Page 305 of The Life of Anna-Tenth Anniversary Edition: Act 1

Both Greg and Seth stepped aside, giving him room to approach Anna. Alex’s heart pounded as he resisted pulling her into his arms. She was thinner than she’d been in August. Her face was pale beneath her lightly applied makeup. She fidgeted, twisting her fingers together, and stared at the floor.

Vati put his hand on Alex’s arm, raising his eyebrows at him. Alex nodded and stepped back, letting his father approach her first. “Hello, Anna.”

Anna smiled up at him. “Hello, Wilhelm.”

Vati opened his arms and Anna hugged him hard, closing her eyes and sighing. Alex’s heart tightened in his chest.

“How was your flight?” Vati asked, holding her head to his chest. Alex glanced at his mother, who watched with gentle curiosity in her eyes.

“I slept almost the whole way over. So I guess that’s a good thing.”

Vati chuckled and released her. “Anna, I would like to introduce my wife, Ilsa. Ilsa, this is Anna.”

Mutti gave Anna a warm, friendly smile. She was a tall, elegant woman with dark blonde hair and dove-gray eyes. She wore a simple black skirt, a red sweater, and knee-high black leather boots. “It is wonderful to meet you at last, Anna,” she said in heavily accented English. “I have heard so many wonderful things about you.”

“Hello.” She swallowed and gave a timid smile.

Alex’s heart pounded as he stepped forward. “Hello, Schatzi.”

Anna turned to face Alex. He’d called her Schatzi. His treasure. Her breath caught in her throat as she looked up into his handsome face. Time had made it easy to forget just how tall, broad, and handsome he was. Her gaze lowered to his lips, remembering the feeling of kissing them—firm, yet soft. They curved into a nervous smile.

Even as her heart reached out to his—she could practically feel his heart beating—she resisted the urge to drop to her knees in submission. She instead bowed her head and clasped her hands in front of her hips. “I’m sorry, Alex.”

He stepped forward and she flinched and squeezed her eyes shut. He cupped her chin and lifted her face to his again. “What are you apologizing for?”

She searched his cobalt-blue eyes but found no trace of anger in them. Confusion laced her heart. She’d expected him to be furious with her for the way she had treated him during the phone call on Christmas Eve “For being disrespectful and disobedient. I’m ready for my punishment.” She blinked back hot tears but didn’t look away. She would accept what she deserved.

He released her chin and took her hand, leading her to a nearby bench, where they both sat down. “Lift up your hair.”

Anna did as he asked and he reached behind her neck. His fingers tickled her as he moved them, and a moment later he pulled his hands away, holding the necklace Devin had given her. Her jaw trembled and she bit her lip to keep from crying out. He took her hand and unclasped the bracelet he’d given her. He handed the jewelry to Tony, who put it in a plastic box, which he then slid into his pocket. She was glad she’d listened to Seth and left Ben’s ring at home.

Anna’s heart twisted in her chest and she hung her head. He was angry with her! He was leaving her vulnerable to anyone who wanted to hurt her. She stared hard at her hands in her lap and tried to swallow over the lump in her throat.

“As long as you are here, I don’t want you—or anyone else—to think of yourself as my slave,” Alex said in a quiet voice. “I want you to just be yourself. Be Anna.”

Anna stared at her hands, trying to grasp the meaning of his words. He didn’t want her as his slave? He’d said he’d taken her as his slave to protect her... Did he no longer want to protect her? She accepted his decree with a tiny nod. Would he turn her out on the street? If so... “Why did you bring me here?”

He tipped up her chin. “Because I missed you and I wanted to see you.” He smiled.

She searched his eyes, trying to process his words once more. Seth had said the same thing about him, but... Why wasn’t he angry at her? She drew her brows together and tried to speak, but it took a moment for the words to form. “You—‍” She licked her lips. “You missed me?”

“Terribly.” He took both of her hands in his and held them, gazing deep into her eyes.

Warmth spread through her body as she gazed into his eyes, remembering the last night they’d spent together. But the warmth turned cold when she recalled his leaving, and her heart sank. She looked away and shook her head, her voice trembling as she whispered, “Why did you leave me?”

Alex pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her. “Oh, mein Schatzi. I regretted every day that I had to be away from you.” He pulled away and cupped her cheek, intently looking into her eyes. “But I had to do so. I had to learn how to be strong enough to fight for you.” His eyes watered and he shook his head and bit his lip.

“You are strong,” she said.

“Not in the way I needed to be.” He sighed. “Anna... I know I hurt you by leaving. But if I had stayed—when I stayed...” He shook his head again. “Devin made me hurt you in such a terrible way. He drugged me and made me hurt you. I couldn’t risk letting him do that again.” A smile played at his lips and his eyes grew bright. “But I can fight for you now, Schatzi. I haven’t learned everything I need to know, but I’ve learned a lot.” He spoke urgently. “I can keep Devin from hurting you.”

“How? He’s so powerful. So much more so than he was before.”

“What do you mean?” Wilhelm asked.

She looked up at Wilhelm. “They did something at the August Gathering. They call him the Chairman now.”

Wilhelm’s face paled and his eyes widened. “Are you sure they used that term?”

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