High School Again: The President's Secret Lady Boss

Enraged isn't the word to describe what Marcellus is feeling right now.

He's close to going berserk at this point. Even though the police force is already searching high and low, he can't settle down at all. After learning about Winter's kidnapping, he has almost lost it. This kind of incident is something that he's always been concerned about, especially when she became one of the Middleton's. 

What Marcellus didn't expect was that it had this huge of a possibility.

He's taken aback by how intricate the abduction plan was according to the witnesses. It was made to look like she was simply being escorted somewhere, and if it wasn't for Courtney and Maxine, it wouldn't be known to the others that she was actually forced.

Winter has always been uncomfortable when she's being watched, so Marcellus tried to understand that she didn't want to bring her bodyguards with her all the time. 

Yet now, he regrets not insisting enough. He should've at least hired one or two from his side to guard her at a distance whenever she's out of his sight. 

"Shit! Damn it!" 

Marcellus has been on the edge of his seat throughout the whole ride, sitting on pins and needles.

"You should calm down, President. With the young ladies' help, the police had already been informed hours ago. It's a matter of time before they catch the suspect…" Claude said as calmly as he could.

"According to our own findings using the Lexington's network, though, there's a possibility that the Middleton's are somehow involved. Just this morning, they've put up an announcement, and I doubt it has Ms. Winter's permission. Apparently, Ms. Bianca came up with some sort of a competition for all of her marriage interview partners. It has something to do about earning her adoptive sister's favor by taking her on dates and the likes."

"Those fucking assholes…" Marcellus hissed through gritted teeth.

"So, they think they can always decide for Winter? I should've finished them off as soon as I learned about what they did to her back then." 

Furious and distraught, he slammed his fist on the arm of his chair, causing the briefcase at his side to fall from the loud thud. The abrupt action ends up scattering a pile of papers on the floor, giving him a clear picture of just how this messy situation is messing him up as well. 

For a moment, Marcellus blankly stares down at the clutter.

That's until he laid eyes on a particular sheet of paper. Realizing what it is, he hastily bends down and grabs it before it gets all crumpled up along with the other documents.

"President, that form?" his secretary blurted out, a little surprised when he stole a glimpse of the paper's content. 

Marcellus stays quiet.

His expression contorts from fuming to a perturbed one. His heart aches in fear and trepidation. Just when he's about to finish his own preparations, someone has to come and derail his plans like this. He should have already taken action when he still could. 

"Winter," he breathed out helplessly in his state of distress and agitation. 

Marcellus doesn't know what he'll do if something bad happens to Winter.

They are still not sure who the suspect is. He didn't even know that her family was already thinking of marrying her off to someone. Perhaps, if he had a chance to talk with her earlier this day, she would have informed him. However, she was still dead set on avoiding him, and he could not blame her at all.

'I feel such a fool for forcing that kiss on her…' Marcellus grimaced.

'Still, that and this are different. The one who has to pay is the one who took her away.'

He doesn't know if he can keep himself from killing somebody right then and there. He doesn't know if he'll be able to keep himself from shedding off every piece of his humanity – he'd done it several times before, so he could definitely do it now.     

In fact, at that very moment, every fiber of his being is being enveloped with menace. His eyes are clouded with malice, eager to spill a bloodbath if he is to find Winter in a horrid condition.

'Whoever that bastard is, they've got hell to pay.'

---

Winter might as well be in a place near hell right now. 

With tear-stricken cheeks and swollen eyes, she confronts one of her worst nightmares for almost an hour straight. Flashes of lights and the sound of camera shutters can be heard all around the dim room – making up a harrowing reality that she never would have imagined seeing herself in.

Neil presses the button over and over again, taking photos of Winter in her wretched state. 

But he doesn't stop with only that. He has been slowly undressing her as well. First, it was only her shoes and the rope that was wrapped around her ankles. Then, her blouse. He has unbuttoned it just enough for her cleavage to show. Afterward, it's her sleeves. He pulled them down her shoulders and let them hang loose. 

Now, Neil is onto Winter's skirt.

At that point, she's close to losing grip on reality. She is already exhausted from all that thrashing around that she did. No matter what she did, she couldn't break free from this monster's clutches.

'I'd been too naive. I'd been too arrogant. I'd been too self-assured…' were the thoughts that kept running in her mind the whole time. 

'Of course, Bianca could go this far – she 'would' go this far. It's only to be expected from one of the people who plotted my death. Our conversation with Uncle Cyrus and Aunt Grace this morning should have already been a red flag. I should've already thought that she won't stop with just that.'

It's too late now, though.

Winter is sure that all these pictures of her that Neil keeps taking will be used against her as blackmail. It's probably to force her into an arranged marriage, which makes sense, considering that one of her marriage interview candidates is willingly doing the deed himself.     

"You're doing a good job, honey. After this, I'll make sure to give you a reward."

Winter recoils at how she's been called. Neil is a lot worse than a creep. 

As he continued to whisper sweet nothings to her, he kneeled down in front of her and reached for her thighs. She froze in fear and horror, and as soon as she felt his hands going up to her skirt, she trembled in extreme revulsion. 

Right then, an image of her beloved appears in her head.

"M-Marcellus. Help m-me, Marcellus," she silently pleaded as she cried harder.

Winter isn't sure how many times she has repeated that. She keeps on hoping but only to get her hopes shattered whenever Neil holds her. 

His touches are burning her. They're a slap back to reality whenever she imagines Marcellus materializing before her.

She winces every time he calls her like she is his. She is being slowly torn apart as he continues to capture pictures of her. She finds herself plummeting into eternal darkness as the lights keep flashing all around her.

Everything is downright tormenting. She feels like she's being tortured.

That's until Winter catches sight of a small streak of light from the door at the side.

She's taken aback to find it open up for the tiniest bit. There's a small opening that tells her that it's unlocked. 

Big mistake from Neil.

It may not be exactly what Winter is hoping to see, but it's still a light at the end of the tunnel – her way out from this hell. At that realization, she feels her heart leap for a brief second, eager to pounce on this chance once and for all.

Now, all she has to do is to get rid of her numbness. She can't depend on Marcellus all the time. So, she has to gather her own strength and courage to get back to his side –

And tell him just how much he means to her. 

Winter is determined to do it this time. She will tell Marcellus how she truly feels about him.

"You know what, darling, doing this to you is making me want to reward you right here and now," Neil remarked with an intoxicated tone and lust-filled eyes.

Despite the shivers that kept running down her spine, she only clenched her teeth and scrunched her brows together. She puts on the most malevolent expression she can make, all set to strike back.

Bracing herself, she waits for Neil to get closer to her. Then, as soon as she found a perfect angle, she finally struck back with uncontainable ferocity –

And Winter kicked his crotch with brute force. 

"Only one man is allowed to touch me, and that man is certainly not you!"

Neil ended up falling backward on the ground, screaming in pain. Winter watched him groan out loud and roll around while holding his assaulted body part - a well-deserved punishment. 

With that, she made her escape.