Book Two: Chapter Thirty


    Emerson slumped in his chair drinking deeply from his scotch ss. Leaning forward he refilled it from


    the crystal decanter on his desk. It was already half gone and he showed no signs of slowing down.


    Ever since the courtroom debacle he urged hiswyer to find another way to im the kids, or at least


    the girl, but hiswyer was drowning in litigation due to charges levied against him for presenting false


    testimony and interfering with a police investigation.


    Hiswyer urged him to give up on this matter before he lost anymore face. Luckily they had been in


    such a hurry to call the hearing they avoided a public trial. If he continued to push the issue however it


    was guaranteed Prescott would not allow the matter to remain private.


    Ss Prescott. The name was virtually a curse. His predecessor, Richard Prescott, had been bad


    enough as a business rival but the Prescott patriarch understood there were limits. Business and


    personal were kept separate and they did not let their families interact. But Ss hade in like a


    snake snatching away one of his daughters, turning her against her own father.


    Emerson still couldn’t believe his obedient Ava would turn her back on him. Did he not teach her how to


    act? Did she not realize how much she was embarrassing him? And the children…


    He still recalled their faces as they sat in the courtroom. They boldly red at him as if he was an


    insect. It was clear they had not been raised properly to disrespect their grandfather like that. The boys


    held no interest to him but he couldn’t tolerate their impertinence and the girl wouldn’t even look at her


    grandfather as if he wasn’t worth her time.


    The fact Ava let the matter go to trial was proof she wasn’t raising her children properly but even he


    hadn’t imagined Ss Prescott was behind her rebellion. His mind went back to that night ten years ago


    when Marilynn loudly dered her sister was a ruined woman and the shame of the family. Emerson


    had reacted well within the normal expected outrage astonished Ava would harm her family’s


    reputation.


    He remembered she tried to protest saying she had been drugged and it was just a mistake but he


    hadn’t wanted to listen. He threw her out like the trash she was…but what if she had been drugged?


    Was that how Ss ensnared her? If that was the case why didn’t Marilynn tell him sooner? If she


    witnessed it why hadn’t she stopped it?


    His drunken mind was grasping at straws to exin what had happened all those years ago. But if it


    had been Ss why was Ava living in squalor? Did he abandon her after he ruined her? Why did he


    suddenly want her back now and why was she willing to stay with him?


    Emerson’swyer managed to procure a copy of the parental rights Ss filed iming the kids as his


    own and amending their birth certificates to reflect it as well as the paternity test proving it. Everything


    had been done through official channels and by reputable doctors. Ss left nothing to chance ensuring


    his im on the children was legal and binding. But why? Why did he care about them at all? And why


    propose to Ava after all of these years?


    Ss Prescott was young, in his prime. Some people might want him to produce an heir but no one


    truly had a reason to pressure him yet. There was no reason to propose to Ava or im the children


    especially as she hadn’t revealed him as the father even on their birth certificates. It was the perfect


    opportunity to simply deny them and walked away. Then why?


    None of it made sense to Emerson as he downed another drink. Though he kept the news from Grace


    and Marilynn they still saw and felt his surly mood. Marilynn had been getting more irritable in response


    and had been arguing more. Emerson couldn’t stand back talk and he had even pped her just to


    silence her. The shock that crossed her face was palpable but he was too drunk to care. He had never


    raised a hand to his children before and her expression made it clear she hadn’t expected it. Perhaps if


    he had done it sooner his daughters would not embarrass him so.


    Grace had gone to one of her charity events Emerson was all too d to miss but Marilynn had been


    dragged along. Ten years ago it would have been Ava who apanied their mother but it now fell


    onto Marilynn. He hadn’t expected much from their outing but they returned early with an unbelievable


    story.


    Ss Prescott attended the event with his fiancée and incredibly it was Ava. ording to Grace she


    looked beautiful and they spent most of the night in each other’s arms. Grace had always thought Ss


    was stern and unapproachable but with Ava he was tender and gentle. Ava, she imed, looked happy


    and was practically glowing. But she was also distant. She barely showed any recognition when she


    met her mother face to face and barely acknowledged her.


    Marilynn remained silent the entire time her mother described the night which Emerson thought out of


    character. Marilynn hated not being the center of attention but he was too furious to question her. Just


    how far was Ava prepared to embarrass her family? Did her shamelessness know no limits?


    Theputer alerted him to a new update. Emerson nced at it briefly as if suddenly remembering it


    was there. He had been working from home as ofte to avoid appearing in public with a hangover.


    With a grunt he leaned forward and opened the waiting message. It wasn’t what he expected.


    It was from a program his IT department created allowing him to monitor articles published about


    Marilynn in his crusade to end her bad press. However this one wasn’t about hertest party binge.


    The headline alone made him set his drink down.


    Scandal Rocks Carlisle Household


    For years Emerson Carlisle has reigned supreme in New York. While others have imed he is getting


    too old and whisper his time is over it is an unfortunate truth he has no heirs to entrust his business


    empire to. Unlike Augustus DaLair whose two sons who havergely taken over for their father and


    even Alice Stanton, the first matriarch of business, has finally stepped down handing the reins to her


    grandson Emerson Carlisle has no such options.


    His beloved daughter is far too busy partying to even maintain a rtionship let alone the discipline to


    run a Fortune 500pany. It can be no surprise Emerson Carlisle is growing desperate in his


    deteriorating old age. It’s truly a pity his own family has conspired against him.


    ording to sources close to the family, on four separate asions Marilynn Carlisle has sought


    medication to terminate pregnancies resulting from her numerous affairs. With such a daughter it can


    be no surprise the Carlisle family is soon to follow the Trents and Tomlinsons who are merely footnotes


    in New York social circles.


