20 The Man In Red (1)

The morning sun shone brightly on the car as Sebastian pulled up to the Leading Tech building. He could see his reflection in the window, his dark hair tousled from the drive. He adjusted his tie and stepped out of the car, inhaling the fresh air.

Right in front of the Leading Tech company headquarters, there was a crowd of reporters and photographers gathered.

The news was everywhere, and everyone was waiting to see if the deal between his company and Leading Tech would actually go through.

The reporters were shouting his name, trying to get his attention. "Mr. Quinn! Mr. Quinn! What can you tell us about the deal?" they called.

But his secretary, Oliver, and his bodyguards, Hank and Chester, were there to manage the crowd and get him safely inside.

The Leading Tech building seemed unusually quiet. Maybe everyone had been sent home for the day in anticipation of the meeting between the two companies. Sebastian knew that Rowan, the owner of Leading Tech, must have made arrangements to keep the building clear of distractions.

As Sebastian and his team made their way inside, they were met with an eerie silence. The only sound was the click of their shoes on the marble floor.

The silence was broken by the sound of high heels clicking against the floor. A woman was running down the hallway. Sebastian stopped to see who it was, and Victoria rounded the corner.

Their eyes met, and they stood there, frozen, staring at each other. Victoria swallowed nervously, taking in the sight of Sebastian in his perfectly tailored green Armani suit. The color accentuated his green eyes, and he looked more handsome than ever.

It cost Victoria her last ounce of modesty to not rush towards him and play with his shirt while starring at his eyes. She quickly swung her head to the other side while chanting in her heart, 'He is your enemy.'

Sebastian on the other hand didn't even have the time to look at her attire or whatsoever. He was awfully reminded of the images of Victoria with that man, just on the sight of her and now he was pissed to the core.

"You guys go along. I'll meet you all in the meeting room later. I have a business to attend to," Sebastian urged his team and to his words they began to move further.

Victoria turned around too, joining them in leaving but Sebastian's voice stopped her in her tracks. She turned to face him, her heart pounding in her chest. "Not you, Victoria Campbell," he said.

Sebastian's footsteps echoed through the marble halls, his shoes clicking against the floor. As he got closer to Victoria, he could see her visibly shaking. His gaze was cold and hard, and she could feel the tension in the air.

"What is this I hear about you going around with other men?" he asked, his voice low and stern.

Victoria's eyes widened in shock. "What do you mean by that?" she asked, her voice trembling. "And even if I was, it's none of your business!" she added, her tone growing sharper.

Sebastian's laughter filled the air, mocking and harsh. "You didn't tell me you run a prostitution service," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "I would have called you up and paid you a lot of money for your services."

He paused, allowing the words to sink in. "But then again, I shouldn't be surprised. Victoria Campbell never disappoints."

Victoria felt her heart break over and over again. How could he say such hurtful things to her? The Sebastian she knew was gone, replaced by this cold, calculating man. A devil!

"Sebastian, this is a working place and aren't you here for the meeting because I am and I'm late," Victoria said calmly, acting like she wasn't hurt. "Excuse me."

With that Victoria walked away, swaying her hips purposefully. She knew it did crazy things to him.

Sebastian on the other hand indeed watched intently at her hips, swaying to the rhythm of her cart walking. He blinked his eyes, trying to focus on his mission here at Leading Tech.

.

.

Victoria was the first to enter the conference room, taking her seat beside Rowan on his left. The seat to Rowan's right was meant for Kodi, who was absent.

Shortly after, Sebastian entered the room. His bodyguards accompanied him to the door and then followed him as he took his seat opposite Rowan. It was Sebastian and Rowan who would be signing the contract.

Sebastian had his team seated beside him, with his bodyguards standing behind him. The others in the room stood up to acknowledge Sebastian Quinn and then took their seats.

Rowan announced, "Let's commence with the collaboration signing."

Taking the floor was one of the shareholders of Leading Tech Company. He stood up and greeted the attendees, saying, "Greetings, everyone." He then acknowledged, "To whom honor is due, Mr. Sebastian Quinn, I greet you. And to the team of Quinn's Holding Company, I extend my greetings too."

Continuing with his address and gesturing as he spoke, he began, "Today, we are gathered here for the collaboration between Leading Tech Company and Quinn's Holding Limited. But first of all, I would like to—"

"Ahh!" The shareholder's speech was interrupted by Sebastian's sudden loud groan of pain.

Sebastian winced, clutching his abdomen, causing everyone in the room to become alert. They stood up, concerned about what was happening to Mr. Quinn.

Without delay, Victoria swiftly rose from her seat, scrunching her face in disgust. She seemed uncomfortable due to a reason and swiftly exited the conference room unnoticed while everyone's attention was fixed on Sebastian.

Sebastian grimaced, feeling the sharp pain in his abdomen as he attempted to rise, only for the pain to intensify, causing him to groan. "Ah! No, no, no! It hurts, Oliver, it hurts!" he exclaimed, addressing his secretary.

As he settled back into his seat, the sensation only worsened. It felt like a piercing needle, prompting another groan. "No! Ah! It's excruciating! I feel like I'm dying!" Sebastian exclaimed hurtfully.

Observing everyone gathered around Sebastian's chair, Rowan felt uncertain. He didn't know what to think or how to react. He couldn't discern if Sebastian's distress was genuine or not, given his familiarity with Sebastian.

Inside the female restroom, Victoria groaned, her eyes closed in discomfort. "Eww! Disgusting!" she muttered to herself. Then, in frustration, she whispered, "Why does he have to come now? Why?" She quickly reached for her phone.

"Hello? Myra, can you please come over to the company? I really need your help," Victoria urgently requested.

Myra, on the other end of the line, teased, "What do you need my help with? Aren't you with your boss, your crush?"

Victoria's tone turned serious. "This is serious. My visitor is here, and I wasn't expecting him."

Curious, Myra asked, "What visitor are you talking about?"

Victoria replied, "The man in red."

Mara expressed concern, "Oh my God! Alright, just hold on there, okay? I'll bring you some sanitary pads and a change of clothes, alright?"