Chapter Three

A Past Revealed

Philip sat in the limo awaiting Stefano's arrival. The Phoenix was finally back in Salem. To Philip, his arrival couldn't be any sooner because they had a lot to talk about. Starting with the secret of his daughter. Allthough, after his confrontation with Chloe a few days before he wasn't even sure if she was his daughter.

…Two Days Earlier… Philip's side (Previously in Chapter 2)

"What did you say, Lily? Your father, why do you think Philip is your Daddy?" Nancy asked shocked herself as she came onto the porch.

"Because Grandpa told me so." Lily replied.

"LJW – Lily Jade Wesley, I should have figured it out." Philip said to himself, raising his gaze to glare at Chloe, his jaw clenching.

"But sweetie, why would Craig tell you something like that?" Nancy asked kneeling before the little girl.

"Not Momma's Daddy. My other Grandpa, you know his Daddy." She said pointing to Philip. "He told me my Daddy was coming to Salem and that it was a surprise and no one else knew. He also told me a secret about Mommy, too."

Philip looked back down at his daughter wondering what his father had said to her. So he kneeled down beside her and asked, "And what secret is that Lily?"

She looked at her grandmother and father kneeling beside her and then at her mother. "Mommy's Daddy's Daddy is coming home too."

Chloe took control of the situation then deciding that she needed clear up the situation with Philip without her mother and her daughter standing by. "Mom, could you take Lily and go inside, please, I need to talk to Philip alone." She replied hoping her mother would agree and let her handle things her way.

"Of course sweetie, Lily and I will go inside and leave you two to talk things out. Come on Lily-bean." Nancy said lightly as she stood up along with Philip and grasped Lily's hand heading toward the door.

"Not yet Grandma, I wanna talk to my Daddy," Lily replied resisting Nancy's pull in the direction of the door.

"Lily, you need not disobey your Grandmother I'm not going anywhere. You should do as your grandmother asked and go inside. The sooner your mom and I talk, the sooner I can come see you." Philip told his daughter knowing that now he knew of his daughter's existence there was nothing short of death that would keep him away.

"Okay Daddy," Lily sighed as she immediately broke away from Nancy, hugged Philip and walked into the house with her.

Philip watched his daughter go in the house, silently seething with anger but with eyes filled with warmth that only a child could bring. However, once she was gone his eyes turned toward Chloe with an icy blue stare. "How could you keep me daughter away from me?"

"Philip it's not what you think––,"

"Isn't though. How could you Chloe?"

"I never intended––,

"What, you never intended on me finding out like this? Or you never intended for me to find out at all? Which is it, because I'd sure like to hear your excuse for this." He stalked closer to her, forcing her to back into the door.

"Philip if you'd stop––,"

"If I'd stop coming close to you," he ran his hands through her hair, pushing it away from her face. "Touching you." He whispered as his mouth just abov hers. So close that she could feel his breath on her upper lip. His mouth descending on hers and unlike the kiss at Tuscany this kiss wasn't soft or welcoming it was punishing, forceful and demanding.

But, yet Chloe returned the kiss with fervor not being able to yield it. His tongue pushed passed her teeth seeking entrance into her mouth to take things to another level. One with passion and a hint of sexual hunger. It was upon the feeling of his tongue touching hers that she snapped out of her stupor, she reached up and she pushed him away with all her might.

"If you would have listened-I would have said if you would stop trying to intimidate me you'd know the reason I never said anything to you about Lily is because she isn't yours." Chloe finished angrily knowing that she was angrier with herself than she was with him for letting the kiss happen.

"She's what?" Philip asked sure he had misheard her. "Chloe, I know for a fact that I was the first man you ever slept with."

"Yes, you were the first, but not the last."

"Well, if I'm not Lily's father than who the hell is?" He demanded to know confident that she was just making this up.

"My ex-fiancé, Darren Chiba. We had Lily together before we broke up. I'm sorry Philip."

"You don't honestly think I believe a word that comes out of your mouth do you? I learned a long time ago never to trust a lying bitch, like you." Hoping to get her to be honest with him. "I will check this out you know."

"Fine, check it out. You'll only see that I am telling the truth." She said refusing to back down.

Philip decided then to go. He turned and walked down the porch steps. He was halfway back to his car when Lily ran out of the house.

"Wait, I thought you weren't going to leave me?" He turned and kneeled in front of her.

"'I'm not going to leave you. I'll be back." He told his daughter looking up at Chloe waiting for her to say something. "Don't even think of running, Chloe because I will be back for my daughter." He told her as he stood, got into his black Mercedes and drove away.

