"Wait a sec." Nolan stopped Victoria's stream of words. "So you're saying that you want my help to help get David out of prison?"
"Yes, that's what I'm saying, Mr. Ross." Victoria repeated impatiently.
"Then why are you not out there telling the world the truth?! Why are you sitting there, being silent and not caring about all those lies being spread?!" He had to raise his voice angrily.
"Because…" Victoria sighed already regretting involving Nolan Ross in her plan. Maybe he was too young to understand. "I need the Graysons' power and their money. Don't you understand? If I was still out there all on my own, I would also make myself a target for them. They would doeverything to destroy and discredit me. So I need to be inside of this family and use it for my advantage. Trust me, I know how to control my husband."
"Hm, I understand." Nolan didn't sound fully convinced.
"And I also have to make sure that nothing will happen to David's child."
At that statement Nolan had to let out a laugh. "What? Are you serious? From what I've heard Amanda is in psychiatric treatment, God knows what they're doing to that girl. But obviously you don't seem to waste one thought on her."
"That's not true… I…" Victoria stammered. In her heart she knew that Nolan was right. And she was ashamed of herself for being responsible for what Amanda hat to endure. After all she had been the one to convince Dr Michelle Banks of the need for the child's hospitalization. In reality, of course, it was the safest measure to make sure Amanda's words could not be taken seriously in the FBI investigation. She was a potential threat to the cover-up since she had witnessed the true story.
"Ha, you talk about all of that money and power, then why don't you use it to get an innocent girl out of that situation? It would be a good way to start for your plan."
"Okay." Victoria sighed because she didn't find the strength to argue against his point. Maybe she could find a compromise and still show David that she would also take care of Amanda. "I'll find a way."
"Great. If I see you leaving the clinic with Amanda, I can start to believe that you actually have a soul. And what about the rest?"
"Well, I want David to get the best lawyer."
"Oh sure and your husband who is trying to frame him is just going to pay for a lawyer for him…" Nolan remarked sarcastically.
"No, I have a different idea. Some time ago I hid some money. Nobody knows about that, just David and I. I want to use it, or better, I want you to use it to hire the best lawyer to defend him. No one can know that I am involved. You'll play the role of the loyal friend who is now there to help David and prove his innocence."
"I like that, but how do I explain where I got all of the money from? My company is hardly making any profit."
"Just tell them you inherited it and now use it to help David in return, like he has helped you build your company. If you really are the tech genius you claim to be, then faking some transactions shouldn't be a problem for you, should it? Plus, I know for a fact that the FBI is still investigating my husband which puts him under pressure and also you have to know that I destroyed a crucial piece of evidence the day I ran away with David. It was his laptop. They wanted me to steal it, but instead I buried it in the ocean.
"Smart move. But I wonder what role will you now play, Mrs. Grayson?"
"Well I'll do my best to keep the Graysons distracted and get as much information about their plans as I can in order to help. I'll play nice not to arise any suspicion. And yes, I will find a way to take care of Amanda."
"So far so good, but you are aware that your testimony in court will finally determine David's fate. We can hire the best lawyer in the world if you testify against David. What do you plan to do about that?"
"To be honest I don't know. All I know is that without the Graysons' trust in me, David wouldn't even stand a chance at all. They would destroy me just as fast as they destroy him. My plan however allows me to gather enough evidence against Conrad without him suspecting anything. It's the only way David can be spared a life in prison. Even if it means he might hate me for standing by the Graysons ." It was hard for Victoria to admit to that. She had never loved anyone the way she had loved him. She was carrying his child, he had even asked her to marry him and in a matter of a few minutes everything had fallen apart. Their vision of their future together was forever ruined. Only at the thought of that Victoria's eyes became watery and her heart felt like stone.
"Thank you for trusting me, Mrs. Grayson." Nolan said as he noticed she almost began to sob at the other end of the line.
"It's Victoria actually." She offered. "Thank you for helping me, Nolan."
"I think we'll make a great team, Victoria." Nolan smiled and truly meant it.
"Yes, I'm sure about that. I'll talk to you as soon as I have the money."
"Agreed. Good bye, then."
"Good bye. And if you decide to visit David, tell him that I think about him every second."
"I'll do that." And with that, they both hung up.
