I stayed with Daniel for at least a couple of weeks. Daniel wanted to immediately go out and tell everyone he was with Haley Wellington. He spoke of renewing our engagement.
"Daniel, you're going too fast," I said. "How the heck did you even know it was me?"
"I knew it was you the very first day I met you at Steven's party. There was something about you that was so familiar," he said. "You said everything exactly the same."
"Guess I gave myself away," I said.
"But I had to know for certain," said Daniel. "So I followed you after Steven's dinner." He raised his hand in front of me, "I know how creepy that sounds Vanessa, believe me, but what would you do if you lost the only woman you ever loved, and realized that she came back?"
I smiled. The earnestness in which he said it and the handsome look on those blue eyes was priceless.
That's my Daniel.
"I guess that explains why you were there when I fought with Rina."
"Yes. I saw everything."
"You saw me fight?"
"Yes. There is still so much I don't understand Vanessa, but I would imagine that coming back from dead doesn't come free. I won't press you for answers. For now, I am just happy I have you back. Well, somewhat, that is."
"Okay, Daniel."
"But what made me sure about all this, was the test."
"The test?"
Daniel nodded. "The night I found you all bloodied. After we had treated your wounds, I decided to place you in Shelly's room."
"Ah," I said. "I was wondering about that. Vanessa Hunter was the only other person who's been allowed into that room."
Daniel smiled. "Exactly. And the way you looked around Shelly's room, at her trophies. Your eyes went from trophy to trophy, your eyes had a far-off look, like you were lost in memory. Your eyes went from her swim medals in order of when she won them. You weren't reading what each trophy was, you were remembering them. When you did that, I was convinced it was you."
"Even when you were trying to hide it, you were obvious," he continued. "Ordering the Broiled Redfish at Broussard's was completely something you would do to be mean to me," he said with a smile."
"Oops," I said smiling at him sheepishly.
I deeply enjoyed those precious few days I spent with Daniel. We took time to catch up with each other, even taking time to frequent old haunts. We steered clear of both Broussard's and The Old Absinthe House however. We didn't want to draw unwanted attention to ourselves. Mostly, we stayed home and just spent time with each other.
So I almost regretted it when the day finally came for me to deal with a situation I had been hoping would come a lot later.
"Vanessa!" Daniel's voice startled me awake one morning. I bolted upright, wondering what it was that made him so anxious and looked around. The rays of the sun filtered through the windows of the room we shared.
"Vanessa, this is bad, your face is all over the news."
"My what?"
"Actually, it's both your faces."
"Come again?"
Daniel threw the paper at me. "Read," he said. "And while we're at it, let's turn on the television."
Daniel was right. The paper had my face as the recently deceased Chair of Hunter Robotics. The paper was sensationalizing it of course. It talked about my death, about how Vanessa Hunter had struggled to maintain control over the company. It spoke of rumors of insider trading and possible criminal connections. No outright accusations of course, but just enough to be able to say it.
The next part talked about the mysterious Haley Wellington, an heiress who appeared out of nowhere who has mysteriously been making a lot of money shorting the company shares. The paper pointed to Haley as the source of the rumors.
The article was lengthy, and I had to hand it to the paper, they did a really good job of painting this their way. The front page had a photographs of both Vanessa and Haley side-by-side. The old me versus the new me. I had to smile at that comparison.
My mother had put her plan into action.
"It's ok Daniel. This is part of the plan," I said.
"What? How is an insider trading scandal like this part of the plan? Vanessa, look," Daniel said, pointing at the television where Haley Wellington's face was prominently displayed, "if you aren't careful, the SEC could begin looking into your activities. The reporters are already whipping this into a media frenzy. Besides, shorting your own company makes very little sense."
I sighed, and got up, pulling the white sheets close to me as I went into the bathroom to shower.
Daniel followed me into the bathroom.
I dropped the sheets, and stretched. "So who's got the hotter bod? Haley or Vanessa?" I asked, smiling as I looked back at a red-faced Daniel.
