Kicked out

"Where are you going?" Raymond asked with narrowed eyes when he saw Hannah all dressed up and ready to go out.

"To work?" She answered as she wore her wristwatch. "It's been three weeks already, remember? My leave is over". She picked up her bag and was about to leave the house when Raymond stopped her.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Hannah thought hard for a moment before it finally clicked.

"Oh, that's right. Penelope's medicine is in the kitchen, inside the locker closest to the refrigerator". Hannah answered in a rush as she was already late. She grabbed her keys and started walking, almost running out of the house but she was stopped by Raymond again.

"Hannah, wait!". She turned around and saw Raymond walking speedily towards her. Did she really forget something?

"You can't go out!" Hannah arched her brows in question. "You got attacked yesterday. What if they are waiting for you to step out before doing something?"

Hannah sighed at Raymond's explanation. That was the reason she wanted to go out because she was attacked. She couldn't let those assassins raid her house at any time as it would be a risk to Penelope's safety and she didn't want anything to happen to the child. She was going to lure those assassins away from her house and fight them somewhere else.

"I'm running late. I need to leave". She turned back and continued walking but Raymond stepped forward and blocked her path.

"I won't let you leave". Raymond said stubbornly. She could see the fire in his eyes at that moment and if she argued with him then they would end up fighting each other.

Hannah, giving no reaction at all, moved to the side and continued walking. She was going to leave without saying anything and ignoring Raymond completely but Raymond already foresaw that.

"If you leave, I will take Penelope to the basement with me". Raymond declared loud enough for it to sink into Hannah's brain and make it malfunction. Hannah paused in her steps as what Raymond said kept ringing in her ears over and over again and as if possessed by some demon, she turned around and in the next second, she had her knife against Raymond's neck.

Raymond's face was expressionless as he stared down at Hannah and the knife she was holding. "What? Are you going to kill me?" He asked as a dark chuckle escaped his lips.

Hannah removed the knife from his neck much to Raymond's surprise. He watched her put the knife back in her bag and she stepped back, creating a distance between them.

"Take Penelope to that place and I will kill myself". Hannah said and Raymond's eyes widened. She knew Raymond would not let her die. "I will not go back there and Penelope won't be going there either".

Raymond took a step back and leaned over the wall.

For a moment, everything went silent for Raymond. He felt like everything was falling apart right in front of his eyes. He couldn't even make Hannah come back to the basement.

"Hannah…" He closed his eyes for a while and when he opened them, his eyes were cold and empty. "From today, you are no longer a member of the Night knights".

Hannah: "..."

Time seemed to have stopped after Raymond finished speaking, leaving Hannah in shock. Even Lucas who had come in at some point was shocked to the core when he heard Raymond.

Raymond has always been obsessed with keeping Hannah in the gang for all the years he had known them so why was he kicking her out now?

Hannah's eyes searched Raymond's face to see if he was lying but there was nothing. In fact, at that moment, his face was void of any emotion.

Before he could change his mind, she started walking to the door again but like before, Raymond's voice stopped her.

"You were still a member when you lost your annunciator, so you will be punished like every other person". Hannah froze again but this time, out of fear. The punishment given to those who lost their annunciator was grave and a person could die from it. Nevertheless, she regained her composure and left the house.

"And where are you going?" Raymond asked Lucas who was about to follow Hannah. "Didn't you hear what I said? She is no longer a member of our gang so let her be".

Lucas was dumbfounded. He thought Raymond was bluffing when he kicked Hannah out of the gang but it seemed like he was being serious.

"Go back to the base and send the message; Hannah lost her annunciator so she is no longer a member of the Night Knights".

"What?!" For the first time in his life, Lucas questioned Raymond. "She could die…"

"Go back and do as I have said". Raymond said in a dismissive tone and left the house leaving Lucas who was staring at his retreating figure in shock.

.....

Hannah was on her way to the company, thinking about what Raymond said earlier. Is this it? Is she really free from all of this? Can she finally live how she had always wanted to?

She thought that she was going to be the happiest when a day like this came but she still felt the same, lost and alone. Nothing has changed, everything was exactly as it was yesterday and the other days. Not the same, it had somehow become worse.

Now that she no longer had the protection of Raymond's gang, the string holding sword above her head has loosened and it was only a matter of time before it falls and kills her.

'No no, Hannah!' She scolded herself. 'Let's be positive. I am already out of that place and that is all that matters. Nothing is going to happen as long as none of them knows about it!'

With thoughts like that occupying her mind, she didn't know when she came down from the cab, entered the company, and was now standing in front of Axel.

"Good morning Miss Hannah"