Very silently Victoria opened the door to the guest bedroom. It was dark, but she knew that Conrad had come home about an hour ago and didn't check on her because she had already been in the master bedroom. It felt strange to her, but she knew she had to do it to make sure her plan would work smoothly.
"Conrad." She whispered. Not daring to make her way through the dark for she was afraid to fall.
"Hm?" A sleepy voice mumbled.
"It's me, Conrad. I can't sleep." Victoria stood there in her silky nightgown , nervously biting her lip. They didn't share a bed since everything had happened, but she was sure Conrad couldn't be happier to have her beside him again.
"I'm sorry Victoria, I was already asleep, it's been a long day." Conrad moved and switched on the bed light so that he could see his wife standing next to the door looking as pale as a ghost. "Do you want to talk? Is something not clear for tomorrow?" He offered.
"No, it's just…" Victoria tried to give a good performance of the damsel in distress for she knew that her husband would always fall for it. When she was weak, he couldn't leave her unprotected. "I'm scared, Conrad. And I don't feel well. I can't be alone tonight." She wiped her eyes pretending to be in tears.
Conrad was surprised by her words, but had waited to hear them for weeks. He was relieved that his wife was finally opening up to him again. "Come here, Victoria. Of course, you can stay with me."
Without hesitation she made her way to the bed and snuggled herself beneath the blanket. She gave Conrad a light smile. His face remained serious when she had expected a more happy expression because she had decided to share the bed with him. "Are you okay?" She asked nervously as he didn't make any advances towards her. She had expected him to see this as a success in the process of winning his wife back again.
"No." Conrad replied to her and sat up in the bed. Victoria did the same. "There are many things you don't know about in this whole scheme of framing David." Only at the mention of his name Victoria flinched and felt the guilt possessing her body.
"What do you mean?" Her eyes widened.
"My father thought it was enough to threaten you by taking Daniel and the Grayson family name away from you. But I know you better than him, Victoria." His arctic pools met her deep brown eyes and Victoria felt being caught. "I knew right from the beginning that you didn't just come back, play my wife again and help us frame David. I'm sure you have something planned, an ulterior motive. That's why you agreed to my father's deal."
"Conrad, I…"
"You don't have to explain yourself. As I said, I know you and if I didn't want or need to have you back I would have turned down my father's plan. But I don't want Daniel to grow up without a mother, I don't want the Grayson family to fall apart and as much as your betrayal hurt me, I want you to be safe. I need you by my side because we make the best team. That's why I cooperated with my father's idea."
Victoria was left speechless, maybe it wasn't as easy to fool Conrad as she had thought it would be. At the sight of his wife's shocked face, Conrad continued. "But this is now what I mean."
"In California you told me that the decision to frame David was by forces far above you, that it was my affair that made David the target. Is it about that?" Victoria connected the dots.
"Exactly, my dear." Conrad answered soberly. "And I think it's time that I tell you about that. My father thinks you don't need to know every detail, but I'm sure you would figure it out yourself sooner or later. And maybe at that point it'd be too late to save you."
"Conrad, stop being so mysterious and tell me!" She demanded.
"When I came home tonight, I saw someone in our garden." Conrad remained calm but Victoria could sense that he was nervous. "Two people dressed in black with guns. They were climbing up to Daniel's room, but when they saw me they stopped, sent me a knowing look and ran away."
"Conrad! What? How can you not tell me about that?! Is he alright? I have to check on him." Victoria blurted out the words furiously, her voice thick with concern about her son. Conrad stopped her from getting up.
"He's safe, Victoria, Don't worry. I looked after him. Danny didn't notice anything. I let Frank stay in his room, just in case."
Victoria's heart was racing for her husband had just told her their son had almost been kidnapped or even killed. "Who were those people?" She asked and felt her hands had gotten sweaty.
"Americon Initiative." Conrad said drily.
"The terrorist organization you invested money in?" Victoria drew in a sharp breathe.
"Victoria, I didn't know what they would do, I thought they were only new investors, so I gave them money. They wanted to frame me for everything. Now the David Clarke case is not moving forward and they are getting impatient. I guess, that's why they sent the men, to threaten us."
Victoria couldn't believe what she had just heard.
"Conrad, how could you…" Her eyes filled with tears.
"I didn't know Victoria. I didn't know." He lowered his head and for the first time she saw her husband being ashamed for something he had done. "I wanted to save my family. I don't want Daniel and you to live in shame for the rest of your lives."
