Carrie stared at the words she had just typed, her fingers hovering over the keyboard. She had spent hours crafting the letter, and now allthat remained was to hit send. To make it real. To make it final.
I submit my resignation as director of public relations, effective immediately.
A knock on the door pulled her back to the room. She closed the laptop before she could second-guess herself. “Come in.
”
Sami stepped inside and stopped short at the sight of her sister’s face. “Don’t P. R. directors ever get to go home?
Carrie, what’s the matter? ”
Carrie’s voice cracked before she could steady it. “I am so sorry, Sami. I would understand if you never forgave me.
I’ve hurt so many people. ”
Sami crossed the room and took her hand. “Carrie, that’s history. We promised to start over, remember?
”
Carrie shook her head. “Austin never lost faith in you. He was loyal and forgiving. I was the one who turned my back on you.
”
Sami squeezed her fingers. “If there’s one thing I learned during my ordeal on death row, it’s that life is too precious to waste it looking back. I’ve been given a second chance, and I’m not going to waste it. You and I haven’t been close in a long time, and I’d like to change that.
So to that end… maybe you’d have dinner with me tonight at Tuscany? Maybe it could be a new beginning for us. ”
Carrie wanted to believe her.
She wanted to believe anything that promised a way out of the guilt that had been gnawing at her for months. She nodded,forcing a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “That sounds… that sounds wonderful, Sami.
”
A few blocks away, Ali sat across from Austin in a quiet corner of the hospital cafeteria. She had seen the storm brewing in his eyes the moment he walked in,and she knew why he had come. Still,she waited. She let him find his own way to the question burning between them.
“I bet I know what you’re thinking about,” she said softly. “What? ”
“Mike and Carrie, right? ”
Austin’s jaw tightened.
“Don’t worry. I’m not psychic. I’m just good at reading people with broken hearts. ” She leaned forward.
“Why don’t you tell me about it? ”
“It’s kind of personal. ”
“I’m not being nosy. I’m a concerned friend.
”
Austin laughed, but there was no warmth in it. “A concerned friend. Then you’d tell me the truth. So tell me what you know about my wife’s relationship with Mike Horton.
”
Ali’s pulse quickened, but she kept her face calm. “I don’t know anything about any pictures, Austin. ”
“Pictures? ” His eyes narrowed.
“Somebody e-mailed me photos of Mike and Carrie together. Really intimate photos of them together in Las Vegas. Signed ‘a concerned friend. ‘ So when I got there,I saw Craig and Nancy.
I asked them. Of course,they said no. So now I’m going to ask you. Did you send me those photos, Ali?
”
She shook her head,her voice steady despite the knot in her stomach. “That’s awful that somebody would do that. I mean… were they really,really intimate?
”
Austin’s silence was the answer. Ali pressed a hand to her mouth. “Oh,my. I’m so sorry,Austin.
What a horrible way to be tipped off that your wife is cheating on you. ”
“No,” he said,his voice low. “The pictures didn’t tell the whole story. ”
“What do you mean?
”
“I caught them. I caught them alone in the room. ”
Ali’s throat went dry. “What?
What were they doing? ”
“You need me to spell it out for you? ”
She stared at him, the pieces clicking into place with a sickening snap. Then the anger came,hot and fast.
“Damn it. He used me,Austin. He got me into bed with him,made all kinds of promises to me,broke every single one of them. And then when he was done with me,he dumped me.
He dumped me like yesterday’s garbage. ”
Austin watched her,the accusation dying on his lips. She wasn’t lying. He could see that now.
The hurt in her voice was too raw,too real. . Across town,Mike sat alone in his office,staring at the walls. The day had been brutal,and he knew worse was coming.
A knock at the door brought Nancy Wesley inside,her face soft with concern. “Mike,you look upset. Is everything all right? ”
“Yeah,no,it’s just been a rough day.
”
She stepped closer. “Look,you really came through for me. Is there anything I can do for you now? ”
Mike hesitated,then decided to take the risk.
“Yeah,you know what? Maybe you could do me a little favor. ”
“Oh,great. Name it.
”
“It’s Ali. She’s still distorting what happened between us. We saw each other a little while back. It didn’t work out.
