The Man In Red (3) - What's Causing It

After navigating through the vast company building, Myra finally located the female workers' restroom. Pushing the door open, she stepped inside and spotted Victoria pacing anxiously. "Hey, Vicky!" she called out.

Victoria whirled around at the sound of Myra's voice, grabbing the bag out of her hands. "Where were you?" she demanded. "Don't you know this is an emergency?"

Before she could finish her sentence, Myra wrapped her in a tight embrace. "Relax, girl. Relax," she said soothingly. "Everything's going to be fine. Now, how's the man in the red?"

Victoria responded with a sarcastic tone, "Not great. I don't feel any pain, but I'm drenched. I'm just soaked in the redness of the man in red." They exchanged a knowing glance filled with irony.

With that, Victoria swiftly made her way into the private restroom to change, while Myra waited outside for her.

Meanwhile, inside the private office, Sebastian lay writhing in pain, his abdomen causing him agony. "Seb!" Connor cried out, his voice filled with fear. "What's wrong?"

Between gasps, Sebastian forced out a word: "Victoria.."

Connor leaned in closer, catching the name. Concerned, he asked Oliver to fetch help. Once Oliver left, Connor turned back to Sebastian, who continued to mention "Victoria" amidst his discomfort.

Connor, sounding puzzled, asked, "Are you still affected by her? You were the one who ended things."

Sebastian's eyes flared with anger, and he rose from his chair in a huff. Conor braced himself for a fight, but to his surprise, Sebastian doubled over, grimacing in pain. "The pain is too much. I feel like I might die," Sebastian choked out, clutching his stomach. "Someone should take that girl to court."

Connor attempted to reassure Sebastian, saying, "Take it easy, Sebastian. Everything will be alright. It's not her fault either."

Sebastian shot a glare at Connor, but Connor simply rolled his eyes and continued, "What's going on? You're a public figure. Where's this pain coming from?"

Sebastian felt frustrated as he tried to explain the situation to Connor, but Connor couldn't grasp what he meant.

No matter what Sebastian did or said, the pain persisted, making it unbearable. The slightest movement or attempt to speak only exacerbated his suffering.

Sebastian struggled to find the words to describe his suffering. He writhed in agony, unable to articulate the intensity of his pain.

Suddenly, the office door burst open. Kodi, Rowan's secretary, entered along with Oliver, Sebastian's secretary.

Spotting Kodi, Sebastian, overwhelmed by discomfort, rose abruptly. He grabbed his collar angrily and was about to throw him a punch but the sharp pain flared again refraining him from that.

Sebastian growled in pain, holding his abdomen, and gestured for Connor to assist him. Connor immediately went to Sebastian and gently guided him back to his seat.

Meanwhile, Kodi and Oliver, who were observing the situation, exchanged surprised looks.

Sebastian winced in pain as he settled into his seat, indicating Kodi. However, Kodi was baffled, standing with his hands on his hips, completely unaware of what he might have done to upset Sebastian.

Connor, equally surprised, inquired about the situation. "What did he do?"

Through gritted teeth, Sebastian pointed at Kodi and said, "He's dating Victoria. I know he is." He continued, through the pain, "Stay away from Victoria!"

Kodi saw the gravity of Sebastian's words, but his suspicions lingered. He knew Rowan had feelings for Victoria, and now it seemed like Sebastian might too. While Kodi had no romantic interest in Victoria, he wondered if this whole ordeal might be about something more than just business.

Kodi considered the potential trouble that could come from two men vying for the same woman. 'This is no good,' he thought. 'Victoria would be caught in the middle. It's not worth it.' He chose not to voice his thoughts, however, preferring to stay silent.

Connor, who overheard the conversation, glanced at Kodi and then turned to Sebastian, questioning, "How did you find out about him dating Victoria?"

Sebastian responded, "I saw photos. Brandon sent them to me. They were at an amusement park, seemingly enjoying their first date."

Cody then tried to explain himself. "No, no, that's not right," he said. "Victoria and I aren't dating. When we went to the amusement park, he was the one who approached me. I didn't approach him." he tried to talk.

However, Sebastian's anger only seemed to be growing with each word Kodi spoke, even though Kodi had said nothing to provoke him. Connor noticed Sebastian's rage rising, even though Kodi's words weren't inflammatory¹.

(Author: ¹if you understand a good joke, haha!)

Connor turned to Kodi. "Please, just go," he said. "Oliver, can you get him out of here?"

Kodi protested, he didn't want to be on the bad side of Mr. Quinn. "Mr. Sebastian Quinn, please, listen to me!"

But Oliver took him by the arm and led him out of the office.

Sebastian noticed that his pain was beginning to subside, but his head still throbbed. He turned to Connor. "Could you get me something cold?" he asked. "Ice cream or a cold drink?"

"Sure thing," said Connor. "I'll be back in a minute."

Sebastian was now alone in the office. A few minutes later, Victoria entered. When she saw Sebastian, she was both relieved and confused. She had expected to see her boss, but she was glad it was Sebastian anyway.

Victoria approached him and noticed that his eyes were closed and that his hand rested on his forehead. Without realizing it, she was about to wake him, when she noticed that his body felt hot. She put her hand to his neck to check his temperature.

As soon as she touched his neck, Sebastian's eyes flew open. Their gazes locked for a split second, while Victoria's hand was frozen in place. The situation felt awkward and embarrassing.

Sebastian's voice was low and gentle, with a hint of concern. "Are you okay?" he asked.

Victoria was stunned. She was startled. He sounded so much like the Sebastian she used to know, her very own Sebastian.

"Are you okay?" Sebastian asked again.

Victoria's expression furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean?" she asked.

And then he asked her again, "What's wrong with you? I mean, what's up with you? What was happening with you? That immense pain, what was the cause?"

Victoria's body tensed, and she pulled her hand away from him, sitting up straight. Sebastian sat up too, turning to face her.

"What do you mean by pain? There's nothing going on with me and I didn't feel any pain."

Sebastian groaned and let out a heavy sigh. His voice rose in frustration. "I know! I'm the one who's been in pain!" he exclaimed. "What's causing it? What's going on with you?"

Victoria was taken aback by his outburst. "I - I don't know what you're talking about," she stammered.

Victoria was utterly confused by Sebastian's questions. "There's nothing wrong with me," she said firmly. "It's the man in red," she insisted.

Sebastian frowned, unsure what she meant. "The man in red?" he repeated, his voice full of confusion.