CHAPTER 22
The house Olivia had chosen was made of wood and melon coloured stone with wisteria climbing the walls enclosing the house, patio and swimming pool; Olivia had made sure it had a pool as Carly was to follow doctors' orders of frequent swimming, especially in a heated pool. Although the view was blocked by the house, Carly could hear the ocean's rumble and smell the salt breeze.
'Not too big, not too small,' Olivia said as Bo helped Carly out of the SUV. 'Eight bedrooms, the appliances came with the house, fire places and central heating, lovely view of the sea from the living room and our rooms upstairs. The patio has a pathway leading to the beach; the entrance's gated, of course. Everyone chipped in getting it all ready.'
'It's beautiful,' Carly said, nodding thoughtfully. 'Just perfect for us.' She suddenly noticed the cars on the driveway. 'What's going on?'
The door suddenly opened and the Brady women rushed out. Carly was seized by Caroline and Kayla first, then Marlena and Sami, followed by Stephanie, all of them laughing and crying at the same time as they exchanged kisses and hugs, while Bo helped Shawn Douglas with the bags.
'Oh, just let me look at you...' Caroline pushed back Carly's hair from her forehead. 'Thank God you look none the worse after all you've been through, poor thing...' she wept again, holding Carly tightly, rocking her. 'Welcome home, Welcome home...Oh, we're never letting you out of our sight, EVER!'
Carly cried softly as she kissed Caroline, who'd always been like a mother to her besides Alice Horton. 'I've missed you, Caroline. So much...' she turned to Marlena and Kayla who were also crying. 'You two...' The three women embraced.
'I'm looking at you and holding you and I still want to pinch myself!' Marlena laughed, wiping her eyes. 'Welcome home, old friend.'
Kayla couldn't take her eyes off Carly. 'I've had my share of miracles; but never did I thought... expected this one...' she broke off, weeping against Carly's neck.
Carly pulled away, kissing her on both cheeks. 'I'm the one who feels like she's dreaming, standing here on Salem soil, surrounded by my friends again...'
'Family,' Caroline corrected firmly, 'you were and still are a member of this family, especially after the lovely girl you've given us.' she smiled at Olivia's direction.
Carly nodded slowly, unable to speak at the touching statement. She turned to Sami. 'And you... a teenager... now a mother...'
Sami grinned, pressing Carly's hand against her cheek. 'Great to have you back! I can't wait for you to meet the kids!'
Carly smiled at Stephanie who smiled back shyly. 'And you, all grown up and very beautiful.'
Stephanie shook her head. 'I'd be happier if I could be half as stunning as you, Aunt Carly.'
Before she could reply, the men were already coming towards them.
'Whoa, whoa... I get to hug her first!' Carly shrieked as Steve lifted her off her feet and twirled her around, amidst laughter from the others before setting her down again. 'Glad to finally have your pretty face back here, doc.'
'I can say the same of you, Steve.' Carly hugged him hard. Kindred spirits; both having returned from the dead. But at least Patch had Kayla back and continued from where they were cruelly cut off.
She kissed Roman next. 'Hey, you.'
'Hey yourself, little lady.' Roman briefly held her face between his large hands. 'You sure are a sight for sore eyes. Welcome back where you belong.'
'I certainly second that.' smiled John, hugging Carly. 'And even lovelier than before.'
No kidding, Bo thought, smiling as Carly blushed at John's remark.
Shaking her head at him, Carly kissed Brady last, smoothing his hair. He had Isabella's eyes but the rest of him was John, split image. When Isabella had made her and Bo his godparents, she never thought she'd miss out watching him grow but then again, none of them had thought that Izzy would die a few months after having him. Fate, playing tricks. But the same Fate had brought her and her daughter back to the real place she called home and for that she was eternally grateful.
Hope entered Bo's office and found it empty. Frowning, she called out to a uniformed officer passing by. 'Davidson, where's my husband?'
Davidson shrugged. 'I have no idea. But Shawn Douglas came by about an hour ago with Miss Alamain and they took off somewhere, don't know.'
