She's A Living Trap

Victoria savored the cold sweetness of the ice cream, but her stomach was protesting. She hadn't eaten anything all day, and the frozen treat was making her queasy. Still, she couldn't resist the temptation of the sweet treat. The TV was a distraction from her troubles, and she watched intently as she ate.

Tears still flowed from her eyes as she kept thinking of Myra, but she ignored them, using a tissue to wipe them away. Each used tissue was tossed aside, littering the floor around her.

There was a sudden, violent bang as the front door flew open. Victoria jumped as a figure stormed into the room. She recognized Sebastian immediately, his face red with anger. He was pointing at her stomach, sweat dripping down his face.

"Vic! What the hell is going on?" he yelled.

Victoria stood up, her arms crossed in defiance. "What are you talking about?" she asked, even though she knew exactly what he was referring to.

"Don't play dumb with me!" Sebastian raged, his voice rising in volume. He took a step towards her, his eyes narrowed. "How could you do this to me?" he demanded, his fists clenched.

"I didn't do anything!" Victoria protested, taking a step back. She felt cornered, trapped by his anger. "You're not making any sense," she feigned her pleas, trying to look serious.

"What do I mean?" Sebastian repeated incredulously. "What do I mean?" His voice rose again, almost to a shout. "You know exactly what I'm talking about, Victoria! Why are you having ice cream in such cold weather?"

Victoria's face flushed red, and she felt her anger rising to match his. "You're being ridiculous," she snapped. "I'm having ice cream because I'm hungry, not because I'm trying to do... whatever you think I'm doing!"

Sebastian's gaze fell on Victoria, who looked up at him with defiance. He knew she was toying with him, and his patience was running thin.

Sebastian's stomach was in knots. The throbbing pain in his side had made it difficult to concentrate in the meeting, and he'd made a fool of himself in front of his colleagues.

He had no idea what to do with Victoria.

"Excuse me," Victoria began, clearing her throat and trying to keep her voice steady. "But where are your wife and child? Did you send them away because I was coming to stay at your house?" She smiled slyly, though there was an edge of nervousness to her words. She hoped she didn't sound too nosy or jealous.

"Hah!" Sebastian scoffed, a note of disdain in his voice. "Don't flatter yourself, Victoria Campbell. You're not worth my daughter's shoes, let alone her presence. She's far too precious to be around someone like you."

His words were harsh, and his gaze was cold. It was like he didn't think highly of Victoria at all.

With that, Sebastian turned on his heel and walked away. Victoria felt a lump in her throat, and she had to fight back tears.

It was clear that Sebastian had grown increasingly cruel, and it seemed to be a habit for him to hurl hurtful words at her before disappearing. It was as if he was trying to make her feel small and insignificant. She didn't know how much more of this she could take.

"Seb, what's with all the arguing?" Connor asked, his voice ringing with amusement. He entered the house just as Sebastian was storming out, his face flushed with anger.

"Hmm?" Connor sighed as he kept his hands on his waist, while watching Sebastian's retreating back.

Sebastian was totally out of his sight and Connor thought it wise to confront the so-called lady who had been making his best friend run mad these days.

"Vicky?" Connor's eyes widened in surprise as he took in the sight of the woman sitting on the couch.

Victoria's gaze snapped up at the sound of a familiar voice calling her name. She felt her heart skip a beat as she saw Connor standing a few feet away from her.

"Conn?" she asked, her voice shaking slightly as she tried to process what was happening.

Connor laughed heartily as he closed the distance between them. "Oh my God, it's really you," he said, grinning from ear to ear. "You look amazing. Even more beautiful than I remember."

He pulled her into a tight embrace.

Whispering into his ear, Victoria muttered, "Cat noir."

It was an inside joke they shared, a nickname she had given him years ago. It brought back a flood of memories, memories of a time when they were inseparable.

"Ah, you're still childish, My miraculous."

