RULE #7: MAKE A CHOICE
ROSEWOOD HAWKS
SCANDAL ALERT: EMILY FIELDS AND ALISON DILAURENTIS CAUGHT IN A SIZZLING LOVE TRIANGLE?
Hold onto your swim caps, folks, because the poolside drama just got turned up to eleven! Sources spill the chlorine-infused tea that's got tongues wagging faster than a butterfly stroke! Could America's favorite mermaid, Emily Fields, be diving into treacherous waters with none other than Alison DiLaurentis, the sexiest woman in America?
At the recent Mermaid press conference, all eyes were on the blonde bombshell as they exchanged more than just pleasantries—those longing looks could melt even the iciest of swim lanes! But here's the kicker: while Fields may be currently engaged to fellow swimmer Paige McCullers, it seems that love knows no lanes for DiLaurentis!
Will Fields choose the calm waters of commitment with McCullers, or will the tempestuous tides of passion sweep her into the arms of the blonde CEO? Grab your floaties, folks, because this love triangle is making waves like never before! Stay tuned for more updates as we navigate the choppy seas of Rosewood romance!
Alison finally drove Emily back to the apartment she shared with Paige. The swimmer looked quite jittery before leaving the car, drying her sweaty hands on her jeans.
"Do you need me to come along?" The blonde offered upon seeing her so nervous.
Emily gulped and tried to calm herself. She knew that breaking up an engagement was nerve-wracking, but she had to get herself together so she could leave Ali's car first. Though Alison was a calming figure to herself, she knew it might set Paige off and she wanted to avoid making things harder than they already were.
"No, I think I should do this by myself," she insisted. "Everything is gonna be alright."
But Alison didn't trust Paige. She treated Emily like her property, not like her soon-to-be wife. And Alison had been in the CIA for long enough to know that some people lost their shit when they had their toys taken away from them. Not that Emily was Paige's toy, she wasn't. But Paige probably saw her like that.
That knowledge plus her scarce interactions with Paige gave her a terrible gut feeling about it. There was no way Alison would let Emily face this all by herself. If anything, she knew some cases of domestic violence happened when one part was breaking up with the other. There was no way in hell Alison would let Paige hurt Emily. Yes, she was aware that her presence might just make matters worse, but she didn't want to take chances when it came to Emily's safety.
"Go ahead, I'll just grab my jacket and then I'll be right behind you," Alison said, letting Emily know she was tagging along.
"Ali, you don't really have to do it. Paige will blow up if she sees you," the brunette argued.
"Well, I don't care. I just wanna make sure you're safe," the blonde insisted, making Emily melt inside.
"Okay," she knows she really shouldn't, but Emily agrees on having Alison by her side as she takes out her stuff. She knew Paige would react badly to Ali's presence, but it was calming anyway. It wasn't like Emily didn't trust Paige, it's just that Alison gave her the strength to push through her breakup.
"Where will you be staying after you leave?" Alison nodded and changed the subject.
Emily only had two options: Aria or Hanna. Her parents were dead, so the only support system she had were her friends. Aria was living with Ezra right now, so her place wasn't really Emily's first choice. Plus, she had always been closest to Hanna anyway.
For a moment, she considered staying at Alison's, but that thought sounded preposterous.
"I'll crash at Hanna's and then figure something out," she answered.
"Great. Go get your things and then I'll drive you there," Alison offered again.
"Thanks," Emily sent the blonde a grateful smile and stepped out of her car.
After Emily left, Alison took one last glance at her window and saw that the brunette had her back turned to her. With that, Alison pulled a hidden compartment below her seat, where she kept a small gun.
Alison didn't like taking a gun wherever she went. However, as a CIA secret agent, there was a slim possibility of someone finding out about her true identity. So, Lorenzo insisted she carried a gun with her whenever it was possible. Alison liked to keep it inside her car and not carry it into her office. The Carissimi Group's headquarters was boarded by heavy security, so there was no way someone could slip past that to try to harm her. Either way, Ali's greatest asset was her brain, not her gun expertise. She could handle herself even if unarmed.
She picked the gun and stared at it for a moment. Alison loathed the idea of having it so close to her when Emily was around. She didn't want Emily to find it with her. She didn't want to scare her away or have to lie again. Alison could always say she had a gun permit (which was true, because she worked for the CIA), but it would be just another thread in the lies she had already told the brunette for her side job.
