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CHAPTER 141

We continue to talk and I watch as Victor gently pulls all the information from Jared about today. He is chatting with him and while not condoning him for his actions also empathising with him about why he did what he did. Jared continues to open up to him and I see the bond growing between them as they continue to talk and I smile.

I clear my throat and they both pause and look at me.

"I'll be off now, I'll be back shortly but I have to go and fetch Eva from work" I explain.

Victor nods, "I'll take care of things" he says.

I leave the penthouse and go down to the Bentley and as I leave the underground carpark I glance at the main entrance and I see the large group of photographers and reporters gathering waiting. They spot the Bentley and surge towards me, but I quickly pull out on to the main road and am gone before they can bombard the car.

When I reach The Crossfire the scene is very similar and I make the decision not to wait at the curb as I normally do but drive to the private underground carpark which Gideon had installed but rarely used. I send Eva a message telling her to take the elevator to the lower level carpark rather than exiting at the lobby.

I wait and while I am waiting I make sure that there is sufficient security personnel keeping the penthouse and Crossfire secure from more intrepid reporters and photographers who might be tempted to get into the building.

A few moments later the elevator doors open and Eva appears and walks towards the Bentley. I climb out and smile at her.

"Good Evening lass" I say politely and she smiles but it is tight and I see the worried expression on her face.

"What the fuck was he thinking Angus?" she blurts out.

"I know, I asked him pretty much the same thing. I think he realises now what he has done, as does Jared" I say.

Eva shakes her head, "No, I don't blame Jared in fact he did what I have longed to do ever since I met that bitch for the first time… and if I was to be totally honest with you when I watched that video someone posted… I nearly did a fist pump and a happy dance at what he said… Is it bad?" she asks.

I look at her my eyebrows raised, "I'm collecting you from the carpark which I hardly ever do… so what do you think?" I say and she smiles.

"I guessed as much, so we won't be going out for dinner this evening then" she says.

"You should also know something else which has happened" I begin and Eva looks at me questioningly.

"Your dad… Victor showed up a short while ago. He is still at the Penthouse as he was off duty and his last call of the day was volunteering to tell Gideon… that Elizabeth is dead".

Eva gasps and then I see a sarcastic smile pull at her lips, "Ding dong the witch is dead" she mutters under her breath.

"Indeed" I reply as I totally agree with that sentiment in light of everything we know about her.

"How did Gideon take that?" she asks.

"Indifferently, almost as if he'd been told a complete stranger had died" I say. "I am fairly sure Gideon will be approached regarding her funeral as he, as her eldest son will probably be named as her next of kin since she separated from Chris".

Eva nods, "How are Ireland and Christopher taking the news?" she asks and I shrug.

"I don't know lass, Victor informed me that some of his colleagues were seeking them out and telling them and he volunteered to be the one to tell Gideon. He wouldn't be involved with Gideon under normal circumstances considering he works at a precinct outside of the city so I'm guessing that is where Elizabeth was living and also died".

I nod, I know my dad was placed at a precinct outside of our immediate area due to any conflict of interest with Gideon and myself. "It's not a good area, I was worried considering dad got shot before when he told me which precinct he had transferred to… so Elizabeth really did lose everything if she was living in that neighbourhood" she says.

"Ay lass, she did" I reply.

Eva looks up at me, "We had no idea where she was… did you know?" she asks.

I hesitate a moment, "I did lass, and I was keeping a discreet eye on her. But considering Gideon's viewpoint that she was dead to him and considering what she had done to him, along with our other unconfirmed suspicions that she actually watched him being abused and got off on it in some way… I felt it was in his best interests to remain ignorant of her whereabouts".

Eva smiles gratefully at me, "I agree… when was the last time you saw her, in person?" she asks.

I let out a long breath, "About two or three weeks ago, maybe longer, maybe less? It was just before we all went to Seattle when Jared's Aunt and Uncle died. We had returned from Chicago, and it was within that period where Gideon was getting to know Jared after he had moved to Seattle with Peter and Suzanne Martin and everything was settling down so I took a ride over to just see if she was still there, I saw her as she was entering her apartment block and she looked thin and tired, so considering the fact she had been dead for a considerable amount of time I would guess it would've been around that time".

Eva looks up, "Could it have been when that footage of Jared and Gideon confronting Chris in Chicago appeared? That was around that time, if it was just before we flew to Seattle" she asks.

I shrug, "Possibly, we did realise that Chris knew about Jared from what he said. So, there is the possibility when that news reached Elizabeth, it pushed her over the edge… especially if she also knew the truth about Jared. She knew her relationship with Chris was irretrievable but I think some part of her still thought that Gideon would come round eventually and bale her out or that she would be able to make amends with Christopher and Ireland. But when that footage appeared and Chris said what he said even she realised that Gideon wouldn't want anything to do with her anymore if he knew she had played a part in preventing him from knowing his son".

