Chapter 25: Confession
Some believe confession helps a guilty soul find peace – releasing us from the shame and regret of our mistakes. In the face of mortality, many feel the need to seek this closure to make things right, because if death doesn't kill us – our demons will…
It was early morning when Amanda lurched awake in bed, shaking away the remnants of a harrowing nightmare voiced over by none other than her counterpart in identity, Emily Thorne. In the dream Emily was urging her to confess, enumerating the countless trials that would result from keeping a secret. But despite vividly recalling her admonition, Amanda could not place what she was telling her to confess, what dark secret she could mean – until she looked to her left and saw the answer clear as day.
Aiden slept beside her, his face bringing back all the clouded memories of a night of passion, lust and ultimately, transgression. Filled with regret, Amanda slipped out of bed and quietly began dressing, tending to the disarray of clothing that adorned the floor. She moved quickly, finishing her morning routine to secure the premises with a walk around the cabin. She used the time to think, stewing over all that had transpired and more importantly, what she would do next.
It was sunrise when she returned, settling in a chair across from the bed to wait for Aiden to awake. His eyes widened at the sight of her staring at him but before he could adjust to the light, Amanda spoke. "Last night was a mistake," she stated flatly.
Aiden shook away the last semblance of sleep to sit up, allowing the bed covers to fall down his bare chest. "Top of the morning to you, too," he grumbled, absorbing her indifference.
"I mean it," she emphasized in concentration, shaking her head and staring out the window. "I shouldn't have… I just... It's been hard being here alone …" she fumbled for words and finally trailed off, recollecting memories of her hiatus with Jack and Carl just months before. As thoughts of her betrayal began to incriminate her, she wiped at the tears forming at the corner of her eyes. "I just miss him so much," she finally admitted.
Aiden shifted awkwardly given his current position. Despite Amanda clearly seeing it as a foolish yield to temptation, there was a part of him that longed for her in a way he had never knew until now. Strangely enough, he realized he had wanted it to happen. "I know you do," he accepted nonetheless. "I understand."
"I'm sorry, I just… it can't happen again," she sighed, returning her gaze to him. Her eyes were glassy, with an indebted look that spoke volumes. Anxious to cut at the tension, she reached over for the clothes she had gathered from the floor. "Here," she tossed them to him. "How did you find me, anyway?"
He caught the articles but continued to focus his attention onto her. "You forget that account I set up for your sake is my ticket to you," he reminded her, growing serious. "It's quickly becoming a dangerous liability," he continued, getting up to get dressed. "Which is why I came here – to ask you to relocate."
"You mean why Emily sent you?" Amanda deduced, catching on. A look from Aiden confirmed she was right and she continued angrily. "You know despite what she thinks, she doesn't know everything. If the Graysons catch on to where their money disappeared to, it will only speed up her plan – I'd rather they come straight to me than anywhere else!"
"Yes I presumed that when I heard about your attempt on Conrad," Aiden shot back, drawing close to her with stern eyes. "But I won't allow you to make another dangerous move like that again. This is Emily's game, remember?"
Amanda stood defiantly. "So I guess you're working for her this summer?"
He relaxed his jaw, assuring her with an arm on her shoulder. "I'm not working for anyone," he clarified, looking into her eyes. "I'm here to help, because Emily cares about you." He paused, taking in a breath. "And I care about you. You're not safe here anymore."
She swallowed, resisting the urge to brush his hand away in irritation. But instead she merely walked out of his grasp. "I'm not running again," she declared, reaching the other side of the room before turning around. "If I'm not safe here, I'm not safe anywhere, which means I might as well go back to the Hamptons."
Aiden took a step forward in shock. "Are you mad? That's the last place you can go—"
"I have to talk to Jack!" she demanded, and again Aiden could see the guilt in her eyes. "I need to tell him what happened. I promise to leave afterwards, but I need to do this first. I can't imagine he'd want me around much longer after I tell him the truth anyway." She lowered her head ruefully.
Aiden approached her again, lifting her chin into his hand. "Amanda, you needn't worry, I won't say anything," he promised, hoping she would reconsider.
She stared back emptily, fixed on her decision. "Good," she replied with strong conviction. "Because he needs to hear it from me."
SCENE
"Gio, I'm not asking you to build Sea World. Just some enclosure on the beach with, I don't know, five or six dolphins for people to swim with?"
Emily raised an eyebrow as she walked out onto Nolan's patio, catching the tail end of his conversation. "I see you're sparing no expense?" she observed, just as he ended the call. "Not that I would expect anything less for your housewarming."
He chuckled, escorting her back into the house. "Well, I capped the guest list at a hundred to ensure that it was the most exclusive event of the season," he commented, glancing over. "You've been AWOL a day or two, I was beginning to worry you wouldn't be back in time?"
"My mission took me out-of-state," she explained shrewdly. "I went to persuade Father Paul to elicit a confession from Conrad."
"Ah," Nolan recalled. "That's right he's on forced sabbatical in Maine due to the takedown Daniel and I told you not to do." He gave her a knowing look and she suppressed it with a sigh.
"I am well aware that I punished the wrong man, Nolan. But my visit was successful – Father Paul is returning. And if he can get Conrad to confess—"
"Then you get what you've been after all along—" Nolan finished for her. "Clear your father's name." He shrugged at Emily's nod. "I just never imagined Conrad would be the one to do it. Once that's done it just leaves…"
"Victoria," Emily answered back, prodding him. "Did she RSVP?"
He held up his tablet in the affirmative. "Not surprisingly now that she's broke and looking to steal as much attention as possible," he paused to look up at Emily. "Tell me again why she's invited?"
Emily wore a curt smile. "You'll see," she dangled. "What has she been up to while I was gone?"
"Not much, just moving her sweet son Patrick back into the mansion," he advised to a scowl from Emily. "Don't worry; I specifically left 'Cesare Borgia' off the list." She was visibly relieved, though somewhat disturbed by the implication in his reference. Meanwhile Nolan returned to his tablet to continuing preview the event. "Ashley's coming – oh, and apparently sporting Jack Porter as her plus one?" he balked, remembering the information he wanted to run that past his cohort. "Rumor has it she's been a regular over at the Stowaway."
"Really?" Emily responded, not overthinking it. "Well, that's not a cause for concern, I trust Ashley."
"Not enough to know your true identity yet?" Nolan quipped with a smirk.
"No," Emily emphasized. "But she's been reliable. She cares about Jack and most importantly she knows that Amanda is alive. I don't have to worry about him when he's with her."
Nolan went along without protest, closing out his tablet. "Very well then, one Hamptons Housewarming Extravaganza, in the works. Who's ready to party?"
SCENE
"Please you have to come!"
Jack shook his head at Ashley's earnest pleas, nearly laughing at her insistent tone. "Is this because you already told Nolan I was?" he guessed aptly.
"Well…" Ashley stalled, glancing around the Stowaway. "Yes." When he sighed with foresight she continued to press. "But I promise you it's not a date – it's just an event!"
Jack rolled his eyes but maintained warmth in his response. "Look, Ash – I know you love social events but they're really not my scene-"
"Yes, yes I know that but you're missing the big picture," she emphasized, leaning in and lowering her voice from behind the bar. "I want you and Amanda to have the life you deserve, and as long as the Graysons still have their reign, that can't happen." He digressed but she stayed persistent. "If there's anything I've learned from Emily it's that the ticket to winning over them is from within. A little shoulder rubbing with a new crowd is good for you; it keeps your situation relevant."
Jack frowned on her choice words. "So you're full-on working for Emily now?"
Ashley pondered it. "I work for no one, love. Let's just say we share similar endgames… Emily is a bit more aggressive than I am towards the Graysons but I have no mercy for that bunch, either. Personally I just want Amanda Clarke to have the chance to emerge into the public again and tell her story; the true story."
Jack leaned in to read her face, wondering just how much of a true story she really had. It was clear she did not know Emily's true identity but he still found it unnerving to know how close she was to her.
"And my partnership in Voulez?" Ashley was continuing. "If nothing else it's taught me that liberation through the media can change people's lives. It's time you both stopped hiding." She gazed at him with sincerity. "And I want to ensure that after Emily completes her side of the game – you won't have to."
SCENE
"That's a whole lot of thought for a housewarming invite?"
