Disclaimer: I Do Not Own Revenge, I Just Love It

A/N

Thanks so much to those who read my latest chapter and commented. It's good to be back!

Chapter 12: Breathe

Jack watched Amanda carefully. She was standing at the helm of his boat, hands on the steering wheel as she stared out confidently into the vast ocean. She looked content and free, her only apparent troubles being her blonde hair which kept blowing in wisps over her eyes.

It was a weird feeling knowing such an important piece of information about someone you know. Something they didn't yet know themselves. He held a card that would change the course of her life, and that terrified him.

Was it right to force the truth on her when she had already accepted, albeit in defeat, what society believed about her father? Her life hadn't been easy and he didn't want to make it harder. The truth would hurt.

His thoughts being interrupted by the pinging notification on his phone, Jack, clicked on the message to see Nolan's text. It's Time.

Last night Jack and Nolan Ross had talked in depth about what happened to David Clarke. Jack had decided against reading the journals in the infinity box, feeling as though it was a breach in Amanda's privacy. Instead, he had gotten the story and facts from Nolan Ross directly.

It had not been easy to listen to, his head had been spinning the whole time. It almost didn't feel real, like the story should be a plot to a movie, not his world's dark and hidden reality. Especially being, how close he was to the story. His little brother was best friends with a Grayson, even Amanda Clarke was on good terms with one of them. Sure the Grayson offspring didn't have anything to do with it, but still, how could he look at them the same knowing the abhorrent actions their parents took to avoid persecution.

Jack and Nolan had then talked in depth about the best way to break it to Amanda. His father was coming back tomorrow, so the bar was not an option. Her little apartment was paid off by the Grayson's and who knew what security they had put in place or how thick the walls were, so that was out. Jack couldn't take her to Nolan's house because he was a stranger to her. So that left two options. His boat or the beach.

They had decided on The Amanda. Jack knew how much she had appreciated the boat the first time he had taken her on it, and he thought it might be a good way for her to relax a little before bombarding her with the truth. Furthermore, they wouldn't have to worry about running into anyone at the beach. They would be alone.

Looking at her now though, he wasn't sure if this was the right choice. He felt devious. Nolan was below deck, and Amanda had no idea, she thought it was just the two of them alone. Nolan had insisted upon being there when he told her the truth, and Jack had felt like that was a good idea since he would be able to answer questions he couldn't. But Amanda wouldn't have stepped on the boat if she had seen Nolan. She would have known something was up, so Nolan had remained below deck for the time being.

He felt like such a liar though.

"Amanda"

Watching as she turned her head to face him, Jack cleared his throat, as he gestured for her to come closer and firmly said, "We need to talk".

"So," Amanda questioned with cocked eyebrows, as she sat down beside him. She was nervous but trying to play it cool. Jack had kissed her yesterday morning and they hadn't talked about it. She didn't know what to say or how to act. She was just trying to act normal. So when Jack had invited her for a boat ride she had said the most obvious answer...yes. Mostly she was confused though, he had smiled when he had seen her, and she had smiled back. It was simple, normal, she had let out a relieved breath, no awkward hugging or greeting with a kiss. But he had been acting weird all evening, he seemed quieter, and nervous like he was struggling with something; like he needed to get something off his chest. It made her nervous.

"So, Nolan Ross came to see me last night", Jack said slowly, breaking the silence as he carefully observed her reaction.

Her eyes widened in surprise. Nolan Ross who had come to her with conspiracies about her father. "Why?" she questioned, feigning ignorance.

"You know why Amanda, he came to see you too. Why didn't you tell me?"

Amanda bristled, "Because it's none of your business Jack, and he was talking nonsense" she replied stiffly.

"It's not nonsense Amanda, you have to listen to him" Jack urged.

Amanda cut her eyes sharply at Jack, "Don't tell me what I have to do….. You're soft for believing whatever he told you".

Jack shook his head firmly, "You have to be strong to believe it, Amanda, the truth is hard."

"He's not the first person to tell me my father was innocent Jack, there are conspiracy theorists all around. You don't fall for it!". She was trying not to shout at him, but the more he talked the angrier she became. He was pushing all her worst nerves.

"He has facts, he has names, dates, journals written to you by your own father which explain the truth" Jack further pushed.

Amanda squeezed her eyes shut tightly, "Shut up Jack", she said through clenched teeth. "He hurt people, he killed people".

