Author's note: Hey :) I don't even know how this chapter ended up being so long, but I just sat down and wrote and suddenly all of those ideas came to my mind. It also presents a change of dynamic between Victoria and David and is crucial for the next chapters. So please enjoy reading and leave a review.
Victoria's stomach turned as the smell of French fries and greasy burgers reached her sensible nose.
She had only agreed to eat at this Diner somewhere outside of Indianapolis because of Amanda and Daniel.
They had talked about their favorite bacon and cheese burgers all day long and finally David had given in and stopped at this Diner in the evening.
Now Victoria was uncomfortably seated on a red plastic bench while she had to watch her son, Amanda and even David eat the unhealthy food.
She could feel the sweat dripping from her forehead and her bare legs sticking to the seat beneath her. Only God knew who else had sat there before her, also leaving his sweat on the synthetic material. The thought of that made her stomach even sorer than it already was.
She definitely shouldn't have worn shorts.
But then again the air conditioner of their car was broken and the hot summer weather had almost killed her on the road today. David had freaked out when Victoria had almost fainted at a gas station since she hadn't eaten anything the whole day. She had tried to explain to him that it was too hot for her to eat, but nevertheless he had managed to make her order a salad for dinner.
However, Victoria was not quite sure that the green lettuce leaves and the equally green tomatoes on the plate in front of her deserved to be called a mixed salad.
Therefore she only half-heartedly poked around her plate with a fork in her hand and a disgusted expression on her face.
"Are you alright, Vic?" David asked and turned to Victoria with the burger still in his grip.
"There's ketchup in your face." Victoria noticed and pointed to the corner of David's mouth.
"Oh." He used his finger to swipe the sauce away. "Better?" It wasn't exactly his best idea to smile at her in that moment.
"Oh God." Victoria shot up from her seat dropping the fork on the floor. "Excuse me."
She ran off to the toilet keeping herself from throwing up right on the black and white floor in the middle of the restaurant.
Instead she found herself kneeling in front of a not-so-clean looking toilet seat losing the very last contents of her stomach. She still felt sick and leaned back to rest her head against the door.
This was horrible. Victoria knew that something was wrong. She had never felt that bad during her pregnancy with Daniel, but seeing a doctor would arouse suspicion and thus make it easier for Conrad to track them down.
She let out a desperate sigh when suddenly she heard someone entering the bathroom, which meant she had to get up since there was only one toilet seat installed.
As she tried to move upwards, Victoria had to steady herself by gripping the wall because she felt even dizzier than she had before rushing off to the bathroom. Clumsily she fixed her ponytail and flushed the toilet.
Outside the door she found an impatient young woman noisily chewing gum and rolling her eyes at her as she stepped out of the door.
"I thought you died in there or something. I have a date waiting for me." The blonde woman complained and slammed the door.
Taken aback by her rude behavior, Victoria didn't reply and simply washed her hands to get rid of all the bacteria.
I felt like I did. She thought to herself. I felt like I died in there. And who the hell goes on a date in a place like this?!
With a shake of the head she entered the Diner again and was painfully reminded of the smell that had made her sick in the first place. She just hated that greasy fast food. Ever since she had been forced to eat it as a child when she had been too young to cook for herself and her mother hadn't cared about what she was eating, it felt like poison to her.
On the way back to their table, Victoria crossed the counter where she could detect a small TV in one corner.
She did not really pay attention to the news program until she suddenly recognized her house being shown on the screen.
She abruptly stopped and stepped closer so that she could hear what they were talking about.
"Drama in the Hamptons.", the news speaker stated with fake amazement in her voice. "Conrad Grayson, CEO of New York City investment firm Grayson Global, is in shock. As we already reported, his wife, Victoria Grayson, had mysteriously disappeared two days ago, but now it turns out that the mystery has been solved. Mrs Grayson's sudden disappearance is by no means a coincidence, but reportedly part of the plan of a disloyal Grayson Global employee. The suspect is no other than Top-Level Hedge Fund Executive David Clarke, who at first deprived Grayson's company of a huge amount of money supporting the terrorists that are responsible for the tragedy of Flight 197 and then also kidnapped his wife and son Daniel Grayson. There is no information on the reasons for Mr Clarke's criminal actions or on the whereabouts of Mr Grayson's relatives yet. However, we taped an exclusive interview with Mr Grayson earlier today."
