Chapter Thirty Five

Four hours ago

Seth sat at his desk, surrounded by multiple screens displaying financial data. To anyone looking from the outside, he looked focused. His brows furrowed and his finger scrolled after a few minutes of reading.

Who was he kidding? He leaned back on his seat, baffled by how easy it was for him to lose concentration on something so minimal like almost kissing Thea yesterday.

He rubbed his hands over his face, his reading glasses discarded on the table. Hell, that was the first thing that came to mind when he woke up earlier that morning! What is going on with him?!

A notification flashed on a secondary screen: a message from Arian. His eyes went to the screen: he rarely received personal messages during work hours, especially from Arian.

It had to be important, Seth thought or else, he's going to rip him to shreds if it wasn't a life or death situation.

He clicked it open. It was a link, accompanied by a single text.

‘Have you seen this?’

Seth leans forward, eyes staring at the message blankly, seen what? He clicked on the link, wondering what the matter was.

His gaze fell on the headline, then the accompanying image. His body went rigid. The image was clear and blurred, but unmistakably Thea.

And the setting, the intimate embrace… he remembered that night with Thea. How could he ever forget?! And from the angle the video was taken, his face wasn't in frame.

A cold fury, unlike anything he had felt in years, began to churn in his gut. He dialled Arian's number instantly.

“What the hell is this?” Seth asked, his tone laced with venom.

“I saw it on a website this morning. It's everywhere. I mean, everywhere..” Arian said, his voice just as hard as Seth's.

Seth's hands clenched into fists, his knuckles turning white as he fought to control the tremor of his rage. His eyes burned with a dangerous fire. His gaze flickered down to the video again and the filthy comments underneath it, calling Thea names.

Seth stood on his feet, leaning his hands on the table. He was furious but had no clue whose head to hang on a pike for this!

“Who did this?"

“I'll have my men find out,” Arian assured and right there, still on the call with Seth, he spoke to his men.

“They'll find out in a few minutes."

Seth's shaky hands reached for the intercom and dialled Dante's office. Dante answered on the second ring.

"Dante," Seth's voice seemed controlled, but vibrated with an intensity that made Dante instantly straighten. "There's a video of Thea and. It's circulating on every major tabloid site. I want it gone. Every single trace."

“Right away sir.” Dante replied, his voice rather quiet as he clicked away on his laptop.

He knew his boss was furious and was trying to contain himself with much difficulty.

“I found the reporter who released the news. His name is Vance Huggins.” Arian offered in an instant.

Seth tilted his head to the side, his eyes glazing over, he knew that bastard. It was the same man who slandered him years back after the incident with the Sterlings…

“Wait, isn't he..” Arian muttered. He knew Vance now that his pictures were pulled up on the screens.

“Drag that bastard to me on his knees.” Seth said.

Arian smirks. “Half dead or nearly dead.”

Seth's fist clenched as he recalled how Vance had laughed in his face years back when he begged him to take down that article.. He was willing to overlook that but now he's messing with Thea.

His wife! His woman!

“Nearly.” He said.

Arian nodded with a smile. “I'll let you know how that goes..”

“I found the article sir..” Dante offered over the intercom.

"I want every website publishing that article, every link, every share, wiped from existence. Make them disappear.."

Dante didn't need any further explanations, this article and video had to leave the internet without a trace.

"Understood, sir," he responded.. He knew that tone. When Seth Blackwood spoke like that, entire digital empires could crumble.

“We found him.” Arian offered with a smirk. If there's anyone who wants to treat Vance like the piece of trash he was, it would Arian.

“Dante?” Seth called, his voice almost sounding like a plead.

“I'm getting in touch with your hackers sir.” Dante assured.

Seconds later, Seth was on the line with the team lead of his special team of hackers.

"Get your men on this now. Priority one. Every site hosting that video, every cached image… take it down. And crash those websites.” Seth ordered.

“Yes sir!” The team lead responded and Seth could hear him passing orders to his teammates.

“Dante, get the legal team on the line. I want full cease and desist orders for every publication. Damages. Reputational. Intentional infliction of emotional distress.. I want those companies gone in less than twenty-four hours."

“Yes sir.” The call with Dante ends almost immediately.

Seth leaned on his table, his jaw tight ; Has Thea seen this? What is going through her head right now?

Seth exhaled, his heart ached at the thought of Thea breaking down because of this… he needs to focus, he needs to get rid of the problem first.

“Arian. Tell me have that bastard already.” Seth asked, his tone dangerously low.

The things he would do to Vance…

“I have my men on their way to him already. They should have him in twenty minutes.”

Seth's private line rang. It was Celine.

“Who is that?” Arian asked, and he could hear the phone ringing.

“It's Celine.”

Arian paused. “Fuck.”

Seth hesitated for a fraction of a second, then answered. "Celine."

"Seth! What in the world is going on?!" Celine's voice was shrill with alarm. "I just saw the news! This video… and they're saying Thea was disowned? Is it true? What is happening? Is she safe? You need to tell me!"

Seth closed his eyes, a flicker of pain crossing his face. Of course, she's worried about Thea!

"Celine, calm down," Seth said, his voice flat. He couldn't give her answers right now. Not until he had handled this.

"I'm handling it. It's under control."

"Under control?" Celine's voice rose. "She's your wife, Seth! And this video, this terrible rumour... and the disownment!"

"It means I'm handling it," Seth repeated, his voice firm, cutting off her questions. He knew she deserved answers, but he wasn't ready to give them.

His priority was Thea and getting rid of those bloody tabloids.

"I will call you back when I have more information. Don't worry. Just trust me."

He ended the call, cutting off her protests. He knew Celine would be upset, but he couldn't afford distractions.

“Are you going to tell her the truth?” Arian asked, his voice sober.

Seth massaged his brows. “I don't know.”

His intercom goes off, and he picks it up.

“It has been taken down, sir. There's no trace of the article on the internet anymore, you have nothing to worry about sir.”

Seth exhaled as he glanced at his secondary screen, The article was gone just as his team lead said.

“And the websites? Gone?”

“Gone Sir. They'll never get to use that page lr any other page ever again sir.”

Seth nodded and ended the call, digging at his tie and yanking it off.

“Arian, I'll meet you later. I need to find Thea.”

He ended the call and dialled Ethan's number immediately. He needed to know if Thea was okay, if she was safe.

"Mr. Blackwood."

Before Seth could ask any questions, he heard it. A soft, broken sound.

Thea sobbing. Deep, gut-wrenching sobs that tore at him. The anger he felt was instantly replaced by a sharp, piercing pain. His chest tightened, a feeling akin to physical agony.

He felt his heart break, a tearing in his chest. He had never heard her so broken.

                 

"Ethan," Seth's voice was rough, barely recognisable. "I'm coming home. Now."

He didn't wait for Ethan's reply. He slammed the phone down, grabbed his jacket, and stormed out of his office.

He didn't care about the meetings, the deals, the reports, at that moment. Nothing mattered but getting to Thea.

He drove faster than he ever had, pushing the limits of his car, his mind a blur of rage and worry.

He burst into the penthouse, barely acknowledging Butler John's startled greeting. He followed the sound of quiet sobs that led him directly to Thea's suite.

After convincing her to open the door and allowing her to take her anger out on him, he pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly.

If he could change everything that happened today, he would in a heartbeat. Thea leaned in close, dampening his shirt but he didn't care, it didn't matter.

But for every tear she shed, Seth was more than ready to make Vance bleed ten times that!