I laid in bed the next morning, considering Christopher’s words. No, he definitely wasn’t normal. That was for sure. I couldn’t help but wonder if he was the monster that the rest of his family was.
So far, he had been pretty respectful of my boundaries, even if I did have to lay a few down more than once. He seemed to be genuine. But was I letting him manipulate me? Sociopaths had a way of making people think that they were on their side, that they could be trusted. But for some reason, I couldn’t help but think that maybe he had somehow escaped the malevolence of his family.
I stretched and got up. It was six o’clock, my usual wake up time so that I could get some yoga in and go over some strategies for work. I was getting to a point in the company now where I would be able to access more sensitive information that would help with the revenge plan Mac and I had devised against the Ward family. The guilt I was starting to feel was not comfortable.
I shook my head and told myself to stop getting so involved. I reminded myself of why I was doing this and went straight for the picture of my mom on my dresser. Picking it up, my heart dropped into my stomach at the grief that always overtook me when I looked at her.
She was so beautiful, so kind and one of the best people I have ever known. That wasn’t just because she was my mother either, many people agreed that she was the kindest and purest person they had ever met. The innocence and purity that I may have inherited from her were both lost the moment she was killed. Reminding myself of that, returned my determination and I let the guilt fall away. This was for my mother. This was for everybody else the Ward family ruined and killed and all the families that were put into trauma and grief.
I put on my yoga gear and grabbed my mat to head down to the gym in my building. As I opened my door, something immediately caught my eye. I recognized the blue box with white ribbon at once. How many times had romantic interests given me a gift from Tiffany’s? That was usually when I would end the relationship. I did not have the time or the emotional availability for an actual relationship.
Not only would it get in the way of the revenge plan and how career focused I had to be because of that but I had closed myself off to the idea of love a long time ago. It seemed to only lead to bad things for my mom; grief over the death of my father and all of the trauma she suffered with Robert before they were both killed.
Obviously, this was a gift from Christopher. I scooped up the box and brought it inside to open it. I was a little annoyed because this is usually when I would cut things off but I couldn’t because Christopher was too important to everything Mac and I had worked towards to bring the Ward family down.
Untying the ribbon, I felt a bit of excitement despite myself at seeing what a billionaire would pick out for a gift. Sometimes I wished I weren’t so human. If I could be a robot, I would have no problem with that. My grief had turned me numb most of the time, anyway. It was always annoying when my humanity would come through. I tried to remind myself that was the biggest gift from my mom.
I opened the box and gasped involuntarily. I knew exactly what it was, I had seen it before at Tiffany’s and I knew how expensive it was. My gasp was twofold; the extravagance and the presumption. I lifted up the platinum heart-shaped lock covered in diamonds on that familiar Tiffany’s necklace chain. It was worth thousands of dollars.
Obviously, a billionaire could afford this easily. It was like buying a cup of coffee to Christopher. The amount of money he spent isn’t what bothered me. It was the message that I couldn’t help but get from it. As it always did with a gift from Tiffany’s, it felt like an escalation and not only that but a claim of ownership. Locks had a significance that one couldn’t ignore. The platinum and diamonds only decorated the bars of the cage that men wanted to put around you.
This steeled my resolve. Christopher was just as manipulative as the rest of his family and I wasn’t going to let things go down this path. I had to stay on top of everything and be in a position where I could somewhat control the trajectory but it had to be handled smoothly.
Unfortunately, my emotions were very hard to contain as so many ghosts and past traumas swirled around me, triggered by the gift somehow. I couldn’t put my finger on it but there was something about this lock that made my subconscious scream. Something else was afoot here and it had caused an emotional storm in me that I had to work hard to keep under control.
** ** ** ** ** ** ** **
I took a deep breath as I opened the door to Christopher’s office. This would be my first time here, a place where you probably had to set up a meeting weeks in advance and I was showing up unannounced. Nobody knew I was coming, least of all, Christopher.
I walked into a huge, immaculately furnished office area with high ceilings and floor to ceiling windows. There were three desks that were arranged in a triangle with the first one being what had to be the first barrier to getting to Christopher. The two desks that made the base of the triangle were empty, while the first one was being manned by somebody who was typing very quickly.
It seemed to be like a mini reception desk and the woman sitting there was around her mid-thirties, maybe a bit older and a little on the chubby side. She had beautiful black hair that ran down to her chest with subtle highlights. Her makeup was very well done and she had a hipster style frame but I could see the Chanel logo on the side. I immediately labeled her hipster chic and that dry, emotionless look on her face only sealed the deal.
