Prologue

It was a bright, early morning when she saw the newscast. The interview was short only a couple of minutes but long enough to show exactly everything that had been taken from her.

"… And we're back and talking with Chloe Kiriakis, the star of the movie version of Phantom of the Opera. It's good to have you here with us this morning, Chloe."

Chloe smiled. "Well, I'm glad to be here."

"I understand that when you were first asked to take the lead role in this movie that you turned it down?" Allison the bubbly news reporter asked.

"Yes, I was on hiatus from my professional career when my agent was contacted about the role. After I had my son Tristian I decided to take some time off to be with him and my family. To take a hiatus from my career was a very hard decision for me to make but, at the same time I hadn't taken hardly time off after my daughter was born early on in my career. The time just seemed right with Tristian's birth putting my career on hold was something I really wanted to do. So my agent contacted me after my son had turned two and asked if I would consider the role. At that time I just wasn't quite ready to leave my son so I declined to offer."

Allison nodded. "Then she called you a couple months later offering you the lead role again."

"Yes," Chloe swept her elegantly gray-streaked sable hair off her shoulder. "I was offered the role again and after I discussing this with my family I told her I would make a decision. I discussed the consequences of taking on this movie with my husband and my daughter Lily, who was 12 at the time."

"Your husband being Philip Kiriakis," Allison offered as the screen showed a picture of the couple at a public event both dressed to the nines in soft tones of blue.

"Yes, Philip and I both have very public professional lives but at the same time we are both very private about what goes on in our personal life. Taking on a movie, which would take my family into the public eye, is something that I take very serious. Being this open to the public allows for a lot of personal family things to become public knowledge. I wasn't sure if I was ready or even willing to open myself and my family to that." She paused to sip from her glass of water. However, both my husband and my daughter really encouraged me to take the role. They thought it would be something that I could really sink my teeth into so I accepted the role."

"Is it a different experience being on stage performing or doing a movie?"

"I think it's a different experience. I've done cameos before in a couple different movies so I understand how the whole process. Performing on stage will always be my first love but I definitely enjoy doing movies as well. Performing in general is just something I love to do."

Allison turned toward the camera, "when we come back we'll talk to Chloe about her family and what it's like being married to Philip Kiriakis."

"I'll just bet, married to the man that should have been mine." The woman replied fast-forwarding her tape to go to the interview. She stopped it when the interview came back on and pressed play.

"… So I understand that you and Philip have been married for seven years now? But, you've reportedly have called it a twenty-year love affair."

Chloe laughed lightly. "Philip and I have known each other for twenty-four years. Starting all the way back when we were in high school together. I've always felt that we've had special … connection. When I was eighteen I was diagnosed with an acute form of leukemia. And I had to have a bone marrow transplant. Philip was tested and he was a match, he saved my life when we were just eighteen years old. We have a bond, its unbreakable between the two of us." The camera focused in on her face, the sincerity in her eyes so pure and true that it could only be real.

"So would you say that you and Philip are soul mates?"

"Um, no Philip and I aren't soul mates, our bond, I think goes above and beyond just that of a soul mate. A soul mate is someone I think you have a unique connection with … someone who is a friend. The bond between Philip and I isn't made of friendship, its made of love pure and simple. He's my husband, my lover, he's my confidante." A picture of Chloe and Philip flashed before the screen, this one more recent than the last. It was a photo of them embraced, Philip behind her with his arm around her waist looking down into her face as she stared back at him. "It's a relationship that's grown from when were just teenagers to now a-a wonderful marriage."

"Listen to her babble about how precious her marriage is. Ugh, I can't stand her talking about a marriage that should have been mine, children that should have been mine,"

"… my daughter Lily is fourteen years old and my son Tristian is now five years old. They are the joys of my life. Regardless of anything that's happening in my life they can make me feel 100 better." A picture of Chloe with Lily taken a movie premiere flashed onto the screen.

The reported nodded smiling, then turn toward the camera. "Well, we're out of time this morning. This is Chloe Kiriakis starring in the movie version of Phantom of the Opera that opens nationwide next month." She turned to Chloe. "Chloe, it was lovely meeting you. I hope that you'll come back and talk with us again after the movie comes out this summer.

Chloe smiled brightly. "I'd love to, it's been my pleasure."

The reported turned back to the camera. "Now back to you in the studio Tom …"

Turning off the television, she clicked the stop button on the VCR. "Well I'll tell you what Mrs. Chloe Kiriakis, your happiness is about to end. I will have everything that was supposed to be mine. I will have it all, the children, the name, and the prestige of being a Kiriakis." She said throwing a knife into the wall where black and white photos of the Kiriakis family lined the walls.

