"NO!" Fiona shouted. "You can't do this! You've tricked me! You said we would just talk. Take me back to Julian!"
"Shut up!" Hendrick's angry voice echoed inside the car.
"Hendrick, what are you doing?"
But it seemed he didn't hear her as he focused intently on the road.
Fiona was nearly hysterical, punching Hendrick on the shoulder. "Let me out! Let me out!"
"Dammit! Do you want us to crash?"
He dodged her punches while driving.
She tried to open the door on her side, but Hendrick had control of that too.
"You can't do this to me! I won't go with you!"
They were already on the main road outside the subdivision when Hendrick decided to stop the car on the side of the road to calm Fiona down.
He turned off the interior lights, and before she knew it, he suddenly pulled her into his arms and kissed her.
Fiona struggled to push him away, but her strength was useless against Hendrick's overpowering grip. She was caught in a possessive embrace that rendered her almost immobile. He lifted her chin with his hand, and his mouth crushed against hers, demanding and forceful.
She was acutely aware of his hard body and the wild pounding of his heart, matching the rhythm of her own. Fiona felt defeated, both physically and mentally.
But she tried to regain her composure. She viewed Hendrick's actions as a gross violation.
Even as she was struggling to breathe, she pushed against his solid frame, kneeing him to loosen his hold and finally freed her lips.
"You beast!" Fiona trembled all over... Was it from the kiss? She raised her fists again to punch Hendrick, but he caught her hands firmly.
"If you don't stop, I'll give you something worse!" he threatened.
Fiona suddenly fell silent. She didn't want to repeat what had just happened. Not because she disliked it, but because she was afraid of what it could mean for her. She had to admit that the kiss had affected her emotionally in a way she had never expected—an effect she hadn't felt with Julian's kisses.
She realized they had already exited the subdivision gate. She should have drawn the attention of the security guards to prevent Hendrick from taking her away. But why did she suddenly feel tongue-tied?
The car was far down the road when she finally managed to speak.
"Where are you really taking me?" she asked calmly, though she was nervous about what the man's plan might be.
Hendrick didn't respond, focusing seriously on driving. His expression was relaxed, but Fiona couldn't shake the feeling that he was plotting something.
"By now, Julian must be looking for me."
"You're not going back there!" Hendrick declared, sounding like a military commander declaring war.
"What madness is this, Hendrick?" she asked, exasperated, as they drove along EDSA.
"You're going to marry me, Fiona," he stated coolly, as if his kidnapping of her was entirely normal.
"Damn you! You can't do this. I'm engaged to Julian. I'm marrying him!"
"Do you think Julian will still marry you when he finds out I took you and brought you to a house in Batangas?"
"Batangas?" Her head felt like it was spinning.
"Yes, Batangas. That's where we're going. Julian must be frantic looking for you now, as are his parents. But don't worry, Fiona, baby, we'll call him later when we arrive in Batangas. We don't want him to worry too much." Hendrick followed this with a short, mocking laugh.
Fiona wanted to punch him again. Her face burned with anger as she realized what his real plan was.
Would she really allow Hendrick to thwart her dreams?
"Why can't you accept that I chose Julian?"
"Because I know we're a better fit. You'll be happier marrying me."
"You're insane! You're not the man of my dreams, Hendrick. Can't you see how far apart you and Julian are?"
The man's jaw clenched at her insult. He accelerated the car even faster.
"I'll sue you for kidnapping if you go through with this insanity!" she threatened.
"Go ahead, I'll even help you."
Fiona moved to open the door on her side, but Hendrick quickly stopped her.
"Don't even think about escaping. You won't succeed."
"You'll regret this. Julian will make you pay for this!"
"I'm not afraid of him."
Fiona felt her protests were futile. She had come to know Hendrick well. When he said something, he meant it, and he seemed fearless. What did this man think he was proud of?
---
As expected, chaos erupted at the Zaavedra mansion due to Fiona's sudden disappearance. Even Teddy and Nona were extremely worried. Their concern heightened when the security guards informed them that they had seen Fiona getting into a car with a man.
"The car had a sticker, so we let it in. And that guy looked familiar," one of the guards said.
"What did he look like? Describe him," Julian ordered.
"He was handsome, looked like an actor. His hair was a bit wavy and he seemed tall. We thought he was one of your guests."
"Shit! Who is that guy?"
"Could it be Hendrick?" Nona said absentmindedly.
"Who's Hendrick?" Julian's mother asked.
"A suitor of Fiona," Teddy answered hesitantly.
"He might have forced her or threatened her," Nona spoke again.
"When they left the gate, did you notice anything strange about Fiona? Did she seem scared?" Julian continued to inquire.
"Not really, Sir. She looked fine."
"That means Fiona went with him willingly. She's not been kidnapped."
