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Chapter Five
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Greta's house was dark as Shawn and Chloe made up their walk, and that only increased Chloe's concern for her friend. They stood at the door and Shawn looked at Chloe uneasily as they were both frozen in place.
"So what do we do now?"
Chloe looked at him, a slight grin curling up on the corners of her lips. "Well, polite people usually ring the doorbell."
Shawn rolled his eyes and leaned forward to tap the doorbell, exhaling slowly as they waited for a response. After a few moments, he rang the doorbell again but still got no response. He crossed his arms over his chest and looked at his companion with raised eyebrows.
"NOW what do we do, smart-girl?"
Chloe nodded and went to one of the large planters that lined the walk up to Greta's front door. She pushed it aside with a loud grunt and found the shiny silver key underneath. She held it up so that the moonlight would bounce off it as she smiled proudly at Shawn.
"Key..."
"At least it wasn't under the welcome mat. That would have been too obvious."
Chloe nodded in agreement and unlocked the door, pushing it open and ushering Shawn inside with a wave of her hand. They entered the house and Chloe turned on the light, illuminating Greta's cozy little home.
Shawn began walking into the bedrooms shouting Greta's name, as Chloe looked around the living room, seeing nothing out of place at all. Shawn came back in through the hallway and shrugged his shoulders.
"I think we can safely say she's not here... Did you try calling her cellphone again?"
Chloe frowned and grabbed the phone off the end table, dialing the number's to Greta's cellphone. She heard a ringing, but not just in the earpiece, from somewhere inside the house. Her eyes widened and she looked at Shawn who also heard it.
"She must have left her phone here... Damnit..."
Shawn went towards the sound of the ringing and Chloe stayed on the line until he found it. He came out of the hallway again with Greta's tiny cellphone in his left hand. Chloe sighed loudly and hung up the phone, walking towards him so he could hand her the cellphone. Shawn motioned towards Greta's bedroom and explained.
"It was on her bed, under a pile of evening gowns. For a princess, she is not that organized."
Chloe stared at the display on the phone and nodded in agreement. "No, she definitely is not."
Chloe surfed through the missed calls seeing her phone call from the hospital, as well as recent calls from Jennifer and Hope. Both of them made after Chloe had begun searching for the princess. She cleared the missed calls and the phone beeped at her telling her that Greta had one unread text message.
She jumped in surprise and looked at Shawn. "It says somebody sent her a text message... Should I read it?"
Shawn shoved his hands into his pockets and shrugged. "If you think it will help us."
Chloe nodded and tapped the button to read the message. She gripped the phone tightly in her hand as the words on the display flashed in front of her eyes. "Oh my God... Oh no..."
"What is it, Chloe? What does it say?"
"It says -- 'It's time to come home.'" Chloe looked towards the floor for a moment, tears welling up in her eyes suddenly. "The time on the message -- it's just a couple minutes before John got up to give his toast... I can't believe this."
Shawn stared at her in confusion. "What do you think it means?"
"I think they used John's collapse as a diversion to kidnap Greta."
"They who? Who would kidnap Greta?"
Chloe went to Greta's large wooden desk and sat down, muttering her reply under her breath. "I have a pretty good feeling who..."
She began rummaging through Greta's drawers, looking for a stack of notes similar to the one she had seen in the bathroom at the Penthouse Grill earlier. She finally found a large brown envelope and looked inside to see a stack of folded notes and tiny cards. She closed the flap with a sigh and stood up from the chair.
"Let's go..."
Chloe began rushing towards but Shawn grabbed on to her arm to stop her. "Hey! Slow down... What the hell is going on? Who took Greta and where are we going?"
She sighed softly, her face creased with worry. "It's complicated... Let's just go back to the hospital where I can explain everything to everyone. Come on, we don't have any time to waste..."
They walked out the door and as they were walking down the pathway towards the car, Shawn stared at her in complete surprise. He looked at her as if he hardly knew her, even though they had been friends for over five years.
"So, you and Greta have been hiding this big secret from everyone..."