However, there was the possibility that Paige might be violent towards Emily. If that happened, Alison wanted to have the chance to protect her properly. She was still a lot stronger than Paige gave her credit for. Even so, Paige was taller and even stronger than her. A physical altercation might not end well for her. Therefore, the gun would be just a security blanket just in case something happened.
Shaking her head at these thoughts, Alison hid her gun underneath her shirt and blazer. She left the car, praying that Paige didn't make her use it.
Alison didn't really know what to expect when she entered the swimmer's apartment. Given that two Olympic swimmers lived there, she had pictured a lot of trophies, gold medals and team photos. Yet, that house felt eerily empty, devoid of anything too personal for both Paige and Emily except for a bag of clothes sitting on the couch.
Lucky for them, Paige wasn't there. Alison relaxed and saw that Emily was more relieved too as she went through the bag on her couch. Finally, Emily just packed it up and made her way to the bedroom.
(That was a room Alison would not dare set her foot in).
"You can stay here, I'm gonna go grab a few things in my bedroom," Emily said.
Thus, Alison took her time to look around the living room. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but something about that place seemed off. It was too impersonal. Alison had never lived with anyone as a couple, yet she knew that partners spread around things that they either shared an interest in or a past with. Well, her own apartment had a thorough book collection and a few bottles of French wine Alison had sneaked from the times she's been to Paris.
Come to think of it, she had always loved Paris and France for some reason she couldn't understand. That love had reflected on her room decoration. Some of her walls had French expressions imprinted on them. There were a couple of French flags spread everywhere. And Alison owned a small replica of the Eiffel tower sitting on her dresser.
Emily and Paige's apartment seemed devoid of that. Alison did find some medals, but they all belonged to Paige and none to Emily. It was like Paige was boasting her ego while setting their home décor and Emily's records had been conveniently left off. Alison also found a couple of team pictures, but none of Emily and Paige together as a couple.
The way Paige treated Emily like nothing enraged Alison. If she was the one living with her instead, Alison would've made sure to build a special corner where all of Emily's medals would be up for show. She'd have printed newspaper articles glued to their walls. There would be souvenirs from all the countries Emily had visited for swimming competitions.
Emily came back with a suitcase and a backpack, tearing Alison away from her thoughts. Only then did Alison realize that the bag on the couch was Emily's. She wondered why the brunette kept a bag on the couch. Had she already been thinking about leaving Paige?
"Em, why are your things here? Were you already planning on breaking up with Paige or something?" She asked.
Emily frowned, "She kicked me out of the bedroom after an argument."
That ticked off Alison even more. What kind of fianceé kicked out their injured partner out of their bedroom and left them to sleep on the couch? And what kind of fianceé did that after just one argument?
"Em, your shoulder is injured. Why didn't she let you sleep on the bed at least?" She inquired.
The brunette sighed, "I don't know."
Suddenly, the door burst open and Paige walked into the apartment. She saw that Emily had a suitcase with her and walked straight to her soon-to-be ex. Then, she scanned the room around and found Alison. Her face contorted in disgust.
"Em, what is going on?! What is she doing here?!" Paige pointed her finger straight at Alison without addressing her.
Ali's gut feeling was right. Paige was explosive and aggressive. Alison could be as stubborn as her, but the CIA training she took partly changed her ways. She realized she needed to de-escalate the situation so Emily could deal with it safely. Therefore, she decided to step away.
"I think you two need to talk. Em, I'm going to be waiting outside," Alison left without addressing Paige as well. Any attempt of a conversation would be read as confrontation. Paige was like an animal trying to protect their territory.
She walked out of their apartment, but remained vigilant by the door, straining her ears to find any sign of struggle and keeping a hand on the base of her gun. If Paige tried something, she could react fast and catch her by surprise.
Lucky for her, their breakup was uneventful in terms of violence, thank God for that.
Alison didn't see it, but Paige glared daggers at her as she left them behind. Without the blonde's presence in the room, she finally decided to confront Emily:
"What's going on here? Did you bring her here to desecrate our bed?"
Paige talked about their bedroom as if it were a sacred place where they made love every day and it couldn't be further from the truth. Emily couldn't remember the last time she and Paige had been together sexually, much less when they had made love.
So she just snorted and replied:
"Your bed, Paige. You don't let me sleep there anymore, remember?"
"Maybe if you behaved in the first place," Paige retorted in contempt. It was supposed to be controlling, but Emily was too far away from her grip right now.
