Zach couldn't wait to see Kendall. Despite their at least once daily telephone calls, he had missed her terribly. More than once he had regretted not allowing her to join him on the trip to London, but he wasn't willing to risk her health until they knew what was causing her headaches. In Pine Valley she was safe and protected, and he knew without asking that her friends and family would make sure that she took it easy. Besides, he hadn't lied when he said that he trusted her to take care of the Pine Valley side of their quest to have Ethan's will overturned.
His business in London had taken longer than expected, but the outcome was worth the time and trouble spent. No one could have anticipated how much of Ethan's story had been lies, and he had allowed himself to be duped along with everyone else. But the network of lies that Ethan and his mother had constructed was so detailed that no one could have anticipated the twists and turns necessary to discover the truth. Stanley Ramsey was now a wealthy man, and certainly not blameless in what had occurred. Not only had he insisted on immunity from prosecution for the truth, but Zach had paid him handsomely as well. It was worth every penny, though, to know that Miranda was protected from Ethan's machinations and from any other pretender to the Cambias fortune.
Zach took some small comfort in the fact that Ethan's mother never saw a cent of the fortune that Ethan had tried to steal from his niece. One of the few truths that Ethan had told was of her death from cancer two months before his arrival in Pine Valley. The combination of Alex Sr.'s will and her terminal diagnosis had been the impetus to Ethan's grab for Cambias. Zach's only regret was that no one living knew if Hannah had ever been pregnant, or if Edith had manufactured the story because she knew of their trysts. Everyone who might know that truth was dead… and he found himself wanting to know if he had ever fathered a child. It was very difficult to face having had fatherhood thrust upon him and then taken away in the space of a few months… especially when he could not resolve anything with the people involved.
It was finally over, though, and he and Kendall could face an unfettered life together. He had decided to return home without telling her, hoping to surprise her instead of having her waiting anxiously for his plane to arrive. He had stopped on the way from the airport and picked up a pink rose… wanting to gift her with the same type of flower he had presented to her when he had originally proposed marriage. Of course, he also had a delicate gold bracelet in his pocket as well… one that matched the insignia necklace he had given her a few weeks earlier. He had promised her a trip to Europe and a tour of all their holdings if they survived this fight with Ethan. They had survived even better than he could have planned, and now it was time to embark on an extended honeymoon. He refused to allow worries about Kendall's health to mar his plans for their future – they would face those at the doctor's visit he was determined to make with her the next day.
He entered the casino and saw Edie speaking with one of the staff in the main gaming room. Edie excused herself and told Zach that Kendall and Bianca were in Kendall's office before returning to her discussion. He proceeded with a light step toward the office, anxious to see his wife and feeling very lucky to get to see Bianca and Miranda as well. Upon entering the reception area, he heard their voices drifting from behind the partially open door of Kendall's office.
As he approached the door, he paused when he heard Kendall say, " …There's really no reason to continue the agreement anyway. With Ethan gone and the entire estate in trust for Miranda you don't need protecting. The casinos are doing beautifully, and there's no reason to change the gaming licenses out of my name. Not a single clause in the pre-nup applies to our current situation, and the rules we agreed to before marrying don't apply anymore either. I guess there's really no business or financial reason to stay married… which ought to thrill Mother."
Zach's face fell as he stepped quickly back from the doorway, upsetting a potted plant when he bumped into it. He steadied it quietly and stood for a moment longer, listening to the women comforting Miranda before turning to leave without announcing his presence. The immense pain he felt made him wonder for a moment if he would be able to move, but somehow he found a way to keep putting one foot in front of the other. He took a deep and ragged breath, determined to compose himself for at least as long as it took him to quit the casino and gain the safety of his car. I was wrong to ever believe that we had a chance… Kendall deserves better than a Cambias anyway. Myrtle was wrong…it's definitely time to leave. I'm not even betraying my promise to Mrs. Fargate – and she'll know that soon enough. I only wish…
Zach signaled to Edie as he strode by the gaming area. Walking with her to a secluded alcove he said, "Miranda was upset and I didn't want to disturb them. Please don't tell Kendall that I was here."
"Planning a surprise? Sure thing, boss," Edie answered with a smile. "I'll do my best to get her out early."
"Thanks, Edie," Zach answered quietly. "I can always count on you."
After that comment, Zach quickly made his exit and drove to the empty condominium he had shared with Kendall since their marriage. He had once told Kendall that he arrived in Pine Valley with his personal clothing and very little else and he would leave with no more than he had arrived with – less considering that his heart would be staying there, too. The condo, the loft that was nearly ready and the casinos would all belong to Kendall as part of her settlement. Perhaps one day he would be able to buy the Las Vegas casino back from her… but until that time he would quietly disappear from her life.
