by Alice Ward
“Why would you want that for him?” I asked, genuine pain and confusion dripping from my voice. “As much as you hate me, I make Drake happy. Why isn’t that enough for you? Unless…” I paused for a moment as the wheels in my head began to turn.
“You need him to stay married to Alex, don’t you? You made some sort of deal all those years ago. How much did you sell him for, Rebecca? What did you get in exchange for Drake binding himself to a woman he can’t stand?”
“You don’t need to know,” she assured me, shifting Emma to her other arm. She stared down at the baby for a moment and then looked to me.
“Your sister-in-law is very attractive. It’s a shame her daughter looks more like you.”
I rolled my eyes, to impatient to be insulted. “Yes, it’s a huge shame,” I agreed with biting sarcasm. “What do you want, Rebecca?”
“I want you to break Drake’s heart,” she replied without missing a beat. “I want you to go to him and tell him you’ve made a horrible mistake. Tell him you never loved him. Tell him you’ve found someone else. I don’t care as long as you leave him for good this time.”
“And why would I do that?” I pressed defiantly.
“Because I told you to,” she snapped. It was the first time I’d really seen her lose her cool and watching her squirm sent an adrenaline rush through my body.
“Drake has what he needs to get the annulment, Rebecca,” I reminded her. “He’s going to end the marriage whether I’m in the picture or not.”
“Not necessarily,” she argued. “If you leave, he won’t be in such a rush to finalize the annulment. It won’t take me long to get him to see reason once you’re out of his head.”
“Or maybe we’ll do a little more digging into your reasons, Rebecca. Maybe we’ll find your motivation for wanting Alex and Drake together. And maybe we’ll destroy you with it,” I hissed.
“I thought you might say that,” she replied with her go-to syrupy condescension. “Which is why I chose this place for our little meeting. I have eyes on you, Chelsea, more eyes than you could possibly imagine. I know every move you make and everything you care about. If I can get to Emma here, imagine what I could do once she’s released from the hospital.”
You fucking bitch.
“That’s right,” she continued. A look of triumph crossed her face as panic etched across mine.
“I’d hoped to be able to make you see reason without making any serious threats. But make no mistake, Chelsea. I will get what I want. If you and that family of yours run one more background check into me or my associates, I will make all of you regret it.”
I knew what Rebecca was capable of. She had no problem destroying her own child’s life and I didn’t put it past her to hurt Emma. There was no way I was going to back down and give Drake up so easily. I turned my attention to getting rid of her for the time being. I let out a long sigh and looked up at her with defeat.
“I know when I’ve been beat,” I told her. “I love Drake. But I’m not foolish enough to dismiss what you just said. Emma is the most important part of our family. If something happened to her, we’d all be destroyed. And I know you’re more than capable of carrying out your threats. Give her to me, Rebecca. As soon as her parents get back, I’ll go to Drake and end things.”
I hoped Rebecca would be arrogant enough to believe she’d won, and my hope was fulfilled. She sneered at me, but put Emma in my arms.
“I’m sorry things had to get so unpleasant, Chelsea. I’m glad you’ve finally decided to see reason. Remember, I have eyes on you.”
Rebecca glided out of the room and Emma looked up at me in wonder.
“It’s okay, sweet girl,” I cooed, laying her beside me on the bed. I unraveled her blanket and lifted her gown, looking over every inch of her tiny, delicate body. Satisfied that Rebecca hadn’t harmed her, I changed her diaper and swaddled her again.
“I’m so sorry you had to see that awful woman,” I said, rocking Emma in my arms. “You were a very brave girl while she was here. You’re never going to see her again, Emma. I will make sure of that if it’s the last thing I do.”
***
“Stacey, Oliver, I am so sorry,” Drake stammered, leaning against the wall of Emma’s hospital room.
“It’s not your fault, Drake,” Stacey assured him. She put a reassuring hand on his shoulder while Oliver cradled Emma.