"Don't keep waiting then."
"What do you mean?"
The brunette took a deep breath and said the final words that would define their relationship forevermore:
"I'm breaking up with you, Paige," Emily finally spoke, on the verge of tears. "I'm sick of being the only one who's actually fighting for this relationship."
Paige was shocked first, as if she hadn't actually expected Emily to stop being such a pushover. Then, her face contorted into anger and she yelled and found someone to blame:
"You're the one who destroyed it, Emily! You've been acting weird since you started sneaking around with Alison!"
Yes, it was all Alison's fault. Emily would keep on being good and obedient and foolish if she hadn't come across the blonde, who was a terrible influence for their relationship.
However, the mention of Alison ignited a protective streak in Emily. While she couldn't deny that the CEO was part of the reason her engagement fell apart, she knew that her relationship woes with Paige had always been there. She had just refused to see them so she could hold onto her daydream for longer.
"Don't bring her into this!" She yelled back. "Alison has nothing to do with this!"
"Don't deny it, even that leech from Rosewood Hawks is starting to catch up with your little affair," Paige snorted as she remembered the two articles she had read on that gossip website. "Just remember: Alison is going to use you and then drop you and then you're gonna come back to me."
"You're so full of yourself, Paige," Emily laughed darkly. "You act like you're better than me when you were actually cheating on me with Shana!"
Paige stumbled back a little. She hadn't expected Emily to know about her affair with Shana, but figured she could gaslight her for a little longer.
"What?" Paige chuckled. "I see Alison is already turning you against me."
"She didn't have to, I caught you both in the act at the charity ball," Emily smirked and played her trump card. "I was too much of a coward to act on it and that was my only mistake!"
That information shocked Paige. She had no idea that Emily had actually seen her with Shana. So, she scrambled for more excuses, unaware that she had run out of them a long time ago.
"You weren't even looking at me like I was your fianceé, Em! We weren't having sex and not even kissing!" Paige brought up their lack of intimacy as the main reason why she cheated on Emily. Actually, she didn't know why she had cheated in the first place. Shana had been more than willing and Paige couldn't turn down such a beautiful woman.
"So, that's your problem?! You cheated on me because I wasn't having sex with you because my shoulder was hurting?!"
Yes, it was true that Emily had refrained from having sex with Paige after she injured her shoulder. It was only natural though. She had terrible pains from the injury and was taking heavy meds that lowered her libido.
Paige hadn't been understanding though. She could only think about her own gratification and wasn't attuned to the biological, emotional, and mental challenges Emily had been through after her injury. Actually, she believed it was just a great ploy so Emily could refuse her in the bedroom.
"How much of that was an excuse to push me away?" Paige shot back. It had always been like that. She dismissed everything Emily was feeling and made it all about her.
"Paige, get over yourself! I was medically advised against having sex for a while!"
There was nothing else to lose. Emily laughed darkly as she grabbed her suitcase and her bags. Before she left, however, she had a few last words for Paige:
"You might be right about Alison, Paige. She may just fuck me and leave me. But while you act like a girl, she acts like a gentlewoman."
And said gentlewoman was waiting for her outside her apartment, gun successfully hidden underneath her clothes, and she helped her with her bags and opened the car door for her.
Alison drove Emily to Hanna's place. The silence inside her car was unnerving, leaving her to tap her fingers on the wheel for some white noise. Emily hadn't said a word from the moment they left her old apartment. She seemed so deep in her thoughts that she didn't even realize they had arrived at Hanna's. Her gaze had been fixed on some random point on the glove box and it appeared that she didn't even see the change in her surroundings or that they had arrived.
"Em, we're here," Alison prodded gently, touching her forearm.
Ali's touch seemingly brought Emily back to Earth. She looked dazed, as if waking from a daydream, and placed her hands on the glove box and took breaths. The swimmer was shaking.
"Hey, sweetie, it's gonna be alright," Alison twirled a strand of Emily's black hair behind her ear and pressed their foreheads together, taking calming breaths. Soon enough, Emily began to mirror her breathing pattern as Alison gently caressed her hair.
"Sorry, Ali," she mumbled, feeling guilty for her second panic attack of the day.
"It's okay, Em. You're going through a lot and you have every right to feel overwhelmed. But you're not alone in this."
"I just don't know what I'm going to do after this," Emily admitted.
"Right now, you're gonna pick up your bags, go to Hanna's place, and sleep it off. You'll feel much better after that. And you can always visit me in my apartment if you want," Alison wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.
