"When I was a little girl my understanding of revenge was as simple as the Sunday school proverbs it hid behind. Neat little morality slogans like, do un to others and two wrongs don't make a right. But two wrongs can never make a right because; two wrongs can never equal each other. For the truly wronged real satisfaction can only be found in one of two places, absolute forgiveness or mortal vindication. This is not a story about forgiveness."
But now that story is over.
Emily Thorne had done it. She had rid the Hamptons of every single person that betrayed her father. Betrayed. She cringed at those words; memories came flooding back of seeing her only family being torn away from her in one fell swoop, how she ended up in juvenile hall. "...It's over" Emily smirked as she looked over to her ever so loving neighbor's house, the Graysons. It was dark, curtains covering every window, empty driveway. It looked like a house for sale. She walked into her beach house and laid down on the couch, finally able to relax knowing she had fufilled her revenge.
"Well well well, I've caught you slipping up and off guard, thought you were always one step ahead of everyone. What happened?"
Emily jolted up, "Why does he show up at the worst times?" she thought as she stared at the face she knew all too well, perplexed as to why her home was so easy to get into.
"What do you want now Nolan? I don't need you anymore." She looked at him blankly. She was right after all, there was no other target that played a part in David Clarke arrest so surely Nolan couldn't be in her living room just to socialize? Right?
"What am I doing here?" Nolan said with a shocked look, "Emily in case you have forgotten due to your tendency to get drunk on revenge and ruin lives, it's been 24hrs since you convicted the Graysons of their connection to Michelle Banks' kidnapping and exposed Conrad's and Lydia's relationship to the public, your boyfriend is in the hospital in critical condition after being shot during YOUR engagement party and-"
"Enough Nolan, I'm capable of recalling events that happened a day ago." Emily ran a hand through her hair, not wanting to think of any loose ends at the moment.
"So what are you going to do?", Nolan asked.
"Some things didn't go according to plan during that party Nolan, I took a huge risk and now this isn't about revenge anymore." Emily sounded nervous and battered. Nolan got closer and shut the door, sensing Emily was not herself.
The sun was setting and quickly getting dark, waves crashing, the smell of the ocean blue was intoxicating. Emily closed her eyes, wanting to enjoy the brief moment of paradise before facing the inevitable.
"Sit down Nolan, there's some things we need to discuss."
Nolan sat down on the porch swing with Emily, eagerly awaiting what the blond haired girl was going to reveal next.
Emily began, "At the engagement party, Daniel and I were walking along the beach, discussing our future together."
"Yes, pretty boy and you have a great future together."
"So I knew at that moment, I could not spend my life with Daniel knowing I destroyed his family." Emily could not look Nolan in the eyes knowing what she had done.
"So you shot him huh...and you let him live...unless you didn't bank on him surviving. Am I close?" Nolan said in a confused voice.
"I let him live on purpose, but I shot him in semi-vital areas so he'll die slowly." Emily slowly raised her cold blank eyes and looked at Nolan.
"Since when have you taken up sadism? Not a very interesting hobby don't you think? Are all girls from juvy capable of killing with no remorse? You're just like your little friend." However Nolan knew exactly what Emily did, it was perfect for her alibi. She could be with her fiance in the hospital as he draws his dying breath, to avoid suspicion and eliminate her ties to the Graysons' demise. Who would be suspicious of a young woman who recently lost her fiance and was there for him to the end?
A cold breeze rattled the porch. "Let's go inside" Emily beckoned, "it's getting dark..."
As Emily closed the door, a startling and confused look appeared on her face. She turned around and looked at Nolan. He was clapping.
"Impressive to the very end, Emily. What a change from the bitter girl fresh out of juvy huh?"
"But what will you do now hmm? All your pawns have be captured by the Queen." Nolan said in a cheerful voice.
"Except one" Emily was getting more monotone.
"Talking about Daniel Grayson? Shame having his lover use his death as an alibi." Nolan looked around the living room, all the windows were shut, curtains closed, shadows ran through the rooms like vines.
"Revenge calls for playing charades. You should know that unless your takedown of Tyler was more pleasure than business." Emily smirked at him, lighting scented candles.
"Ahh hitting nerves now? The calm, collected, "I don't panic" girl making jokes?"
"You scare me Amanda Clarke." Nolan could barely see Emily, he noticed her double infinity tattoo.
"Amanda Clarke no longer exists." she said in a stern commanding voice. Nolan looked at her, she was being serious, even after her revenge was complete she still played her part.
Looking around at the now darkened room, Nolan looked at Emily with nervousness, the candles illuminating her barely, shadows covering her eyes, he looked at her and saw a slow smirk form across her face.
Nolan was frozen. He knew what was in the shadows from Emily's sudden movements. She pointed her gun at him.
Nolan began to sweat, "E-Emily...what are you doing? Put the gun down!"
Emily's spoke in a cold voice, devoid of emotion. "It's time I erase all connections, I'm taking the advice of my father."
Nolan knew he couldn't leave, Emily was in full control of the situation and he'd dare not call a bluff.
"I hacked into sites for information, gave you invaluable intel on your targets, warned you of potential threats, erased evidence for you, picked you up from juvy and in our very first meeting I gave you 50 percent of my multi million dollar company and this is how you repay me! I trusted you!"
"I was there for you from the very beginning...your father would turn in his grave if he could see what his daughter has become..." Nolan's voice became frantic as he looked around the room for a way to escape. No dice, his legs were frozen in place from fear as he watched Emily walk closer to him. "Those eyes..." he thought, "Those damn eyes...they're not human."
Emily finally spoke after what had seem like an eternity of Nolan spilling his heart out, begging to not be another victim on Thorne's hitlist. "Thank you. For all you have done. You've shown nothing but kindness to me, in your own way, however, you know far too much and I wish to rest easy now with no regrets."
Nolan stared at the ground knowing what lied ahead, and weakly spoke, "I..I helped you because I owe your father everything and wished to make sure he did not die in vain."
Emily stared into his eyes. "You succeeded."
Bang.
"The worst betrayals come from those we trust the most." - David Clarke