Chapter Thirty Six

Seth sighed, his eyes fixed on Thea's face; she was finally asleep, her cheeks still swollen from wailing. It took hours to calm her down but he didn't complain.

He sat on the edge of her bed, his eyes scanning her in silence. He watched her, the curve of her cheek, the faint redness around her eyes. He reached out, caressing her face. His thumb brushed against her tear-stained skin.

She didn't deserve this. None of it. He wanted to shield her from every harm, to erase the pain he had just witnessed.

He exhaled, the most important thing is that she's safe here with him.

A knock at the door broke the silence. Butler John entered, slowly. His eyes went over to Thea asleep on her bed and Seth whose gaze was fixed on him.

"Mr. Seth," Butler John murmured. "Mr. Arian called the house phone. He said it was urgent."

Seth's hand stilled on Thea's face, his eyes met John's. He knew why Arian was calling and he's been waiting patiently for his call.

He looked at Thea, then back at John.

"Keep an eye on her, John," Seth instructed. "Make sure she's comfortable. Do not disturb her. If she wakes, tell her... tell her I'll be back soon."

Butler John nodded. He wasn't quite sure what was happening or why Thea had returned home in tears but years of working as a butler had taught him not to ask questions that could cause physical distress on his boss. "Of course, Mr. Seth."

Seth rose from the bed, casting one last look at Thea's face. He walked out of the room, heading straight for his study.

Seth took the call, the phone cool against his ear.

"Seth," Arian's voice was grim. "We have him. Vance. It was easier than I thought to be honest. Are you coming?”

Seth exhaled, he hoped that Arian and his men would catch that bastard and they did.

"Where are you?" Seth asked.

“The warehouse.” Arian said simply.

"I'm on my way," Seth said, ending the call.

He made his way towards the front door and had John hand him the keys of his car given to him, he will be doing the driving tonight.

The drive was fast, he couldn't want any longer. All he could think about were Thea's sobs, her slumped shoulders and her eyes..

Seth exhaled, his grip on the wheel tightened as the drive carried on. How could he ever forget those sad eyes? How could he forget her weak sobs?

Seth's eyes darkened, Vance will pay in more ways than one.

The abandoned warehouse came into view and Seth pulled over. Pulling one of the compartments of his car open, he grabs a pair of gloves.

He stepped out of the car, slipping on the gloves as he scans his surroundings in the faint moonlight.

The metal walls of the warehouse were rusted, a few windows shattered and left desolate. The only sound he could hear was crickets and frogs. Nothing to be heard for Mike's and miles on end.

Seth pulled up to the entrance, quietly, eyes scanning his surroundings. Inside the dark warehouse, a black, unmarked car was waiting for him.

Arian and two of his most trusted men stood by the open door. Seth approached, his hands by his side.

“Where is he?” Seth asked as Arian got closer.

"He's inside," Arian stated, stepping aside so Seth could see.

The warehouse interior was dimly lit by a single bulb hanging from the ceiling. The air was cold and smelled of dust and old metal.

“Do you... do you realize this is illegal? You can't do this! I'm a journalist! This is kidnapping! Assault!” Vance's voice rang out in the dark.

Seth stepped closer for a better look. “And who is going to believe you?” He replied, his voice in a dangerously low tone.

In the center of the concrete floor, a single chair stood. Tied to it, his face bruised and swollen, was Vance.

“What?! Are you kidding me?!” Vance snapped, squinting his eyes to see who was talking to him.

“You have no idea who you're messing with! I will make sure you end up behind bars for the rest of your miserable life!” Vance spat.

Seth laughs, a humorless and almost sinister laugh that sends shivers down Vance's spine.

“Is that so?”

“You are done for! Done for i say! I will..”

But then, Vance's mouth went shut and his eyes went wide in horror. His eyes were fixed on Seth, who had stepped fully into the light.

“..Seth…Seth Blackwood…” he muttered, lips trembling in fear.

He knew Seth Blackwood. Everyone in Zean did. And everyone knew that if Seth Blackwood was personally involved, it never ends well.

Vance swallowed hard, his face paling even further.

Seth walked slowly towards him, each footstep made Vance lean further and further away from his chair. He stopped a few feet away, his arms crossed over his chest.

“I see you know who I am. I doubt you remember me though.” Seth started.

Vance chuckled nervously. “I…I know who you are.”

“Of course you do. I doubt you remember me still. But it doesn't matter.” Seth said again. “I'll get straight to the point. You published a video this morning.”

Vance swallowed. “W…what video?”

“Thea Balmero.” Seth offered. “You published an article alongside a video…of her…”

Vance trembled. "Thea Balmero? You're doing this because of that cheat?”