"Thank you, Ali."
"You're so brave, Em," Alison praised as she played with the brunette's hair again. "Don't ever forget that."
Emily smiled as she walked out of the car, picked up her bags and went straight to Hanna's apartment. A new chapter in her life was about to begin, but she had to go through baby steps first..
Hanna's face when she saw Emily with three bags on her doorstep was priceless. She clearly wasn't expecting a visit.
"Em, what are you doing here?! And what's with all these bags?!" She pointed at all the stuff Emily was carrying.
"Can I crash here for a while, Han? I just broke up with Paige." Emily chose to rip off the band-aid, knowing it would come with a lot of questions from Hanna's side. She assumed it was only natural, but she owed her best friend the truth, especially since Rosewood Hawks was already spreading false narratives about her "sizzling love triangle".
Hanna's expression softened when she heard of the break up and she wrapped Emily in a hug, helping her into the apartment.
"I'm sorry to hear that. I know that you guys were having issues lately, but I thought you were going to work this out."
"There's really no way to make a relationship work if you're doing that by yourself," Emily mused. "I'm tired, Han."
The swimmer plopped down on the couch. Hanna sat there as well and pulled her into her lap to play with her hair in true best friend fashion.
"And what did Paige say? I imagine she didn't let you go without a fight." Hanna meant it. She knew from previous arguments Emily had shared with her that Paige was headstrong and stubborn and didn't like when things didn't go her way.
"She tried to pin this on Alison. It's her go-to excuse these days," Emily rolled her eyes on Hanna's lap.
The blonde bit her tongue to stop herself from saying something potentially untrue. She knew Emily and Alison had been getting close and she feared that Emily might be dropping her engagement for the illusion of having a relationship with the CEO.
And, as her best friend, Hanna couldn't let that happen.
Emily saw that Hanna was in deep thought, as if she was deciding on what to say. After years of friendship, Emily could say she knew Hanna like the back of her hand. That's why she knew the blonde was holding something back. She figured it might have something to do with Alison.
"What is it?" Emily pushed.
Hanna sighed, deciding to just roll on with it.
"Em, you and Alison have been hanging out quite a lot," she pointed out. "Even that idiot from Rosewood Hawks has caught on."
"I know. Paige mentioned that article to me."
"There's more. They're claiming you're dropping Paige for Alison."
"Wait, what?!" Emily jumped up from Hanna's lap.
"Let me show you."
Hanna opened up her Instagram, where the Rosewood Hawks shared their articles and blind items:
ROSEWOOD HAWKS
EXCLUSIVE SCOOP: EMILY FIELDS AND ALISON DILAURENTIS ON THE VERGE OF GOING PUBLIC WITH THEIR STEAMY ROMANCE
Hold onto your swim caps, darlings, because the latest gossip straight from the poolside is hotter than the summer sun! It seems that America's Mermaid, Emily Fields, and the irresistible temptress, Alison DiLaurentis, are stirring up a storm of scandalous proportions! Could their undeniable chemistry be leading them straight into the deep end of romance, leaving a certain fellow swimmer heartbroken in their wake?
In our article from yesterday, we mentioned that at the star-studded Mermaid press conference, they exchanged more than just pleasantries—those lingering looks spoke volumes! And while Fields may be currently betrothed to fellow swimmer Paige McCullers, it seems that DiLaurentis has never been one to let a little thing like commitment get in her way!
But wait, it gets juicier! Our insiders reveal that our Olympic champ has been spotted sneaking out of the CEO's apartment on more than one occasion. And as if that weren't scandalous enough, the sexiest woman in America has been making waves by the poolside during Fields' swimming practices, turning up the heat with her remarkable presence!
According to a source deep within the inner circle, it's only a matter of time before these two stunning beauties make their love affair public knowledge, leaving poor Paige McCullers in their wake of a heartbreak! Are you ready to take sides, darlings? Are you #teamEmison or #teamPaily? The drama is just getting started, so grab your popcorn and stay tuned for all the steamy updates!
Emily's face twisted in disgust as she read the article. That guy had the awful combination of great ears and a delusional mind. She couldn't deny that his sources were accurate, but he had leaped to a lot of conclusions. She might have kissed Alison and it may or may not have been a factor in her upcoming divorce, but they were nowhere near going public with their "relationship". Emily wasn't even sure they had a shot at one.