Flashback

Nine-year-old Amanda was sitting in a dim-lit and spacious room at a large table all by herself. She had a crayon in her hand and a piece of paper in front of her. It was keeping her occupied, but she wasn't enjoying drawing as she had just months ago when her life had been normal. It was hard to enjoy anything when she just felt so sad.

"Amanda," Dr. Bank's scolding voice jostled her from her drawing. "I asked you to draw something different today. This is another picture of you and your father".

Directing her eyes up into the doctor's, Amanda, defiantly replied, "Take me to see him, and I'll draw anything you want".

"You know you'll never see that man again. Tell me why?"

Looking down sadly at her drawing of her holding her daddy's hand, Amanda felt an aching pain in her heart. That man was her father. "Because they took him away".

"Because he hurt people," Dr. Banks firmly corrected, bending down on her knees so that she was eye level with Amanda as she stared steadily in her eyes, "Because he killed people".

"That's a lie," Amanda instantly denied, her face scrunching up in defiance. Her father was the kindest man in the world, he could never hurt anyone, " they did it".

"There is no they Amanda," Dr. Banks replied frustratedly, they had this conversation over and over again, but the child was so stubborn, "and if you don't stop challenging me on this, you might wind up spending the rest of your childhood in this place. Is that what you want?" she threatened.

Amanda pursed her lips in anger, her gaze tightening into a sharp glare.

"I want to see my daddy!" she replied staunchly, trying her best to keep the tremble out of her voice despite the lump settling in the back of her throat. She was trying so hard to keep it together, she had to be strong for her dad. That's what he'd want.

Dr. Banks simply shook her head in dissatisfaction, not phased by her request, not even acknowledging it as she stood up silently and exited the room, the door shutting behind her with a definitive thud.

Alone again in the room, Amanda let her anger bubble up inside of her and spill out as she brashly swiped all the crayons and her drawing onto the floor. Tears streamed down her face as she let out a scream.

Flashback End

" I get it," Jack said slowly, " I didn't before. Remember last time we were on this boat and I brought up your father and my thoughts on his innocence, and you instantly shut me down. I didn't understand then because I was thinking about the little girl I had known who had adored her father. But I never thought about all the people, all the adults in your life who had repeatedly told you that your father was guilty. Let alone all the books, and articles, and news videos you must have seen about the David Clarke trial showing perceived evidence of his crime. You were a child, I can't even imagine how painful and exhausting that must have been. I bet at first you adamantly denied what people were saying, but as the years went by and nothing changed, you began to doubt yourself and then him. You probably thought you needed to grow up and face the truth….but now you really need to. Just hear us out. If you don't believe it we'll drop it.

Tears began to well up in the corners of Amanda's eyes but she forbade them to drop. Her heart was pounding hard against her chest as her mind flashed back to memories of her as a confused child adamantly trying to protect all the attacks against her father's character. She had given up...a long time ago. No one had ever listened to her.

"Amanda?" Jack gently pushed.

Her words just above a whisper, Amanda conceded, as she finally asked, "What truth?"

"David Clarke was innocent. The Grayson's framed your father for the downing of flight 197!"

"What?"

Amanda's face turned as white as a sheet as her mind flashed back to the night her Hampton's home was swarmed by big men in black suits and guns. She had been sitting curled up with Sammy and her father one minute, and then the next minute, a sudden blaring flash, and they had broken in and ripped her from her father's arms as she was screaming his name and struggling to be with him.

The Grayson's, they had been on her porch that night. Victoria Grayson, with her cunning dark brown eyes widened in surprise and glistening as though she was going to cry. Amanda hadn't seen a single teardrop though. And then there was Conrad Grayson standing stoically with cold grey eyes, looking unfazed by the commotion.

She had always had a sick feeling about them…...but this. They were the Grayson's but so were Daniel and Charlotte. Daniel who had been a friend to her when she had forgotten what that felt like. Daniel who had kissed her just yesterday on the beach. And Charlotte, who always laughed and smiled with such ease.

"Amanda, your father wrote you journals in prison. It details the whole truth. They're in the infinity box Nolan tried to give you. He's here downstairs. He wants to give them to you and speak to you, can I tell him to come up?"

Amanda simply nodded her head, not fully registering Jack's words, her stomach was doing somersaults and her brain was firing a thousand different thoughts at once. She thought she had braced herself. But this...this was too much.

My dear Amanda. If you're reading this, then two things have come to pass: I'm finally able to provide you the life you were unjustly denied… …and sadly, I won't be able to share that life with you. I hope these journals provide answers to the questions you've had all these years. I am not the man they say I am. I did not do the things they say I did. All I ask is that you promise to do the one thing that's been so hard for me to do. Forgive.