Victoria smiled, rolling her eyes at his childishness. "You're still the same old Conn," she teased, her smile growing wider. "I'm not Miraculous Ladybug. I'm Toria. Remember? That's what you call me." She looked at him, memories of their friendship flooding back.

"So you're the Toria that Sebastian has been talking about," Connor said, his voice full of curiosity. "I must admit, he's never mentioned anyone else with assorted emotions. You must be quite special." He looked at her, a mischievous grin playing on his lips.

Victoria! Victoria! Victoria! Sebastian always spoke of but, he never thought it was his Toria from back in high school.

Victoria heaved a heavy sigh. it was obvious the big headed Sebastian and Connor were friends after all. Such a small world.

"Cat noir, I had no idea that Sebastian was married with a daughter. I swear it was a mistake on my part. And now Myra won't even talk to me because of this. I wish I hadn't dated him."

Victoria's voice broke, her eyes welling up with tears. She felt so guilty, like she had ruined everything.

"It's not your fault, Toria," Connor said, pulling her head gently towards his, their foreheads touching.

"And don't worry, Myra will come around. She just needs some time to process everything that's happened. In the meantime, you need to take care of yourself." He spoke with a soft, soothing voice, trying to reassure her.

Cuck!

The loud sound of a gun being cocked untangled the duo - Connor and Victoria. In astonishment and fear, they both looked at the door entrance where the sound came from.

"Sebastian!" Victoria exclaimed, her heart leaping into her throat. "What are you doing? Put the gun down!"

"Sebastian, what's going on?" Connor stammered, unable to take his eyes off the gun. "Why do you have that?" But even as he spoke, he could see something was wrong.

It wasn't just the gun that was scaring him. It was the look in Sebastian's eyes, a mix of anger and jealousy that made him seem like a different person altogether.

"You, what are you doing with her?!" Sebastian's voice was thick with rage. He turned to Victoria, his eyes blazing with fury. "And you Victoria, must you show how lewd you are even to my friend?" His words were like a knife to her heart, cutting deeper than any weapon could.

Sebastian snorted in disgust. "Rowan and Kodi aren't enough for you, so you have to move on to my friends now?" His words dripped with contempt. "And in my house, no less? Have you no shame?"

Victoria's mind was racing. Rowan. She had completely forgotten about him. She was supposed to visit him in the hospital today, but she had been so wrapped up in her drama with Sebastian that she had completely lost track of time.

A wave of guilt washed over her, and she felt like the worst person in the world.

"Seb, it's not what you think," Connor said, his voice rising in desperation. "I and Toria have known each other for years. There's nothing more to it than that."

But Sebastian was having none of it, his face darkening with fury. "Don't fucking lie to me," he growled. "I know what I saw."

"Sebastian, please," Connor pleaded, his voice trembling. "Victoria and I are just friends. We went to high school together. We're not romantically involved."

He paused, knowing what he had to say next would only make things worse. "She's my ex-girlfriend."

The words hung in the air, heavy and fraught with tension.

Sebastian's mouth dropped open, his expression one of disbelief. He looked from Connor to Victoria and back again.

"Is that what this is about?" he asked, his voice low and dangerous. "You're trying to get back together with her?" It wasn't a question, it was a challenge, a warning that if Connor tried to steal Victoria away, there would be consequences.

"No," Connor replied with all his heart.

"Fine." Sebastian brought down the gun and placed it at the back of his pants. "Just don't get close to her, she's a living trap," he added.

Connor nodded, heaving a sigh.

Victoria's voice interrupted the tense moment, though her words only seemed to exacerbate the situation. "I've got to go, cat noir," she said to Connor with a wink, a faint smile tugging at her lips. With that, she turned and walked up the stairs, disappearing from view.

The silence that followed was deafening, the air thick with tension. Sebastian's eyes were fixed on Connor, his grip tightening on the gun. "Cat noir?" he repeated, his voice low and menacing. "What is she talking about?"