Chapter 11
The next day Emma Swan is walking through the offices of Owen Flynn's financial company listening to him give his speech about why she should invest her money with him. She really hopes this is worth a trip into the city.
"If you invest your money with Mills Global, you're definitely going to see a return. That's a guarantee. I came up through the ranks there so I know how they work. Mills has gone soft over the years, I still believe in making big trades when it's warranted." Owen tells her. "Valerie Thomas, Emma Swan."
"Hi, nice to meet you." Emma says while extending her hand.
Valerie shakes it while replying, "Nice to meet you."
Valerie walks away and Owen leads Emma into his office.
"So, bottom line, you're young, you're sitting on a huge pile of lazy assets, now's the time you should be taking some calculated risks." He states.
"I am not afraid of taking risks, Mr. Flynn, I just need to know that you're not rolling the dice blind." She tells him matter-of-factly.
"Still need proof of that crystal ball, huh?" He asks her.
Emma looks down and notices Owen's id badge lying on his desk right next to his key board. She watches the key board as he types his password into the computer to show her line graphs of returns his company is able to produce.
"For your eyes only." He tells her as he shifts the computer monitor in her direction so she can see it better. "These are real returns of our top investors in the last five years. Now that is double digit gains across the boards. This could be you."
"That's incredible." She responds. "Can I get a copy?"
"A good magician never reveals his secrets. We provide the highest level of confidentiality to our clients." Owen tells her as he goes to pick up the dice on his desk. He begins to roll them in his hand as he speaks to her. "It is vital to the health of the hedge and a courtesy you can also expect should you come onboard."
"Well, you've given me a lot to think about." She tells him as he smiles back at her.
\*****/
Belle Scarlett waits near the side of a busy street for Robert. She is checking her phone when a black town car pulls up beside her. Albert Spencer steps out of the car and opens the door for her.
"Mrs. Scarlett." He says.
"Thanks for picking me up on the street corner like a prostitute." She tells him before stepping into the car and sitting next to Robert.
"Yeah, alright, don't send anyone through for the next half an hour, Sharon. Well, I'll return calls when I'm back at the office." Robert says into the phone before hanging it up.
"So you do still return calls?" She questions him.
"Belle, I understand, you're upset." He says.
"I'm not upset. I'm ruined." She tells him while handing him a manila folder.
"What's this?" He asks her.
"Will's attorney presented these to the judge…" She tells him as he opens the folder and looks through it. The folder contains photos illustrating Robert and Belle's affair. "… and they triggered the infidelity clause in our prenup. I get nothing. The beach house. My jewelry. The damn dog. Everything is gone."
"I am sorry, Belle. Really, I am, but what can I do about it?" He asks her.
"You can write me a check. A big one" She states.
\*****/
Emma walks out of the elevator of the building Owen Flynn's office is in. Her phone rings in her purse and she answers it.
"This is Emma." She says.
"Emma, its Karen with Kellar House Real Estate. I'm afraid I have some bad news; the beach house to someone else." Her realtor tells her over the phone.
This causes Emma to stop in her track in the lobby of the building.
"What?" She asks raising her voice. "Who?"
\*****/
At the Stowaway Bar, Killian is taking inventory of all the alcohol at the bar. Henry walks in and slams the door.
"Where the hell you been all day?" He asks Henry. "There's a ton of work to do around here."
"You really screwed me, you know that?" Henry roars at him.
"Huh?" Killian remarks placing the clipboard he is holding on top of the bar.
"I promised a girl I'd take her sailing. Yeah, that's why I asked if I could borrow the boat." Henry explains to him.
"Okay. Well, I'm sorry I couldn't accommodate your joyride. You'll just have to find another way to impress her." He tells Henry.
"What is your problem?" Henry asks him frustrated with how his brother is acting. "You and Dad have been acting like such tools lately."
Killian slams his fist on the bar top. "Are you really that blind to what's going on? Dad's broke. I sold the boat to keep this albatross going."
"Is that true?" Brennan asks from a top the stairs.
Killian and Henry both look up to see their father at the top of the stairs looking down at them.
"Cancel that transaction." Brennan tells his son.
Killian sighs. "It's too late, pop. The bank already applied the sale to your loan."
"Then, we will buy it back." Brennan tells him.
"With what?" Killian asks him. "All of our assets are right here in this room. Dad, I'm trying to save this place for you."
"Nobody asked you to do that, Killian!" Brennan shouts. "I'm the captain of this family, not you."
Killian shakes his head in acknowledgment and watches his father walk back into their apartment from where he was standing at the top of the stairs. Henry looks back at Killian.
"Killian, I'm sorry. I didn't know." Henry whispers.
"Well… now you do." Killian replies.
Killian's phone rings inside of his sweatshirt pocket. He reaches inside his pockets and pulls out his phone wondering who is calling him. He looks down to see that it is August Booth. He presses ignore and puts the phone back into his pocket. He smiles weakly at Henry and continues to take inventory.
\*****/
Somewhere in town, August is walking down the street holding a pink box and a takeout box in his arm and his phone against his ear in his hand.
"Hello, Killian. I'm trying to book my next sailing expedition." He says into the phone as he move to unlock his car and get inside the driver side. "But you are making it very difficult." He closes the door behind him.
From behind him, Emma leans forward and says, "I told you, if you got in my way, I would take you down. You stole my house."
August does not look surprised to see her there given her special set of skills.
"If I hadn't, Victoria would have. She outbid you with a cash offer this morning." August tells her while looking at her through the rearview mirror.
"How could you have possibly know that?" She asks him through her teeth.
"Cause I hacked the realtor's computer. I have been tracking the sale all week. Victoria outbid you, so I outbid her." He tells her.
"Why is it so important for you to be a part of this?" She asks him leaning forward.
He turns around to face her. "When I met your dad, I had already been laughed out of every boardroom in New York. I was an M.I.T misfit with a vision that nobody got but him. The only reason AUCORP exists is because your father gave me cash form his personal account to develop it and that's because he believed in me." He confides to her.
"I want the deed to the house." She tells him.
"It's already in your name. Consider it a birthday gift. Tomorrow is a big day isn't it?" He asks her.
Emma steps out of the car without saying another word. She had better things to do than reminisce with August.
A/N. Thanks for reading.
Also, Valerie Thomas is a Revenge character whose part is only in this chapter. It did not seem right to waste a Once character on someone who has such a small role. The realtor is not a Once character. Brennan Jones, a Once character, would be Carl Porter in the Revenge world.