NO

Amanda thought instantly, her hands trembling as she held her father's letter in her hands. She read his words over and over again as fresh tears streamed down her face, and before she could catch it, a single teardrop landed on the letter just below where her father had signed his name. It very nearly splotched the ink on that section of the letter. Not wanting to ruin the very little she had left of her father, Amanda hastily folded the letter back up placing it within the infinity box, as she tried to wipe more hot tears off her face.

"Amanda," Jack said softly, reaching over to put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "I"

"Don't touch me".

Her voice was harsher than she meant as she shrugged off his hand. But she didn't care. Not right now. Keeping the tremble out of her voice was hard enough without trying to control her tone.

"All this time….All this time, I've hated him Jack….they made me, they made me hate him, they told me and told me over and over again, and I told them they were lying but they…. they broke me".

Flashback

Amanda was sitting in a small, dull room. White-bleached walls surrounded her and only a small bed in a metal frame with a blanket and pillow was on the floor. She missed her home, and her father, and her real bedroom. She and her father had painted her room an ocean blue colour, and to fit the theme, she had drawn a bunch of colourful fishes and stuck them on her walls. Her favourite had been the pink starfish. In her room, she'd had a bookshelf full of all her favourite books, a treasure trove full of toys, stars that glowed in the dark plastered on her ceiling, and photo frames of the people she loved on her shelves. Now she didn't have anything, not even colour in this room. Her life had turned dark and dull the moment they ripped her apart from her father.

Turning towards Dr. Banks, her psychiatrist, with pleading eyes, Amanda achingly said, "I promise to be good. Can I please see my dad?" She meant it too, she would do whatever they wanted, she just needed to see him. She would listen better, keep her mouth shut, she would even smile all day as if she was happy if they wanted her to.

Dr. Banks, cocked her head to the side as if she was considering it. "No" she said staunchly, "because you'd only be pretending to be good. Just like your dad pretended to be a good father."

Amanda felt her lips begin to tremble, and a heavy lump begin to settle in the back of her throat. She could almost taste the tears coming. "He was a good father" she replied softly but defiantly.

Dr. Banks shook her head slowly, her eyebrows raised in distrust, "You know the truth" she said pointedly, an unwavering coldness hidden within her tone as she swiftly stood up from the bed and began to walk towards the door.

Amanda felt herself panicking, it rose up in her chest, making her heart beat fast. She didn't want to be alone again, she felt trapped, and it was just too painful. "Please don't leave me in here," she begged standing up from her bed and walking closer towards the door. "I promise I'll be a good girl" she tried convincing Dr. Banks, as she watched her place the key in the door hole that would lock her inside.

Dr. Banks turned her gaze towards Amanda, her dark brown eyes displaying very little emotion, except disdain towards the scared and distraught little girl in front of her. "You'd just be pretending", she replied icily, as she slowly began to close the door on Amanda. Her parting gift, being her twisted idea of words of wisdom. "People who aren't who they claim to be Amanda, are very very dangerous, you'd be wise to remember that".

As the door slammed shut in her face with a definitive thud, Amanda felt a sharp aching pain in her heart as she yelled, "No!". It hurt, everything hurt, and she couldn't control it anymore, not her pain, not her anger, and not her fear. Panic overtook her body, and uncontrollable tears began to stream down her face, as she screamed and begged and yelled, while banging her fists on the locked doors until they turned red at the abuse, "No….please don't leave me in here…..please, please….get me out".

There was only silence on the other end, her cries echoing in that little room being the only response.

She was alone.

And maybe her father was to blame.

Flashback End

"You know now," Jack said solidly, reassuringly, "we'll get through this".

"No!" Amanda replied angrily, " I betrayed him Jack, I knew him best and I….. I".

The words couldn't form on her lips, she'd lost them. Amanda could feel herself panicking but she couldn't stop it. She couldn't breathe. Her heart was beating so fast she couldn't draw in enough air. She was gasping for it but every breath hurt, like the last remnants of oxygen were scraping against her lungs. She was trying so hard just to breathe, but it wasn't working. She was shaking now, trembling, tears running uncontrollably down her cheeks. She had lost it.

She could faintly hear them in the background.

"What do I do?"

Jack sounded frantic, panicked. She didn't see it but she could almost feel his hand reach over to comfort her, but just before she felt his touch, in hesitation he pulled it back.

