An angel. A woman with black hair, floating in the wind, with a white outfit and long wings, was staring at them with her sparkling blue eyes, cold and furious. They turned to Maxwell, after looking at each other.
"Don't worry about knowing what she is. You won't remember anything once the heads have been buried, so I suggest you talk about it while you bury them." Maxwell said and walked past them to the second floor window and, after exchanging a tender glance with the woman, went back to his room. He changed quickly, as he could hear Anna's birds approaching, and lay down. He felt pleasure when he felt her silky hands wrap around his body and, resisting the urge to have sex with her, he fell asleep.
...
The next day, Anna woke up and heard the shower turn on. She looked over and Maxwell wasn't there. She couldn't think straight, nor could she reason. It took her a while to realize that Maxwell must have been in the shower, and the events of the previous day took shape in her mind. She got up and joined Maxwell in the shower. She had an appointment that morning. With displeasure, she remembered that she wasn't supposed to eat anything. She had to go fasting.
Maxwell pulled her to him as she approached him in the shower and after kissing her passionately, he lathered her up and she received the best shower of her life. They didn't make love at that moment, because of the appointment, but they made sensual promises for later. They went to Ian's room, who was already awake and eating an apple, listening intently to the story Helen was telling him. When he saw them come in, he dropped the apple and held out his arms for Maxwell to pick it up. Anna laughed and picked up the apple, which had rolled to the floor, and threw it in the garbage can. Maxwell was holding Ian in his arms when she turned to them and kissed her son lovingly on the cheek.
"Helen... Take good care of him." Andressa said as a request. "Don't take him out, if that's possible. I don't want him to be around people like those guests of yesterday, Dad. However, if Dad tells you to go down with him, don't argue and do as he asks.
Maxwell put Ian back in his crib and looked at Anna as if he didn't recognize her, but preferred to keep quiet. If she wanted to, she would tell him if anything had happened to upset her.
He took his wife's hand and together they went to the car. When Maxwell started the car, Anna leaned back in the seat quietly and closed her eyes.
"You didn't just have to fast for my sake. Promise you'll eat something before your appointment?"
"I just want to show you some solidarity. I know you're hungry, and if I had coffee, you'd be even hungrier. We'll eat together as soon as we leave the appointment."
"Stubborn." She said with her eyes still closed.
"You had another reason, too, for not stopping for even a quick coffee."
"Really? And what reason is that?"
"I realized that you didn't want to meet your father."
Anna opened her eyes and stared at Maxwell, startled. The man seemed to be able to read her mind. She stared at him suddenly, with a certainty in her mind: she couldn't lie, or even withhold anything from that man. She couldn't, because somehow Maxwell knew everything.
Maxwell's silence indicated that although he hadn't asked anything, he needed an answer.
"Why do you think that? How did you come to that conclusion?"
"You don't really want to know that yet, Anna. I just know."
Anna looked at him thoughtfully. She really didn't want to know what kind of monster her husband was. Not, carrying his child in her womb. She wouldn't have to have any reason to believe that the child would turn into a monster inside her.
"I... I have something to tell you."
"I'm all ears."
"That man who challenged you yesterday..."
"He challenged you, Anna. Not me."
"And doesn't that mean the same thing?" She asked hurt.
"Yes."
"That man, well... He's dead."
Anna saw Maxwell take a deep breath.
"I knew he wouldn't leave the mansion alive the moment I saw you whispering with your father at the table, and by intuition, I knew it was about that man." He amended quickly. He'd already heard every word, in fact.
"And why didn't you tell me anything?"
"What did you want me to say?"
"You should have kicked me under the table to make me shut up."
"Yes. I should have. Maybe the boy would be alive now."
"All because you didn't kick me." Anna accused amusedly, but Maxwell was gripping the steering wheel with unnecessary force and his mouth was tight.
"Yes. It's my fault. How would you like it if the next time he offended you, he lifted your dress and stuck his penis in you in front of everyone? During dinner, perhaps?"
"I don't understand you. I thought you'd be furious with me because he's dead!"
"I wanted to teach you a lesson. I asked you to drop the subject, and you carried on. You have to understand that I'm experienced and that I know how to defend myself. I know how this world your father lives in works. You have to learn to listen. And I won't be the one to stop you from making your mistakes. I can show you the best way forward, but I can't stop you from choosing another path. I'm not like that. I have no reason to be angry with you. It wasn't you who pulled the trigger. And you humiliated me much more than those men did. You don't respect me. They're right. And I'm not your father, Anna. I'm not going to teach you the right behavior for a married woman!"
"I welcome your anger, Maxwell! I'll remember your words in the future, and although I didn't pull the trigger...the gun was in my hand and I pointed it at him."
"What stopped you?"
"The promise I made to you, and the decision that I don't want to be like that. I don't want to become my father."