It had taken four years for Bonnie to reach her breaking point. Truthfully, she probably would have tolerated Damon's disrespectful and neglectful behavior for another couple of years until he cemented his role as boss of the Salvatore organization. However, the well-being of her children trumped everything else in her life. She was determined to do everything in her power to carry her twins as close to term as humanly possible. Bonnie needed to clear all the unnecessary stress out of her life to have even a remote chance of doing that. Therefore, she moved swiftly getting her ducks in a row to force Damon into a separation he would likely oppose. While her loving husband didn't want her, he also couldn't stomach the idea of someone else having her. Bonnie had to make Damon understand that he was no longer in control of their relationship.
The young mother's first move had been to call Big John—again. She gave her uncle just enough of the truth for him to grant her request with few questions. Bonnie didn't just want a few loyal Benedetto men inside the smuggling operation as he had planned. She asked Big John to send her cousins: Cesare, Cristian, Gemma, and Remy to the States for an indefinite period. He could bill the move as assistance for Damon. After all, the vultures would start to circle as soon as Giuseppe was out of the picture. Damon would have his hands full protecting the Salvatores' territory. The smuggling operation could slip through the cracks.
Another outfit had made a move on the operation five years ago when the news of Sheila's impending death began to spread like wildfire through the criminal underworld. Fortunately, Giuseppe had been able to give the situation his full attention. He had viciously squashed the move but they would try again. This would be Bonnie's opening gamut to wrestle control of the smuggling operation out of Damon's hands.
Bonnie's second move had been to retain the services of Los Angeles' top family law firm. The firm was discreet and met with Bonnie at the beach house under the cover of darkness. They often handled contentious high-profiled divorces and understood her need for secrecy. They had spent hours working on a strategy in the event that Damon refused to agree to the separation. Filing for divorce would be a last resort but she needed to be prepared for every possible scenario. Bonnie intended to seek physical custody of Sarah and the twins in this hypothetical divorce. Damon was a loving father but he was often too busy to be involved regularly. If they weren't together it just made sense for their children to spend the majority of their time with her.
Bonnie's third move took her half way across the world to have a long overdue conversation with Katherine. It had taken a couple of days to put the trip together because of her entourage's size. Sarah, Lucy, Tyler, Matt, Jesse, a doctor, a nurse, and a personal chef joined her in Tenerife. She rented an 18th century sugar farm turned vacation home for the duration of their stay. The state-of the art mansion featured ocean views, an Olympic sized swimming pool, and enough rooms to accommodate her large party. Furthermore, the rented mansion was less than twenty minutes away from the Salvatore villa where Katherine was making herself at home.
Prior to arriving, Bonnie had given her daughter a list of activities they could do on any of the seven larger islands. Bonnie scheduled their entire trip around Sarah's choices. She couldn't help but feel guilty for the chaos that she was about to rain down on the little girl's life. Anyone with eyes could see that she adored her father. Sarah would be confused and devastated when she learned that they were moving out of the Salvatore Manor. Bonnie just wanted to give her a week of fun before everything changed. The first day in Tenerife, they spent the majority of their time at a theme park. Afterwards, they had dinner aboard a boat while whale watching.
The second day had a slightly different tone. Bonnie, Lucy, and Sarah had spent the morning in the swimming pool. After eating lunch prepared by the personal chef, they headed over to the Salvatore villa. Bonnie had promised Sarah that as soon they finished visiting her 'friend' that they would go to the exotic bird sanctuary.
Later, Lucy and Matt would take her on a wildlife tour. Bonnie's personal physician, Cole, had shot down the idea of her accompanying them. He was concerned about the amount of walking and the hot temperatures. She would do enough walking at the exotic bird sanctuary.
Tyler pulled into the driveway and turned off the car. He didn't like the idea of Bonnie confronting Katherine alone. He was worried about her blood pressure. However, he trusted his friend to be smart. Bonnie wouldn't let Katherine goad her into a reaction because she knew what was at stake. He climbed out of the car and opened the door for her.
"Thanks, Ty."
Bonnie looked like a goddess when she stepped down from the SUV. She was wearing a knee-length summer dress made of a white eyelet fabric. The top of the spaghetti strap dress accentuated Bonnie's ample bosom. Her normally straight hair now hung over her shoulders in natural ringlet curls. The simple ballet flats she wore drew attention to her diminutive stature.
