CHAPTER 29:

Before, they knew it, fashion week had come and gone. Even though the event itself was over, Mode was still enjoying a lot of press following the over the top glass designs by Heinrich. That combined with Claire Meade's 60th birthday bash which made some pretty good headlines, and put the spotlight back on the matriarch. Daniel wasn't complaining one bit as it pleased him to see his mother happy and she sort of eased off Wilhelmina's back which also contributed to his happiness. And as for Wilhelmina, as long as Claire wasn't meddling in her life and relationship with Daniel, she was happy.

She and her other half, Daniel had been partying every other night as they were still ripping the benefits of the extravagant fashion week. It was media event after another. However, the hard partying seemed to take a toll on poor Daniel, and he and Willie had to dip out from a party the previous night. He managed to convince his girlfriend that he was coming down with something, and she had to tuck him in and spend the night. However that didn't stop him from getting freaky with her, despite his 'high' fever.

Willie woke up to Daniel's loud snores instead of the shrill sound of her alarm. She stirred and attempted to squirm but Daniel's arm was tightly draped around her waist, so she had no choice but to prod him awake.

"Danny?...Baby, wake up." She whispered.

"Hey, Willie." He whispered back and craned his neck to give a quick peck on the lips. "Slept okay?"

"Yeah. Hey, you sound like you have a huge booger up your nose." She pointed out.

"I told you, baby, I'm sick. I think I'm dying." He said, his tone almost childlike.

"It's probably just a cold." She said with a laugh.

"Yeah, you should probably get up, I don't wanna get you sick."

"How strange…you didn't say any of that when you were boning me last night."

"Well, I was going to…but, you were in your bra and thong and I could only think with one thing at the time." He admitted.

"Your dick…typical male."

"Well, I think with my cock when it comes to you…and only you. Is that bad?"

"No." She replied with a hint of a blush. "And don't worry about getting me sick, honey, I got the vaccine. Now let's get up and…" She said sliding out of the covers.

"I'm not going in today. You'll have to take the meetings alone."

"What? Danny, don't be a baby." She scolded playfully.

"Willie, I'm not being a baby. I'm sick. I think I might be dying." He protested, giving her his puppy eyes.

"C'mon, Danny just tone the drama down a notch. It's only a cold." She replied as she slid his shirt on.

"I think all this hard partying, going to all these events and staying up until the early hours of the morning has finally caught up with me."

"Daniel please, don't tell me, you're getting old." She teased.

"No it's not that, but I really think I'm dying." He said with a pretty serious tone, his eyes resembling those of a puppy. Willie couldn't help the smile that crossed her face.

"What is it with you men? When you have little cold you turn into babies." She continued to tease.

"Baby, feel my forehead…I'm also stuffed up. My heart is racing." Daniel said seriously, eliciting some sympathy from Willie, causing her to comply.

"When you told me that you were coming down with something, I thought you were just being dramatic." She said almost apologetically after feeling his forehead "You're right, you are sick. Give me your doctor's number."

"No, baby, I'll call him, don't worry about it. So will you take the meetings for me?"

"Of course, honey. I'm going to take a shower, right now go back to sleep and get some rest." She said and quickly pecked him on his forehead and walked to the bathroom to take a shower.

Daniel woke up to Willie softly calling his name. He jolted awake and found Willie standing over him, holding the breakfast tray for him. He realized that he must have dozed off shortly after Willie disappeared into the bathroom.

"Hey, you made breakfast for me?" He asked, his face lighting up.

"Yeah, buttered toast and strawberries, a bagel, vanilla crème brulée and orange juice without pulp." She said as she set the tray on his bedside table.

"Thanks, babe but you didn't have to do this"

"Well, you are sick and you are my boyfriend whom I LOVE. Who else is going to take care of you?" She cooed.

"That's sweet." He said smiling.

"I know, now eat." She said ruffling his hair. She collected a few items in the room and set them on the bedside table "Here's a box of tissues, your gamepad and the remote control so you can watch your cliché ass Cribs TV and play your X-box." That earned her a chortle from Daniel.

