The Dinner Night 2

Disregarding Sebastian, who chose not to intervene, Victoria took it upon herself to rescue Rowan.

She bit the thug restraining her, breaking free and dashing toward Rowan and the other four thugs. Squeezing herself in, she shielded Rowan by covering him with her body.

Witnessing this, Sebastian's eyes widened in shock. He swiftly exited his car but remained at a distance, observing the situation unfold.

Despite the thugs' attempts to pull Victoria away from Rowan, they struck her with blows and slaps, causing her pain. However, she ignored the discomfort, remaining steadfast in protecting Rowan. She couldn't even feel the pain of it anyway.

Meanwhile, as Sebastian stood by his car, he inadvertently bore the brunt of the blows meant for Victoria. 'It's happening again,' he thought frustratedly.

He grimaced, feeling the pain shoot through his back, waist, and ribs. "Ah," he groaned, clutching his back, "Ah," he uttered again, wincing from the pain in his waist, "Ah, my ribs!" Sebastian groaned, feeling the impact of the attacks meant for Victoria.

"That Cursed witch!" Sebastian bellowed in frustration, still experiencing Victoria's pain.

Despite the pain he was feeling, he marched determinedly towards the thugs. Placing his phone against his ear, he called the police, urgently relaying the address to them.

As he moved, the pain persisted, causing him to vocalize his agony. "Argh! God! Argh! It hurts! That cursed witch!" he groaned, bearing the brunt of Victoria's injuries.

Upon Sebastian's arrival, the thugs inexplicably fled upon seeing Sebastian. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Victoria helped Rowan to his feet.

Rowan, in a mix of emotions, felt both grateful and distressed. He was annoyed that Victoria had been harmed while protecting him yet elated that she had shown such care.

One thought dominated his mind: 'She laid her sumptuous body on mine.' This single notion consumed Rowan's thoughts amidst the chaotic moment.

Victoria, still beside Rowan on the ground, looked up at Sebastian with tears streaming down her face, shouting as her heart ached. "What are you doing here? Go away!" she yelled, her emotions raw.

Sebastian, arms folded, observed the scene but winced as he felt a sharp pain on his cheek. "Did those thugs hit you?" he inquired, touching his own cheek.

In response, Victoria retorted angrily, "How does that matter to you? Just leave!"

Ignoring Sebastian, she helped Rowan up, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and supporting him by the waist as they slowly made their way back towards where Rowan's car was parked.

Even though Victoria was angered, her sole focus remained on protecting Rowan.

Meanwhile, Sebastian, still in pain, watched them depart. Confused and frustrated, he struggled with the baffling sensation of feeling the pain inflicted on Victoria.

He grabbed his hair in frustration, then retreated to his car, intending to head home and soak himself in warm water while thinking all these through.

….

It had been a few days since the incident. Sebastian was still thinking about it, unable to shake the feeling that something remarkable had happened.

As fate would have it, Victoria was on her way to work one morning, walking down the street. As she was walking, she noticed a familiar car pull up beside her. It was Sebastian's car.

He rolled down the window and called out to her. "Victoria!" he said. "Hop in, I'll give you a lift to work."

He just wanted to have a talk with her especially, now he had pondered on what was happening with him feeling her pains. But when he saw her walking down the street, she clearly didn't want to talk to him.

Victoria spoke again. "Just leave me alone," she said. "I don't want to talk to you. Disappear!"

Her voice was cold and hard, and Sebastian felt a lump in his throat. He didn't know what to do. He sat there for a moment, watching her walk away.

Speeding ahead, Sebastian drove straight to Rowan's company, parked hastily, and strode into the office building, paying no heed to the employees' greetings despite being a public figure.

Ignoring them, he made a beeline for Rowan's office, barging in without knocking. Inside, he found Rowan with bandages on his neck and hand.

Sebastian smirked and casually asked, "How are you doing, Row?"

Rowan smiled wryly and replied, "I'm coping, physically hurting but mentally and emotionally doing fine."

They shared an unspoken understanding through their words and smiles. Sebastian shifted his expression from a smirk to seriousness, asking, "What's your relationship with Victoria? Why were you both together that night?"

Rowan chuckled before retorting, "And why didn't you help us that night? Why just watch as the thugs attacked me and Victoria?" The exchange became more serious and cautious as they delved into the questions.

Sebastian erupted, "Don't dodge my question!" pointing angrily at Rowan, who remained unperturbed, even playful.

