Massie closed her now-dull amber eyes, opened them again, then closed them once more. She was in pure disbelief of what was in front of her. Why had no one told her about this? Her brain quickly pulled up a list of people she was going to fire, number one and two being her parents.

She had just gotten home from the salon, needing a good talk with Jakkob and a fresh cut and glaze. Her new acrylics were painted Essie Hi Maintenance, and she even had her eyebrows waxed. Massie hoped by looking like a new person, she'd feel like her old self. Powerful, independent, on top of the fucking world Massie Elizabeth Block.

Unfortunately, as her chestnut brown layered hair glimmered in the lights of the Block Estate foyer, all she felt like was a mess of a girl pretending to be someone else, oh - with a caffeine rush, too. Standing in a pair of rag and bone mom jeans, her furry black gucci slippers and a blanc noir dip dye black and white sweater, she was dressed the most like herself but still felt so, so wrong.

Now, Tristan stood in the middle of her foyer were a special shade of lavender roses in his arms, a cat-like grin on his lips, and floral arrangements of the same shade labeled by the same florist all around where he was standing. That special shade of lavender was branded by a certain florist in lower manhattan called Belle Fleurs who costs an arm and a leg to obtain. You need to be in the inner circle of New York Socialites, and have the black american express card to show it.

"I really hope you love them, Mass." Tristan began to say. "I know you've been feeling under-loved and appreciated lately, and that I haven't been around to spend as much time with you."

False, Massie thought to herself. I've been relieved I don't have to spend time with you right now, not while my life is a mess, I'm currently borderline hooking up with my high school and childhood crush, and oh yeah he and Chris slept over last night and the maids are currently cleaning my sheets and the room from that escapade.

"Which is why I went into Manhattan to get you these. There's more in your room." Great…

"I just don't want you feeling under-appreciated, baby. I love you a lot and just wanted to show

you in a gesture you'd appreciate. Your dad has been working me hard lately, showing me all I need to know about the company, but I promise I'm still here for you and us."

"I….I don't even know what to say, Tristan." Massie gave a breathless appearance to show she was overwhelmed as her eyes floated round the room once more. For fucks sake, can he do nothing out of pure appearance? Now my parents really won't believe me when I tell them what kind of monster you turn into.

"Just say you'll meet me for dinner, tonight. Around 8?"

"Works for me, I'll see you then?"

"Yes, I have to run to the office. William says we have a big day ahead. Here, babe." Tristan handed her the bouquets in his hands, pressing a kiss to her cheek before grabbing his car keys and walking out the front door.

"Oh wow, did someone die?" William asked, walking in from the kitchen and examining all the floral arrangements in the room.

"Aren't you supposed to be going to the office?" Massie asked her father, examining his outfit choice of the day which was...pajamas and a robe?

"No, no honey the office is closed today. Are you feeling alright?"

"Just a little dizzy, is all. Maybe low blood sugar. I'm gonna go get a smoothie," Masie murmured, handing her father her bouquet and turning right around. She walked down the stone steps of the estate, seeing Tristan's reverse lights in the distance and immediately got into her car.

"What do you mean he's lying?" Alicia asked, her voice echoing through the speaker in Massie's car.

"He said my dad told him it's a busy day at the office today. My dad came in like a minute after Tristan left and said the office is closed."

"What do you think he's trying to hide?"

"Whatever it is, it's something that lasts all day so I'm highkey suspicious but I can't follow him in my car."

"Come take mine, I'll come with you. Should we have someone with us in case?"

"You decide who you wanna call, I'm ten minutes from your house Leesh."

When Massie reached Alicia and Josh's spanish style villa, she saw Alicia leaning against her car with her arms over her belly in a protective manner talking to Derrick. Huh, you really thought he was the best idea, Leesh?

She pulled into the long driveway as normal, parking her car so it was hidden by the massive trees in the yard and if Tristan was looking for her, he'd have to get through their security gate to find her car.

"You know, Block, I'm still offended you didn't call me first." Derrick feigned sadness, pouting his full lips red from the cold as he stood in a black burberry track jacket, dolce and gabbana black printed joggers and a pair of black vince chunky trainer shoes.

"Guess you won't be able to call me that for much longer, huh?" Massie teased, handing him her beige medium burberry slouched leather hobo bag and wrapping Alicia up in a hug. Alicia was wearing a draper james a-line chambray denim dress, a pair of schutz black leather studded booties and had a baby blue chloe leather crossbody on her left shoulder.

"Leesh! How's my god baby?"

"Ugh, being annoying and making me pee like you would not believe."