"I'm sorry Van," he said, as he averted his eyes, looking down at the floor.
"No worries," I said with a wink, "I'm just having a little fun with you."
I stepped into the shower and turned it on. The hot water jetted out and hit my skin, the heat was comforting. I was reminded of the time I spent with Gregor and the Brood. I quickly brushed the thought aside.
"The SEC won't look into me," I said as I turned the showers off and pulled a towel from the nearby rack.
"Excuse me?"
"The SEC. You were worried about them. I have it all under control. And shorting Hunter Robotics is part of my plan."
"But why?"
I sighed. "There are many things that you are better of not knowing Daniel. This is one of them."
"I just don't want to lose you a second time, Van, you know that."
My heart softened at that. "It's quite alright Daniel. This is something I have to do, but believe me we will have plenty of time to catch up when this is all over."
"What this is all over? What the hell does that mean?"
My phone rang in the bedroom. I rushed out to grab it. Perfect timing. It was Death calling.
I picked it up immediately.
"And how is the honeymoon cherie?" he asked, and I couldn't tell if he was joking or sincere. He somehow sounded sad. But maybe it was just my imagination.
"Don't tell me you called just to find out? You did wait two weeks before calling."
"Alas, it takes a while to recover from a broken heart," he said.
"Ok, but you didn't call just to tell me that."
"You're right cherie, I didn't. Listen, you need to be in Chicago, at Hunter Robotics, same time tomorrow. I just got a call from Robert Mayer. The board is taking an emergency vote. You'll need to find a way to let yourself in. I know everything now Vanessa. I found your mother and she's explained everything. Your strategy is a good one, but we have to be very careful about playing our cards right."
"Wait, how did you..." l stopped and shook my head. "Nevermind," I said. "You're Death."
"Infinite resources, cherie."
I could almost picture the big grin on his face as he said the words. "How I wish sometimes you'd let me in on those so I wouldn't have to do things the hard way."
"Ah, but it's so much more fun to see Vanessa Hunter in action."
"Funny you are. Fine. I'll meet you in Chicago," I said.
***
The atmosphere at Hunter Robotics was highly charged by the time I got there. I pulled up in front of the all-too familiar building. The outside of the building was already chaotic. Members of the press were already there in a media frenzy.
It wouldn't do for any of them to see Haley Wellington walk through the door. I parked my car a block away, got off, and invoked the Nether Void. I had gotten quite good at it. I knew I would at least be able to invoke it for a block or so. More than enough to allow me to get past the press without attracting attention.
I had to try very hard to make it look as though it was the first time I had ever set foot in the building - no small feat either. There were too many memories within those walls.
The decor was beautiful. Long offices with sweeping floor plans, lots of open space that featured pastel colors - orange and white and green. Eye-catching, just the right mix to attract the sharpest young minds in Chicago. But I already knew that, of course.
This wasn't Donnie Hunter's thing. Donnie had always focused first and foremost on the research.
It was Vanessa Hunter who had made the changes, getting rid of the cubicles in favor of the open spaces. It was Vanessa Hunter who flattened the chain of command, ensuring that employees' voices could filter through the ranks free of judgment. Bosses that stifled ideas had no place at Hunter Robotics. Rather, it was the managers who understood that everyone had something to contribute that did well. It was something that I was proud of to this day.
I checked myself into the reception area, and tried very hard to pretend I didn't know each and every employee. As chair of Hunter Robotics, HR gave me a file on everyone who worked for us. I read those files on a daily basis. Sometime around 11:45 PM, with an open bottle of Pinot Noir, I would pore over the files of everyone who ever worked for the company that I loved.
I felt just the slightest twinge of regret. I realized just how much of Hunter Robotics was in my blood; exactly how much I loved it and yearned for the life that I had left behind.
It made me angry of course, that it was the man I trusted more than my own life itself who had betrayed me.
