Emily found herself sitting on a dirty mattress that was placed on the floor of a dark room that almost looked like a damp cell. But she wasn't afraid nor did she bother wondering how she'd arrived there. That's how it usually is in dreams. She felt weird, light as a feather. She waited for something to happen. Then she heard a man's voice coming from the corner of the room. "So we're awake?" She immediately recognized the voice of the man who was now standing before her, after he'd turned the lights on. "Jack?"

-Emily, you hurt me by lying to me with Amanda, and by deciding to become one of them. I hate you for going through with the wedding. After everything they put my wife through.

-So now you are plotting with Victoria? How's that logical?

Something in Jack's eyes was off to Emily. He turned into the face of anger, and looked at her with hungry eyes, as if ready to devour her. He took rapid steps in her direction and jumped on her. For some strange reason, she was tied up, which she could swear she wasn't a second ago. Too weak to get away from him, she displayed a look of terror. As odd and out of character as she should have felt Jack and herself were, Emily was too caught up in her dream to realize that it actually was one, or a nightmare to be more accurate. "Jack! What are you doing?! No!"

-Shut up Emily! I opened my heart and let you in, as someone who played a significant role in my life, as a friend, and all you did was hurt me and break my trust. Well tonight, we'll switch the roles! Spread your legs bitch!

-Nooo! Stop! Stop it!

-Well well, Emily, it seems as though you're finally getting what you deserve.

-Victoria? What is this!

Jack : Stop fighting it!

Victoria : He's right. Don't be such a prude, I know you've always wanted Jack, not Daniel, well now you get what you want and deserve, to be treated like the little whore you are. And I get to enjoy every bit.

Emily : Stop it!

Victoria : What is it, Emily? Would you rather I leave the two of you alone? I can't blame you. After all, you're finally getting intimate with the man you've always wanted. That is, if you haven't done it multiple times behind my son's back while you were cheating on him.

No Victoria please! You must know that-

Victoria : Jack, I trust you remember our deal's terms. I count on you to finish the job as you see fit. But make sure Emily will never be a threat to any of us ever again.

Victoria turned her heels and started walking away. "Victoria wait! You are wrong!"

-Hm hm

She kept on walking, until Emily cried something unexpected : "You're the one I want!"

Victoria wouldn' keep going, but it seemed as though she couldn't face her either. Clearly those few words were disturbingly tumbling through her mind. But she wouldn't let it show. She wouldn't look at her, so Emily went on : "Not Daniel not Jack not anyone else! You!"

-Why are you telling me this?

-Because I will not die before telling you.

Victoria turned to face her and started walking to her slowly, while Jack was still trying to force himself on Emily, although she was fighting it.

Victoria : How pathetic Emily. What are you expecting to achieve with such a desperate move, although quite amusing, I'll admit. It's over Emily, no one's falling for that little act of yours or your crocodile tears. Certainly not me. And as tempting and flattering as it would be for me to believe what you just said, I am insulted that you would think me stupid enough to buy it. I've always known the fraud behind the pretty face."

Emily : Victoria I'm Amanda Clarke!

At this, Jack stopped himself.

Victoria : My my you certainly don't lack of creativity on your last hours.

Emily : It's true! I can prove it. I'm not trying to gain some time here!

Emily was out of patience and determined to give it to Victoria. She loved that damn woman, even in the twisted situation they were in, and she was to make herself heard. Victoria gestured Jack to hold off. She wasn't laughing anymore. She was doing her infamous "what the hell are you talking about" frown, wincing with her nose and red lips and everything that usually made Emily's mouth watered. Was she going to believe her? Standing still, her arms folded, she seemed anxious and curious to listen to what the blonde had to say for herself. And just as Emily was about to tell Victoria everything she knew about her father to prove that she was indeed the daughter of David Clarke, she woke up, feeling a hand grasping her ankle. "Victoria?"

-No, it's not Victoria."

Indeed, that was the familiar soft voice of a troubled woman she clearly wasn't expecting to see. "It's me, your mother."

-What the hell, Kara?"

-So it's true then, you're Amanda. My daughter.

-Kara, what are you doing here? You weren't supposed to be back!

-After you made me run away, to protect me, I kept in touch with Mason Treadwell, I knew he had info. He accepted to trade what he knew for his freedom. He told me the other girl wasn't my daughter. I kind of knew it all along. I got him out of jail, so that he could work for me, and come here with me to help you, my real daughter, to avenge David. But you just said something confusing… about Victoria?

