A/N- The ending of this chapter is bittersweet. And I hope you all remember that this is a story of revenge. There is going to be some angst but trust me when I say things will work out in the end. Feedback is always adored.

Chapter 8

Crane Industries

A determined Pilar strolled boldly into the elegant hallway of Crane Industries and with uncharacteristic hauteur demanded to see Alistair Crane ASAP.

The perky receptionist, recognizing Pilar, motioned for her to have a seat and picking up the phone on her desk called upstairs. But Pilar was in no mood to wait and while the receptionist was busy on the phone, she stealthily opened a side door and started up the stairs.

When she reached Alistair's office she took a deep breath and stormed in.

"Just what the hell are you up to Alistair? I'm warning you that if you do anything to hurt my family I will skewer you in half myself, "she muttered with a cold smile ignoring the flustered glances from the men scattered around the room.

"Gentlemen, as you can see I have more important matters to take care of this afternoon so how about if we postpone this meeting till a more convenient time?" Alistair replied and the men nodded hastily and lunged for the door.

"Would you care for a drink my dear?" Alistair asked politely when they were alone and Pilar angrily shook her head.

"This isn't a social call Alistair. I want to know what the hell's going on between you and my daughter. Theresa has been acting very strange lately and I know that it has something to do with you so you better start talking because I'm not leaving here till I have an explanation," Pilar shot back and Alistair bit back a grin.

Lord but he loved feisty women.

To give himself time to think Alistair walked over to the mini bar he kept very well stocked and poured a stiff drink.

"Are you sure you don't want anything?" Alistair asked again.

"What I want is for you to tell me what's going on," Pilar murmured through clenched teeth.

"Nothing's going on Pilar. You're letting your imagination run away with you." Alistair replied deciding that the best defense was to bluff his way through the situation.

"You're lying," Pilar replied softly.

"Alright I'm lying," he replied. "The truth is that Theresa and I are having a mad affair and she didn't want anyone to know about it. Bad for her image you know," he added and Pilar's soft mouth tightened with anger.

"So help me God Alistair if you don't tell me what's going on I'll---"

"You'll what Pilar?" Alistair mocked.

Pilar let out a frustrated breath and ran a hand through her disheveled hair.

"I don't even know why I bothered coming over here. I should have known you wouldn't be straight with me. You're too busy playing games with people's lives to bother with honesty," Pilar replied heatedly.

An angry Alistair slammed his glass of whiskey on his desk and dragged a startled Pilar into his arms.

"You want honest? How's this for honesty," he rasped bending his head and capturing her lips in a hard, savage kiss.

Pilar moaned and tried vainly to push him away but it felt so good to be embraced. It'd been so long since a man had kissed and caressed her that before she knew what was happening she'd begun kissing him back.

"Oh God what the hell am I doing?" Pilar thought, disgusted with herself for replying so wantonly to Alistair's advances.

Breaking off the kiss, a flustered Pilar wrenched herself away from Alistair's arms and slapped him with all her might.

"I'm not one of your bimbos Alistair so don't you ever put your filthy hands on me again," she snapped angrily. "And stay the hell away from my daughter," she added for good measure before storming out of the room.

"What a woman," Alistair murmured when she was out of earshot. "What a woman."

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Crane Mansion

"Teresa, when you get this message please call me back. We need to talk babe," Fox murmured before hanging up the phone in frustration.

It had been weeks since he'd last seen or talked to Teresa and he was at his wits end. Deep down in his heart he knew she still loved him as much as he loved her so he didn't understand why she refused to see him.

"What the hell are you up to Resa?" he muttered. "And why won't you involve me in your schemes?" he wondered angrily. Resa had to know that he would stand by her no matter what she did so why couldn't she trust him with the truth?

"I have to do what's best for my son and the best thing for Ethan Martin is to grow up in a stable home with both his parents," Teresa whispered.

"Resa, Ethan Martin deserves to grow up with two parents who love each other as much as they love him. And no matter what you say I know you don't love my brother or you couldn't have made love to me as sweetly, as passionately as you did last night," Fox replied hoarsely.

"Fox…"

"Look me in the eye and tell me you're in love with my brother and I will walk away right now," Fox demanded. "You can't do it can you? Resa, please…"

"Fox I'm sorry but I can't stay with you. I can't risk losing my son."

As he thought over the last conversation he'd had with Teresa Fox suddenly realized that whatever Teresa was up to had something to do with his nephew and if he wanted to get this mess straightened out he'd have to talk to his brother.

Another part of the mansion

"Mother I look ridiculous," an exasperated Gwen grumbled as she eyed herself in the mirror.

She looked like a Vegas show girl in a silver and rhinestone bustier, turquoise shorts, and with the silver plumes in her hair.

"You look sexy Gwennie and men really go for sexy," Rebecca replied giving her scantily clad daughter a shove in the right direction.

"God, mother I really hope this works," Gwen mumbled to herself as she made her way to the bedroom she shared with Ethan.