Well, it's not like the Hawks were known for their accuracy and fairness anyway. But what concerned her was the fact that these weasels had amazing outreach, especially in Rosewood. People were going to start asking questions, like Hanna had. And, once they read something, they believed it was true.
"Em, please tell me that this cheap version of Perez Hilton is wrong," Hanna begged. She refused to believe that her once self-righteous best friend would get herself involved in a cheating scandal with no one other than the infamous Alison DiLaurents.
"He is," Emily assured her. "There are things that he got right, but he jumped to a lot of conclusions as well."
"There are things he's got right?! Em, are you having an affair with Alison?!" Hanna finally asked out loud, her voice full of disbelief.
"No!" Emily blushed. "I mean—"
"Emily! Explain right now!"
"Ali and I are not having an affair," Emily huffed. "She's been helping me with… something… That's why I went to her apartment. Someone must've seen me leaving and rattled out to him."
Hanna raised an eyebrow at her. Her story didn't look good. Whatever was their deal that they couldn't solve over a conference call?
"And you two can't use Zoom or Google Meet?!"
Well, two people couldn't kiss in an online conference meeting, but Emily wasn't going to tell Hanna that. She still needed her head above her shoulders and she had a feeling that telling the blonde that she had kissed her boss was a little too much.
"No, it's just…" Emily ran her hands through her hair awkwardly, thinking about her next answer carefully. "It was better for us to do that in person."
Hanna still could only think of sex, but decided to move along. She knew Emily was a shitty liar. She was bound to crack eventually.
"And she's been to your practices because…?"
"She wanted to check on how your suits were doing."
"Em, that's bullshit! She's never been to Ben Coogan's practices!" Hanna pointed out and it made sense. Alison had never been that invested in people her company sponsors and Emily knew that. Still, that had been the excuse Alison used herself.
"Hanna, she said that herself to Dr. Rollins. I didn't make it up!" Well, that for one wasn't a lie, but it didn't help that Ali's behavior towards Emily was confusing.
"And why was she at your press conference today?!" Hanna kept pressing.
"She was only trying to help me! She saw that I was upset because I was underwhelming in the pool, so she covered for me!"
Emily was on the verge of tears as her frustration grew over not being able to explain what her deal with Alison was. She knew Hanna's questions were genuine and that her story didn't look good on paper and that Ali's reputation as a seductress was playing against her case.
"Em, what are you not telling me?" Hanna insisted and Emily decided to not hold back anymore. It was only Hanna, her best friend. She wouldn't judge her for holding on to Paige for so long and for falling for Ali's tricks. Well, she would get an earful for that, but it would come from a place of love.
"Ali and I are not having an affair. But we kissed. That was after I caught Paige cheating on me with Shana."
The admission felt like a burden had been lifted off her shoulders. It felt freeing. Emily didn't have to carry that weight anymore now that somebody else found out. She knew that Alison knew about Paige's cheating as well, having taken her own conclusions. But sharing that information with Hanna was a first for her and then suddenly she didn't have to pretend anymore.
"Oh my God!"
Hanna gasped for air and sat in silence for a minute. It was hard enough for her to process all that information, so she imagined it must've been like torture for Emily to handle all those waves of emotion.
Emily broke the dent, letting the tears stream down her face as her best friend hugged her.
"It happened during that charity gala party. I went out looking for Paige and then I found her with Shana. I was such a coward that I didn't react. I just ran away and tried to fix it."
"Em," Hanna addressed her, voice full of emotion as she wiped a few tears away from the swimmer's face. "You're not in the wrong here."
"That's when I met Alison and we started to work together. And she's so caring and treats me so well that I couldn't help myself."
Hanna quirked an eyebrow. Megabitch Alison DiLaurentis sweet and caring? Paige must've been awful to Emily if she makes Alison sound decent by comparison.
Still, she felt compelled to warn:
"Em, you've heard the stories and so have I. Alison is always sleeping around and not sticking to one person", Hanna recalled. "I'm not disputing that she's treating you well, just that it might be just a ruse to get in your pants."
"And I'd let her," Emily replied stubbornly. "Because she hasn't made any promises besides helping me. She's not the one I had the greatest expectations about."
That Hanna could understand. It was true, Alison didn't come with any promises. On the other hand, Paige had been the one who promised to marry Emily and take care of her, but ultimately failed at that and hurt her in the one of the worst ways possible. She could see why Emily saw Alison in a positive light.