On the screen then appeared a reporter standing in the living room of Grayson Manor.
"Mr Grayson, I think I speak for all of us if say that we feel deeply sorry for you and your family. "
Next to the reporter stood Conrad, seemingly sick with worry, and wearing a black suit.
"Thank you." He said his eyes facing the ground.
"Mr Grayson, would you like to give details on the attack of your company as well as on your family yourself then?"
"Yes, of course." Conrad took the microphone and began to talk. "As it appears, I gave my trust away too easily. Mr Clarke was one of my best employees and I was happy to have found someone responsible enough to take over some of my tasks at the office. Obviously, that was a mistake. He took advantage of my generosity to not only steal my money but also kidnap my wife and 6-year-old son." At this point Conrad made a dramatic pause and cleared his throat. "I have been deceived by this cruel man, who is now holding my family hostage. But I will do everything to find them and deliver justice in the case of the criminal David Clarke."
The reporter took back the microphone and ended the interview. "Thank you, Mr Grayson for taking the time to speak with us."
After that a blonde woman appeared in the right corner of the screen and handed Conrad a tissue.
A few seconds later, back in the studio, two photos were shown in the background.
"The police ask the citizens' to provide relevant information on the case. If you see one of these persons, please do not hesitate to report it immediately at a police station in your town. And now…"
Victoria grabbed the edge of the counter.
David's and her photo had just been shown on national TV.
Her husband was seriously selling this ridiculous story to the press, but Victoria knew that most people were stupid enough to believe in what a successful man in a suit and with family values was telling them.
Her stomach turned around again.
They were in concrete danger from now on. The police searched for them and she was sure that Conrad also used his private detectives and security men to track them down.
Maybe her plan was not so thought out after all. Maybe David would be behind bars in the next two days already and she wouldn't be able to figure out a way to get him out of there.
There were more and more disturbing scenarios popping up in her head, so Victoria decided to head back to the table. David would get mad if he found out about them being on the news, so she forced herself to stay quiet.
"Hey, are you feeling better?" David asked as she took the seat next to him again.
"No, not exactly." Victoria answered and reached for his hand. "I think it's better if we leave and find us a hotel."
She smiled at Amanda and Daniel. "You two finish your burgers and then we'll look for something nice to stay for tonight."
Daniel nodded and quickly grabbed a handful of French fries to stuff them into his mouth.
In contrast to him, Amanda dropped her burger and voiced her protest. "But I want a real bed this time." The girl glared at her father and Victoria. "And my own room."
David then exchanged an approving look with Victoria.
"We'll try to find a better hotel, Amanda. Just finish your burger before it's too late and we don't have the chance to get any room at all."
Amanda was apparently satisfied with the response she got and concentrated on her meal again. She knew how to push her father's buttons and right now she only needed some privacy and distance from Mrs Grayson and her son.
After they had left the Diner, they were lucky enough to find a small hotel outside of the city. It was run by an elderly couple, who offered them to stay in one of their guest apartments. Victoria and David gratefully accepted that offer, although it actually went over their budget. But given Amanda's bad mood and the unbearable heat, they considered it a good idea to spend some time apart.
Amanda entered the apartment first and was overwhelmed by the pinkness of the room.
There were pink plush pillows everywhere and the huge bed in the middle of it all even had a heart-shaped frame at its back.
She quickly took her suitcase and opened the wooden door leading into the other, smaller bedroom, which was also nothing but bright and pink, but still better than sharing a room with Victoria Grayson.
"This is my room! Good night!" Amanda declared and shut the door behind her.
"Well, okay, sweet dreams, Amanda." David replied, also pretty bewildered by the interior of the apartment.
"Where's my room, Mom?" Daniel wanted to know, apparently jealous of Amanda's advantage.
"I'm sorry, Danny, but I guess you have to sleep on the sofa bed." Victoria explained and pointed at the velvet sofa at the side of the apartment.
"Why does Amanda have her own bedroom and I haven't? That's so unfair!" The boy shouted and stared at his mother angrily.
"I know, Daniel, but I can't change that right now." Victoria tried to soothe her son and caressed his dark hair.
"You could change that, Mom! I always have my own room! Even, when we were on vacation in Europe, Dad always paid for an extra room for me!"