I took the elevator to the penthouse suite. It was more or less part of my daily ritual. I would get up at around 4 in the morning, get a cup of coffee brewing and hop onto the treadmill for half an hour while the news would play in the background. Then it was off to a half-hour breakfast meeting, I would insist on a very early one at five thirty in the morning. I vetted my business opportunities that way. Anyone who didn't have the dedication to meet for breakfast at 5:30 in the morning wasn't worth doing business with.
I would be in the office by 6:15. I loved my job dearly.
The elevator took its time and I found myself lost in memory.
The cold steel doors of the elevator opened shortly after we reached the penthouse suite. Death was waiting for me at the entrance. "You'd best have a good plan cherie," he began. "This is serious business."
"If I didn't have a plan D," I began, "I wouldn't have set things into motion like this."
"Why then, does this feel like the time we met that bitch Azazel?"
"Relax," I said laughing. "I've better control over businessmen than I do demons."
"I hope you're right," Death whispered. "There is a lot of hostility toward you in there, Haley Wellington."
"Part of the plan," I said. "Is my mother here?"
"She's already in the boardroom," said Death. "As is Robert Mayer." he gestured toward the open office with the long oval boardroom table. They've been expecting you, Haley."
"Okay, D," I said. "Follow my lead this time ok?"
Death bowed to me just then. "It would give me no greater pleasure," he said in a low voice, "than to see the great Vanessa Hunter in action."
I smiled at that and confidently strode into the boardroom.
The room was quiet as I entered. I looked around me at the familiar faces. Even the long cherry boardroom table had been selected by Vanessa Hunter. Everything from the televisions that filled the room, all hyperconnected so I would have all the information I needed at my fingertips. Cisco Spider phones were at each end of the table, and at varying intervals all throughout. I didn't skimp on technology that empowered communications.
Still, the group that greeted me as I walked in was decidedly somber.
They all sat down collectively as I walked in.
Looks like I'm the woman of the hour.
I looked at the faces around me. My mother nodded without smiling. An acknowledgement, yes, but not one that would draw any suspicion.
Robert Mayer took his place at the head of the table as the rightful CEO of Hunter Robotics. I knew each and every board member. I knew what I needed to appeal to. I needed to sell Haley Wellington, but far more than that, I desperately needed to sell Haley without drawing unwanted attention from the SEC. As Daniel put it, that was one group that I did not want attention from.
"You've read the news, no doubt," I said. "This company is reeling and I have decided to short the company shares for profit."
"You do realize, Miss Wellington, that we will not sit idly by as you profit from the ruin of a company that has taken over two decades to build?"
It was Gordon Beckett speaking. Wonderful words from an exceptional businessman. Gordon was one of my personal choices. He had incredible business knowledge couple with a very ethical approach to doing business. He was a Vanessa Hunter favorite.
"Profit from a company's ruin? That sounds almost rhetorical of you, Gordon." a voice spoke up.
I turned around in surprise. Steven Rutherford had made his entrance.
My heart beat faster. All the players were assembled in the room. Would all this go according to our plan?
Steven calmly walked over to an empty seat and sat down without a word, content to let the remaining board members wonder just what it was that he was up to.
I wanted to speak next, but I was interrupted.
"Well, what a lively group of people we have gathered here."
I cringed. I almost face-palmed at that moment.
Death had let himself into the room with quite possibly the biggest grin I have ever seen on his face.
I shot him a look that said, "What the hell are you doing?"
But Death casually strolled toward me, taking the unoccupied seat next to me. He leaned toward me with a smile before whispering, "making things interesting between you and I, cherie."
---
Mini glossary! :D
SEC: Securities and Exchange Commission. They, ummm...look into bad people that do bad things in the stock market, :D
You will NEVER find it defined so well, in another textbook, I can assure you! :D
Anyway, hope you enjoyed this. Please vote and comment and add to your reading list. Help me out? Pretty please?
P.S.
I love you all. Thank you!