Chapter One (One Month Later in New York)

The sun was rising in the New York skyline as a sleek sliver Mercedes drove past the gated entrance of Kiriakis Estate on the Upper East Side of New York. The extravagant car drove into the driveway of the mansion. The car came to a stop and out stepped Philip and Chloe Kiriakis.

Philip strolled around to the back of the car to grab a small bag from the trunk before walking to meet his wife as she opened the front door to the mansion, with a private key code. She stepped through the front door and waited for him to follow her before shutting the door. The mansion had an automatic alarm system/lock so that whenever the door closed the system was automatically activated. The Kiriakis Mansion was a mere seven years old. Philip and Chloe had the house built for them when they returned to the city to take up residence and it suited their needs perfectly. It was a four-levels with ten bedrooms, six bathrooms home with private security passageways built in throughout the house. Amongst the amenities for the house included a private library/office for Philip, a large dining area that could be used to business dinners, a living area, two dens (one for adults which was also used for business and one for the children used as a playroom), a large kitchen with a dining table, an indoor pool, hot tub, a veranda that led outside to a manicured garden and an exercise room. In short, the house was built with both comfort and luxury in mind.

After going to his office to check for any messages left on his voicemail since he'd last checked (before he and Chloe had left Eixel and headed for home), Philip headed up the spiral staircase to the families wing of bedrooms on the east side of the house. The house was broken into two sections the east wing and the west wing; the west wing being primarily reserved for guests. As he headed down the hallway, he stopped just before entering the inner domain of his home to access his security system to place the house under a level one secured area, which meant for the grounds to monitored for any intrusion by car or on foot outside the house as well as for the security cameras to change discs. The security system in the house was top of line, it allowed for tiny cameras to be placed all around the property with the explicit purpose of making sure every inch of the property was secure. The cameras did not record on tapes instead they recorded on CDs that could only be seen on a specific laptop computer that few people with the exception of family even knew about. Ensuring that the house was secure he headed on through the sitting room and entered his bedroom.

Chloe was standing before the mirror taking off her earrings when her husband walked into the room. Placing the diamond studs into her jewelry box she started to unbutton her blouse. "Any messages?" She asked as she slipped off her silk blouse.

"No, nothing for business and nothing from Lily or Nicky." Philip answered from his position on a small chair as he took off his shoes.

Chloe smiled wryly as she slipped of her black pants leaving her in a camisole and silk panties. "Not even on a school day has our daughter ever been up at this hour."

"True, I guess she's her father's daughter, after all." He replied moving to stand behind his wife as she brushed her long liberally streaked gray hair. His hands settled on her waist as he pulled her back to lean against him. "Aren't you glad to be home?"

"Hmm, yes I am definitely glad to be home." She tilted her head to rest on his shoulder as he nuzzled her neck. "Although, seeing Stefano was a joy." She turned in his arms, slipped her hands into his gray streaked blonde hair, "aren't you?"

"Oh absolutely," Philip declared before leaning down to place his mouth on hers as he lifted her into his arms and carried her toward their bed …

Several hours later after Philip and Chloe had awaken and showered from their early morning tryst, they had made a late lunch together and ate it on the veranda. It was a very laid back sort of atmosphere for them as they relaxed in their home.

"When are our children returning home?" Philip asked from where he sat drinking coffee.

"In a day or two, the last time I talked to my mother was before we left for Eixel and she and Craig planned to take Nicky and Lily to the Hamptons for the weekend. I think it would be good for them to enjoy themselves without having a camera anywhere in the vicinity. It seems whenever they are anywhere with me lately there's always someone with camera intruding on the scene. It's good that they at least get a weekend where there aren't any reporters following them or trying to take pictures of them." Philip nodded completely understanding Chloe's need for their children to get away from their parents public status for a while to just be normal children. It was getting harder for Chloe to be seen on the street these days without being recognized since her movie was still doing incredibly well in the box office so people tended to recognize her now, more often, than not.

"Somehow I don't think Lily minds as much as we do that people take her picture whenever she's out with you, she simply loves the camera."

"Yes, I know," she grimaced. Every since Lily had been scouted by a director for a role in a movie a year before she had fallen instantly in love with everything about the acting experience including the paparazzi much to her parent's dismay. "That's precisely the reason I'm glad my mother has her for the time being."

