____

Grant Wood
1930

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GREECE. A fantastic hotel under another fake identity. He was preparing dinner, she was sobbing in the bathroom floor, hating herself and feeling disgusted at his sight.

That happened for a matter of one month. Hannibal tried to take her outside but she tried to escape in every opportunity. That was useless since he always could find a way to bring her back.

Besides the attempts to break free, she'd spent most of her time in a profund melancholy, rewinding in her mind how she was fooled and sobbing at every spot inside the luxurious apartment.

"Alice, you need to eat properly." Hannibal set a vegetables soup next to her on the sofa, as she hugged her legs burying her face within them.

In a subtle and fast movement she hit the bowl and splashed the food on the ground. Hannibal sihed, cleaning the mess she did.

"That was unnecessary to do." He muttered. "You are wasting-"

"I am not eating anything made by you ever again." She finally gained strentgh to speak.

"I've always respected you diet, Lissy. So do not worry yourself." He approached her on the sofa, trying to pet her hair. "Alice, darling, I know it is hard but...I strongly wish that you can forgive me someday."

A heavy pause followed between them both.

"I should've shot you when I had the chance." Was all she could say before isolating herself in her depression again.

▫️

7 months later.

"Lydia Fell, why am I not surprised?" Alice rolled her eyes as he informed her of the new identities as they reached the residence in Italy. "That makes you Roman Fell, I assume."

He took the bags from her hands and set them aside, opening the windows and watching the extravagant and beautiful sight of Florence outside.

"Correct." He replied optimistic.

Alice snorted bitterly. "Yeah, sure, you're just like him." She responded sarcastically.

"We do have a resemblance though." He filled a glass of wine and offered her. "We were both quickly seducted by your charms."

"You have another resemblance." She smiled at him while taking the glass. "You never fail to repulse me."

Hannibal chuckled as they cheered and touched their glasses with a subtle sound. He couldn't take her seriously. "I've bought you a dress, we have an event tonight."

"Cannibal conferece? Or another hunt of yours?" Hannibal held his laugh, she was ridiculously funny without even trying to.

"Just an event. I promise you won't have any surprises."

She walked towards him, the expression serious but teasing, crossing her arms. "You're promising me that you won't kill anyone?"

"Well, yes." He replied admiring the features of her face closely. God, he missdd to have hee so close.

"What makes you think I'll believe in you?"

"Nothing." He replied fearless. "You will have to trust me."

"I don't trust you anymore."

He picked the dress that lied on the bed and gently delivered on her arms, the soft fabric brushing against her skin. "Then rebuild your trust in me."

▫️

5 Months Earlier.

The night streets of Berlin welcomed tourists and locals into an spetacular nocturnal night. The historical buildings in constrast with modernity applied even more originality to the Germany capital.

Alice was crying less, but still crumbled down every single day. It was impossible not to, whenever she looked at him she couldn't help but mourn again. Hannibal tried to respect her boundaries, he never tried any romantic approaches and standed with distance whenever at their apartment. She tried to escape a few more times after they arrived in Germany, but she seemed to be loosing hope at each attempt.

She wasn't talktive, but in some days of her profund grieving colera, she would speak, and when she did, he couldn't help but feel in pain for her.

"How long are you going to keep me here?" She muttered as she observed the windows. He walked towards her but stopped. He knew she still felt uncomfortable next to him. "...are you going to kill me too?"

"No."

"Then why?" She turned to him, shivering as she looked into those hazel eyes. "Didn't I suffer enough already?"

"I never wished for you to suffer."

"You killed my friends." Alice continued. "You killed my sister." She took a deep breath. "Of course you wanted me to suffer."

"...I just wanted to keep you." He replied vulnerably, watching the rain that started delicately outside.

Alice looked down, swallowing down the words inside her throat.