"But David, why…"
"Because I also didn't want to lose my family. I don't know how many times I have to say it, but I love you. Yes, you hurt me and betrayed me, but I think we can survive that. We can be a family again."
"You…" Victoria was so angry she started attacking her husband, her small fists hitting his chest but barely causing him any pain.
"Stop." He tried to hold her back, but she was in such rage she couldn't control herself anymore.
"You've put our son in danger! How could you!" She stopped her attack and now sat on her knees, her watery eyes staring at Conrad in utter disbelief.
Conrad had to turn away from her intense stare.
"How could you?" She now sobbed and broke down beside him burying her head in the sheets.
"I know, I'm so sorry. I didn't know who those people really are, I never wanted any of that to happen. But don't you understand? That's why we have to begin to trust each other from now on. We have to work together to protect our son. "
"You're a monster." Victoria spat out once she had stopped crying.
"You've mentioned that before," He replied.
"And you leave me no choice but to become a monster, too." She turned to face him, her eyes now serious. "You force me to be just as bad as you are."
"We all have to make sacrifices in this, Victoria. You betrayed me in the worst possible way." He pointed at her baby belly. "It's my sacrifice to accept his child as my own, to give it a home even if it will remind me of your betrayal for the rest of my life. But in return, I have you back by my side. We can be husband and wife again continuing the Grayson legacy. You also get that for your sacrifice of giving up on your love affair. You can live with your children in wealth."
When he had finished his sentence, Victoria couldn't deny that he was right in some way. He used the same logic that she had when she had accepted Edward's deal. However, she hadn't known that it wasn't only her husband who stood in the way of reuniting with David again and proving his innocence, but a threat by a terrorist organization which put her son's life at stake. The weight of that realization made Victoria feel powerless. She sank onto the mattress next to her husband "It was wise of you tell me all that." She announced as Conrad placed his body next to hers.
"I know you're not stupid." He locked eyes with her. "And tomorrow we will let the world know that we're expecting a baby and you will remember how the terrorist David Clarke deceived you and forced you to run away with him and how you and Daniel were held hostage."
"Good night, Conrad." Disgusted by his words, Victoria got up to leave the room. She couldn't stand Conrad's presence.
"You will do great tomorrow. And soon everything will go back to normal, I promise." Conrad said before Victoria shut the door. Worried sick she went to Daniel's room and found Frank sitting on a chair in one corner. Her son was sound asleep, but with Frank's help Victoria managed to bring him to the master bedroom so that she could be by his side the whole night.
"Thank you." She told Frank, who left and guarded the bedroom door from the outside.
"Mommy?" Daniel whispered sleepily as Victoria cradled him in his arms under the sheets. "Dad says I'm a big boy now and too old to sleep in a bed with you."
"That is not true, baby." Victoria pulled him closer and smelled the comforting scent of his hair. "You'll never be too old for that. I will always love you and keep you close, no matter what your age is." She kissed his head.
"Okay, Mommy. I love you." The boy relaxed in his mother's embrace and his brown eyes met their matching pair in the dark.
"I love you, too." She was so touched by her little boys' words. "Go back to sleep now." Victoria began humming a soothing tune because she knew how much he always enjoyed that. She was extremely proud of her son, of how he handled the whole situation. Since they have been back home, he had not mentioned the past few weeks with David once. He was just happy to be in his familiar environment again and Conrad made sure that he was kept away from the public. Victoria was a little worried that it had been a traumatic experience for him and now his mind was in denial of it, but as long as she didn't see any changes in his behavior, she wouldn't do anything. Now she had to accept that his live was in danger because of something his father had done. The only way to secure his safety was Conrad's scheme to send an innocent man to jail for the rest of his life and Victoria was a crucial part of that, whether she liked it or not. Knowing that a terrorist organization placed a threat to her son's life, made Victoria unsure if she could still go through with her original plan of playing nice to the Graysons, but working behind their back to prove that David was innocent. Victoria's mind was spinning and she feared the next day. How could she please Conrad, or more importantly, the Initiative with a statement against David and at the same time keep her promise to secure Amanda's well-being? At least, it was only a press conference to influence the media and the nation's opinion about David Clarke. It was not an official testimony, that's what Victoria told herself to ease her conscience, although she knew it was only a desperate attempt to escape the panic attack she felt she had coming.
