**6**
When Emily Thorne woke up this morning, she knew that it would be a perfect day. Since she lived in the old Grayson Manor, she felt like the hero of a very long story and thinking about Conrad in prison and Victoria in psychiatry gave her great satisfaction. She had cleared her father's name and with that she had finally done her mission. With a proud and triumphant smile, Emily stepped out on the balcony. Victoria's balcony. But now it was hers like everything else which had once belonged to the Graysons.
Standing on the balcony and looking down on everything made her feel like the new queen of the Hamptons. Slowly, she let her eyes wander over her kingdom and now she could imagine why Victoria had always loved this place. But when her eyes met the beach house, she thought about all the things that had happened in there. First of all, the framing of her father. Years later, her kiss with Jack. And just a few weeks ago, she had found Aiden's dead body on the couch. Emily bit her lip. She didn't want to think about Aiden, the thought was still too painful. Like her father, he would still be alive if Victoria hadn't been. But Emily had made her pay. Victoria would never hurt anyone else again; she would take care of that. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the warm sunshine on her face. Later this day, she wanted to meet Nolan and Jack in the city to have some fun and she looked forward to do something normal like meeting friends. But everything turned out differently than planned. "Miss Thorne?", Emily was snapped out of her thoughts by one of her maids, "Your presence is desired. There's someone who claims to be your father."
One hour ago:
"David, I really don't know what to do! Either you will be in danger, or Patrick! And believe me, Conrad will kill him if I don't do what he wants; he is capable of everything." Victoria couldn't calm down; this whole situation was so much more difficult than she had thought in the first place. Nervously, she walked up and down in the beach house while David tried to calm her. "I know what a person Conrad is, I experienced that twenty years ago. But there is no point to get upset, we have to concentrate and think about it. And hell, Victoria, stop walking around in here; that is not helpful!" He grabbed her arm to make her stop. Angrily and hurt, Victoria looked into his eyes. "My son is in danger! I can't just sit here and stay calm. I have no idea what to do, I checked my bank accounts in the morning and they are all empty! Emily must have hacked them, just in case. I won't be able to safe Patrick without some money, and if I lose him again, I-" Victoria paused. Tears welled up in her eyes; all of this was too much. Comforting, David put his arms around her and pulled her close while silent tears ran down her face. "Victoria, I know this is hard for you. But trust me, we'll find a way. Please stop crying." He gently stroked her hair. "I'm so afraid", she whispered. "Look at me", David said and she did. Her eyes were full of tears and there was so much pain in her look that it almost made David's heart break. "I know, Victoria. But you are a strong woman! And as long as we both are together, there's nothing we can't do." Victoria took a deep breath and tried to calm down. "Thank you, David. I just can't imagine losing Patrick... or you." "I know exactly what you feel. It is awful to lose a child, and I really don't want you to make that experience!"
In that moment Victoria realized what David had to endure. It already was so painful for her to be afraid of losing her son. How must David feel since he lived with the fact that his own daughter was really dead? Only now Victoria understood what David had went through during the last two years and she couldn't let him suffer like that even one more second. "David?" She wasn't sure how he would react to this. "There's something I need to tell you... about your daughter." David seemed surprised. "Amanda? What is it?" Victoria closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them again. "Well, the woman everyone knew as Amanda Clarke... her real name was Emily Thorne." David frowned, "wasn't that the woman who locked you away and moved into your house?" Victoria shook her head. "No. Or yes... they switched identities. I found out about that just a few weeks ago. The woman who died two years ago wasn't your daughter." David seemed confused, and then he started to understand. "So, are you saying that Amanda... is alive!?" Victoria nodded. "And you already saw her. She lives right next door." David had to sit down. "I can't believe that", he whispered, "my daughter is alive!" Victoria tried to be happy for him but it was hard. After everything his daughter had done, she couldn't just stop hating her. Suddenly, David's face clouded. "You told me so many bad things about 'Emily'. Why would she do all that? She had always been such a nice person, she never could hurt anyone!" Victoria swallowed. She didn't like to destroy David's memory of his daughter but he had to know the truth. "Well, now she can. Actually, she did this for you. She came back to the Hamptons to revenge your death. She destroyed everyone who had something to do with the conspiracy around your trial. She was the one who sent Conrad to prison and cleared your name, but her biggest target was me. She makes me responsible for everything." David was shocked. "That can't be true! I know Amanda; she would never do something like that!" Victoria realized that this was more difficult than she had thought. "David, believe me. She's not the girl you think you know. She is not Amanda anymore." All of a sudden, David went angry. "Victoria, are you trying to manipulate me!? Do you want me to see my own daughter in a bad light?" "Why should I do that!? David, please", she begged, "You have to believe me. I know it is hard to understand, but it is the truth!" She reached for his hand but David pushed her away. "No! I will talk to her myself! I have to see her!" "So you choose Amanda over me? What is about Patrick? You wanted to help me!" David looked at her angrily. "Don't tell me not to choose my daughter over you. You did the very same twenty years ago!" With these words, David stormed out of the house and left Victoria alone in the middle of the room. She felt like the greatest idiot. She had done everything wrong, after this David would hate her and Emily would have finally won. Victoria could just hope that David would eventually see what his sweet little girl had become.