The moment Rebecca left the room, I sent a group text alerting everyone about her visit. Drake and Oliver arrived at the hospital minutes later with Stacey following close behind. Dad went straight to work filing for a restraining order against Rebecca.
“If she’d hurt her…” Drake said, his face deathly pale.
“She didn’t,” I insisted. “I would never have let that happen. But Rebecca’s determined, Drake. She says she has eyes on me. She’ll know if I don’t follow through on her demands. And there’s not a doubt in my mind that she’ll come back if we don’t give her what she wants. I know you hate the idea of playing along with her…”
“But now, this isn’t about me,” Drake finished. “It’s about keeping Emma safe. There’s nothing more important to me than that. If Rebecca needs to think we’ve ended things, let’s go give her a show.”
“What do you suggest?” I asked with a raised eyebrow.
“I don’t want there to be any doubt that we’ve broken up. We’re going to go somewhere very public and you are going to tell me that you’ve met someone else. Make it sound as bad as you have to, Chelsea. At some point, I’ll get up and storm away. I’ll call Rebecca, tell her you’ve left me, and ask if I can come home. She knows I don’t have anywhere else to go. I’ll stay there until we come up with a plan.”
“Drake, you don’t have to do that, man,” Oliver insisted. “We can keep Emma safe. I can’t say the same for you if you go back to that house.”
Drake shook his head. “Rebecca’s willing to hurt a tiny, innocent baby. She won’t hesitate to hurt an adult who gets in her way. This is the only way to keep everyone safe.”
Tears filled Stacey’s eyes as she pulled Drake into a hug.
“We’re all going to work around the clock to figure out a way to stop Rebecca,” she promised.
“Thank you, Stacey,” he replied, pulling away from her.
Oliver reached over and shook Drake’s hand. “Pick up a burner phone the first chance you get,” he instructed. “We’ll keep in touch that way until we figure all this out.”
“What should we do about Dad?” Stacey asked, concern rising in her voice. “Should he keep working on the case? Should he fly home so Rebecca believes we’ve given up?”
“I may be able to carry out Chelsea’s original plan, now that I’m going home. If she thinks I’m falling back in line, she might call off the feds. But I’m not willing to trust that. Give us two hours. Then, have Dad call Mom and tell her that Chelsea and I have broken up. He should say that he’s off the case, but he’s staying in the city to spend a little more time with Emma. I’d like him close, if the worst should happen.”
“You got it,” Oliver quickly agreed. He sighed, his eyes darting from Drake to me and then to the baby.
“Here,” he said, gently placing Emma in Drake’s arms. “Hold your niece until you feel better. Then, the two of you can go put on your show.”
Drake cradled Emma and stared down into her bright, alert eyes. “Hey there, little one. I have to go away for a little while. I promise I’ll be back as soon as I can. In the meantime, I need you to take care of Aunt Chelsea for me.”
I hate that woman. Drake finally feels like he’s part of a family. And now, she’s ripping him away from it. She thinks she can push us around because she has money. But she doesn’t stand a chance against us.
Drake passed Emma back to Oliver, brushed a tear from his cheek, and straightened his collar. “Come on, baby. Let’s get this over with.”
“We’ll see you soon, Drake,” Oliver promised.
“Chelsea, come back her o
nce… once it’s over,” Stacey called as we stepped into the hallway.
“I will,” I called back.
Drake said a final goodbye to my family, took my hand, and led me out of the hospital.
***
“Can I start you off with an appetizer?” our bubbly waiter asked as he approached our outdoor table.
“We’re just here for drinks,” Drake explained as he sat two glasses of white wine in front of us.
“Okay, if you change your mind just wave me over.”
Drake had chosen the small café because of the outdoor seating. We needed to give Rebecca’s spies a good view of our break-up. I felt exposed and uncomfortable, but the last thing I wanted to do was get it over with. I wanted to sit with him a few minutes longer.
“Chelsea, just do it,” Drake whispered under his breath.