Victoria looked up as her son joined her on the outdoor patio for lunch, brightened by his presence. She continued to study the invitation in her hand, giving consideration to its meaning while Patrick took a seat. "It's for Nolan Ross," she explained. "He's been a person of interest to me lately."
"For what reason?" Patrick pursued, pouring a glass of juice.
Her eyes flicked up to him. "Something I noticed when I dropped by his house recently – it seems he has distaste for Margaux LeMarchal."
Patrick shrugged. "Should that be significant?"
Victoria inclined her jaw in support. "Only if you connect the fact that Emily prodded me in seeing to her departure," she argued softly. "She and Nolan are as thick as thieves."
Patrick cut his eyes on the mention of her. "Well, Emily is quite the devious one herself," he hinted.
Her intrigue was roused immediately. "Oh? Do you know something, son?" Victoria pried.
After a moment of deliberation and gazing around their majestic surroundings Patrick finally replied. "I don't see any reason to go on keeping this from you. Just, what I'm about to tell you – please don't judge me for?" he begged.
"Don't be silly, darling," Victoria continued prodding him. "You can tell me anything."
"Well the truth is," he sighed. "Emily hired me to come here last year."
Victoria's face darkened with surprise. "What? Hired you?" she repeated, suddenly shifting focus. "How much did she pay you?"
"Five million," Patrick confessed to another gasp from Victoria. "Plus additional interest in increments over the past six months," he added, explaining. "Which I've finally cut off – I'm done taking her money."
Still fascinated by the concept, Victoria continued pursuing. "Exactly for what purpose was she employing you?"
He continued shrewdly, knowing better to remain a level of discretion. "Primarily just my presence," he answered. "I think she expected it to unnerve you… and honestly I thought I would feel the same until I got to see who you really are. And I want no further part of her schemes, whatever they are."
Victoria nodded in thought, sipping at her morning coffee. "Likely retaliatory," she guessed, assessing the events of the previous summer. "After my interference with her and Daniel's relationship last year it doesn't surprise me. Still," she relegated. "The trouble she went to in order to ensure it is absurd! And only proves my suspicion that girl is, and has been, hiding something for quite some time."
"Besides a trump card to play against you?" Patrick guessed.
"Well if so, it's clearly failed," Victoria assured him. "You've been nothing but a comfort to me in these trying times. But as far as Emily is concerned – even with her abundant assets, that kind of money could only come from—" she paused, shuddering in realization. "But of course," she concluded with a start, staring back at Patrick. "The Amanda Clarke Foundation." He raised a brow while she continued sorting out her theory. "In my ignorance I neglected to consider that when Eli vacated it, it left her as chair."
"And the money just disappeared?" he asked.
"Emily must have it," Victoria affirmed with a nod. "But she couldn't have done it alone; she would have needed an accomplice."
Patrick palmed the invitation sitting on the table. "So you think Nolan Ross is in it with her?"
Victoria angled her neck in thought. "Well he's certainly the obvious answer, but now that I think of it, he was incarcerated throughout the time you said you received payment. And the federal investigation would have never cleared him of charges if there was a paper trail." She continued stewing in thought. "Unless she had assistance from someone else… someone who had full access to the fund from the beginning…"
Patrick watched her trying to piece together the truth with interest. "Let me guess," he suggested. "Daniel?"
Victoria acquiesced with a nod. "Well it goes without saying that my son is ignorant to her designs… but there's someone else with an even bigger stake involved," she paused dramatically. "Someone that even Daniel may have suspected all along."
SCENE
Daniel poured himself into work, his adrenaline pushing him into late evening before he had even realized the hour. But once he was in a train of thought, he found it difficult to abandon, certain that he had to finish before turning in. As it stood, the topic of his article made it all the more personal as he completed a pictorial of his father, finally having an opportunity to vent his frustrations by written word.
He was so deeply engrossed that he nearly jumped when a voice from his office doorway startled him – his mother's presence unannounced and unexpected. "Why are you here late and not with your fiancé?" Victoria prompted him as she strolled into his space.
Daniel looked up in agitation, regretting the loose security levels at Voulez while quickly moving the article on his desktop out of sight before she noticed. "Ah, she had errands to take care of," he explained, straightening up his desk. "I'm just finishing up here."
"And they are?" Victoria pressed, still more interested in Emily.
"Not important to you," he fired back with a glare. Her unexplained appearance was quickly coming upon expiration. "What are you doing here, mother?"
She shrugged. "I simply came to caution you. You don't want to find yourself marrying a stranger…" she hinted.
Daniel leveled a stack of papers without looking at her. "She's not a stranger to me," he mumbled, trying not to insinuate the deeper meaning too openly.
"Really?" Victoria countered. She approached his desk with conviction, ready to play her hand. "Did you know she paid Patrick a handsome sum to return last year?" she announced brazenly. "No doubt a part of her quest to destroy me after my disapproval of your wedding plans."
He froze at her admission, immediately shocked that she knew. "Well, can you blame her?" he replied instinctively, masking his concern with a half-smile. "Besides, you could argue she was doing the opposite and trying to win you over – seeing how Patrick seems to make you nothing but happy these days?" He added under his breath. "Despite having no regard for your other children."
She ignored his strong argument, leaning forward onto his desk. "What strikes me as more interesting is how easily Emily found the funds," she continued. "Five million, plus interest? I wonder if she's been misleading about her true earnings."
"Meaning what?" Daniel countered, staring her down.
"For instance, their source," she replied. "Perhaps they came from our missing fortune?"
He shook his head at her proposition, not wishing to even humor it. "You're delusional," he chided her. "You know as well as I do that account disappeared with the Initiative. You want to investigate it now, why don't you start with Dad."
"Your father is the one who sent me on this sojourn for the money in the first place—" she argued back.
"Yeah well I had nothing to do with it," he cut in to stress.
"That of which I'm certain," Victoria boasted, standing erect. "But I suspect your fiancé did."
Daniel rose to match her stance. "What's with all the sudden paranoia about Emily, huh? Your long lost son who's basically stranger shows up out of nowhere and suddenly now you believe everything he says?"
"Patrick's given me no reason not to trust him," Victoria asserted. "Whereas I recall your fiancé not quite having the same track record – given her relationship with Jack Porter—"
"That was two years ago!" Daniel bellowed in between.
"And," Victoria argued, raising her voice. "Not to mention her affiliation to Aiden Mathis; an outsider that not only was treasurer to that account but also had a relationship with the account's co-chair!"
"A brief relationship," he reminded her, emphasizing the word. "And I can assure you he won't be coming around again. Aiden hasn't been seen or heard since the dissolution of Grayson Global—"
"Ah, how convenient!" Victoria shot back, inquisitively. "I seem to recall you two getting into a heated exchange that day when the bomb went off." She tilted her head in examination. "Was he getting too close for comfort? Perhaps to Emily again?"
When Daniel looked as if he would tolerate no more, Victoria simply backed down, certain that her mission was accomplished regardless. "I'll leave you to your work," she conceded, looking at his desk. "But considering what we've discussed… I dare say you'll have your hands full."
SCENE
Despite an adamant disdain for his mother's wiles and a certainty that she was only trying to provoke him, Daniel could not mask his clear unrest when he returned home that evening. It was enough that she was partially correct in some of her assumptions, a fact he wondered if Emily had planted or if she had truly found out on her own. But to her favor, his mother had partially succeeded in raising a long-buried insecurity of his, one that he ached to forget but was still inclined to pursue. As he entered the house, it was an underlying feeling he could not stop from surfacing.
"Hiding something?" he questioned Emily, as he entered through the back door to see her securing the closet door shut.
"Putting away my luggage," she corrected him with an odd look, coming over to welcome him with a kiss. "I was away for a few days remember? Not that you've missed me," she scolded him, wrapping her arms around his neck.
"Oh, right," he simmered uneasily, remembering. "Father Paul," he recollected. "Or so you say?"
She glowered at his leading reply. "Is something the matter, Daniel?"
"Yeah," he acknowledged dryly. "My mother." He slipped out of her grasp to continue into the kitchen, headed for the liquor cabinet.
Emily followed cautiously, already drawing a conclusion. "She came to see you?" she guessed, glancing at the clock on the wall. "No wonder you're home so late."
"Yes, well she had me held up with all her latest discoveries," he enumerated, searching for a glass. "First it was Patrick's hefty pay day, followed by her latest theories on the ACF account – topped off with her choice in primary stakeholders: Aiden Mathis."
