Beach House, Hamptons

They went back to the beach house after they had left the cemetery. There was so much that they had to talk about with each other. Only it was almost impossible to resume twenty years in a few hours. Emily couldn't ask enough questions, and David gave willingly answers. The bond they had felt from the beginning allowed them to talk about everything.

"Now you know how I've spent my time during the last few years," Emily finished her story, then looked at him with a serious face. "Maybe you understand now why I don't want anybody to know of my true identity."

He stroked his beard thoughtfully. "So you stopped with taking revenge on them?" He summarized again.

Emily nodded. "I've realized how many people I hurt, who had nothing to do with it. Besides, this hate for everyone and everything has almost destroyed me. I am happy now. I have Daniel, Julian, and with Victoria... I can get out of her way if I want." She shrugged. "Not everything is perfect, but I've learned to compromise."

He took a sip from his cup and set it off again. "If you had gone through what I had experienced, you wouldn't have been so quick to forgive everyone," he said in a calm voice.

"Why did you come back?" She asked bluntly. They had mainly talked about the time after his arrest, and Emily's life in foster homes and juvie. They had completely ignored the topic of why he had returned.

"You really want to know?"

She nodded, feeling a strange uneasiness.

"Well..." he began. "First of all, I wanted to see my daughter again." He smiled at her. "What I've done now. And secondly..." He took a deep breath before he spoke. "...I'm going to reclaim everything what was stolen from me twenty years ago."

In his statement was so much determination and hatred that Emily flinched. "What... what does that mean?" She could tell from his expression that he was struggling to tell her the truth, but he decided against it.

"I think it's better if I go now." He jumped up from the chair and walked quickly to the door.

"Dad!" She ran after him and reached for his arm. "Wait!"

Slowly he turned to her. "I won't give your secret away," he said quietly. "But stay out of my business!"

The look from his blue eyes left no room for doubt of the seriousness of his words, and a shiver ran down her spine. As he turned and walked away, she suddenly realized the truth why he had come back. It was for the same reason why she had come to the Hamptons four years ago; To take revenge on those who had framed him. And since she had already avenged herself on most of them, only the Graysons remained. She stepped on the porch and stared across to the manor, where he walked over in swiftly strides. Shivering, she wrapped her arms around her body. This was no longer her loving and caring father. His eyes, which had always looked kind, had gotten a harshness that frightened her. What did he mean that he would reclaim everything? She didn't know how long she had been standing on the porch when she suddenly saw a movement on the balcony to Victoria's bedroom. She wanted to turn away, but she stood riveted to the spot. Stunned, she watched her father and Victoria embracing and kissing each other. She knew now what he meant with that he would reclaim everything. He would sneak into the family just as she had back then. With the difference she used Daniel and not Victoria. It was Conrad he wanted to take vengeance on, she finally realized the moment she watched the two of them. He had lost Victoria to Conrad at that time. And the same man had also put him in jail. Should I warn my father-in-law? She asked herself. Should I divulge his plan to Daniel? She denied the question for herself. Too much was at stake. What if her identity would leak out? But could she allow her father to take revenge on the Graysons? They were her family now, after all. She closed her eyes. She had to think about everything before she did something rash. Slowly she went back into the house and closed the door behind her.

Grayson Manor

"Where have you been?" Victoria gave David a taunting look as he entered her bedroom.

He stepped onto the balcony and pointed down. "At the beach house," he explained. "Your daughter-in-law invited me. She wanted to thank me for saving her life."

"You've been with Emily the whole time?" She asked surprised.

He nodded, then pulled her into his arms, though he knew Emily could see them from the porch. "You're so beautiful," he said, kissing her tenderly.

"Let's go inside," she said, slightly breathless as she broke the kiss. "I don't want rumors swirling until I talked to Conrad myself."

"I don't think Emily would mind." He quickly glanced over, and smiled when he saw Emily standing on the porch, her gaze fixed on him.

"Possibly not. But I don't want to risk anything." She pushed him into the bedroom and began to undress slowly. "Do you know how much I missed you?" She said seductively.

He skimmed with his fingers through her long hair. "Certainly not as much as I missed you." He leaned forward and gently kissed her neck until he heard her soft moan. She was wax in his hands as he led her over to the bed and slowly put her down. For a moment he stared down at her and then began to undress himself. She was like Heaven for him after this long time in the wasteland of the last twenty years. He just couldn't get enough of her. For a moment, he thought about what he had told Emily. He had meant every word when he said he would reclaim everything they had stolen from him. And he would start with Victoria. Slowly he lay down beside her and slipped his arms around her slim waist. She would belong to him again, forever...