That felt like a slap right in Victoria's face. Of course, Conrad had always made sure Daniel got everything he wanted so he wasn't used to sacrificing. But he had to learn it sooner or later.
"Daniel, please, it's only for one night." She grabbed the hands of her son, but he stepped back immediately.
Before he could open his mouth again, David interfered. "So Daniel, you say you want some privacy just like Amanda?"
The boy nodded.
"How about you stay here and watch some TV or do whatever you like and your mother and I go downstairs to sit in the garden of the hotel and when we come back it'll be late enough for you to fall asleep on that sofa bed right away. So, how does that sound to you?"
"Okay." Daniel accepted and started looking for the remote control. David's offer for him to watch TV had obvioulsy been enough to distract the 6-year-old.
"But promise me, that you'll stay in the room, Daniel, okay?" Victoria put the pillows down from the bed and turned the TV so that her son would have no reason to get up any time soon.
"Yep, Mom." He climbed onto the bed and switched on the TV.
"I love you, Daniel. See you later." She pressed a kiss to her son's forehead and then grabbed David's hand before they finally left the room.
"Thank you so much." Victoria said and kissed David tenderly when they were seated at one of the tables in the hotel's patio.
"I know how children can be sometimes. Just look at Amanda." David assured and gently squeezed his lover's hand.
"I understand them. This must be so frightening for them. Leaving home from one minute to the other without knowing where they are going." Victoria sighed and reached out her other hand to David. She just wanted to be close to him right in that moment. To feel his arms wrapped around her body keeping her safe and humble.
Instinctively, David entwined his hand with Victoria's. He would have loved to lift her up and let her sit on his lap, but there were too many other guests sipping their drinks and making pointless conversation.
"I know. It must be hard for them, but I'm sure they'll get used to us being together." He smiled and placed a kiss on the palm of Victoria's right hand.
"I hope so." She replied reveling in the soft touch of David's lips on her skin.
"You're hands are trembling, Vic." David noticed and looked at his lover worriedly. "You still haven't eaten properly. I'll get you something. What do you want?"
"I don't think they're still serving dinner here."
"I don't care, I'll get you something to eat whether you like it or not. So?" David stood up expecting an answer.
"Well, I'll take a salad then. I mean a real salad. Not that waste they served at that Diner." Victoria almost laughed at how much David cared for her and her health. It had been some time since a man had gotten so protective over her.
"I'll be right back" And with those words he headed towards the kitchen and left Victoria alone at their table.
She leaned back to relax in her chair and started observing the other people sitting around her.
There were mainly couples, she noticed immediately, and most of them were either laughing, in deep conversation or exchanging romantic gestures. Basically, they were all normal people enjoying their evening free from work, their family or what other responsibilities they had in their lives.
Victoria began to wonder if David and she could ever be like that.
Just a normal couple.
Just two people sharing a life and the love they had for one another.
Without social pressure or the fear of being caught by the police.
She wanted their unborn child to be raised in a healthy family environment and to experience the security she had never had throughout her childhood and even in adulthood she had struggled to keep her life on track most of the time.
That was exactly why Victoria was afraid that she could never provide a stable family life for any of her children. If she herself as a mother and role model had such a troubled personality, how could her children ever look up to her and expect to receive a good piece of advice?
Once, she had thought that marrying Conrad and having all the money in the world would solve her problems, but she had to discover that her life was destined to get out of hand, no matter which social class she belonged to.
She could only hope that trusting her heart for once would turn out to be the right decision.
She really wanted her relationship with David to work because of the one thing she was sure of: She loved that man.
Right in that moment, David came back to their table making Victoria smile brightly.
Against her expectations, David did not return that smile. Instead, he leaned down to her and whispered into her ear.
He then took her hand and led her out of the garden and into a remote hallway.
Irritated by the sudden change of his temper, Victoria approached him directly.
"What's wrong? Why are you suddenly so nervous?"
David looked around to secure that there was no one listening to them.
"Vic, you won't believe what I just saw on TV."
Oh God, now she could imagine what this was about.
"Well, what was it?" She pretended not to suspect anything.
"Us." David stared at her, still mortified by the lies that had been spread about him on TV.
Victoria tried to sound dumbfounded. "What? I… I don't understand."
