Chapter 35: Listening to Hannah's Past

Sure enough, after less than an hour of sparring with Hannah, Jack received a system notification in his mind. Opening the system, he found that his combat skills had upgraded from proficient to advanced.

He earned another 5 gold coins, feeling delighted. This way of improving system skills through his own efforts gave him a greater sense of accomplishment than spending hard-earned gold coins.

Seeing him suddenly zoning out, Hannah was secretly pleased. She feinted with her arm and silently swung a kick, hitting the outer side of Jack's thigh.

This was one of the body's pain points, causing intense pain without permanent damage, capable of bringing a grown man to his knees instantly.

By the time Jack reacted, it was too late. Fortunately, he was no longer the same. Enduring the sidekick with gritted teeth, he managed to suppress the sudden pain thanks to his 20-point physique. He quickly grabbed Hannah's ankle.

Hannah wasn't flustered. She had a counter for this move. As her back hit the ground, she pulled herself closer to Jack using the leg he held, shortening the distance between them. Simultaneously, she pushed her left foot towards his abdomen.

Usually, even if Jack reacted in time, his body couldn't keep up, leading to them grappling on the ground, continuing their practice of ground techniques similar to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, which was also part of Krav Maga.

While wrestling with Hannah might seem enticing, it was actually quite dangerous. Jack, as a training partner and from a male perspective, could only lock a joint or twist a wrist, while Hannah had no such reservations.

Due to her past psychological issues, she could only train with female coaches and couldn't accept male opponents. This created a bottleneck in her skills.

When Jack became her training partner, she didn't mind giving him a hard time during ground fights, using moves like groin grabs, throat locks, and scissor holds without considering future consequences.

However, today was different. Jack swiftly grabbed her other ankle with his right hand, kicked her legs, and rolled her into a ball.

"Do you surrender?" Jack held Hannah's slender ankles with one hand, suppressing her while grinning mischievously. After being tormented for three months, he finally turned the tables.

"Never!" Hannah struggled, still trying to counterattack.

Seeing her peach-shaped buttocks swaying in front of him, outlined clearly by her tight yoga pants, Jack reluctantly let go. While he had taken liberties during training, doing so intentionally was inappropriate.

Hannah lay on the ground panting, and Jack lay beside her to rest. The room fell silent.

After a while, Hannah suddenly flipped over, pressing down on Jack, startling him as he thought she wanted to continue training.

Instead, she kissed him, leaving Jack wide-eyed. It was her first time initiating a kiss. She had always been adamant about adhering to the rule against workplace romances.

"I've submitted my resignation to Zoe. I'll be reporting to Quantico next month."

Feeling the warmth of her body and her breath on his face, Jack was momentarily speechless.

"So soon? Don't you need to go through interviews and a series of physical tests first?"

For a moment, Jack felt reluctant. If his relationship with Zoe and Maureen was tinged with adult attraction, his feelings for Hannah were much purer.

"Zoe has some friends at the FBI. They saw my LAPD file and approved a special admission. After five months of training, I'll be assigned to the LA office."

Jack breathed a sigh of relief. "So, I'll see you again in five months?"

Hannah nodded. "I need you to help me with something then, something related to my childhood. It's the reason I decided to join the FBI."

Jack's heart tightened. Was she finally willing to reveal her past wounds to him?

"You probably know by now that I'm not always a by-the-book person, right?" Unexpectedly, the vigilante justice he and Tim carried out on that serial killer had inadvertently cemented Hannah's decision.

"You know I'm a Texas girl, right? My father was Brant Stephens, and my mother was Jennifer Carlisle. We lived on a small farm in West Texas, near New Mexico, until I was fifteen."

Her voice began to choke up, tears falling onto Jack's face like broken pearls.

"I had a happy family until one day, someone set fire to our stable. Inside were several pregnant mares and a purebred pony my dad had given me. Dad rushed in to save the horses, and mom followed him."

"I'll never forget that night. When the police and fire trucks arrived, they only found two tightly embraced bodies."

Seeing the vacant look in Hannah's eyes, Jack remained silent, wiping her tears away.

"Later, my father's evil brother came with his family from Georgia, claiming to be my guardian."

Jack's heart tightened, recalling Hannah's unusual hatred for Angus Lucius.

"I naively thought they were my family until one day, I discovered them..."

"Them?" Jack could hardly believe his ears.

"Yes, him and his son."

Jack felt his blood boiling with rage. When these despicable acts happened to someone he cared about, he wanted to use the most brutal methods to punish the perpetrators.

"So, that's the root of your psychological barrier with men?"

Jack's teeth ground together as he spoke.

Hannah was momentarily stunned by his expression, then burst into laughter, confusing Jack.

"Yes, but not quite what you think."

"I mean, my aversion to men, except for you, is indeed because of this, but they never touched me."

Hannah brushed a strand of hair from her face and kissed Jack to comfort him.

"Under my pillow was a gift from my father for my 10th birthday, a Smith & Wesson M36 revolver designed for women."

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