I stared down at the white linen tablecloth and watched the candlelight flicker against it. I took a deep breath and looked back up at Drake with devastated tears in my eyes.
“I’m sorry, but I just don’t love you,” I whispered.
“What are you talking about?” he gasped, pretending to be shocked.
This isn’t real. These words don’t mean anything. It has to look believable.
I cleared my throat and raised my voice. “I don’t love you. I’ve never loved you. Your mother was right about me all along. I wanted your money. Now that you’re broke, I don’t have the strength to fake this anymore.”
“I don’t believe you,” he growled. “Rebecca got to you. I know she did.”
“No, she didn’t,” I insisted, violently shaking my head. It was important that whoever was watching believed I hadn’t told Drake about Rebecca’s visit.
“This doesn’t make any sense, Chelsea. You made me chase you. If you were only in this for my money, why did you leave me over and over again?” he pressed.
“I had to be the kind of woman who stood up to you. I knew that was the only kind of woman you’d ever trust enough to marry. I was going to insist that my father draw up our pre-nup. And I was going to make sure he added plenty of loopholes.”
I was shocked by how fast the lies flew off my tongue. My pulse raced and my palms went sweaty as I waited for Drake to respond. He glared at me for a few silent moments and then curled his lip into a snarl.
“You fucking bitch.”
This isn’t real. He doesn’t mean that. This is just a show.
“You kept me in the fucking country. I transferred the last dime I had into your account. You’ve had this planned all along. If I end up in prison, it will be your fucking fault.”
My eyes burned hot with tears, but my stare remained cold. Drake’s face was etched with pain and anger, and I wanted so badly to reach across the table and comfort him. But I knew that wasn’t an option. I pushed my shoulders back and held my head high.
“If I believed for one second that you were a good man, I might feel a little bad about this,” I hissed. “But I know better. Consider me karma’s little helper, getting back at you for all of the women you’ve screwed over the years.”
It looks real enough. Please God Drake, get up and storm away. I can’t keep this up much longer.
Drake glared at me and opened his mouth to reply. Then, his eyes moved past me and the color drained from his face.
“Shit,” he muttered under his breath. He slipped off his watch and dropped it into my purse, along with his phone.
What the hell?
“Drake, what’s going on?” I whispered, too scared to turn around and see for myself what had caused the sudden change in script.
“Look at me, Chelsea,” he said firmly. I met his eyes and he squeezed my hand.
“Everything’s going to be okay. When they take me away, call your dad and then go straight to the hospital. Tell security about Rebecca’s visit this afternoon, and then wait there with Stacey and Oliver,” he instructed.
“What do you mean when they take you…?”
“Drake Waters,” a barking voice called out from behind me.
“I love you, Chelsea,” Drake said, rising to his feet. He raised his arms in the air and put his hands to the back of his head.
“I love you t—”
“Drake Waters, you are under arrest,” the voice barked again. A tall, thick man in a black suit stepped past me and slid handcuffs over Drake’s wrists.
“You have the right to remain silent. You have the right to an attorney. If you can’t afford an attorney, the court will appoint one for you. Do you understand these rights as I’ve read them to you?”
Drake nodded, his eyes still fixed on me. “Call Dad, Chelsea.”
The first officer was joined by three others and they made a circle around Drake.
“I will,” I promised as the cops drug him away. “Wait!” I called after them. “Where are you taking him?”
They disappeared into the night without an answer.
CHAPTER 6
e
As my father had warned during that first meeting, Drake ended up spending a night in federal lockup. Dad represented him during his arraignment the next morning, but was unable to convince the judge that Drake wasn’t a flight risk. He entered a not-guilty plea, and was ordered back into custody to await trial.
I’d wanted nothing more than to be at the hearing myself to show Drake support. But I had to keep up the charade that we’d broken up, to protect my family from Rebecca. Dad came straight from court to give the rest of us the news at the hospital.
“Did Rebecca show up for the hearing?” Stacey asked, her lips curled into a frown.
