A/N: Okay readers, let's get a few things right. It seems that the previous chapter was confusing, since a lot of you sent me messages and I might be at fault in that. I never explained in details the story, maybe because I wanted you as readers to have that thrill of not knowing what's yet to come.
1) As we all know, Toni is the owner of the house and wine factory. She told Liam not to mention what else Larry left to Cheryl because she wanted to keep Cheryl in the house a little while longer so that she can find out the truth. So the lawyer just did what he was told.
2) NO ONE besides Cheryl and Veronica and Blossom's know what really happened between Cheryl and Larry. You will eventually find out what was going on. As for the financial bonds that Larry was supposed to keep with the will, Cheryl needs them so that she can tear them apart and she could go back to her family. She never wanted to marry the old man, and because she didn't want her father to end up in jail she married him. AGAIN THIS HASN'T BEEN MENTIONED BEFORE BECAUSE I WANTED TO ADD IT WHEN TONI REVEALS EVERYTHING.
3) For the reader who said that I don't know what I am writing about, I'm sorry that you feel that way, honestly, I am putting a lot to my stories, maybe it isn't enough? I'll try harder and be more descriptive.
4) CHONI is happening but as I mentioned in the first chapter, that this will be a bit of a slow burn.
5) Thank you for the reviews you left. If I had done any mistake then I apologize. And feel free to Privet Message me if you have any recommendations.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cheryl looked at the brunette dumbfounded, I just need those damn papers, She thought as she looked at the brunette. "C-Conditions? W-What a-a-are they?" She asked nervously.
"First of all, I will open the safe so that you can take what you need from it and it has to be under my supervision."
"What? I am sure you are crazy, of course, I won't accept that condition."
Toni shrugged, "It's your loss," She said as she looked at Veronica, "Can you pass me the bread please?" She added with a smile.
"I told you that what I need is private, why do you want to see it?" The redhead asked with a loss of hope in her voice, she was really hoping she could find the papers and leave this life once and for all.
"If it was for you, my uncle wouldn't have left it for me, but because he gave me the key and the safe so that means I have the right to know what is it that you want."
"I already offered to trade the house," Cheryl responded.
Toni nodded, "That is true, but you know what you are giving me but I don't know what I am giving you," she reasoned.
"But what you are taking is a lot more than what I am asking for,"
"You are saying that, and as you and I both know, I don't trust what you say."
"Then I won't give you the house,"
The brunette laughed quietly. "I didn't even ask for the house, you offered it,"
Cheryl sighed in defeat. "Tell me what do you want," She said giving up on the fact that Toni will give her the safe key.
"The first condition we already talked about it, now the second condition is I want to live here,"
"What? What do you mean you want to live here?"
Toni shrugged, "It's just temporary,"
"Even so! No way!"
The brunette nodded, "Okay, as you wish."
"If I give you the house, you will be living here," Cheryl tried again with the brunette.
"And if you gave me the house, I will have to give you the key without knowing what you are going to take from it," Toni stated. She wanted to know the truth behind the redhead and Larry and she saw that if she was to live here, it was the only way she'd understand everything. "Isn't that correct?"
"Yes," Cheryl said nodding.
"Then I am not interested. I would prefer to not take the house and open the safe myself."
"And you also want to live here," Cheryl added rolling her eyes.
"I told you its temporary, just a few months,"
"Don't you have to travel back to Canada?"
Toni smirked. "Nope," She said popping the P, "I love it here," She said to tease Cheryl causing Veronica to stifle a laugh, she enjoyed watching the two argue.
The redhead glared at the nurse and then sighed, "Do you know what you are doing?"
The short brunette looked at her with confusion, "What am I doing?"
"You're blackmailing me,"
Toni nodded, "That is true," She grinned. "But I didn't force you, you can always say no."
"My answer is no! No! and no!" The redhead said as she stood up and exited the dining room. Veronica excused herself and followed her best friend, Toni sat there with a smile on her face. She knew that one way or another she will get to the bottom of this, and she couldn't deny the fact that she loved messing with the redhead.
The redhead entered her bedroom and started pacing. "Did you hear her?!" She exclaimed. "I can't believe her! I tell her that she's blackmailing me and she doesn't deny it!" She said scoffing, "I guess in their family, the easiest thing to do is blackmail." She said shaking her head as she remembered what Larry did to her. "She thinks that I am an uneducated person who was raised on a farm and she's nothing but a woman with no work, she used to take money from her uncle, but that's not what she's getting out of me,"
"She could have taken the house, Cheryl, the financial bonds we are looking for must be in an envelope, and she won't open it, she just wants to see what are you going to take, what do you have to lose?" Veronica tried to reason. "She might be thinking that whatever is in that safe is diamonds and gold that might cost a fortune."
Red scoffed, "Yeah, as if from Larry's generosity the diamonds will come right?"
"You don't have another choice." The redhead declared.
"I can't let her stay in this house!"
