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"Huh?"
"Roll the dice, Felicia," Simon Holden says, staring across the table at Felicia Bale as she absentmindedly holds a pair of dice in her palm.
The game of Monopoly is long enough as it is, but Felicia has seemed incredibly disoriented throughout the entire game. It has become a weekly tradition to play the game in the household. The one thing that gets Felicia, Simon, and Matt all together in order to resemble some inane version of a family.
The tradition began before the disaster at the hospital. Before Kyle Maddock returned to town and threw Simon's life as Matt's father into chaos. Some weeks, they are even joined by Aaron Maddock who has fast become another part of their family.
After the accident that killed Aaron's cousin, Melissa, Felicia felt horribly guilty. She had spent so much time clashing with Melissa, allowing her sister Valerie to color her opinion of the woman. By becoming close to Aaron, lonely with his sister gone, she somehow felt as if she were righting her wrongs.
Without fail they've played the game every week, save for one or two scattered instances.
But recently, Felicia has seemed distant during their games.
Matt has noticed, but merely rolls his eyes and sends texts on his phone in between rolls. It has been up to Simon to mention that something is amiss...but Felicia rarely knows what he's talking about.
"I'm sorry," Felicia says, finally rolling the dice.
The dice roll across the board, shaking and rattling, clanging against one another until they reached the edge of the board, nearly close to falling from the table.
"Snake eyes," Matt mutters.
"Snake eyes," Felicia says softly. "Excuse me."
Felicia slips out her chair and heads toward the kitchen. She picks up the phone from the wall and dials a number. After hearing a few rings, a man's voice picks up.
"Hello, Felicia. Do you want to tell me a secret?"
As she speaks briefly, she is oblivious as Matt enters the kitchen, texting on his phone. "Um...it's your turn again."
Felicia hangs up the phone.
"Who were you talking to?" Matt asks, glancing up.
"I was on the phone?" Felicia asks, returning to the living room as if nothing has just transpired.
MARQUETTE COVE COURTHOUSE
THE PRESENT
"I'm not the witness," Michael Hanley says, taking a seat behind Robert Bale and Darren Reynolds in the courtroom. "I drove the witness. The witness who knows one simple reason why Melissa Bale's husband has no right to her fortune."
Robert rises to his feet, glaring directly at Michael. "Oh really? What's that?"
"Because he's still married to me," Felicia Bale says coldly, entering the courtroom and knowing full well that all eyes are now on her.
Never mind the fact that every single person who called him out was responsible for what happened themselves. Sean knew his memory had been wiped, yet still wanted to continue with the process. Robert and Felicia found evidence in Michael's basement, but rather than expose their torrid affair to Robert's wife, they chose to remain silent. His former wife Leslie acted as if she were the one most affected by this. But little did anyone know she was hiding the secret that Sean, the man she claimed she loved, wasn't even the father of her son Vincent. Michael could very well expose that secret in a public forum, absolutely humiliating her.
But he still has feelings for her. Enough that he would never abuse her like that. And at any rate, much like Michael's secrets were exposed over a closed-circuit camera, he very much expects that Leslie's secret won't be able to stay dormant for long. Secrets have a way of exposing themselves in Marquette Cove.
A knock at the door to Michael's study brings his focus to the door, where Riley Schaefer stands. "Sir, Aaron Maddock is here to see you."
Michael frowns. "What in the hell does he want?"
"A word with the great, all-powerful Michael Hanley," Aaron says, appearing behind Riley. "It's about Robert Bale."
Michael stands, welcoming Aaron with open arms. "Please, have a seat."
Riley excuses them, closing the door as Aaron sits and crosses his legs. He looks up at Michael, a wide grin on his face.
"I have a problem."
"Robert Bale has been a problem for me for years, that's nothing new," Michael says.
"I think I may have a solution to paying him back for...how he helped get you into your current situation," Aaron says. "Your sister and I have become close. She still loves Robert. I know that she slept with him in your mansion, and you recorded it. You used it to blackmail them."
"My, my...Felicia has been very open with you."
"I have that effect on people," Aaron says, switching gears. "Robert is a disgusting man. You should hate him alone for what he did to your nephew."