"I'll be back to check on you later…Oh, I also called your doctor, he'll come by in 2 hours or so."

"Thanks, Willie, I love you."

"I love you more." She said as she bent down to engulf him in a lingering kiss "Big Baby." She teased and walked off to grab her handbag from the chaise and then walked out of the bedroom.

A few hours later, after flipping through the channels and playing his X-BOX for hours, Daniel decided to use his sick day wisely; he sat on his bed propped up on pillows with a laptop and decided to put a little plan he'd been formulating into action. As he was busy on the internet, Betty's high pitched voice rang in the apartment. A moment later she walked in the bedroom carrying multiple folders.

"Hey, Daniel!" She greeted excitedly.

"Hey, Betty." He said through his stuffed nose.

"Wow, you really seem to be sick." She said pointedly.

"I really am this time."

"You're right. I thought you were exaggerating when you called. You know how you are sometimes. But then I spoke to Wilhelmina this morning and she confirmed that you really are sick and that she called your doctor…" Betty spoke without stopping.

"Betty?" Daniel said with narrowed eyes.

"I need to talk to you."

"Are you alright, Betty? You seem a little jittery." He said at noticing her pacing the bedroom.

"I just had a little bit of coffee and an energy drink called Viper Strike. Betty replied gaily "Have you seen those ads? The drinks that bites back. Viper Strike!" She yelled and then hissed in an attempt to imitate a snake. Daniel just stared at her confusedly as if she was out of it.

"Uh…have you tried tea?" He asked. Before she could even think of a reply, her gaze landed on his laptop monitor and narrowed her eyes.

"Are you…are you shopping for jewellery?"

"No!" He lied and swiftly flipped the laptop closed but he was too late. Betty gasped upon seeing the multiple engagement rings displayed on the Harry Winston webpage.

"Daniel, is that for Wilhelmina?" She asked flipping the device open.

"Maybe." He answered dryly before sniffling.

"Wow. That looks kind of serious." She commented.

"Of course, it is."

"How long have you been thinking about marrying Wilhelmina?" She asked, slightly touched as the realization hit her that this could be it for his boss and friend.

"Since…I saw her fitting her dress with Vera Wang and her assistants. She was supposed to be marrying my dad at the time but I couldn't help it. I imagined her walking down the aisle toward me…to marry me."

"That was more than a year ago."

"I know, Betty. I've been in love with her since then and I'm still in love with her…I love her very much." Daniel simply said with a smile.

"Wow, Daniel. You were in love with her even then?" Betty said with smile.

"Yeah, but I wasn't sure then. I mean I thought I was just lusting after her 'cause she's always been hot and I'd made that mistake with Sofia Reyes before. But I was sure of it before we even started dating. She's the one, Betty."

"Ohhhh, Daniel…" Betty cooed.

"Okay, Betty, I'm dying. I'm sure you didn't come over here to talk about jewellery and Viper Strike."

"No, no, no, no, sorry. Look, I was up all night looking at the Mode budgets for YETI and kind of keeping my mind off Henry and his girlfriend and Facebook and…"

"What are you talking about?" He questioned as Betty started babbling.

"Never mind. It's a long story. Anyway I was trying to add up the quarterly budgets, and it kept coming up short…like by millions."

"I'm sure there's a logical explanation. We're always moving money from one magazine to another." Daniel said dismissively.

"I don't know, Daniel. It's just weird." Betty said. Daniel took a deep breath.

"Okay, Betty. My doctor told me to avoid stress. If you really think there's a problem, talk to Wilhelmina or Connor. He's our CFO. If there are any money problems, I'm sure he can fix them." Daniel said in an attempt to shut down the discussion and picked up his computer and continued with his search.