"She's having a panic attack. Give her some space"

It was Nolan's voice now, calm but evident with worry.

"You have to breathe Amanda, try focus, you'll get through this" he was trying to tell her.

What did he think she was trying to do, she couldn't control it, the more air she gasped for the more fiercely her heart pumped and the more out of breath she felt. She was so scared. Nolan was a stranger. What did he know? She wasn't strong, she only pretended to be. There was a difference. Her heart was pounding so fast, she felt like it could explode. It didn't help that her body was burning up, and yet she was shivering as if she had chills. She deserved this, she betrayed him. The one person who had loved her unconditionally.

"Okay, count slowly to ten with me."

Nolan was trying to guide her now.

"One….Two…..Three"

Three she repeated internally, it wasn't working though. She could still feel herself panicking, her whole body working overtime. How could she calm down, not after what they did to her father?

"It's not working, do something" Jack indicated urgently.

"Amanda, try to remember a time when you felt safe, focus on that"

Nolan was telling her.

Safe, when had she felt safe? Talking on the beach shore with Jack. Drawing next to Daniel on their bench. Maybe that time they had all ridden on The Amanda together. No, deeper, she had to dig deeper than that.

Flashback

The wind was howling in the night sky, the rain pattering heavily against the windows, as nine-year-old Amanda heard a loud reverberating boom from outside. Thunder. It was so strong it shook the walls.

Jumping out of her bed trembling, Amanda grabbed her blanket from her bed and headed in search of her father. But before she could even swing her bedroom door open and peek her head down the hallway, her father had rushed in and scooped her up in his big arms.

He already knew.

She wrapped her small arms around his neck tightly and snuggled her head into the crest of his neck as he carried her down to the living room.

Placing her down carefully on the couch and tucking her snuggly into her blanket, David Clarke swiftly checked the security of the windows and the front door before crouching down by the fireplace and turning it on, watching as the bright flames flickered gradually to life. Satisfied, he sent a reassuring smile towards Amanda, before, planting himself down on the couch beside her, his right arm naturally snaking around Amanda's small body, cocooning her in a safe embrace.

"You know, Amanda," he said softly, "You don't have to be afraid. Thunder sounds big and scary, but there's no big bad monster out there. Thunder is really just a change in temperature and pressure up in the sky. It's completely natural. It can't hurt you. You're safe".

"You promise" Amanda's big brown eyes were staring up at him innocently, as she gently prompted him. She couldn't quite understand exactly what he meant by a change of pressure in the sky. But she appreciated the scientific explanation, it made sort of sense. She had never seen a monster outside her window up in the sky, and of all the summer storms she'd lived through, she had never once been hurt by thunder.

"I promise," David replied firmly, planting a tender kiss on her forehead.

She nodded her head at him in affirmation and smiled. Just like that, her fear had vanquished, She wasn't scared anymore. Just comfortable in the warmth and safety of her father's arms.

"I can sleep back in my own bed now" she replied sweetly, "but I'm just so comfortable here with you".

Flashback end

How could she have forgotten her father? Her real father for who he really was, not who they made him out to be. David Clarke wasn't a monster. He was never a monster. They had just made David Clarke out to be scary and sinister. But really he had been thrown into a spectacle, and since his presence had made the most noise, people had just believed he was dangerous. If they had looked closer at the truth and dug deeper for more answers instead of falling for the hoax, they would have seen that her father was innocent.

Her father was sweet, and kind, and smart, and she would curse the people who made her believe otherwise and repress all those good memories for so long.

Taking a slow deep breath, feeling the oxygen rise slowly up her chest before she exhaled, Amanda lifted her hands up to her eyes and wiped away any remaining tears. She could feel it, her mind slowly allowing her body to restore itself. Her breathing became more steady, her trembling came to an end, and her temperature began to fall back down to normal.

"I'm okay now", she said slowly but steadily, as she looked up towards Jack Porter and Nolan Ross. Her eyes were red and puffy, her body felt exhausted, and there were tear stains against her cheeks. But there was a resoluteness in her brown eyes, and a strength in her voice that shook both guys. It came from within, a scalding hot ember burning deep in the pit of her stomach, ignited from her anger and pain, "Or I will be when I make things right!"

It had been three days since Amanda Clarke had discovered the truth. Three very challenging days. The first day had been the hardest, Jack and Nolan had completely blindsided her. It had been one of the hardest blows she'd been dealt in her whole life, second only, to the day she had been ripped apart from her father.