Giggling, Rowan shifted to a more serious demeanor, locking eyes with Sebastian, a dangerous glint present. "Stay away from Victoria. She's more than just a friend or an employee. She's going to be my woman," Rowan warned sternly.

Sebastian's laughter carried a sinister edge, though Rowan's words struck deeper than he let on. Masking his hurt behind a smile,

Sebastian retorted, "Let go of Victoria. She'll never belong to you. And why is she even involved in this company?"

Firmly, Rowan shot back, "You have no authority to dictate who can or cannot be in my company."

The atmosphere was tense, resembling a battle between supposed collaborators.

Attempting to assert control, Sebastian declared, "I'm going to establish a partnership between our companies. But I don't want Victoria working here," his tone resolute and uncompromising.

Rowan, infuriated, slammed his hand on the table, rising from his seat despite the pain coursing through him.

"I'd give up our partnership for Victoria. She's not just an employee; she's my personal secretary," he declared, the tension evident in his strained voice, visible veins, and clenched fist.

Sensing Rowan's pain even though he tried to hide it, Sebastian chose to end the argument but not before leaving a parting remark. "You think you own Victoria, don't you?" he calmly stated, smirking.

"Let me enlighten you. Victoria will always have me in her thoughts. Does she even know who you are?"

Rowan remained silent, refusing to dignify Sebastian's question. Instead, he held his gaze, staring hard at Sebastian.

Sebastian chuckled and walked out of the office and Rowan groaned in pain. The pains of being beaten by thugs stung more than the pain of fighting over a woman.

As Sebastian departed from the office building, he and Victoria encountered each other at the door, exchanging intense glares.

Victoria's expression conveyed disdain and hate, while Sebastian's gaze hinted at a sense of determination, saying, 'You can't escape me.'

With a final look back at Sebastian going away, Victoria walked into the company, her eyes fixed forward.

….

Adrian had promised Penny a day at the amusement park, and finally, they were enjoying themselves. "Stay here for a moment; I'll grab us some snacks," Adrian said before heading off.

Penny agreed, standing her ground and immediately he left, she met some familiar, unwelcome faces—her schoolmates known for bullying her.

In the past, Penny would have sought a place to hide, but she was a different person now—bold and unafraid. With her hand on her hip, she observed them with a scornful expression as they approached.

One of the boys taunted her, "Hey Penny, ready to crawl back into your hole? Mama! Mama!! Come save me."

Unfazed, Penny pointed at his nose and retorted, "Shut up, you jerk." Her unexpected response surprised them all.

"How dare you speak, you mute!" a girl in the group grabbed Penny's hair ferociously.

Penny swiftly removed the hand and grabbed the girl's throat instead, warning sharply, "Touch my hair next time, and you'll regret it," before pushing her away.

The kids were astonished and it was palpable. "This isn't the old Penny," the boy stammered.

Penny clapped her hands once, placed them back on her hips, and stated confidently, "Definitely not the Penny you used to know, losers."

Her assertiveness and self-assurance left her former bullies startled and in disbelief.

The bullies ran off, leaving Penny feeling elated and triumphant. Overwhelmed by her success, she couldn't contain her joy and exclaimed aloud, "Yes, I did it!"

As Penny reveled in her victory, Adrian returned and was pleasantly surprised to see her glowing with happiness. Curious, he asked her why she was so happy.

She avoided his question, simply replying, "Oh, I'm just really happy, that's all."

They continued playing, hopping from one attraction to another, enjoying the merry-go-round and various stops.

At one point, Penny urgently needed to use the restroom and sought Adrian's help to find an attendant. He agreed to look for someone who could guide them.

However, Penny was so pressed that she couldn't wait for Adrian or whosoever he went to seek, so she started looking for the restroom on her own.

While in search of it, she spotted two familiar boys from her class. They were having a talk, so she went closer, snuck towards them, and decided to eavesdrop on what they were talking about, perhaps they were talking about her.

But the first boy said to the other boy, "Don't you find it strange? It's been long since Sage Quinn came to class, in fact, school, as a whole."

The other boy nodded his head and then replied maliciously, "Well, she's the almighty daughter of the almighty Sebastian Quinn, so she's free to do whatever she wants. Ugh," he sighed in disgust. "I hate that girl. She's so full of pride."

Penny, on her own part, couldn't help but take note of the words spoken by the two boys. It was indeed true that Sage Quinn, the person who had bullied her the most in school, was no longer attending classes, which struck Penny as odd.

However, she simply shrugged her shoulders and continued on her way.