Chloe stood in front of the car and gave him an exasperated sigh. "Yes, Shawn. We have. Please do not chastise me right now, because I know I'm going to get plenty of that from my husband."
Shawn nodded in understanding and the two friends got in the car to head back to the hospital. Chloe stayed quiet, nervously tapping her fingers on the envelope the entire ride back. She was trying to figure out how she was going to tell everyone the truth about Greta. She also wondered exactly how hurt Brady would be when he found out she had been keeping something from him.
The entire way back to the hospital, through the hallways and back to John's room was spent in silence. Shawn was at a loss, still surprised at the mystery that was unfolding in front of him, and Chloe had too much going on in her head to speak.
When they walked into John's room, all heads turned to fix their gazes on Shawn and Chloe. Belle and Marlena were still in the seats they had occupied before, and Brady sat on the other side of the bed, lounging comfortably. Bo was leaning against the wall and they had apparently been discussing strategies and solutions for the problem at hand.
Brady was the first one to speak up, looking Chloe directly in the eyes as he spoke. "So... Did you find her?"
"No, we didn't. I think -- I think that John's poisoning was part of a diversion. One used to kidnap Greta."
A chorus of gasps rang out and Bo stared at her skeptically. "Can you please explain why you would think that?"
Chloe exhaled slowly and nodded. "I would love to. But, honestly, I don't know where to begin... Because, this is going to shock the hell out of every single one of you."
Marlena spoke in her reassuring motherly tone. "Why don't you start from the very beginning? What is going on, Chloe?"
Chloe smoothed a piece of stray hair down with her fingers and threw one more glance towards Brady. She had a hard time reading his expression, and her stomach churned thinking about how he was going to react. Chloe took one long deep breath before she began her story.
"Okay, from the beginning... The last time that we were in Paris, visiting Greta... It was about a month before she moved back to Salem. I got up in the middle of the night to get a glass of water, and I heard crying. I found her in the living room of her house, looking at a picture of her mother. So, I went and sat down with her, and we started talking. And, she started confiding in me... Things that she had never told anyone."
Chloe paused sadly as she remembered the look on Greta's face that night, so full of pain and anguish. She swallowed the lump in her throat and continued. "She told me that right before Princess Gina died, she told Greta who her father was. And, in all that time, Greta never told a single soul. Not until that night in Paris could she even say it out loud. I don't know why it happened then, or why it was me that she told... I just -- I guess she was feeling vulnerable, and when you hold something in for that long... You just need to get it out."
Brady looked at her expectantly, and surprisingly, he didn't look mad at her. At least not yet. "Come on, Diva... Don't leave us in suspense. Go on."
"I swore to Greta, I made a promise that I would never tell anyone her secret. But, I told her earlier tonight that I thought her life was in danger and I would have to tell... Oh God, I didn't know how right I was..."
John cleared his throat and interjected. "If what you have to say can help save Greta... can help me... I think she'll understand that you had to break your promise."
Chloe nodded in agreement, her wide blue eyes filling with tears. "I know. I know she will. so that's why I'm going to tell you. Greta's father, according to Gina, is Stefano DiMera. And, that's why I think that her being missing is connected to your poisoning."
Chloe didn't pause to look at the reactions of those around her, she opened up the brown envelope and spilled the stack of notes on to John's bed. "And, also because of these... He's been... stalking her for the last three months..."
John sat up to look at the stack of folded up notes that were now on his bed. "He's been stalking her for three months, and neither of you told anybody?"
"I'm so sorry... I wanted to. I *knew* that keeping it a secret was a bad idea, but I made a promise to Greta not to tell. And now... I wish I had broken that promise a long time ago... She's been getting these notes, and e-mails from untraceable addresses since she moved back to Salem."
Shawn interjected with a question. "So, Stefano must know that Greta is his daughter. Right?"
Chloe shrugged and turned to look at Shawn. "I don't know how. She says that Gina never told *anyone* about Stefano being her father. Never even told Stefano... And, there's no evidence, no DNA tests, nothing to prove it... He must have figured it out somehow though. Obviously."