That had been the last he'd seen of Chloe or his daughter. Even though he sensed Chloe hadn't been telling the truth he wanted to make sure before he made his next move. Suddenly, the door opened and in came the Phoenix himself, Stefano Dimera, in all his glory. Philip waited for the door to close before he said anything.

"So when were you or my father going to tell me I had a daughter?" His eyes blazed with blue fire, a hint of his famous Kiriakis temper flaring.

"Ahh, I see you've met my lovely little great-grandchild. Well, I should say your father and I were waiting on you to make you're return to Salem. It is not exactly the kind of news you share with someone over the phone. Besides, you know what they say, seeing is believing." Stefano answered in his usual gruffly accented voice. "So now tell me, has everything been set? I trust you've had no problems thus far."

Philip shook his head. "I have slight problem with your granddaughter. Apparently, she and Brady Black are engaged to be married. But, that's not all there is also the issue of our alleged blood relation."

"I'll set the engagement aside for the moment, while you tell me what this alleged blood relation business is about. Chloe is Liliana's mother and she is my granddaughter. I know this for a fact. What are you talking about?'

"While Chloe and Lily are related to you, according to your granddaughter it is questionable on whether she is my child."

Stefano frowned. "That makes no sense, of course you are Lily's father. Do you think Victor and I did not thoroughly check this out? You are her father and if Chloe says the opposite than she is lying."

Philip thought about what Stefano was saying. "Chloe claims her ex-fiancé Darren Chiba is the father."

"Ahh," Stefano shift back comfortably against the seat. "Well, now I am sure she is lying. There is no way that Chiba person could be Lily's father."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Let's just say, my boy, that the Chiba fellow would be more interested in sleeping with you than her."

Philip was surprised. "He's gay? Why would Chloe become involved with a man she knows is gay?" Then thinking over it to himself trying to make sense of it. "She wanted everyone to think that he was the father so no one would ever know about our tryst in New York that night." He snorted. "I knew she was lying but I wonder if my dear nephew knows I'm the father of the Chloe's little jewel."

Stefano frowned. "Well knowing the Black men like I do, I'd hasten to say he doesn't. But, it wouldn't make a difference after they married either. Something must be done about this situation immediately. I do not want my great-granddaughter anywhere near Brady Black. A Black will not raise her. She is a Kiriakis, a Dimera and such a child could not be raised by a Black … nor a Brady." Stefano said with such passionate arrogance and boundless distaste Philip knew he was serious and frankly he agreed with him. The last thing he wanted or would allow is his daughter to be raised by his nephew.

"You're right Stefano, we have to nip this Chloe/Brady situation in the bud. And we have to do it with Chloe on our side if we want to make the desired impact. But, first I need some information." He picked his cell phone and dialed a number after a moment someone answered the phone. "I need a favor," he said into the phone.

Things were starting to get back on track and soon Salem wouldn't know what hit 'em.

Chloe sat outside the office of Cameryn Reese awaiting her return. Sitting there she thought about what had brought her to this point, what made her come to seek legal counsel in the first place … Philip Kiriakis, the father of her daughter. It had all started a few days before on the day of Victor's will reading after she and Philip had, had their confrontation on her porch.

Three Days Earlier … Chloe's side

"Lily, come on its time to go back in the house." Chloe had come down the porch and attempted to lead her daughter back in the house, but Lily jerked her hand away from Chloe.

"You made my Daddy leave and I hate you for that!" Lily yelled at her mother as she ran into the house with tears running down her face.

Chloe sighed starting into the house after her daugther. Her mother was waiting for her just beyond the doorway. "Where's Lily?" She asked looking around for her daughter.

"I sent her upstairs so we could talk. It's true isn't it? Philip is Liliana's father." Nancy stated quietly.

Chloe weary from her earlier conversation with Philip and Lily's announcement simply nodded yes.

"Why didn't you tell me? Why did you let me assume Darren was her father Chloe?" Nancy asked hurt by Chloe's lack of trust in her to share this secret with her.

"I never revealed to anyone the truth about Lily's paternity, Mother. Not just you. Besides, it's not exactly the kind of thing I'd broadcast to the whole world or my parents. Can't you just imagine how you would have reacted." Nancy nodded seeming to accept Chloe's explanation. "I mean I could see the headlines now as clear as I could then, 'Opera Diva Chloe Wesley has lovechild by Kiriakis heir'." She snorted softly. "It was simpler if people thought Darren was the father." Chloe said not noticing that Nancy had a curious look on her face.

"Lovechild?" She asked her eyebrow rising in suspicion.

"It's just a term Mother," Chloe replied, Nancy lowered her brow but kept her suspicions to herself.