Eva shakes her head sadly, "Gideon was really treated like shit by her, wasn't he?" she says.

I nod, "She wasn't a good mother to him" I reply diplomatically.

Eva looks at me carefully, "Do you know where Corrine is right now?" she asks.

I feel a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach, "I do" I say simply.

"Would you take me to her?" she asks mildly.

"Eva Lass… I don't think" I begin but she quickly interrupts me.

"Please Angus" she says.

I think about it and eventually nod once. Hoping to god I'm doing the right thing. "Just promise me you won't do anything stupid, like Gideon did" I say and Eva lets out a small snort.

"I will be the soul of discretion" she replies.

We pull up outside an apartment block, and Eva immediately looks shocked… "Isn't this where Elizabeth was living? Before the trial, when Ana and I came to confront her… when she told us about her dad and what he did to her?" she asks.

I nod, "Ay lass it is, for some unknown reasons Corrine moved here after Elizabeth moved out after she lost everything and had to leave" I reply, "So, you'll probably be needing this to get in there" I add handing her the pass to get into the building.

Eva accepts it with a grin, "Thanks Angus, which apartment does she live in?" she asks.

"2031" I reply and Eva nods.

"Let's hope she's in" she says as she goes to open the car door.

"She is" I reply, I know this because I have a security operative following her and keeping me updated about her whereabouts, since the events of this afternoon.

"Oh ok" she says.

I look at her and beseech her once more to not do this, "You don't need to do this Eva, Gideon won't like it" I say and she lets out a snort.

"Well, I can't say I'm ecstatic about some decisions he makes at times – this afternoon being a point in question. While part of me is overjoyed that both Gideon and Jared put her in her place once and for all, what they have done is going to impact on everyone till the media find something else to obsess over, at least I'm going to rip her a new one in private".

I can't argue with that and I tip my head in acknowledgement. "Just be careful lass" I say. She nods and smiles at me assuring me she will be. Then I watch as Eva climbs out of the car and strides confidently towards the building and disappears inside, I sigh and shake my head. That lass is the best thing that ever happened to Gideon.

oooOOOooo

(EVA)

I quickly find the apartment and taking a deep breath I knock on the door. I carefully start my phone recording so that anything she says will be captured to prevent her making any false accusations.

A few moments later the door opens and I see Corrine, she looks a mess her eyes are red, bloodshot and puffy indicating she has been crying – a lot. They widen as she sees me and she goes to slam the door shut. I push and quickly overpower her; she might be much taller than me but I have strength from my Krav Maga classes.

"Not so fast" I say as I barge my way into her apartment.

"Get out! I'll call the police" she threatens and I shrug.

"Do it, see if I care. I'll be happy to inform them of how you've been stalking my husband and step-son although they probably already know about it" I say with a grin.

I watch as her face pales at that, "I.. I…" she stammers.

I hold up my hand, "Look I'm not here to talk about that or berate you any more than you already have been. We all know you are a deluded bitch who can't grasp the fact Gideon doesn't want you. No, I'm here to tell you that your partner in crime… your wingman… woman is dead" I say coldly.

I watch as her eyebrows pinch together as she tries to figure out what I am talking about.

"Elizabeth is dead… she killed herself" I say and I watch as Corrine's eyes widen and her jaw drops open".

I shrug, "Angus seems to think it was when the footage showing Chris admitting to Gideon he knew the truth about Jared went public. He has this theory you see… he thinks that she thought – because she was as deluded as you, that she would at some point be able to win Gideon around again and he would help her out. Or at the very least she would restore some sort of relationship with Christopher and Ireland and she'd be able to mooch off of them. But when Chris made it clear that he knew the truth about Jared, well that changed everything and she knew quite correctly that all hope was now gone… so tell me Corrine, is Angus' theory correct. Tell me how Chris knew the truth about Jared?"

I wait and watch her, then I see her simply sag and fall down onto the sofa with a thud. She bursts into tears and sobs uncontrollably. I roll my eyes; I can't work out whether this is genuine or a ploy to try and get me to feel sorry for her.

"Cut the crap Corrine and for once in your life just tell the truth and do the right thing" I say.

"I wanted Gideon but he didn't want me" she sobs.

"So, what? You deliberately got yourself pregnant to try and trap him?" I ask.

She nods, "Yes" she replies quietly.

"So, why the fuck did you not follow through?" I exclaim.

She looks up at me, "Because I wasn't sure Gideon was his father" she says.

I let out a snort, "Jean Francois" I say and she nods.

"Yes" she replies.

I shake my head, "For fucks sake, this is people's lives Corrine, you were playing with people's lives!" I exclaim.

"There was also another possibility" she whispers.