“Hello, I’m here to see Mr. Ward.”
The woman looked at me and the sneer on her face only got bigger. I steeled myself to not let it show how intimidated I was. I knew that these women probably had a god complex working for somebody like Christopher. They controlled who was able to go in and see one of the most powerful men in the corporate world. You would have to be unshakeable. Plus, how could holding all that power over huge players on Wall Street not go to your head? I had an urge to clear my throat but resisted as I knew that showed a vulnerability that I was not prepared to show.
“And you are?” Her voice was smooth and full of contempt. She knew I wasn’t a big player and those kinds of things mattered to somebody like this.
“Alison Bishop. Mr. Ward will know what this is about.” I smiled evenly, not betraying any kind of emotion. There wasn’t a kindness to my smile. It was meant to show her that I was just as unshakeable as she was. It wasn’t true but I knew how to pretend. I was Alice through the looking glass, after all. Nothing should phase me. I have seen everything.
“I don’t see you on the list, Miss Bishop.” She looked down at her computer as she quickly typed through what I imagined was an approved list of people to let in without an appointment. She made sure to accentuate a ‘z’ sound at the end of ‘Miss’ as if that was an insult.
I found myself a little annoyed that I wasn’t on the list. I don’t know why. I hadn’t earned anything like that yet and that might have been even more presumptuous than the Tiffany’s lock but it would have meant so much more to me. Why was my mind going there? I shouldn’t want him to do things that would mean a lot to me.
“No, I probably am not on the list, Miss…?”
“Would you like to leave a message?” She wasn’t going to give me her name and she definitely wasn’t going to lose that contempt in her voice. Something told me that Christopher would never get the message if I did leave it.
I was about to answer her when the double doors that obviously went into Mr. Thing’s office opened. Two women, one very tall and thin black woman who was strikingly beautiful and a shorter woman who was of average build with light brown hair up in a tight bun both walked out and noticed me immediately.
Christopher came up behind them and looked to where their gazes went. His eyes very quickly went wide but it lasted a split second before he got a hold of himself and tried to act as if he wasn’t affected by my unannounced presence.
“Miss Bishop?” his tone was very flat and hard to read. I wasn’t vindicated yet.
“Mr. Ward. An urgent issue came up and I didn’t have time to set an appointment.” I hoped that he would not make me look bad in front of this…well, bitch.
“I’m sorry but you need an appointment or to be on his very short list for those who don’t need appointments.” The girl at the front desk was trying to show off in front of her boss and she looked so smug. I was nervous that I was about to be humiliated.
“Taylor. Miss Bishop is supposed to be on the list. She was on the update I handed to you yesterday. Have you not gotten to those updates yet?” The woman with the tight brown bun came to my rescue and I instantly recognized the flat voice and curt tone. Gloria had turned into my hero. I glanced at Taylor with my own smug look.
“Oh, I uh…I mean, of course I got to them. I didn’t see her name on the list.” She was stammering but her gaze never faltered from me. I could see fear but mostly anger and it felt really, really good.
“Then maybe you should check the prescription of your Chanels.” Ooh, burn, Gloria. At this point, I was feeling positively giddy.
“Work this out, Gloria and send Miss Bishop in my office.” Christopher sounded annoyed and I wasn’t sure to whom his irritation was directed. Maybe all of us?
He had directed his tone, quietly to Gloria, so my impulse to thank him was dealt with and I remained quiet and smug. I also kind of like the fact that my dropping by caused a bit of commotion in the office. It would be memorable.
“Of course, Mr. Ward.” Gloria quietly responded as he went back into his office. She came over to Taylor and stood next to her as she addressed me. “Miss Bishop, please go on in.”
I thanked her and walked towards his office with pure confidence. I heard a quiet argument behind me as Gloria dealt with the insubordination of Taylor, most likely unbeknownst to Taylor. I wondered if this was the first time she had ever been admonished.
I walked into Christopher’s office and shut the door behind me. I brought the Tiffany’s box out of my bag and set it on his desk. He was sitting in his chair, studying me with pure curiosity.
“Miss Bishop! Did you buy me a gift?” He smiled and leaned back in his chair as he looked me up and down. I had made sure to wear a dress that was fit for the office but also hugged my curves and my hair had a nice wave with my sides pulled up.
“That’s hilarious, Mr. Ward, but I cannot accept this.”
“Okay.” He sat up and furrowed his brow as his confusion went from amused to perplexed.