David was full of anger when he made his way up to the Grayson Manor. He couldn't believe how Victoria had talked about Amanda; she couldn't have become such a monster! And also Victoria shouldn't have tried to hold him back from going to see his daughter. He had thought she was dead for over two years so it was just normal that he wanted to talk to her. David felt hurt. He had been so understanding and kind and he had expected the same from Victoria. That she had tried to fool him with her story disappointed him in such a deep way. For a moment he actually wondered if she had told him the truth but he pushed that thought away. He knew Amanda better than anyone else and it didn't matter that he hadn't seen her for two decades. She would still be the person he remembered!
After a few minutes David reached the front door of the manor and with pounding heart he knocked. A maid opened the door. "Excuse me, what's your name? We are not allowed to let strangers into the house." "My name doesn't matter." David swallowed before he said the words which would finally led him to his beloved daughter, "I have to talk to Emily Thorne. I am her father."
When David saw the young woman who came down the stairs he instantly knew that she had to be his daughter. He saw it in her eyes, which widened when she spotted him. He saw it in the way she moved when she walked up to him and stopped right in front of him. He heard it in her voice when she started to speak. "Daddy?" Then he couldn't wait any longer and wrapped his arms around her. "It's me, Amanda. Oh my god, I can't believe that you are alive." Amanda freed herself from his embrace and looked at him. "What are you doing here? You died ten years ago!" Tears welled up in her eyes when she looked at her father and she seemed unable to believe that he was standing right in front of her. David shook his head. "I didn't how you can see. But don't you want to go somewhere else to talk?" Amanda agreed, then she led him into the luxurious garden behind the house and David started to tell. The whole time Amanda listened intently to his story without interrupting him. "So I hid in the beach house until now.", he ended. Amanda shook her head. "How did you find out about me?" David hesitated. In case that Victoria was right about Amanda he didn't want to bring her into danger so he decided not to mention his lover. "I saw you... and then I realized who you actually were." It was a lie and David hated to lie to his daughter right from the start, but he also had to protect Victoria. Quickly he changed the subject. "Enough about me. What have you done all those years?" Amanda sighed. "Well, I never stopped fighting for you. Since I thought you were dead I couldn't just live a normal life as if nothing had ever happened!" David was confused, "What do you mean? What have you done, Amanda?" Amanda shook her head. "I'm not Amanda anymore. I know you wanted me to forgive, but I couldn't. I made them all pay for the things they did to you." David couldn't believe that these words had actually come from his daughter. Nothing in the way she talked reminded of the girl she had been years ago and David realized that Victoria had been right. "Amanda... or Emily, whatever you prefer... How could you do all of this? You hurt a lot of innocent people! You can't just walk around and destroy lives where ever you want!" Then David realized that he had gone too far. Amanda's eyes were filled with tears. "Daddy, I did all this for you! To clear your name. And it worked, you are free now." Hesitantly David put his arm around her shoulder. "I know and it really means a lot. And I agree with you, some people completely deserved it-" "Like Victoria! She destroyed our life!" David swallowed. To hear such hard words from Amanda was painful. He loved Victoria and it made him sad that his daughter couldn't forgive her. "But don't worry, Daddy", she continued, "I made Victoria go through hell for all her sins. She's a horrible person, I hope you know that! But she's far away and if she ever finds a way to come back, I swear I'll kill her!" David toke his arm away from Amanda's shoulder and looked at her as if he had never seen her before. And suddenly he realized how much he had hurt Victoria earlier. She had been completely right about his daughter and had just tried to help by telling him the truth. And he had had nothing else to do than getting angry at her. He really owed her an apologize and then a great idea popped up in his mind. "Amanda, if you still want to help me, you can do that now. I didn't want to bring up this subject so early but I'm in a very difficult situation right now." Amanda gave him a worried look. "Of course I'll help you. What happened?" David toke a deep breath. This was the moment when he had to decide on which side he stood. Should he tell Amanda that he had saved Victoria and that he wanted to help her with Patrick? Amanda wouldn't just refuse to help, she would also come after Victoria and David couldn't let that happen. Amanda had to believe that Victoria was still in the psychiatry and so David decided to tell one more lie to protect the woman he loved. "Conrad got in contact with me. He wants me to go to court and bribe someone to clear his name. He claims to know were Charlotte is and if I don't do it within a week he will sent someone to hurt her... I have to protect her, she is my daughter. But I don't have any money so I thought that maybe you could go." It felt terrible to tell such a big lie to Amanda but David couldn't help himself. Amanda nodded, "Of course. I will do it, Charlotte is also my sister! I'll go right tomorrow then you don't have to worry about her." David sighed in relief and smiled at his daughter. Then he remembered something else: "And make sure that Conrad and I are both free men after this. I don't want to be forced to hide again if they decide to put the blame back on me!" Amanda laughed and that sound showed David that there was still a little part of his girl in this woman. "Believe me, Dad. For the money I can offer them they will do everything! You and Charlotte will both be save after tomorrow."