Sarah hopped out of the car wearing a blue summer dress that matched her eyes perfectly. Her curly jet-black hair had been styled in a thick crown braid that went around her entire head. Blue and white ribbons had been woven into the hairstyle. She immediately sought out her mother's hand as she looked up at the house in front of them. "Who lives here, Mama?"
"My friend and her little girl are staying here right now," Bonnie explained with a cheerful smile.
Lucy let down her window and said, "We will be out here if you need us, Bon."
"It won't come to that. I have faith that she is a smart woman," Bonnie explained simply.
Lucy hummed in agreement.
Bonnie wasn't one for dramatic shows of force. Sheila taught her that it was a sign of weakness. True power didn't need to be waved about like a flag. She kept that gem in mind as she walked up to the front door of the Salvatore family's villa. Bonnie knocked on the door to show Katherine a modicum of respect. She could have just used her key but there was no need to put the older woman on the defensive from the outset. Bonnie wasn't there for a fight or to antagonize Damon's mistress.
Katherine's jaw dropped as she opened the door. She couldn't believe that Bonnie and Sarah were standing in front of her. Katherine's entire body tensed in fear of what Damon would do to her if he knew about this. He had been quite clear about his intentions if Katherine meddled with his marriage again. She didn't believe for a moment that Enzo had misconstrued Damon's message. Katherine knew that his precious wife certainly wouldn't get the blame.
She cleared her throat and said, "Hello, Mrs. Salvatore…"
Bonnie pushed her sunglasses atop her head to hold back her curly hair. She smiled primly at the tendril of fear that Katherine quickly masked with a polite greeting. However, Bonnie was certain that was fear of Damon's reaction. Katherine hadn't begun to understand that Bonnie was the one she should fear.
"Good afternoon, Ms. Petrova. I was hoping that we could have a chat. Perhaps the girls could play together. I understand that Nadia and Sarah are about the same age," Bonnie suggested in a cordial tone.
The older woman felt her blood run cold at the mention of Nadia. She didn't understand how this girl even knew about her daughter. She was even more concerned that Bonnie knew that Nadia was currently in Tenerife. Dozens of questions flooded her brain as she tried to work out what was happening.
She forced a smile that most would believe was genuine. "Of course, please, come inside."
Bonnie felt none of the warmth she had in previous visits to the home. She had vacationed there with the Salvatore family many times in her childhood. Her grandmother enjoyed island life and often talked of one day retiring somewhere like Tenerife. However, Bonnie hadn't visited since being married to Damon. Lucy had learned that the villa was Katherine's preferred retreat. She now understood Damon's reluctance to vacation here. He really did try to keep them separate much like his uncle who purchased Abby's home less than an hour away from the one he shared with Jo and their twins. The Salvatore men were as clever as they were audacious when it came to hiding their affairs.
Katherine closed the door and then led them into the living room. She held out her hand for Nadia. "Come here, sunshine. Come meet my friends."
Nadia was playing with a huge dollhouse in the middle of the living room. The seven-year-old girl had olive colored skin and pin straight dark brown hair. Her amber colored eyes studied their guests with curiosity.
The girl stood and rushed over to her mother. "Hi. I'm Nadia."
Bonnie smiled. "Hi. My name is Bonnie and this is my little girl, Sarah. Say hi, Sarah."
Sarah gave a little wave. "Hi."
Katherine turned to look at her daughter. "I bet Sarah would love to see your new dollhouse. Why don't you show her while I talk to her mommy?"
Nadia said, "Okay." She smiled at Sarah and said, "It's right over here. Come on. I'll show you."
Sarah looked up at Bonnie and ran after Nadia when she got the nod of approval.
Katherine asked, "Would you like to have a seat in the kitchen? We can see the girls playing from there."
Bonnie nodded, "Sure."
"Would you like something to drink?"
She followed Katherine into the open plan kitchen. Her eyes fell onto several freshly painted terracotta flowerpots drying on the counter. The haphazard designs on each of the flowerpots suggested that Nadia was the artist.
"I'll take a sparkling water if you have it," Bonnie replied as she sat in the breakfast nook.
