The day finally arrived for the polo match. Emily was dolling herself up for Mr. Wonderful and I was downstairs by the window in the chair. What Nolan said to me last week was on my mind since he left the house. I didn't know what I was feeling. I knew I was still attracted to Nolan, and that hasn't changed. When I saw him when Amanda was released from doing her time, I picked her up along with Nolan. That was the last time that I saw him. Amanda didn't want to hear about the possibility of our father being framed. I looked at the box Nolan gave us, and I made Amanda look at it one day. Then this whole plan to avenge our father began. I missed Nolan. I knew what I had to give up and I knew it was just as hard for Amanda as it was for me.

She missed Jack. Seeing him just brought that all back just like it did for me for Nolan. I didn't want to see him but at the same time, that was all I wanted. I wanted Nolan to be safe, but at the same time, I wanted him to be a part of this. This all started with him after all, but I was afraid of what would happen if he started helping. Would the Grayson's get rid of him like our father? That wasn't a chance I was willing to risk as much as I wanted him to be with me.

"So I have a plan." Emily came into the room and sat next to me. I looked at her to show her she had my attention. "I know you don't want Nolan involved but you were right at the party, his resources would be useful. BUT!" she raised her hand to have me not interrupt her. "They Grayson's won't know he had any involvement."

"How do you suppose we keep that a secret?"

"Bells, our plan is still the same, except you get your man."

I stood up from the couch with my tea. "We agreed we couldn't have relationships doing this. It distracts us."

"Yes, but I can't have my sister be lonely while you watch me be with Daniel. I wouldn't do that to you."

"So how are we going to tell everyone that I suddenly know Nolan?"

Emily smiled and sat next to me, "We never told anyone about us at the party. We only told them the basics, we recently moved in. We could say Nolan was your reason for moving here because the distance wasn't working and we both wanted a fresh start or that Nolan was my friend and I introduced you two and the rest is history."

I sighed. "It could work." I played with the ring on my finger. "The first sign of this plan getting dangerous, I want Nolan gone."

"Nothing is going to happen Bells. I promise." She looked at the watch on her wrist. "We need to go. It's time to see our uncle."

"You made an offer on the house, right?" Emily asked me.

"Right after you did." I assured her.

The car ride wasn't as long as I expected. We pulled in and immediately spotted the Grayson family. "Ready Ems?" I asked getting out of the car and putting on my best smile.

"Are you?" She smiled and we both giggled walking over to a canopy. Emily noticed Daniel on his horse as we watched the game. I could never understand how anyone could be so into this game. Emily smiled as she looked at Daniel. I knew my sister was developing a slight crush, even if she denied it. I looked around, hoping to see if I spotted Nolan. I felt my mood drop when I couldn't see him.

"He'll be here Bells. Don't worry." She never took her eyes off of Daniel though.

"Isabella! Emily!" We heard Ashley call our names. "Why are you girls all the way over here?" She smiled at us as she stood next to us. "This area is strictly for the commoners."

We all smiled as I hugged Ashley, "I like the view."

"My sister has a crush on Daniel Grayson." I announced to Ashley making Emily elbow me and blush.

"Oh, I know." She smiled at my sister, "Don't think I didn't see you flirting with Daniel at the yacht party last week.

"What can I say?" Emily smiled, "He's charming."

"He's dangerous" Ashley warned. Ashley grabbed Emily's hand leading her away and Emily grabbed mine so that I followed. She made sure we were studying the Hampton's group on her Facebook page this way we knew who everyone was. We were being led to a fancy white canopy with champagne and all the big Hampton players were in this tent. I took a glass of champagne knowing I would need it to be around these people and Emily looked like she needed some as well.

"Oh come on." I heard Ashley talking to Emily as I looked through my bag for my chapstick. "Nolan Ross from the Memorial Day party."

I dropped my bag making everything fall out. "Shit!." I muttered bending down to pick everything up.

"Still as clumsy as ever Bells."

I didn't dare look up. "I wasn't expecting to see you." I hated this. I finished putting all my contents back in my purse, my mirror, my medication, my chapstick that I was looking for, tissues, and my sunglass case.

"Still a terrible liar too." Nolan smiled at me, offering a hand to help me up.

"Nolan." I sighed, looking around to make sure I could speak freely. "About the other night."

"Gotta go." Nolan disappeared into the crowd and the only thing I could do was look for my sister who was by the Graysons…and our lovely Uncle Bill.

"Great." I sighed again, taking a sip of my champagne and grabbing one for my sister. I looked at our Uncle, remembering when Amanda and I were little. We would get so excited to see him on our birthday. That birthday in particular was when we got Sammy. My best friend for the short amount of time that we had him. Sammy was our boy. I was so excited because Amanda and I were constantly asking him for a dog. I was snapped out of my thoughts when I heard my name.

I walked over to my sister and the group smiling as I handed my sister her glass. "I'm sorry I was trying to find my sister some champagne."

"Conrad you remember the Thorne sisters Emily and Isabella from the party last week." Victoria smiled at us.
"Hello, again Mr. and Mrs. Grayson." Emily and I both greeted them.

"The girls next door." Conrad smiled at us.

"Oh not for much longer, I'm afraid." Victoria told her husband. "I understand Lydia and Micheal's house has multiple offers."

Emily and I looked at each other. "Yes, but two of those offers are ours. We each did it separately so we had a better chance of getting the house." I announced smiling.

"We'll keep our fingers crossed for you ladies."

"We went in strong so we're hoping for some good news." Emily linked her arm with mine.

