Gwen smiled as she saw the shifting thoughts traveling across Theresa's face.
"What are you smiling at?" Theresa demanded sharply.
"I know what you're thinking," Gwen said with narrowed eyes, "and it's not going to work, Theresa."
"What do you mean?"
"You're thinking, 'it's really too bad about Marty, but what if Alistair is really dead? Then I am back in charge of Crane and I can get Ethan back.'"
Theresa's jaw dropped at the accuracy of Gwen's guess.
"It's not going to work, Theresa," Gwen continued in a hard voice.
The two women eyed each other across the table like duelists at high noon.
"What do you mean, Gwen," Theresa said snippily. "You can't tell me that Ethan wouldn't give up anything-anything to get the birthright that you stole from him back even if it means walking away from a ball and chain like you."
"I mean, I know something about you that would blow up your happily ever after fantasy of you and Ethan running Crane side by side while Jane and Little Ethan play in the Crane Nursery."
"Oh? What is that?"
"I know that Little Ethan is Ethan's biological son."
"You bitch! You spied on me and JT!"
"At least I didn't watch you and him making love on web-cam," Gwen retorted. "Yes, I know about that, too," she said, in answer to the unspoken question in Theresa's big brown eyes. "So, I figured one good turn deserves another. In any case, I repeat, I know that Little Ethan is no Crane. Got that?"
Theresa swallowed hard, "Yes."
"I have a proposition for you. But before I tell you what it is. Let us review the situation. I know that Little Ethan is no Crane. All it would take is for me to say one word to Ethan and your little world would be toast."
"If you tell Ethan that Little Ethan is his, he'll take Jane and leave you-"
"You know damned well he won't."
"Ethan is in love with-"
"My money. Mind you, he'd prefer Crane money. But that is never going to happen. If I tell Ethan that Little Ethan is his son, I could then tell the Cranes they have another cuckoo in their nest with a clear conscience, because surely Ethan would want to claim his little godson, Ethan Martin, that sweet boy who is like his own son, anyway, as his. The Cranes would then turn on you and throw your bouncy little behind in the street so fast, you wouldn't know what hit you."
"Alistair legally adopted Little Ethan, so-"
"So, I will help Ethan challenge that adoption because Julian had no right to sign away a son that wasn't his to Alistair. Julian won't fight it, because he will then get full control of Crane, so nice try, Theresa. In any case, you will end up with no wherewithal to support yourself, much less Little Ethan. Since we already have Jane, Ethan and I can then sue you for sole custody of Little Ethan. You will no doubt lose and then act out, as you always do, which will lead us to ask the judge that your parental rights to both children be terminated ... permanently. With the Cranes backing us and they will be vengeful, Theresa, because they will believe you defrauded them, the judge will take them both away forever, leaving you nothing. Then, if you are lucky you can get your old job back at the Crane Fish Factory and Cannery. You turn pale. I see the prospect doesn't appeal to you."
"What do you want? Do you want me to stay away from Ethan? Because I already said I would."
"I don't believe you. You see, you have a built-in connection to Ethan through Jane that you can use. I want you to sever that connection."
"Whaat?!"
"You heard me. I'm contacting my lawyer who will draw up the legal papers to enable me to formally adopt Jane. All you have to do is cede all maternal rights over Jane to me."
"Never!"
"I'm already Jane's defacto mother, Theresa."
"Oh, yeah? Well every time you look at her you will see that she is my daughter with Ethan," Theresa taunted. You will see me!"
"Actually, no, I won't, Theresa. I will see me. Jane looks nothing like you, thank God! She slightly resembles Ethan, but she looks a lot like I did at her age. Just by looking at us, people take it for granted that I am her biological mother and she is my flesh and blood. She's even got my hands, coincidentally. But then, even to the casual observer, she's fair and willowy like me, not squat and swarthy like you."
"Bitch, her DNA test says that I am her mother-!"
"I don't need any stinking DNA test to tell me that I'm her mother. All I need is your signature on the dotted line to make it formal."
"And what do I get out of this?"
"My silence. I will forget that Little Ethan is my husband's son. You will be able to continue enjoying your stolen, but high-priced lifestyle in peace."
"How do I know that you will keep your word once Jane is legally yours?"
"You don't know. But I will point out to you that it suits me just fine that Ethan never know that Little Ethan is his. Not because I am afraid he will walk out of my life, but because I know I will never get rid of you. With Jane legally mine, there will be no more 'my baby mama drama' where you and Ethan are concerned. Unless you wise up and find your boy a new step daddy, he can continue to be known to Little Ethan as his godfather, 'Uncle Ethan.' And, as long as you keep your distance and behave yourself, I will let you keep Crane, enabling you and your boy to live like high rollers."
"What is Ethan going to say if I sign off on Jane like that? He's bound to get suspicious-"
"Ethan doesn't have to get suspicious if we don't tell him until after the fact, when Jane is legally mine. Then you will tell Ethan the truth. Believe it or not, you can tell the truth as convincingly as you tell a lie, Theresa. Signing away your rights over Jane to me will prove that you are serious about your pledge to leave Ethan and me alone. That you will finally respect our marriage and family. You will look all tearful and remorseful and tell Ethan that you owe me Jane for Sarah."
"I-I don't know-"
"What's it going to be? Yes or no? You have five minutes to decide before I simply make a quick long distance phone call to Julian."
Theresa hesitated. Gwen beckoned to a waiter nearby and asked that a transatlantic line be brought to their table.
"All right, all right, I'll do it!"
"Good," Gwen smiled. "Never fear, Theresa. I'll take good care of Jane and I'm sure you'll find another weapon to add to your arsenal of dirty tricks. Jane is merely one that I neutralized."
Theresa sullenly watched Gwen as she triumphantly called her lawyer and told him to draw up the documents for Jane's adoption.
Gwen told the lawyer she would make it worth his while if he could not only expedite the paperwork but speed up the adoption process as much as possible.
The lawyer perked up at this and made it clear that the papers would be ready for Jane's birth mother to sign the next day and he could cash in some favors by having a friend of his who was a judge in the family court sign off on them. For further consideration the waiting period for the adoption period could be waived...
Gwen told him to do anything and everything to make Jane's adoption final and irrevocable as soon as possible.