Emily intensified in concentration, resting her hands on the countertop. "What?" she asked sternly. "She mentioned all of that to you?"
Daniel ignored her disbelief, favoring his own concerns. "Is she right?"
She continued without hesitation. "Daniel, of course she's right – I told you Aiden set that account up for Amanda before she disappeared," she reminded him.
"But what you left out was that you were using some of that money to pay off Patrick," he elaborated, setting his glass on the counter. "And since Aiden is the only one who had access, you had to have been in contact with him to do it."
Emily snatched the glass away, moving it before he could pour. "Well then you've been misinformed," she stated. "Because I paid every dime of that out of my own money."
Daniel eyed her suspiciously. "You never told me that – nor that it was five million?"
"I didn't think I had to," she argued irritably, shrugging in annoyance. "I didn't have a choice once I decided to bring Patrick in, and besides what difference does it make what I do with my money?"
Daniel nodded, still on edge. "Maybe back then, nothing. But we're getting married now, remember? It's not just what you do with your money anymore, Em."
"Wow," Emily sighed in amazement, shaking her head as she set his glass back down. "We set a date, and suddenly you care how I spend my time, my money… What's next, Daniel, who I talk to?"
He rubbed his head, putting the bottle in his hand aside to take a minute to reflect. "Alright, look I know this probably all sounds paranoid, I just," he shifted his weight, leaning forward. "I just got caught off guard. I'm not used to her knowing more about you than I do."
"Victoria doesn't know anything that surprises me," Emily reassured him. "When I threatened Patrick, I had a feeling he would either follow suit or confide in her – and now he's just made it clear where he stands…which honestly, makes it easier for us to know how to deal with him from now on." She came around to join him on the other side of the counter, resting in his arm space. "But if we're going to handle this together, we can't afford to let your mother weaken our defense."
"Yeah," Daniel admitted, lowering his head. "I know her goal is to blow us apart, I just… I just wish you wouldn't give her any ammunition to do it. Patrick is one thing, but Aiden is a name I'd like to leave in the past." Emily looked down for a second uncomfortably, drawing Daniel's attention. "He is in the past right?"
She continued to avoid eye contact and took a step backwards, her eyes flickering up to him in apology. He caught the inference and quickly grew in intensity. "Wait a minute – don't tell me you talked to him?"
"It's not what you think, Daniel," she plead immediately, putting a hand up in allay. "I only just reached out to him this past week. I had to bring him in for a favor—"
Daniel was already concluding the worst. "Emily that's ridiculous, you're trusting him again-?!" he bellowed.
"Hey, you're one to talk!" she levied back, and then suddenly lowered her voice, cognizant of Charlotte sleeping upstairs. After calming down she finished. "Look, I didn't want to do this either but I had no other option. It was the first thing I planned to tell you – I needed his help."
"But clearly not mine," Daniel inferred, rubbing his brow once again. "So tell me – what is he about to do that I can't?"
"Daniel—" Emily pressed.
But he had already had his full of the conversation. "You know what, forget it," he gave up, exiting the kitchen to go upstairs while Emily remained behind, watching him go. "I'm sure I don't want to know."
SCENE
Nolan observed the busy scene of his home full of guests, proud not only of the final touches to the décor but also of the turnout. His sentiments were echoed by Ashley as she made her way down the poolside to greet him, accompanied by a dapper looking Jack on her arm.
"Top marks on the housewarming party, Nol," she complimented warmly, reaching over to go cheek to cheek. "I couldn't have planned a better theme myself for your re-entry into the Hamptons."
"Well, that's mighty gracious coming from the once-admiral of summer festivities herself," he grinned back, eyeing Jack next to her. "I guess I have your spiffed up date to thank for your perky mood… you clean up nice, Captain Jack?"
Jack tried not to roll his eyes too obviously at his friend's clamor. "Ashley insisted I dress the part for your soiree," he explained numbly, shrugging his shoulders. "And it's not a date."
Nolan glanced at Ashley for reassurance and she agreed with a nod. "He's right," she nudged Jack. "Just an opportunity for the prince of Montauk to mingle amongst a few loyal subjects," she implied while Nolan looked on in understanding.
"I'm all for it," he agreed, gesturing towards the rest of his venue. "Roam as free as you like – the pool house is fully stocked."
Jack put up a hand at Nolan's suggest. "Thanks pal, but I think I'll just be over by the bar." He smiled at the two of them and walked off casually.
"Naturally," Ashley tacked on coyly, giving Nolan a knowing look before following Jack over.
Nolan smirked as they left, leaving room for Daniel to fill the open space beside him, sporting a drink in hand. "So," he hailed dryly with a glance around the premises. "Did Emily chip in for the party too or was it just the house?"
Instead of dwelling on Daniel's caustic disposition Nolan merely laughed it off, expecting his sour mood after a brief conversation with Emily that morning. "Despite the natural philanthropist that she is, this extravaganza is all moi," he claimed in assurance. "My assets are finally thawed… but what's with all the sudden interest into her charging capacity?" he pried, feeling him out. "Don't tell me you're thinking about a opting for a pre-nup?"
Daniel rolled his eyes. His recently acquired comrade was always good for a sarcastic insertion to break up the mood. "Patrick told my mother Emily's been paying him off," he admitted openly.
Nolan folded his arms, unfazed. "Yeah, I heard. So?" he downplayed it with a shrug. "He still doesn't know who she is. Em knows what she's doing."
"You think so?" Daniel challenged, stirring his cocktail. "I'm beginning to worry…"
Nolan showed understanding with a nod. "Well we've both been in that category of late," he acknowledged. "But it sounds like she's intent on fixing it? Take it from me, this is the part where you just sit back and wait."
Daniel huffed at Nolan's prior experience. "Yeah, I'm getting that," he relented, draining the rest of his drink.
With a chuckle, Nolan continued. "Ere go – where is the future Mrs. Grayson anyway?" he asked, surveying the party for her golden locks.
Daniel followed his gaze while responding. "Here any minute," he assessed, cutting his eyes. "She's hoping to massage a confession out of my father in between playing Florence Nightingale by his side."
"Well then," Nolan digressed. "It won't be a party until Florence arrives." He drifted off with his playful grin, hoping the brief chat had somewhat lifted Daniel's spirits. Not surprisingly, Daniel couldn't help letting out a chuckle as he left, brightening up even more when his sister soon arrived his side.
"Danny!" she called ahead, wearing an excited smile. Charlotte glided over in a floor length sundress that understated her large midsection, while her hair cascaded over her shoulders in elegant curls.
"Char," Daniel greeted her happily, noticing. "You look beautiful, as always."
"Ugh, I had to spring for a little pampering this morning," she confessed. "Otherwise the depression of a non-swimwear appropriate body would kill me," she joked, casting a glance over her shoulder towards the bar. "But luckily I found a fun little distraction. Did you see Ashley's guest?"
Daniel followed her line of sight, finally noticing. "Jack Porter?" he realized.
"Yup!" Charlotte nodded excitedly. "Ok, maybe it's a little presumptuous, but how cute of a couple would they make?" she asked right away, to a hesitant look from Daniel. "I know what you're thinking," she rushed in. "It's none of my business but ever since I've started spending more time at the Stowaway I can't help but notice how lonely he is? And it's been almost a year since Amanda passed, and now with Declan gone – I just want to see him happy again. Why not with someone we already know?"
Daniel shifted uncomfortably, not sure how to address her interest without giving away information she was still unaware of. "Ah, Charlotte I'm not sure if that's such a good idea—" he began, just as her focus moved elsewhere.
"Wait, Emily's here – I'll ask her," she remarked, drawing Daniel to turn. As Charlotte took an eager step past, he watched his fiancé make her entrance, escorting Charlotte back to his side.
"So, what do you think?" Charlotte was finishing, gesturing Emily's attention towards where Jack and Ashley stood chatting at the bar on Nolan's patio. "Am I good at matchmaking, or what?" she hinted.
In a similar response to Daniel's, Emily struggled to respond. "Um, Charlotte… I really don't think Ashley looks at him that way," she urged her softly.
"Seriously?" Charlotte replied in surprise, glancing between the two of them. "I can't believe you both don't see this. Ashley's been at the Stowaway nearly every day this week – each time she spends her whole lunch talking to Jack. And," she added with intent. "She even lowers her voice whenever I get around, almost as if she doesn't want me to know what they're talking about."