Belle was the next one with a question. "But why? Why tonight? And, why would he do this to my dad too?"
"The notes... They're all about honor, loyalty, family, home... Things like that. I haven't seen all of them, but I've seen or heard what was in most of them. It's no secret that there is no love lost between Stefano and your father, Belle."
John nodded in agreement and continued Chloe's thought. "It's just another game. Another way to destroy me and my family, and bring Greta into the DiMera family in the process. Stefano gets to hurt me and he gets to bring his daughter home."
Bo snickered and shook his head, his own anger written all over his face. "Two for one night at the Penthouse Grill."
"That sonofabitch... This is all just fun to him. And, I have a feeling that this isn't over by a long shot."
Brady looked at John curiously, his eyebrows pursed together in confusion. "Why do you say that?"
Chloe interrupted and looked towards her husband sadly. "You find Greta, you find the antidote? Right? It can't be as simple as it sounds. There has to be a catch. He has something else up his sleeves..."
Marlena was sighing softly, trying to maintain her calm, even though she was still digesting all of this new information. "Then we'll figure out what it is... Bo, Roman, the ISA, all of us... We'll stop him, we'll find the antidote and we'll bring Greta home... What I don't understand is why didn't Greta tell anyone about these notes, about any of this..."
"She didn't want anyone to know that she's a DiMera. She knows how the people of this town feel about that name, and she was doing everything she could to disassociate herself from it. And... when the notes started coming... She was afraid that she would be putting herself and the rest of us in even more danger by saying something about it. She wanted to keep a low profile, not make Stefano think that she was scared. I know, it was probably a mistake..."
Bo crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head in shame. "You two should have said something. Greta should have known better. She should have known that we would have loved her no matter who her father is... And, I can't believe that this continued on after the two of you realized that Stefano was stalking her."
Chloe felt a couple of hot tears begin to drop out of her eyes and slowly make their way down her cheeks. She swallowed loudly, feeling the guilt of her lies chewing at her insides. Her tone of voice was solemn and filled with anguish. "I'm sorry, Bo. I'm -- I'm sorry to all of you. And... God knows, if something happens to Greta and if John doesn't make it through this, then I'm going to have to live with what I did for the rest of my life. I kept things from people I care about, and because of that, you are all in even more danger than you would have been already. I'm sorry... I am so sorry..."
Chloe's voice has begun to break up as she came to the end of her words. Her tears began falling faster, and all she could think about was the feel of the walls closing in on her. A quiet sob came from her throat and she gave Brady a glance of complete sorrow before choking out her next sentence. "I -- I'm sorry... I just... I need some air."
She turned on her heel and ran through the door, speeding down the hallway until she reached the doors that led outside. The warm night air hit her and her entire body began shaking with loud sobs. She put her hand up against the wall near the entrance for support, as all of her fear, anger and sadness began to hit her at the same time. The sound of her crying was heart-wrenching, and just as Chloe thought she was going to collapse in a heap, she felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her from behind.
Brady held on to her and turned her around in his arms. He gave her a kiss on the forehead and Chloe laid her head down on his strong chest, feeling instantly safe in his arms. "Shhhh... Chloe... It's okay. It's all going to be okay."
"But, Brady... Aren't you mad at me? I -- I lied to you..."
Chloe lifted her head and Brady wiped her tears away with the tips of his fingers. His tone wasn't angry at all, just slightly stern. "Yes, I am mad. But... I understand. Sometimes secrets have to be kept."
Chloe shook her head, speaking through a voice filled with tears. "But -- but -- If I had said something, maybe we wouldn't be here right now. Maybe your dad would be okay... and maybe, Greta would too."
"You don't know that for sure. If Stefano wants to do something, he'll do it. Maybe if we had known, we could have protected them better... But, even then, we don't know for sure. Please don't think this is your fault. It's not. The important thing is we know now, and we're going to do everything we can to figure out how to save both of them."