”
“Right. I remember. ”
Mike rubbed his temples. “Well,it happened to be around the time she was being considered for the head nurse job.
I had no way of knowing she was even on the short list,and she couldn’t have known it either. ”
Nancy’s brow furrowed. “Mike,wait. That was a long time ago.
Why is she making an issue of it now? ”
“I don’t know. I’m thinking maybe somebody’s sort of manipulating her to do so. Somebody…
maybe possibly her mother. I suppose I should have seen it coming. I think Claire McIntyre’s had it in for me ever since the unpleasantness at Tuscany that night. ”
Nancy’s expression flickered.
Claire McIntyre wanted more than a grudge settled. She wanted Mike’s career dismantled piece by piece. And Nancy had just walked into the middle of that plan unwittingly. Elsewhere, Craig Wesley stood outside his mother’s door,his voice low.
“Claire,I think since Mike is not taking Ali seriously right now,this might be a good opportunity for her to make the next move and have the hospital served. That way,once the board sees that Mike could cost them millions in damages,they would dump him as chief of staff. ”
Claire smiled. “But one more shoe to drop first.
Mike’s P. R. director,Carrie Reed… Ali told me Mike’s involved with her.
”
Craig’s eyes lit up. “She’s very observant. ”
“Like mother,like daughter. ” Claire’s smile widened.
“I see the potential for an even bigger scandal,don’t you,Dr. Wesley? ”
Meanwhile,Vivian Alamain stood at the center of her grand living room,greeting her guests with the brittle brightness of a woman who refused to show weakness. The party was her idea,her last gambit.
If she could convince Victor she was dying,if she could make him feel sorry for her… maybe there was still a chance. But Kate was already circling,her eyes sharp,her smile poisonous. “Well,well,well,my instinct was right on the money.
” Kate’s voice cut through the murmur of conversation as Vivian reached for a canapé. “Oh,go ahead. Please,eat. Eat.
You were going after that canapé like a jackal after carrion. ”
Vivian’s hand froze midair. “What instinct,Kate? What are you talking about?
”
“This little plot of yours,inviting Victor here,was just a pathetic attempt to make him feel sorry for you. Well,it’s not going to happen. Your past offenses have been far too egregious. ”
Vivian’s eyes darted to Nicholas.
“Nicholas,stop her. Someone stop her! ”
Kate stepped closer,her voice rising. “Someone should have stopped you a long time ago,before you stole my child and made me spend a year in hell,and caused Victor’s first stroke.
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. God will not forgive you,much less Victor,for everything you have done. But then again,you’re going to have a lot of time to repent,because you will not be meeting your Maker for a long time,Vivian. ”
The room had gone silent.
Victor stepped forward,his face unreadable. Vivian turned to him,her voice trembling. “I am dying. Lexie confirmed it.
I am,aren’t I,darling? Victor and I have looked death in the eye,both of us have,and the only important thing is to make peace with those that you love. Forgiveness is very healing. ”
Victor met her eyes,and when he spoke,his voice was flat.
“I agree. Holding a grudge is pointless,unseemly. But in this case,I agree with Kate. Some wounds never heal.
Some things are unforgivable. ”
Vivian’s mask cracked. For a moment,everyone saw the fear beneath. Then she recovered,shaking her head with a brittle laugh.
“Well. Well,well. ”
Nearby,Bo watched the exchange from across the room,his jaw tight. Stefano appeared at his elbow,all oily charm.
“Settle a score. Oh,my goodness. Bo,this is a party,not a battlefield. ”
“I’m aware of that,big guy.
I’m here to support my father. ”
Stefano’s eyebrows rose. “Ah. Oh,I’m sorry I misunderstood.
I never realized that you and Victor were that close. ”
“Yeah,well,all that’s going to change tonight. I’m going to put the past to rest. ”
Stefano’s smile didn’t waver.
But his eyes tracked Bo as he moved away,through the crowd,toward Victor. Let him scheme and plot all he wants,Stefano told himself. As long as my masterpieces are safe. But Gina had overheard.
She drifted close to her former husband,her tone light. “Why the hell didn’t you tell me that you were going to be here? ”
“It was a spur of the moment thing,Steffy. Bo absolutely insisted that I come.
