Abducted

Victoria couldn't help but reminisce about all that had happened as she walked home. Sebastian and Rowan were in her thoughts, with herself caught in the middle. She didn't want to assume this was going to become a love triangle, but Rowan's words kept replaying in her head.

"The pain these thugs inflicted on me hurts. It hurts a lot. But you know what hurts more than this pain? The pain in my heart, Vic. The pain of losing someone I want to keep close."

As Victoria walked the streets, she couldn't get those words out of her head.

Victoria wasn't blind to what Rowan was saying between the lines. He wanted her to be close to him, and she knew that deep down. It was obvious, but her emotions were conflicted.

On one hand, she still had feelings for Sebastian. On the other hand, she wanted to move on, and she thought Rowan might be the person to help her do that. She had seen the best in him, and she believed he could be a good man.

As Victoria was lost in thoughts, she didn't realize that she was about to step into the road.

A car honked, and she snapped out of her daze just in time to see the headlights approaching her. She froze, unsure of what to do, and then she felt someone grab her by the shoulders and pull her back to safety.

When she opened her eyes, she saw that Sebastian had been the one to save her. She looked at him in shock, and then she realized how close she had come to being seriously injured or worse. She was speechless.

"What were you thinking?" Sebastian's fury was palpable. "Are you out of your mind? Are you crazy?" he yelled. He shoved Victoria away from him, not wanting to be anywhere near her.

"If you want to get yourself killed, why don't you do it somewhere else? If you're determined to die, can't you wait until I've solved this mess I'm in?" His words were full of frustration and anger. He clearly didn't want to understand what had just happened, and he was lashing out.

Victoria stood in stunned silence, her eyes wide as she looked up at Sebastian. He continued to shout at her, "Why aren't you saying anything? Have you suddenly lost your voice? Have you gone mute? Witch!"

At this point, Victoria was no longer feeling grateful for Sebastian's intervention. In fact, she was angry.

"I understand that you saved me, but you have no right to speak to me like this," she said. Her voice was low but firm, and it carried a note of warning. "You're out of line."

"I'm out of line?" He sighed, finding her words unbelievably surprising. "I, Sebastian Quinn, I'm out of line?" Sebastian exclaimed, his voice dripping with venom.

"You're the one who's out of line, you little tramp! You go around dating guys, and you know you're not serious about any of them. What's the point of this charade? You're just going to hurt the poor guy!"

Victoria's eyes blazed with anger as she stared at Sebastian. He looked up at her, his expression arrogant and unapologetic.

She was breathing heavily, her chest rising and falling with each breath, and he watched her in amusement. The way she looked at him made him feel smug and self-satisfied, but he knew he had crossed a line.

She reached out and slapped him across the face, the sound attracting the passersby and onlookers. He raised his hand to his face and looked back up at her, still smirking.

Victoria's anger and frustration were clear, but as soon as she slapped Sebastian, she regretted it.

He was surrounded by bodyguards, and they were in public. She'd never wanted to be seen in public with him, even when they were dating, and now she felt like a fool.

The bodyguards started to step forward, but Sebastian waved them off.

Victoria glared at him with all the fury she could muster. He was still smirking, looking far too pleased with himself, like a demon who had just won a bet.

Victoria was livid with rage. She couldn't believe that Sebastian had made her burst out like this. She wanted to get away from him as soon as possible, but he said something that made her pause.

"Don't worry, I won't hold it against you that you slapped me," he said, with a self-satisfied smirk on his face. "I have the resources to sweep this whole thing under the rug, but there's one question I have for you."

He leaned in close, his breath warming her cheek. "Why is it that I feel immerse pain even when I'm not supposed to? I feel the pain you're supposed to feel."

Victoria's heart was pounding, and her breathing was shallow and rapid. She was afraid to move, lest she anger Sebastian further.

She couldn't believe that the man she had once considered a softie could turn so cruel and terrifying. She had never seen him act like this before, and it terrified her to her core.

But she knew that if she said the wrong thing, he might do something even worse. She just stood there, silent and frozen, as he waited for an answer that she couldn't give.

She could feel his breath on her cheek, hot and close, and she shuddered.

"Are you intentionally doing this?" he asked, a dangerous smirk on his face that frightened Victoria. "Did you visit a witch doctor to cast a spell on me because I ended things with you?"

This might have sounded like a joke to Victoria, but the atmosphere was cold and menacing, causing her great distress. His words hurt her deeply, bringing tears to her eyes.

"Won't you speak? Have you suddenly become mute? Or perhaps you're deaf," he mocked.

Turning to his bodyguards, he commanded, "Chester, Presley, drag her to the car. She's coming with us," his tone gruesome, leaving Victoria no choice.

"No, let me go!" Victoria finally found her weak voice. "I didn't do anything like that. Let me go, you—!"

Before she could finish her words, Sebastian had grabbed a handkerchief and tied it around her mouth, gagging her. She thrashed against his grip, but he was too strong.

He scooped her up and slung her over his shoulder, carrying her like a sack of potatoes to his car. With her kicking and struggling, he managed to shove her into the back seat and slammed the door shut.

He turned to his bodyguard, who had been standing watch. "Make sure no one speaks of this," he said, his voice cold and hard. "No one must know about Vicky and I."