A heavy punch collided with Vance's face in a blink of an eye, sending him down to the concrete floors of the warehouse as his eyes rolled to the back of his head. His lips and nose bled instantly, air caught in his lungs as he tried to breathe.

Arian motioned his men to pull Vance back up and they did, making his seat stand again.

Seth rolled his just, eyes fixed on Vance in a dangerous stare. He could kill him for that statement, he wanted to. Desperately.

“Ahh! Wait…wait..hold on…I…” Vance coughed, bloody staining his white shirt. “I don't understand. What relations do you have with Ms Thea?” he asked.

“What?” Seth asked.

“I mean…I don't understand. She…she was disowned by her father and…and nobody wants to associate themselves with her…what's so wrong about one simple article?”

Seth sends a jab at Vance's throat and he falls back again, his head slamming hard on the concrete floor. His head and throat vibrated with aches that could split his skull into two. He gasped desperately breath as Arian's men pulled the seat back up.

“Wait…wait ….” Vance pleaded, his voice barely audible. “I…I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I…I don't know what relations you have with Thea but I'm sorry..”

Seth's punch went for his head this time, hard enough to cause neurological damage. Vance screamed, his head ached at the impact.

“Let me go! Let…let me go…please…”

Seth sent punch after punch, several in his stomach, over a dozen in his neck and with each punch, Vance fell backwards and Arian's men would pull him back up only for Seth to send him back down with another fatal blow.

Seth exhaled as he watched Vance bleed mercilessly on the ground. It was nothing compared to what Thea felt. Absolutely nothing!

“P….please…” Vance stammered, his lips busted beyond recognition and eyes as red as blood.

He was covered in bruises now and there was no doubt that he might have a broken rib at this point.

“I'll ask you one thing." Seth continued, his voice low like a predator circling its prey. "How did you get the video? Who gave it to you?"

“I…I don't know…I…I swear…” Vance offered in a whisper. “Please….”

Seth nodded slightly to Arian's men. One grabbed Vance's hand, holding it flat against the armrest of the chair. Vance whimpered, even his fingers were busted.

“I'm going to ask you one more time.”

Vance squeezed his eyes shut, trying to hold back tears. "I can't... I don't know who it was! She…she came with a mask over her face and wouldn't tell me her name.."

Arian's man pulled Vance's fingers wildly apart until it bled. Vance screamed, a raw, piercing sound of agony.

"That's just a warning," Seth said, watching Vance's pain without a flicker of emotion. The image of Thea's face, streaked with tears, flashing in his mind. "Who sent you that video?”

Vance bursts into horrid tears. “I…i dont know…she wore a face nasty, I couldn't see her face…All….all she did was give me money…that's it…” he pleaded.

Seth chuckled in disbelief. “She gave you money..”

Vance nodded. “Yes.” He whispered.

“Break his fingers.” Seth ordered.

“No! No please!” Vance cried as Arian man grand an hammer and sent it dien one of Vance fingers.

His screams echoed far into the night, as his fingers crushed underneath the hammer. The men didn't stop, they grabbed his second finger, ready to grant it the fate of the first.

"Please! Stop! I'll tell you!" Vance gasped, tears streaming down his already bruised face. "It was... it was Posy Sterling!"

Seth's icy gaze didn't waver. "Posy Sterling," he repeated, the name tasting like ash on his tongue. "Thea's sister. Rune Sterling's future wife."

"Yes! Yes! She met me at a café!" Vance blurted out, desperate to make the pain stop. "I didnt know it was her at forst because she had a mask on and she ….she offered me a huge sum to publish the article. I was curious to know who she was so I pretended to leave with the money but I waited outside for her. Then I followed her and I found out that she….she was Thea's sister..”

Seth's jaw clenched, he didn't have a perfect family and it was by all standards messed up but this? Posy settling up her own sister?

“She had the video on a burner phone. She said... she said it was Thea making out with some stranger. She wanted me to publish it to expose her." Vance adds.

Seth was perfectly still. The revelation hit him like a physical blow despite his composure. Not a rival, not a disgruntled employee, but Posy. Thea's own sister.

He was stunned.

Seth looked at Vance, his eyes colder than ever. "You published that article knowing its implications, knowing Zean City is unforgiving."

He turned to Arian. "Make sure he never writes again."

Arian nodded, a grim understanding in his eyes. He knew what Seth meant and his eyes went back to Vance's already fueled up fingers with a smirk.

“Sure.”

Seth walked away from the scene, the screams of Vance fading behind him. His mind was already moving.

Posy. The things he would do to her…