”
Stefano’s eyes narrowed. “Well,he’s up to something. But let him scheme and plot all he wants,as long as my masterpieces are safe. ”
Gina’s smile was thin.
She knew something about those masterpieces herself. And she knew Bo’s plan. At the far end of the room,John Black walked in with Marlena on his arm. He had planned this evening carefully.
This was about more than a party. This was about facing the man who had stolen years of his life,and reclaiming what Stefano had tried to take from him. He spotted Nicholas across the room and grinned. “Nicholas?
Nicholas! ” He crossed to him,clapping him on the shoulder. “I didn’t know you were in town. When did you get in?
”
“A few days ago. ”
“Well,you look great,kid. Hey,you remember Marlena. ”
Nicholas’s smile was polite.
“Of course. How could I forget? ”
Marlena studied him. There was something guarded about the young man, something that didn’t quite match the easy charm he wore like a coat.
But she smiled anyway. “Vivian’s quite a trooper,isn’t she,throwing that party tonight? ” John said. “Yeah,well,I’m hoping playing hostess tonight is going to help her rally a little bit.
”
“Yeah,me,too. ” John turned,spotting a familiar figure. “Oh,I would like to introduce you to some friends. Lili Faversham.
”
Nicholas’s expression flickered. “Miss Faversham… what an honor. Your name is legendary throughout Europe.
”
Lili smiled,pleased. “What a kind thing to say. Have you spent much time in Europe? ”
“Actually,Miss Faversham,I work at your bank.
You’re my boss. ”
“Well,I must say I am pleased to have such a handsome young man in my employ. ”
Nicholas’s smile was charming. But when Vivian appeared at his side moments later,her hand closing around his arm liken a talon,he followed without protest.
She drew him aside,her voice low and urgent. “I don’t want you anywhere near that horrid Faversham woman. ”
“Against Lili Faversham? What has she ever done to you?
”
Vivian’s eyes glittered. “There are old scores there that you don’t know about. Just stay away from her,do you understand me? ”
Nearby,Victor stood with Bo,their voices low amid the clink of glasses.
“Are you ready to rock ‘n’ roll? ” Bo asked. Vivian appeared beside them,her smile bright again. “Stefano will never know what happened.
”
Bo nodded. The plan was set. The pieces were in motion. Now all that remained was the execution.
Marlena touched John’s arm,her voice soft with concern. “John,are you all right? ”
He blinked. The pounding behind his eyes had started again,the ache that had been growing worse with each passing day.
The headaches were getting harder to ignore,and he knew what they meant. He knew what they cost him. But tonight,he pushed itu down. “I’m fine,Doc.
Just a little headache. It’ll pass. ”
She didn’t believe him. She could see it in the set of his jaw,the way his hand went unconsciously to his temple.
But she didn’t push. Not here. Not now. Carrie arrived at the party late,wearing a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.
She had almost not come. Her resignation letter was still unsent,folded in her bag liken a stone she couldn’t bring herself to drop. She needed to see Mike. She needed to see his face,to know whether there was anything left to save.
But when she spotted him across the room,she froze. . Mike was talking to Nancy Wesley. And Nancy was smiling at him with the warmth of someone who knew something.
Someone who had just been handed a weapon. Carrie turned away. She couldn’t do this here. She couldn’t do this at all.
The party swirled around Vivian like a current. She played the gracious hostess,charming and fragile by turns,drawing Victor close whenever she could. But every time she reached for him,he stepped back. Every time she smiled,his face stayed stone.
And Kate watched it all with the satisfaction of a woman watching her enemy drown slowly. Finally,Vivian could take no more. The facade was cracking,and she knew it. She caught Nicholas’s eye and gave him a small shake of her head.
It was time. Time to see if her last gamble would pay off. She approached Victor one last time,her voice low. “Forgiveness is very healing,Victor.
You said so yourself. ”
He looked at her for a long moment. Then he said,quietly and final as a door closing, “Some wounds never heal. Some things are unforgivable.
”
Vivian’s face crumpled. For the first time all night,she had no words. She turned away,and the room seemed to hold its breath as she walked slowly toward the window,her reflection ghostly in the dark glass. Kate watched her go,and for a moment,her satisfaction wavered.