"What?" I ask.

She swallows hard, "There was a third person… but it wasn't consensual".

"What?!" I gasp realising at once what she is saying.

"Do I have to spell it out for you, I was raped Eva" she blurts out and fresh tears start to fall.

I sit down beside her, I hope to god this isn't a lie as it would be a lie of the worst kind. "Who?" I ask.

She swallows hard and shakes her head, "I can't it's too awful" she says.

"Who, Corrine?" I push.

She looks at me, "Chris" she whispers so quietly that I barely hear it.

"Chris… as in Chris Vidal?" I ask.

She nods, and then lets out a long shuddering breath, "I went to see Elizabeth, to talk to her about Gideon as he was starting to pull away from me. We had previously discussed how I could prevent that from happening and she had advised me to sabotage the contraception he used, which I'd done, I'd poked a hole through all the foil packets of condoms he had. I was also seeing Jean Francois and we'd… yes well" she pauses.

"But this particular evening, I went to see Elizabeth but she wasn't there. He was drunk, blind drunk… he'd had an argument with Elizabeth and she'd stormed out. I sat with him, and we talked. He was so drunk though, and then suddenly he made a pass at me, he grabbed me and kissed me… it all happened so fast and he was so strong, I tried… I really tried to push him off me but he overpowered me and he…" she stops and more tears fall.

I hesitantly reach out and touch her arm, a part of me is still wondering if she is lying but the bigger part of me feels nothing but compassion for her, knowing first-hand what it is like to be violated.

"What happened?" I ask gently.

She shrugs, "When he'd finished, he just got up and staggered away. I pulled myself together and I left. I went home and took a bath; I scrubbed my skin raw trying to get the feel of him off me. I didn't know what to do, he was so drunk he had no memory of what he did, and I blamed myself for what happened. But a few weeks later I discovered I was pregnant. I had no idea who the father of this baby was, I couldn't… I couldn't let Gideon believe he was his in case he wasn't and considering who one of the possible candidates for father was. So, that was when I decided to go to my parent's house. I told them Gideon was aware of the baby and didn't want to be involved. It was easy to get them to believe that as he was pulling away from me so significantly. Jean Francois also believed that. Elizabeth couldn't understand why I was adopting this stance when to her it appeared that I'd got what I wanted. I told her, I wasn't sure the baby was Gideon's and she'd just laughed and told me to grow up. I was so angry so I told her, I told her that Chris had raped me, that he was so drunk he had no memory of actually doing it and I told her when it happened. She had just stared at me, and then she had smiled and told me to do what I had to do. I later discovered that she had confronted Chris and told him what he had done and she held that over him as blackmail for years threatening to tell Gideon or make it public what he had done. From what Elizabeth told me, he denied it… but I think somewhere deep inside him he knew what he'd done, from the way he behaved towards me afterwards. I'd made my decision by then to have the baby adopted, and that is why I put in place all the demands on the adoption paperwork. I did it because I never wanted Gideon to find out what his step father did to me, not because I wanted to hurt Gideon or deprive him from knowing his child, because I honestly didn't know. I told Jean Francois the baby was definitely Gideon's, I told him I'd done a DNA test but in truth I was too scared to, in case the baby turned out to be Chris's… I didn't even consider the fact it could've been his, I just wanted it all to go away. He told Elizabeth I'd done the test and so they also believed the baby was Gideon's. Elizabeth asked me why I was marrying Jean Francois now I had my proof the child was Gideon's and I told her that it was obvious Gideon didn't want me anymore, while Jean Francois did but he wasn't willing to raise Gideon's son… but the truth was I couldn't bear to look Gideon in the eye anymore after everything that had happened and everything I'd done. So, now you know… now you know the truth. When it all came out about Gideon having a son, that was when I knew for sure he was that boy's father, although I had suspected. My father kept in touch with his adoptive parents, and I saw photographs of him growing up, and his eyes… I saw he had Gideon's eyes, but after what I'd done and how I'd lied to everyone I doubted my own senses and thought it could be just my wishful thinking. But it was never my intention to hurt Gideon, because I love him. I… just didn't understand why he didn't love me back. I thought he loved me, we were so good together when we were at Columbia… then I thought maybe he had discovered that I'd been messing around with Jean Francois behind his back, that I'd cheated on him and that was the reason why he'd effectively dumped me without actually saying so… that is what I convinced myself and he was ignoring me and… and Jean Francois was there… so I decided to cut my losses with Gideon and marry Jean Francois. But I never stopped loving Gideon, I will always love him… he was my first".

I sigh, "Look Corrine, what happened to you was abhorrent. It should never have happened, and there are a lot of things you don't know or understand about Gideon and it's not my place to tell you. But what I will say is that Elizabeth fucked all of you over in one way or another".

