FLASH MARRIAGE; CHARMED BY THE RUTHLESS BILLIONAIRE CEO - Chapter 423

Chapter 423: Romeo and Juliet

Over the next couple of months, Sarah’s life revolved around the campus, the music studio and multiple movie shooting locations in and outside the country.

Her final semester exams were taken a week before her trip to the Tangonia – a charming village on the Bamtif Coast known for its beautiful cliffside setting overlooking the sea.

Two days before the trip, Sarah received an early graduation gift through mail delivery service from someone who chose to remain anonymous.

The gift was a very expensive diamond necklace sold at an auction, some years back. It came with a calligraphic handwritten card that read.

‘To someone special and the best treasures life has to offer. I love you.’

Beaming like a Christmas chandelier, Sarah flipped the card over and saw another instruction at the back. Please keep this close to your heart and never let it leave your sight.

Thinking the gift was from Henry in preparation for a surprise proposal, Sarah carefully packed up the gift in her travel bag and went about her preparation like nothing had happened.

On the day of the trip, she waved goodbye to her family and friends, before boarding the hired aircraft with Henry.

The trip to Bamtif coast took almost two days, but Sarah didn’t notice time fly by as Henry kept her entertained throughout the trip.

When they finally arrived at their hotel on the third day, Sarah wanted to go sightseeing. She dragged Henry along and together they toured the captivating village of Tangonia, taking a romantic walk by the cliffside and taking a dive into the crystal clear water.

Then they stopped by a local tavern and shared a quiet moment together over some local wine.

“I never got to say thank you…” Sarah whispered, her hands intertwined with Henry’s and her head resting on his shoulder.

“Thank you for what?” Henry drawled, feeling a bit lightheaded.

“For the early graduation gift.” Sarah yawned, feeling a bit dizzy.

“Oh…” Henry chuckled softly. “But you’ve thanked me more than a thousand times for the car.”

“I wasn’t talking about the car, silly. I was talking about the diamond necklace.”

“Diamond necklace?!” Henry blinked in a futile attempt to brighten his fading vision. “What diamond necklace are you talking about baby?”

Sarah lifted her head to show off the carefully hidden gem around her neck, only to bump into Henry’s drooping head. “Ouch!”

“Sorry…. I guess I must be really tired.” Henry wiped his face to clear his vision. But nothing seemed to improve as everything seemed to blur with every passing second. Even his body seemed to go limp.

Then it suddenly hit him as his gaze flickered to the half-consumed local wine before them.

“Sarah… Are you feeling….”

“Drowsy…” Sarah completed his sentence sleepily, running her finger through her loose hair. “Yes… I think we should return to….” Her voice trailed as she fell on Henry’s chest, losing consciousness.

“Shit.” Henry quickly reached for his phone when something sharp hit him on the side of his neck. He winced, clutching the side of his neck before everything went dark around him.

–

–

When Henry opened his eyes again, it was pitch black all around him. His breath came out hoarse, rasping against the thick suffocating fabric of the mask clamped over his face.

Panic crippled his heart as he tried to shift, only for his muscles to scream in agony.

A searing pain rippled through his ribs and arms, and when he forced himself to move, he realized with horror that his body was bound tightly against a cold, rigid pole.

The low groan of wood beneath him made his stomach sink as he realised that he was on a moving sea vessel. The faint creak of ropes, the splash of waves against the hull, and the icy sting of ocean wind seeping through the gaps confirmed his worst nightmare.

But the one question he couldn’t fathom at the moment was who?

Then, like an unforgiven tide, the real nightmare flashed across his mind.

The tour around the interior of the village, the local tavern, the wine… Sarah said something about a diamond necklace, and then the tranquillising dart that knocked him out.

“Sarah!” He whispered under his breath. His pulse thundered in his ears as he listened for any sign of her.

He clenched his fists against the ropes, straining until the fibres cut into his skin again, but that didn’t deter him.

“Sarah!” He called out this time, a little louder.

“Henry…”

He heard her faint, and trembling voice somewhere close and yet far. His heart lurched as he tried in vain to set himself free, twisting violently and hurting himself more in the process.

Then, without warning, a rough hand yanked at the ties behind his neck.

The mask was forcefully pulled off his head, ripping a gasp from his lungs as the cold night air rushed in, stinging his raw throat.

He blinked furiously, the sudden exposure making his vision blur before it settled on the figure looming over him.

The face he saw made his blood freeze and his chest tighten. His lips parted and his voice trembled with shock and disbelief.

“Sebastian?!”

Sebastian stood tall, his frame draped in a pristine black suit that caught the faint glow of the deck light.

“Yes… It’s me, the same young man you intimidated with your money, your power and your scary friends.”

“You wre…”

Pow!

One of the men standing beside Henry unleashed a devastating blow across his face silencing him.

“I know how you and Mr Anderson work…” Sebastian continued uninterrupted. “..and I have been studying you like a book for the past eight months. I know you and your ruthless friend killed that lame actress’s boyfriend and sent her to jail. Believe me, I would have done worse if you hadn’t charged in like the Dark Knight to save the damsel in distress.” He chuckled wickedly.

“And now it is my turn to save the beautiful damsel from herself. Sarah can’t possibly choose an old man like you over me. She is mine and has always been until you stole her from me. You may have eaten her first fruit but I will lick the last. I will make her my wife and the mother of our children. You will be nothing but a forgotten memory.” Sebastian gestured to the dangerous-looking men backwards, and Sarah was dragged out onto the deck.

“Oh God…” Henry’s whole body trembled with a mixture of rage and panic.

“Henry…” Sarah whimpered at the sight of her bruised lover, her immaculate white wedding dress glowing under the bright moonlight, which was a cruel contrast to the horror twisting across her face.

The two men gripped her arms tightly, forcing her forward as she kicked fiercely, crying out for Henry.

Her veil slipped, fluttering against the night wind, as she clawed at the empty air between them, but the men held her down, their grips like iron.

“Sarah!”.Henry thrashed violently against the ropes like a ferocious beast seeking revenge. The fibres of the rope cut deeper into his flesh, his veins bulging and his teeth gnashing in fury.

“Let her go, you bastard.” His roar was hoarse, breaking against the waves, but powerless.

“Do you know what this scene reminds me of?” Sebastian smirked devilishly while holding a gun to his lips. “Romeo and Juliet.”