"Of course. But I was under the distinct impression that you and Philip hadn't seen each other since he left Salem years ago. So could you explain to me how it is that you two have a child together now fifteen years later." Chloe sighed this had been the question she was dreading. But, there was no way around it she'd left to tell Nancy the whole truth.

"It was one of my premiere shows on the Met, La Traviata. You and Craig couldn't make it because of some big hospital conference and Brady was overseas. So it was just me. Darren had been pestering me to come to the premiere party with him for a while. And since no one was there I decided what the hell why not. I went to the party. Darren was introducing me to some of the guests brought by the investors and as it turned out Philip was there on business, he was one of the guests."

"At first I was shell-shocked, I hadn't seen or heard from him in seven years. He was there and I was so lonely, I couldn't go home and yet I didn't want to but I just wanted someone I knew to be there and he was. I latched onto him and we started talking. We must have talked about everything under the sun for a couple of hours except our personal lives. We had to have been there for I don't know it seemed like hours when he finally asked me about Brady, why he wasn't there. And I… I told him the truth; I told him that I wasn't ready for a serious relationship after him. I don't think either of us knew what to say after that. So we danced, it was like I was back at the Last Blast again. Only this time, time stopped and everything was like it should have been … perfect. I never got sick and I was in his arms again." Unconsciously Chloe closed her arms around herself and ran her fingers down her arms. She had paused in the telling in her story caught up in the memories of that night.

"The next thing I knew we were back at his hotel room and we made love. I knew at the time that it was stupid and that I shouldn't have gone back with him. But, I didn't care; I just wanted to be in his arms one last time. Just once to know what it could have been like… no worries, no deceptions. I don't know how else to explain it." Turning she looked back at Nancy before continuing. "When I woke up the next morning in bed with him, I knew that I had made a mistake. I couldn't stay there with him because I knew if I did I would never be able to leave. Never have the career I wanted and I'd worked too hard to get where I was … so I just left, I dressed and left before he woke up."

"Oh Chloe," Nancy remained quiet for a second to take in everything that Chloe had said. "How do you know that Darren couldn't be her father?"

"Mom, you know he's gay. Besides, there was never anything between us like that. When I found out I was pregnant with Lily, he offered to marry me. And I said yes, I don't know why. But, at the time I thought it was the best thing to do. As you know when it came down to it I couldn't go through with it. I couldn't let him do that for me, I honestly thought that no one would ever find out the truth. But, I was wrong, somehow Victor found out."

"So that's how Philip found out?" Nancy frowned. "Wait a minute, if Philip knows Liliana is his then why isn't he here demanding to see her? I mean that doesn't sound like him at all."

Chloe waved off her concerns. "That's because, he doesn't think she's his. I told him she wasn't."

"Chloe why would you do that?"

"To buy me sometime Mother. I need to check out something first." Chloe said heading into another room with Nancy following behind. Little did they know a certain pair of ears was listening to the whole conversation on the staircase.

"You're not taking me away from my Daddy." She promised before she moved on to her room.

"Ms. Wesley, Ms Reese can see you now." The secretary said.

"Thank you," Chloe said entering the office of Cameryn Reese, she was just hanging up the phone as Chloe sat down.

"So Chloe, what can I do for you? Any problems with your contract?" Cameryn asked as she straightened her desk. She personally handled all of Chloe's legal matters.

"Actually, Cameryn it's not about business. This is a personal matter, it's about my daughter Lily. I think that her father is going to try to sue me for custody of her."

Cameryn frowned slightly as she considered the issue. "Chloe you have a stable job, not to mention the notoriety to go along with it. And I can assume you're still engaged to Brady Black, correct?" Chloe nodded. "Well, I don't see where Lily's father will have a leg to stand on. But, if you're concerned I'll look into the matter." She picked up a notepad ready to make notes. "Now tell me what your custody agreement is like now."

"We don't actually have one­­––,"

"What do you mean you don't have an agreement?" Cameryn asked shocked, Chloe was usually one of her most dependable clients.

"I mean that he didn't even know she existed, led alone that she was his."

"Chloe, I think you better tell me the whole story."

"When I first got pregnant, I didn't know how to contact the father, so I didn't. Besides, I knew he wouldn't want to be involved. So I decided that I just wouldn't tell him at all and that I'd let Brady adopt her when we got married."

"So then you're saying that he verbally withdrew his right to custody but never actually went to court to absolve himself of the rights?" Cameryn asked to be entirely site she understood what was going on.

Chloe nodded. "Something like that."

"In that case we might be able to use that against him, we could consider that he made a verbal contract with you. Now tell me what has spurned his sudden need for custody?"