"Why did you kill Bree?" She whispered. "Did she-"

"She saw me." He replied. "Yes, Will's theory was correct." Alice trembled, crossing her arms defensively. "But I never knew she was your sister until we've met."

Alice gave a bitter smile. "As if that could've changed something."

"It could have."

She instinctively glanced fastly at him, as if something sparkled inside her eyes, a hidden hope, that old blaze of passion that burned inside her. He knew. He knew that it was still there. The love they had. And that glance proved it to him.

She avoided him again, turning to the window, watching her refletion blurred by the water and the dark city filled with small lightned dots down there.

"You knew those I loved and yet killed them too." She whispered. " To keep your secret."

"What would you have done in my place?"

Alice looked at him angry, almost about to throw a fit. "I wouldn't kill them." She let it out through her teeth. "You knew how much they meant to me, you knew how much I cried, you knew-"

"AND I CARED FOR YOU!" He suddenly shouted as never before. Her skin bevame pale as a ghost's, her lips parted in a gasp, suddenly frightened over his thunder voice that echoed through the apartment. Hannibal took a deep breath, trying to recompose himself. "I love you." He said. "Yes, I killed your sister. I killed her and when I realized, I had fallen for you, can you imagine how I felt?" He pointed to his large chest. "I knew how you'd react over the truth. I knew you'd be like this, as you are now. Why would I ruin the happiness we conquered together?"

"You caused my grief." She standed up in front of him in a hostile stance. "I was perfectly fine before you came into my life."

And Hannibal wouldn't admit, but he wasn't. He has never felt what he felt next to her. He has never been happier as when he was with her. Life with Alice gained meaning, life without her was simply meaningless.

"But you were happy with me." He whispered. She standed still as a stone. "You can't deny that. You can't deny it, Alice, what we had...it was special. You know that." He was almost begging to her. "If I let the others tell you the truth, if you discovered the truth...it would all be gone."

She closed her fists tight, almost hurting her skin. She wanted to scream, wanted him to suffer, to hurt him just as he did to her. But at the same time, she couldn't. And taht was the worst of it all. Because deep inside, she still cared for that devil.

"You didn't have the right to lie to me." She shaked her head holding back the tears. "I deserved the truth. You owed me the truth."

"If I told you the truth, would have stayed?"

She silenced herself once again. Turned her back to him, attempting to walk away, when he suddenly held gripped onto her wrist.

"Alice, please." He asked surrended, feeling his heart shatter as she rejected him once again.

"Let me go." She whispered watching the dark room they were and the rain that became thicker outside. "Just please, let me go." She feared the fact that if she turned around and looked into the hazel of his sad eyes, she would give up again to him, surrend herself to his carings and that feeling that grew inside her chest as a poison, infecting her thoughts.

She pulled her arm, and, in quick steps, she locked herself into her room.

Hannibal standed there, alone with his thoughts and feelings. What if she never forgive him again?

That would be the end of him.

▫️

5 Months later

Alice put on the dress as he ordered. It was impossible to deny Hannibal's taste in clothing or luxury in general. At first she thought it was funny how he knee her measurements and bought her clothes, now, she could see a little bit of the possessiveness signs that reached the surface of the obscured lies.

The red heart shaped dress framed her body into a figure of seduction and scarlet danger. The hair perfectly brushed and curled, short into her cheeks as she barely recognized herself in the mirror. She was the vision of someone from high society, maybe the woman of a rich polititian, too busy with her futile affairs to concern herself about anything else.

The final touch that matched it all was the ring on her finger, the same engagement ring she used to br proud of waiting patiently to mark it official their union, but that burned her skin everytime she looked at it now.

She could feel the subtle touch of his large hands on her shoulders, his sight hipnotized on her dress and the inumerous ways to remove it, as she held her breath watching the elegant tuxedo that enlightned his posture.

"You look stunning." He whispered softly at her ear. She tried to avoid the tempting effect his breath caused on her skin.