“I mean, it was a very nice gesture and don’t think I don’t appreciate the thought, I do, but it is too much too soon. I don’t like receiving gifts like this without a reason like a birthday or holiday. It sets a bad precedent. Plus, I have to say, it’s a bit presumptuous.” I looked at him with a bit of confusion myself as I still saw a confusion and now a complete lack of recognition in his face.
“Miss Bishop, I feel like I’m supposed to be somebody else right now because I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about.”
I looked at him and studied his face. Was he messing with me? Was he trying to make me think I was crazy? What was his angle here?
“Are you saying that you had nothing to do with this being on my doorstep this morning?” I opened the box and lifted the necklace from its resting place inside.
Christopher saw the necklace and let out a whistle. He smiled and looked at me as he began to laugh.
“You thought that was from me? Talk about presumptuous.” He continued to laugh and now I was the one who was full perplexed.
“What do you mean? You didn’t give this to me?” I looked at the necklace and all of a sudden it felt like a hot potato. If he was serious and wasn’t messing with me, then who the hell gave me this?
“Could it be from your gay friend? Another admirer? A former flame? I’m sure I’m not the only person on the suspect list.” He leaned back in his chair again, smiling a very satisfied smile. It annoyed the hell out of me.
“Obviously I would have asked around if I thought it could possibly be from somebody else. You’re the only person I know who would leave something that cost thousands of dollars on somebody’s doorstep.”
“And know me so well to come to that realization? What makes you think I would do something like that?”
“Because you’re not a normal person, remember? You’re a billionaire. It’s not like I or most people I know couldn’t afford something like this but it would be a big purchase for us and we wouldn’t just leave it sitting around unattended with the possibility of it getting stolen.”
“And you think that I would?” He laughed again and swiveled in his chair a bit. It was kind of sexy the way he did it and my body started to respond. I quietly scolded myself and stayed strong. I wouldn’t let my attraction to this man get the better of me.
“You’re telling me that this wasn’t you? And you expect me to believe that? What kind of game are you playing here, Christopher?” I was feeling a bit shaky. I didn’t like being played with, it made me feel so out of control and small.
“Alison, I promise you this wasn’t me. I wouldn’t do something so obvious. I don’t know you that well yet but I know that this is not the kind of thing that would impress you.” Christopher looked pretty pleased with himself. I wanted to punch him and kiss him all at once.
An image of him jumping out of his chair and pinning me against the wall flashed through my mind. I quickly shook it away. I would be doing a marathon workout tonight.
“Very well, Christopher. If this is how you want to play things.” I dropped the necklace on his desk, missing the box on purpose and turned around to walk out.
“You might want to take this so you can drop it in front of the person who really gave it to you.” The chuckle in his voice was too much. I kept walking, ignoring his attempt to get to me.
** ** ** ** ** ** ** **
Saturday came and I was sitting at a table in a new place, having told Mac about the close call with Christopher. We decided that doing things the normal way would have to change for a while and we chose a restaurant in Queens, a place I’m sure Christopher had never ever stepped foot in.
Christopher had texted me a couple of times since I left his office. I ignored them. I had to figure out my next move. I let my emotions get the better of me and I knew I would get it from Mac today for it. I was supposed to be concentrating on getting Christopher to trust me and Mac had a different idea on how to do that. He expected me to be Geisha and go with anything that Christopher wanted.
I knew better, Christopher was already used to that. I think he wanted somebody to challenge him. He wanted somebody who wouldn’t go along with anything he said or wanted. That was part of his draw to me. Yes, I did let my emotions get the better of me but I was pretty sure that it only made him want me more and I would have wagered all of my savings that he wanted to contact me way more than he had but was trying to play it cool. I knew him. He and I were the same animal. I just hoped he hadn’t figured that out yet.
I was still pretty upset that he was playing with my head like that, though. I had to figure out how to handle this. I couldn’t let him get away with it but I also couldn’t cut him off completely either. I just didn’t want to leave myself so open. There was a way forward where I maintained control, I just had to find it. Hopefully, Mac would help figure that out instead of admonishing me for putting a wedge into the progress I was making with Christopher.
“Wow, even in Queens, you’re early. Respect.”
Mac sat down and I immediately gasped. He had cut his hair. Not only had he cut it, but it looked good. He must have had it professionally cut. He also died it black. It suited him. I couldn’t believe it was the same guy but that was definitely his voice and those were definitely his eyes.