"I do," Michael says. "But the fact remains...that won't be enough for you take Melissa's fortune from him. If that is indeed what you want to accomplish. And then there's the matter of Melissa's brother..."
"Which is why I need to move this forward, before he can go through the channels of declaring himself legally alive," Aaron says. "Not that he appears to want for much. I purchased Mata Hari's for him, and he seems to hold no ill will toward you for what your father did to him."
"Yes, that's certainly odd," Michael says. "But to be fair, I haven't given him much thought. He seems more interested in making amends with my sister and her son."
Michael heads toward his desk, opening a drawer and removing a set of legal documents. "Last year, when I approached Darren Reynolds about removing Robert from his license to practice law...he unwittingly handed over several other documents to me."
He hands the document in question to Aaron, who gives it a quick once-over.
"Robert and Melissa's marriage license," Aaron says. "Is this...is this real?"
MARQUETTE COVE COURTHOUSE
THE PRESENT
"Robert never filed his wedding license," Felicia Bale says, adjusting her hair as she takes a seat at the stand.
"Allow the bailiff to swear you in first, Ms. Bale," Judge Sullivan snaps.
"Oh, yes."
Felicia snatches the Bible from the bailiff, pressing it close to her chest. "I swear to tell nothing but the truth, so help me God."
NIKKI VICMAN'S APARTMENT
PARIS, FRANCE
Vanessa Watson cautiously opens the door, rolling her suitcase in behind her. She sets it in the corner and picks up the stack of mail piled up near the door. All of the mail is addressed to her sister, Nikki Vicman. There's not a single piece for her husband, Marcus.
Weary from her travel, Vanessa shuts the door and walks toward the couch, taking a seat. As she leans back, shutting her eyes and allowing the darkened apartment to soothe her, she is suddenly startled by something most on her dress.
Vanessa leaps to her feet, scrambling to reach the lamp near the couch. She turns it on, then spins around to face to couch. The wet stain, she realizes, is dark red. Whatever the substance is, it is dripping onto the carpet.
"Oh my..."
Vanessa moves closer to the couch, finally catching a glimpse behind it. And lying on the carpet, mouth open in a horrid scream with a blood splattered face is...
"Nikki! Oh my God, Nikki!"
EMERALD PLAZA HOTEL
THE PRESENT
"I'm doing some packing right now, Vanessa," Sean Moore says, speaking softly into his cell phone so as not to alert Yolanda Holland to his conversation. "I want to get everything done before Yolanda starts to ask questions."
"What was that, Sean?"
Sean quickly lowers his phone as he turns to see Yolanda leaning against the doorway to his bedroom. He has enjoyed his stay at the Emerald Plaza, but one thing he hasn't enjoyed about Yolanda's suite is how paper thin the walls are.
At first, things were fine between Sean and Yolanda. She seemed perfectly comfortable with him there. But lately, since an incident where he found her lying in a pool of soaked Cavalli dresses. He helped her after the sprinkler fiasco, which had been caused by a fancy dinner rolled into the suite.
He never brought it up to her, but Sean wondered if perhaps Yolanda was getting the wrong idea about him living there. He wasn't interested in pursuing a relationship with Yolanda. All he wanted was to be a father to his child with Denise and somehow mend his relationship with Leslie.
Something he knew he couldn't do until he helped Vanessa discover what happened to her sister, and in turn received her help in uncovering the past Michael had stolen from him.
"Just some early preparations for the trip," Sean says, hanging up he phone. "Excuse me...I need to get some air."
"Oh, of course," Yolanda says softly.
As Sean exits the room, brushing past Yolanda, she stares at him wistfully. He's been incredibly hard to read since the lavish dinner that arrived at the suite days ago, the dinner she assumed was him trying to feel out a possible relationship between them.
It wasn't something she'd initially been interested in, but the more she thought about it...the more she thought about how Leslie had abused Sean's trust before running her sister out of town, the more she realized how much they had in common.
Yolanda takes a seat on the edge of Sean's bed, running her fingertips along his suitcase. She stops when she notices Sean's plane ticket sticking out the suitcase. Yolanda picks it up, surprised to find two tickets.