A buzz came out over the intercom system by the veranda doorway, signaling that someone was at the gated entrance. "Were you expecting anyone?" Philip questioned rising from his position at the cushioned chairs, he pressed button on the intercom.

"No, I haven't even called anyone to tell them that we are home yet."

"Yes," Philip said over the speaker.

"Philip, it's Rex, I need to speak with you."

Philip frowned. "We're in the lounge, I'll buzz you in." He pressed another button, which would open the gates to the mansion. He clicked off the speaker and keyed in the code for the front door to open after a few minutes and moved to sit back down by Chloe once again.

"So what's up with Rex?"

"I have no idea but I'll find out momentarily." A couple minutes later Rex entered the room with his wife, Mimi. Rex was Chloe's first cousin, son of Andre Dimera. He was a tall man with dark hair and handsome with warm brown eyes. He was forty years old a mere a couple of months younger than Philip. He was introduced to Mimi at a party on Eixel given by Stefano four years earlier and from the very moment he saw her, he pursued Mimi mercilessly until she agreed to be his wife three months later then seven and a half months later Alexander Blake Dimera was born.

"Mimi I didn't expect to see you with Rex. Where's my adorable godson?" Chloe asked as she stood to kiss her cousin's cheek and hug Mimi.

"Oh, he's at home getting some sleep. He had a very busy day," glancing at her husband she grinned. "His Daddy took him to the zoo and then to a baseball game. So he was very tired when he came home today." She hugged the taller woman back and released her as Chloe moved to return sitting next to Philip. "So how was your trip to see Stefano?"

"Well, you know Grandfather, he was a little upset that Philip and I didn't bring Lily and Nicky down to see him. But, you know how he can be when he wants something so I promised to have them come out later after Lily's dance camp is finished." She settled down next to her husband, resting her hand on his thigh. "But, I'm sure you didn't come here to discuss our trip so what brings you here? Philip and I were planning on spending tonight alone, since the staff and our children aren't home."

"Relax, Chloe, the reason I came is important. Have you talked to Lucas yet?" Rex questioned.

"Not yet why? Did something happen that we need to discuss?"

"I-it would be better for Lucas to explain it to you because it's fairly complicated." Rex suggested lightly knowing that whatever Lucas had to say that they didn't want either of their wives to know about just yet.

Sighing Chloe removed her hand from Philip's leg. "You might as well go ahead and fix whatever needs fixing." He started to stand about to walk away only to have Chloe pull him back as he leaned down to be eye level with her. "Don't be too long." He brushed his lips against hers then rose.

"I won't." He declared to headed down the hallway toward his office, Rex following behind him.

After watching their husbands' head out of the veranda, Chloe tucked her legs under as she sipped from her coffee mug.

"Sorry about this, Chloe. Rex and I didn't mean to ruin your night."

"Mmm …" She waved the apology away. "It's okay, I'm sure that it was something important that couldn't wait. So don't worry about it. Speaking of your unscheduled visit – do you have any idea what all this secrecy is about, I noticed the swift evacuation into the office."

"I'm not sure but I believe it was something to do with an employee at Titan. But, as usual Rex wouldn't give me all of the details. He just said he had to speak with Philip before he said anything." She shrugged. "So tell me about the trip to Eixel, wasn't it refreshing to get away from the limelight?"

"It was a complete relief, I almost forgot I was supposed to be there on business. Tell me all about my god son's his first baseball game?" She requested setting her mug aside as she lean forward and began to drill Mimi for details.

Meanwhile, Philip was in his office with Rex and on the speakerphone Lucas.

"What's going on, Lucas? Obviously, you have a better idea than I do."

"I don't know Philip which is why I've been trying to get in touch with you. Shawn's people only caught the trail after a coworker mentioned that she hadn't heard from the girl for a couple of weeks now. I can't make heads or tails out of the files she left but it doesn't look good. All I can say is that she knew exactly what she was doing and what files to tap into. Shawn and I couldn't figure out what the connection was between files and the girl. Anyway, I figured you should probably come out and take a look for yourself."

"Do you think it's that serious Lucas?"

"Like I said before Rex, it would probably be best if you both just come check this out personally. Not only does it involve Titan but Phoenix Enterprises as well. I haven't told Mom or Sami yet because I don't want to alarm them over nothing. But, let's just say keeping secrets from Sami isn't a strong point for me."

"Okay, okay, Rex and I can take the jet and be there later tonight." He clicked off the speakerphone and moved to sit down on the desk. He opened a small black case and pulled out a cigarette, lighting it.

"Do you think its Brady?" Rex asked taking a seat in a chair across from Philip.