Dad shook his head. “No, she didn’t make an appearance. And no one’s approached me about taking over the case. My guess is she wants Drake to sit behind bars and think about what he’s done. She’s trying to break him. When she thinks he’s had enough, she’ll come up with a way to clear his name. She’ll get him released on the condition that he does what she tells him.”
“The hell she will,” I snapped. “It’s not going to come to that, because we’re going to fucking stop her. I’ve had enough of this.”
“We all have, Chels. But what do you suggest we do?” Stacey asked.
“We just have to keep digging. Rebecca planted Kevin in the office and Kevin planted the evidence. He’s the one who sent fraudulent ledgers to the IRS and the one who created the paper trail for stock Drake swears he never bought, much less sold. The police are combing through all of Drake’s computers, but I bet they aren’t looking at Kevin’s.”
Stacey narrowed her eyes, deep in thought. “I bet he didn’t set everything up on his work computer. That would have been too risky.”
“And the cops don’t know to look at his personal computer,” I finished.
Dad cleared his throat. “I hate to break it to you, kids, but we don’t have grounds to file for a warrant. There’s not enough probable cause for us to get Kevin’s personal computer.”
“I can hack him without a warrant,” Stacey insisted. “I’ve gotten really good; he’ll never even know I was there. If I find anything, I’ll screen shot it and we can send it to the feds anonymously.”
“Stacey,” Dad started to argue but she held up a hand to silence him.
“Drake is the reason you’re holding Emma right now, Dad,” she reminded him. “He’s done so much for us. I won’t let Rebecca use him like this.”
“I was just going to tell you to be careful,” he said with a resolved smile.
“Are you sure you have time to do this?” I asked her.
She nodded. “I’ll make time.”
“I’ll call Lindsey and see if she can help,” Dad offered. “It could be months before this goes to trial. Let’s put a stop to this before it gets that far.”
I bit my lip and put my hands on my hips, nervously shuffling my feet.
“What is it, Chels?” Oliver asked, his voice low and understanding.
“Rebecca warned me against doing this,” I reminded them. “She
said if we kept digging into her affairs, she’d come after Emma.”
“No one’s going to hurt Emma,” Dad replied, his voice sharp and resolved. “I’ve spoken with hospital security and Rebecca isn’t allowed in the building. A guard will be posted in the lobby, at the elevator, and at the end of this hallway.”
“It’s awfully nice of the hospital to do that,” I observed.
“That woman should never have been allowed in this room. I pointed out the negligence several times. The hospital is covering its ass,” Dad explained.
“Well whatever the motivation, I appreciate the protection,” Stacey said as I turned to face her.
“If we’re defying her rules anyway, do you think you could find some time to do a little more digging into Rebecca’s past?”
“Sure,” she quickly agreed. “What did you have in mind?”
“Her determination to keep Drake and Alex together has never completely made since. Not until she was here, that is. I think Rebecca tricked Drake into the marriage to fulfill some sort of deal she made with someone else. I don’t know if she was being blackmailed or if she traded him for something… but I want to find out. There’s a secret here, a big one. And if we can unearth it, I think it will be her undoing.”
“Consider me on it,” she agreed with a determined nod.
Dad’s phone rang and he passed Emma to me.
“Hello? Yes, we’re all here now with my granddaughter. I hardly think… this is… okay. Okay, we’ll be down soon.” He ended the call and stuck his phone back in his pocket.
“What is it now?” I asked, the too familiar sense of dread growing in my chest.
“That was Special Agent Barstow. We’ve all been asked down to headquarters for questioning,” he explained with a frown.
“All of us? Even me?” Stacey gasped. She instinctively reached for Emma and I passed her without protest.
“Even you,” Dad replied with a nod. “We’re supposed to be there in an hour.”
“I’ll call Piper and see if she can come sit with Emma,” Oliver offered. He pulled his phone from his pocket and stepped into the hallway.