Yolanda smiles, placing the tickets back into the suitcase. "Aww, sookie sookie now... perhaps I'm getting the right idea after all."
HUGH ROGERS' CONDO
ATLANTIC CITY, NEW JERSEY
"Was that Robert Bale?" Kane Li asks, perched on the edge of Tyler Rogers' bed. "What's he doing in Atlantic City?"
"He had some business with my father, it's unimportant," Tyler says, closing the door to his bedroom. "You really picked some town to move to, didn't you?"
"Yeah...it figures the one town Rebecca decides to move to, it has a connection to the man we ran away from," Kane says.
"But here you are. In his house. Why?"
"I want to make a deal," Kane says. "I made a mistake when I ran away with Rebecca. I was here illegally. I needed a green card, and when she wanted to assume new identities...run away, I got swept up in it. I was only using her for sex, and she...she wanted more. Wanted me to save her."
"And here you are, crawling back to the Rogers clan."
"You picked up the online division. I want to do another film. Make enough money to skip town for good."
"And in return..."
"I'll give up Rebecca to Hugh, yes," Kane says. "As long as you let me skip town first. I don't want him...coming after me."
"That's fine," Tyler says. "I can arrange that...but there's someone else in Marquette Cove that I need a part of the deal. For this video to sell."
"And who's that?"
"I believe you know her as Farrah Louis..."
REYES HOME
THE PRESENT
"I can't believe the nerve of that bitch Farrah Louis, pushing us into a goddamn water fountain," Jessica Bale says, reaching into her closet to find a dry shirt to hand to Kane Li. "I think there's a men's shirt or two in my closet."
"Thanks," Kane says, removing his drenched shirt and tossing it onto the floor. "Happen to have any jeans?"
Jessica laughs. "Just some larger ones from when I was pregnant...but I don't know if those are really your thing."
"Hey, it works for those emo kids, so why not," Kane says.
He quickly unzips his pants as well, prompting Jessica to turn toward the closet, shielding her eyes. She digs around for the jeans first, then hands them off to Kane. As he slides them on, she finds a shirt and gives it to him as well.
"Let me guess, one of Alec's?"
"Actually, no...it's one of Vince's," Jessica answers. "We used to date."
"I can tell," Kane says. "He's awfully...possessive."
"It's understandable, he was my first boyfriend."
"What happened?"
"His father died... or at least we thought he did... and he... he pushed me away. Pushed his best friend, Alec, away too. And we...it just happened, you know? We were young. And when we tried to tell Vince, he went crazy," Jessica says. "We're fine now, but high school was pretty rough. I think things actually turned around when I got pregnant. At first, Alec wanted me to get an abortion, but Vince stood his ground and insisted that I have Phillip."
"That was pretty honorable of him."
"I think he wanted me to be happy before he left for boarding school," Jessica says. "But now...it doesn't really matter, does it? Both Alec and Phillip are gone. And I'm even still married to Alec."
Kane's eyes light up. "You're still married to Alec?"
"Well, the divorce papers were in the hospital when it went kerblooey, so they weren't filed. I'm sure that's part of the reason Felicia still hates me...she thinks I'm going to take control of his trust fund. But I don't want it."
"Of course not," Kane says. "But still, that's a lot of..."
"It's a good fit...even the jeans," Jessica says, turning back to Kane. The sight of him in her jeans is a bit easier to handle than him completely near naked in her bedroom.
"Thanks," Kane says again, stepping forward and running his fingers through her hair. "How about we get you out of those clothes?"
Jessica doesn't react as he leans forward, almost ready to kiss her. She wants to kiss him back. Wants to forget her past... Alec... Vince... and move on with the future.
"I think I hear my mom," Jessica says suddenly, pulling away. "Excuse me."
As she rushes out of the bedroom, Kane plops down on the edge of her bed and smiles. Kiss or no kiss...he'll soon be getting exactly what he wants out of Mrs. Jessica Bale.
MARQUETTE COVE COURTHOUSE
"I've reviewed all the facts of the case," Judge Sullivan says, returning to his bench.