"Honestly," Rex nodded. "I don't know this isn't my nephew's normal style." He exhaled letting out a stream of smoke. "Besides, he's been living in the 'Glades the last couple of years. There's been no movement on his end. I would know if he's been up to something." He flicked the cigarette into an ashtray. "In any case I get the feeling that this is something completely different." He stubbed out his cigarette, standing up. "I'm going to tell my wife that I'm leaving and pack a bag."

"I'll do the same since I want to speak with my father anyway." Both men left the office to their wives that they would be leaving for Salem immediately on business.

Chloe and Mimi were still sitting in the veranda when their husbands returned almost twenty minutes later. When they arrived Chloe immediately knew that something was up from the gleam in Philip's eyes.

"What's going on, is something wrong?" Before Philip could even respond, she guessed as he came to sit on the ledge of the chair in front of her legs. "You're going to Salem aren't you?"

"Yes, how did you know?" He replied mildly surprised that she had guessed so easily.

Chloe scrunched her nose as she plucked at his black shirt, "you smell like smoke. And you only smell like smoke when something's bothering you … that usually reeks of Salem. So when are you leaving?"

"As soon as the jet's ready to go. Rex," he nodded to his cousin-in-law. "And I, both will be going." Chloe nodded. Even though, he would have liked to invite her, he knew that she'd say no. Every since they'd left Salem seven years earlier she hadn't been back saying that she had no reason to return since her parents had moved to New York. Besides, neither she nor Philip had any love lost for Salem.

"You're leaving?" Mimi asked her husband surprised as she looked up into his beautiful brown eyes.

"Yes, I want to check in with my father." Mimi stood up before her husband pulling on his lightweight jacket.

"Xander and I could come with you," she offered expecting him to take her along.

"No-no, you and Alex should stay here." He rubbed her arms as he peered into her loving green eyes. " I'll be back soon." Even though, Mimi had stopped working for Titan after their marriage and the birth of their son, Rex knew that if she came it would only be a matter of time before she knew exactly what was going on.

"Yeah Meems, stay I know Lily will love to see you when she gets back." Chloe declared stretching her long legs before she rose from the couch.

Mimi nodded as she clasped Rex's hand. "Now, that that's settled Meems and I should head home so I can pack a bag to be ready when we leave Philip."

"It should only take an hour or so for the to be ready so I'll see you there then." Philip answered as he escorted Mimi and Rex to their car. When he reentered the house, he walked to the veranda only to find that Chloe had left. Hearing the sound of water running, he headed to the kitchen to find his wife filling the teakettle with water and then placing it on the stove.

"So … is Brady responsible for whatever is you're going to Salem to investigate?" She questioned taking an Earl Grey tea bag down from a box of her flavored teas.

"No, he doesn't have anything to do with the reason why I'm going to Salem." He moved to sit on a stool at the tiled island. "It's something else entirely, but even sight unseen I'm pretty sure he has nothing to do with my 'investigation.' Lucas has something he needs me to take a look at." Chloe nodded but said nothing, which could only mean that she was perturbed. "Is something wrong you seem as if you're angry … about something?"

"I'm not angry about anything." The kettle whistled. Chloe moved back to pour some hot water into her mug with the tea bag to allow the flavor to seep in as she raised her gaze to his perceptive one. "I guess you could say that I am slightly bothered – or rather concerned about something … you."

"Me?" He replied incredulously smiling showing his pearly whites. "But, I'm perfectly fine."

"Are you?" He nodded arching a brow in confusion.

"Okay Chloe, honey, you've lost me, what are you talking about?"

Chloe moved to face Philip across the island. "You know when I married you Philip, you were a different man. You were cold, dangerous, ruthless, and arrogant … at least that's how I thought you were when we first got married. But, what I figured out is that you acted the way you did to give this image of being a person to reckon with, I'd thought of it as your business persona."

"My business persona?"

"Yes, the way you present yourself whenever you have business to attend to for Titan or Phoenix Enterprises."

"Well, I can't exactly leave my companies unattended."

"I'm not asking you to leave either of the corporations unattended because I know how much they mean to you. It's your birthright; your father left the company in your capable hands because he knew that you could be and are a good businessman. I would never ask you to give that up. But, at the same time I didn't marry the owner and CEO of two multimillion-dollar corporations. I married you Philip Kiriakis."

"What are you saying?" He asked as he watched her come around the island to stand before him sitting on the stool.

