Warning- This chapter also ends with smut. What can I say Ilove Therox.
Chapter 5
Crane Mansion...
Weeks later
"Mother, that little brat is driving me crazy. He spends the entire day crying and moping and every time I get near him he does something disgusting like spit up on me," Gwen complained staring down at her blue linen suit in disgust.
Her once neat suit was covered with pea stains and smelled disgustingly of vomit. Ethan had spit up his food all over her clothes and then the brat had dared laugh at her horrified expression. If she didn't know better she would have sworn he had done in on purpose but she wasn't paranoid enough to think that a two year old could be that devious.
"Gwen, I've told you to let his nurse and that nanny take care of him. Taking care of the little chalupa yourself isn't earning you anymore points with Ethan so just give it up and—"Rebecca replied but her lecture was cut short by the ringing of the bell. "For God's sakes what do I pay servants for?" she murmured rushing to the door when the no one answered.
"Mrs. Gwen Winthrop?" the handsome young man asked with a blinding smile and Rebecca eyed him lewdly. Julian hadn't touched her in months and she was desperate for some relief.
"I am Mrs. Crane. Gwennie, darling someone's here to see you."
"Can I help you?" Gwen asked curiously and the man smiled again before handing her a white envelope.
"You've been served," he told her before walking away.
"Wait, who sent you?" Gwen asked but the young man had disappeared and with a puzzled frown Gwen opened the envelope.
Her face paled when she read the contents and the envelope fell from her nerveless fingers as tears steamed down her face.
"Nooo," she screamed.
Harmony Hospital
"What do you mean Mrs. Lopez-Fitzgerald was transferred to Dr. Logan's care? I am her physician," an irritated Eve yelled at the nurse in front of her.
"I'm sorry Dr. Russell but my orders were quite clear. Pilar was transferred to Dr. Logan's care this morning and you are to maintain your distance if you want to avoid a scandal," the nurse replied and Eve muttered a foul curse.
"Who gave you the order, Angie?" Eve asked quietly, her face paling at the word scandal.
"Teresa Lopez-Fitzgerald," Angela replied and Eve's eyes narrowed in speculation. Teresa couldn't know about her past could she?
"But she has been acting so strange lately," Eve thought. And she's working at Crane Industries alongside Alistair and Fox. What if one of them told her the truth?
"No, I'm overreacting. There has to be a logical explanation and I'm going to find out what it is," Eve murmured.
"She asked me to give you this," Angela added handing Eve a manila envelope and Eve's hand trembled when she opened it and the photos of her and Julian slipped out.
"Oh my God, this can't be happening," she cried.
"Checkmate," a triumphant Teresa murmured as she watched the monitors in front of her.
"Well done, Teresa. And your timing is perfect. Look at them squirm," an amused Alistair replied and Teresa turned to him with a dazzling smile.
"I'm enjoying this a lot more than I thought," Teresa told him and Alistair laughed.
"Oh, we've this is just the beginning, my dear. Wait till we begin Phase II of our plan," he answered and Teresa lifted her glass to him in mock salute.
"They aren't going to know what hit them," she replied, her dark eyes sparkling with laughter as she turned back to the screens in front of her.
"I'm finally going to get my revenge and there's nothing anyone can do to stop me," Teresa thought.
"Teresa filed a complaint against us and is suing for custody of little Ethan. The hearing is scheduled for tomorrow morning," Gwen mumbled to her mother and Rebecca's face paled.
"But Judge Reilly ruled in our favor...this can't be happening," she replied.
"Judge Reilly was disbarred for fraud and other illegal activities and thus Teresa has grounds to appeal his decision. Mother what the hell are we going to do? If Teresa gets her son back, we'll be ruined," she wailed.
"She isn't going to get the best of us Gwen. Go upstairs and pack a bag for yourself and one for little Ethan. We're taking a little trip," she replied with a devious grin and Gwen laughed with relief.
"I wonder what Tacosita will say when she realizes we have taken her son out of the country." Gwen told her mother.
"Planning a trip?" a male voice whispered behind them and both women turned, shocked to see the tall blond man lounging on the doorway.
"How long have you been standing there?" Rebecca asked, hiding her dismay behind a fake smile.
"Long enough to realize that you two bitches are up to no good," an amused Fox replied.
"What I do with my son is none of your business Fox," Gwen replied haughtily.
"But Ethan Martin isn't your son Gwench, he's Teresa's," Fox replied with a smirk. "And seeing as how you're both expected in court tomorrow morning for the appeal Teresa filed against Judge Reilly, I don't see how you can be making plans for a trip out of the country. Unless you plan on adding kidnapping to your other crimes?" he added watching both women closely.
"Teresa was sure you two would resort to trickery when your backs were against the wall so she asked me to come over and keep an eye on my little brother. I'll be upstairs if you ladies need anything," Fox replied mockingly. "Good night."
"Now what are we going to do?" Gwen asked her mother in a furious whisper.
"Hey babe, what are you up to?" Fox whispered when his cell phone rang a few minutes later.
He had spent the last hour trying to comfort Ethan Martin and the child's sobs had torn his heart in two. The toddler didn't understand why he couldn't be with his mother and his usually sunny disposition had turned sour. But Fox couldn't blame the little guy because living at the Crane Mansion was enough to sour anyone.
"Thinking about tomorrow actually," Teresa replied and Fox suddenly wished he was with her.
"Resa, it's going to be alright. You have a steady income and a lovely home and after we prove that Rebecca and Gwen bribed Reilly into giving Gwen and Ethan custody, the judge will see that Gwen isn't fit to raise a dog much less a toddler and you will win back custody," he soothed.
"But what if you're wrong? What if Rebecca manages to persuade the judge that I'm unfit and that..."
"Hush babe," Fox interrupted. "Everything's going to turn out exactly the way we wanted. Now tell me what you're wearing," he asked and Teresa laughed at the change in conversation.
Looking down at the gray sweatshirt and shorts she wore, she felt a grin tugging at her lips.
"Not much of anything," she lied. "I just got out of the shower."
Fox's brown eyes darkened at the mental images her words conjured and he let out a husky laugh.
"How do you feel about phone sex?" he asked, walking into the bathroom and securely locking the door behind him.
"Fox Crane, you naughty boy," Teresa purred leaning back on the comfortable cushion and closing her eyes.
A soft smile curved her mouth when she hung up the phone a half hour later and a dreamy sigh escaped her lips as she stretched and stumbled to her bedroom. But as she slipped under the scented sheets, a shiver of fear crawled over her spine as she recalled the look of unadulterated hatred in Gwen's eyes and the determined look on Rebecca's face.
"I'm worrying over nothing. Alistair's plan is fool proof, she thought. "Everything's under control."