Much to Wilhelmina's displeasure, it was meeting after meeting at the office. She had to cancel a few appointments and move certain meetings so she could fit Daniel's meetings into her schedule. She sat at her desk stifling through documents to prepare for her next meeting with advertising representatives. As she was about pick up the phone to check on Daniel, Betty walked in carrying what appeared to be the Meade budget books.

"Betty?" She questioned, lifting her brow.

"Wilhelmina, can I talk to you for a moment?" The younger girl said nervously.

"Yeah, what's wrong? Is it Daniel? I was just about to call and check on him."

"No, no. It's just that I've been waiting for you to come back from your conference call. Daniel said I should talk to you about this." Betty explained upon reaching her desk and set the books on it before settling on the chair in front of the desk.

"Okay, what's going on?"

"See, my YETI project…we were supposed to…I was adding up budgets and…" The younger woman stammered.

"Okay…the point, Betty." Willie said, slightly irritated.

"I was adding up quarterly budgets and it kept coming up short…by large amounts."

"How large?" Asked Willie as her brows knitted in confusion.

"Millions…several millions." Replied Betty.

"Did you talk to Connor?"

"Yes but he told me not to worry. He said that large corporations always do this."

"He's right, Companies always move money around from one division to another."

"But Wilhelmina look at these figures…please." Wilhelmina reluctantly took the accounting books from across the table. She skimmed through the document and flipped the pages, her face getting serious and hard. "You see? I'm no accountant but this seems like…" Betty began.

"Way too much money to be moved to all the other publications combined." Willie finished "And Connor told you not to worry?"

"Yeah, he shrugged it off like it was nothing."

"Well…it sure looks like something. Stick around, while I figure this out okay?"

"Okay." Betty replied before hurrying out of the office."

"Betty." Willie's voice stopped her. "Please don't breathe a word of this to anybody until I figure this out."

"Of course."

A few hours went by and just as Wilhelmina got off the phone with Daniel, Betty rushed into her office.

"Wilhelmina?" Betty gasped as she entered the room.

"Betty, what is it?"

"Connor…he's the one." She replied.

"What?"

"Connor. He's stealing from the company." Betty replied. Willie's face fell.

"Oh, God." Willie's face fell. "Are you sure?"

"I checked with Jenny from accounting and she also says it's weird that the money was moved that way. And she claims that I authorized it. And there's over a $ 100 000 in my bank account."

"What?"

"He tricked me! He's been watching me. He gave me papers to sign for Daniel…they implicate me to the money, and Daniel…and we are both going to jail…" The young girl said in panic.

"Betty, calm do-…"

"He ambushed me in an elevator and tried to blame it on me. Talking about how my dad is sick and I need the money. And how we were going to jail. He then brought up Charles Keating and Bernie Madoff and…he threatened my family." The young girl continued.

"Betty, calm down."

"Daniel and I are going to jail."

"Betty!" Yelled Willie "Keep it together. Please." Willie said tightening her grip on her shoulders. Betty managed to calm down a tiny bit. "Now are you certain about this?"

"A 100% and he just confirmed it."

"Okay. I need you to stay here in the office and stay calm." Willie suggested.

"What? I need to warn Daniel…" Betty began to protest.

"Betty, you just said he has been watching you. The son of a bitch is probably watching us right now as we speak. Now by staying calm and acting normal is our safer bet. Now I'm going to talk to Daniel and call the authorities and you are going to walk out of here wearing a reassuring look on your face. You're going to walk back to your desk and pretend that everything is fine."

"But…"

"Because the moment you leave this floor, he will know that something is up. Now can you do that? Just stay here in the office and be nonchalant?"

"Okay….okay, I…I can….sure…I can." Betty stuttered.

"Good. And do not touch the phone…not even your mobile." Warned Willie. Betty simply nodded and walked off. The young girl sighed before walking out of the office, trying to act as normal as possible.

A few minutes after a frightened Betty left her office, Wilhelmina made her way out the office under the pretence of a meeting with Patrick Demarcherlier. Within a half an hour she made it to Daniel's place and let herself in.

