Taint Me More ☑️

Chapter Twenty Six

As I walked away from Aaron, I swear, it took everything to not run back to him and tell him I wanted him too, but if life was so easy that a person could get everything they wanted, when they wanted it, I wouldn't have found myself in this situation at all. I was at the brink of losing myself all over again, merely hanging by a thread.

Even though he claimed to be a free man, it still felt too wrong to be with him, and I wasn't going to let myself live through that guilt.

I stared down at my phone to read the text that just came in from an unknown number saying it was Victoria. She was asking me to come meet her at some place I hadn't heard of before, and she said it was urgent and that I should come alone.

I frowned as I read the message again, wondering why she would want to see me. As strange as every single encounter I'd had with her was, I was still curious to know what exactly was going on with her. So, to be sure of the location she provided, I opened the map application on my phone to check it out. It wasn't too far away from the museum and would only take a few minutes, if the Manhattan traffic was fair and light.

I had about half an hour to spare, so I moved out.

On getting to the location she provided, I looked around to make sure I was at the right place. It was an apartment building that was under reconstruction. It didn't look old, but it had pole framing around it and it had to be about seven or eight stories.

I chewed the inside of my lips as I looked for an entrance. I found one but hesitated. I had no idea where exactly I was supposed to go, I looked around the outside of the building, expecting to spot Victoria somewhere, but I didn't, so I decided to text her, telling her I had arrived.

She texted me back immediately, telling me to take the construction lift up to the rooftop. I hesitated for a minute, contemplating what I was about to do. I thought of calling her to make sure she was okay.

She answered on the fourth ring.

"Victoria, can you tell me what is going on?" I spoke immediately she answered.

"I just want to talk." She spoke in a shaky voice, a voice not so different from the one she had always spoken to me with every single time we ran into each other before now. "Just take the lift and meet me up." She added and hung up immediately.

Inhaling a deep breath and eyeing the building one more time, I stepped in to find the lift.

The ride up took forty seconds, precisely. I counted every second. When I got up to the roof, I glanced around, taking in the abandoned look of the place. There was no sign of Victoria. I started to dial her number again when she appeared from behind a large satellite dish in the far end of the roof. She stumbled a little on her feet as she held on to her hair.

But that wasn't what caught my attention, what caught my attention was the strong hand that was planted firmly in her hair, a figure appeared behind her.

I scanned Victoria's face and she appeared as panicked as I'd always known her to be the past couple months. She shook her head, silently passing an information to me.

Her look told me to turn back and leave. My instinct told me to turn back and leave. So why the hell was I still standing in my spot, watching as Mr. Carter stepped out behind her? A devious smile on his face.

"What is this?" I asked him as he locked his eyes on me.

"Oh Ilaria Vitale. The ever so loving and caring girl." He clicked his tongue as he moved to the centre of the roof, hand still wrapped in Victoria's hair. "I knew you'd come, an this was the only proof I needed to be sure this bitch has been in contact with you." He barked, releasing Vicky and throwing her to the floor.