CHAPTER 6: Victor Dubov

BELLATRIX...

As my abductors dragged me, I felt weak and insignificant, as though my strength were non-existent to them. Fate had once again played a cruel joke on me, letting me escape an earthly fire only to throw me into hell.

Tears of panic and pain streamed from my eyes as I tried to jerk free. Not that they’d let me leave. Still, I fought. I used all my force, too, and that only angered them more. One grabbed me by the neck and threw me into the car.

A gasp of air left my chest as my face hit something sharp, and keen anguish crept over my brow bone.

A hand fisted my hair tightly before hauling me backward. “This bitch is a pain in the ass,” he said before he tossed me down and kicked my back.

I hissed in pain, my lungs struggling for air. With my breath shallow, I felt something warm and sticky over my eyes that made me shiver.

“She should be taught a lesson!” he snarled.

Terror consumed me as I craned my head to see my attackers. Though I could find nothing identifiable. They wore black jeans and leather jackets, and the black masks covered their faces, making them impossible to recognize.

“Not now,” another man answered. “We must wait for our next order.”

My eyes widened. Someone was behind this; someone wanted me gone. Who?

Smith? He cared too much for Florence. But no. That was unlikely. It would be more likely to be Florence herself. She had wanted to get rid of me since I returned and threatened her position.

But if it were her, why now? I had just left that house for life. I was no longer a threat to her.

“Let's get her in the car first and then we’ll call him,” a calmer man suggested to his partners.

Call him? My heart stuttered. It wasn’t Florence. Could it actually be Smith? He was the one who had found me and then abandoned me.

The initial man slammed his hand against the side of the car, creating a loud bang that made me flinch. “Bullshit!” he snarled. “She’s a whore, and we must punish her!”

“Not now, I said,” the first man commanded with calm authority.

“Fuck you!” the other barked back, but then he quieted.

A bead of sweat rolled down my forehead as fear emanated from my pores. My mind wrought havoc to my nerves as I endured the same fear I once escaped. I didn’t know if I could live through it again.

God, please help me.

My attackers threw me into the car and then piled in after me, one of them pulling me up by my collar to push me aside. The back of my head hit something hard, and the world spun in front of my eyes.

I didn’t know if it was the aftereffect of the hit or reality, but I heard hissing voices that sounded different. Suddenly, the car shook, and a deafening scream pierced my ears. My vision tunneled as a blurred figure slowly approached. It felt as though my death drew closer.

Anxious, I yank my legs, a failed attempt to back away. I hit my head against the door once more. My entire body jerked violently as pain struck all over.

“Hey, it's alright. Nothing…”

Darkness found me.

---

“She may be more psychologically traumatized than physically hurt.” A few bleary words rang around my ear, forcing me to flutter my eyelids.

“Why isn’t she awake yet?” another asked, one with a voice as deep as the ocean.

His worried tone encouraged me to open my eyes. A white image appeared before me, standing like a tower.

“She’s awake now,” said the first man. “Look.”

Slowly, I turned my head to see a familiar face—the same man Neil called brother. His suit still had my blood on it.

An icy look crossed his handsome face as he watched me. His gaze was unreadable. Slowly, he reached for me. “How are you feeling?”

I felt like I was in a dream. I could have sworn I was in a car, after being brutally attacked and beaten. So how was I with him? “I... H-how?” I asked, looking around, trying to make sense of my situation.

Perhaps he realized my fear because he softened his gaze. “You're safe now. The police have taken care of them,” he said, providing me a touch of assurance.

“O-okay,” I murmured. “But how did you find me?” My voice was harsh from screaming, though it couldn’t contain my curiosity.

His cold gaze followed mine, heightening my anticipation before he replied, “I happened to pass the area when...”

The door opened. A man, slightly shorter than the one before me, entered. His brown hair was neatly styled, and his face held a rigid expression. “A police officer wants to take her statement, sir,” he said, his words calculated.

“Hmm, let him in,” Neil’s brother answered.

The man left with a nod, while I remain confused.

Neil’s brother turned to me. “I'll be here with you, so you can relax.”

I blinked in surprise, wondering why he was being so good to me. If he was truly Neil's brother, shouldn't he blame me for the chaos I created back at the villa?"

Or... I swallowed hard as an idea crawled into my head. Was he there to avenge his family?

“Wh-who are you?” I asked, my voice barely a shaky whisper.

He stared at me, his eyes void and icy and menacing, as though they carried a silent warning not cross him. “I am Victor Dubov.”

Dubov? So he wasn’t a Ryder like Neil. The name didn’t sound familiar, either.

My thoughts trailed off as everything started to push me to a dark corner. Was his approach out of pure mercy or a step to avenge his brother—if he was even truly Neil’s brother. Either way, I could sense trouble gradually encroaching.