"You knew it, didn't you?" She muttered as she stared at him through the mirror. "That I'd try to ask Roman Fell for help that night. You planned it. You used me as a bait." Her blye eyee interrogated him. "That's why er pretended to be strangers at that party, that's why we entered separately. So you could use me to achieve your goal."

Hannibal gave a soft half smile admiring her intelligence. "I knew you'd go after someone, not precisely Roman, but suited enough." He muttered. "But a better question is...did I use you as a bait, ir did you know it previously and helped me instead?"

Her body became frozen. Alice tried not to let his words get into her head. "I'd never do that." She shaked her head. "You killed him."

"If he didn't leave that event with you, maybe he would be still alive." No, he wouldn't.

"You can't manipulate me again." She warned him. "I'm not letting you turn me into a weapon, Hannibal."

"I never expected you to be one, darling." He delicately held her hand and kissed it softly, tickling her skin. "I never turned you into anything, just awakened what you already had inside yourself." He smirked naughtingly as she looked at him oblivious, reflecting on her own existence paralyzed. "Now, shall we leave?"

▫️

3 months before

Alice tried to make some tea in thst cold apartment in Switzerland. She couldn't sleep. Hannibal tried to take her out, to watch her surroundings, see all those months they've been running away as a fun trip of their own, but she couldn't share his excitement. She still saw him as a murderer.

And when he creeped back home in the middle of the night, that just confirmed her thoughts.

The door opened abruptely as someone stumbled inside, almost falling and tripping on their feet with much noise. Alice tried to come closer, hesitant, holding a pan in her hands to helplessly defend hersf when she spot him, covered in blood, breathing heavily.

The pan fell from her hands suddenly, terrified, in a pure act of her heart's instinct she ran towards him, helping him stand by putting his arm around his shoulder. "Oh my God, what happened to you?" She asked horrified while taking him inside.

"I am fine..."He groaned as she made him sit down. "Alice, I am fine..."He insisted as she grabbed some frabics to clean up the wounds. He stared at her amused.

She kneeled on the ground, filling a bowl with water as she grabbed his hand, it was full of injuries, like he got himself into a fight. Alice pursed hrr lios, furrowing her eyebrows as she delucately touched the wounds cleaning the red blood that dripped. Her eyes filled with sour tears as she realized what she was doing.

She automatically helped him, as some sort of computer program installed in her body that cared for him no natter what hr did. She hated him. Hated him with all her being, but couldn't stand watching him suffer. And that made her want to die.

"What have you done?" She mumbled. "Why the fuck are you hurt?" She asked angry with him for being so imprudent.

"I told you I am fine." He replied, still surprised to watch her clean up his wounds. The touch of her hand on his...it had been so long, he almost forgot how it electrified his whole being. "You don't need to-"

"You're bleeding, Hannibal!" She groaned at him, watching his schocked hazel gaze meeting her enraged gelid blue one. "You come bleeding in the middle of the night and you expect me to just ignore it?!"

There was a slight pause in silence before he gained courage to speak up. "Shouldn't you?"

Alice paused her sight at the water on the bowl, that now was a brightred. She shouldn't. No, she should just watch him in pain and blerding until death on the floor, that id what she deserved, that's what she should do...then why couldn't she do it?

She ignored his question. "Where else did you hurt yourself?" She looked at him, watching the black eye around his eye. "I'm going to get some ice-"

He abruptely held her hand. "Stay." He muttered helpless as a kid. "Please."

Alice contained her anger and frustration, sighing heavily as she gave up and sat by his side on the leather couch, unable to speak anything for a while.

He seemed to have gotten into a fight but the amount of blood in his shirt was abnormal.

"You did this mess just by the blood in your hands?" She asked confused, pointing to his stained shirt.

He looked down on himself, the expression serious slightly somber avoided her face for a moment. Alice had a bad feeling.

"That's...not your blood...is it...?" She mumbled in horror.