Chloe frowned and nodded slightly, still not completely reassured by his words, even though Brady always made her feel better. She sniffled softly and looked into his eyes, desperate to apologize for her actions. "Brady, I am so sorry... I didn't want to keep this from you. And, I was so mad at Greta for making me promise not to tell. I just -- I didn't know what to do. I wanted to tell you, but I -- I couldn't."
Brady brushed his fingers over her shiny dark hair and Chloe laid her head back down on his chest with a sigh. His arms were wrapped around her, and he began thinking about the other secret his wife was keeping from him, wondering if she felt any guilt about that particular lie or if she even thought about it at all. He was trying his hardest not to be angry with her, to be understanding and forgiving, to trust in her love above all else.
"Chloe, it's okay. You made a promise to a friend, and you kept it. Despite your better judgement, you remained true to that friendship. I respect that... But, you have to know, you can tell me anything... I want you to always tell me what's going on. Never be afraid to talk to me."
Chloe slid out of his arms and smiled weakly at him as she looked into his eyes. "God, Brady... How do you do it?"
Brady raised his eyebrows in confusion. "Do what?"
"Catch me whenever I fall. How do you always find a way to support me even when I've done something like this?"
"Because, I love you, Chloe. And, that's what love does... It forgives and it supports, no matter what."
Chloe wiped her tears away with the back of her hand, her smile widening at his words. "I love you too, Brady."
Brady drew her back in and gave her a loving kiss on the lips. She broke off the kiss, staring deep into his eyes as if she had something important she wanted to tell him. Brady looked at her expectantly, and she took a deep breath in before speaking.
"Brady, I have to tell you... I --"
Before she could finish, the doors swung open and Belle was there shouting at them. "Brady! Chloe! You have to see what they found! Come on!"
She motioned towards the inside and hurried through the doors. Brady held on to Chloe's hand as they ran after his little sister, but his mind wandered to whatever Chloe was about to say before they were interrupted. He wondered if she was about to tell him about the day of Phillip's funeral, or perhaps it was something else. And now, he would just have to wait to find out.
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Chapter Five
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Greta's house was dark as Shawn and Chloe made up their walk, and that only increased Chloe's concern for her friend. They stood at the door and Shawn looked at Chloe uneasily as they were both frozen in place.
"So what do we do now?"
Chloe looked at him, a slight grin curling up on the corners of her lips. "Well, polite people usually ring the doorbell."
Shawn rolled his eyes and leaned forward to tap the doorbell, exhaling slowly as they waited for a response. After a few moments, he rang the doorbell again but still got no response. He crossed his arms over his chest and looked at his companion with raised eyebrows.
"NOW what do we do, smart-girl?"
Chloe nodded and went to one of the large planters that lined the walk up to Greta's front door. She pushed it aside with a loud grunt and found the shiny silver key underneath. She held it up so that the moonlight would bounce off it as she smiled proudly at Shawn.
"Key..."
"At least it wasn't under the welcome mat. That would have been too obvious."
Chloe nodded in agreement and unlocked the door, pushing it open and ushering Shawn inside with a wave of her hand. They entered the house and Chloe turned on the light, illuminating Greta's cozy little home.
Shawn began walking into the bedrooms shouting Greta's name, as Chloe looked around the living room, seeing nothing out of place at all. Shawn came back in through the hallway and shrugged his shoulders.
"I think we can safely say she's not here... Did you try calling her cellphone again?"
Chloe frowned and grabbed the phone off the end table, dialing the number's to Greta's cellphone. She heard a ringing, but not just in the earpiece, from somewhere inside the house. Her eyes widened and she looked at Shawn who also heard it.
"She must have left her phone here... Damnit..."
Shawn went towards the sound of the ringing and Chloe stayed on the line until he found it. He came out of the hallway again with Greta's tiny cellphone in his left hand. Chloe sighed loudly and hung up the phone, walking towards him so he could hand her the cellphone. Shawn motioned towards Greta's bedroom and explained.
"It was on her bed, under a pile of evening gowns. For a princess, she is not that organized."
