Into My Heart

XXIII

Mother's facial expression was not hard to decrypt: she was utterly disappointed, furious and scared. By her side, my sister Tyler was only just throwing me deadly stares, as if she has always told Mother that I would interfere with familial business. 

But one thing about Stacey Press cannot be forgotten: she is a strong, independent and cold woman, who does no exceptions, even for her children. So when she starts talking, I freeze for a long moment.

Her voice is sharp and icy:

"You have no idea what you got yourself into, Christen."

I know she made it sound like a threat on purpose: the only times she provided us education - other than through nannies that didn't even have names for us since they were so numerous - she used threats to make us respect her, because if there was one thing that Mother hated, it was when people lacked respect toward her.

But I had been silent for far too long: this time, I couldn't just keep my mouth shut and let her decide for me what I should or shouldn't do. Furthermore, it went way further than that anyways.

"I am tired of all those secrets, mother!" I exclaim, my voice getting more confident yet more fragile. I never stood up in front of her like that, and she obviously was too surprised to say anything, so I kept on speaking: "Tired of the lies you and Father give us to eat every night; tired of all the things left unsaid that we just keep on ignoring ; tired of being part of a cinematic experience that our family is, or everything it isn't ; tired of wondering, every time I hear about another death or abduction, if it has something with Father's shady business... I am tired of it all, Mother, and it is time to stand up and face it. Together."

A large and heavy silence accompanies my statement, as Tyler's mouth had opened slightly, and that Becky's face just seemed to fall apart. Other from them, Mother's expression would remain unchanged, only expressing how deeply she was feeling toward me at the moment: the one who dared to speak, the one who should've just said nothing. She hates me - she hates all of us, apart from Mallory. 

But this time, instead of giving me a big speech about how disrespectful I was being to our whole family, and especially to my progenitors, she just falls into silence, staring straight at me, while the two other people in the room just froze.

I don't know what to say anymore: I've told my point, but I knew they wouldn't just let me leave this room after what I just did in my father's office. But, from where I stand, I can feel an impressive tension between the three women, as if they had just caught Kristie and I doing something they knew we'd do. Something weird is going on, and I didn't know how to avoid nor confront it. 

After a few seconds, Mother finally speaks up:

"You are right, we are a dysfunctional family, based on business rather than emotional ties, Christen - and you might be the most clever of us all because you have figured that all out already in your genius mind."

Tyler frowns.

"But, Mother-" she starts, but Stacey Press just shuts her up my a stare, before she continues in a very calm, almost sociopathic voice:

"I came to the understanding that you have already your advanced suspicions about our family's ties with the Dragons, and I am not going to deny it because we do have ties with them, as we entertain business relationships with many illegal organized crime institutions" she admits, taking a step closer to me, leaving both Becky and Tyler (who probably both already were in the confidence) speechless. But she, on the other hand, had plenty to say: "It also occurred to me that you befriended Mrs Dahlkemper and heard about her disappearance."

"You or Father have something to do with it, it seems" I say, strong and determined.

"Indeed" she also admits, as my jaw falls quite a bit. She can read my surprised facial expression, as she coldly laughs and continues: "There is no need in denying it, because we both know you are too clever to believe in lies. It also seems to me that, by no means, you will stop trying to figure this abduction out."

Thinking clearly about the consequences of this conversation, I nonetheless say:

"Yes, your deductions are correct, Mother."

The elegant yet soulless woman in front of me just cracks a smile.

"Under normal circumstances, we would have just eliminated you without any second thought" she continues, stopping one step away from me. She softly caresses my hair with her cold hands, slowly, carelessly, and continues: "But you underestimate the love and blind faith I have in my family, Christen. Especially in you. So, to prove to you my unconditional love and trust, I have come to you with a peace offering."

I frown: obviously, there was something in it for her, I just couldn't figure out what just yet.

"A peace offering?" I repeat, unattainable.

"From my part, I can pull some strings to release your previous Abigail without any harm caused to her. But it comes with a prize." she explains, making the suspense go on 'for the dramatic effect', as she would say.

Obviously she cracked my shell.

I always knew that I could not get close to anybody while being related to Stacey and Cody Press - I had to be unattainable, not manipulable, with no weakness. They've always known that my weaknesses would never come from inside of me, I was too strong for that. But they just waited for this moment where I would just meet somebody special, just so that they would take them away from me.

I smirk, ironically saying:

"Of course. What do you want from me, Mother?"

Wrapping a heavy arm around my shoulders, she just stands next to me, squeezing my shoulder, before revealing her big master plan:

"You surrender to us, your family, and you become a real part of it, playing your role inside our ranks."

"What do you mean?"

"You know, Christen, everything in our lives is strategic: Tyler and Channing became lawyers not because they wanted to follow my path, but because they had to become so good that they would crush any other lawyer that get opposed to our family, and they can be trusted blindly. Your father always saw in you a born leader, a charismatic young woman who would be able to mislead an entire city, hell, an entire world. And we need you to become this person."

"I don't understand..." I say, as my voice aches for the first time.

She smirks, and in her eyes, I can see it is the end of an era, and the beginning of the dawn of a way darker one, that wouldn't end well for me.

She pats my shoulder with the small size of humanity she has left, before saying:

"You are going to take your father's place, gradually at first, and then for the rest of your life. You are going to be whoever we tell you to be, with no reclamation. If you want Abby Dahlkemper to live another day, you will sell us your soul." 

I had no idea what she meant specifically, but only one answer seemed worth speaking out loud:

"Deal."