"...No." He replied at once.

She closed her hands above her lap, staring at the floor trying to take reality in. She kne ethat through all these months Hannibal hasn't changed. He was somehow, feeding that inhuman vice of his, he just didn't show it to her. Until now.

"Did you-"

"I believe you'd rather have me spare you the details." He responded softly but also darkly. He slightly glanced at his fiancé, her expression stormed, disturbed at him. "Alice, I-"

"They tried to kill you too?" Was her question. He was a bit surprised.

"...When I attacked them...yes..."

"You sure you just hurt your hands?" She asked unable to look back at him.

Hannibal suspended his breath.

She was worried about him.

"Yes." He replied amused.

"Okay." She got up from the sofa suddenly, walking down the hallway.

"Wait, Lissy." He got up as well, as she stopped on her feet more ahead. "Don't tell me you don't see it as well."

"See what?"

"That you still care for me."

A long pause consumed them, Alice didn't move, she couldn't admit it, no, she'd rather crush his heart, that was, at the moment, the only thing she could do to make him suffer.

"You're mistaking things, Hannibal." She responded fearless. "I don't want you to die. Not yet." She looked at him over his shoulders. "You'll die by my hands. And mine only."

With those words, she buried the matter and her feelings, sighing heavily once she locked herself into her room.

She could run away as much as she could, but whenever she had the chance, she'd still helplessly run back to him.

▫️

3 Months Later

The couples swang through the dance floor and within them, a heated and meticulous one followed fierce and decided steps following the song that played on the background.

Her legs slided as he guided her fiercely by the waist, Mozart's Serenate continued as the ball of gold and shimmer surrounded them both, blinding people's sight from the iminent danger in man's form in that room.

His hand fiercely held hers as he guided her into fast steps and spins. "You're doing impressively well, darling." He complimented in her ear as he spinned her again, only so she could return into his warm arms. "I see you remember our dance classes in the kitchen."

How could she forget it? Just the two of them in Hannibal's home, dancing as silly teens in love as he taught her the steps. She suddenly caught herself missing those times.

Alice turned her head, trying to ignore what she felt and continued dancing as he indicated. She had other plans for that night, and, as the dance procceded, so did her next steps into that strategy.

"I see what you're doing." He smirked charmingly keeping up the appearances and they waltz amusing the other guests.

"I don't know what you're talking about." She disguised it through her dark lips and faked a smile to show their love to the other members of the italian elite.

"Oh really?" He snorted, spinning around, abruptely pulling her back against him, letting his hand careflly slide until her left thigh. "Didn't know garters had blades as an accessory now."

She looked up at him, and somehow, in that smiling expression she could feel...pride in it?

He spinned her again, returning to the main position as they danced once again, Alice changed some movements, allowing her to attempt to catch the knife, but Hannibal always brought her body closer, collapsing it against his chest stopping her.

"My personal modification, did you like it?" She whuspered mischeviously as she attempted to catch the knife again, but he lowered her back down.

"It would but more interesting..." He pushed her back up at once, the faces just inches away from each other. "...if only I'd be the one to remove it with my own hands tonight." He glanced at her tortous seductive lips.

"No, darling." She finally managed to withdraw the blade from her dress, holding it carefully hidden from the other dancers and the public. "It'll appear fascinating as I stab it through your heart."

"Cute." He chortled, unable to express how euphoric he felt in that flight or die situation.

Alice attempted to stab him but he carefully held her wrist and spinned her before she could to it. The serenate continued, more intense, as the passionate crowd continued busy with their entertainment and drinks, unaware of the lovers' conflict.

He let out a sigh as her chest collapsed against her as the steos increased. "Have I told you how breathtaking you look when you're threatning me?"

"Not tonight." She half smiled, pulling the knife in another attack as he gracefully avoided it. "Can't you just stand it still?"

