"Remember, you have to come alone."
Sebastian's voice dropped, laced with a cruel, mocking malice. "If I see anyone from the Blackwood family, or if I even catch a whiff of the police, I'll chop off those precious hands she uses for experiments and mail them to you as a pre-game gift. Understood?"
"Oh, and you have exactly thirty minutes. My patience is notoriously thin."
"Besides, I'm deeply fascinated by Lydia's pain receptors. If you're late... you'll only find a pile of minced meat."
"Hahahaha!"
His laughter was frantic, filled with unhinged euphoria.
The line went dead.
Serena lowered her phone. The corners of her crimson lips curled up slowly.
It formed a fiercely mocking smile.
Threatening her?
The last person who dared threaten her like that was already six feet under.
She flipped down her visor.
The engine shrieked.
The motorcycle's tires burned against the asphalt, transforming into a red streak of lightning as it launched forward.
Sebastian Doyle...
He truly knew no bounds.
He actually dared to drag Lydia straight into his main stronghold.
It was the same hidden base Nicholas Blackwood had uncovered.
He was betting everything on the idea that Serena wouldn't dare call the cops.
He assumed she'd swallow her pride to keep her tournament eligibility.
He figured that even if she stumbled upon the Doyle family's dirty secrets, she wouldn't walk out of that abandoned chemical plant alive.
Was that so?
Alone?
Coming alone was exactly where Sebastian's nightmare would begin.
...
Alderney Chemical Plant.
The facility had been abandoned for years. Weeds grew wild around rusting vats and scattered debris.
The sharp, acrid stench of leftover chemicals hung thick in the air.
This place was once the Doyle
Pharmaceutical Production Site
supposedly shut down due to severe pollution violations. It had sabrotting ever since.
But in reality...
That shutdown was orchestrated by the Doyle family themselves.
It served as the perfect cover for their Subterranean Bio-Lab.
Serena skidded to a halt outside the
gate She
e arched an eyebrowhere
gaze landing on
e slightly open
metal doors.
Gripping the throttle, a cold smirk touched her lips.
Inside the decaying facility.
Lydia was tied to a rusted iron chair. She was trembling violently, her face streaked with tears.
She wore her faded uniform, the right sleeve violently torn.
She curled into herself, shivering.
To her left sat a vintage leather sofa, completely out of place in the grim surroundings.
Sebastian lounged on it, dressed in a pristine white suit, his legs elegantly crossed.
He twirled a gleaming, razor-sharp knife between his fingers.
Lydia stared at the blade in sheer terror, her eyes wide with alarm.
"Don't be afraid, don't be afraid..."
Sebastian toyed with his knife, his, dark, damp eyes glowing with manic glee Trust want to see how much your precious Captain actually cares about you useless nobodies."
"She saved one, but can she save another?"
"Hmm... the competition is starting soon. If she comes to save you, she has to forfeit."
"Tell me, will your beloved Captain give up the tournament for you, or give you up for the tournament?"
Lydia shook her head frantically. With a gag shoved in her mouth, she could only make muffled sounds.
She wanted Serena to choose the competition.
This Doyle heir was a complete psycho, an absolute monster!
If the Captain came, she would be walking straight into hell.