"Sounds exactly like something you and Josh would create," Derrick said, hoisting Massie's purse on his shoulder and wrapping the two of them in his arms. Massie hated to admit how safe she felt in his embrace, and Alicia knew right away but wouldn't mention it until later.

"Alright, love bugs, let's get this show on the road." Josh called out as he locked the front door, waving goodbye to their butler before coming down the stairs and unlocking his matte black range rover.

"Joshy!" Derrick exclaimed in a high-pitch voice, imitating Massie as he ran in the most girly fashion to hug Josh.

"Derr!" Josh squealed, clapping his hands and hugging him back. Josh was wearing a white AMI logo tee shirt, a pair of AG dark wash jeans and a pair of john varvatos grey suede booties.

"Can we get this show on the road?" Alicia said in a very deep voice, trying to imitate Josh as she pulled open the passenger door impatiently.

"So is there like...a plan here?" Josh asked as he was driving down the winding side roads he usually took to the Block's office.

He wasn't filled in very much these days because of his crazy shooting schedule, so he really relied on Alicia for most details which proved to be a bad idea when she told him twenty minutes ago that Massie and Derrick were going to get married to 'stick it to Will.' Her words, not his.

"We're going to go to the office first, see if his car is in the parking lot, and then go from there." Alicia replied very matter-of-factly, turning to look behind her at Massie and Derrick in the back seats.

Massie was sitting on the left side, Derrick on the right who was currently holding her hand and rubbing small circles into her soft skin as Massie murmured into his ear. She looked beautiful, but entirely too exhausted to keep this charade up. Derrick had a consoling look on his face, her head was on his shoulder and his chin was on top of her head.

"So why did no one tell me you two were getting married? Here I am looking like a jackass for not getting you two a wedding gift!" Josh bantered, hoping to liven up the car's environment as he came to a stoplight and looked at the pair through his dior homme square sunglasses.

"I mean, in all fairness, this idea was created like...two days ago."

"Still! If I'm not best man, I'm slicing off your balls, Harrington."

"Yeah yeah yeah, Hotz. You know it'll be you."

"So we are getting married, huh." Massie finally said it out loud, coming to the realization that really none of their other plans will work. William will still not believe her, he'll see Tristan as a fine young gentleman, and she'll be stuck unless she marries someone else.

"Yeah, I mean you were there when we made the plan, Block...cold feet?" It was hard to ignore the sound of pain in Derrick's statement. Alicia and Josh winced at the sound, while Massie chewed on her lower lip as she looked at him.

"No, I don't have cold feet about marrying you. Unfortunately, it's been my plan since I was ten and were entirely too toxic. But alas, now it'll work I suppose."

"Oh, that's cool."

"You can stop pretending to have no feelings any time now, Harrington."

"Shut up, Alicia."

"She's just speaking the truth, Derrick. Don't forget to tell Massie all about that box in your bedroom now."

"Hotz!"

"What box?" Massie asked, now curious as she examined Derrick's body language.

"No box."

"We're here! And by the looks of it, so is Mr. Montgomery, southern douchebag at your service."

Derrick watched as Massie peered out the window and saw her face change as her eyes landed on Tristan's car. Even though he treated her terribly, Derrick would bet it still stung being lied to by him. He had a feeling deep down that Massie really wished it all could've worked out, which was so sick and twisted considering what was going on behind closed doors the entire time.

But, who was he to talk? He was a terrible boyfriend and enemy and person in general to her when they dated in the past. He loved her back then, but through his parents he was taught to use the ones you love to get where you want to be. Derrick had learned all his past toxic behavior from them, and it ruined his relationship with Massie.

He hoped now he'd have the chance to make it up to her.

"So….are we going to go inside?" Alicia asked, looking at Massie as she was still staring at the car in the parking lot.

"Yeah, I am."

"No, you're not." Derrick shook his head and unbuckled his seatbelt.

"And why not?!"

"Because he'll see you spying on him and put two and two together and probably make your dad do some crazy shit like move the wedding closer, or hurt you more through his negotiations and dealings. Absolutely not. I'm going in, because he won't expect me to be coming in."

"Me too, Alicia take the wheel alright?"

"Okay. Be safe, you two." Josh put the car into park in one of the parking spots and he and Derrick hopped out. Alicia took the front seat and Massie stayed hidden in the back in case Tristan came outside.

Derrick and Josh walked around the first and second floor, and all the offices were closed or dark and quiet. They both felt it was eerily quiet, and felt somewhat defeated as they made it into the elevator.

"Maybe he just parked here and took an Uber?"

"I say we do one more floor, then leave."

"Alright, third it is."

As the elevator quietly opened, Josh was about to speak before Derrick hushed him.

