Wilhelmina stood hastily, inching away from where Grant sat, his presence overpowering her. Connor welcomed Nico falsely, his smile broader then it should be. Nico eyes widened as she made eye contact with her father, his sly signature grin looking as evil as ever.

"What the hell is going on here?" Nico screeched angrily, Andre following behind her.

"Nico, darling." Grant's husk voice intersecting the commotion as he stood, his arms wide open.

"Don't fuck with me." Nico spat back, her nose flaring with anger.

"I'm just here to clear the air...with both of you."

"Nico..." Wilhelmina coxed.

"This is such a trap!" Nico screeched.

"Dinner is ready." Connor spoke up, his hand on Wilhelmina's back.

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They sat quietly around the dinner table, the tension thick in the room. Wilhelmina sat at one end while Connor sat on the other, Nico and Andre closest to Connor and Grant closest Willie. Wilhelmina's knee jumped expeditiously, tapping rhymatically in anxiety. Her food lay in front of her, hardly touched as small beads of sweat passed her face with every look at Nico's father. At one point it all became to much for her as the heat rose intensely to her cheeks and the bile built up in the back of her throat, causing her to rise from her chair quickly.

"Excuse me." She croaked quietly as she made her way to the master bedroom.

Connor went to go after her but Nico stopped him quietly. "I'll go." She mumbled, pushing herself up from the table.

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"Mom."

Wilhelmina peeked her head out of the bathroom, her toothbrush in hand. Nico huffed and sat at the end of the bed. "Oh so your talking to me now?"

"Did you throw up in here?"

"Shut up!"

"Your not pregnant are you?"

"Not funny." Wilhelmina placed the toothbrush in the holder and flicked off the light and joined Nico on the bed.

"Mom."

"What?"

"Why did you invite him?" Nico asked, not looking up.

"I needed to stop you from making the mistake I made and the mistake that I almost made."

"What are you talking about?"

Wilhelmina exhaled sharply, her hand now resting on Nico's. "Has Andre ever hit you?"

Wilhelmina flinched back expecting Nico to make a scene, insulted that she would even go out with a abusive man, let alone have a baby with him. Nico sat quietly, her head down as she wiped a silent tear from her eyes.

"Nico." Wilhelmina warned, her voice pleading.

Nico looked up at her mother, trying not to explode into sobs. "Mom it was only one time I-"

"No!" Wilhelmina yelled, her hands covering her face as she jumped from her bed.

"Mom it was my fault I-"

"Nico! This is what I am trying to save you from...It is not your fault and one time is enough!"

"What do you mean save me from, how the hell did you know?"

"I was you Nico!" Wilhelmina's arms flared as the tears streamed down both of their faces. "Pregnant and scared, finding a rare sense of false security in a man that...beat me on a daily basis...for fun."

"But you were a model at some point...how did you-"

"Airbrush...works wonders Nico."

"Mom Andre...he lov..." Nico sympathized.

"No Nico! This ends today!"

"I can't leave him, mom he loves me!"

"He doesn't love you Nico." Wilhelmina took her hands into her hers and shook her head. "He loves having you...on his arm and at his beck in call, a punching bag on his bad days and a sex machine on his good..."

"Mom, my situation is not your situation."

"Nico...This is not just about you, there's a child involved and if it doesn't stop... this man will end up killing you."

"Andre would never kill me...He loves me."

"Nico that's the same thing I said to my mother the day before you were born and THE DAY I was beat within an inch of life...I didn't get out quick enough and I risked your life and now I've been terrified of one single man for over 20 years...and I can't let that happen to you."

"Mom..."

"Nico."

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Connor looked up as Grant moved from the table.

"Where is your restroom."

Connor pointed stiffly. "First door on the right."

Grant nodded and left for the bathroom, Connor not suspecting a thing.

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"Nico, I love you more than I love Chanel...And that is saying ALOT. You made my sun shine for so long and I would die before I knowingly let any one touch you again."

"But mom, Andre loves me."

"Sweetie that is not a man's love for you, that's a man's hatred of himself."

"Where, will I go?"

Wilhelmina opened her arms, widely spread. "Your room has not been touched since the last time you've been there."

Nico shook her head defiantly. "How did you escape?"

