Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended. I do NOT own Revenge.
Thank you to my awesome and patient beta pynkrayne!
"What did you do?" Daniel asked seething with fury at his father's behavior.
"Before I tell you I need you to promise one thing, that when they finally come to get me that you will do whatever you can to rebuild the company and take care of your little sister." Conrad said softly.
"I promise." Daniel replied thinking no matter what his father said or did he would always take care of Charlotte. His dad and the company could never compare in importance to his little sister, at least to him.
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The Grayson's office area had been turned into a makeshift tv studio for Daniel's big interview. Daniel and the interviewer were sitting in chairs opposite one another in a semi-informal interview style. Emily stood off to the side on Daniel's right with her arms crossed, holding her phone, but looking calmer than anyone else in the room. Conrad and Victoria were standing next to each other, trying not to look as tense as they both felt, in the doorway on his left. The tension in the air was palpable. No one knew exactly what to expect from this interview. For once, everyone was playing this extended game of chess blind.
"So, Daniel 48 hours ago you were in jail facing a murder one charge, now you're a free man. How you doin'?" the interviewer asked with a slight edge to her voice. It seemed like she was intentionally starting out slow, right before she threw him a fast one.
"Well a lot better than I was 48 hours ago," Daniel replied with an easy-going smile. He was sitting with one ankle crossed over his knee, looking quite relaxed.
"Just for the record, did you murder Tyler Barroll?" The reporter's question wasn't unexpected, but it was more straightforward than Daniel had expected.
Maybe Emily was right. I should've rehearsed something so that I feel more prepared. Come on Daniel, you can do this. You're innocent. Just tell the truth.
"Tyler threatened my whole family. We struggled for control of the gun." His eyes didn't even flicker over as Charlotte walks down the stairs and stands at the bottom of the staircase, looking for all the world like she'd rather be anywhere else. "It went off and the next thing I knew I was knocked out by the guy who finished the job." Daniel explained calmly.
"Lee Moran," the reporter stated matter of factly. Damn! He's keeping direct eye contact and the kid isn't even tense. He must not be lying, but there has to be something I can get him to tell me.
"According to his confession. The truth is I'll never know exactly what happened between Lee and Tyler on that beach. I only know how it ended," Daniel answered.
Emily was standing to the side and at this she tensed. If anyone had been paying attention to her, instead of the interview, they would've noticed her shoulders stiffen, her brow pucker, and the pinching around her eyes. All subconscious signs of her stress and feelings of guilt. Why am I doing this? Daniel deserves better, doesn't he? I just wanted to punish Conrad and Victoria. Daniel and Charlotte are innocent. Collateral damage. But can I still sacrifice them?
"We saw you released from Rikers yesterday. Occupy Daniel was even trending on twitter. Are you surprised not only by the public reaction but by the vitriol directed at you personally?" The reporter seemed primed and waiting for some explosive reaction if her questions were any indication of her intentions.
"On one hand yes. But on the other, I, I get it." Daniel smiles in an affable and even contrite way. "People feel disenfranchised and fed up with the privileged minority who seem to abide by their own set of rules. Listen, if anyone commits a crime, no matter who you are, he or she should pay for it."
"Speaking of which, the SEC has issued an order of investigation on your family's company, Grayson Global, a company you stand to inherit. Would you like to comment on the allegations of corruption and fraud?" the reporter slung the question at Daniel and leaned forward, waiting in anticipation for his answer.
Emily smiles and nods at Daniel from her position off camera. Victoria's face sours. What could she possibly be up to now? I don't like that Emily Thorne has become Daniel's newest confidante.
Daniel looks away from Emily and down to his lap. He folds his hands in front of him and then glances to the side where Conrad and Victoria are standing. The clock on the mantle ticks away the seconds, seeming to echo in the spacious parlor. He looks back to the reporter and takes a deep breath.
"I am confident that the SEC will do a thorough job with their investigation into Grayson Global. Can I confirm that the allegations of corruption and fraud are true? Yes," was Daniel's very candid reply while keeping direct eye contact with the reporter.
Emily looks surprised, but then a genuine smile spreads across her face as she watches her fiancé. Daniel looks over at her and smiles, looking relieved. Her heart aches at the sight of it. He's amazing and he's mine. Mine? Where the hell did that come from?
Conrad's face shows pure shock, slowly morphing into anger. Victoria tenses up, but shows no visible emotion other than her usual disdain mixed with boredom.