"Just don't fall for her, please," Hanna begged. "You've been through a lot, Em. You deserve to be loved by someone who can give you the moon."
Tears sparkled in Emily's brown eyes and she hugged her best friend again.
"Thanks, Han!"
"Now, I think you should get some sleep. There's a lot going on and you need to be in top shape for tomorrow," Hanna argued and rushed Emily to her spare bedroom.
After Emily was tucked in, Hanna promised to herself that she'd have a one-on-one with Alison DiLaurentis soon — even if it got her fired.
THE ROSEWOOD OBSERVER
EMILY FIELDS PLACES FOURTH IN COMEBACK RACE FOLLOWING INJURY
In a return to the pool that had fans on the edge of their seats, America's Mermaid, Emily Fields, made a valiant effort but fell short of clinching the top spot in her first competition post a shoulder injury she sustained after being the victim of a hit-and-run .
Despite a strong start that had fans hopeful for a triumphant comeback, Fields ultimately settled for a fourth-place finish, marking an underwhelming performance in her much-anticipated return to the water.
With expectations running high for the decorated swimming sensation, Fields showed glimpses of her former glory as she powered through the race with determination and grit. However, it became evident that Fields struggled to maintain her momentum against her formidable adversaries.
While her performance may not have met the lofty standards set by her previous achievements, Fields' resilience in the face of adversity serves as a testament to her unwavering dedication to the sport, as highlighted by Alison DiLaurentis, CEO of the Carissimi Group, during a press conference after the swim meet.
As America's Mermaid navigates the challenges of recovery and seeks to reclaim her status as a swimming icon, fans remain hopeful that this setback will only fuel her determination to reach greater heights in the pool.
ALISON DILAURENTIS HINTS AT NECESSARY ADJUSTMENTS FOR FOCUS D SWIMSUITS
Following Emily Fields' recent race, which fell short of expectations, all eyes turned to the CEO of Focus D, Alison DiLaurentis, who raised eyebrows with some candid remarks regarding the impact of their swimsuits on performance.
In a surprising admission, DiLaurentis acknowledged that there may be room for adjustments in the design of Focus D's cutting-edge swimsuits, hinting that they might have played a role in Fields' less-than-stellar swimming. Fields' comeback race left much to be desired and speculation swirls about the impact of swimsuit technology on performance
We reached out to The Carissimi Group's PR team for an official statement regarding DiLaurentis' admission, but the company chose to not comment on the matter.
Alison was trying to get her work done when Hanna barged into her office the next morning. There had been so many thoughts swirling in her mind. Alison was worried about Emily because the swimmer hadn't reached out to her like she had expected her to. She was also concerned about Lorenzo, who never seemed to come back from his urgent CIA mission.
She had been so unfocused on that day that she took Hanna showing up at her office as a welcome distraction.
"Alison! You and I need to talk!" The other blonde growled in a way an employee should never do to their boss. Therefore, Alison knew it should be a private matter — one mostly connected to Emily, which was the only private topic she and Hanna had in common.
She raised her eyes from her laptop and considered telling Hanna that she would have to schedule a meeting first just to throw her off. She didn't like how Hanna had approached her, barging into her office if she owned the place. However, a part of her knew it would be the easiest way to find out what was happening to Emily.
"Ms. DiLaurentis, I'm sorry, she just rushed past me!" Her mess of a secretary followed Hanna shortly after. What's the point of having one when she leaves angry blondes barge into her office any day? Either way, Alison was going to let that slip this time.
"That's alright. Just lock the door and tell everyone that I'm in a meeting and I'm not to be interrupted," she instructed.
Her secretary just nodded and did as she was told. One good thing about that woman was that she minded her own business and Alison valued that a lot. Still, she could think about her secretary some other time. She needed to address the furious blonde standing in front of her.
"Look, if this is about what I said about the suits, then I'm sorry. I only meant to help Emily ," Alison started, pretending to not know what Hanna came about.
"It's not about that and you fucking know it!" Hanna raged. "Stop playing with her, Alison! I don't care if it gets me fired, I'm not about to let you hurt her!"
The CEO sighed. Aria had come to her with the same warning during that swim meet. Alison can't put her finger on it, but Hanna's threats sounded more authentic than Aria's for some reason. Still, it wasn't like this was any of her business and Alison DiLaurentis didn't like when someone else invaded her space.
"My relationship with Emily doesn't concern you."
"Of course it fucking does, she's my best friend! She broke off her engagement for you!"