Emily exchanged a look with Daniel, sensing the danger in allowing Charlotte to pursue her theory. But rather than press her any further, Emily merely watched the two interact from a distance. "I suppose they do have a few things in common," she acquiesced.
Daniel turned his nose up in reply. "Like what?"
"Well," Emily added, making a wise observation. "Just look at them," she gestured.
As they turned in the direction, Charlotte's face fell when faint sight of her mother came into view, walking through the rear promenade behind the trees outlining the garden. "Oh great," Charlotte sighed grimly. "She's here. Well, so much for playing matchmaker," she quickly bowed out, fanning herself. "I think I'll hang out indoors for now – it's cooler in there anyway."
"See you later, Charlotte," Emily whispered as she left, turning to look at Daniel triumphantly. He caught her clever glance and shook his head at her cunning. "What?" she asked innocently.
"Nice distraction," he chided her. "Got anything else up your sleeve?"
Emily ducked her head, expecting the coolness since their last conversation. "Well, your father is on the brink of confession for one," she offered, glancing back across the yard to Victoria. "But more urgently, I have an answer to that question you asked me." He raised an eyebrow and she turned to face him. "Interested?"
Realizing her offer meant he had to accompany her to greet his mother, Daniel buried his pride and took her extended arm. "You lead the way," he conceded, allowing Emily to lead him over. They walked arm-in-arm around the perimeter until they finally met up with Victoria at the center of the yard.
Victoria spied them with a devilish twinkle in her eye, stopping short in her tracks. As they made eye contact, she paused to look over her shoulder and as Daniel watched in shock, her date arrived a few paces behind her and then came up to take hold of her arm – Aiden Mathis.
"Daniel, Emily," Aiden greeted them brightly upon looking up. "How lovely to see you both again."
SCENE
"Is something wrong, Jack?"
Jack turned from his intent gaze into the distance, attempting to answer Ashley's question without taking his eyes off the object of his attention. "Ah, no," he stammered, losing his line of sight while a few guests walked into his view. "I just – thought I saw someone that looked familiar."
He kept his thoughts private, though he was nearly certain he spied the fellow from the Amanda. In the months that had passed since finding out Amanda was alive, his opinion of him had quickly gone from hatred to reverence, asserting that he was responsible at least in part for saving Amanda's life. But as she neglected to mention him any further outside of that one occasion, he had dismissed the memory, until now when his mind appeared to be triggering it with a fair resemblance.
As more guests gathered in the center of the yard, now completely blocking his view, he dismissed it and returned his attention to Ashley. "I'm sorry, you were saying?" he apologized.
She smiled humbly. "It's alright. I asked were you interested in a swim?"
He immediately tensed, watching her gesture to the pool behind them. "I ah, I didn't bring a bathing suit," he begged off.
Ashley merely rolled her eyes. "Neither did I, silly – it's Nolan's house," she reminded him, hopping off of her stool. "It comes fully stocked."
Before he could say no, she was on her way towards the guest inventory, leaving him nothing else to do but follow. They emerged a few moments later in full bathing attire, and though it felt incredibly awkward, Jack forced himself to relax and enjoy the first refreshing dip into Nolan's pool. He found Ashley grinning at him minutes later as she passed him a floating device.
"Admit it," she insisted, pinning up her hair at the nape of her neck. "You're enjoying yourself."
He chuckled, nodding back as he glanced around the ambience. As much as it ranged beyond any event he had ever attended, there was no question Nolan knew how to throw a good party. With perfect sunny weather and just the right music to set a relaxing mood, he had to admit it was a positive turn from recent weeks. "It's nice," he conceded reluctantly.
"And you know what you're going to love?" she continued, wading over to him. "The extra sales you get at the Stowaway after your appearance here."
"Really? After just one party?" he laughed in disbelief.
"Well, that, and the article on you I'm going to slip into Voulez," she tacked on, while he chinned up in protest. "What? I have to start the story somewhere!" She shifted forward onto her floating device to illustrate. "Picture this – we set the tone for Jack Porter, dedicated husband and widow, trying to make a living despite an unfortunate spell of tragedy… then slowly build up into how you remained determined to see your wife's misfortunes avenged only to—" she lowered her voice distinctly. "-not only find out she survived a mistaken fate but also uncover the conspiracy that haunted her since childhood." She sighed in excitement. "It will be the story of a lifetime – and conveniently, it will serve as the Graysons' walking papers."
Jack shook his head, finding it difficult to accept her earnest desire to see the truth exposed. "Why are you doing this for me, Ash?" he asked genuinely.
She replied with a slow shrug. "I'm…trying to make it up to you. I want you to have a life again," she insisted, beaming.
He swallowed her response, looking into the depths of her eyes for the first time since they had become reacquainted, as if trying to read her soul. "How did you ever end up here?" he asked.
"Well, when you know the guest of honor and share part ownership in a global brand—" she began.
"No," he corrected her with a grin. "I mean, you're a sweet girl, you've always been honest about who you are… so why the Hamptons?"
Ashley sighed, inwardly appreciating the honest compliment. "Truthfully?" she answered. "There was once a time I was desperate for the things I wanted." She lowered her gaze into the waves of the pool. "I was willing to do anything; I had hit rock bottom and if not for a kind soul saving me, I have no idea where I'd be." She looked up to exchange a smile with him and their eyes met in a kind mutual stare. "But now that things have turned in my favor," she finished. "I'm looking to pay it forward – and pay it back."
SCENE
Daniel's eyes were instantly upon Emily, burrowing a look into her that said you invited him here? Preemptive of his unsettled reaction, Emily warned him with a frown, reminding him that the common enemy was his mother. "Aiden," she breathed in response, addressing them both. "Victoria? What an interesting choice of guest for a housewarming?"
"Yes, I presumed you would think so," Victoria sneered back with an arrogant glance at her son. "But I thought you two might have much to catch up on?" she hinted.
Emily raised a brow in suspicion. "How perceptive of you," she fired back, taking a bold step forward. "Seeing as how I've been trying to track down Mr. Mathis for the past six months!"
"What?" Victoria and Daniel echoed in surprise.
"What are you talking about?" Aiden leaned in with heavy pretense.
"Oh, don't try to play innocent now," Emily scolded him, putting a hand on her hip. She turned to face Victoria brazenly. "Victoria, as co-chair, I took it as my responsibility to locate the whereabouts of the missing funds from the Amanda Clarke Foundation even while Daniel and I planned our wedding overseas. I hired a team of accountants to perform a full investigation."
Victoria stared back incredulously. "And?" she challenged her. "What did you find?"
"Very little surfaced," Emily relented, glaring over at Aiden. "Only more questions that could only be answered by him – the account treasurer. But he was nowhere to be found."
Aiden squirmed, putting his hands up in surrender. "By no fault of my own," he rebutted, addressing Victoria. "I was forced to exit Grayson Global, not only by your son," he pointed at Daniel, who was struggling to follow the charade they were commandeering. "But also by an international conglomerate who threatened my life if I didn't—" he finished.
"Oh, right, the 'Initiative'," Emily mocked quotation marks in the air, snorting openly. "Victoria, please don't tell me you believe those ridiculous rumors about an underground organization profiting from all of this?"
While Victoria stewed over the implication, Aiden gave Daniel a meaningful stare that alerted him to how well-crafted their alibi truly was. Not only was Emily convincing Victoria that she had no association to the missing funds, but it was also publicly exempting them both from involvement by pinning it on the defunct Initiative, while feigning ignorance to the entire concept. As Daniel began to catch on, Aiden allowed his gaze to drift to the pool area while the women continued bantering.
Victoria chose her words carefully, conscious of the crowd beginning to draw around them. "I'm not certain I do," she lied, shifting topic. "Still, that doesn't explain how you came to employ my son Patrick to return to the Hamptons for over five million!"
As their voices escalated, the crowd focused their attention on Emily's response. "How?" she repeated sharply. "You mean how did I afford it? Well I'm sure money is a sensitive topic for you, Victoria, considering you have none."
"Just what are you implying?" Victoria retorted.
Daniel finally stepped in. "She's saying she covered your debt. Didn't you intend to pay off Patrick to disappear when he came looking for you, mother?" he inserted, keeping his voice elevated so all could hear. Emily looked over at him, impressed with his keen intuition of their plan. "I seem to remember a family dinner where Patrick swore to never receiving a penny of that?"