    Screaming in rage Emerson leapt to his feet throwing his ss across the room. The crystal shattered


    on impact but he hardly noticed. This article couldn’t be true. There was no way Marilynn would do


    such a thing to him. Seething he reached for his phone and impatiently waited for an answer.


    “Mister Carlisle?”


    “Doctor Peterson. I want him brought to me immediately. No need to be gentle.”


    “Yes sir.”


    Emerson tossed his phone aside and grasped the scotch decanter. He would get to the bottom of this


    one way or another and god help anyone who betrayed him.


    * * *


    Robert Peterson was a tall man but not overly intimidating as he was also very thin. So much so it was


    a wonder a strong wind did not blow him over. Because of that when the two men came to his house


    and roused him from sleep he did not protest following them meekly to his employer’s home. Now he


    sat looking rather dignified despite his three guards. Far more terrifying than them was the man in front


    of him.


    Emerson Carlisle was not a man to be taken lightly and though Robert stood nearly a foot taller than


    his employer his made no attempt to appear threatening. He eyed the empty decanter on the desk


    knowing Emerson was a rather violent drunk so caution was necessary.


    Emerson red at the man in front of him at first unable to put his rage into words but he wouldn’t get


    answers until he asked his questions. Taking a sip from his whiskey, having run out of scotch, Emerson


    spoke in a voice far too calm for anyone’s good, “How long have you been helping my daughter


    deceive me?”


    “I’m not sure what you…”


    “I’m talking about giving her medication and covering up her affairs!”


    Robert sighed. It came as no great surprise this was the reason for histe summons. In fact he had a


    feeling this day would. He wasn’t as na?ve as Marilynn who believed it couldst forever. It just took


    longer than he imagined.


    “Seven years,” Robert said, “that’s when I helped her terminate the first pregnancy although I’ve


    prescribed her birth control pills since she was sixteen.”


    The ss almost slipped from Emerson’s hand as he stared at him, “What?”


    “Marilynn convinced your wife her period cycles were too erratic and painful on their own and wanted


    birth control to regte them which is not umon. She refused an actual examination but there was


    no reason not to prescribe the pills so I did. Seven years ago when she came to me about the


    termination I asked how it was possible since she was abstinent and sheughed in my face like a


    banshee. ording to her she’s been engaging in sexual activity since she was sixteen which was the


    real reason she wanted the pills in the first ce.”


    “That’s a lie. She would never…”


    “Your daughter is as ruthless as you and that is far from her most horrendous act under your roof.”


    “Excuse me?” Emerson’s face was red and his livid tone indicated the need for caution.


    “You honestly think that Ava fell down the stairs and walked into doorknobs because she was clumsy?”


    Robert challenged. “A broken arm and a concussion don’t happen idently. No. Marilynn pushed her


    down those stairs in fact she’s been trying to kill her sister for years! I’m surprised Ava even made it to


    graduation.”


    “That…that’s not possible.”


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    “That your beloved daughter is capable of murder? Are you really that surprised?”


    “Y-you kept this from me?”


    “Ashamed as I am to admit it…I valued my job more than that little girl’s life. And I wasn’t the only one.


    The first time it happened I tried to talk to your wife and all she asked was how long it would be before


    Ava could y the piano again. Ava herself knew there was no point to telling you the truth. She told


    me to forget about it. As many people as you have working here you think there aren’t any witnesses?


    But not a single one tried to protect that little girl. No one!”


    Emerson’s face was beet red in rage he leapt to his feet screaming, “Out! Get out of here now! Never


    show your face to me again!”


    “dly.” Robert stood and exited as quietly and meekly as he entered. He left lighter having finally


    spoken the truth he long concealed but knew he would find no absolution. Only Ava could give that but


    he didn’t dare face her.


    Emerson stared after the doctor seething. His hand gaze took in the men who brought the man to him


    demanding, “Did you know? Did you betray me as well?”


    “We don’t think of it as betrayal,” Dante, his long considered right hand, answered.


    “What?”


    “We all knew Marilynn was your favored daughter. You would never believe anyone’s word against hers


    and it would be suicide to say anything against her. There is no one in this house who would dare. No


    one would risk their job to help Ava. Ava knew that. This was Marilynn’s home…Ava was just allowed


    to live here.”


    Emerson grasped the decanter flinging it in rage. It flew past Dante’s ear to shatter on the wall behind


    but the security officer didn’t even flinch. Like the doctor he felt a certain lightness for having spoken


    the truth but it wasn’t absolution. There was no forgiveness for someone who hadn’t tried to protect an


    innocent girl.


    “You can rage all you want, sir, but you proved our point ten years ago when you tossed Ava out. You


    didn’t allow her to exin what happened. You still don’t know the truth,” Dante said with no trace of


    remorse. “Ten yearster you find her working as a waitress with three kids apparently fathered by your


    greatest rival…a man who hasn’t been supporting them at all as if he himself didn’t know…but now


    they are living with him and seem quite happy. Why? How is any of that possible? You don’t have a


    clue, do you?”


    Emerson’s face twitched involuntary at the usations. It was true. He didn’t know. Apparently he


    didn’t know the first thing about either of his children.


    “You don’t know because you never asked. You summoned Ava to you but it wasn’t for the truth. You


    just wanted to brow beat her into signing custody papers for a granddaughter you knew nothing about.


    It’s obvious those kids love their mother. Do you really think any of them would ever side with you


    against her? No. And that’s the truth you don’t want to face.”


    “Get out…I said GET OUT!”