Chloe stared at the display on the phone and nodded in agreement. "No, she definitely is not."
Chloe surfed through the missed calls seeing her phone call from the hospital, as well as recent calls from Jennifer and Hope. Both of them made after Chloe had begun searching for the princess. She cleared the missed calls and the phone beeped at her telling her that Greta had one unread text message.
She jumped in surprise and looked at Shawn. "It says somebody sent her a text message... Should I read it?"
Shawn shoved his hands into his pockets and shrugged. "If you think it will help us."
Chloe nodded and tapped the button to read the message. She gripped the phone tightly in her hand as the words on the display flashed in front of her eyes. "Oh my God... Oh no..."
"What is it, Chloe? What does it say?"
"It says -- 'It's time to come home.'" Chloe looked towards the floor for a moment, tears welling up in her eyes suddenly. "The time on the message -- it's just a couple minutes before John got up to give his toast... I can't believe this."
Shawn stared at her in confusion. "What do you think it means?"
"I think they used John's collapse as a diversion to kidnap Greta."
"They who? Who would kidnap Greta?"
Chloe went to Greta's large wooden desk and sat down, muttering her reply under her breath. "I have a pretty good feeling who..."
She began rummaging through Greta's drawers, looking for a stack of notes similar to the one she had seen in the bathroom at the Penthouse Grill earlier. She finally found a large brown envelope and looked inside to see a stack of folded notes and tiny cards. She closed the flap with a sigh and stood up from the chair.
"Let's go..."
Chloe began rushing towards but Shawn grabbed on to her arm to stop her. "Hey! Slow down... What the hell is going on? Who took Greta and where are we going?"
She sighed softly, her face creased with worry. "It's complicated... Let's just go back to the hospital where I can explain everything to everyone. Come on, we don't have any time to waste..."
They walked out the door and as they were walking down the pathway towards the car, Shawn stared at her in complete surprise. He looked at her as if he hardly knew her, even though they had been friends for over five years.
"So, you and Greta have been hiding this big secret from everyone..."
Chloe stood in front of the car and gave him an exasperated sigh. "Yes, Shawn. We have. Please do not chastise me right now, because I know I'm going to get plenty of that from my husband."
Shawn nodded in understanding and the two friends got in the car to head back to the hospital. Chloe stayed quiet, nervously tapping her fingers on the envelope the entire ride back. She was trying to figure out how she was going to tell everyone the truth about Greta. She also wondered exactly how hurt Brady would be when he found out she had been keeping something from him.
The entire way back to the hospital, through the hallways and back to John's room was spent in silence. Shawn was at a loss, still surprised at the mystery that was unfolding in front of him, and Chloe had too much going on in her head to speak.
When they walked into John's room, all heads turned to fix their gazes on Shawn and Chloe. Belle and Marlena were still in the seats they had occupied before, and Brady sat on the other side of the bed, lounging comfortably. Bo was leaning against the wall and they had apparently been discussing strategies and solutions for the problem at hand.
Brady was the first one to speak up, looking Chloe directly in the eyes as he spoke. "So... Did you find her?"
"No, we didn't. I think -- I think that John's poisoning was part of a diversion. One used to kidnap Greta."
A chorus of gasps rang out and Bo stared at her skeptically. "Can you please explain why you would think that?"
Chloe exhaled slowly and nodded. "I would love to. But, honestly, I don't know where to begin... Because, this is going to shock the hell out of every single one of you."
Marlena spoke in her reassuring motherly tone. "Why don't you start from the very beginning? What is going on, Chloe?"
Chloe smoothed a piece of stray hair down with her fingers and threw one more glance towards Brady. She had a hard time reading his expression, and her stomach churned thinking about how he was going to react. Chloe took one long deep breath before she began her story.
"Okay, from the beginning... The last time that we were in Paris, visiting Greta... It was about a month before she moved back to Salem. I got up in the middle of the night to get a glass of water, and I heard crying. I found her in the living room of her house, looking at a picture of her mother. So, I went and sat down with her, and we started talking. And, she started confiding in me... Things that she had never told anyone."