"Can't you stop tempting me?" He inhaled her sweet sceny as his hands slided through her arms, the touch of his skin made her whole body shiver in desire. His lips touched her ear in a hot whisper. "Do you really wish to kill me in this very moment?"

"Yes." She sharply responded.

"Not even God could have mercy in what I am feeling now." He whimpered surrended as she returned to the initial position.

The serenate was almost over and so were Alice's chances of finally murdering him. The knife pointed to his chest, the smirk remained lusty in his lips. Her breath was heavy, thr hands trembled.

"What would you do if you killed me here?" He whispered.

"I'd run."

"And leave my body here?"

"So they all can admire the beauty of your feath in your luxurious habitat" She spoke through her teeth.

"Fantastic." He complimented mesmerized.

Her steps followed his as the song ended, the blsdd touched his chest, almost entering it. Hannibal's gaze at her became even more surrended ss she stared cruelly at him.

"I'd like to be killed at the final chorus, please." He teased.

Alice almost laughed, holding a grin as he knew she couldn't resist to his charms. "Enough." She told him. "Any last words?"

"We can still return home and fullfill a much darker fantasy instead of my death."

The song ended and Alice helplessly exploded laughing. Hannibal cleverly removed the blade from her hands and kept it somewhere safe inside his suit.

The crowd applauded, as he stare dback at her madly in love. "Bellisima."

"Figlio di puttana (Motherfucker)" She cursed him.

"Oh, now these words in italian you can learn?" He lifted one of his eyebrows chuckling, he leaned towards her ear in a conspiracy whisper they shared. "Devo insegnarti le buone maniere quando torniamo a casa. (I have to teach you some manners when we get home.)

She looked back at him and couldn't help but grin, the energy that surrounded them was just like back in the old times when they still were numb to the miseray that would become of them. There was only this sparkle, this blaze that awakened beteeen them.

For a moment, Alice Mallory could forget all the hurting he did to her.

"Dr. Fell" A distinct vouce called. A bearded, sldo rich of course, man approached them. "I hope you translate as well as you waltz." He looked at Slice, delicately taking her hand and kissing it. "Mrs. Fell."

"Our new appointee was confirmed by the board after close questioning." A middle aged man the accompanied the bearded one spoke. His wife by his side was serene, watching everything with a smile while drinking, looks like she had no clue of what happened.

"You've examined him in medieval Italian and I will not deny his language is...admirable..." The first man established, looking at Hannibal's figure up and down in mockery.

"Thank you." The fake Doctor Fell replied kindly.

"...for a straniero." The man humiliated him in front of the elite. "Are you familiar with the personalities of pre-Renaissance Florence?" Alice glanced at her partner as his smiled forced to stay up on his face. Her expression though, couldn't be hidden, showing the clear displeasement at the man's comment. "I think not." The man grinned. "Dr. Fell might not even understand the basic meaning of Italian art movements, perphaps hold some clues underneath his suit sleeves." He mocked. "If someone showed him the Temptation of Adam and Eve by Masolino and Masaccio's Expulsion of Adam and Eve, would he recognize the difference?" He looked around at the silent crowd who listened to him. "I think not."

Hannibal's eyes were shifted somehow humble, defeated. And that made Alice's blood boil inside her veins. Before he could attemlt to say something to justify humself the man turned to leave.

And she just couldn't let him walk off that way.

"That is not even a challenge, Professor Sogliato." Slice Mallory standed foward, as the man turned around intrigued. "Any child could spot thr radical differences beteeen both the paintings you describe. You actually offend my husband with such an easy question."

Hannibal stared at her but didn't say a word, instead, watched as she continued. The crowd also paid attention.

"May you eleborate the difference then, Mrs.Fell?"

