During the ride to the casino, Kendall filled Zach in on everything that Ethan had said to her. He interrupted her a couple of times to make calls and relay information before allowing her to return to her story. Once her tale was complete, she asked, "Why did you come home? I wasn't expecting you until dinner."
"I know… I… um… I needed to talk to you about something important, and I didn't want to do it over the phone. I was halfway to Pine Valley when Edie called and told me about the problem and asked me to come back. But I needed to talk to you… so I decided that the casinos could wait," he answered.
"Zach… What was so important that you would risk your business? What is going on?" she asked him in alarm.
"Kendall, you are more important than anything else in my life. I don't care if I lose everything, as long as you're safe. Nothing at the casino is more important than you, our child and our life together," Zach said to her intensely. "Besides, it's nothing bad… in fact it's something good… and it's past time for this conversation… but not here, not in the car."
"Okay… but you're being awfully mysterious," she answered.
"Let's settle into our suite, and we'll talk over dinner. Then, if you still don't mind, I'll check on things with the casino," he answered with a smile, placing his hand over hers. "Kendall, if I lose them all tonight, it won't matter… I made the right choice."
Zach and Kendall entered the casino from a back service entrance, and went straight to the private suite that they sometimes used after a late evening. He had called Edie from the car and she and the casino's general manager, Gordon, were in the sitting room waiting when they arrived. As Kendall settled into their bedroom, Zach's employees updated him on the situation. The computer malfunction had been confined to only his establishments, so they were pretty certain it was sabotage. The authorities had been called and surveillance discs were being scrutinized. The immediate concern had been for their patrons, who were being given vouchers for free food, comped rooms and passes to the entertainment venues. Although the glitch would cost a small fortune, it looked like they would weather the storm. He thanked them and praised the good work that they had done.
"Edie… can you stay for just a moment?" he asked as she and Gordon started to leave the suite.
The woman turned around answering, "Sure, boss!"
After Gordon had left, Zach asked, "Is Mrs. Montgomery still here?"
"She is… and you were right… she was a lot of help. When it got crazy she jumped in and organized activities for the customers. After they were calmed down, she came to the command center and helped us coordinate with the other resorts. In fact, she's still down there. Would you like me to send her up?" Edie offered. The woman would never ask, as that was not the nature of their relationship, but she was aching to know what had happened to make Zach ignore the worst crisis that they had ever experienced.
"No… not yet… maybe later," he answered. "And Edie… thank you. You really went above and beyond today…"
"No problem, boss. I'll just let myself out," she answered with a smile before leaving.
Zach had asked Edie to order them a light dinner and waited until it was delivered before he finally had his conversation with Kendall. She had been patient, but he could tell by the look in her eyes that she would not be that way much longer. After they had eaten, she stretched out on the sofa and he sat on the edge facing her and holding her hand.
"Kendall… I know how difficult things have been for the past few months, and I know that I've been to blame. I didn't mean to hurt you, but I couldn't find the words to tell you what I was going through. Please forgive me," he began.
"Zach… all I ever really wanted to hear was you telling me that you love me… nothing else matters except that," she answered gently. "There is nothing you could say that will matter now."
He laughed softly, "I don't know about that… but I'd still like to tell you everything."
"Alright… you talk, and I'll listen," she answered with a smile.
"Remember all of the time I spent in Michael's condo when we were first married?" at her nod he continued, "And I know you've noticed my recurring nightmares. The Cambias curse decided to rear its ugly head… My father, Michael, Ethan… all showing me in a multitude of ways that I was going to destroy your life… and our child's."
"No… Zach… no," she said softly.
"It's okay now," he smiled. "Please… let me get this out… Once I realized that I had fallen in love with you, I also realized I was vulnerable. One big reason why I've been successful is that I didn't give a damn. It's easy to gamble when you don't care whether you win or lose… but with you and our baby… I care very much. I was afraid that I would drive you away… or worse… that I'd become my father. It took your mother to make me realize just how wrong I was."
Kendall giggled, "My mother… Erica Kane?"
"Your mother… the daughter of Mona Kane… can be very wise when she chooses. I wish that I'd been able to meet your grandmother," he said with a smile. He paused briefly before continuing, "I asked her to meet with me… I needed to talk to someone… someone who understood what I went through with my father… and that I had to find a way to beat this curse. Of course, the first thing she did was to tell me that there is no curse unless I believe in it."
"That sounds like my mother… but I could have told you the same thing," she answered quickly.
Zach smiled and squeezed her hand, "It's still very hard to talk about… and to think about. There are pieces of my life that I've never told anyone… but that's about to change. You deserve to know about my childhood, and why I have been so willing to embrace the idea of a curse. Don't think I'm unaware of how trite it sounds… blaming everything bad in my life on the Cambias Curse… but people suffered… and I never really understood it."
"Sometimes we do strange things to survive, Zach. It's not like I've been the most stable and sane person on the planet," she said, hugging his hand close to her. "I've done some pretty awful things… but I've grown beyond them. I don't let that craziness rule my life anymore but I have always known that we had that in common."