-Kara, wait a minute. So where's Treadwell?

She heard, as well as the steps of whoever was also joining the party in her bedroom, an unpretentious response: "In your kitchen, Miss Clarke! Miss Clarke do you know that you talk in your sleep? And Kara, I don't work for you, I work with you. Although you were my ticket out of jail, you need me. And so does your Amanda."

-Mason, what are you both doing here you are screwing my plans not helping me. Kara I wanted him to write the truthful story! THAT was my plan.

-And THAT, I will! I understand no plan is aborted by us, Miss Clarke. But you, on the other hand, is "screwing", as you say, what you were so determine to execute not so long ago!

-What are you talking about Mason?

Emily watched him instantly pull a recorder from out of his pocket and utter words out loud: "Twist in what turns out to be the reversible path of David Clarke's daughter when she falls madly in love with the woman who betrayed both of them and ruined their lives, Victoria Grayson."

How the hell did he know that? Oh that's right, she had been stupid enough to think that Kara wasn't going to come back any time soon to break in her house and show up with Mason while she happened to talk in her sleep about embarrassing and compromising stuff such as her infatuation with the enemy. Great job Emily. Clearly, Mason wasn't done making his point either: "The story of Amanda Clarke's failure of revenge for the pleasure of love with her cougar nemesis, dashing all hopes for justice! Now Miss Clarke, is this what you want me to write?"

-Cut it out Mason, you are in no position whatsoever to lecture me about justice. In revenge, there is no real justice, only more blood. I talk by experience. Nothing will bring my father back. I'm only seeing that now. So you are right, I don't want to continue this. I'm putting a stop to it. I don't know how we'll do it, but we will find a way to clear my father's name, without destroying anybody else.

Meanwhile, Kara looked like she was having a hard time digesting things that were being said.

Kara : Amanda, you are in love with that woman?

Emily : Not that it's any of your business, but I might just be.

Kara : After everything she made you endure? Now that I know the truth, I want to kill them all! How can you give up when-

Emily : You made dad and I endure quite a lot yourself, Kara, and frankly, I don't see how it's your place to punish the Graysons when your latest flame also known as Gordon, your husband, is the one who murdered my father! Now I get to decide what's to do next and I will do it on my own until I ring any of you. Is that clear? Kara, if you still hope for a mother-daughter relationship with me, now's your chance. Please don't break my trust, since I so generously give it to you.

Kara : Alright, I won't do anything, I don't want to cause any more harm than I already did in the past.

Emily : Good. What about you Mason? Can I trust you to not do anything about this?

Mason : Well, Kara made it clear when we first started our collaboration, that I would regret it if I stopped following up orders, and so I won't. But I hope you will change your mind.

Emily : Rest assured, Mason, that you will have enough juice to write the story that relies on me as your best source. Now I think you two should both go sleep somewhere else. I'll let you know if anything new happens. Has anyone seen you on your way here?

Kara : Don't worry.

Emily : Then goodnight. Keep in touch.

Kara had made it clear with Treadwell that she would respect her daughter's wishes before anything else, since she owed her at least that. And besides, her daughter was all she had left in this world. Mason was in no position to retract, for Kara, when she wasn't his only protection was a dangerous threat. He had learnt not to cross her. They shook hands and both went to separate rooms in a motel. What they didn't know, though, was that Aiden Mathis had followed them right to their little spot for the night, where he gently broke in Mason's room. Aiden had seen them leave Emily's place, and he didn't trust Mason, nor Kara. But Kara was Emily's mother, and he would let her deal with her herself. While Mason was sleeping, Aiden was looking for documents of any kind that could be used by Mason to discredit Emily. He had read the web of lies Mason had written about David Clarke, demonizing him, driving a wedge between the man and his little girl Amanda. Aiden hated Mason for it. He would protect Emily from whatever false story the charlatan had up his sleeves. Then he stumbled upon something that could be of interest to him; the recorder on which Mason must have recorded all of his personal memos. He took it from the bedside table, careful not to wake the man, and left.

After listening quite a few times to the tape, Aiden couldn't stop laughing. "How desperate is Mason, ready to invent anything in order to publish books. On the other hand, this could be true about Amanda, not Emily. Jack Porter, get ready because I have a big one coming at you."

Ding Dong

"Mister Mathis?"

-Hello Mrs. Grayson, I know Daniel doesn't want to see me anywhere near his company since he fired me.