The older woman opened the refrigerator and grabbed two bottles of sparkling water. Katherine pulled down two glasses from the cabinet and then took a steadying breath. She walked across the room and sat across from Bonnie. "I hope this is okay."
The younger woman put her phone on silent. She didn't want to be disturbed during this conversation with Katherine. Everyone that mattered knew where she was and what she was doing right now. Anyone else trying to reach Bonnie could damn well wait until after she was finished.
"It is fine. Thank you," she replied. Bonnie opened the bottle and filled her glass.
Katherine's greatest quality was her ability to read people. She could divine someone's true intention by reading body language and facial expressions. Furthermore, her skilled ears could easily identify a person's changing inflection and speech pattern. Katherine could tell when someone was speaking half-truths and she simply read between the lies. She had honed these skills during her hardscrabble upbringing. Katherine's skill set had allowed her to con wealthy men out of hundreds of thousands of dollars before she met Damon.
As she sat across from Damon's child bride, all of her instincts were telling her to run. The girl wore a serene smile as she daintily sipped her sparkling water. However, Katherine saw something dark and dangerous lurking in Bonnie's emerald green eyes. Suddenly, she had the unshakable feeling that she was in the presence of a predator. Katherine wondered how Damon had been married to this girl for four years and still believed her to be his innocent little 'bunny'. She found herself concerned about why Bonnie would choose to drop the act now.
Katherine tried to seem nonchalant when she said, "I have to say I am surprised to see you here. However, I rather think that was the point of your sudden appearance."
Bonnie could practically feel the unease rippling in the air around them. It took every shred of her willpower to suppress a maniacal grin. Instead, she idly dragged her manicured nails over the etched glass.
"I suppose that I could have called you but I thought it would be better if we spoke in person. Besides, I thought it was high time I took my little girl on a vacation. Damon is so often occupied with…other things when he has time off work."
Katherine noted the not so subtle jab from Bonnie. "If this is about those messages that I sent you, I'm…"
Bonnie cut Katherine off with a sharp bark of laughter. She smiled, "You're not sorry so you can save the fake apology. I am not here for that anyway."
Katherine grew more uncomfortable by the minute. Her mind raced as she tried to understand the purpose of Bonnie's visit. "Then to what do I owe this visit, Mrs. Salvatore."
"Please, call me Bonnie. There really is no need to be quite so formal. We are connected after all," she said. "Do you prefer to be called Katherine or Katerina?"
Suddenly, Katherine remembered that Bonnie had addressed her as 'Ms. Petrova' instead of 'Ms. Pierce'. At the time, Katherine had been so shocked by the young woman's sudden arrival that she had missed a crucial clue. This served as more evidence that Bonnie knew a great deal about her life.
"Either is fine with me," she answered smoothly.
"I am here because I thought it was time that you and I came to an understanding. I realize now that you are a very important part of Damon's life. My husband obviously loves you a great deal. He put off a very important business trip to spend two extra days with you this week."
Katherine stiffened in her chair. It was the first outward sign of her discomfort.
Bonnie held up her hand to silence whatever lie was about to fall from the woman's lips. "I am not here for denials or false claims that you will end the affair."
"Then why are you here?" she asked.
She said, "I don't know if Damon has mentioned it but I am 16 weeks pregnant with twins. Unfortunately, I am having some stress related complications with this pregnancy—namely unreasonably high blood pressure. My doctor insisted that I reduce the stress in my life. Damon happens to be the only consistent source of stress in my life. He is a liar, a betrayer, an adulterer, and a fool. Therefore, I have decided to remove him from life."
Katherine was stunned to say the least. "I am not sure what this has to do with me."
"I have wasted four years of my life on Damon. I refuse to waste a single moment more on him. He seems to love you. I have decided that he can have you but only you."
"What are you saying?" she asked carefully.
Bonnie refilled her glass and smiled. "Well, of course you aren't the only woman my dear husband sleeps with behind my back. You are just the one that has been around the longest. Lately, he's been slipping away to see Andie Starr."
"The slut that does the weather?" she asked in an incredulous voice.
Bonnie laughed softly at Katherine's reaction. The look of betrayal warmed her greatly. "I am offering you something that Damon never would…exclusivity. I can make sure that you are the only woman in his bed from now until you grow tired of him or he dies—whichever comes first."
