Chapter 204

The man's voice was rough as gravel. "Enough chatter."

"Someone help me!" Vivian's scream bounced off the concrete walls of the parking garage.

In a flash, the woman's friendly mask slipped. She yanked a cleaning rag from the dashboard and forced it into Vivian's mouth, silencing her.

Rough hands twisted rope around her wrists before shoving her between them in the backseat. The man pressed against her left side, the woman on her right.

The female abductor snatched Vivian's phone from her purse, clutching it like a trophy.

"One wrong move," the man warned, "and you'll regret it."

"Easy there," the woman cooed, stroking Vivian's hair with fake tenderness. "We're doing you a favor, sweetheart. Sebastian's fans can be... overzealous. You're better off with us."

They weren't true Sebastian Hartwell devotees. They'd heard of Serena Whitmore but remained oblivious to her feud with Vivian - hence the casual mention.

Neither worked in entertainment nor had ties to Serena...

Vivian's mind raced, narrowing it down to two likely scenarios.

Tires screeched as their car peeled out of the garage. At that exact moment, Lydia's vehicle passed by in the opposite lane. Bound and gagged, Vivian could only watch her last hope disappear in the rearview mirror.

Meanwhile, Lydia stepped off the elevator, heels clicking urgently toward Vivian's apartment door. She pounded three times.

Silence.

No response.

After a tense pause, Lydia keyed in the emergency code Vivian had entrusted to her months ago but never used.

The door revealed a perfectly still apartment. Neatly arranged slippers by the entrance. No signs of recent occupation.

Lydia's stomach dropped as she speed-dialed Vivian.

"Subscriber unavailable," the robotic voice announced.

Her pulse spiked.

She immediately called Sebastian. "Did Viv mention her plans?" she demanded the second he answered.

"Yeah, said she was heading straight home." He checked his call log. "About thirty minutes ago."

Lydia's grip tightened on her phone. "I'm at her place now. She's not here." She paced the foyer. "Phone's off. This isn't right."

"Could be fans," Sebastian suggested. "Remember when that actress trashed me online? Some lunatics camped outside her building for days."

A similar incident had occurred last year when an outspoken critic found her car vandalized with Sebastian Hartwell fan club stickers...