"You never cease to amaze me," Zach answered warmly. "I need to tell you about my mother. She was so beautiful… golden hair and haunted eyes… and I loved her. But life as Mrs. Alexander Cambias was not easy, and my father was cruel. Once she had given him his sons, her usefulness was at an end. Georgiana Cambias came from the finest of families and she had impeccable breeding; the perfect brood mare for my father's ambitions—but there was never any love or affection between them."
"It must have been terrible for her," Kendall whispered. "But at least she had her children to love."
"I do believe that she loved us… I certainly loved her… but my father, he had no use for her… and he wasn't going to allow her the opportunity to influence us. No… that was the job of my father—and the many people he hired to make us the perfect heirs to his empire. So he took us away from her, only allowing her brief and occasional access," Zach said, his voice filled with sadness. When Kendall reacted to his last statement with shock, "Oh, it wasn't that obvious… She had everything that money could buy, beautiful homes, jewelry, travel... But when she was at one estate, we were at another… or she was updating her wardrobe in Paris while we were being tutored in London… and then came boarding school. No, my mother was the perfect magnate's wife… jet setting around the world, making my father look so doting in the way that he indulged her every whim."
"You're certainly kinder than I am," Kendall said with a laugh. "You know what I did to Erica for rejecting me… and she had a good excuse. What makes you so sure that your father kept her away from you?"
"Little comments… the way she would call us to say goodnight, and tell us how much she missed us. How wonderful it was to be with her when we were allowed to be together… her eyes, they would fill with tears and she'd hug us so tight… I never wanted her to go away… but my father… he always told her when it was time to leave," Zach said with a catch in his voice. "He'd remind her of her obligations and her schedule, and if she protested… he'd take us and leave her behind. But you're right… for a long time I was angry with her for not loving us enough to protect us from him."
Kendall leaned forward and laid her head against his shoulder, rubbing her hand down his back, "I'm so sorry… at least I had the Harts… you've never had anyone…"
He reached up and stroked her hair, "It's okay… I've got you now… and we're a family. I began to realize, as I grew older, that he stole little bits and pieces from her until she was an empty shell… and all she lived for were those brief moments with Michael and me… they were the only reason she stayed. But after a while, even those weren't enough… and she left us for good."
"I'm not surprised, but it still had to be devastating," she answered as he gently leaned her back against the pillows. "Where is she now? Are you in contact with her?"
Zach smiled indulgently, "No… that would be impossible. You see, she made a permanent escape from that gilded prison… When I was sixteen she took an overdose of sleeping pills… I don't know if it was on purpose or an accident, we'll never know… but she was just as dead. And after she died I hated my father even more, and that's when I decided to leave."
"Oh, Zach," Kendall sighed, reaching out to touch his hand.
"Michael offered to help me… we thought of ways that I could run away to escape the old man, but couldn't think of a way to keep him from finding me and dragging me back. Finally we decided to fake my death… because he wouldn't look for me if he didn't think I was out there somewhere. We worked hard, and Michael helped me every step of the way… and you know the rest of what happened," he paused, taking a deep breath and pulling her fingers to his lips.
"Zach… there has to be more to this story. I'm so sorry about your mother, and I understand why her death would have driven you to leave… but why is this so important? Important enough to race home in the middle of the afternoon?" Kendall asked in confusion.
He turned her hand and caressed the palm lightly with his lips, "I have been blaming myself—and my mother—for deserting Michael. We were the reason that he turned into a monster… I was responsible for Bianca's rape… and it began to eat me alive when I realized that I might hurt you… hurt the baby… that my love could be as toxic as my father's."
"No, Zach… never… you rejected it… you rejected him…" Kendall protested.
Zach smiled, "I know that now… but it was your mother who figured it out… you see… I said that I hated the old man, and that I wanted to get away from him… I said that I would give it all up… Michael never said those things. He never said he wanted to run away, and he never said he would give up the power or the money. And I remember a look in his eyes… I never understood it, and it never mattered… Kendall, I loved my brother… but I loved a boy who never existed… because it was always Michael's plan to get rid of me."
"What?" Kendall gasped.
"He wanted everything that I had… he wanted father's approval and the money and the power… when I said I wanted to run away, he saw it as his chance… he's the one who suggested that I fake my death, he's the one who pushed me into doing it… because if I died then he'd have it all," Zach said. "Finally, after all these years, I understand. There is no family curse, just people… weak, flawed, unhappy people… but they're still just people. What my father did… what my mother did… they are not my choices… Michael chose his path, and he paid for that choice with his life. Ethan has chosen his path, and he will pay as well."
"I love you," Kendall said quietly, leaning forward and kissing him gently, tenderly and with all the love she professed.
"Oh, Kendall…" he groaned. "…I love you so much. Can you forgive me for being so blind and stupid?"
"There's nothing to forgive," she answered as he pulled her fully into his arms.