Katherine was practically seething with anger. Now she understood why Damon had been spending less time with her. "I don't see how aligning will do us any good. My position is precarious. He could easily replace me with someone younger and more docile."
Bonnie huffed out a laugh. "Don't sell yourself short, Katherine. I have known Damon my whole life. His bed has had a revolving door from the moment he started having sex. Your longevity as his mistress speaks to his affection for you. He would not replace you as easily as you might think. Besides, Nadia is his child, isn't she?"
For a moment, it felt as if the world had frozen in place. Katherine wondered how this girl knew what Damon didn't. She had taken measures to keep her daughter off the Salvatore family's radar. She was under the impression that Enzo was the only one who knew the truth about Nadia. Katherine knew that he would never reveal the truth to Bonnie or even Damon. "You have your facts a little mixed up. Nadia is my younger sister. My mother had a change of life baby. I just help care for her."
The girl lifted an eyebrow. "Yes, that is what her birth certificate says. However, we both know that was just a little creative paperwork on your part. I managed to find the midwife that signed Nadia's birth certificate. She was very helpful after I paid her a tidy sum. Claire explained that you gave birth to Nadia in your mother's living room. Apparently, you were very afraid of the father's family learning of her existence."
Katherine began to panic as she tried to find a way to protect Nadia. She thought back to Enzo's veiled words and decided to take a gamble.
"There is a chance that Damon isn't Nadia's father," she answered quietly. "But she may well still be related to him. I can't allow Giuseppe into my daughter's life. You know what he is capable of doing."
Bonnie wasn't surprised by the woman's revelation. After Giuseppe raped Katherine, he had dispatched Richard Lockwood to buy her silence. His account of what happened was part of the files Sheila had left with her granddaughter. Bonnie had never used the information because she couldn't justify endangering another child by bringing Nadia into Giuseppe's sphere of influence. However, the old man was on his way out.
"It's nothing that a quick DNA test can't resolve. It would be great if Damon were Nadia's father. However, it wouldn't be the end of the world if the results came back saying that he was her brother. I can easily have the lab falsify the results for our purposes. Damon will be over the moon to learn that he has another child. Surely, he will make sure that Nadia and her mother want for nothing. You can say goodbye to the penthouse at the Rischard and hello to a two-story home in an upscale gated community," she explained cheerfully.
She chuckled thinking that Bonnie was joking. However, her expression quickly sobered. "You are serious about this."
"I am as serious as a heart attack. I have given this a great deal of thought. I cannot continue on this way. I deserve better from my husband. However, I am not foolish enough to think that I can stop him from cheating. Men seem to be allergic to fidelity while requiring it from us. Damon obviously has some affection for you or he would have already replaced you with a younger model."
Katherine asked, "Why not just divorce him? It's my understanding that you have a favorable prenuptial agreement."
The girl shrugged and took another sip of the sparkling water. "My marriage is very beneficial to me. Merging BTS and Velocita made millions of dollars for my family. A nasty divorce and an acrimonious reorganization of the corporation could send our stock prices into the toilet. Neither of you are worth the loss of my money. Besides, he wouldn't and couldn't marry you. No offense."
Katherine huffed. "A little taken but I get your point. We are both fairly set in our roles. We can only hope to improve our conditions—not change them."
"Exactly. Do we have a deal?"
She nodded. "Damon won't be happy."
Bonnie said, "He will get over it. I have never been happy. Perhaps it is time that Damon and I switch roles."
"What's the catch?"
Bonnie's smile widened at Katherine's perceptiveness. "I want something very simple. You will show discretion that you have often lacked as his mistress. No one will know of your involvement with Damon. There will be no more coked out parties with your slutty friends. You will never send me another picture of you in bed with my husband. You will show me the respect I am due as his wife or you will just disappear one day. It wouldn't be the first time that one of Damon's baby mama's just went missing."
The silence in the kitchen was deafening as Katherine processed Bonnie's threat. She swallowed thickly. "Damon wouldn't allow you to hurt me."