-Nor anywhere near our house.

-But I am here to deal with you. I have information that you wouldn't want to miss on.

-Is that so?

-Involving the return of someone who is a parasite to your family, as well as emerging skeletons and ghosts.

-You sound like a man full of resources.

-Should we discuss Amanda Clarke's vendetta on your doorstep?

-Please, come in.

Aiden followed Victoria to the office of the manor. Once they were both inside, alone, he handed the recorder to her. "What's this?"

-This belongs to Mason Treadwell. He's out to get you with whatever information he can get about you, or Amanda Clarke.

-Last time I checked Treadwell was in jail and Amanda was dead.

-He got out. Right now he has a room at this hotel. Here's the number.

-Who got him out?

-Jack Porter.

-Nonsense.

-Of course he doesn't operate alone. Amanda, whether or not she is still in the game, has left you with many opponents who are now Jack's allies, taking up Amanda and Treadwell's torch and continuing their mission against you.

-What are you suggesting? We cannot take Mason Treadwell down. If anything happens to him we will be the prime suspects and all the evidence he is gathering against us will publicly be known as true.

-What you cannot do is make him disappear. What you can do, is have him locked up again, and make sure he and his little friends don't get too cozy with the idea of digging dirt in the Hamptons. Now all you got to do, is make sure Jack is out of the picture. He's the one who calls the shots.

-And what makes you think that, Mister Mathis, when you and I both know that Jack Porter isn't exactly a major adversary. Nor was Amanda, obviously. You see something doesn't add up. Why has Jack become such a threat? Or is he one to you?

-Look, there. You will find the answer. Amanda wasn't a threat to you, in the way you imagine. She was obsessed with you, she kept coming back at you, keeping up with your activities for years. Eventually she admitted her obsession to Treadwell. Here, listen to the tape :

"Twist in what turns out to be the reversible path of David Clarke's daughter when she falls madly in love with the woman who betrayed both of them and ruined their lives, Victoria Grayson."

Judging by Victoria's confusion, Aiden has to play it in loop for it to sync in, and for her to buy what he's selling her. "So, you're saying that Amanda Clarke was obsessed with me, and that now Jack Porter is jealous?"

-Jack is also a sensitive, impulsive and troubled guy with a lot of convictions, as misguided as they are. He is not to be underestimated. He could harm you or your family.

-Thank you, Mister Mathis. Now that you've shared your information, what is there in for you?

-I want Porter out of the picture, for personal reasons.

-I imagine you must be quite taken with Emily Thorne, both of you.

-What about Daniel.

-Daniel is far too trusting in women, but if you want to steal Emily Thorne away from him, as awful as it may sound, I will not stop you.

-Then it just adds to the common goals you and I share.

After Aiden left her with the recorder and all Treadwell's personal reflections, Victoria couldn't sleep. Too many thoughts were fighting in her head, taking her sanity away. She was thinking about Amanda. How facts seem to point out at the girl for being obsessed with her. Mason Treadwell and Aiden Mathis' theory made sense; Amanda hated not being able to hate Victoria. She'd spent her life gathering information about her, pretending to hate her, when the only person she hated was her own self, for not being able to avenge her father against the woman who had betrayed him. And then there was Jack, caught up between his own two obsessions, Amanda and Emily. He surely was a threat to the Graysons, after losing everything because of them, and losing Amanda to Victoria, somehow. If that were to really be true. Still, someone who's got nothing to lose is dangerous. And then there was Aiden, obviously madly in love with Emily. If he was worried about Jack and not about Daniel, it only meant that Emily had confessed, in one way or another, to not being in love with Daniel. And finally, there was Emily. Victoria certainly had mixed feelings towards her. She hated her for using Daniel, and yet, she'd rather have her use him than love him. She didn't want Emily to love any of those men, actually. She secretly wished Emily didn't hate her, because deep down, Victoria appreciated many sides of Emily's character, whether or not they were honest sides. She couldn't deny her presence, her stature, her beauty, and her intellect. "Who are you Emily Thorne, why are you here? I cannot believe that it's only for the lifestyle. You are my mystery to elucidate," she thought to herself, caressing the picture of Emily with Daniel in the frame on the desk, before going off to bed. If only Emily was the one obsessed with her. Victoria had just discovered that Amanda Clarke didn't hate her, which was great news, yet all she could think about was how she wished Emily liked her, at least a bit. She knew, though, that Emily was as intrigued by her as she was by Emily…