While Victoria shrunk back, Emily accosted her. "So you'll forgive me if I took it upon myself to compensate him for his losses, but when he reached out to me for help, I took pity on him. After all," she leered, driving home her final argument. "I knew you could never repay the kindness – seeing as how your family is completely bankrupt!"
Faint murmurs echoed as the crowd eavesdropped on the interchange, which left Victoria not only embarrassed but also disgraced. Besides a stern glower at Emily's emasculation of her secret, she expressed no response, but merely turned to leave the scene. Before she could make a clean exit, Emily saved one last remark for her escort.
"Oh and Aiden?" she called out to him. "If you're here on Victoria's request – I suggest you make sure you get paid up front."
SCENE
"So… you called Aiden in to intercept my mother from tracking down the missing fortune?" Daniel stated his interpretation of what had just transpired as he and Emily walked along the beach, with a warm sunset as their backdrop.
"That account would have led her straight to Amanda," Emily answered with a shrug, confirming he was right. "I needed Aiden to help me throw her off track. And Patrick's decision to tell all – well that just happened to work out to our benefit." A thought crossed her mind. "Thank you, by the way for stepping in when you did. That was exactly the angle I was aiming for."
"Yeah, I picked up on that late," Daniel acknowledged, continuing to think it out. "But you know she's just going to go back confirm everything you said with Patrick?" he speculated.
Emily nodded without concern. "And he'll deny it, of course." She raised her chin to face him bravely. "But it's his word against mine – and thanks to our outburst, the public already has a story to believe. All Patrick has is speculation; he never did know the real reason why I employed him."
"And he never will," Daniel finished, impressed by the clever plot.
"The most important thing now is that at best, Victoria thinks the Initiative stole her fortune before disappearing into the shadows," Emily continued. "She'll keep Aiden close by, employing him to chase it down until he finally loses her scent, but in the meantime it will give him a chance to work on his other assignment."
"Which is?" Daniel pursued, finally getting to what he wanted to know most.
"Ensuring my plans to get Father Paul back here succeed and that this time Conrad goes through with his confession," she replied, stopping short so they could see eye-to-eye. "This is all we need, Daniel."
"Yeah, yeah I get that – I just don't understand why any of this required Aiden's help?" he asked.
"Don't you see?" Emily prodded him, shaking her head. "Your mother will do anything to find that money. Knowing her, she's probably already moved Aiden into the pool house by now, giving him an inside advantage to keep an eye on your father, on Patrick –" she looked to him for confirmation. "Things you could never do without arousing suspicion. Face it Daniel; your parents know where you stand. Whether you like it or not, you chose a side."
Daniel absorbed her reminder with dignity, having no qualm with his stance despite still being uneasy with her counterattack methods. "Well for the record," he clarified, staring off towards the waves. "I'm fine with the side I've chosen – I'm just not so sure Aiden feels the same." He looked into her eyes for a show of confidence, but she remained silent. "What other assignments did you give him already?"
"Getting Amanda to safety," Emily heaved with a sigh. "In the off-chance that somehow your mother hires outside help to track down that account I couldn't risk exposing her. So I asked Aiden to find her a new hideout until the coast is clear."
Daniel bobbed in acknowledgment and for once, Emily sensed his approval. "Makes sense," he muttered, studying her. "If you trust him, that is?"
She stepped in close, treading carefully. "I do," she admitted. "Daniel, I know this may seem dangerous after everything that happened last year… but if there's one thing I think we both agree on, it's that Aiden can be trusted with a secret."
"I guess you're right," he conceded, caressing her cheek in the evening breeze. With determination in his eye he could not resist one final request. "But just the same – why don't you let me handle Aiden from now on? If you're going to do this before the summer's end, you're gonna have to let me help out eventually."
She peered into his eyes, sensing there was deeper meaning but relented regardless. "Fine," she gave in, drifting out of his embrace. "Wouldn't be the first time you two worked together."
SCENE
Aiden meditated in the quiet darkness of his new surroundings, acquainting himself with the forms and shadows of the Grayson pool house as early evening settled in. At the sound of footsteps padding down the walk he bounded up from his seat with rapt attention, bracing himself for the expected visitor – and then quickly exhaling in surprise upon seeing him.
"Daniel?" he breathed, letting his former ally in through the side door. "I was expecting—"
"Emily? Yeah I'll bet," Daniel finished, storming through his old residence with a bridled temper. "Look, whatever's going on you need to finish it immediately and leave," he ordered him, while Aiden quickly met his stance in protest.
"Daniel, I know it's hard but you have to trust me, everything that happened today—" he begged.
"—was all planned," Daniel finished, hurrying him along with a wave of his hand. "I know, Emily told me everything. We don't have secrets anymore – this time we are finally in a good place and I don't want you here starting trouble—"
"That's the furthest thing from what I came here to do," Aiden cut in, pleading. "I promise; I'm here to make sure everything goes on without a hitch, you have my word." He glanced just beyond Daniel back into the shadows as if checking for something. "Besides," he added sternly. "I can assure you I have no personal interest in Emily other than making sure she accompanies you down that aisle."
"Oh, really?" Daniel questioned, finding his newfound support too good to be true. "And how can I be sure of that?"
Again Aiden's eyes averted to something behind Daniel and his answer prompted a revelation. "Well, for one – I didn't come back alone," he answered honestly, gesturing for him to turn. Daniel's countenance immediately dropped as Amanda suddenly appeared at the doorway, somewhat disguised but clear in the flesh.
"What the hell is going on?!" Daniel was nearly shouting, tempering his voice so his volume stayed low but the anger remained. He jerked a thumb in her direction. "I thought you were supposed to take her to safety—" he asked in frustration, stopping short. "Wait, does Emily know about this?"
"I haven't told her yet. It was a last minute decision," Aiden responded sheepishly on Amanda's behalf as she slowly walked over. While he double checked to ensure the blinds were drawn, Daniel was nearly beside himself in a fury.
"No—no, no I am not keeping a secret for you again," he insisted angrily, leering in Amanda's direction. "And especially not concerning you! I mean, showing up on my parents' own property for crying out loud, do you have some kind of death wish? This is dangerous and stupid, what were you thinking?" he demanded, nearly shaking from incredulity.
"Hey!" Aiden interjected in her defense. "It's not always easy to think when your emotions are involved. You know that better than anyone else." He glanced from Amanda to Daniel and back again.
Daniel narrowed his eyes, attempting to decipher it Amanda finally spoke. "Daniel, don't worry – I'm not staying here. I'm going to see Jack tonight and then I'm leaving." She paused to make eye contact with Aiden before returning to the other side of the room. "For good."
Certain that something else was afoot; Daniel shook his head upon her exit, giving Aiden a final warning. "I don't know what that was all about but I'm letting you know right now I am not a part of whatever side-game you're running, alright? And believe me; I know you're up to something besides helping out Emily for old times' sake." He levied a finger in his direction before making his own firm exit. "Just finish the job she gave you and get out of here as quickly as you can—you got that?"
Aiden sucked in his jaw, nodding at Daniel's instruction. "Loud and clear, boss," he quipped slyly. Too angry to argue, Daniel finally slipped out, leaving Aiden to retrieve Amanda from the bedroom.
"So regarding this ah, 'telling Jack and then leaving for good,'" he repeated while watching her gather her things. "I'm not so sure you want to do that," he suggested. He grasped her arm when she finally turned around. "Amanda- from the looks of things, he may have already moved on."
"What?" she challenged him in disbelief, pushing him out of the way. "You're just saying that."
"I'm very serious," he insisted, stepping into her path again. "He was at Nolan's housewarming earlier. I happened to see him frolicking in the pool with that Ashley girl, the one that seems to orbit the Hamptons circuit endlessly—"
"Ashley's a friend," Amanda corrected him defiantly. "She's done nothing but help me and Jack since I came back last year and she hasn't said a word since she found out I was alive." She lifted her bag onto her shoulder, set on leaving. "And besides, that's not Jack's kind of scene – if he was there it had to be for some other reason."
