With his chest shaking, Max grabbed the doorknob. Sadness and anger in his heart still clashed against each other, burning the air in his lungs.
“Stop crying! Gaby can’t be worried,” Max thought, making suggestions.
A few moments later, the man was finally able to catch his breath and put on a calm look. Having managed to remove the creases on the brows, with red eyes, he opened the door and curled his lips.
Seeing her husband emerge from behind the door, Gabriella’s eyes suddenly widened. Ignoring the pain all over her body, she tried to sit up straight.
“Max,” she sighed. Her vision was starting to blur with emotion.
The closer Max was to her, the hotter her thick eyelids became. The longing and worry were almost undamaged. When her hand managed to touch the man, tears spilled from the dam.
“Are you okay? You didn’t hurt at all, did you?” Gabriella asked while holding her husband’s shoulder and examining him carefully.
A second later, Max nodded and kissed his wife’s hand. “Yes. I’m fine. Thanks to your courage and strength, we can still look at each other.”
After a moment, the worried sigh turned into a relieved laugh. Holding the man in her arms, Gabriella closed her eyes and wiped away the horror.
“I thought I had failed to protect you, Max. I can’t imagine this life without you. I really can’t do it,” the woman whispered in a very pitiful voice.
The man’s tears could no longer be forced against gravity.
“I’m the one who’s scared, Gaby. Seeing you lying in that condition, my heart almost stopped beating. I won’t forgive myself if I can’t see you again,” Max regretted while stroking his wife’s head gently.
After a while, the couple exchanged glances again. The two of them smiled in unison, grateful for the togetherness that had threatened to be destroyed. One second for them had become more precious.
“Does it hurt?” Max asked, stroking the pale woman’s cheek.
“It would be so much more painful to see you go,” Gabriella said with a wistful curve of her lips.
“Do you know that I became a crybaby because of you?” the man sighed with furrowed brows. He had to fight the turmoil of regret that was trying to stick out of his heart.
In a sudden, a small laugh wafted through the woman’s breath. “You don’t have to cry, Max. I’m fine. These bruises and wounds can disappear and heal,” she said innocently.
The woman was completely unaware that she had lost something that was not worth a drop of her blood.
Afraid that his wife would detect the truth, the man bent down and kissed the woman’s hand. “I’m sorry for being incompetent to be your husband. I should have been the one protecting you. But in fact, it was you who risked your life for me.”
“Stop saying it, Max. It’s not you who’s at fault, but the bad guy.”
The man’s expression suddenly turned bitter. After taking a deep breath, his jaw began to throb furiously.
“He’s not human, Gaby. No man can hurt a woman like he did to you. He must be properly rewarded. I promise you to make sure of that,” Max said in a low, stressed voice.
After a brief silent, the woman held her husband’s cheek and shook her head. “I just want us to always be safe. Don’t look for the crook, Max. I don’t want him to attack you again.”
After one short breath, the man stroked Gabriella’s head. The feeling in his chest was indescribable. “Don’t be afraid, Gaby. Police will soon find the criminal. He can’t hurt us anymore.”
With an uneasy frown, the woman nodded. She didn’t want her husband to be in danger again.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. When Max and Gabriella turned their heads, the yellow-vested courier came in carrying a large bag.
“Good evening, Mr. Max and Mrs. Gabriella. How are you?” the brown-skinned man asked with a faint frown at the base of his brow.
“Waheed?” the woman sighed somewhat confused.
“He’s the one who helped us, Gaby. Thanks to him, we managed to survive,” Max explained before moving to reach for the bag he asked for.
With teary eyes, Gabriella smiled at the courier. “Thank you very much, Waheed. We are indebted to you,” she said sincerely.
“It’s all right, Madam. It is our duty as humans to help others.”
After placing the bag on the table, Max took out some money from his wallet. “You must have been scolded by your superiors for being away for too long. You deserve this compensation,” he said while handing Waheed the money.
Unexpectedly, the courier shook his head and refused with both hands. “Sorry Mister. I sincerely help you. After all, my boss and co-workers also understand. They even asked me to keep helping you. This is all we can do for our most loyal customers.”
After a faint sigh, Max took Waheed’s hand and placed the money in it. “Please accept it. I will feel burdened if I don’t repay your kindness. You’ve contacted the hospital and the police. I even asked you to take our stuff,” he said with a reassuring nod. “Believe me, this is not much money for a good man.”
Despite his hesitation, the courier finally smiled and nodded. “Thank you, Sir. If there’s anything else I need to do for you, don’t hesitate. I will definitely help as much as I can.”
“In that case, has there been any news from the police?” Max asked seriously.
“Not yet, Sir. Ahmed and I have provided complete information. Maybe, the police will come here to ask for information from you soon. Hopefully, the bad guy will be caught soon.”
The questioner nodded in acceptance of the information. After taking a deep breath, he looked up again. “Thank you, Waheed. You’re the only one we can count on here.”
“You’re welcome, Sir. Now, I have to go back to the restaurant. If you need help, don’t hesitate to contact me.”
After the courier left the room, Max and Gabriella stared at each other in silence.
“Who do you think the bag guy is? Why did he attack you?” the woman asked in a low voice.
“I don’t know, Gabby. I don’t want to accuse,” Max said before curling his lips. “Now rest. You must recover quickly.”
A second later, the man opened the bag and took out two teddy bears from inside. Witnessing it, the woman raised a faint brow.
“Why do you bring Smiley and Snowy?” Gabriella asked in a low voice.
“To accompany and take care of you. I have to handle several things. Do you mind being entrusted to the two of them?” Max said as he placed the teddies on his wife’s right and left.
“But, shouldn’t you rest too? You hit your head hard too,” the woman said worriedly.
With a thin curve of lips, the man shook his head. “Take it easy. The results of the examination showed that I was okay. Now, go to sleep. Don’t think too much about it.”
Without wasting any time, Max helped Gabriella lie down. As much as possible, the woman restrained herself from grimacing. She didn’t want her husband to worry. However, the pain in her back pierced to the bone. The sigh of pain was escaped into the air.
Hearing his wife’s moans, Max’s heart was instantly torn apart. He really could not bear to witness Gabriella’s suffering. Holding his breath, the man suppressed anger.
“The person who made Gaby like this must go through the same suffering,” he thought as he gritted his teeth that nearly broke his jaw.