That accusation was misguided. Alison knew she had given Emily a little push to break things off, but it still had been Emily's choice. And she had only been trying to make Emily see that she deserved much more than what Paige was giving her.
"It's not like that. Emily deserves way more than the breadcrumbs Paige was giving her."
"Don't play dumb with me, Alison. You were a factor in that and you know it. The problem is that you'll take everything away once you give it to her. You can't be trusted with her heart."
Somewhere deep in her heart, Alison knew that Hanna was right. She shouldn't have the right to be given Emily's heart. But her selfish part wouldn't stop the brunette if that ever came to happen.
"It's her choice, Hanna. And you won't be able to scare me away from her. Believe me, Aria has tried that already."
Hanna stumbled back in surprise. She didn't know that Aria had confronted Alison the day before, which was a sign that they hadn't been talking. It meant that both of them acted on impulse in an attempt to protect Emily from her. But Alison didn't take it personally, though she disliked that they took jabs on her private life.
"I know I can't keep her away from you. And that scares me," Hanna admits and Alison decides to give her peace of mind — or the closest thing to it she can give her. The only reason she concedes that is because she can see that Hanna is acting out of love for Emily, not for a selfish desire to snoop into their lives.
"Hanna, I don't really like people meddling in my relationships, but I can see that you honestly care about Emily. And I want you to know that I think she's amazing."
Hanna raised an eyebrow, as if she didn't believe in her.
"What do you mean, Alison?"
"It hurt to watch Emily settle for mediocrity, especially because I knew Paige cheated on her."
"You can help people leave toxic relationships without kissing them," Hanna mused and caught the faint blush on Ali's cheeks.
And suddenly Alison was at loss of words. She had no idea Hanna knew that she and Emily shared a kiss. She tried to feel angry with Emily about it, but couldn't. Hanna and Emily were best friends, she supposed they told each other everything.
The worst part was that Alison couldn't put into words what she felt about Emily and her intentions. Saying it out loud meant things have turned real and it scared her. It was easier to just slip on her mask of indifference and have people believe she didn't care about anyone.
"Wow, I never thought I'd see you lose your words," Hanna joked, reading into her all too well. Alison knew she had lost that battle.
"I'm trying here, Hanna. I might not know what to do, but I wanna try. With her," Alison stressed in the best way she could.
"I can see that. But you better get your shit together, Ali. Lucky you, Emily likes big, romantic gestures. And I'm not the one who told you that."
Alison scribbled that down in her mind. Take Emily to the most romantic date she could come up with.
"Thanks, I guess."
"My warning stands. If I find out you're playing her, I'm gonna bury you alive," Hanna threatened again and turned around to leave.
"Hanna, wait!"
The designer turned around, expecting to be fired on the spot.
"I'll pack up my things and—"
"You're getting a raise," Alison announced.
"Wait, what?! You were supposed to hate my guts!"
"Don't question it," Alison snarked and went back to the files she was reading. "You can close the door when you leave."
Hanna just smiled and accepted it. She thought she'd leave her boss' office straight to a police station for attempted murder, but she got a raise instead. What a wonderful turn of events.
Alison could barely get any work done after Hanna left. She was too caught up on the meaning of her words and how the other blonde managed to read her like a book when it came to her feelings about Emily. It was stuff she wasn't ready to address just yet.
She got distracted again when Charlotte knocked on her door. Alison supposed it was still about that press conference's fiasco. She knew her PR team probably hated her right now and Charlotte was the one taking the heat as the responsible for the marketing department.
"Is the PR team still mad at me?" Alison asked straightaway as her sister walked into her office.
"They probably hate your guts right now, but we're going with the 'no comments' approach. It's not like anything we say can make this better," Charlotte mused. "They love you more when you're doing the walk of shame."
Alison snorted, "Well, it's been a while. They're probably missing that now."
"I wonder why it's been a while," Charlotte smiled cryptically and Alison said nothing, trying to focus on her papers instead. Ignore your sister and she will go away.
Not CeCe, apparently.
"Ali, are you okay?"
The younger blonde heard the shift in her voice. It meant they were not speaking as coworkers or friends anymore. Charlotte was using her big sister voice, which would always turn Alison into a baby. She was a sucker for Charlotte's advice.
"I'm fine."
"Honey, I can see it in your eyes. There's something bothering you," Charlotte stepped closer and leaned against Ali's desk. "Come on, you're my baby sister. I'll always know when something is off with you."