"It's only a couple of months, she'll eventually get bored and leave,"
"Are you listing to yourself right now? Before the will was opened the house was to none of us, I was forced to let her stay here. But now? The house is mine, I am not forced to let her live here anymore,"
Veronica went silent for a few seconds, "We'll figure something out, the most important thing is to find those papers Cheryl, did you think for one second that if she got her hands on the financial bonds that Larry left, what would she do to you?"
Cheryl's eyes went wide, she never thought of that point. She started to think of what Toni might do to her in case she finds those papers and how Toni would be worse than her ex-husband. She then ran to the dining room to find Toni reading a book, she sat on the chair and took a deep breath. "Okay," she couldn't believe what she was doing.
The short brunette lifted her gaze, "Sorry, are you talking to me?"
"Nope, I'm talking to the wall behind you,"
Toni nodded, "Okay, I thought you were speaking to me," She said causing Cheryl to look at her in irritation.
"I am talking to you!"
"What's wrong then?"
"I told you, okay,"
"Okay? What do you mean?"
"I agree," She said with a sigh.
"So you accept that I will open the safe and give you what you need?" When she received a nod she continued, "And you accept to me living here in a period I will determine?"
"Not more than six months," Cheryl reasoned. "And I will decide where you sleep,"
"Won't I sleep in my room?"
"First of all, it's not your room,"
Toni nodded, she knew that staying in the house was better than nothing. "Okay, but what do you mean I won't be living in the house?"
"I accepted that you will live in the house, but I didn't say yes to the fact that you will sleep in your room,"
"Then where am I going to sleep?"
"The guest house, it's outside," She said pointing at the backyard. "You'll eat and hang out here, don't worry,"
"Thank you so much I was afraid that I'd die from hunger," Toni said rolling her eyes.
"So? What do you say?"
"You know very well that I can refuse this offer," She said in a serious tone. "And you also know that I can still demand to sleep in my room, but I won't do that, I accept the offer, the only thing that is satisfying about all of this is that I will get to see what is in the safe," Toni said with a smile.
About an hour later, Toni was waiting for the redhead to descend the stairs, the two women decided to go to the bank and get this over with. Veronica was in the living room to keep Toni company. She couldn't help but check the short brunette out. Vee knew that she had a crush on her but she tried to keep her feelings in check. "Toni?" She asked gently.
"Hmm?" Toni hummed as she kept her eyes on the stairs waiting for the redhead.
"Can I ask you for a favor?" The nurse asked nervously. "What Cheryl is going to find is something really privet to her, so please don't open it. Just give it to her."
The brunette looked at her in confusion, "And what would happen if I opened it?"
Veronica shook her head. "N-Nothing but it would hurt her if you did."
Toni scoffed, "As if Cheryl would get hurt,"
"She is a good person b-" Before she could continue, Cheryl entered the living room. "You guys are talking about me again," She declared purposely.
"Are you ready?" Toni asked the redhead who nodded, "Then let's get going." She said as she ushered Red to one of the cars, Toni had insisted on driving because she felt like it. They drove in silence for about ten minutes when Toni stopped on the side of the road and Cheryl looked at her in confusion.
"Why did you stop?" Red asked.
"Should I take a right or the left turn?" She asked the redhead.
"How should I know?" She said shrugging.
"I'll call Sweetpea," The brunette said as she took out her phone.
"Then why did you insist on driving if you don't know the way? We could have asked anyone of the drivers! Something you don't understand why would you do it?" She scolded the brunette.
Toni sighed, "He isn't picking up. I've been out of the country for almost ten years and I don't know the streets, that I understand but what about you? You live here and you don't know how to reach a place."
"Because for the past eight years..." She trailed off while she shook her head.
"Past eight years what? Continue."
"Nothing," Cheryl said quietly. She couldn't believe she almost slipped up. "You know what? I'm calling Alex to come and pick me up." She said mentioning one of the drivers.
"When I tell you not to call anyone it means don't call anyone." Toni said in anger, "You came with me and you will go back home with me," She said in a firm tone.
"How could you let yourself talk to me in this way? I will call Alex to come and pick me up now, I won't even continue with you to the bank." She said as she dialed the driver's number.
Toni took a deep breath and snatched the phone from her hand and threw it out of the window and onto the ground. Cheryl's eyes went as she saw her phone get smashed into pieces.
"What did you do?"
Toni shrugged, "Nothing, I just threw your phone," She said as if it was a normal thing to do as she started to drive. The redhead shook her head and kept sending death glares to the brunette.
It took them half an hour to reach the bank. Red was waiting for the brunette outside one of the offices as she was informing the secretary that she needed to open the safe. Toni then walked with her and the other woman to one of the rooms outside the bolt. She gave the assistant the key and she excused herself to get the box. A few minutes later, a silver box was placed in front of Cheryl. The redhead stared at the box, as her heart was beating so fast.
"Like I promised, I will just look, you can search," Toni said politely.
Cheryl nodded as she took a deep breath and opened the box slowly, she found nothing but a few boxes of jewelry. Toni could see the disappointment in the redhead's eyes, and she couldn't help but wonder why was the redhead so vulnerable and sad. The redhead looked at the brunette as she was on the verge of tears, she blinked them away and shook her head.