Chloe paused sadly as she remembered the look on Greta's face that night, so full of pain and anguish. She swallowed the lump in her throat and continued. "She told me that right before Princess Gina died, she told Greta who her father was. And, in all that time, Greta never told a single soul. Not until that night in Paris could she even say it out loud. I don't know why it happened then, or why it was me that she told... I just -- I guess she was feeling vulnerable, and when you hold something in for that long... You just need to get it out."
Brady looked at her expectantly, and surprisingly, he didn't look mad at her. At least not yet. "Come on, Diva... Don't leave us in suspense. Go on."
"I swore to Greta, I made a promise that I would never tell anyone her secret. But, I told her earlier tonight that I thought her life was in danger and I would have to tell... Oh God, I didn't know how right I was..."
John cleared his throat and interjected. "If what you have to say can help save Greta... can help me... I think she'll understand that you had to break your promise."
Chloe nodded in agreement, her wide blue eyes filling with tears. "I know. I know she will. so that's why I'm going to tell you. Greta's father, according to Gina, is Stefano DiMera. And, that's why I think that her being missing is connected to your poisoning."
Chloe didn't pause to look at the reactions of those around her, she opened up the brown envelope and spilled the stack of notes on to John's bed. "And, also because of these... He's been... stalking her for the last three months..."
John sat up to look at the stack of folded up notes that were now on his bed. "He's been stalking her for three months, and neither of you told anybody?"
"I'm so sorry... I wanted to. I *knew* that keeping it a secret was a bad idea, but I made a promise to Greta not to tell. And now... I wish I had broken that promise a long time ago... She's been getting these notes, and e-mails from untraceable addresses since she moved back to Salem."
Shawn interjected with a question. "So, Stefano must know that Greta is his daughter. Right?"
Chloe shrugged and turned to look at Shawn. "I don't know how. She says that Gina never told *anyone* about Stefano being her father. Never even told Stefano... And, there's no evidence, no DNA tests, nothing to prove it... He must have figured it out somehow though. Obviously."
Belle was the next one with a question. "But why? Why tonight? And, why would he do this to my dad too?"
"The notes... They're all about honor, loyalty, family, home... Things like that. I haven't seen all of them, but I've seen or heard what was in most of them. It's no secret that there is no love lost between Stefano and your father, Belle."
John nodded in agreement and continued Chloe's thought. "It's just another game. Another way to destroy me and my family, and bring Greta into the DiMera family in the process. Stefano gets to hurt me and he gets to bring his daughter home."
Bo snickered and shook his head, his own anger written all over his face. "Two for one night at the Penthouse Grill."
"That sonofabitch... This is all just fun to him. And, I have a feeling that this isn't over by a long shot."
Brady looked at John curiously, his eyebrows pursed together in confusion. "Why do you say that?"
Chloe interrupted and looked towards her husband sadly. "You find Greta, you find the antidote? Right? It can't be as simple as it sounds. There has to be a catch. He has something else up his sleeves..."
Marlena was sighing softly, trying to maintain her calm, even though she was still digesting all of this new information. "Then we'll figure out what it is... Bo, Roman, the ISA, all of us... We'll stop him, we'll find the antidote and we'll bring Greta home... What I don't understand is why didn't Greta tell anyone about these notes, about any of this..."
"She didn't want anyone to know that she's a DiMera. She knows how the people of this town feel about that name, and she was doing everything she could to disassociate herself from it. And... when the notes started coming... She was afraid that she would be putting herself and the rest of us in even more danger by saying something about it. She wanted to keep a low profile, not make Stefano think that she was scared. I know, it was probably a mistake..."
Bo crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head in shame. "You two should have said something. Greta should have known better. She should have known that we would have loved her no matter who her father is... And, I can't believe that this continued on after the two of you realized that Stefano was stalking her."