"I don't plan to hurt you. I will kill you…very slowly and very painfully. I have four years of repressed rage just simmering under the surface. You don't want to test the limits of my generosity. I am gift-wrapping my husband for you. All I am asking in return is that you behave respectfully. Besides, Damon would never believe that I had anything to do with your death. I am sweet, innocent, and naïve. Furthermore, there isn't a thing he could do about it even if he ever became suspicious. Damon wouldn't start a mob war over one dead whore. However, I don't want it to come to that. You are smart...a survivor. You pulled yourself and your family out of squalor by sheer will. This petty squabbling over Damon is beneath you. It is beneath both of us."
Katherine considered her options for a few moments. However, there didn't seem to be a way to wiggle out of this predicament. "What do I have to do?"
"Well, the first step is getting a DNA test to prove that Damon is Nadia's father. I know a lab that can fast track the results. We would have them before Damon returns from his trip."
She laughed quietly. "He really doesn't know you at all."
Bonnie laughed with her. "Damon is arrogant. He likes to ignore what doesn't interest him. Perhaps one day he will learn how foolish that is."
Katherine said, "I'm taking a risk here. He was none too pleased the last time I contacted you. I am under strict orders never to speak to you again. Some fairly dire circumstances were threatened."
"You have my word that I will make sure Damon understands that I am the one that initiated this. I sought you out and requested a conversation. You couldn't very well turn me away from a house that I own." Bonnie idly watched the girls playing together. "Why have never told Damon about her?"
There was no doubt in her mind that Damon didn't know Nadia could be his daughter. He was a degenerate in many ways but family mattered to him.
The older woman followed her gaze and said, "The idea of my daughter living under the same roof with Giuseppe is the thing of nightmares. I had no doubt that Giuseppe would take Nadia from me if it turned out he was her father instead of Damon."
Bonnie nodded in understanding. She had those same nightmares for her own daughter.
"Would you mind flying back to California with me? We have many things to accomplish before Damon returns from his business trip. Most of those things would be easier if we were in the same city."
Katherine said, "My mother is here with me."
Bonnie smiled. "I know. I have my jet with me. We can drop your mother off in San Francisco if you like. There is plenty of room on the plane."
"How soon would we need to leave?"
"I will be staying here until the middle of next week. I meant what I said about this being a vacation for my little girl," she explained.
Katherine said, "We will be ready to leave then."
Bonnie nodded. "Well, it appears that we have a plan. Thank you for talking to me, Katherine. I think this is going to be the beginning of a beautiful friendship."
"I hope so," she replied.
She stood up and collected her purse. "I should get out of here. I promised Sarah that we would spend the day sightseeing. The exotic bird sanctuary is our first stop. She's been in love with exotic birds since seeing the movie Rio."
Katherine stood as well. "Nadia loves going there, too. Are the botanical gardens on your itinerary, too?"
"Yes, we plan to visit them tomorrow." Bonnie walked into the living room. "It's time to go, bambolina."
Sarah pouted but obediently walked over to Bonnie and took her hand.
Bonnie smiled. "You will see your new friend again soon. Say goodbye."
"Thank you for letting me play with your dollies." She waved to Nadia. "Bye."
"You're welcome." Nadia walked over to her mother and waved as well.
"I hope the two of you have a good day. Good bye," Bonnie said. Afterwards, she walked outside with Sarah.
Tyler climbed out of the car and opened the backdoor.
Sarah scrambled into the car first and climbed into her booster seat.
Bonnie settled into the seat beside her daughter as Tyler closed the door.
Lucy looked over the seat at Bonnie. "How did it go?"
"She wisely agreed to my compromise."
The older woman rolled her eyes. "I still say this is insanity."
"I will not be my mother or Jo. You saw that ridiculous display during Thanksgiving. She is miserable and so is Jo. I won't allow him to continue playing me for a fool. I'm not built for it."
Lucy scowled but had to agree with the last part. Bonnie wasn't built for it. Like most Benedetto women, her sadness usually turned into uncontrollable rage. She had been waiting for Abby to snap on Ric all week. However, she assumed her older cousin was trying to make the best of a bad situation for her young children. "What about the girl?"
Bonnie nodded. "Probably. We'll do a test to see."
"You could always just put an end to this," Lucy suggested. It was hard talking in front of Sarah. She was old enough to understand certain things.
"I've already told you that wasn't happening. We can explore other options if he decides to object."
Lucy rolled her eyes and turned around in her seat. "Fine."