She had read his journals one after another that night, soaking in all the names, dates, and information her father had provided, and asking Nolan about anything that wasn't clear. She hadn't slept at all that night. But how could she? For years, she had been bitter and ignorant regarding her own father's innocence. Now was her awakening. It didn't matter how much it hurt, how sick it made her stomach feel, how hard it made her blood boil, or how much it struck her heart with pain. She owed it to her father to learn everything. Knowledge was power and the only way to seek revenge and restore her father's name was to mobilize all her strength and resources.

Forgiveness, as her father had naively mentioned in the journal was out of the question. She could not forgive the Grayson's and their allies for what they did to him. Some things were above forgiveness, and framing an innocent man for a terrorist attack was at the top of that list. She didn't know how but one thing was for certain. She would make them pay.

Daniel stepped into the Stowaway Bar anxiously. It was loud and busy, bustling with working-class men and women who came straight after work to blow off steam and enjoy good drinks and company. It was a setting he wasn't familiar with. Country clubs were more his and his family's speed. Taking in his surroundings quickly, Daniel quickly zeroed in on Jack behind the bar counter polishing beer glasses and headed in that direction.

Before he could address Jack, a big burly man holding a beer opener, shook his head and sighed. "21 or older kid, come back in a few years".

Daniel nodded his head, "I'm not trying to buy, I'm here to talk to Jack", he replied honestly.

At the sound of his name, Jack turned his head to see Daniel, a frown immediately appearing on his face. He had a feeling this was coming, but still, that didn't mean he welcomed Daniel's presence. He had never had a direct problem with Daniel, and could even acknowledge that he did seem like a nice guy. But it still confused him, how a guy like Daniel had been able to get so close to Amanda so quickly. He was everything, they weren't; rich, privileged, and sheltered. They belonged best in different worlds. How could he understand Amanda?

Jack wasn't jealous of him, he had years on Daniel, but sometimes it did feel like they competed for Amanda's attention, and that automatically put them at odds. Let alone the newfound fact that he was the literal offspring of the people that were directly responsible for framing David Clarke. He knew guilty by association wasn't fair. But still, Daniel Grayson just rubbed him the wrong way.

"Hey", Daniel said casually. Jack simply nodded his head in acknowledgement. They were not friends.

"I'm kind of working" he replied, as he continued to polish the glasses while facing Daniel.

"I know," Daniel replied awkwardly, "Do you have just 5 minutes to talk though?...Please"

Jack sighed as he placed the tea towel he'd been using on the counter, muttering something Daniel didn't quite catch to his coworker. Then Jack stepped out from behind the bar and gestured for Daniel to follow him outback.

A cool ocean breeze hit them as they stepped outside, and the loud blended sounds of music, chatter and the TV within the bar became muffled.

"So," Daniel said slowly, able to hear his own voice now as he spoke, "I was just wondering if Emily was here? Or if you know where she is? I haven't seen her in a few days".

Jack shook his head, trying to keep a straight face, "She's not here".

"Have you heard from her, I'm worried," Daniel further pressed. He had been texting and calling her but she hadn't replied once, and yesterday when he had tried an automated voice had said her number was out of service. She'd been completely absent from school, and the doorman at her residence had told him he hadn't seen her in days. She had disappeared, and he was worried and confused and needed to know that she was okay. He knew how close she was to Jack, he figured if anything Jack might know.

"She's fine", Jack said firmly.

"That's it?" Daniel questioned irritably, his brows furrowing into a frown, "What's going on? Where is she?".

"She doesn't want to talk to you, Daniel".

Daniel shook his head not accepting that, despite the sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, "That doesn't make sense. What did I do?".

Jack sighed, "She has to tell you that".

"She's not talking to me!" Daniel yelled angrily. He wasn't the best at keeping his anger in check, especially when it came to things he cared about, and Jack was purposely leading him in circles. It was frustrating. Amanda was his friend too, he deserved the truth, whatever it was.

"I can't help you Daniel" Jack replied cooly, as he began to turn his back away from Daniel and get back to work.

"Is this because I kissed her?", Daniel questioned slyly, instantly getting Jack's full attention back as he wanted.

Surprise washed across Jack's face which he couldn't hide, and disappointment hid caged behind his blue eyes, as he turned once again to face him. Daniel had kissed her. He thought they were just friends. They had to be friends because he wanted to be more with Amanda. That's why he had kissed her. Had Daniel thought that same sentiment. "When?" he questioned hotly.