"Daniel?" She called out as she made her way to the bedroom. She found him sitting on the edge of the bed in his robe, with a towel draped over his shoulders, while slouched over a humidifier that was sitting on a table in front of the bed. She walked over to the bed "Daniel, Baby?" She said worriedly.

"Willie! Aren't you a sight for a sick, dying man like me?" He said, his nose obviously stuffed. As he took a good look at her, he noticed her troubled expression "What's wrong?"

"Daniel, we need to talk." She said.

"I'm all stuffed up and I'm burning up and I can barely breathe. I really think I'm dying."

"You're not dying, Daniel." She replied rolling her eyes.

"I've got this weird rash that won't go away. It really itches." He protested, his tone virtually childlike.

"There's a situation at Meade. You have to get dressed and come with me." She said seriously, growing a little impatient at his dismissal.

"What's going on?" He questioned. She fished for the files in her briefcase and paged through them. She then laid them in next to him on the bed.

"Look…Betty pointed this out to you and Connor and me this morning." She explained.

"And I told her that we always do this" He answered before even looking at the document.

"Danny, even if we were to transfer money to all the Meade publications, this will still be way too much money to be missing. I tripled checked…Connor is stealing from the company." She said irritably, fed up by the nonchalance. He quickly picked the first file up and skimmed through it, and then the next.

"What?...I don't…what…why….I…He can't…"

"He has access to all the Meade accounts." Willie said pointedly.

"Oh, my God. Where is he? Where the hell is he?" He questioned as he sprung to his feet.

"Probably still at Meade." She replied

"So you didn't call the cops on him? Wh-…what are you waiting for?"

"If we call the cops now, you and Betty would be implicated in the crime. I needed to speak with you first and then call the FEDs"

"How will we be implicated in this?" He asked.

"Betty signed some documents for you without reading them. According to Jenny, from the accounting department, she authorized those transfers. She now apparently has over a $ 100 000 in her bank account." She explained causing his eyes to widen in horror

"Oh, my God. Where's Betty?"

"At the office. I told her to stay there and pretend that everything is fine. He ambushed her in an elevator and confessed to doing this and he also told her he's been watching her every move, from phone calls to e-mails. You have got to get dressed."

The cold seemed to jump out of his body as he hurried to the closet peeling his robe off and letting it fall on the floor before speaking again.

"I cannot believe Connor would do this. And if we go to the police, me and Betty will be implicated?"

"It's just a time buying tactic. I will make a phone call to the FBI headquarters right now and tell them everything." She replied as she pulled out her blackberry.

After calling the FBI, the pair had called Claire and told her everything. After stepping off the elevator and onto the Mode floor, the pair walked as fast as they could to get to their respective offices to begin damage control. As they walked down the hall they were met by the sight of Claire rushing towards them with a troubled expression.

"Mom!" Daniel exclaimed.

"Claire" Said Willie.

"Where's Connor?" He questioned.

"He left right after you did." She replied referring to Wilhelmina "I checked with security, no one has seen him for hours." Claire explained. "Let's go to your office. I've got some more bad news."

"What is it?" Asked Daniel.

"Let's go into your office." Claire said, her face filled with glum.

"Mom, what?" Daniel questioned worriedly. Claire turned and walked over to the couple which was now joined by Betty.

"As of noon today, all of the Meade accounts have been totally cleared out and there's nothing left."

"SHIT!" Exclaimed Willie "FUCK!" All the while Daniel remained silent and paralyzed, his eyes widened in horror.

After a meeting with accountant and the lawyers, Wilhelmina, Daniel and Claire were in Daniel's office; Claire pacing around trying to figure out why would Connor do something like this, Daniel leaning up against the wall by his desk, his face still contorted in sick horror; Wilhelmina speaking on her cell phone while pacing the office. As Daniel stood there, his gaze somehow fell on his desk and noticed that there was a note on it, he totally missed that the entire hour and a half they were in the office. He walked over and picked up the piece of paper and read;

Sorry mate, you took from me, someone I valued the most. It's only fair that I return the favor.

