Sorry it has taken so long to get another update….but here is a long chapter cause I admit I was mean and left a horrible cliffy at the end of the last chapter!

As usual I would like to thank everyone that took the time to review I love feedback!

So again thank you to Michaelgirl05, manydreams1216, fieldranked, Gniak, Irionelissa and Phi4858.

Chapter 14

The ball was in full swing and after a glass of champagne Sydney was able to calm down enough to be a huge success with Sark's business associates.

Watching as Anna danced with her father, Sydney felt a pang in her heart, she hadn't spoken to her father in 5 years, she missed him at times like these. Noticing that is was getting later, Sydney decided to take Anna off to bed. Helping a sleepy Anna into bed, Sydney kissed her forehead and wished her good night before making her way back downstairs.

As Sydney reached the bottom of the stairs she noticed that all the guests were gathered at one end of the ballroom, cameras were rolling and flashes were going off. They must have started the press conference Sydney thought. Making her way through the crowd she was about to make her presence known when she noticed that a blonde woman was hanging off Sark. She was dressed in a scandalously short white dress her light blonde hair hanging loosely around her face framing her light blue eyes. The press were all over her, asking questions Sydney wasn't paying attention to the questions all she could see was Sark and this woman standing too close for business partners and were appearing to be lovers. Sydney held back a sob as the press asked a question bring Sydney back to a harsh reality.

"Mr Sark, it is true that your planning to pop the question to Miss Reed?"

Time seemed to stand still as Sydney waited for an answer. Lauren was scanning the crowd and when her eyes fell on Sydney she smiled maliciously and turned to Sark bringing him into a full lip lock before answering to the press.

"Oh he has already done that"

Sydney froze, It couldn't be. Turning quickly Sydney all but ran back upstairs to her room, tears streaming down her face as she pulled off the dress she left it carelessly on the bed before grabbing a pair of jeans and shirt. Pulling them on as quickly as she could Sydney violently pulled off the necklace that Sark had bought her leaving it on the bed next to her dress. Sobbing as she racked through her belongings looking for her passport and cell phone, Sydney couldn't believe he would do this to her. How could he? She sobbed.

Upending the box onto the floor Sydney found her passport and money, leaving everything else behind she no longer cared.

Making her way towards Anna's room, Sydney quietly opened the door, swallowing her sobs but tears still ran down her cheeks. Sydney carefully bent over and kissed Anna's forehead and whispered "Good bye Anna, I love you"

Making her way down the steps and out into the night air, Sydney quickly located a waiting limousine and begged the driver to take her to the nearest airport. She was going back to LA.

Sinking down into the hard plastic chair, Sydney finally let the events of the night sink in. Sark didn't love her, he was going to marry the blonde Barbie Reed. God I'm so stupid Sydney thought.

Getting up to visit the bathroom, before her flight, Sydney chanced a look the mirror. She looked tired and worn, her mascara had run and her eyes were bright red and bloodshot. She looked like hell. So this is what heart break felt like. But Sydney thought it wasn't only her heart that was broken, it was also her soul.

Making her way out of the bathroom, Sydney felt a presence behind her before everything went black.

When Sydney awoke, it was to find herself tied to a bed, a gag in her mouth and she had a splitting headache. Sydney tried to remember what happened, then it hit her, she was at the airport. Suddenly regretting her hasty exit from the ball Sydney realised that it looked like she left and no one would come looking for her Sark was going to marry someone else, and she was more alone in this world than she realised. Closing her eyes Sydney just wished she could have told Sark that she loved him just one last time.

Sark was yelling at the person on the other end of the phone.

"What do you mean she didn't get on the plane?"

"Just find out where she went" Sark slammed down the phone sinking back into his leather office chair rubbing his temples.

The evening had been a disaster, not only had Lauren Reed messed up his plans for proposing to Sydney, but Sydney had left him and she had disappeared thinking that he was engaged to Lauren Reed.

"Why? Sydney oh why?" Sark said sadly to the empty office. Sark sat staring at the framed photo on his desk. It was a picture of Sydney and Anna when they were at Sydney's aunts house, they were smiling into the camera and dressed in their swimmers bright smiles on their faces as Sark took the picture.

"Daddy?" a small tired voice called from the doorway.

"What's up munchkin?" Sark sighed tiredly

"where's Syddie?"

"I don't know sweets, I don't know.." Sark trailed off wishing for the thousandth time that night that he had fired Lauren Reed the same day that he hired her.

Scooping Anna into his lap he stroked her hair as she snuggled into his chest. Sark replayed the evening over and over in his head.

FLASHBACK

They had been dancing and having a wonderful time, all his business associated had loved Sydney and she was as charming as ever. Finishing a dance with Anna, Sydney suggested that she put Anna to bed. While Sydney had taken Anna to bed, Lauren had informed him that the press was waiting. Thinking Sydney would join them by the time it started Sark agreed.

Lauren hung off his arm while the press continued to ask questions about the up and coming merger. Silently wishing Lauren would leave and hoping the Sydney would hurry up, Sark was unprepared for the next question about his engagement to Lauren. Sark wanted to deny it and whisk Sydney onto the stage and ask her the question that had been on his mind all night. But instead Lauren spoke up with

"he's already done that" and pulled him into a kiss.

Sark pulled back in time to see Sydney quickly leaving the room. Shit he thought. Before he could run after her, Lauren pulled him back ready to kiss him again. Sark's temper boiled and he yanked his arm out of Laurens grasp before announcing to the press that they weren't engaged and Lauren was now fired, a law suit will be filed against any member of the press that publishes information about the fake engagement.

By the time Sark made it to the bedroom, she was gone. Sark sat on the bed, fingering the fabric of the dress she had worn, her necklace that he had bought her for their anniversary sitting broken next to it, just like his heart. Letting the first tears of his adult life fall, Sark buried his head into Sydney's pillow, becoming overwhelmed with her scent.

Finally pulling himself together Sark made his way down to his office and began making calls in an attempt to locate Sydney.

END FLASHBACK

Two days had passed and there was no word on Sydney, he couldn't believe that she had just disappeared, she couldn't. Sark had informed the police that she had gone missing and being as important as he was had benefits and the CIA had been called in and no one had been able to get a lead on Sydney. Sark sunk down onto the bed that he had shared with Sydney, her scent still lingering. He hadn't slept since Sydney had disappeared, he couldn't sleep until she was back beside him, even if it took his last penny he would find her and bring her back to them.

TBC