Julian's cell phone rang. He answered, still bewildered by Fiona's disappearance. "Hello... Yes, who's this?" he asked amidst the chaos of guests.
"This is Hendrick."
"Hendrick? You... You pig! Where did you take Fiona?"
"We're at my rest house in Batangas. So don't bother looking for her because she's not coming back to you. We're going to spend the whole night in our romantic place, Mr. Zaavedra." After that, the line went dead.
"Bullshit! What nonsense is this? Why did Fiona go with that guy?"
Teddy and Nona exchanged confused glances. Other guests were equally eager to understand what was happening.
---
"I thought you might be hungry, so I ordered some food," Hendrick said as he entered the luxurious cottage where Fiona was confined.
Since arriving in Anilao, Batangas, Fiona had locked herself in the room.
"Is it true you can come in any time you want, even when the door is locked?" she snapped, glaring at Hendrick.
Carrying a tray full of delicious food, he approached her while she stood by the window. "Go ahead, be mad at me. But don't let your stomach get angry. You need to eat." He placed the tray on the table.
"Eat it yourself! And can you please leave me alone?" In her frustration, she shoved the tray, sending food flying everywhere.
Hendrick's expression darkened. He shot her a threatening glance.
Alarmed, she took a step back, regretting her actions. But she decided to leave the room, almost running toward the cottage balcony.
She wanted to cry from a mix of anger and frustration. She was furious that Hendrick was blocking her dream of marrying Julian, the man who would take her to Paris. Instead, she was stuck with Hendrick, who couldn't take her to her mother.
Would Julian still want to marry her after all this?
---
In the early hours of the morning, Fiona felt the quiet outside her room.
He must be asleep...
After cleaning up the spilled food, she returned to her room and locked herself in again.
She knew Hendrick was watching outside the room to ensure she wouldn't escape.
She couldn't sleep either, her mind racing. She wanted to call Julian to explain everything. But how?
She thought about peeking outside the room.
If Hendrick was asleep, she could escape. Or maybe she could ask the resort staff for help to return to Manila.
She peeked out and saw Hendrick sleeping on the sofa.
Fiona moved quietly. She needed to escape and explain things to Julian.
She held her breath as she tiptoed across the cottage's living room, especially as she neared Hendrick.
Just as she was about to reach the door, a hand stopped her. She gasped in shock.
She lost her balance, and fortunately, Hendrick was quick enough to catch her in his arms.
Fiona clung to him. Their eyes met unexpectedly. She wanted to shut her eyes as Hendrick's warm, fragrant breath brushed against her.
Strangely, it felt delightful to be trapped in his strong arms.
"The moment I saw you... I became obsessed with the desire to kiss you and have you..." Hendrick whispered, his face close to hers. "You have a way of driving a man crazy..."
Fiona felt frozen in that position, staring into his handsome face, their distance mere inches apart. Often, she wished that Hendrick were Julian instead.
Seizing the moment of her distraction, Hendrick took her lips in a possessive kiss.
It was too late for her to remember that this man had forcibly brought her there to prevent her marriage.
Some power held her hands back from pushing him away.
And Fiona had to admit that Hendrick's kiss was slowly melting her anger. It was teasing, hypnotic, demanding her response.
She closed her eyes and parted her lips.
She shouldn't have, but she found herself comparing Hendrick's kisses to Julian's.
And she felt ashamed to visualize the more passionate side of lovemaking—not with the man she planned to marry, but with this man whose kisses seemed to lull her.
She felt weak. Especially as Hendrick's hands moved slowly, tantalizingly from her slim hips to her waist.
The thrill it sent through her body awakened her. With all her strength, she pushed Hendrick away.
"You have no right to do this to a woman who is marrying someone else," she said, stepping back.
"I know you won't marry Julian, Fiona."
"Who told you that? Even after what you did, you can't stop me from marrying Julian!"
"You enjoyed my kiss. I felt it. You enjoyed it as much as I did. And you'll regret it because even if you marry Julian, you'll still long for my kiss and embrace..."
Fiona stopped short. She wanted to deny it. Did Hendrick really feel her gradual surrender?
"How rude!" she shouted defensively.
"If I wanted, I could make you mine right at this moment. Just to ensure that you lose interest in marrying Julian."
"I should have escaped from you!"
"You won't escape that easily, Fiona Guevarra."
"You're despicable, Hendrick! Don't let me lose my respect for you."
Hendrick chuckled briefly and then moved to block the door.
"You don't need to escape anymore. Soon, when the sun rises, we'll return to Manila. We'll just have breakfast here."
Furious, Fiona had no choice but to return to the room.
"You'll pay for this, Hendrick! After what you've done, you're a wanted criminal!" She hurried back to her room and slammed the door.