"Well, his father died recently. And although he has other family, he doesn't have strong ties to them. She's his only family."

"Wait a minute Chloe you're not talking about Philip Kiriakis?" She asked exasperatedly.

"Well yes, but I don't see how that makes a difference."

"On the contrary, it makes a very big difference. The Kiriakis name alone has been known to sway a judge's decision. I'll have to advise you to seek other counsel."

"But,––" Chloe started.

Cameryn held her hand up. "It would be unfair of me to say that I could win this. When I'm not totally sure that I can. If this goes to court you will lose your daughter. My advice to you is to go talk to him and straighten things out between the two of you. Other than that I'm afraid you're on your own. Now I have a brief to prepare for tomorrow so if you don't mind," Cameryn said more or less brushing Chloe off as she gestured toward the door.

Chloe took the hint and left the office. Cameryn was clearly too concerned for herself to be bothered with helping Chloe. But, one thing she was right about was that she needed to make peace with Philip and that meant telling him the truth. As she walked down the corridor to the door, her cell phone rang. Reaching into her bag she pulled it out and answered. "Hello," she paused listening to the other person on the line. "What do you mean Lily's missing Mom?" By this time she had reached the outside and was in her car. "She left a note saying she was going to see her father –– Oh god, Philip. Listen don't worry I know where she went." Chloe hung up her phone and started her car. Thinking she had to find LJ before Philip did.

Philip was at Titan waiting for his investigator to bring him the reports he requested on Chloe. It was now Friday; four days after the will reading and revelation of his daughter and two days after Stefano had arrived in Salem. He was in the process of stubbing out a cigarette when his private line rang. He picked it up. "Kiriakis,"

"Hey K-man I've got your reports and a little something I found on the wait here that I think might interest you. I'll be there in like five minutes."

"Okay, just come on back the door's open." He clicked off awaiting the arrival of his investigator, Mimi into his office. Of all of the friends he'd had she had been the only one who bothered to keep contact with him. He suspected that was because she knew what it was like to be left alone in the world with no one to depend on. She was his eyes and ears in Salem. She managed somehow to keep abreast of the knowledge even when she's not in Salem.

The door opened not two minutes later with Mimi accompanied by Lily Jade, his daughter. "Philip, I thought you might want to see what little jewel I picked up on the way in. She was at the bus stop about a block from Titan." Mimi said as she released Lily's hand allowing the child to run around the desk to Philip.

"Lily, what are you doing here? Does your mother know you're here?" He asked as Mimi set a file down on his desk.

"No, Mommy doesn't know because she wasn't home when I left. But I left her a note. I told her was going to see my Daddy. She wants to take me away from you and you can't let her." Lily replied sternly. She was not going to allow Chloe to take her away from her Daddy again. "You won't let her take me away again will you Daddy?" She climbed on his lap and looked up earnestly with her best puppy dog expression.

Philip didn't know what to tell her. He was shocked but he could not be sure whether it was that she called him Daddy or that she had taken it upon herself to come to him. But whatever he was feeling beyond that it was powerful. "Lily, I won't let anyone take you from me."

"Do you promise?" Her golden brown eyes peering up at him filled with worry.

"I promise," Philip was even more shocked when Lily hugged him. For a moment, he didn't know how to react. But, that moment was soon over as he returned her hug.

It was at that precise moment that his office door slammed open and in walked Chloe. She was dressed to the nines in a dark gray power suit, high-heeled gray sandals with her hair lying straightened upon her shoulders. Her gaze first landed on Mimi and then Philip embracing their daughter. Her eyes soften at the picture they made, father and daughter sharing a tender moment. As if he sensed her gaze on him Philip looked up and the tender, caring gleam to his eyes became a molten, icy stare.

"Chloe," Mimi said staring at the woman who had been her friend for years. Lily looked up at the sound of her mother's name.

"Liliana Jade Wesley, what on earth were you thinking running away like that?" Chloe asked ignoring Mimi from the moment she walked to the desk to Lily who sat on Philip's lap behind it.

"I didn't run away Momma. I left you a note."

"That is besides the point. You are seven years old and that means you are too young to go gallivanting off anywhere without me, Grandma or Grandpa."

"But, I wanted to see my Daddy and you wouldn't let me. You were going to take me away." Lily said as she got off her father's lap and leaned forward against the desk. "You can't take me away from my Daddy because he won't let you." She turned her and looked at her father, the long ponytail swinging behind her. Philip soften gaze on his daughter once more before returning his gaze to Chloe.

"Lily, I won't take you away from your Daddy. You have to understand that there are …" she searched for the words to sooth her daughter. "Extenuating circumstances that Daddy and I have to work out. But, that doesn't mean you can go off like that. Grandma was very worried about you and so was I. We didn't know where you had gone.