Aiden edged closer into her space. "And you're sure you want to find out what that reason is?" He eyed her up and down, hinting. "Don't think you're the only one who's had secrets since you've been away. Jack could be hiding one of his own—"
"Even if he is, I don't care," she finally cut him off, more so to spare herself from the thought. "Either way he deserves to hear the truth from me—"
Aiden finally reached in to palm her face, sympathizing. "The truth will do nothing but send him right into her arms, love." Amanda pulled away guiltily at his caress and tender expression. "Along with your infant son," he added, hoping it would strike a nerve. "Is that really what you want?"
She pondered for a moment, conflicted by what she knew to be his sharp intuition and what her own conscience was pushing her to do. "I told you a long time ago I'm willing to suffer losses," she finally replied. "Just like I'm willing to do whatever it takes to get to Conrad." Determined, she raised her eyes and continued forward out of the side door, adding. "And nothing you or Emily say or do is going to stop me."
SCENE
"Loneliness is a beast."
Conrad looked up at Father Paul's presence at his doorway, feeling a mixture of emotions as he downed his evening cocktail. In his depression he was relegated to the confines of his home, broken up only by a visit from Emily earlier that afternoon, who attempted to comfort him with words of encouragement. And while he admired her fervor for boosting his spirits, he was hesitant to think of it as anything more than coincidental – up until now.
"I appreciate your visit," Conrad greeted him, somewhat bashfully. "Did you know I came looking for you last week?"
Father Paul nodded as he entered the room, sensing the reason without needing to ask. "For confession, perhaps?" he prodded him.
Conrad lowered his head ruefully. "God already knows what I did, Paul."
"And yet, you still feel unsettled?" Paul continued, zeroing on the truth. He approached his side and continued to impress the point. "True mercy requires more than a confession, Conrad. It's a calling for mending your ways." He studied him and finally offered the solution he was there for. "Have you considered turning yourself in for your crimes?"
"That ship has sailed," Conrad answered dryly, continuing to drown his self in despair. "Besides - why would I want to mar my image any further when my children already hate me? They'd just despise me even more."
Paul shifted his focus, recalling the mission he was there to accomplish at Emily's urging. "Perhaps it's the opposite," he offered. "Coming clean to the world and accepting the consequences will not only benefit your soul, but it could be the final chance for you to bring your family together. By clearing David's name- his reputation- you would be giving your daughter Charlotte, her father back."
Conrad pondered the thought, having never looked at it in that perspective before. All his life he had been in the habit of concealing the truth rather than admitting to it, seeing that as a sign of weakness and surrender. But given Daniel's clear abhorrence for his acts and Charlotte's recent enlightenment – perhaps that's what they wanted to see in him all along?
Detecting that the notion was sinking in, Father Paul added. "And isn't that a better way to leave this world- not as a weak and broken man, but as a savior?"
SCENE
Jack wore a subtle grin as he loosened his collar and entered an empty Stowaway, leave for the sitter coming down the stairwell to welcome him. "Hey," he greeted her appreciatively, tossing his jacket on a bar stool and feeling around for his wallet. "Sorry I'm getting in so late, it was supposed to be an early night—"
"Don't apologize," the young girl urged him with a gracious wave. "You deserve a night out for once. Carl was an angel; he's been down since 9, sound asleep..."
"Thanks," Jack obliged, taking the key she handed over. He continued to pat down his pockets so he could pay her before she went on her way. "Must have been a quiet night for you, then?"
"For the most part – but towards the end your friend stopped by to peek in," she added, drawing his interest while she gestured back towards the upper rooms. "She's upstairs waiting for you."
"Friend?" Jack questioned, pausing to become curious. "Oh, Charlotte?" he guessed.
The sitter thought for a moment, regretfully. "Ah… not sure if she mentioned her name or I just forgot it already," she added with a lighthearted shrug.
"Young girl, 'bout eight months pregnant?" Jack described, motioning to signify her belly.
"Young, yes," she affirmed, furrowing her brow. "But definitely not pregnant – at least not eight months anyway," she laughed. "I just know Carl was happy to see her, so I figured she'd been around here before..." While Jack struggled to sort out who she could mean the sitter sensed that perhaps she had been too liberal in letting her in. "I can um; I can stay if you need me to?"
"No, no," he assured her, now more anxious to see who it was. "It's fine, I uh," he continued to check his jacket pockets. "Just can't seem to find my wallet—"
"Don't worry about it," she assured him. "Your friend took care of it. Have a good night."
He raised a brow. "Oh, right – ah, thanks, again," he replied, seeing her out.
While the babysitter left, Jack tapped the spare key against his palm and then started up the steps, wondering who else it could be that not only dropped in but also paid the sitter. "Emily?" he called ahead with a guess. But upon reaching the doorway, he froze. Standing over Carl's crib, watching him sleep soundly stood his wife, Amanda. Jack gasped as she looked up, and immediately dashed over to her.
She pinched her eyes shut while he embraced her without delay, and after hesitating, finally wrapped her arms around him in return. "Close enough," she repeated over his shoulder in a low whisper. "It's nice to be called by my real name for once."
"Oh my God!" Jack nestled his chin into her neck, ignoring her quip in favor of stroking her hair and lower back to confirm that she was really there. He finally separated, alert with the implications of her presence. "Amanda, what are you doing here," he asked in a rush. "I thought you were going to stay away?"
"I am, I am," she answered, nodding emphatically as she led him away from Carl's crib so as not to disturb him. "I just have to find a new place. It's not safe for me to stay upstate anymore," she lowered her head, fumbling through the details. "The um, the account is tied to me and apparently Emily was worried it would put me in danger—"
"Do you need money?" Jack asked anxiously, fretting.
"No, I'll be alright," Amanda assured him, finally staring at his ensemble for the first time. It was rare for her to see him so dressed up. "Why; did you suddenly come into some?" she observed.
He followed her glance, chuckling. "Ah, Nolan had a housewarming thing earlier," he explained, sidestepping it. "Just dressing the part – nothing special."
Amanda gave him an understated grin, unable to judge him too severely with the weight that burdened her inside. She took hold of his hands, sensing that the moment of truth had to come eventually and plundered forward into it. "Right," she accepted. "Look, I have to get going I just came here to say—"
"Amanda, please," he interrupted her, squeezing her hands back and leaning inches away from her face. "Stay the night. Please?"
Her eyes widened as she took in his offer and he leaned forward, planting a fervent kiss on her mouth in entreaty. She leaned into him longingly and then broke away with an abrupt gesture, unable to face him.
"Please, Amanda," Jack continued to beg, cradling her face in his hands while he pressed his forehead to hers. "I've missed you so much—" he glanced over at their son. "We both have. Just one more night with us as a family, no one will ever know you were here—"
At his last few words she forced herself out of his grasp, walking out of Carl's room into the upstairs hallway. "I can't do this, Jack," she insisted, shaking her head. He followed behind with a confused look, trying to understand her resistance. "I have something to tell you," she finally began, choking back the beginning of a sob.
"Amanda, whatever it is just—" he reasoned, but was interrupted by a sound from downstairs before he could finish. They both fell silent and upon hearing it again he realized it was a knock at the door. He raised a finger to his lips, gesturing for Amanda to quietly head towards his room while he slipped downstairs cautiously to investigate. "Hello?" he called out in response.
"Jack, it's me," a soft voice came from the other side of the door.
He opened it upon recognizing and this time his guess was right – it was Charlotte. "Char," he greeted her somewhat awkwardly, only partially cracking the door. "Uh, everything alright?" His eyes trailed upstairs in hope that Amanda was out of sight.
"Yeah, I just came to bring you this," Charlotte answered, handing over his wallet. "You left it at Nolan's. I came by earlier to drop it off but the sitter said you were still out so…I just figured I'd try again later. Not like I can sleep much nowadays with this one kicking all the time," she joked, rubbing her belly.
"Heh, thanks," Jack stammered nervously, looking down at the wallet. "Can't believe I left this."
"You were obviously distracted after you left the pool," Charlotte hinted with a smile. "I saw you and Ashley hitting it off together – no wonder she's been hanging around here so often…"
"Ah, Charlotte, it's not like that," he rushed to defend, glancing behind him again.
"Oh, so you're in denial too, huh?" she joked, and then suddenly picked up on his unwillingness to let her in any further. "Wait – am I interrupting?" she asked, sensing he was hiding something. "Are you two still on your date?"
"No, no, I just—" he rushed, but she was already stirring.