He set about methodically packing his suitcases, cleaning out the closets and the drawers of all his personal effects. He picked up a photo frame containing one of the pictures that Stuart Chandler had insisted they have taken at their wedding… and found that he could no longer breathe easily. With the photograph in his hand, he walked into the living room and sat down on the sofa to stare at their smiling faces… his memories easily traveling back to that day. He had loved her even then, he realized. She was more than just an interesting challenge or a pleasant adventure… she was the companion of his heart. How had she captured him so completely, or so swiftly? It didn't really matter… what did matter was that once again he had given his heart and soul to another and she had handed it back to him in shreds… rejected him and hurt him in ways he could ill afford. Why was the process of loving so painful? Why did the objects of his affection always reject and revile him?
He looked once again at the picture of the smiling, happy couple and felt anger mixed with his pain. Without thought he hurled it toward the fireplace where the glass shattered and the mangled frame lay in pieces. He stared at it for a moment before cautiously picking up the glass shards and carefully removing the picture. After placing it in the pocket of one of his suitcases, he cleaned up the mess he had made and threw away the broken frame and glass… caring for Kendall's welfare even in that small gesture.
After stowing his luggage in the car, he re-entered the condominium and checked to make sure he hadn't missed anything. He took a moment to stand in the bedroom, with his eyes closed and remembered the happy times he had spent with her in that room. Was it all a very convincing lie? Or was it never enough? Just as he would never know if he and Hannah Nichols had shared a child, he would probably never know why or how Kendall could have perpetuated such a complex deception… even more complex than the one perpetrated by Ethan and his mother. But Kendall's an impulsive woman who lives for the moment, he reminded himself. She never gave less than she promised… it was his expectations that had increased. And to be angry with her for keeping to the bargain they had struck was unfair… but damned if he didn't feel like being unfair.
He turned to leave the condo, fully expecting never to set foot in the building or even Pine Valley after that evening. He noticed the pink rose he had purchased with such optimism lying on the table, and picked it up to inhale it's aroma before it joined the broken frame in the trash bin accompanied by the jeweler's box that had been residing in his pocket. Deciding that he couldn't vanish without a word, he sat down to write a brief note of explanation before leaving.
Only there was nothing brief or simple about the note he wanted to write… and no way to say in a few words all that he was feeling. Obviously a declaration of love would be extremely unwelcome… and gratitude for the time they had shared together was something he could not bring himself to express. He wrote a note, read it over, rejected it and crumpled it up before taking another sheet of paper and trying again. Each note was rejected and crumpled until he had as small stack of paper spheres lying next to him. He groaned aloud and rubbed his eyes before looking again at the stack of rejected notes and gathered them in his hand before taking them to join the other broken tokens of their life together in the trash. I'll call her later… there's nothing to say anyway.
Without even having to think about it, Zach knew exactly where he was going. He drove back toward the Pine Valley airport with every intention of finding a seat on the next plane for Las Vegas. He wanted to be well on his way there before Kendall ever left the casino… feeling a distinct need to get as many miles as possible between them. Unfortunately, luck was working against him that night as he was unable to get anything except a seat in coach. The thought of spending several hours on a cramped plane with so many other people was almost more than he could stand, and doing it crammed into coach made him change his mind entirely about flying. Instead of purchasing a ticket, he reversed direction and headed back to his car, turning it west as soon as he entered the interstate. Time alone and away from people was what he needed… and he was used to the company of his own tormented thoughts. So much of his life had been spent in solitary pursuits that he had no fear of what his mind might do to him, and the impulsive decision to drive straight to the casita from Pine Valley felt more right than any other decision he'd made that day.
Although he knew that it would take nearly a week of driving… he would have the anonymity of the open road and freedom from the entanglements of well-meaning associates. In his zeal to solidify and protect their business arrangement, he had made it difficult to return to Las Vegas without Kendall after having impressed everyone with the happiness of their marriage. Once again, he would become invisible to the world… not anything as drastic as faking his death, but still giving him the freedom to plan and choose his next moves carefully. When he reached the casita he could spend a few days in the desert, allowing its stark beauty to give him what solace it might. By then he might even have a plan on how to spend the remainder of his solitary and miserable existence.
In the meantime, Kendall was impatiently waiting for Zach to call her at the office before leaving to face another lonely night at their empty condo. Finally, she picked up the telephone and called his hotel only to find out that he had checked out early that morning. Feeling certain that Zach was home and waiting to surprise her, she grabbed her purse and left the casino telling Edie that she wouldn't be in the next day.
Kendall arrived home and was surprised to find both condos dark. She had looked for Zach's car in the parking lot, but didn't see it. Still convinced that she would find him waiting for her, though, she pulled out her key and let herself quietly into the condo before heading straight to the bedroom. She turned on the lights but found the room was empty as it had been when she had left that morning. She sat down on the bed and picked up the telephone to try calling Zach and noticed the photograph of their wedding was missing from the table. Looking around the room she became aware of other items slightly out of place, and began to look around in curiosity. She opened each drawer in the dresser to find all of Zach's things had been removed… leaving a fear in the pit of her stomach. When she opened the closet to find all of his clothing gone she could no longer hold back the sure knowledge that he had left her. Once she realized that truth, she fell to her knees unable to hold back the tide of tears that had been threatening to overwhelm her.