Then she steeled herself. Vivian had earned every ounce of this. Every bit of it. Bo’s plan unfolded hours later,when the guests had thinned andthe champagne had gone flat.
He confronted Stefano confidentially a single question,one that made the older man’s smile finally slip. “Where are Vivian’s paintings,Stefano? ”
Stefano’s eyes went hard. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.
”
“I think you do. I think you know exactly where they are. And I think you’re going to tell me. ”
The air between them crackled.
But Stefano’s mouth stayed shut,and Bo knew this wasn’t over. It was just beginning. Later,as the last guests filed out,Carrie found herself standing alone on the terrace,watching the lights of Salem flicker below. She heard footsteps behind her,and she knew without turning who it was.
“Carrie. ” Mike’s voice was tired. “I’ve been looking for you. ”
She turned.
“I was going to resign tonight. ”
His eyes widened. “What? ”
“I typed the letter.
I was going to send it. I thought… I thought if I left,everything would stop. Everyone I’ve hurt…
you,Austin,Sami… I thought maybe if I disappeared,they could all heal. ”
Mike stepped closer,his voice rough. “Carrie,that’s not going to fix anything.
That’s not going to undo what happened. But running isn’t the answer either. ”
She laughed,brittle. “Then what is?
”
He didn’t have an answer. Neither did she. They stood there in the dark,two people who had caused so much damage,holding onto each other because letting go felt like drowning. Inside,the party was over.
Vivian had retreated to her room,her face hollow. Nicholas sat alone in the parlor,staring at nothing. Kate had gone home with her victory,wrapped tight around her like a shawl. Stefano had disappeared without saying goodbye.
And somewhere in the night,John Black lay awake,his hand pressed to his forehead,waiting for the pounding to stop. It didn’t. It never did anymore. The morning came gray and cold.
Carrie woke to the sound of her phone buzzing. It was Sami,texting her about dinner. A new beginning,she had called it. Carrie stared at the screen for a long moment.
Then she typed back: “Tonight. Tuscany. I’ll be there. ”
She dressed slowly,then reached into her bag and pulled out the resignation letter.
She read it once. Then she folded it,put itu back,and zipped the bag shut. Not yet. Not yet.
Because Sami was right. Life was too precious to waste it looking back. And maybe,just maybe,there was still a way forward. At the hospital,Alexis confronted her father in the corridor,her voice cold.
“You used me,Stefano. You used me to lie about Vivian’s prognosis. ”
Stefano smiled. “I used you to help a dying woman find peace.
Call it what you like. ”
Lexie’s hands clenched at her sides. “Vivian isn’t dying. You know it,and I know it.
And one day,everyone is going to know exactly what you did. All of it. ”
Stefano’s smile didn’t waver. But his eyes flickered,just for an instant.
And Lexie saw it. She saw the crack in the armor,and she knew that one day,that crack would split wide open. Across town,Vivian stood at her window,watching the sun rise over Salem. She had lost.
She knew it now. Victor would never forgive her. Kate had won. The life she had schemed and clawed to rebuild was ash in her hands.
But she was still alive. And as long as she was alive,there was still a chance. Still a scheme. Still a revenge.
She smiled,thin and cold. “The battle isn’t over. It’s just begun. ”
And somewhere in the city,Mike Horton walked into his office at dawn,ready to face whatever came next.
The lawsuits,the rumors,the scandal… he would face them all. Because he had made mistakes,terrible ones. But he was still standing.
And he wasn’t about to stop now. The door opened. Nancy Wesley stepped in,her face apologetic. “Mike,I need to tell you something.
Something I should have told you a long time ago. ”
He looked at her. The exhaustion was bone-deep. “What is it, Nancy?
”
She closed the door behind her. “It’s about Ali. It’s about the night at Tuscany. And it’s about everything Claire has been planning since then.
”
Mike’s jaw tightened. But he nodded. “Tell me. ”
And as she began to speak,the pieces of the conspiracy finally clicked into place.
The plan that had been built around him,around Carrie,around Ali… all of it,finally laid bare. He listened. He took it in.
And when she was done,he said only one word:
“Now I know. ”
And he went to work.