"Have to like women who go after what they want." Bill interrupted. "Bill Harmon." He extended his hand to my sister first and then to myself. "Emily Throne and this is my sister Isabella."

"Watch your money around this one ladies. He'll take you for every penny if he can."

"My sister knows a good bet when she sees one." I smile at Bill taking a sip of my champagne.

The horn blew stating that half time started and Victoria decided to stomp on some divots. Conrad and Victoria excused themselves leaving me and Emily along with our uncle. I looked around for Nolan and spotted him on the phone already staring at me. His smile quickly disappeared when I noticed him and I waved at him, hoping to get a wave back but he looked as confused as he did.

"You know Nolan Ross?" Bill looked at me surprised.

"Yes, my sister and I have been close with him for a long time." I blushed.

"They are more than close. Bella and Nolan are practically inseparable." Emily smiled, making me blush more.

"H's a bit of an off bird, that one." Bill looked at him, almost as if he was sizing him up. "I wouldn't guess he had any friends at all. Much less two as lovely as you ladies."

I scoffed, "I'm sorry but looks aren't everything." I looked back at Nolan watching me as he bumped into different people. "It's what's inside that matters most. Nolan knows when people look at him-"

"They see dollar signs." Emily finished for me.

"He just built up a few defense mechanisms. It's hard to know who to trust when it comes to money." I stated with disgust.

"Bells, why don't you go over and talk to Nolan."

I nodded agreeing to that idea and excused myself. I couldn't handle someone talking or looking down on Nolan. He built a whole empire by himself, and the richest one at that. If anyone should be looking down on anyone it should be Bill. After all, he helped lock our father up. I walked up to Nolan talking with Ashley.

"Nolan there must be a hundred women here who would love to play your little games." Ashley smiled at Nolan. "I, however, am not one of them." She excused herself leaving Nolan by himself.

"I, however, am interested." I smiled at Nolan hoping he would talk to me, but he just walked away from me and kept avoiding me. I looked around watching my sister talk to Daniel next to his pony. I sighed, not giving up, and went to find Nola. I found him sitting at the bar by himself.

"You can't keep avoiding me." I told him as I sat next to him.

"Take a hint Bells." He sipped his drink, "I don't want to talk to you right now." He stood up to leave again.

"For someone who still carries a torch for me, you have a funny way of showing it." I stood up as well. "I'm sorry Nolan." I sighed looking down at my hands. "I should have said something that night at the house but I was scared." I confessed to him, hoping he would listen to me and believe me, "This thing we're doing is dangerous and I didn't want you to get wrapped in the middle of it and get hurt." Nolan turned around to look at me and the look on his face broke my heart. He was hurting just as much as I was. "Are you serious about helping us?" I asked him, hoping he would say yes.

"I have to be somewhere, Bells." He looked down, "I'll meet you at the house later to talk.

I felt defeated as I found my sister a few minutes later watching the last half of the game. She told me she scheduled a lunch for us with Bill to go over investments. I just nodded telling her it was a good idea and apologized for my outburst earlier.

Emily linked her arm with me for support knowing I was upset about something, "Don't let it bother you. I would have done the same thing. I want to rip his head off."

"Nolan won't talk to me." I confessed.

"Just give him time Bells." Emily smiled at me changing the subject as she watched the game with me. "I told Daniel if he won he could take me to dinner."


Emily and I went back to the house to relax after the polo game was over. I went swimming while Emily painted. The water was nice but I didn't realize how cold it was until Emily came out to swim with me. We laughed, reminiscing more about our summer here. How Sammy would try to eat the sand and dig to help get me out of the sand when Emily buried me. It brought tears to my eyes thinking about Sammy. He knew it was us and he didn't understand why Amanda and I didn't take him with us. We were his family. It was just about dark when we decided it was time to go inside. I made dinner for us while my sister took a shower. Once dinner was done and she came down to eat, it was my turn.

When I came down the stairs, I saw Amanda sitting on the couch reading out dad's journal. I knew what page she was reading. It was the one I always read when I wanted to be close to dad. I sat on the couch next to her. "The worst betrayals always come from the ones we trust the most."

Emily leaned into me and put the book down, replaying Bill's testimony. He testified about working closely with our father until he discovered he was laundering money for Americon Initiative, the same group that claimed responsibility for blowing up flight 197 the previous summer. "Dad gave his trust too easily to these people."

"Dad didn't know they were going to screw him over Amanda." I defended our father.

The telephone rang making us both look at it. I got up to answer it and Amanda started to clean up the box to put it away. It was weird, no one had this number. I hesitantly picked up the phone, "Hello?"

"Is this Emily?" the voice said on the phone.

I smiled, knowing who it was, "No, I'm sorry this is her sister Isabella."

"Oh, Isabella! It's Victory Grayson." She happily announced, "I took a chance and dialed the number I had for Lydia's old landline. I hope I haven't disturbed you, ladies."

"No not at all Mrs. Grayson." I looked at Emily to silently tell her it was for her. "Let me get her on the phone for you she is right here."

"Well, this call is for you as well dear. I wanted to invite you, ladies, over to the house tomorrow for tea." she told me, "Is that something you think you and your sister might be able to do?"

"Tea sounds lovely." I rolled my eyes at my sister making her laugh.

"Good, I think it's time I got to know you and your sister a little bit better."

"We're looking forward to it. Thank you again, Mrs. Grayson. Goodnight." I hung up the phone looking at Amanda. "We have tea tomorrow at noon with her Majesty."