Bonnie looked at Tyler from the rearview mirror. "No comments from you? I'm surprised. I was sure you would have an opinion."
He smirked. "I have one but I don't see that it would be welcomed by you. I figured that I would keep it to myself."
She laughed and motioned in his direction. "See that's the way it's done, Lucy."
Lucy huffed. "I am your older cousin. It is my right to give you unsolicited advice."
"Is it? I didn't see that any of the brochures."
"It was in the fine print," she retorted.
Bonnie felt her phone vibrate in her purse. She pulled it out and frowned seeing Damon's picture. She doubted that Katherine would call Damon. She had much more to lose than Bonnie did. However, there was the chance that someone could have been watching the villa.
She answered the phone. "Hello."
"Hi, bunny. How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine. How is your trip going?"
"It's business so it is boring. Caroline told Stefan that you left for a vacation…"
Bonnie had been prepared for that eventuality. She knew that Caroline wouldn't be able to lie to Stefan if he asked about her. He hadn't been able to lie to Caroline about being in Tenerife. Bonnie admired the foundation of honesty and trust on which their marriage had been built.
"Yes, I just wanted to get away for a few days. I won't be gone long and I am making sure that Sarah is keeping up with her lessons."
"I am not concerned about that. You always make sure that Sarah's education is progressing as scheduled. I am more concerned about you. Where are you?"
Bonnie felt wickedness take over her. "I am in Tenerife."
The line went deathly silent for a beat. "Are you going to the villa?"
"No, I rented a place. It's closer to all of the tourist attractions. I am taking Sarah to the exotic bird sanctuary right now. She's so excited."
"How long will you be staying there?"
Bonnie said, "We got here yesterday. We will probably leave sometime next week. Is everything okay? You sound funny."
Lucy stifled a laugh.
"I'm fine. I am just surprised. Do you remember the last time we were in Tenerife?"
Her jaw tightened in response. "I do. The whole family spent a month here for your 23th birthday. It was nice."
"Maybe we could go there together sometime."
"Maybe. Do you want to speak to Sarah?"
"Oh, sure. Put her on."
Bonnie passed the phone to their daughter. "It's Papa."
Sarah said, "Hi, Papa! Guess what? We swam in the pool today. Mama let me go snorkeling with Aunt Lucy. It was so much fun!"
Lucy looked over the seat at her cousin as Sarah chattered on the phone to Damon. "You good?"
"Never better," she replied.
The older woman studied her younger cousin's expression and realized that she meant it. Lucy never thought she would see the day when Bonnie would be done with Damon.
A few minutes later, Sarah held the phone out to Bonnie. "Papa wants to talk to you."
She took the phone. "Yeah?"
"I was thinking that you could stopover in Milazzo on the way home. I would like to see you, baby. I miss you and Sarah."
Her voice remained soft and sweet. "I can't, Damon. I have a doctor's appointment next week that I just can't miss. I'm sorry."
"You don't need to apologize. It is more important for you to make it to all of the appointments with Dr. Huerta. Is Tyler with you?"
She gave a soft laugh. "You worry too much. Tyler, Matt, and Lucy are with us. We are safe. I have to go, Damon. I love you."
"I love you, too. I will call later to say goodnight to Sarah."
Bonnie ended the call and dropped the phone in her purse.
Just then, Tyler pulled into a parking space at the bird sanctuary.
Lucy said, "I can take Sarah to go buy our tickets."
Bonnie nodded. "Yes, please. I need a moment."
Lucy climbed out of the car and helped Sarah out. "Come on, munchkin."
Tyler turned around once they were alone. "Matt called while you were talking to Katherine. The hit on Shane goes down later today. Robbie is going to hit him in the yard during a fight. If we are lucky Robbie gets away clean. If not they have a history of bad blood that should obscure the fact that it is a planned assassination."
She smiled. "Everything is coming along well. Once Giuseppe's sniveling godson is out of the way only John Gilbert will be left to oppose Damon."
Tyler frowned at the mention of John. He said, "I know his impromptu trip to meet with Giuseppe in France delayed our plans but he will come back stateside soon. We will take care of him then."
Bonnie squeezed his hand. "I know. We should head inside. Sarah has been chomping at the bit to see the birds."