Crane Living Room

"Chad I know you don't want to get involved but Teresa is my best friend and I want her to be happy. And she will never be happy with Ethan because he doesn't love her the way she deserves to be loved. She deserves a man who will always put her first and we both know that Gwen will always be Ethan's first priority," Whitney murmured.

"Babe, I just don't see how sticking our noses in their business is going to help matters," Chad replied logically and Whitney threw him a disgusted look.

"And I don't see how it can hurt so let's go," she retorted grabbing him by the hand and dragging him up the stairs.

Ethan's bedroom

A nervous Gwen smoothed a hand through her hair and cautiously opened the door to the bedroom she shared with her husband. Adjusting the plumes in her hair she just started to make her way to the king size bed in the middle of the room when she stopped, her dark eyes widening with horror at the sight of her husband lying in the arms of her rival.

"What is going on here?" a furious Gwen shrieked, her histrionics catching the attention of Fox who had just turned the corner to his brother's room. The sight that met his eyes nearly knocked him to his knees and he had to lean on a wall to maintain his balance.

"T…Teresa?" he stuttered, still unable to believe what his eyes were telling him he was seeing.

"Oh my…" a stunned Whitney murmured from behind Fox, having also heard the commotion as she and Chad were making their way to Ethan's room and rushing up the steps.

A disorientated Ethan rubbed his eyes attempting to bring the commotion into focus as Teresa scooted to the floor and retrieved her robe. But no sooner had she finished tying the belt around her waist that she felt Gwen grab her arms, her hands vice like.

"You...lying...manipulative...whoring...bitch!" Gwen raged, shaking Teresa as if she were a rag doll; in fact Teresa's head was bobbing violently.

"You... just couldn't... leave well enough alone... could you? You had to... worm your way into... my husband's bed, didn't you?"

"Guh...ww...eenn." Teresa tried to get out, but as quick as lighting, Gwen gripped her slender neck and started to squeeze.

"You miserable bitch, I should have killed you when we were in L.A and saved myself the misery. But you know what? It's never too late to atone for one's mistakes," she muttered as she continued to choke Teresa.

Teresa struggled to take a breath, desperate to save herself from Gwen's deathly grip. Jabbing the taller woman viciously with her elbow, she managed to slightly loosen Gwen's hold and taking immediate advantage of the slight freedom afforded, she took a deep cleansing breath and drawing her arm back she punched the other woman in the face with all her might causing Gwen to stumble and fall to the ground.

"Next time you lay one of your filthy hands on me you psychotic bitch I'm going to have you arrested and you're going to spend the rest of your miserable life in jail," Teresa spat out. "And as for Ethan, what happened tonight was inevitable. We both know that he married you because you were pregnant with Sara. If you hadn't told him you were pregnant that night in the solarium he would have proposed to me. It kills you to know that you're husband is in love with another woman and always has been, doesn't it Gwen?"

Gwen stared at her rival from venom filled eyes, the hatred she felt bubbling up inside her till it was nearly a palpable thing.

"You're nothing but a whore Teresa, a lying, scheming whore set on destroying a marriage for her own selfish purposes. Well I'm not going to let you win, do you hear me? I won't let you destroy my marriage," Gwen swore.

"I may be a whore Gwen but at least I have the satisfaction of knowing that when a man makes love to me it's only me he's thinking of," Teresa shot back and the tenuous control Gwen had on her temper snapped.

With a growl of rage she lunged at Teresa once more and both women fell to the ground in a tangle of arms and legs.

Raw fury gave Teresa a strength she hadn't known she possessed. Determined that Gwen wouldn't get the best of her this time, she fought with the rage of a banshee; kicking, clawing, and scratching at whatever parts of Gwen she could reach. The adrenalin pumping through her veins was so high she barely felt the blows Gwen managed to land.

"Chad do something," a distressed Whitney cried as she watched the two women pummel each other.

But before Chad could take a step forward, a furious Fox grabbed Gwen by the arm and hauled her off of Teresa. Turning a livid gaze to his brother, who sat on the bed with a befuddled expression on his face, Fox lifted Ethan's inert form from the bed and closing his hand into a fist he punched Ethan squarely in the face. The blow knocked a barely conscious Ethan to the ground and Fox cursed under his breath when Ethan didn't get up. Disgusted, he hauled his brother to his feet and jabbed him in the face twice more but as Ethan merely stood there like a rag doll Fox could find no satisfaction in the blows he'd managed to deliver.

Letting his brother go, Fox watched dispassionately as Ethan tumbled to the floor once more. Turning on his heel he stalked to the door but he had taken no more than three steps when he stopped. He couldn't let things end like this. He knew that Teresa loved him and what had happened today had to have an explanation. Spinning around he pinned Teresa with a piercing stare, silently begging her to explain her actions. Teresa stared at him sorrowfully, her soft mouth set in grim lines and in that instant Fox knew that no explanation would be forthcoming and his heart shattered into a million pieces.