"What did Jackson have to say?" Zach directed his question toward Greenlee.
"I don't know… we haven't discussed it," she answered, looking at Zach in confusion. "Why should we?"
Zach sighed and said patiently, "Alright… surely you've discussed it with Bianca. I doubt that Ethan can make such a unilateral decision without her."
This time Ryan replied, "Nope… didn't talk to her either… this is your mess, Slater… yours and Kendall's… you have to fix it."
Zach turned to the side and said, "Kendall… do you see… Kendall?" He quickly looked around the room and noticed the missing purse. He turned back toward Ryan, "Lavery, you fool! Every time you interfere you make things worse. I suppose it never occurred to you that the best way for Ethan to get back at Jackson and Bianca was to go after Fusion… No, instead you use Kendall as a convenient scapegoat yet again. Now I have to clean up another one of your messes." With that statement he rushed out of the condo without regard to his guests and headed straight for his car. He had a pretty good idea where Kendall was headed, and when he saw the empty parking space next to his own he was certain. He quickly pulled out of his own space and then turned toward the Valley Inn.
When Kendall arrived at the hotel, she went to the desk and asked to be connected with Ethan's room. Instead she was directed to the dining room where he was enjoying a solitary dinner.
She approached the table with her best sarcastic smile in place, "Well… I see your popularity is at an all-time high."
Ethan looked at her as if he'd been expecting her arrival and indicated the seat opposite, "Do sit down, Mrs. Slater. Can I order you something?"
"No thank you… I won't be staying long enough to eat," she answered as she seated herself. Much as she would have liked to remain standing, she had already noted several people observing them with interest.
"Am I to assume that you're here to plead for Fusion?" Ethan said with a smile. "I have to tell you… I've been quite disappointed with its performance. Shoddy management all around, cutting our losses is the only way to keep it from continuing to drain Cambias."
"You know perfectly well that this is not a business deal… its revenge and it stinks. You just want to make me pay," Kendall said coldly. "Well… here I am. What will it take to get Fusion operational again?"
"That's my Kendall… always cutting right to the chase. So nice not to waste any time on negotiations," Ethan answered, continuing to smile smugly. "Divorce Zach and marry me… then I'll put Fusion back to rights and take the Miranda Center off the market."
"The Miranda Center… you can't sell that…" Kendall said in shock. She sat and stared at Ethan while he laughed.
"My new attorneys assure me that I can… and I will. Unless you see the light, of course," Ethan answered as Kendall remained quiet.
She said to him in barely more than a whisper, "Why? Why on earth do you want me now?" She held up her wedding rings and flashed them at him, "This is a real marriage… you heard me last night… why do you want to be married to a woman who doesn't love you?"
"This isn't about love… it's about hurting my father. What better way to hurt him than to marry the woman he loves?" Ethan said. "It just feels so… poetic… to hurt him in the same way he intended to hurt me. Besides, we had good times together, didn't we? We can do that again… and you'll still be married to a Cambias, getting all the perks. That's what you really married him for, isn't it? You don't expect me to buy that you fell out of love with me and into love with him that quickly."
"I don't care what you believe, Ethan. I do know that I can't believe anything you say," Kendall answered sharply. "And everyone in town knows it, too. Ethan and Liar seem to mean the same thing lately."
Ethan tried to put on an expression of distress, without much success, "Kendall, you cut me to the core. I promise you that Fusion and the Miranda Center will be perfectly safe once you marry me."
"Until you decide the time is right to punish her," Zach answered for Kendall. She turned around and saw her husband standing behind her chair. He placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed gently. "What he hasn't told you is that this is as much about punishing Bianca and Jackson as it is you… what better way to hurt everyone than to shut down Fusion?"
"Is that right?" Kendall turned from Zach to look at Ethan accusingly.
"Whatever it takes," Ethan answered smugly. "But you hold the key… once we're married, of course."
Zach seated himself at the table and signaled the waiter for some coffee, "There's one flaw to your plan, son… she's already married to me. And in the time it would take her to divorce me and marry you Fusion would be dead. Pulled the plug a little prematurely, didn't you?"
"I can allow it to limp along until we're married," he answered.
Kendall sat and looked from Zach to Ethan. As she listened to their conversation her emotions were in a jumble… and she quickly realized that no matter what else happened she could never become Ethan's wife. In the end, what kind of person could really ask her to sacrifice herself to save the company or the women's shelter? What kind of work could the Miranda Center truly do if its whole foundation was based on her subjugation? She opened her mouth to speak, but closed it again without comment at Zach's next words.
"You have sadly miscalculated yet again. Kendall is not a pawn in our game. She's the queen – the only piece who truly has the freedom to move as she will. She may do as she pleases… and if it pleases her to become your wife, I will not stand in her way," Zach said in a low but intent voice. "I only care for her happiness… Can you say the same?"
"Kendall already knows of my love for her… my demand stands. If she wants Fusion and the Miranda Center, then she will be my prize. I accept nothing less," Ethan said in anger.
"You mistake us both, Ethan. Nothing is being offered… I will break my father's will and all of your petty maneuverings will be overturned. You might consider what the board will think of your little vendetta, though," Zach answered calmly. "Kendall… whatever you choose… it's been pure pleasure." With that statement he stood and kissed her lightly on the cheek before leaving the dining room
Kendall watched his retreating back, wishing that he had taken her with him – but realizing that his gift to her was the opportunity to decide for herself and by herself. She turned back to Ethan saying, "No deal… I will not marry you. Do whatever you have to do, Ethan. Thank you for making this so easy." Without waiting for his reply, she stood and walked from the room holding her head high despite the jumble of emotions she was feeling. If only Zach was with her to shield and protect her as she felt so many eyes following her from the room – hoping that Zach would understand why she had left to see Ethan in the first place.
Kendall kept walking through the lobby and to the front doors. Reaching for the handle, she felt a hand on her shoulder and spun around expecting it to be Ethan. Instead she found herself falling into warm hazel pools as Zach smiled warmly at her. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her soundly. A moment later he said quietly, "You handled that very well. I'm proud of you."
She smiled at the compliment, "I couldn't have done it without you, Zach. I'm sorry I left like that… but I thought I could reason with him. Now I know that there is no reasoning with him… and that I don't love him anymore. He killed that the minute I became a 'thing' in this war. But you were right; it hurts less than I thought it would… I feel only sadness for what might have been."
They exited the inn together as Zach said, "I'm sorry that he hurt you… and I wish this was the end of it. But we both know that he's feeling desperate and desperate men…"
"…just like desperate women… do despicable things," Kendall finished for him. "You're looking at the poster girl… I'm afraid you're right and this is going to get uglier. But I think we're safe from anything further tonight…"
"Good. I believe we left a condo full of guests… maybe we ought to get back to them?" Kendall nodded in reply and got into her car to follow Zach back to their home and to salvage the remainder of the evening.