Chloe felt a couple of hot tears begin to drop out of her eyes and slowly make their way down her cheeks. She swallowed loudly, feeling the guilt of her lies chewing at her insides. Her tone of voice was solemn and filled with anguish. "I'm sorry, Bo. I'm -- I'm sorry to all of you. And... God knows, if something happens to Greta and if John doesn't make it through this, then I'm going to have to live with what I did for the rest of my life. I kept things from people I care about, and because of that, you are all in even more danger than you would have been already. I'm sorry... I am so sorry..."
Chloe's voice has begun to break up as she came to the end of her words. Her tears began falling faster, and all she could think about was the feel of the walls closing in on her. A quiet sob came from her throat and she gave Brady a glance of complete sorrow before choking out her next sentence. "I -- I'm sorry... I just... I need some air."
She turned on her heel and ran through the door, speeding down the hallway until she reached the doors that led outside. The warm night air hit her and her entire body began shaking with loud sobs. She put her hand up against the wall near the entrance for support, as all of her fear, anger and sadness began to hit her at the same time. The sound of her crying was heart-wrenching, and just as Chloe thought she was going to collapse in a heap, she felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her from behind.
Brady held on to her and turned her around in his arms. He gave her a kiss on the forehead and Chloe laid her head down on his strong chest, feeling instantly safe in his arms. "Shhhh... Chloe... It's okay. It's all going to be okay."
"But, Brady... Aren't you mad at me? I -- I lied to you..."
Chloe lifted her head and Brady wiped her tears away with the tips of his fingers. His tone wasn't angry at all, just slightly stern. "Yes, I am mad. But... I understand. Sometimes secrets have to be kept."
Chloe shook her head, speaking through a voice filled with tears. "But -- but -- If I had said something, maybe we wouldn't be here right now. Maybe your dad would be okay... and maybe, Greta would too."
"You don't know that for sure. If Stefano wants to do something, he'll do it. Maybe if we had known, we could have protected them better... But, even then, we don't know for sure. Please don't think this is your fault. It's not. The important thing is we know now, and we're going to do everything we can to figure out how to save both of them."
Chloe frowned and nodded slightly, still not completely reassured by his words, even though Brady always made her feel better. She sniffled softly and looked into his eyes, desperate to apologize for her actions. "Brady, I am so sorry... I didn't want to keep this from you. And, I was so mad at Greta for making me promise not to tell. I just -- I didn't know what to do. I wanted to tell you, but I -- I couldn't."
Brady brushed his fingers over her shiny dark hair and Chloe laid her head back down on his chest with a sigh. His arms were wrapped around her, and he began thinking about the other secret his wife was keeping from him, wondering if she felt any guilt about that particular lie or if she even thought about it at all. He was trying his hardest not to be angry with her, to be understanding and forgiving, to trust in her love above all else.
"Chloe, it's okay. You made a promise to a friend, and you kept it. Despite your better judgement, you remained true to that friendship. I respect that... But, you have to know, you can tell me anything... I want you to always tell me what's going on. Never be afraid to talk to me."
Chloe slid out of his arms and smiled weakly at him as she looked into his eyes. "God, Brady... How do you do it?"
Brady raised his eyebrows in confusion. "Do what?"
"Catch me whenever I fall. How do you always find a way to support me even when I've done something like this?"
"Because, I love you, Chloe. And, that's what love does... It forgives and it supports, no matter what."
Chloe wiped her tears away with the back of her hand, her smile widening at his words. "I love you too, Brady."
Brady drew her back in and gave her a loving kiss on the lips. She broke off the kiss, staring deep into his eyes as if she had something important she wanted to tell him. Brady looked at her expectantly, and she took a deep breath in before speaking.
"Brady, I have to tell you... I --"
Before she could finish, the doors swung open and Belle was there shouting at them. "Brady! Chloe! You have to see what they found! Come on!"
She motioned towards the inside and hurried through the doors. Brady held on to Chloe's hand as they ran after his little sister, but his mind wandered to whatever Chloe was about to say before they were interrupted. He wondered if she was about to tell him about the day of Phillip's funeral, or perhaps it was something else. And now, he would just have to wait to find out.
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