"Say no more!" she insisted, tapping him on the shoulder. "I'll leave you two alone—but I want to hear all the details when I drop by tomorrow," she pressed with a sneaky grin. "Goodnight, Jack," she added coyly, disappearing from the front step.
Unable to correct her misguided thinking in time, Jack merely sighed in response and secured the door shut, rushing to return back upstairs. While he hoped Amanda had not been listening in, his fears were affirmed when he found her sitting by the balcony door, wiping tears from her face.
"Hey, look I'm sorry if you heard any of that, Charlotte's got the wrong idea—" he clarified.
"Jack, I don't love you anymore," Amanda cut him off.
He stopped short at the surge of emotion that interrupted his train of thought, and blinked several times before allowing it to absorb. "Wh- what did you just say?" he asked her.
Amanda rose to her feet, filled with an anxiousness that reminded her of the first time they had met rather than the resolute calm that he came to see in her from months before. "It's not like you don't know it, already," she declared, behind tears glistening in her eyes. "I've done nothing but lie to you for the past year."
Jack stared at her incredulous, tossing his wallet onto the night table as he took a step towards her. "Amanda, what are you talking about?" he started in. "Is this because of what Charlotte said—"
"It's just the truth," she insisted, burying her head into her hands. "If I loved you I would have never kept everything a secret – I would have never let you believe I was dead and left you alone to raise our son—"
While she stopped to inhale a shaky breath, Jack came over to her. "Hey, come on, what are you doing?" he pled with her. "You've told me all of this before, remember? And I forgave you – we've moved past it. All I want is our life together; this is what we've been fighting for!"
"I haven't been fighting enough!" she retorted angrily, lashing out at him due to her disappointment in herself. "I betrayed you and I, I," she stammered, searching for the words before finally settling on something she could bear. "I have feelings for someone else."
Jack gaped at her in shock but only shook his head in protest. "No, no I don't believe you – what is all this? Is this some kind of game to get me to leave you alone—" he suddenly became incensed, as the possibilities ran through his mind. "Did Emily put you up to this?"
"This has nothing to do with Emily," she asserted, backing away from him towards the door. "It's about me. I can't keep doing this to you, Jack – I just can't."
As the reality finally sunk in, Jack's countenance fell in desperation as he edged near to her. "Wait, what are you saying?"
"Goodbye, Jack," she insisted, opening the door behind her to back out of it.
"Amanda, wait," he begged again, but she would not listen. "Please – don't do this—"
She interrupted his plea with an intensely fixed stare and he knew once she turned there was no coming back. "Goodbye, Jack," she repeated through tears before disappearing down the back stairwell. "Take care of Carl for me."
SCENE
"How'd it go with Aiden?"
Emily's voice startled Daniel as he entered the back door into the beach house, glimpsing her on the couch facing a roaring fire. Her gaze never averted from the brilliant flames as he walked over, which he recognized as evidence that she was deep in thought, putting her expert skills at planning to work. Sure enough, a large map was sprawled out on the table, and as he approached he became certain it held significant meaning.
"Ah, you were right," he confirmed first, tossing his jacket onto the chair. "He's in with my mother; staying in the pool house as we speak."
"Did he mention Amanda?" Emily pressed without blinking an eye.
Instead it was Daniel that hesitated, and when the silence drew her to look at him, he knew there was nothing he could hold back. "He did," he answered. "But I'm concerned about her." Emily arched her brow, prompting him to explain. "I don't think she wants to stick with the plan to disappear."
"What gave you that idea?" she pursued shrewdly.
Daniel let out a heavy breath. "Because she was there," he confirmed, turning away from the fire to face her. "She came back to the Hamptons."
With a priceless expression, Emily was shaking her head and propelled to her feet in an instant. "What?" she bellowed. "What the hell is she thinking – she has to get out of here, we are this close to getting your father to confess!"
"I know, I know," Daniel agreed, consoling her. "Look, Emily I don't even know if she came back to start trouble or not but I think she has a different kind of attachment—"
"She can't be with Jack, it's too risky!" Emily assumed, already starting towards the kitchen to look for her keys. "Charlotte's at the Stowaway nearly every day," she ranted in aggravation. "And if she doesn't recognize her someone else will and it's only a matter of time before they come forward – we cannot afford for your father to have a reason to change his mind—"
"Hey, don't you think I know that already?" Daniel called out to her, trying to get her to slow down. "Trust me; I gave Aiden the same exact speech—"
"And what did he say?" Emily questioned, spinning around. "Since this is just as much his fault as Amanda's, I told him to make sure she stuck with the plan—" she cut herself short to put a defensive hand in the air at Daniel. "Go ahead and say it, I shouldn't have trusted him—"
Conscious that she was right, Daniel dismissed it anyway. "Wait, that's not it," he inserted, finally reaching out to stop her before she bounded out of the door. "I mean, yes, I think it was dangerous to trust him, but I also think he's part of the problem—"
"Exactly," she nodded. "Which is why I have to go over there to handle it!"
"No, no, Emily," he clarified, holding onto her free hand. "I don't think you understand what I'm saying." With the seriousness of his tone she finally calmed down to take a breath and listen as he elaborated. "I'm saying, I don't think its Jack she's attached to."
Emily furrowed her brow in confusion, studying Daniel's eyes to make out the true sense of his revelation. Despite knowing it was an early guess and a complicated one at that, he felt certain of his preliminary suspicion.
"I think the real person Amanda is attached to—I think its Aiden."
SCENE
"Contemplating a burial at sea?"
Conrad turned at the sound of his wife's voice chiming from the bedroom, interrupting his peaceful stare from the balcony out over the ocean below. He watched as she slipped off her heels and removed her earrings, committing the memory to mind in the event it was the last of its kind. "It's quite the contrary," he replied, joining her in the room. "Today is the first day of the rest of my new life. I was merely saying 'goodbye' to the old one." With a pause for intensity he finally added. "I'm turning myself in to the authorities."
"Ah, so that's what you've been up to all day," she replied flatly. "While I was being publicly humiliated and reminded of your misfortunes – you were home entering the final stages of psychosis?"
He couldn't help but chuckle at their usual banter, certain he would miss their brusque interchange. "This is the clearest thinking I have done in years," he ascertained, heading for the door. "I am coming clean."
With realization, Victoria went rigid in her spot, eyeing him daringly. "You're serious?"
He placed a humble hand on her shoulder. "Before I leave this world, Victoria, I want to show my children that I'm capable of paying for my mistakes."
Incensed at his audacity, she shook the gesture off. "You should begin by paying back the fortune you lost to your cohorts in the Initiative!" she barked, steaming mad. "A fact I was reminded of by your own accounts treasurer, no thanks to you. And what right have you to come clean after you blew up a plane to keep me from doing the same?!"
He tapped her shoulder condescendingly and turned to start down the hall. "Well, you can believe what you must. But no one is stopping you now. So come with me, if you like."
Now enraged, she followed him through the hallway, shouting at his back. "Oh! As if it's that simple! You're going to be dead long before you pay for your crimes, and I'm going to be there to shoulder the burden, as will your children!" Growing desperate the more he stormed happily away from her, she continued to chase behind. "Have you even given a thought to the ramifications for your family?!" she yelled.
Conrad finally turned to address her. "Victoria, you haven't been truly invested in our family- this marriage- since David Clarke," he reminded her painfully. "So why don't you think about it this way? See, by turning myself in, I'm not only clearing his name for Charlotte, but for you as well, my dear- so that you can finally have your true love back—Dead as he may be."
Seething at the cutting edge to his response, Victoria finally lashed out, slapping him across the face. "You son of a bitch!"
Conrad merely reached up to touch his stinging cheek and turned from her berating. "Oh, thanks for the memento, sweetheart," he dismissed her, making his way down the steps to where Victoria could now see Father Paul waiting at the bottom.
"Oh, I will give you more than that, darling!" she threatened, grabbing the closest fixture next to her, a ceramic vase and tossing it down the stairs, just missing Conrad in the process. He paused with a startled look and kept going regardless, infuriating her even more. "Are you responsible for this idiocy?" Victoria yelled down to Father Paul.
"She's having trouble accepting my decision," Conrad explained as Father Paul looked on in surprise.
"I can see that," he commented, answering to Victoria next. "He's making amends, Victoria. We both are."