"I'm sorry, Daniel, but did you just say that the SEC's allegations of corruption and fraud at Grayson Global are true?" the reporter asks with obvious excitement at the prospect of such a juicy break in the story. More questions begin to bubble up and she can hardly contain her composure.
"Yes, I did" comes his simple reply.
"Would you care to expand on that?" The reporter is practically frothing at the mouth.
"No." Daniel continues looking her straight in the eye, daring her to push the matter.
"Come on, Daniel. You can't just make that sort of claim and then not explain." the reporter tries to get something more out of him. This is Daniel Grayson. He's not the brightest bulb in the pack. Getting him to talk will make me unforgettable and this the story of the decade, possibly century.
"When those that are responsible for these contemptible crimes are punished, then I will step in and take my place at Grayson Global; rebuilding it into the respectable company that it should be. And I think that's a good place to end this interview." Daniel finishes confidently. Only Emily sees the apprehensive set of his shoulders. She knows his mind has already switched gears to how he'll deal with his parents.
The reporter glances in Conrad and Victoria's direction, sees the barely contained emotions and quickly agrees that the interview is over. "Thank you for your time Daniel and good luck to you," she says. She gives sharp commands to her crew and they immediately begin packing up their equipment.
Daniel stands from his chair and makes his way over the equipment and wires to Emily. Her smile is like his own personal flame and he will always be the moth.
"Daniel, I'm so proud of you." Her smile becomes impossibly wider as she reaches out to close the distance between them. He smiles and then leans in and softly brushes his lips against hers. Once, twice and a third time. He pulls back and grins when he sees the slightly dazed looked on her face.
"I love you," he whispers softly and sweetly, for her ears only.
"Get out of my house!" comes a loud voice from behind Daniel. Conrad is standing there, seething with rage. "How dare you say that about your family and our company!" comes Conrad's shout of outrage.
Victoria is standing next to Conrad, just staring at Daniel, with an occasional glare aimed at Emily. Charlotte is watching the entire exchange from the base of the staircase; tears welling in her eyes.
"Was anything I said untrue?" Daniel replies keeping himself in front of Emily in a protective gesture, but doesn't move forward.
Conrad glances at the reporter and her crew that are listening intently through the guise of packing the remaining equipment. Conrad's voice drops to a loud whisper, balling his hands into fists and moving toward Daniel aggressively. "You know damn well what I mean, Daniel. After what we talked about, what you promised me, how could do that to us? We're your family."
Daniel looks at his father with outrage and disgust. "I plan to keep my promise. I will always take care of Charlotte and once the dirt has been swept out of Grayson Global, I'll rebuild it. The right way this time." Daniel grabs Emily's hand and starts leading her to the front door. He stops when they get to Charlotte, leans down and gives her a quick hug.
Daniel looks into Charlotte's big, brown, tear-filled eyes and smiles. "You're welcome to come with us." Emily catches on and doubles the invitation.
Charlotte glances back at her parents, clearly torn. They might not be the greatest parents in the world, but they're still my mom and dad. "Thank you, Daniel, Emily. I appreciate the offer, but...I think...well, I think I should probably stay here." Charlotte smiles at them and tries to stop the tears from leaking out.
Daniel smiles, musses her hair and says, "it's an open invitation Char." Then he and Emily head for the front door.
"Daniel, wait!" Victoria yelps in a panic. I will NOT lose Daniel. He's everything to me. "Don't go. Emily can head home and we can sit down and discuss this as a family."
Daniel's condescending chuckle and head shake make it clear to her that wasn't the right way to go about talking him down. "No. I'm done being a part of this 'family'. You and Dad don't seem to realize that being a part of a family doesn't mean keeping each other's dirty little secrets and despising one another. And for the record, as far as I'm concerned Emily's a part of MY family now." His calm, but firm tone shocks Victoria into silence.
By the time she's ready with a retort, they're out the door and it shuts firmly behind them.
Conrad glares at the reporter and her camera crew as Ashley ushers them out of the study. He walks over to his desk with Victoria hot on his heels. "Conrad, what are we going to do about Daniel. We can't just let him leave and move in with Emily Thorne!"
"Daniel's made his choice and now he'll have to live with it," Conrad replies while pouring two glasses of scotch. Neither pays any attention to the one child they still have under their roof.
Charlotte stares at the front door for a moment before turning and hurriedly ascending the staircase. She rushes back to her room and quietly shuts the door . She slowly moves over to her dresser and opens the top drawer, digging out her bottle of pills. She stares for a moment, recalling the outrage and disgust that she saw on Daniel's face as he looked at their parents. She pops two pills and then flops back onto her bed. It's going to be a long night.