“Whoa, Mac. When did you…?” I couldn’t find words so I just motioned around his head with my hands.
“After you told me that Christopher saw us together. I had to change up my look. I can’t be recognizable to anybody in the Ward family. Besides, this fits with my new gay persona, don’t you think?” He moved his hands around his head as if he were showcasing his haircut to an audience.
I laughed. He had not exactly loved the fact that I told Christopher he was gay. I called him homophobic and I will always remember this, he said it wasn’t because he cared about being thought of as gay but it was more because he was worried about having to find a husband if things came to a point where we had to go further with the charade with Christopher.
“Where will I find a husband, Alison? What gay man would want to marry a slob like me?” I loved his sense of humor. I always had, when it wasn’t directed at me, that is.
"Oh, most definitely. We won't have any problems finding you a husband now."
Mac nodded his head in agreement with a mock serious look on his face. I laughed and we both opened our menus.
"What is this place, anyway?"
"An analyst I used to work with was from Queens and used to talk about this place all the time. I figured it was worth a try. They said it was a staple." I shrugged my shoulders as I looked at the Asian American infused dishes.
"Well, as long as nobody knows to find us here, that's all that matters, I guess. So, Alice, let's get the scoop. What did he say about the necklace? Do you have it with you?"
I had called Mac after I found the necklace on my doorstep to let him know that I was not okay with this and that we needed to regroup and figure out a new plan. He tried to calm me down and tell me that I was overreacting. He didn't know this but I then gave him the finger through my phone.
"Not exactly." I looked up at him and quickly shifted my gaze back down to my menu.
"What does that mean, 'Not exactly’?”
"Well...I was a little upset, like I said..."
"Alice, no. Alice, please don't tell me what I think you're going to tell me." Mac was shaking his head and rubbing his brow, as he did.
"Listen, Mac. I have to have boundaries with this whole thing. I have to have some sincerity and be myself as much as I can if I want to earn this guy's trust. He would know if I was being fake and pretended to like it. Besides, I don't think I'm capable of that." I smiled sweetly at him with a hint of sarcasm and closed my menu. "I think I'm going to have the mushroom soup with sesame prawns. Yum. What are you getting?" I rested my head on my hands and batted my eyelashes at him. Kill him with silliness. How many times in my life had I done that?
"I'm getting worried that my sister isn't taking this as seriously as I am." He gave me a stern and serious stare and I let go of the silliness act. I wasn't going to penetrate it today.
"Listen, Mac. I know what you think but I can guarantee you that this is making him want me more. He has texted me twice since I left his office and I know he wants to text me more, he's holding himself back. I promise you, I know what I'm doing."
"Since you left his office? Please explain this further." Mac furrowed his brow.
"Oh, right. Well, I brought the necklace to his office and dropped it on his desk right before walking out."
"You what?" Mac's eyes got wide with fear and outrage.
"Mac, he tried to tell me that he didn't leave the necklace at my door. He started messing with my head. I can't let him get away with that. You should have seen the smug look on his face. Trust me, Mac, he respects me more and will trust me more if I hold onto my principles."
He opened his mouth to respond, with a few expletives I'm sure, just when the server walked up to our table to take our order. I greeted the server with exaggerated warmth to let Mac know that I knew this waiter saved me from a mouthful. The few minutes of contemplation would be good for him.
After we ordered, with me taking my sweet time as I taunted Mac who was desperate to yell at me, I looked at my stepbrother and put my hand on the table in a motion that we did when we wanted the other's hand. He just looked at me and didn't move.
"Mac, come on." I wiggled my hand, waiting for his hand to appear in mine.
"Alison, I swear, if you fuck this up for us, I will never forgive you." His eyes were dark and he called me by my real name. My stomach did a flip-flop. I couldn't remember the last time he had used my real name.
"Mac? Why would you say that? Don't you trust me? Come on, Mac. You know I know what I'm doing. Please trust me. Which one of us has experience with dating men on Wall Street? Which one of us has wrapped many a millionaire around their little finger?" I wiggled my hand again. His anger and words startled me but I was not going to let him shake me.
He stared at my hand and I could see that I softened him a little bit. I stared at him, almost willing him to put his hand up there so I could know that things were good, things were going to be okay between us.
"Alison, you keep doing these rogue things and I don't like it. I need you to fall in line more. I need you to know that I know this family inside and out. I have more deep-web research on them than anybody. I know everything about this family except what I need to bring them down. That's your part and you cannot screw this up. My life, your life, our parents' deaths, it will all be for nothing. Do you understand that?"