"My husband and I, being parents ourselves and having been blessed with receiving a second child, cannot accept that an innocent girl is being punished and locked away." Victoria faked some tears and clung to Conrad's side. "We take the doctors' diagnosis of Amanda suffering a mental illness caused by the traumatic experience she had to endure very seriously and want her to remain in Dr Michelle Banks' treatment to give her the best medical cure possible. However, we have decided to take responsibility for Amanda Clarke and temporarily take her into the Grayson family home. We think no child should be judged by what a relative has done and we will make sure that the girl is in good care during this challenging time of her young life." The cameras flashed and the reporters went wild bombarding the Queen of the Hamptons with more questions. With a faint look to her husband Victoria expressed that she wasn't feeling well and leaned closer to Conrad, who supported her and kissed her cheek. He wanted them to get a good shot of the Grayson couple reunited and in deep shock of what one of their employees had done. Inside however Conrad was fuming. What his wife had just announced had not been in the protocol. She had made a foolish decision and risked a crack in their cover-up. He assumed the guilt for destroying David's future had eaten away her brain and she now wanted to do a noble thing.
That scene from five days ago replayed in Victoria's head as she entered the facility where Amanda stayed. She had known it was risky and had braced herself for Conrad's anger about her choice. But the moment she had said it publicly, he didn't have a chance but to give in to her decision. He had been outraged, screaming at her as soon as they had gotten home. He couldn't tolerate another child of that man in his home. Unfortunately, it was clear that if they contradicted Victoria's public announcement now, it would look more suspicious and raise questions about why they had suddenly changed their mind about their charitable decision. Conrad's outraged reaction had been predictable and Victoria knew how to handle that, but she was all the more scared of Amanda's reaction. After everything that had happened, the girl couldn't be particularly happy to see her.
"Good morning, Victoria." Michelle Banks greeted her with two kisses on her cheeks. Michelle had always admired Victoria Grayson for her status and her composure, judging her by photos in magazines or public appearances on TV. In that moment, the woman standing in front of her, balancing her pregnant body on stiletto heels and obviously finding it hard to breathe in the navy blue dress she had been pressed into, rather seemed like someone to be pitied. Even her make-up couldn't hide the dark circles under her tired eyes and the lines of worry on her forehead. For the first time, Michelle didn't want to be in Victoria's shoes.
"Hey, Michelle." Victoria answered nervously. Since they had paid her enough to open her own practice as a psychologist in return for silencing a nine-year-old, Michelle Banks had become close with the Grayson family. Victoria was sure that she would soon need her professional help for her own mental condition.
"Amanda is just down the hall. I've told her someone would come today to pick her up." Michelle motioned to a room at the end of the white, sterile floor.
"Let's see how she reacts if she finds out that someone is me." Victoria sighed almost tripping in her black Louboutin heels, but luckily Michelle caught her and without commenting on the incident, offered her her arm to walk her down the hall. Victoria felt weak and her body was constantly tensed so that she rarely found the opportunity relax and get a restful sleep. She regularly suffered from heavy migraines and retreated to her dark bedroom refusing to talk to anyone. Her doctor had told her that it was caused by the constant stress level she was in and that it also had an effect on the baby. It could cause premature birth or even a miscarriage. That's why he strongly advised her to get distance from the current investigation and go on a long holiday with her son. Under any other circumstances she would have taken his advice, but in that particular situation she couldn't just run away. She would feel even guiltier towards David for letting him down. Victoria was also astonished at how quickly the tables had turned. She remembered the excitement and happiness she had shared with David of having a baby together, how they had called it their miracle child. Now, the pregnancy began to feel more and more like a burden to her. Every depreciative glare Conrad threw at her belly whenever he had the chance to, reminded her that how difficult it would be for this child, for her daughter, to get the love she deserved. She would grow up in a world of lies and hatred, if Victoria failed at proving David's innocence. In that case, how could she ever look at her daughter? Victoria snapped back to reality as they stopped in front of a white door. Through the glass of the door she could see the girl with blonde curls sitting on a small bed. She had her knees pulled up and rested her heavy looking head on top of them. To see the normally so happy and active girl sitting there with that empty expression in her face, was probably the most heartbreaking scene Victoria had ever encountered.
"Feel free to go in and talk to her." Michelle suggested and after a short hesitation Victoria slowly opened the door.