With that they went out the front door, but not before Victoria bounded down the steps and caught Conrad on the front stoop. "Conrad, if you get in that car, I swear it will be the last thing you do!" she shouted.
But without even the slightest hint of concession, Conrad merely got into the car awaiting him, leaving her alone and abandoned to her frustrations.
SCENE
At the sounds of a heavy knock at the pool house door, Aiden sprung to his feet to answer, only to be nearly knocked over by Emily barreling forward to scour the premises. "Emily- what are you doing?!" he let out in a half-whisper.
"Pack your things, you're leaving!" she ordered him, already at the bedroom door by the time Aiden caught up to stop her from retrieving his bags herself.
"Emily, what are you doing here it's not safe—" he insisted, while she snapped in return.
"If anyone's not safe it's because of you!" she barked, finishing a sweep of the room to bore a stern glare into his face. "Do you have any idea how much you've complicated things by bringing Amanda back?!" she exploded.
He retracted, nodding at her understanding. "So Daniel told you?" he verified. "Well I can't say I'm surprised."
"Of course he told me," she asserted proudly. "Aiden, you can't do this—" she scolded him angrily.
"I didn't!" he insisted sharply in return, stepping into her space. "You did. You sent me to her!"
"No, I sent you to save her," Emily argued. "Because Victoria was quickly gaining on her trail," she paused to narrow her eyes at him suspiciously. "And just what went on between you two?" she searched him. "Is that why you let her come back, because you have feelings for her?"
Stung by her insightfulness, he jumped to respond defensively. "Look, Amanda came on to me alright?" he clarified, eliciting a sigh and a grunt from Emily. "And it's a lot less complicated than you think;" he added. "She wants nothing to do with me now."
Emily picked up on the sourness of his tone. "You say that with regret, Aiden?"
Aiden retracted, knowing it to be the case. "Well I suppose I do regret it," he admitted to her continuously stern looks. He stepped away, back into the common area of the pool house while Emily followed a short pace behind. "It's true; I've had feelings for her since I trained her last year, I can't deny that."
Emily let out an annoyed sigh and turned to look away, placing a hand on her hip while Aiden continued.
"And I truly believe she cares for me too," he alleged glumly, searching for the words. "But it's not that simple. She's—she's stubborn."
Emily finally piped in. "Well, that's the Amanda I know," she shot back. "The one that loves her husband and her family – clearly you forgot all about that when you allowed your emotions to cloud your thinking again," she proposed. "Where is she now?"
He straightened his jaw, refocusing. "My emotions are irrelevant," he insisted to her initial remark. "And Amanda went to Jack; she was intent on confessing everything to him even though I tried to explain that he too has moved on—"
"Moved on?" Emily stopped him with interest. "With who?"
"Ashley," Aiden answered. "I happened to see them together at Nolan's earlier," he paused at the reminder. "After our elaborate charade with Victoria that I still don't recall you thanking me for…"
"Ashley knows Amanda is alive, Aiden!" Emily charged ahead, ignoring his plea for recognition. "She's just trying to be a friend to him, not a lover! I have to stop her." Synthesizing the information, she suddenly shifted gears on her way to the door. "Wait a minute—did you feed Amanda that lie about Jack to try to stop her from going to him?" She shook her head in disapproval. "You want to keep seeing her don't you?"
Annoyed, Aiden once again closed the space between them bitterly. "If I were, it would be none of your affair," he asserted. "You know, I don't fault her for growing tired of your plan, Emily. She's right—" he stopped to eye her up and down. "You really are obsessed with things you can't control."
Emily let out a breath, licking the inside of her lip at his nerve. "So now the enemy lines become clear?" she presumed, reading his assessment of her with a shake of her head. "Well Aiden, I'm sorry if you're not happy with the way I do things, but I prefer not to break up families and just kill the people I want out of the way," she slung back, throwing the pool house door open.
"Oh?" he challenged. "Isn't that what you're doing to the Graysons?"
She doubled back to lean in close, searing him with the indignation in her eyes. "Just the opposite," she answered. "As we speak Conrad is on his way to confess everything to the police. This is about to be over. And when it is?" she finished, to a faint trace of worry from Aiden. "You just better hope you're standing on the right side when the chips fall."
MONTAGE
A guilty heart is silent- its pulse muffled by the secrets it keeps.
Patrick entered the foyer of Grayson Manor nervously, seeing a trail of shattered ceramic shells littering the stairwell and an air of contention still fresh within the house. At the sound of the front door closing his mother emerged at the top of the steps, only to see her son at the bottom rather than her intended. But despite her disappointment, Patrick's face was a comfort to Victoria, while he immediately looked up to her for explanation.
While some believe confession can release a tortured soul…
Daniel breathed a sigh of relief, content with the day's end in that he had survived it without having to lie to Emily. While he had imagined her reaction to the truth would only lead to further havoc, he could rest easy knowing their relationship was intact and with it, his exoneration from past sins the year before. He walked the hallway to their bedroom, pausing just beyond Charlotte's open doorway, where was asleep with an open book on her lap. Leaning in to tuck it onto her nightstand and pull the covers up to her shoulders, Daniel felt a sudden twinge of angst, knowing that no matter how purged his soul felt, as long as he and Emily continued to keep secrets from their shared sister, he would never be free of the entire burden.
Others view it as a sign of weakness…
Aiden lay awake in bed, staring in solitude until surprisingly his companion returned, deftly sneaking in around the midnight hour. He tensed at Amanda's arrival, not expecting her to come back, much less to join him. A swift glance over his shoulder told him that despite the dangers that existed from being in his close company, Amanda had been pushed to her decision by desperation and was ultimately still plagued by guilt. So he watched as she nestled into the space beside him without a word and representatively turned on her other side – shutting him out to her feelings with an eerie silence while he still lay wide awake, struggling with his own.
Because ultimately, whatever you say, however you feel about what you've done, it's irrelevant…
Jack placed a loving hand atop his sleeping son, drawing assurance from Carl's gentle breaths before turning out the light in his room and retiring to bed. He sat down with a heavy heart, holding back tears as he held the photo on his nightstand, a frame he had once destroyed. And yet, the turmoil of Amanda's ability to show deep abiding affection and yet still impel him to anger and betrayal had become beyond repetitive, now bordering torture. The act of mourning her loss and celebrating her return only to do the same over again within a matter of months had finally broken his resilience. With anguish in his eyes he sought to release himself from the vicious cycle, and angrily faced the picture down despite his certainty that it could not possibly be the end.
For the hand of death is equally unforgiving.
Emily sped in her car with a sense of purpose, hoping to get to Amanda or Jack or someone before the irreparable damage was done. She cursed herself inwardly for trusting Aiden, and pushed aside the thoughts of how she would repair everything in favor of hoping that as long as Conrad confessed, the final interworking of her plan would be preserved. But to her shock and dismay, her determined drive was broken up by the sight of a car in flames on the side of the road, thrashed around a phone pole with debris covering the street and grassy knoll.
She pulled over immediately to investigate, recognizing the car without a doubt as Conrad's as she came to a stop. Rushing to search for survivors, she landed first at the side of a bruised and bloodied Father Paul who appeared to have been ejected from the car.
"Father Paul!" she called out to him, kneeling beside to check him for life signs. He appeared unconscious while she continued to call to him, desperately praying that he was alive.
Yet behind her, the noise of someone stumbling forward could be heard, and she turned with anguish to see Conrad – containing burns across his face and barely able to walk, but clearly still alive. While Emily glared in his direction he braced himself on the warped hood of the car and took in the sight around him, unable to fathom all that had just happened. He squinted to look at her and Father Paul's motionless body on the ground and was barely able to mumble a word.
"Emily?"
END OF CHAPTER
A/N: Well the best laid plans often go awry… and the Revengeverse is no exception :( Hopefully the other "confessions" that were laced throughout this chapter made up for the unfortunate ending! I hope you enjoyed reading the aftermath of everyone's 'sins' and how they have already spread to impact other characters. Please tell me your thoughts! Many of you were enraged at Amanda in the last chapter but hopefully you see her flaws now for what they are and can be patient for them to be addressed (but not without some consequences along the way!) In the meantime, I hope you enjoyed the joint efforts of Team Demily in this installment and some triumphs for them in handling issues the second time around. Do leave your feedback & reviews please! I eagerly look forward to reading them and I hope you enjoyed! ~Love and Revenge~ MothToANewFlame