There was a knock on the door. Nolan and Emily closed their PCs and looked at each other. Neither one of them was expecting anyone.
Emily stood and headed for the door. She pushed the curtain to the side and allowed it to reveal a woman behind the door. She was in her mid to late thirties, long brown hair, glasses and beautiful brown eyes. Seeing Emily on the other side of the door, she smiled revealing a beautiful and genuine smile.
Emily opened the door. "Can I help you"?
The woman continued smiling. "Actually, I think I'm the one who is going to be able to help you, Amanda".
Emily's eyes narrowed. "I'm sorry but you've got the wrong person. If you are looking for Amanda Clarke, she died two years ago".
"It's OK Emily. I'm truly here to help. Is Nolan here"?
Emily turned around and looked at Nolan. "Do you know her"?
Nolan stood and walked over. "Oh my God. Kate"?
"The time has come Nolan. She has a right to know".
Emily kept looking from Nolan to the so called Kate. "Would someone please tell me what the hell is going on here? Who are you"?
Nolan smiled awkwardly.
"My name is Kate Fontaine and I'm your sister Amanda".
Emily's head was spinning. What the hell was going on.. Her sister?
"Look we can have this reunion right here on your doorstep, but I think it's best that the Grayson's don't see me around you, at least for the time being".
Emily nodded and showed Kate in.
Kate sat down on the sofa. "Look, I realize that this is quite a blow to you. Initially, you thought you were an only child, then Charlotte came in to play and now me".
"Have we ever met"?
"Yes, when you were a baby, I sometimes came here to spend the summer with Dad, but when you got older, I stopped coming".
Emily looked Kate over. Yes, she could see part of their Dad in her: the strong and bold brown eyes, her chin and her smile.
"Our dad met my mother when they were young. I wasn't planned, and they didn't really love each other and went their separate ways after a few months. My mom told our dad she was pregnant when he was already with your mother. To not cause any issues, he did recognize me and his name is on my birth certificate but I don't carry his name. Your mother was very possessive and already quite unstable at the time, so he never told her I was his daughter, when I came, I was his niece. I was old enough to understand, niece or daughter, it didn't matter, I was spending time with him. I like you know what it's like to grow up without a father."
She let the information sink in, then continued.
"I followed everything that happened to dad and when he was arrested, I went to see him. I was in my teens and not an issue since I didn't have his last name, people never got curious. I was his niece after all. That's where I met Nolan, and dad was comfortable enough to trust Nolan with the truth. Then the whole scheme started to get in place. Amanda, you are not the only one dad has provided critical and valuable information too. I know what you know, but you don't know what I know".
Emily nodded.
"OK, we'll get into more detail later but the question I have is why show up now? Why are you here"?
Kate swallowed slightly. "I'm here for Pascal LeMarchal's funeral".
Emily's eyes opened up wide. "What? Why"?
"I have been Pascal's personal assistant for the past 15 years Amanda".
Emily raised her eyebrow. She then turned her attention to Nolan. "You knew all of this and didn't tell me"?!
Nolan didn't know what to say. He had never really kept anything from her, but this had been a request from David, just like everything else he had asked of him, Nolan had kept to and never deviated from.
"Ems, I couldn't tell you. You know how your father was, let alone Takeda. This is all part of a plan that goes way beyond what you think. Besides, what Kate started 15 years ago with Pascal; you could not have done it. You were in juvi and way too young. That is why your father invested Kate with that part of the mission".
Emily paced. "Fine but you could have at least told me I had a sister. When he died I had no family left. If I had known of Kate's existence I wouldn't have been on my own".
The door closed behind them and they turned to see who it was. Emily was relieved to see Aiden and not one of the Graysons who would have come to stir up unexpected trouble.
Aiden smiled. "Kate, how good to see you. I was wondering when you'd show for the funeral".
Emily started getting angry. "I can't believe it, you too were in on this the entire time"?
He walked over to Emily. "I met Kate a couple years ago, when I first was brought in by Takeda to help you. You were just getting out of juvi and Nolan was helping you get everything rolling. Kate was in Japan with Takeda, she was getting a refresh of her training. Our contact ever since has been quite limited. I swear if I could have told you, I would have but just like Nolan and Kate, we were bound to secrecy until now".
Kate looked at Emily. "I understand you are upset, I would be too, but we couldn't be in contact until now, it would have raised Pascal's curiosity and he would have eventually traced you back to the Graysons before you could get to where you needed to with them, with Daniel, with Charlotte. It hasn't been easy for me either. Oh how very often I wished I could come and get you and bring you back to France with me and show you, you were not alone. I knew with Aiden and Nolan you would be safe and Takeda assured me you were more than prepared to handle everything. If I could go back in time and change everything, even dad's arrest, trust me Amanda I would. You are my sister and I would love nothing more than to get to know you and be part of your family"!
Emily walked over to Kate and literally broke down in her arms. Nolan and Aiden were shocked. It was the first time that Emily let her guard down and allowed her true feelings to surface. Maybe there was still part of Amanda buried somewhere deep down inside. Kate simply held Emily and caressed her hair, just like any older sister would do, just as if she had done it all these years.
Nolan and Aiden smiled, at this reunion even if it was not so much a reunion but a first official meet and greet.
