Chapter 8

Zach hated Jeremy more than he hated the loan sharks who threatened to rip out his organs. The reason was simple: Jeremy was better at deceiving and pressuring than those criminals.

Zach didn’t know and didn’t want to know what Jeremy’s job was in this family, but it was clear Jeremy always followed him, sometimes openly, sometimes covertly. Zach didn’t care because there was nothing he could do other than walk around in the evenings, watching the busy people on the increasingly crowded streets. They were busy people who had gone through a hard day at work.

Zach missed his job.

“You are not allowed to work, any kind of job.” Mrs. Grace’s words on the same day as Zach and Sarah’s wedding still echoed. “I don’t want you looking foolish in front of many people, especially those connected to the Bennett family.”

Zach sighed deeply. The tired-looking man leaned his head against the car window, lamenting his fate, which was now safe but boring.

“Is there anything you want, sir?” Zach’s personal driver asked.

“Would it be better if I left this family and worked myself to death for the rest of my life to pay off that damn debt?”

“Excuse me, sir?”

Zach ignored the man’s words and continued his daydreaming. However, at the same time, he saw a familiar figure. A woman was chasing a man carrying a bag. Zach watched for a moment until he realized what was happening.

The driver was startled when Zach jumped out of the car and dashed into the crowd. “Sir, Zach!” he yelled, but it meant nothing. Zach ran like a madman, bumping into pedestrians several times before disappearing.

The driver began to panic and quickly called Jeremy. “Sir, Mr. Zach suddenly left and disappeared into the street— I mean, he seemed to be chasing something.” There was no response from the other end, and the call was abruptly cut off.

Zach chased after the woman he thought was Hannah, and the man she was chasing seemed to be a thief. Somehow, Zach had jumped out of the car as soon as he realized it.

“Wait!” he shouted, quickening his pace.

Unexpectedly, Hannah had an above-average running speed. She seemed almost to catch the bag thief. When they arrived in a narrow alley in the city center, Hannah smirked with satisfaction as the thief appeared exhausted because the path he took was a dead end.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Hannah gasped for breath. Though sweat poured from her forehead, her face remained calm, indifferent to whom she was confronting.

“Damn woman!” the thief cursed.

“Return the bag.” Hannah extended her hand.

“Die, you!”

“Give it back while I’m still asking nicely.”

Zach arrived a few moments later. He was stunned to see the woman facing the thief alone. He shouted, “Stop right there!” His voice captured the attention of both individuals.

The thief, seeing an opportunity to escape, immediately pushed Hannah. She lost her balance but quickly grabbed the thief’s shirt, causing him to stumble and fall backward.

Hannah, who had her hair loose, quickly tied it back, then kicked the thief in the stomach, making him groan in pain. “I told you, while I’m still asking nicely.”

The thief wasn’t ready to give up. His pride was hurt by falling due to an attack from a woman half his size. He quickly got up and threw a punch at Hannah’s face. But Hannah swiftly dodged. One of her hands grabbed the thief’s arm and twisted it behind his back, forcing him to bend over. Then, Hannah’s right knee came up, hitting the thief’s nose. A painful cracking sound was heard, followed by the thief’s groan. Blood flowed from the poor man’s nose.

Zach watched the fight with a mixture of admiration and surprise. It all happened so smoothly, it seemed effortless for the bartender to subdue the thief.

“Just going to watch?”

The call snapped Zach out of his daze. He was too shocked even to move his feet when Hannah suddenly counterattacked the thief. The bartender’s heroic actions seemed flawless, even when Hannah took the bag from the thief’s hands.

“Are you alright?” Zach asked, his voice stammering.

“You should ask that jerk.” Hannah nodded toward the thief, who was still busy crying over his broken nose.

Soon, a middle-aged woman ran up, panting. She approached Hannah, gasping, “My bag! Return my bag, you damn thief!”

Hannah casually handed the bag to the woman. “Your bag is safe. I doubt the thief had time to check its contents,” Hannah explained.

“Oh my God. Thank you, thank you so much!”

Zach didn’t quite remember their first impression at the bar. However, he was sure this was the first time he saw Hannah smile.

But something unexpected happened. The thief, somehow, had gotten up and pulled out a sharp weapon. He wrapped his arm around Hannah’s neck and dragged her backward while brandishing the knife at her throat.

The middle-aged woman screamed hysterically, while Zach rushed toward Hannah, now a hostage.

“Stop!” the man with the bloody nose shouted. His nose looked odd. Hannah’s knee kick had done significant damage. “Or she dies!”

The threat made Zach stop and raise his hands to ear level. “Wait a minute. Let’s talk this out, okay?” he said, trying to negotiate.

“Get lost, bastard!” He pressed the knife’s edge against Hannah’s neck, creating a scratch and drawing blood.

Zach looked panicked. “Alright! What do you want? The bag? Money?”

“Shut up!” The shout didn’t come from the thief but from Hannah. She seemed to disagree with Zach’s negotiation tactics. “It’s useless. He won’t let me go just because you give him what he wants.”

“Shut up, bitch!” The thief tightened his arm around her neck. He then glanced at Zach, eyeing him from top to bottom. “Your watch! Give me your watch. Then, your phone! And— and anything valuable you have!”

Hannah screamed again as Zach quickly complied with the thief’s demands. “You fool! Stop there! Don’t do that—“ But the thief’s arm tightened around her neck, making it difficult for her to speak.

For a moment, Hannah was silent, cursing Zach’s foolishness as he pulled out his wallet and credit cards. Hannah thought deeply, assessing her chances. She then bit the thief’s hand holding the knife hard enough to make him drop it. At that moment, she slammed her head back into the thief’s face with great force.

Hannah turned and kicked the thief in the groin. Not stopping there, after kicking the knife away from the thief, Hannah delivered a final blow, kicking his head until he lost consciousness.

Zach, who had been about to take off his watch, stood there like an idiot.