Alice smiled teasing. "It'll be my pleasure." She calmly stepped foeard, holding her glass of champagne and taking a delucate sip before continuing. "Masolino's figures are dainty, wiry and elegant. Masaccio's are highly dramatic, volumetric, and expansive. The shapes of Masaccio's Adam and Eve are constructed not with line but with strongly differentiated areas of light and dark that give them a pronounced three-dimensional sense of relief. Masolino's figures appear fantastic, while Masaccio's seem to exist within the world of the spectator illuminated by natural light. The expressive movements that Masaccio gives to his muses powerfully convey their anguish at being expelled from the Garden of Eden and add a psychological dimension to the impressive physical realism of these figures." The man dropped his jaw as Alice carefully gave him her glass, as if he was a mere servant. "The boldness of conception and execution of the Expulsion of Adam and Eve marks all of Masaccio's frescoes in the Brancacci Chapel. As I've said, a simple and easy question. Next time, bring a real challenge to my husband."

The croed applaued and Hannibal sighed, applauding discretely but unable to hold his smile. She defended him.

"An art expert, Mrs.Fell? I wasn't aware of your gifts." Professor Sogliato didn't give up. "It is comic how Dr.Fell needs to hide behind his wife in order to provide knowledge."

"I will take that as a compliment of my intelligence in order not to start an useless argument with you, professor, since my husband has already proved his knowledge to the board. He doesn't need to prive you anything." She lifted her chin intimidating the man.

"What about you, Mrs.Fell? Such ab expert in arts, what else can you do? Wash your husband's pants?" He smirked, some people in the audience laughed.

In previous times, Alice would have thrown her shoe, or maybe punched that man, but she changed. Changed because of the man that standed behind her. The man she wanted to protect from the bitter tongues that evening. No, she would humiliate that professor for what he did.

"Your thoughts are very old centured and mysoginistic ones, professor, I suggest you to take your head off your books and realize the century we are so you can watch your words." She established delicately, the croed gossiped mocking the man, who blushed. "I am an artist myself. A painter."

"A painter you say? I've never heard of your works"

"I'm a rather preserved artist. But an immaculate one."

"Show us one of your works then, what about that?"

"I'll draw you a better challenge." She leaned foward, her eyes sparkled. "Choose any art you admire. I'll make you an exact copy of it."

The croed gasped. The man snorted. "Careful with the rope you tie around your neck, Mrs. Fell, what if you can't keep your promise?"

"You'd have your word magnified and my honor would be destroyed." She told him.

"What about your husband?"

"As far as I'm concerned, you're daring me, not him."

"Farewell, then let's heat up the challenge. You'll have to paint it live to the academy members." He glanced at Hannibal mischievously. "Your husband is invited to watch it as well."

"I like your attitude now, Professor Sogliato." She smirked. "Three hours. I'll paint it in 3 hours." The audience gasped again, Alice standed her hand to shake his. "Do we have a deal?"

The man sniffed in mockery, for him that was just too easy. He'd humiliate both the Fells in just one strike. How could he refuse.

"I'll eagerly wait for it, signora." He shaked fiercely her hand, as Alice held it tight in a threatning response.

"A presto, signor (see you soon, sir)" She mocked, as the man turned his back and disappeared into the crowd.

Little did he know the woman he dealed with.

▫️

"It is contradicting." He stared at the dark and bright evening if Florence's night landscape from the expensive mansion's window.

"What?" Alice removed her earrings and dropped out of her heels.

"Your attitudes. They are contradicting." Hannibal muttered, charmingly standing by thr window. "You attempt to murder me, but at the same time, defends me from public humiliation." His hazel eyes lingered at her. "Why?"

Alice standed quiet. His question caught her by surprise. Why? Why did she feel so angry with that professor by how he treatdd Hannibal? Why did she care so much when she shouldn't?

"Don't flatter yourself so much. I only found that man...rude." She lied, turning his back to him.

He smirked, taking a sip of the glass as he watched the landscape outside. "We are among the palaces built six hundred years ago by the merchant princes, the kingmakers and the connivers of Renaissance Florence." He explained calmly. "Remember when we used to make plans about visitting here?"