Robert tenses up, gripping Darren's arm as he leans forward for the verdict. At the plaintiff's table, Aaron is calm and relaxed. Michael and Felicia sit behind him, just as calm as Aaron.
"The marriage license between Robert Bale and Melissa Maddock was never filed, which shows negligence on Mr. Bale's part," Sullivan continues. "After that, he continued a relationship with Felicia Bale, which contrary to Mrs. Bale's claims does not make them still married. However, there's enough evidence to dissolve Robert's marriage to Melissa and nullify the contents of her will."
Robert exhales deeply, utterly horrified.
"And, effective immediately, all remaining assets are to be transferred equally to the living family members stated in Melissa's will... Aaron Maddock and Hunter Bale."
"That's outrageous," Aaron says, slamming his hand against the table.
"Hunter's assets will remain frozen until his eighteenth birthday," Sullivan finishes, ignoring Aaron's outburst. "That is all. Court is adjourned."
"I'm sorry, Robert," Darren says. "I tried."
"It's not your fault," Robert says, turning to face Felicia. "It's not your fault at all, Darren."
MARQUETTE COVE FREE CLINIC
EARLIER TODAY
"Hello, Mr. Bale," Kristine, one of Simon's hired nurses at the clinc, says sweetly as she speaks into her cell phone. "Your ex-wife paid a visit to the clinic today...which will afford me the wonderful opportunity to move ahead with the plan."
"Good," Robert says, speaking in a hushed tone on the other end. "I'm about to go into court, so I can't speak, but...the money was wired into your account? Yours and your sisters?"
"Yes," Kristine answers. "Ellen and I have been very well taken care of, thanks to you and Valerie. I just need to find the right time for Simon to discover this."
"Thank you."
As Kristine hangs up the phone, she takes a look at the paperwork that is now on file for Felicia Bale. Her eye is caught by the sheet she placed at the top of the stack.
"Oh my," Kristine says, raising the sheet to the light. "This brain tumor looks nasty."
EMERALD PLAZA HOTEL
THE PRESENT
"Thank you so much for helping me with some of this wedding stuff," Leslie Moore says, walking through the hallway with Denise Price. "My children are completely useless."
"Tell me about it," Denise says, smiling. "I doubt I'd be able to get Nathan to help me with anything. Though I think I'd prefer it to my overbearing father."
"He was a little...cold in there, wasn't he?"
Denise laughs. "Subzero is more like it. He's always like that with...Sean."
The ladies both stop as Sean exits Yolanda's hotel suite, cell phone in hand. He forces a smile, allowing the door to slam shut behind him. "Denise. Leslie."
"Sean," Leslie says. "How have you been?"
"I've been good, thanks," Sean says. "You two are um...planning Aaron's wedding together?"
"Just helping out for today," Denise says. "I don't really have a lot to do since I'm not back in the office in New York."
"Yeah, you always liked to keep busy," Sean says, nodding. "It's killing me sitting around doing nothing all day too."
"I actually got a job offer, but um...I don't think I'm going to take it," Denise says.
"Why not?" Leslie asks. "Especially if you're sticking around..."
"It was from Michael," Denise answers.
All three adults fall silent.
"You should take it," Sean says. "I think it'd be good for you."
"Do you really think that's a good idea?" Leslie asks. "Michael Hanley is still...well, he's still Marquette Cove's one incarnation of evil."
"I think Denise will be fine," Sean insists.
HANLEY ENTERPRISES
NEXT WINTER
Sean Moore enters Denise's office, a solemn look on his face. He trudges toward her desk, unable to say much. As the chair at her desk swivels around, he is surprised to find Leslie in the seat and not Denise.
"Leslie."
"Hello, Sean."
Before he can continue, Denise hurries into the office making a beeline toward the desk.
"Get out of my office."
He isn't sure whether she is speaking to him or Leslie. Leslie rises, crosses to the front of the desk. He shuts his eyes, droning out their faces as the two women go back and forth.
"Don't blame me..."
"This isn't my fault."
"No, it's yours," one of them finally says, pointing an accusatory finger directly at Sean. "It's your fault my baby is dead. And I won't rest until you've paid for it with every inch of your life."