"The afternoon after the party, when I picked her up from your place. We talked and I..."

" So you were just pretending to be her friend. What do you want from her Daniel?"

Daniel shook his head fiercely, he could tell what Jack was insinuating, and he wasn't here for it. "My friendship with Emily is genuine, but I started to develop feelings for her and I think maybe she has too".

"You're wrong", Jack instantly denied, his jaw clenching tight as he tried not to shout in his pent up frustration. He didn't want to hear it. "And stop calling her Emily. Amanda doesn't want anything to do with you. You're toxic. Don't come back here!" he said sharply as he turned to walk back inside.

Daniel grabbed Jack firmly by the shoulder, "I'm not done talking to you Jack".

Shrugging Daniel's hand off of him, Jack turned back around to face him, a glare on his unusually hostile face. "I'm done!".

"No you're just jealous" Daniel retorted.

Jack shook his head, "No," he responded heatedly, "She doesn't like you, Amanda and I kissed that morning, way before you did. She let me comfort her in bed, would she have let you?".

Now it was Daniel's time to be surprised. He stood tensely, his fists clenched in anger like he was trying so hard to hold himself back from throwing a punch. What did Jack know? She couldn't be in love with him, could she? Is that why she was ignoring him? Is that why she had pulled away from his kiss?

It didn't matter that he and Amanda were just friends and that he had no right to be mad at her for who she liked. Daniel couldn't control how he felt...he was selfish. He had told her that before they had kissed. The thought of Amanda with anyone else just hurt, especially dogooder Jack.

"Whatever," Daniel replied bitterly, as he turned to leave.

"Where is she, Daniel?", Victoria asked with scolding eyes, "I don't need a loose Amanda Clarke running around the Hampton's doing God knows what, after all I've done to help her."

Daniel had only known it would be a matter of time before his mum got wind of Emily's strange absence. There was no hiding it, he had told her that she was sick the first two days, but by the third his mother's intuition had kicked in. Victoria was listed as Collins Prep's first point of contact regarding Emily, so the school had been informing her of Emily's absences. It didn't take long for her to realize that something was up. Emily being sick was a weak excuse, Daniel had been acting strange, Emily's phone service had been disconnected, and when she had sent Frank to the girl's apartment; he had searched it and found no evidence that she'd recently been there or clues to where she had gone.

"I don't know," Daniel responded tiredly. He had no clue. He had tried getting answers from Jack Porter, but that had been a mistake, Jack had only confused him more. He was worried for her, but he was also angry at her. How could she just disappear without saying a word to him.? Did he really mean that little to her? And where the hell was she? Jack didn't seem that worried about her, so that meant Emily had to at least be safe, right?

"When I do, you'll be the first to know".

Victoria shook her head, that answer not appeasing her in the slightest, "I thought you two were close friends" she said in contempt. "Did something happen? Did you fight?".

"No of course not", Daniel replied instantly, averting his eyes from his mother, as he thought about him kissing Emily the last time they had hung out.

"And yet you look guilty" she surmised with raised eyebrows, "What aren't you telling me?"

"We kissed," Daniel admitted slowly. He was too exhausted to lie. "Or I kissed her and I thought things might be good but..."

"Kissed" Victoria repeated with a frown on her face, that instantly made him wish he hadn't said anything, "Daniel, you have a big heart but Amanda is not special, she's a troubled and ungrateful young girl. I warned you to be careful of her, not fall for her. I tried to show Amanda some compassion, but frankly, she doesn't belong in our world. She's shown her true colours."

Daniel shook his head. Why did it always have to be our world vs their world with his parents? As if some people were not worthy of his world. It had nothing to do with worth, just luck. She was worthy, and she was special. That's what had drawn him to her. She was bold, and honest, and strong, "That's not who she is, something bad must have happened".

"No Daniel, she is the bad. Can't you see? Amanda used you. She spiralled her way into your life gaining your pity and sympathy. And what did she get in return, emancipation, an apartment, a top education, designer clothes, all on the Grayson dime…..and now she's conveniently disappeared. Her time is up. Once we find her, which I have Frank on, she'll be swiftly exiting the Hampton's and our lives. I've already called her previous social worker and I am looking to have her emancipation status revoked. That girl had too much fun as Emily Thorne, now she can go back to being Amanda Clarke far from the Hamptons and our lives will return as normal".

A/N

Thank's for reading, please let me know what you think of this chapter