"Florence, the place where you daydreamed about in your drawings..." Alice muttered, trailing her fingers in invisible lines at the expensive wooden desk.

"It is just as spectacular as we imagined, isn't it?"

Alice looked at him in mockery. "Are you serious?"

"Before you lecture me, be aware that I've hardly killed anyone during our residence." He spoke as if that was something that she should be proud of.

"You created a vacancy at the Palazzo Capponi by removing the former curator." She retorted.

"A simple process requiring a few seconds' work on the old man... and a modest outlay for two bags of cement."

"God..."She sighed shaking her head.

"You sigh and complain but that still doesn't change your conduct tonight." They faced each other. "Are you willing to do that challenge only to preserve my honor?"

"I'm not doing this for you. I just want to see that guy defeated in his own game." She leaded her arms, trtying to reach the zipper at the back of her dress.

Hannibal analyzed her struggle, the barrowed fingers unable to pull the metal as she refused to ask him for help.

"Would you like-"

"No." She responded at once serious.

That didn't change the situation. Hannibal smirked at how stubborn she was. Unwilling to ask him for help when she clearly needed to. He stepped foward, cautiously, standing behind her.

"I don't need your help." She growled.

"Doesn't look like it." He vovalized at her ear. Alice suspended her breath. "Your posture's rigid, is the dress too tight?"

His hand slowlu reached to her waist
it was warm, large and managed to mess with her head in an incredible speed.

"It's fine." She tried to disguise the effect he had on him. "You should worry about your murders and your luxury instead."

"And you should worry about killing me, but both of us are not doing what we're supposed to, right?" He whispered softly, his lips sightly touched her ear.

Alice shut down her eyes, pursing her lips. "If you think I still consider you in my heart, you're clearly wrong. I don't."

"Don't you?" His hand carrsed her arm, his lips reached her shoulder, they were irresistibly sweet.

"No. I hate you." She insisted.

"You hate my habits, not me."

"No...I hate you.."She tried to avoid his irresistible touch. "I hate you, your...your stupid ties and events...your Mr. Know It All talk..."She inhaled air deeply in her lungs as his lips reacherd her neck. "I...I hate how you're selfish to only think about yourself...your superiority...your hair, your lips, your eyes...your touch..."

Hannibal grinned as she sighed on the last words. "No, you don't." He chuckled lowly. His hands reached carefully the zipper on her back. "I can almost listen to your heartbeat." He teased as he lowered the zipper delicately, exposing her delicate skin to him.

His finger traced her back into a mooth touch that made her melt. She tried to deny it in her head, refuse it in every way possible. She hated him, she reassure herself, hated and nothing would change that.

"Stop it." She begged in a whisper.

"What?" He muttered at her ear, pretending to be numb.

"You have no right to cross any boundaries between us anymore."

"Don't I?"

"We pretend to be a married couple, but behind the curtains we are nothing to each other. What we had is over."

"You're breaking up with me?" He chuckled unable to believe in her.

"I already did long ago." She complained.

His smole touched her ear as she inhaled deeply her sweet aroma. The act made her swallow dry. "Look at me in the eyes then and say it." Alice didn't turn around. "If you mean it, say it to my face, if you don't..."the zipper reached the button. "I'll take that as a sign to finally remove this dress."

He waited a second, watching as her chest moved up and down with a sharp, lusty breath caused by him. Hannibal grabbed the edges of the red fabric and slowly lowered them down, until she turned arund and held his wrists.

Alice's eyes were stuck on the floor. She couldn't look at him, and yet couldn't let her body betray her that way...even as tempting as it was.

"It's over." She lifted her eyes towards him for a second. She took off her engagement ring and placed it on the table.

Hannibal grinned, not believing her. "And I am called the liar." He let her dress leave his hands and steppdd back, as Alice let his wrists go. "Good-night, darling."