I took my hand back and sat up straight. I felt like a little girl again and I didn't like that. Mac was trying to control me. He thought he had me under control this whole time. It was time to bring him back and give him the illusion again.
"Okay, Mac. Okay. I'll fall in line more. Can you just give me the benefit of the doubt that I know men? I know this man in a different way than you?"
"Can you give me the benefit of the doubt that I know how best to carve out our revenge? It's my deck of cards we're making this house out of."
"Mac, we share that deck. You know that." I put my hand back up on the table. "We are in this together, brother. You are my Cheshire Cat. I wouldn't do anything to ruin that."
He looked at me for a second longer and then sighed, acquiescing and putting his hand on the table. I smiled and grabbed it with a strength backed by a huge feeling of relief. I had him back but that feeling of relief was short lived because I knew right then and there what I had to do and it killed me.
His ego and need to control everything in our plan could become disastrous. I was going to have to leave Mac out of my strategy with Christopher from now on, which meant, I was going to have to lie to him. Placating him was one thing but outright lying to him was not something that would be easy.
I squeezed his hand and cried on the inside. I would be going it alone with Christopher from now on. I reminded myself that once I had Christopher's trust and access to the information that Mac needed, it would all be for the good of our plan.
** ** ** ** ** ** ** **
After my lunch with Mac, I was feeling incredibly depressed and did a little retail therapy. As I walked home from my little binge, I was in a daze. I felt like I had lost Mac and I did, in a way. It made me feel so much more alone.
Oh, yeah, sure. Mac and I were still in cahoots and our plan was still a go but it wasn't the same now and I knew Mac was feeling something similar. There was a break in trust on his side and I didn't know what I could do to gain it back except show him results. I was now more determined than ever to bring Christopher down. That necklace shook up way too many things.
I decided to stop in a bar to get a glass of wine. It was Saturday night, I had no plans and I figured that getting a little tipsy if not drunk wouldn't hurt anything and would give me a much-needed release.
I sat at the bar of the first chic bar I came across and stared off into space as I took in the healing powers of Cabernet. Several men in suits tried to talk me up and I gave them the look that let them know that the only friend I wanted that night was the velvety liquid in my glass.
Everybody seemed to get the hint and I was blissfully left alone. I have no doubt I was called a bitch and probably a few choice words that were even worse by a lot of the men at that bar but I didn't care. I almost reveled in it.
I looked at the door of the small establishment and saw a familiar figure standing there. He was tall with shaggy dark brown hair, he wore loafers and linen pants with a white shirt untucked and his hands in his pockets.
It was the rich, yuppie I-don't-care-what-I-look-like look. I had seen it so many times. I looked into the face of the man who seemed so familiar and my heart almost burst out of my chest in shock.
It was Matthew Ward! He had a smug smile on his face and he was watching me, there was no doubt about that. He held up a padlock and threw it up in the air, catching it as if it were a coin.
I was frozen to my seat. His eyes were so evil. There was no emotion, nothing there. He was an empty shell. I shivered in fear. There was nothing more horrifying to me than somebody who feels no remorse, compassion or empathy and there were no traces of any of that in this man's face.
At least Christopher seemed to have these things. He couldn't hide them. They came out in his eyes, even when he tried to stop it. Matthew, though, there was no trace of it. He didn't have to hide his emotions he didn't have any.
I realized my mouth was open and I closed it immediately. I was mesmerized in the most horrible way by this man's smile. I almost expected a lizard tongue to come slithering out of his mouth. I felt like I was going to puke.
This is the man who ruined my life, this is the man who ruined Mac's life. He was the reason we had our revenge plan. He was the one we were truly after. I had to wonder again, did Christopher know he was back? Were they talking?
I turned around and asked for my tab. When I turned back to the door, I saw the back of him slithering out of the door and he continued to toss the lock up in the air as he walked by the window of the bar leering at me as he disappeared down the sidewalk.
I wasn't sure what to do. Who did I talk to about these things now? I didn't want to involve Mac at the moment, not with how we left things. I wasn't sure if I would ever get any kind of truth from Christopher.
That's when it hit me; the lock. He was carrying a lock. He was the one who bought me the necklace! I felt faint and I never felt faint. He knew where I lived. Did he know who I was or was he just targeting me because I was dating his son?
Wait? Did Christopher tell him where I lived? Did they discuss me at all? I knew what my next move had to be. I had to question Christopher. I had to pump him for information. I had no other choice now. I had to escalate.