As Willie got off the phone she noticed Daniel reading note, she quickly walked over to him.

"Darling, what is it?" She asked. Daniel simply handed her the note and fell back on his chair. As finished reading the note, she put on the desk with a slam.

"Fuck!" She yelled. Claire simply picked up the note and read.

"What does this mean?" Claire asked. She looked at the two who looked at each other guiltily, obviously knowing what the note meant. "Do you two know something I don't?"

"Claire, please. Not now." Willie spat irritably.

"What do you mean not now? What the hell is going on?"

"It's complicated, Mom." Daniel finally spoke.

"Your father's company has been bankrupted. What could be more complicated than that?" Asked Claire. Daniel, let out a sigh and before he could speak, Willie's cell phone rang.

"Wilhelmina Slater" She answered.

"It's me." Came an accented voice.

"Connor?" She exclaimed. Suddenly Daniel shot up from his chair.

"I didn't mean for this to happen." Said Connor.

"You didn't mean to embezzle from Meade? So the billions you stole somehow found their way into your bank account?"

"Look, being nice to the Daniel Meades of the world has served me well but I hate that selfish son of a bitch you call a boyfriend. He slept with my fiancé…"

"Connor, where the hell are you? This can be stopped before it turns into something really…"

"You think it was easy seeing the man who ruined my life, my relationship, in a happy relationship? Living his 'happily ever after' when I've been in misery for years?"

"Is this the part where you're supposed to gain my sympathy?" She sarcastically offered.

"I'm sorry, Willie. Make sure you tell Betty that as well. I've been planning this since I got hired there. For five years I was looking for a way to ruin that selfish brat. And I've done it. I'm sorry."

"Con-" She yelled. And then the line went dead. Daniel and Claire looked at her expectantly and she simply shook her head. "Let's hope the Feds catch him on time." She breathed, agitated.

Willie unfastened her coat as soon as she and Daniel walked into her apartment. She shook it off and let it fall to the floor, not having a care in the world. Daniel unfastened his coat and walked over to the sofa. After waiting for another hour back at the office, they received a call from the FBI informing them that Connor's private jet had departed hours ago and there were no leads and therefore couldn't locate him for the time being. And thereafter, there was absolutely nothing the couple could have done.

Daniel fell back on the sofa with his head supported by his hands. He was certain that Willie hated his guts at that moment, he could tell based on the painfully silent car ride home. Ever since the call from the FBI, it seemed like all hope was lost. Willie walked over to the bar area and retrieved two tumblers as well as bottle of Jack Daniel's and set them on the coffee table before taking a seat next to him.

"Willie, babe…" He began.

"Daniel, please….let's not talk about this tonight." She pleaded. Then she proceeded to pick up the bottle form the coffee table and unscrewed the bottle cap and filled the glasses to the brim. She then handed one to him.

"But, Willie, we have a meeting with the FBI tomorrow and we have to meet with the bank and the insurance company. We need to…" He persisted.

"I know." She answered quickly before gulping the entire contents of the tumbler. She did not even flinch from the burning sensation of the liquid on her throat. Daniel watched her as she filled her glass again.

"I know, baby." She repeated monotonously and softly this time. "Just not tonight. Let's talk about this in the morning." She whispered and he nodded in agreement before taking a sip of the liquor. All of a sudden, Daniel felt Wilhelmina's warm hand on his as she worked it to intertwine his fingers with her own.

That action alone tugged at his heart strings as he expected an 'I told you so' sort of confrontation. All of a sudden, he was awash with guilt for even thinking such a thing and for not believing in Wilhelmina and her support and that she would bring up his past indiscretion as the reason why Connor Owens just bankrupted their company; his father's legacy. And at that moment, with the touch of her warm hand, he knew that in this storm they were about to embark on; he wasn't alone, he had Wilhelmina Slater, his other half by his side and they were going to face it together.