Once they parted and Emily had dried her tears she looked at her sister, suddenly seeing her in a different light. She was almost grateful that she was no longer alone in getting her revenge. "Where are you staying"?
"I'm staying at the South Fork Inn. The funeral is tomorrow and the wake is later on today".
Emily searched her mind. "So your mission was to get close to Pascal and all his activities and I'm sure that in 15 years you've got a lot of information. Do you have anything that can help the rest of the Graysons down"?
Kate nodded. "Initially the information I gathered over the years was my sole mission and way to get to the Graysons, but over the past 15 years, I've gotten an extra weapon against the Graysons. They won't see it coming and I'm more than probable that it will happen already tonight at the wake".
"Why do you say that"? asked Aiden as he took a beer from the fridge.
"Because Daniel is a very greedy man, he's already started the ball rolling in regards to the Lemarchal group behind Margaux's back. I have vital information he needs and I'm more than 100% sure he will ask me tonight".
"We can't go to the wake because it will only cause problems, would you mind wearing a wire so we can hear what's going on" asked Emily.
Kate smiled. "I would have preferred you being there.. You won't be able to see his face with a wire, but if you really think it will stir up trouble then go for the wire".
"Aiden is also at the South Fork Inn, he'll come to your room and hook you up".
Aiden and Kate smiled at each other. "Ok then. Aiden, I'll see you later. As for you two", she turned to Emily and Nolan, "I'll stop by after the wake, if I'm not followed".
Emily smiled. "Deal".
Kate turned and walked out very quickly and discreetly.
Emily turned to Nolan and Aiden. "I can't believe it, after all this time, I'm not alone anymore. You have no idea how much weight off my shoulder this is. I can let Kate handle things for a while. But still, both of you should have told me. I would have kept my ground".
Nolan nudged her. "BS. You would have taken the first flight to Paris to meet her and you would have done something stupid. It's better off this way. You are now reunited and stronger together to fight your battle against the remaining Graysons".
The rest of the afternoon, Kate had relaxed in her room, she was tired from the jetlag and the fact that she had not really slept since Pascal's death, was finally beginning to take her toll on her. At around 4PM, she jumped in the shower and started getting dressed. As she was finishing to put her hair up, there was a knock at the door.
"It's the concierge Miss Fontaine".
Kate smiled as she recognized Aiden's voice. She went and opened the door. Aiden was in uniform and holding a travel bag in his hand.
"Miss Fontaine, here is the luggage you had us hold for you. Where shall I put it"?
She showed Aiden in. "Top shelf of the closet if you don't mind, it's a bit heavy for me to place it there".
Aiden nodded as he walked in. "Naturally. Allow me to assist you".
Once he was inside she closed the door. Aiden already had the bag on the bed and was taking all the equipment out.
"How much time do we have"?
She checked her watch. "I need to be there in 45 minutes. We're good Aiden, relax".
"Ok. It's a two part device. One is placed on your torso for sound and the other somewhere on your clothes for the video".
"How big is the video chip"?
Aiden showed it to Kate, it was very small. Kate went to the bathroom and came back with a brooch.
"Let's put it instead of the stone of the brooch, they won't be able to tell the difference".
Aiden nodded. "Good idea". He took the brooch and removed delicately the stone and placed the chip instead. "Done. Now for the sound".
He looked at Kate and suddenly felt intimated. She was wearing a beautiful black bustier dress. He didn't know why his heart was starting to race, but it was. Could it be because it was Emily's sister?
He pointed to the back of Kate's dress. "May I"?
Kate said nothing, simply nodded and turned her back to him. His hand reached for the zipper and shook. No it was not Emily that was for sure. He never shook when it was her. The minute the zipper reached the bottom, the dress fell immediately to the floor. He took a deep breath. He circled around her and tried to focus on what he had to do. He quickly placed the microphone device. As he circled again to her back, she had bent down and picked up the dress so that all he had to do was zip her back up.
"Thanks Aiden".
"Sure. Let's see if it works". He turned on the PC and put on the headset. He could see himself on the screen as she was facing him. "Ok now say something".
"Something".
He turned to look at her. "Very funny".
"Sorry, old joke". She laughed and he loved the sound of it as it came to his ears through the headset. He missed that, laughter. He even began to wonder if he had ever heard Emily laugh. How could it be that two sisters who had been fighting the same battle miles apart had reacted differently to it. Kate had amazingly kept her natural personality, her joy, her laughter, whereas Emily had closed herself off to everything and everyone. Had Emily been too young to undertake such a responsibility?
He took a backpack from the bag and placed the pc and headset in it. He headed for the door. "Do you need a ride to the Graysons"?
Kate nodded. "No, I've got a car picking me up. Margaux arranged everything for me".
The phone rang and Kate went to pick it up. She hung up just instants later. "Showtime, the car is here".
"Good luck".
As she reached the door, she turned around. "Luck's got nothing to do with it. What I've been training for the past 15 years is finally going to pay off. Enjoy the show". She winked and let herself out.
Aiden called Emily. "We're all clear". "Thanks Aiden, see you later".
He stayed in the room and watched as Kate walked elegantly to the car. Just as she was about to enter it, she looked up, almost as if she had felt his stare on her. She gave him a huge smile, a tip of the head and sat in the back. The driver closed the door, returned to his seat and drove away.