David swallowed and rested his hands on her shoulders. "There was this interview with Conrad and he told the whole nation that I kidnapped you and Daniel and that I've been laundering money for terrorists. The police are searching for us now. I have to go back and defend myself, Vic."
"No, no, you can't do that!" That was exactly what she had been trying to avoid the whole time. He couldn't win against Conrad.
"But I have to! Running from the authorities will only arouse more suspicion!" David explained, not quite sure why Victoria didn't want him to return to the Hamptons.
"But you will end up in jail for something that Conrad has done, don't you get it?" Victoria immediately regretted saying that. David didn't know that Conrad himself had supported those terrorists. She quickly covered her mouth with her hand.
Slowly, the whole story began to dawn on David.
"You knew about that?" He stepped back from his lover.
"David, I only…" Victoria tried to explain herself, but David cut her off.
"Don't try to justify your actions now! Just tell me, have you known about Conrad's plan to frame me right from the beginning? Is that why you wanted to run away with me in the first place?" He glared at her knowing that her answer could only disappoint him.
"Yes." She whispered.
"I don't believe it!" He almost screamed and tore his hair out. "So you've been lying about this, about us, about our relationship, the whole time?"
"I just wanted to protect you! It was only a matter of time for Conrad to publish that story!" Victoria pointed out rationally.
"You don't need to protect me, Victoria! I should be the one to protect you! But you always have to control everything yourself! You, the strong and invincible Victoria Grayson! You don't even have enough faith in me to win that battle against Conrad!" David stared at her, frustration filling his eyes.
"David, please! You know that Conrad has enough money to bribe any judge in this world! I wanted to get away from him, because I thought that someone would discover Conrad's criminal actions if only there was some more time. That doesn't change anything about my feelings for you." Victoria revealed the ultimate intention behind her plan hoping that David would understand and more importantly forgive her.
Quite the opposite happened. As she approached him and tried to take his face into her hands, he shrugged her off roughly. She drew in a deep breath. He had never done this before. He had never rejected her.
"Victoria, how can you expect me to trust you now that I've found out that you've been lying to me every second we spent together?" He angrily kept his distance from her. But he was not only angry at her, he was also hurt. She hurt him in so many ways. He didn't know how to deal with that.
"I can't bear to look at you right now! Are you even pregnant or is that also only one of the lies you've been telling to make me fall for your plan?"
"No, I mean, of course I am pregnant!" Victoria was confused about how that TV interview had just shattered her plan and ruined her relationship with David.
He glared at her for a few more moments trying to figure out if she was being honest with him.
"David, I still want to be with you. More than anything else. I mean it."
Hearing Victoria's voice made him crazy. He loved her so much and still she had betrayed him.
That inner conflict drove him wild, he needed to do something.
"But you put my life at risk. In fact, you put all of our lives at risk! You can't possibly assume that there is any justification for not telling me that I am a wanted criminal!" And with that he simply turned on his heels and started walking away.
Victoria ran after him trying to grab his arm and hold him back. "David! Where are you going? You have to stay here!" She practically clung to his side like a little girl, but he pushed her away.
"Stop telling me what to do! I need to think, just leave me alone and take care of the kids." He was out of the door of the hotel within the next second while Victoria remained frozen to the spot in the lobby.
Had they really just fought that bad?
It was all her fault again.
Like he had said, she always wanted to be the strong one in a relationship, she needed to know that everything was under her control. Giving the power to someone else meant losing to her. It meant being that poor little girl somewhere out on the streets again. And certainly, she would never go back to that.
She couldn't change that part of her although because of that she managed to drive everyone away. Maybe she was not predestined love or to be loved, maybe David leaving her was what she deserved.
That was also the biggest question in her mind: Had he just left her? Was he coming back?
Victoria saw the only solution in waiting and making sure that both Amanda and Daniel would not notice his absence.
Thus, she climbed up the stairs to their apartment while for the first time that day she felt a hole in her stomach. She was hungry.
What she craved for, however, was not food.
It was David. She already craved for his touch, his warm embrace and his caring nature.
But thanks to her egoistic behavior she had jeopardized all that or in the worst case, maybe lost it forever.
Soooooo I hope you liked the chapter although it's so long.
Don't forget to leave a review, they mean the world to me. :)
I'd also like to know which characters you want me to focus on or what other characters you want me to include in the story.
I'll take those suggestions into consideration when I continue writing.