not following you to hurt you but to help you," Axel said in the gentlest tone possible so as not to frighten Blair.

Blair laughed. "Who are you? Are you from social services? I don't need you!"

Blair leaves there. However, Axel grabbed Blair's wrist.

"Let me go. If you're not from social services, why are you following me and even offering to help me? Why should I trust you? It is precisely among the humans in this world the one who offers help without cause is the one who cannot be trusted the most."

Axel raised both his hands in exasperation. He let Blair go. "When I first saw you at the rest area, I was determined to help you, Miss."

"Help me? For what, sir? You keep repeating those words. I don't need your help. I can stand on my own two feet."

Just then, along the quiet and dark alley, the two fell silent as Blair's stomach growled very clearly.

Blair was embarrassed to admit that she was starving. Blair is pregnant, and she is always hungry. The presence of a baby made her always want to put food in her mouth, but there was nothing she could do right now.

Blair could only look down and try to look away from Axel. "You've wasted my precious time. I have to work!"

"Wait!" said Axel. "At least accept my offer for dinner."

Blair was fed up. "I'm penniless right now. But I will not run away from responsibility. I will pay all my debts, Mr. Axel. Just give me two months. I will contact you and pay everything back."

Axel had no choice. Blair is very stubborn and cannot be persuaded. Axel snapped his fingers, and two men in black suits immediately appeared, facing Blair.

Blair was terrified and had no road ahead. The two men blocked her. Behind Blair was Axel, who was also waiting. Blair bit her lip as she gripped the backpack tightly on her shoulders.

"The night is getting darker and colder. Winter is coming soon," said Axel. "Are you sure you can survive out here?"

Blair didn't listen to Axel's words. She focused on finding a way out of the encirclement.

Two stout, tall, handsome men in all black walked up to Blair. Blair looked at them in horror. The two men came closer and held Blair's arm tightly.

"What do you want?" Blair screamed. "They're going to kidnap me? Will Axel sell me? They will dissect my body, take every part of my organs, and sell them?"

Blair panicked at the worst that could befall her life. Blair struggled and even had time to kick one of the men holding her.

"Of course, he would do all of this!" Blair was crying and screaming inside her head. She couldn't fight the strength of the two men. "Axel is a doctor. He will kill me and take all my organs!"

The two men took Blair into a luxury car. She was still struggling and fighting.

"My life is over tonight," thought Blair.

Blair was completely immobile and was wobbling from exhaustion.

"Maybe it's better than me living on the streets with a baby in my arms. Life is too cruel for both of us."

Blair's eyes dimmed before she ultimately passed out.

***

"Are you all right, Miss?" Axel looks furious. He checked Blair's unconscious state.

"What have you guys done?" shouted Axel to his two bodyguards. "You guys are too rude to her!"

Axel grabbed Blair's unconscious body and carried her to the car. Axel's two bodyguards immediately retreated. One went behind the wheel, and the other opened the back door to make it easier for Axel.

Axel laid Blair down and rested Blair's head on his lap. The girl still looked pale and exhausted.

"Boss?" asked one of the guards sitting behind the wheel.

"Just ride!" said Axel in a huff.

"If you had told the truth, maybe she wouldn't be so scared," said the second guard.

"And make her stay away from me even more?" replied Axel in annoyance.

They fell silent and focused on the road ahead. Axel's black car stopped at the river bank, lined with park benches. Tourists often visit the tourist area. Some come to sit and enjoy dinner or enjoy the atmosphere of the river, where many boats are decorated with beautiful lights.

Blair blinked her eyes. She could faintly see a yellowish glow from outside the dark car window. She also heard the voices of people conversing in the distance.

The girl stuttered and sat up for a moment. She removed the blanket wrapped around her body and breathed a sigh of relief.

"My clothes are still intact." Blair was thinking bad things.

Blair's head throbbed violently, and her belly ached with nausea. She started to look around and realized she was in the car alone.

"Where am I? Where is that man? Can I go now? I have to run before he comes back."

Blair glanced around at the windshield. She was utterly alone. Convinced, she started to turn the doorknob.

"Unlocked?"

Blair looked down at the car's floor, and her backpack was there. She grabbed the bag and walked out. She was surprised because many people were sitting on park benches outside.

"Are you awake?" said Axel.

Blair was taken aback. Axel stood in front of her carrying two bags of food that gave off a sweet and warm aroma.

"You must be hungry. I brought some sandwiches. Do you mind if we eat there?" Axel pointed at the rows of neatly decorated benches near the river.

Blair was confused and doubtful. "What are you trying to do now? You want to manipulate me?"

Axel sighed. "I just wanted to treat you to dinner. You fainted earlier. I thought you needed food to restore your energy."

Blair couldn't refuse the tempting dinner offer. They sat opposite each other on a bench with a yellowish glow that adorned it.

"Where are we?" Blair was confused.

Axel pointed to their left. There was a motel building that was quite luxurious. They were not far from the motel building. On their right was a beautiful flowing river separating the two cities. The river is used as a tourism route for boats that pass there.

"I thought about taking you to that motel to rest. But, when you wake up, you might think of me as a bold man. I also thought about taking you to the hospital, but it looks like the hospital will only make you angrier. I don't know where else to take you. So I decided to stop here. Do you mind if we have dinner here together?"

"This is such a crazy idea!" thought Blair.

Blair couldn't predict Axel's current state of mind at all. Just a moment ago, Axel looked very threatening and could kill anyone he wanted. Right now, Axel is charming.

"Is he a psychopath?" thought Blair. She was getting increasingly scared, and a chill ran down her spine.