"I'm sorry Momma," Lily got off Philip's lap and walked around the desk to hug her mother. "I didn't mean to make you and Grandma worry."

Moving back from her daughter slightly, Chloe cupped her chin in her hands. "I know baby. Just don't do that again."

"Okay Momma."

Meanwhile, Philip had begun to read the file Mimi brought him. He was slightly surprised by what he read, but it only confirmed the suspicions he already had. "Mimi could you take Lily down to get a snack while Chloe and I talk for a moment?" He asked Mimi although his manner made it seem more like a demand than a question. His gaze never wavered as he looked as Chloe.

"Sure, come on LJ let's go get you a snack. I think there may even be some brownies for you." Mimi said taking hold of the little girl's hand and leading her out of the room. Once Mimi and LJ had gone Philip stood up with the folder in his hands.

"It's interesting you know, I assumed that you would never be stupid enough to lie to me about Lily because you know I would check it out. But, apparently I was wrong." He dropped the folder in front of her on the desk. "According to Liliana's birth certificate her father is unknown. She was born nine months to the day of our little tryst in New York. Your so-called husband never existed. Yeah you were engaged – but you broke it off two months before Lily was born. Liz Smith of the New York Times said it was because you found out Darren was gay. But, I don't believe that for a second. I think you never had any intentions of marrying him. I think you used him as a cover so no one would know who the real father was … me." He said pointing out each of the papers as he took them out. "So how am I doing so far, Chloe?" He asked as he leaned back against the desk and lit the cigarette he took out.

Chloe looked down at the documents merely glancing at them before she replied. "So you know that I lied to you about being Lily's father. What do you want shared custody?" She asked sardonically yet knowing he'd never agree.

He laughed loud and long sarcastically before putting his cigarette in the ashtray. "Now, I know you don't honestly think I'd settle for that after you kept my daughter a secret from the day she was born. If you could you would have kept me from knowing about her ever. So spare me the shared custody babble. What I want from you is much more than my daughter."

"What then? What else do you hope to get from me?"

Philip grinned evilly. "You're going to help me destroy Salem."

Chloe couldn't have been more shocked or confused. "Philip, half the people in this town are your family and friends how could you think of doing this to them?"

His smile disappeared as his expression turned grim. "How can I do this to them? These people, my so-called family, have done nothing but stab me in the back for years. They didn't even wait on me to get here for my father's funeral. As for my friends, they all deserted me years ago. Everyone with the exception of Mimi forgot about me. Even when they did remember me it was never because they cared about me. It was all about them and every damn one of them, my family and friends will feel my revenge. No one deserves it more than they do." He walked to Chloe and ran his finger down her jaw, and jerked away from his touch. "And you my dear Chloe, are going to help me do it whether you want to or not." He dropped his hand and returned to the desk.

"If I refuse to help you then what are you going to do destroy me too?" She raised her head looking him dead straight in the eyes.

Relighting the cigarette, he took one long puff. "What makes you think you have a choice?"

"I always have a choice. Now tell me what would happen if I refused to help you." She said crossing her arms taking a formidable stance.

"Well for starters I'll take full custody of Lily and make it so you never see her again. And then I'll fulfill old promises that I didn't have the power to do before."

"What promises?" She asked anxious to know else he could do besides taking Lily from her.

"I'll have Craig fired from the hospital and blackballed from every hospital in the state. I'll also see to it that Nancy loses her contract with the radio station." He mentioned causally taking one break to smoke his cigarette. He flicked the ash into the ashtray before he continued. "And for you Chloe I will have a mysterious tip given to all the newspapers releasing the name of your grandfather which given your notoriety will cause a scandal for months. And believe me when I tell you that when people find out who you are related to they will start to drop like flies away from you. So what's it gonna be? Are you with me or against me?"

"How do I know you're not bluffing?"

"You don't. But you could try me and see."

Chloe was stuck between a rock and a hard place. But she knew she had no choice but to help him. "I'll hate you forever for making me do this." She told him, but Philip only smiled. "What do you want me to do?" She asked resigned to the fact that she had to do this. Philip grasped her left hand and although she tried to pull away he had a strong grip on it.

"Well, first things first, get rid of the rock." He pulled her engagement ring from her finger. "You won't be needing that because you won't be marrying Brady."

She yanked her hand from him and took the ring. "What do you mean I won't be marrying Brady?"

Philip frowned. "Now you couldn't honestly thing I'd allow my daughter to raised by him, did you? No you won't be marry my nephew, you'll marrying me."