Sophia's POV.
I quickly moved towards the figure like a cheetah marching towards its prey. “Stephanie!”
I crashed down to the ground beside her and hugged her.
“Steph.... Oh my goodness... Steph.... Are you okay?”
Her hands were tied behind her back, her legs tied together from downwards. She looked pathetic.
Her clothes were torn and her body was bruised. Her face had blood and dirt all over and she had a swollen lip.
I hugged her tighter.
“I'm so sorry.” I cried. “This is all my fault. I should've warned you about it all...”
Steve's story about his sister and Harvey flashed through my mind.
“I shouldn't have let you leave the apartment.” I sobbed.
She shifted.
Her eyes did not open. She seemed half-conscious, but she parted her dry-looking lips. “So–Sop—” She coughed roughly and it seemed as if she was choking over her own words.
I held her even tighter.
“Don't say anything. Just catch your breath.” I said.
And then, the sound of approaching footsteps grew louder.
A despicable laugh echoed through the room.
“I hope you're done exchanging pleasantries, my love?” His infamous devious voice echoed through the room.
Stephanie shuddered violently, obviously frightened. I hugged her protectively.
Stephanie rarely shows this amount of weakness. He really must've done a whole lot to her for her to be this frightened.
I looked at him through my tears and he kept approaching. I shifted far back to the wall even as I continued hugging Stephanie.
“Welcome, my dear Sophia.”
“Harvey...” I felt my nails piercing my flesh as I clenched my fists tight.
He chuckled.
“Curse you!” I snapped. “I've always suspected there was something evil about you!” He came closer and I moved more to the wall.
“Really? Something like what?” His tone became dark.
I went silent, visibly frightened.
“Wh–what do you want from us? Why are you doing this?”
“I believe I already stated my motives, have I not? I want you, Sophia O'Brien.” My whole body grew colder and Stephanie shivered in my arms.
“Huh?” I breathed.
“Oh no, my dear, it is no romantic interest or any of such silliness.” He smiled wickedly.
“You,” He continued, “are the bait I intend to use for my revenge.”
“Re–revenge?” I gasped. “Just what—”
He closed the distance between us completely and snatched me up roughly.
“Unhhhh.” I whimpered.
A cold metal pressed to my neck and the shaking in my body went out of control.
“S–stop! No!” Stephanie screamed.
Out of the corner of my eyes, I could see the object pressed to my neck. A gun.
I whimpered. “What do you think you're doing?! Ha–Harvey?!”
He laughed.
“Scared now? Oh, I bet you should be.”
He held my arms behind my back and I felt a jolting pain through my arms from the tight rope he was tying my arms with.
I squirmed.
“No! Harvey, please stop—” He pushed me to the ground and pointed his gun at me.
“I will not tie your legs, at least not yet. I plan to make you suffer slowly.” His smug grin widened. “However, don't even think of escaping because you're not alone. You might think the worst-case scenario is death, but I promise you it is not.” He pointed the gun at Stephanie.
“I hope you get what I'm getting at?”
I only bit my lip, my eyes filled with tears. “Do you not get it?”
I ignored him.
“Perhaps, I wasn't clear enough.” He placed his fingers on the trigger.
“I get it!” I screamed madly. “I swear I get it! Just put the gun away.” I sobbed. He smiled. “See? I knew you were a good girl.” He said as he put the gun away. I collapsed back to the wall.
He flicked his fingers and several guards filled the room.
“Don't touch the women.” He ordered and the guards nodded. He dismissed them before walking out of the room.
I let out a shaky breath. “I hope they didn't touch you...” I whispered to Stephanie.
She leaned on my shoulder. “It was only him.” Tears fell from her eyes to her cheeks. “Damn him!”
Minutes passed like hours and neither of us said a thing more. We were both tired, scared, and helpless to utter anything.
My headache. God! What was he planning?
I know he said he wanted revenge but what was Stephanie's connection to it? What was my connection to it? What revenge?
Oh God. Let it not be what I'm thinking.
I heard Stephanie let out a long shaky breath.
“I can't believe this is happening to us.” She whispered. “I told you not to come.”
“What? And leave you alone with that monster?”
Tears flowed down her face again.
“It has been hell...Sophia.” Her voice sounded tired.
My tears strolled down.
“I've felt something about Harvey since our first meeting,” I admitted in a whisper. “I was just so unsure.”
I closed my eyes, regret washing all over me.
“That Steve guy was right.” The words escaped Stephanie's dry lips and I snapped my eyes open. “Harvey's an evil person. No wonder he got disowned from his company.”
“I was so stupid!” She hiccuped. “I even went as far as to splash Steve with my wine all because I supported this bastard!”
I went silent at that.
I just wished I had gotten through to her and told her everything while I had the chance.
Harvey is a criminal.
A psycho. A man who obsesses over a woman as far as to hit her because he wants her all for himself. I knew Harvey wouldn't hesitate to kill us if he wanted to.
I closed my eyes again in hopes that I'd force them into sleep.
I heard my best friend's sobs echo through the room. I felt hurt because I didn't know how to comfort her.
I opened my eyes again and gazed towards the dark sky outside.
There was no moon. I wondered which was darker, the night or what we were passing through.
Slowly, my tiredness got the best of me and my senses drifted off to sleep.