"What's wrong?" Toni asked in confusion.
"There's nothing," She replied in a low voice.
"What about those?" She pointed at the boxes.
"They aren't mine," Red stated,
"Search for them," The brunette suggested.
Cheryl closed the box and shook her head. "There's nothing,"
Toni grabbed the silver safe and began to open the small boxes, all she could find was her mother's jewelry. She smiled softly as she looked at the redhead. "Those are my mother's," She said with a shake of a head. "What are you searching for?"
"Papers," was the only response Red could say.
"Maybe they are at home?" Toni suggested.
Cheryl cleared her throat, "I already searched, there was nothing," She said as her eyes were a mixture of sadness and hurt. Toni sighed sadly as she placed the small boxes back and returned the safe back. All that could Cheryl do is think. Where are they? I searched everywhere, and I couldn't find them. She thought deeply. They then made their way downstairs both not saying a word as they started their journey home. Toni kept glancing at the redhead wondering what was going on with her. As she drove she got an idea, she suddenly parked the car in front of a restaurant.
"What are you doing? Why did you stop?" Cheryl asked curiously.
"We are going to have lunch," Toni said shrugging.
"I don't want to get lunch, I want to go home,"
Toni nodded, "We'll have lunch then we will go home,"
"I informed you that I don't want to have lunch with you."
"Then we will eat and go home," Toni said casually not caring what the redhead wants.
"I won't get out of the car," The redhead said crossing her arms against her chest.
Toni looked at the redhead with a smirk. "Stay in the car, I am going to eat."
"What do you mean stay in the car? Do you really think I'll wait here till you finish?"
"Or you'll come and join me," Toni reasoned.
"I'll call Alex to come and pick me up," She said forgetting that her phone was thrown out the window.
The brunette laughed, "Do you have a phone? You have two options, you either wait here or come and join me," She said and when Cheryl didn't reply she smiled. "Let's go,"
After they ordered food and wine, it took them about twenty minutes to get served. Toni started to eat and she noticed that Cheryl hadn't touched her food. "Is the food good?"
"No," Cheryl simply stated.
"Do you want me to get you something else?"
Again she spoke. "No,"
Toni wiped her mouth with a napkin. "I wish I could see the day where you are satisfied with one thing."
The widow placed her glass of wine on the table and sighed. "I want you to give me Mr. Liam's number,"
"Of course, what do you want from him?"
"I want to assign a task to him,"
"Can I ask what task?"
"No,"
"You want the number right?" Cheryl nodded, "Can I ask what task?"
"I want him to sell everything,"
"What do you mean everything?" Toni asked in confusion.
"The wine factory, the house, everything that Larry owned.
"Why would you do that?"
"I don't want any reminder of him," She said as her eyes showed how serious she was. "Do you still have any questions before you can give me the number?" She said picking up her wine glass and taking a sip.
"If you hate him that much, why would you marry him?"
Cheryl sighed, "I won't answer that question, even if you didn't give me the number."
"I will give you his number and I will get the answer, even if you didn't answer the question."
It was about four PM when the two walked into the house, without any word, Cheryl looked at the brunette with a nod as she just walked to her room followed by the nurse. Toni looked at the redhead confused at her behavior. Veronica entered the redhead's room to find her best friend in deep thought. "I was waiting for you!" The nurse said as she sat on the bed beside the redhead. "Did you find them?" She asked hopefully.
Cheryl shook her head, "They aren't in the safe." She said in a broken voice.
Veronica's eyes went wide, "Where are they then? Did you what in the safe"
"I'm going crazy, where could Larry leave them? I only found some jewelry that belonged to Toni's mother."
"I think you should forget about the papers, it looks like Larry threw them away."
"Threw them away? There is no way that Larry could do that, he used to renew the financial bonds every three years so that he could keep me here. Do you really think he'd throw them?" The financial bonds that Larry had where only for three years, but at the end of the third, he used to renew them so that he could keep Cheryl and threaten her to put her father in jail.
"Maybe when he felt that he was going to die, his conscious got the better of him and he threw them."
Cheryl laughed bitterly. "His conscious? Someone like Larry has a conscious? And adding to that Toni showed up. How am I going to control myself around her?"
"Don't worry about that, let me take care of Toni," Vee said dreamily.
Cheryl whipped her head as soon as she heard those words come out of her best friends mouth, jealousy and anger were running through her body. "Don't you dare think about her, I don't want what happened to me to happen to you. Besides, I won't wait six months. It's only a matter of weeks till I sell this house."
Toni entered the guest room to find it old and rusty, it has a bed and a small lap with a desk beside it and a small closet. She shook her head in disbelief to where Cheryl had put her, but the brunette had a plan. And she was going to accept everything that the redhead throws at her in order to find out the truth.
"If I don't humiliate you and put you in this same room I am, my name isn't Toni Topaz," She said to herself as she nodded. "I just need time."
A/N: I hope you liked the chapter. Where could the papers be? Tell me what you think.