"Do you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"Is that...moaning?"

Derrick and Josh tiptoed around the corner, following the noises they heard. It sounded like something hitting a desk, fists being slammed onto wooden table tops and smelled like pot in the air. They began to crawl as they got closer to the noise, so that whoever was inside the only office that had a light on wouldn't see them.

Josh and Derrick exchanged glances before slowly peering inside the fogged up window, and Josh almost threw up while Derrick almost threw fists.

Tristan Montgomery was in Massie Block's office, with his assistant on Massie's desk fully nude. They were smoking, there were pills scattered on the floor and table top, and he was taking his sweet time with Tracy, the assistant.

Quickly, the pair crawled away and once out of ear-shot ran down the stairs two at a time. Once on the ground level, Josh looked at Derrick for the first time since seeing the incident and all he saw was red.

"That fucking scumbag." He spat on the ground, wiping his mouth with his sleeve.

"How are we gonna tell her?" Josh asked as they got out of the office building and began walking toward where the Range Rover was waiting.

"Dude, I have to. It's in her fucking office, too! She's going to be destroyed. I….I totally forgot, too, but I had gotten a phone call about two weeks ago. Super sketchy, telling me that I was going to find out the truth. They said they had information for me and in time, I'll find out the truth. I didn't tell anyone, but...maybe it was Tracy?"

"It could have been another assistant who knows about this all, too. That he's a drug addict, sex addict, the list goes on now doesn't it?"

"I can't lie to her, Josh."

"I know that."

"I love her, Josh."

"I know that."

When both boys got back in the car, their faces were flushed and Josh was out of breath from the sprinting down the stairs and to the range rover.

"Damn it, Harrington, you need to start training me again."

"Will do, J."

"Did you find him?" Massie and Alicia asked at the same time, echoes of each other.

The entire time they were waiting in the car, Massie and Alicia were a bundle of nerves. They all knew what Tristan was capable of, and both of them were nervous about the boys going in there alone. Massie and Alicia tried to distract themselves, talking about names for the baby and Alicia's hopes for a girl even though Josh really wants a boy. How Alicia would be happy with whatever it turns out being as long as it's healthy, but she really wants a girl because she can dress her up like a mini-Alicia.

Alicia called Massie out, saying how if you really love someone like she loves Derrick that she can't be sharing that love with someone she only tolerates like Tristan. Massie tried to deny that she loved Derrick, but knew in her heart she couldn't deny that she loved him because it consumed her. With Derrick, she always felt like the Massie she used to be. The one with the confidence, with the whole world in the palm of her hand and the knowledge that she's the head bitch in charge and no one can try to take that away.

Massie will be first to admit that in Alicia's pregnancy, she has definitely gained some sort of wisdom she never had before.

Looking at Derrick's face full of anger and fists not bloodied, and Josh's eyes darting around because he can't figure out what to look at first and what to say first, Massie knew they had found him inside.

"Is someone going to say something?!" Alicia questioned as the boys climbed into their respected seats in the range rover and Josh told Alicia to drive away, she did as he asked but once they got to the first stoplight and no one spoke she slammed on the breaks.

"LEESH!"

"Fucking I swear to Christ Joshua, tell me or I will not move this fucking car."

"He's cheating on you, Massie."

Josh's statement echoed through the car as everyone fell silent. Alicia gasped, looking at Massie in the rearview mirror knowing Massie eight years ago would've fallen to her knees in defeat at the thought. Now, though, this Massie was calm and cool and collected, her face gave nothing away.

"What was going on in there?" Her voice was strong and levelled, which surprised the shit out of the other three in the car. Derrick just looked at her in disbelief before speaking for the first time.

"They're in your office, him and Tracy. There's pills everywhere, there's joints and bottles of God knows what. It's dirty and disgusting and I almost put my fist through his skull."

"Okay."

"That's it?" Alicia asked, turning her head to give Massie a look before the light turned green. "What are you going to do about it, M?"

"We are all going to go get a smoothie because I'm not a liar and told my dad what is what I'm doing. Then, we are going to go pick out all new office furniture and charge it to the company card. I'm condemning that office first thing tomorrow morning."

"Are you going to tell him?" Josh asked, his voice sounding like it was waiving in and out.

"No, I'm going to let him figure out that I know, and make him so fucking guilty that he doesn't have a choice but to tell me."

"You really think now guilt tripping is going to work, babe?" Derrick asked curiously, considering that this monster of a man has done all of this and worse before and never felt bad for any of his behavior.

"If it doesn't, he's getting fired."

"Oh, shit."

"From the company, and from my life."