Little Green Apples (Ivan×OC)

Chapter 10 *TW Applies*

TW: sexual assault, racial slurs from antagonist

"Evil has many faces...and it can be difficult to tell them apart and choose sides. Especially these days where so many things are said in this and that town..."

'I hope that was directed at the good doctor... Such a rude man.'

"Everything has so many nuances. Also we humans. If the game of chess had undergone the same development as humans... the queen would be in front, the rooks would be crooked... and the pawn would be the main piece. We no longer know who we are and this rootlessness...," suddenly, Ivan stopped speaking.

"Are we boring you, Poul? Is the word of God boring to you?"

'Ah, mister ex-SS.'

Poul looked up nervously.

"Are we boring you?," asked Ivan.

"I need to go to the loo," said Poul.

"Can't it wait?"

"Not really."

"We finish in twenty minutes. I think that Poul can wait that long," Ivan addressed the assembly.

"Let him go for sake of f*ck so we can sing now," Khlaid retorted.

"Okay, the democracy has spoken. Go, Poul.
But you can't come back in."

"That's okay."

"You have to use the dormitories loo because you can't use ours."

"Why not?"

"It's locked during the service."

"Why?"

"For security reasons. Let's continue
if it's okay with Poul. We'll sing six hundred and thirty-four, "You know my heart"."

Jessica couldn't help but hide a chuckle at the exchange. She made brief eye contact with Ivan while he was at his podium, and he gave her a knowing smirk.

She could swear she felt eyes on her aside from Ivan's. She looked around the auditorium, and as soon as she looked in Adam's direction, she froze. He was looking straight at her with a feral-looking smile as he looked her up and down.

'Maybe I should go without makeup and not wear dresses while he stays here... The last thing I need is him thinking I'm trying to impress him,' she devised.

Once the song ended, some of the usual church crowd were curious of the new arrival. Adam just brushed them off and remained silent.

______

Jessica sat next to Gunnar as Adam stalked around the kitchen at lunch.

"There's fried pork. It was a good sermon today. At least it was shorter than usual. Too bad for old Poul Nordkap. Ivan is always on his case. He leaves during the sermon. It's not nice of him. He always does that. It's because he was in a concentration camp during the war. He's become restless in his old age. He's eighty-six."

Adam refused to interact.

"It won't be any fun when that age comes. Don't worry about Ivan. He's okay. Just don't venture into an argument with him."

"Gunnar, you very well know Ivan never starts arguments. He does finish them though," Jessica said.

She made eye contact with Adam.

"He's very protective of those in his care."

Adam gave leered at her and left.

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