Sophia's POV.
The sound of two people arguing was the alarm that woke me up the next day.
I shifted slowly in my place feeling like my body had been broken into a thousand pieces and then recollected again for I had slept on bare cement during the few hours of sleep I got.
It was still quite dark outside because of the weather but it was relatively lighter than last night. After adjusting to the light around me, my eyes started working again. I had hoped we'd escape this, that it was all a very bad nightmare but we're still here.
The voices were from beside me. They were Stephanie's and Harvey's.
My mind was still a jumbled mess and I couldn't make out what they were saying when all of a sudden, he slapped her.
Words would not be able to describe the feeling I got from waking up to my best friend arguing with her boyfriend-turned-abductor and watching him slap her.
I struggled fiercely but managed to start standing up.
He looked at me and raised his hand to slap me as well but stopped.
“No. You....” He seemed reluctant.
He stood for some seconds before finally lowering his hand.
“I want to keep your screams until the final show.” His lips curved. He reached out for me with one hand as he held his phone with the other, dialing a number.
His hand kept reaching for me, my neck to be exact.
Too stunned and helpless to take any action, my whole body froze and I simply gasped as his hand enclosed around my neck and he pushed me back to the wall.
“Ahhhh!” I screamed.
“Hello?” He smiled through the phone as he held it to his ear.
Who's he.....
“Ughhhh..... I can...t...” I coughed and tried moving.
“Do you hear how cute she sounds?” He spoke into the phone as his grip softened a bit and then hardened again.
I whimpered at the force.
“S–sto....” My breath seemed to be abandoning me.
I couldn't quite make out the sounds coming from the phone in his ear.
“Stop Harvey! I beg you. Let her go!!” I heard Stephanie scream.
I was slowly losing consciousness and with that, he let go of me and I collapsed to the ground. “C–curse you!” I cried. “Curse you!!!”
“If you want her alive, meet me at the address I'll be sending to you via text in a few minutes.” I heard Harvey say before he hung up.
I was coughing hard, gasping for breath, as Stephanie cuddled me in her arms. She had her cheeks swollen but she didn't seem to care.
Hot tears crawled down my cheeks again and I sniffled.
“I'm so sorry,” I whispered. She hugged me even tighter.
“We both know who should be sorry, love,” she said. “I want to apologize to him.”
“Huh? Who?”
“Steve. He isn't a bad guy after all. He might be a good company, I admit.”
I nodded and snuggled more into her.
A very loud hysterical laugh echoed through the room. “How touching.” He smirked at us.
I had forgotten about his presence in the room. I frowned at him through my tears.
“I asked you something earlier, Harvey”
He eyed me coolly.
“Hm? What was that?” He pretended to sound like a clueless three-year-old kid.
“Why are we here? What do you want from us?”
He simply laughed at my question as he closed the distance between us.
His face came very close to mine and I backed away in an attempt to keep my personal space.
The back of my head hit the wall but Harvey kept coming closer. “S–stop!” I whispered.
He smiled evilly and spoke.
“I believe that there are two types of people in this world. Those who use and those who are used. I like to refer to the latter as stepping stones.”
My heart hammered against my chest as he pulled out his gun and twisted it around his fingers.
“If you still don't get my point, then I'll state it bluntly, my love.” His eyes darkened and almost resembled the color of his gun. “You're my stepping stone this time. You're my key to revenge.”
Stephanie and I both looked at him with hatred.
“Wh–what revenge?” My voice didn't seem like it belonged to me anymore.
“Well, if you must know,” he smiled. “It's revenge against one man. No, two men to be exact.” His voice dripped with hatred.
Why now? It's been years. Why plan revenge now?
“The first of the two is a man who's beginning to seem very dear to my Stephanie's heart.” He continued, still smiling. Stephanie just cussed at him weakly.
“Steve Harrison.”
My heart almost stopped beating.
No!
“You know how I like to save the best for last? Well, the second of the two is the one I wish to redesign his body with several bullet holes.”
I sobbed at that.
“Yes. Your crying shows you know exactly who I'm talking about, right?”
I bit my lips so hard I was surprised I didn't draw blood.
“Say it.” He muttered seductively as he came closer to my face. “Say his name because I know you figured it out.”
I sobbed and shook my head weakly.
He reminded me so much of Michael at that moment, I felt like spitting in his face.
But I didn't dare provoke him. Not while he has a gun in hand.
“Well then, I'll say it in your place.”
I could practically feel the devil from hell in his face as his wide grin spread across his features.
I will have my revenge against Alexander Hayes.” His glinting cold gun pressed to my temple now.
“And you will be my stepping stone and key to that, Sophia O'Brien or should I say, miss secretary?”
I wouldn't be able to handle this. God no! Please no. Not again!