Unmasking the Heiress

David, through his actions, became the living embodiment of the saying "If you've got no shame, you're unstoppable.'

Celina had reached her limit. "I got you here because you totally missed my subtle signals!"

She thought she had been crystal clear, yet there she was, hearing that Evangeline was heading to the hospital for her checkup.

Celina had to wonder: How did David manage to work with Walter all those years? Was it really all due to his thick skin?

"I got the message," said David, suddenly all business, "but Mr. Walter Gordon and Mrs. Gordon are set on a hospital visit. There's nothing I can do but to discreetly arrange for some extra security to ensure Mrs. Gordon's safety." "Are they both... not quite right in the head?"

Celina had to pause before she found a way to phrase 'idiots' more tactfully as 'not quite right in the head.'

David just shrugged helplessly.

"This whole situation is just plain weird! At the start, Mrs. Gordon was head over heels for the big boss, practically tripping over herself to get his attention, while Mr. Walter Gordon wasn't having any of it. Now the tables have turned, and it's Mr. Walter Gordon who's all googly-eyed for Mrs. Gordon, but she's the one playing hard to get.

"Watching these two go back and forth is exhausting-I mean, when will this crazy rollercoaster end?"

David had a field day griping about Walter and Evangeline's antics, going on and on until he finally cracked a smile out of Celina.

As the memory faded, David kicked himself. Why on earth did he not see the betrayal coming? Celina had laid out their whole game plan, and he missed the signs!

...

They always said in those clean-up missions, it was better to take out a thousand by mistake than to miss even one bad apple.

If only he had caught on sooner, he would have made sure Celina was under tight watch. She would not be in that mess...

"Mr. Walter Gordon, where is Celina now? She's in real danger. Can we get her some protection?"

Since David was out of the country, he's got no choice but to lean on Walter for help back home. Walter grunted dismissively.

"Look, with the way things stand, protecting Celina is not happening.

"Evangeline snatched Celina, and the Foster family's got her hospital room locked down tighter than Fort Knox Getting in to see her is like

breaking into a bank vattent

That was no joke.

When he first heard what David was asking, he could not help but think about whether he could get

Evangeline to let him see Celina just

once.

It was not like he had anything major to say, he just wanted to make sure Celina knew David was thinking about her.

"With the Fosters watching out for you, you've got nothing to worry about."

"I'll make sure to check in on Celina here, and you try to wrap things up and head back soon, okay?"This text is property of Nô/velD/rama.Org.

If it was David asking, Evangeline would surely let them meet.

In Avalon City's biggest graveyard.

Julia, in her somber black dress and clutching a bunch of vivid daisies, paused in front of a gravestone.

Above it, a photo of Lydia and

Andrew, focked in an embrace and smiling just like they always did, brought a sense of life to

Julia gently set the daisies down below their smiling faces and bowed deeply. Then, she sat down right there against the stone. "Mom, Dad, I'm here to visit..."