Alison gulped and decided to say something. Fuck whatever that meant.
"CeCe, how did you know Lorenzo was the one?"
Charlotte didn't show any reaction. She was the only one who could beat Alison in the game of masking her feelings and intentions.
"Ali, people don't come with those kinds of tags. I know Lorenzo is the one because we keep choosing one another every time."
The whole concept of choosing the same person over and over again bewildered Alison. Why should she stay with someone when there were so many fish in the water? There must be a reason why people married in the first place and she supposes it's what they call "love".
"And why did you choose him?" She asked.
"Honey, believe me, you won't have to think much when it's the right choice. Choosing Lorenzo feels natural, even with all his baggage and complications. Everyone has them, so choose wisely."
That concept left Alison even more confused. How could making a choice feel so natural? She'd always overthink or go with her guts, whatever it means.
"I don't understand this."
"I have a feeling that you've already made that choice, but you're pushing back against it," Charlotte smirked, reading her all too well. "Ali, don't do that. Give yourself a chance to be happy."
"What if my choice doesn't choose me? What if she decides that I'm too much for her or that I'm not worth the ride? What if she picks someone else?"
"Then it's her choice. You accept it and choose someone else too.. That's how it works," Charlotte shrugged off. "This is about Emily Fields, isn't it?"
"What?"
"Don't lie to me, Ali. You've been awfully domesticated since you've met her. It's all over social media by now. And Seth has been going around saying that you two look cute together, which I agree."
"I'm gonna kill that boy!" Alison seethed, but she actually didn't mean it.
"Don't do that, he only wants the very best for his aunt," Charlotte winked. "Are you gonna be okay, kid?"
"I'm trying," Ali replied with her shoulders slumped.
"Well, I might have good news for you. My husband is back and he wants you and Spencer to come by his office after lunch."
That did light up Alison a little bit. It meant that soon she could be chasing Archer's ass to a jail cell.
"Wait, when did he come back?" She asked.
"Just yesterday."
"And why didn't he call us? Spencer and I had a very important lead on the genetic doping case."
Alison didn't feel the need to lie about their cases with Charlotte. She knew Lorenzo shared some stuff with her. He was bound to because they were married. Alison was pretty sure he didn't get into any details that could be possibly dangerous to Charlotte, but he shared enough for her sister to know about most of their cases.
"Oh, honey, Lorenzo and I had a lot of catching up to do, if you know what I mean," Charlotte wiggled her eyebrows and smirked. Alison wanted to puke.
"Okay, gross! He's my boss and you're my sister!"
"You're the one who asked, honey!" Charlotte said as she walked out of Ali's office. "Good luck on the case and don't do anything stupid."
"Roger that."
Alison really meant it. She didn't want to do anything stupid that could potentially risk hers of someone else's life.
Of course things don't always go according to the plan.
Spencer and Alison went to Lorenzo's office later that day and they shared with him the evidence that Archer Dunhill had stolen Dr. Elliott Rollins' ID and that he was an infamous drug dealer in Scotland who has a lengthy file in Interpol. Actually, Spencer did most of the talking. Alison was still distracted. What if Charlotte was right? What if she had already chosen Emily?
"You've been awfully quiet today," Spencer asked after Lorenzo left the room for another cup of coffee.
"I'm just dealing with some things at work."
"You know, you can talk to me about that. In case you forgot, you're my boss," Spencer smirked, but Alison didn't feel like sharing her feelings about Emily with her so soon again.
Thankfully, their case moved on faster than expected. To his credit, Lorenzo did everything in his power to make it a priority. He provided the search warrant, had the Intelligence Department pull up Archer's current address, and quickly assembled a team for that mission. By the end of the evening, the three of them plus two agents were standing outside Archer's house.
They rang the doorbell, knocked, and waited. As no one came to answer the door, they decided to break into the house. Alison was tasked with picking the lock. She felt relieved because it gave her mind something to latch onto other than her worries. It only took her five minutes to pick the lock and let everyone in.
Archer wasn't in sight, so they started the search with their guns in hand. And that's when things began to fall apart for Alison. Her mind was so focused on capturing Archer and finding out whatever the hell he had been injecting into Emily's shoulder that she didn't take all of her precautions while searching the house.
Archer popped out of a hidden trapdoor and shot her.
The first bullet buzzed just beside her ear, the second one scratched her left arm and the third one hit her straight on the chest.