"I waited until he took a business trip with one of his whores and in the middle of night when none of his watch dogs were watching I snatched you and ran...I took a leave of absence from Mode for a month and went to Connecticut with my mom only to return and find that your father had never returned to the apartment and had set up camp in Dubai...After 2 years he started requesting to see you and sending checks...but we only spoke...never face to the face."

"Mom tha-"

"Is a very interesting STORY." Grant stated, causing both to jump as he locked the door.

Wilhelmina pushed Nico behind her and whispered Go in the bathroom.

"But mom-"

"GO!"

Nico nodded and scurried off to the restroom as Grant stalked to the restroom.

"Well, well Wanda...20 years later and your still trying to fill my daughter's head with lies."

Wilhelmina backed up nervously. "Well, well Grant...20 years later and your still a coward, not willing to admit the hell you put me through."

"What hell?...You had a 5 bedroom apartment, drove a Mercedes and had an 18K engagement ring."

"With a blue diamond to match my bruises?"

"Woman, I treated you like a queen."

"I don't quite remember Cleopatra getting black eyes."

"You ungrateful bitch."

"You black baboon."

Grant snarled, quickening in Wilhelmina's presence causing her breathing to become uneven. "You think your somebody...huh...Married a rich white guy...got a fancy job...two stupid ass brats.."

Wilhelmina drew back her hand struck Grant across the face, his head turning instantly. Wilhelmina backed away as his head jolted forward and Grant's arms reached out towards Wilhelmina's neck.

Inside the bathroom, Nico paced nervously. At the moment of silence she peeked her head out and witnessed Grant's hands clasped tightly around Wilhelmina's neck as Wilhelmina's eyes bulged and she gasped for , Nico ran out and towards the door, jiggling the handle and screaming Connor's name. Grant turned around, releasing Willie and advancing towards Nico. They all looked up as Connor banged on the door, trying to get in the locked the door. Wilhelmina jumped up onto the Grant's back but all he did was throw her to the wall, her body hitting the back wall.

"THIS IS WHY WE LOST OUR FIRST CHILD!" Wilhelmina screamed angrily and Grant spun on his feet, pouncing back on Wilhelmina and grasping her neck once.

Connor suddenly, kicked down the door, Andre following behind him. Grant looked at Connor and instantly released Wilhelmina. Connor drew back fiercely and jabbed Grant in the face, than out of no where tackled him to the ground, pulling his pocket knife to Grant's throat.

"Touch her again mother-fucker, Touch her the fuck again!" Connor whispered scornfully as he held the blade tightly. Wilhelmina held her neck soothingly in awe of this side of Connor. Connor's eyes bulged with redness as the veins popped out of the side of his neck in anger and the blade got closer and closer to his neck. Grant sighed in surrenderance but Connor didn't move, the blade nearing his main artery.

He looked back, seeing Wilhelmina's hand on his shoulder as she held her neck with her other hand. "He's not worth it baby." Wilhelmina croaked with her lost voice.

Andre, standing there helpless spoke up and motioned to Nico. "Let's go."

Nico looked from Andre to Grant and than to Wilhelmina who was still trying to get Connor to release Grant. Wilhelmina looked up at the sound of Andre's voice and spoke silently. Nico nodded wordlessly and stepped over Connor and Grant, following behind Andre.

Wilhelmina, still weak, eased Connor off of Grant. Connor took the blade to his side and grabbed Grant by the neck, escorting him to the door.

Wilhelmina ran to the foyer when she heard a scream escape from Connor's lips. She jogged onto the scene, Connor on the floor and the door swung open. Wilhelmina knelt down, only to see the pocket knife jutting out of Connor's abdomen. She gasped, hovering over him.

Connor's eyes fluttered open, his good hand clasped tightly around the wound. "He grabbed my knife."

"I'm calling 911!" Wilhelmina reached over the coffee table and dialed. "Hello, I need help...My husband..."

NWJ

NEXT CHAP: CONNOR'S OUTCOME, GRANT'S ARREST AND NICO'S COURAGE TO LEAVE, WILLI IT HAPPEN TUNE IN NEXT SUNDAY ON CHANEL 3 THE NWJ CHANNEL LOL FOR MORE =d