Corrine nods, "I know, when it all came out about her and what she had done… it made me feel physically sick, she was a monster of the worst kind… I saw the interview with Gideon about his childhood when he was abused… is that what you are referring to? Is that part of the reason why he pulled away from me?" she asks.

I sigh, "Yes it was, he understandably had issues from that time in his life, but that is all I am going to say" I say.

Corrine nods, "I understand, and I'm sorry I have behaved so badly towards you… I couldn't understand why he loved you so completely and I was jealous".

I smile at her, "We get each other on a level not many people can reach" I say as I think about how completely we adore each other.

Corrine nods, "I understand" she says sadly.

"Look I'm going to go now Corrine, are you going to be ok?" I ask.

She nods sadly, "I am, please tell Gideon I am sorry… sorry for everything" she says.

"What about Jared?" I ask.

I watch her stiffen, "I want nothing to do with him. He should never have been conceived, he was a mistake and a lapse in my judgement. I was manipulated and it was Elizabeth's idea which brought that about and I should never have gone along with it".

I tip my head in acknowledgement at that, "Fair enough, but I wonder… is that more down to resentment towards him for what he did today, how he humiliated you in public?" I ask.

She pauses and thinks about that, "Possibly, but it was nothing I didn't deserve under the circumstances" she says sadly.

"Can I ask you two more things and then I'll go?" I say.

Corrine shrugs "You may as well" she says with an air of defeat.

"Firstly, why did you try and get Ana to publish that book?" I ask.

Corrine shrugs, "If I am honest… I don't know, when it all came out about you two being sisters, I saw it as a chance to try and get close to Gideon again. But it was that encounter with Ana which made me realise just how stupid I was being and how I had to let Gideon go and accept that it was never going to be… but then everything came out about Jared and I got scared as I didn't want Elizabeth telling Gideon about Chris and what he did".

I nod, "That was never going to happen as Gideon had proved conclusively that he was Jared's father with DNA" I say. "Which leads me on to my final question, why did you stalk Jared and Gideon? You flew to Seattle and watched them there, and then today you followed them? Why?"

She shrugs, "I don't know, I… a part of me just wanted to see him… Jared I mean, I never intended to speak to him, I didn't want to make that sort of contact. I also wanted to speak to Gideon… to try and apologise for not telling him. I knew he wouldn't take my calls, but with hindsight what I did… I didn't go about it the correct way" she hesitates and then reaches for my hand, "Please tell Gideon I am sorry, sorry about everything and that I won't bother him again. I accepted he didn't want me, back when I talked with your sister, so please just tell him that" she begs.

I nod, "Alright" I say simply.

With that I say my goodbyes and I feel a sense of closure in more ways than one as her apartment door closes behind me.

oooOOOooo

(ANGUS)

I watch as Eva emerges from the apartment building and I let out a sigh of relief. She opens the car and climbs inside letting out a long breath. I take a good look at her, she is pale and looks upset.

"Eva?" I ask carefully.

She looks up at me, her expression bleak, "Well, shit… I never expected to come out of there feeling sorry for her" she says.

"What happened lass?" I ask.

She pulls her phone from her pocket and fiddles with it, "This" she says as she plays the recording she made.

We sit in silence as the events of the visit echo around the car. I lean back in my seat in total shock at what I've just heard.

"It goes without saying Jared never hears this or discovers the truth" Eva says as she waves her phone at me.

"On the contrary lass, I think he should be told… admittedly a diluted version of what happened but he relies on Gideon to be honest with him and to tell him the truth".

Eva shakes her head, "He doesn't need to hear that his own mother the woman who conceived him only did so to trap a good man into a relationship that he didn't want to be in and that she now considers him a mistake".

"No, but surely there is a way he can be told the truth without telling him the truth… most of which he has sort of put together for himself. As he already believes the reason she didn't tell Gideon about him was because she didn't know who his father was… and that is correct" I say.

I go to speak when Eva's phone starts to ring, "It's Gideon" she says as she glances at the screen before answering.

"Hey Ace… yes I'm just on my way home now… Yes I know Angus told me about that, I would say I'm sorry for your loss but we'd both know I was lying… yes… I know I am… I went to see Corrine… no…no… no, listen Gideon… will you fucking listen, I have talked to her and there was far more to what happened than what we ever thought… no, don't… you need to know what she said, but not Jared I've recorded it. I set my phone recording in case she made any allegations against me when I went in there, but what I captured instead is unreal… no trust me Gideon this is going to blow your fucking mind… yes it does, but you need to hear it and he can't be told the full undiluted truth… no Gideon he can't you have no idea how bad this is… well it is trust me Gideon it really is… yes… ok well I'm coming right now" I say.

She looks up at me as she says that and I nod in response and I ease the Bentley away from the kerb.