"I'm saying you can be the shrewd, ruthless, arrogant, and cold-blooded person that you have to be when you're dealing with Titan and Phoenix Enterprises. But, when you're home with Lily, Nicky, and I – I don't want that businessman here. I want the man I married, the man that spent hours going through every shopping area in New York to find his daughter the perfect birthday gift. I want the man who took time off from his busy schedule to take his four year old to see Barney live on stage, when he can't stand that purple dinosaur." She smiled as she leaned up until her lips touched his, "I want the man that knows me better than I know myself, the man that I love with all my heart."

Philip raised his hand to hold her back a moment before she could lean in and kiss him. "Wait a second what brought this on?"

"It's just something I want you to think about while you're gone, that all." She smiled before leaning in to softly kissed his lips before moving bag to get her cup of tea, draining the tea bag and adding two sugars. "By the way, Philip you might want to take the cigarettes with you when you leave otherwise she'll flush them when she gets home."

As he stared after his wife walk away he thought about what she had said. Chloe was very open about the way she felt whenever he had business with Titan or Phoenix Enterprises. In the past, she had claimed that he channeled Victor. But, as much as he wanted to change that part of his personality he couldn't because that's who he had to be in order to run these corporations successfully. Sometimes you had to be a little cutthroat to survive. And for the most part Chloe understood that but she didn't like it one bit at all. He'd naturally have to discuss that with her but first he had business he needed to figure our what was going on in Salem.

Running his hand through his gray streaked blonde hair he left the kitchen to back a bag for Salem. He made a pit stop to his office to grab his cigarettes from his office. Lily hadn't liked his occasional smoking at seven but not at 14 she absolutely detested it now and frequently did random flushings whenever she found packages laying around in his office or hidden in his desks.

Mimi closed the door walking out of Xander's room, having just checked on, her sleeping son. According to the Maxine, her son's live in nanny, he hadn't woken up since she and Rex had been gone. She entered the bedroom to see Rex just zipping his bag.

"Finished packing?" She asked of her husband.

"Just about, I just need to grab some things from my office. How's my son?"

She smiled, "sleeping like the little angel he is. He's gone to miss you while you're gone, you know."

Turning to face his wife he grasped her hand and pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her waist. "How about you, are you going to miss me?"

She raised her arms to rest around his neck. "Of course I am, I always miss you whenever you're not here. But, like you said you'll be back soon though, right?"

"Yes, I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Good." She pulled his head down to meet hers for a goodbye kiss. He tenderly nibbled on her lower lip briefly before opening her mouth her mouth more forcefully as he took over the kiss.

The phone rang. The ring was repeated twice before Rex released his wife to go answer it sighing. He picked up the phone on the fourth ring, "Yes." He listened for a minute and then replied; "Alright I'll see you there." He hung up the phone.

"Was that Philip?"

"Yes, I need to be going if I'm going to get to the airport in time." He sighed and walked to get his bag off the bed.

"Wait a minute before you leave I want you to take something with you to give to Philip." Mimi crossed the room quickly and opened a drawer on her armor she pulled out a small manila folder. She turned and handed over to Rex.

Placing his bag on the floor, he took the folder. "What is it?"

"It's a report … on Brady." Before Rex could ask her any questions she rushed on quickly. "Look I know that whatever reason you and Philip have for going to Salem is a good," Rex started to interrupt but Mimi raised her hand to hold him off. "I'm not asking what it is but I'm sure that Philip will have Brady on his list of suspects and this is just a monthly report that I have taken of Brady, the same one I have every other month."

"Meems, honey, I know you feel responsible for —,"

"I don't feel responsible for Brady, I just don't want him accused a crime that he couldn't possibly of have committed. Look, it's all in the report, just tell Philip to read it. It'll show that for the past couple months Brady hasn't had any contact with anyone but his father. He lives in a house by the beach, its secluded and far from the city. He only comes off his property when he goes to store for groceries. He doesn't have a girlfriend nor is he sleeping with anyone at the moment. He —,"

Rex interrupted her gently grasping her shoulders. "Meems don't worry about it. I know that you feel the need to protect him but you don't need to. Trust me on this Brady couldn't be further from Philip's mind." Mimi still didn't seem convinced. "If it will make you feel better I'll give him the report anyway, okay?" She nodded. "Good. Now I need to get going or I'll be late." Leaning down he brushed his lips across hers before grabbing his bag and heading out the door. "Love you."

Pulling a slight smile, Mimi nodded. "I love you, too." Rex smiled and then left the bedroom heading down to his office then to the airport to meet Philip.

Please tell me what you think