Hope nodded. 'Thanks.
Davidson shook her head and walked on. Detective Brady was either more stressed up than she even realized or in huge denial; everyone now knew why she and the Commissioner have been fighting. In cases like this, Officer Davidson tended to side with the wife but she had no sympathy for Hope Brady. What kind of a woman would be so unappreciative of a man any woman would kill to have for a husband? First blaming him for Zach's death, then question his methods of getting back their little girl, then turn around and accuse him of being a lousy, unfit father and then get mad he's fallen in love with another woman, who from what she heard, was way different in more ways than one. Talk about eating your cake and having it. Now they were in the middle of the divorce she no longer wanted but had no other choice because rumour had that even her own son wasn't on her side.
You snooze, you lose, Hope Brady, Officer Davidson now thought. You can't call him your husband anymore, because it was just a matter of time before someone else bore the title of Mrs Brady.
In Bo's office, Hope was staring at the photograph she'd found in his desk, under a notepad. Bo with his arm around Carly, his handsome face alight. Olivia does look like her mother, Hope thought, looking at the woman standing close to Bo, green eyes staring at the camera. Shawn Douglas stood in front her, hands holding Carly's resting on his shoulders, grinning widely. They were standing in front of a Christmas tree, a perfect family picture. Bitterness and hatred surged through Hope as she glared at Carly Manning's beautiful face.
You replaced me while I was gone and now you're coming back... to ruin my life!
Oh, you can have Bo, but I'll be damned before I make it easy for you!
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Milan, Italy...
'Are you sure of what you're saying?' Vivian exclaimed, shocked and angry. 'Frankie Leuschner's now heading Alamain Conglomerate?'
'that's what the papers say madam, on his niece's behalf.'
'did they say where she is?'
'No, but I found out. The Alamain Jet had conveyed Mr Leuschner from Paris.'
'So that's where they have been hiding! And you never thought of looking there, after what I pay you!'
Gus Pascal went red. 'I'm sorry Madam... I...'
'enough of that, you cretin! What else did you find out?'
'That Dr. Manning was in a private nursing home, but the princess has been in Salem for the past several weeks.'
Vivian's blood ran cold. 'Salem, you say?'
'Yes, Madam.' Gus replied nervously and added in a rush. 'And my contact also informed me that Dr. Manning has already been released and it seems she's gone to join her daughter at ...'
'No... No, no!' Vivian screamed. 'Not there, not SALEM!'
Gus pursed his lips, not daring to speak.
Vivian paced the floor of her living room, hands shaking with rage. Her revenge was going to be all the more difficult with Carly and Olivia under Bo's protection- if only she'd found them before they had the opportunity to return to that cursed town! Bo Brady must now know he has a child with his precious Carly; there was no telling just how much Omar Naveen had told him. Right now, she had no idea how much info he'd gotten; the judge had been tight lipped when she'd demanded to know why she wasn't fit to be Olivia's legal guardian and served with a restraining order. Lawrence's own lawyer has refused to talk to her or return her calls. What should she do now? It wasn't fair that Bo Brady's child now has everything, but Lawrence hadn't thought he would lose his son; her own precious Nicholas, and had been stupid enough not to change his Will. That little demon had killed him, now she owned everything! She would just have to take her chances and travel to Salem; Olivia's weakness was her mother and Vivian planned to kill Carly in front of her before killing that little bitch herself.
But now, she had to work out another line action, carefully woven to make sure it didn't fail. Once it was done, she would leave Salem before Bo Brady could do anything; he'd be far too demented with grief at the knowledge he couldn't protect his own daughter. She remembered how he'd been after the funeral. He'd wandered about like a ghost, all the fight drained out of him, getting drunk and crying like a little boy over Carly. He would be after her blood, based on whatever Omar Naveen and Olivia would have told him. She has to protect herself.
Plan B was already forming. Vivian smiled to herself. Not only will she be able to do what she had to do at the same time she'll be protected by someone who hated Carly as much as she did.
Her ex-husband, Victor Kiriakis.