"So?" Victoria said to Conrad as soon as they were seated next to each other in the dining room.
"So...Where to begin?" Conrad said as he began eating his salad.
"Here's an idea." Victoria said sarcastically. "How about you tell me how the hell you got out of prison?"
Conrad took a moment to compose himself before speaking "I barely did. I was at the makeshift chapel praying that I be spared from spending the rest of my life behind bars-"
"And your wish was granted. How nice." Victoria replied as she delicately cut her food.
"That is the farthest thing from what happened."
Victoria sensed that Conrad wasn't playing around so she gestured for him to go on.
"I was praying...no, I was...begging the heavenly father to take my life and while I was in there, a guard approached me. The same guard that beat me up hours earlier. I thought I was in for another round of his preferred method of punishment but then he tells me, he can help me get out for a price tag. He made me put on the clothing of the minister and escorted me until the last gate. Told me a car would pick me up a mile from there. I was so happy, Victoria. I thought the Lord had answered my plea. As expected, a vehicle stopped and I welcomed the person whom I believed to be my ticket to freedom. But of course, that was not the case. Just as soon as he got out of his car, he stabbed me in the gut and simply drove away. I saw my own blood leave my body, Victoria. I closed my eyes and waited for death to come, but as fate would have it, I still woke up the following day. And in a much better state. I was still weak but no longer bleeding."
At this point, both of them had lost their appetites and had opted to drink instead. "Who helped you?" Victoria asked curiously.
"My father. Turns out the guard who helped me was working for him and they had really planned an exit strategy for me but when the car that was supposed to pick me up had arrived, I had already been stabbed."
"I'm not surprised your father helped you. I was wondering earlier why he wasn't getting involved but perhaps your arrest came as a surprise seeing as it happened so fast. You're lucky to be alive, Conrad"
"Well I was surprised that he cared, to be honest. And I know. I think I used up all of my lucky stars already" "I guess my punishment for all my sins is a long life of misery" Conrad joked, trying to lighten the mood.
"No parent would want to see their child suffer." Victoria remarked at him. "Do continue your story."
Conrad nodded. "While I was recuperating, my father told me that as far as everyone knows, I died from a fatal stab wound to the gut and that my remains were found on the very site where I was actually stabbed. He spared me the gory details but the bottom line was, once again, I was a free man. Before I left, I wanted to make sure everything was alright with you, with the children. I found out Daniel was officially made second-in-command by Margaux. Charlotte on the other hand has been faring well after she put Jack Porter behind bars. She has put her abduction behind her and is planning to go to college in the fall." Conrad smiled. "I couldn't be more prouder of our children. After everything they have been through..." Conrad paused. "After all the hell, I put them through, no matter how difficult the circumstances are, they manage to rise above it."
Victoria smiled. "They turned out well, didn't they?" If there was one thing that she and Conrad agree on, it was how great their children are.
"Yes, they did." Conrad said with fondness. "I looked for you too, you know. I sent someone to the manor, pretending to look for you, but Martha said someone called from a spa in the Swiss Alps saying you were staying there for the time being for some much needed rest."
"That is preposterous! I would never leave so suddenly like that and I'd like to think Martha knows me well enough to know how much I despise the cold" Victoria couldn't believe what she was hearing.
"I didn't buy that tale for one second. I knew something wasn't right so I decided to have Emily Thorne followed."
Victoria looked at him incredulously. "And you always say I'm crazy for suspecting her."
"I know, I'm a fool."
"You're damn right you are"
Conrad raised his right hand to try to stop Victoria from interrupting him. "Just let me finish. A few hours after the authorities took me, she came to see me in prison. She wanted to let me know she was the brains behind my arrest and that you were her next target. I hired a couple of professionals to track her every move. Finally, one day she went to Clairmont and lo and behold, there you were. As soon as I had the chance, I took you out of there...You were unconscious when we found you, Victoria."
"They had me hooked up on an IV and kept on giving me medications. Every time I tried to resist, they would only increase it. I don't remember a lot save from the fact that I was always in and out of consciousness." Victoria narrated, all the while keeping a straight face to try to mask the horror in her voice.
"I hired a doctor to look at you because you wouldn't wake up. He said you were on some pretty heavy doses of antipsychotics and anti-anxiety drugs. So he tried flushing out all those things out of you but even after that you still remained asleep. He said you were already stable and we simply had to wait for you to open your eyes. You were out for more than 24 hours, Victoria. You really had me worried." Conrad admitted.
Victoria remained silent trying to recall anything. She hated how everything seems to have spiralled beyond her control. How for the past few weeks everyone around her have been calling the shots when it comes to her life. How Amanda Clarke managed to make a fool of her for years and how most of all, the one person whom she swore she would avoid for the rest of her life and has hurt her in more ways than one, seems to be the only person who can help her, and perhaps even the only person she can trust at the moment.
Victoria didn't say a word so Conrad continued. "I'm sorry I took you here without your permission, Victoria. But if I just left you at the manor or any other hospital, they could easily return you to Clairmont and at that time, I had to leave already. I couldn't run the risk of anyone finding out that I'm still alive."
She was so preoccupied with her own thoughts that she barely heard the last thing Conrad said. Something about an apology? Regardless, she was too tired to process everything. Right now, she needed to retire to her room. Or rather, the room where Conrad has her staying. Victoria sighed. "All of this information... It's a lot to take in. I'm exhausted, Conrad. Let's just continue this tomorrow."
As she got up from the table and turned around, Conrad touched her arm. "Wait, Victoria. There's something else you need to know."
"Another time, Conrad" Victoria began walking out of the dining room.
"Trust me, this is the biggest news of all" Conrad tried to stop her again.
Finally, Victoria stopped and looked at him.
"David Clarke is alive."
A/N: Thanks for all the reviews! I too, hope that Conrad returns in Season 4 but with this show, we never really know. Anyway, I figured the most logical person to help Conrad would be Grandpa Grayson. Conrad told Victoria almost everything except for the identity of the person who stabbed him. Still thinking how that will be revealed to her. Victoria isn't sharing much because she's overwhelmed with all the info and she still doesn't trust Conrad. Will try to update soon!