Written by: Dallas Walsh

A new day has come to the Barracuda Blue. The sun is beating down despite being early in the morning. The warm sun rays are already drying some of the puddles that were created from the intense rain storm the previous day. In the main office of the resort, Orvilla Anderson stands at her desk. She has just finished requesting that her staff, Carson McGuire and Justin "Arrow" Williams, uncover why the generators at the resort didn't turn on the previous evening when the storm created a blackout. She is grateful that, for once, the resort wasn't sold out as she knows that she would have had multiple complaints as the power outage would have not gone over well.

She looks over to the door when it opens and Alex Sanchez-Lorenzo appears. She arches her eyebrow as the younger man is wearing sunglasses, a sure sign that he continued to drink the tequila she saw him with the previous night. She realizes that he is still in rough shape for accidently killing his mother, Paola, but she is going to need him to be as level-headed as possible in order for them to carry out their plans to ensure that they remain in control of Meccanica.

"I thought I told you last night to lay off the booze," she greets him coldly as he moves to the bar and pours himself a glass of water. "You still smell of tequila and the sunglasses, well darling, they are a dead giveaway."

"I needed one night to numb the pain," he replies to her as he swallows down some of the cold liquid. "I promise, I'll be better moving forward."

"You damn well better be," she warns him as she moves closer to him. She removes his sunglasses, which causes him to squint. "Because we have too much at stake for you to blow this because you're too busy drowning your sorrows in liquor, Alex. If you mean what you said about helping me with Meccanica…"

"I meant every word," he informs her. "This…this is my father's company; my father's legacy. It is rightfully mine."

"Then start playing by my rules," Orvilla warns him. "Because I will not settle for anything less than Meccanica remaining in my control."

"What about me? You wouldn't be in this position without me, Orvilla. I will not be left out in the cold once the takeover is official."

"Don't you worry about that," Orvilla purses her lips together. "I am a woman of my word; I will give you a position here at the company. But the fact is, I will be the one remaining as CEO. The board, they trust me and my vision. Can you accept that?"

"I don't think I have much of a choice."

"Good answer," she smiles back to him. "Together, we will remain on top, I believe that."

/\/\/\

A short time later, Orvilla sits behind her desk typing into her laptop. She is reviewing the latest sales figures report and she is rather impressed by what she has seen. The Barracuda Blue took a financial hit after the disastrous Pink Roses launch party a few years earlier which was a collaboration between Roboto and Rockwell Mining. All of her hard work and tactics, however, have paid off as the resort is, seemingly busier than ever. She gets a grin on her face when she sees that the next three months are sold out; she just hopes that Carson and Arrow are able to uncover the issue with the generator, just in case there is another storm.

Just then, her telephone rings. She picks up the IPhone and doesn't recognize the number on the screen. "This is Orvilla Anderson," she says into the phone. "Oh, it is you. I didn't recognize the number."

There is a small pause as the person on the other end replies to her. "A burner phone, that is perfect. Good thinking. What is the update that you have for me?"

Another slight pause from Orvilla, but this time, she gets a grin on her face and a twinkle in her eye. "Are you positive that this cannot be traced back to you, and therefore, me? Oh, this is perfect. You can expect payment in full later today."

With that she hangs up the phone and clasps her hands together. She stands up and moves, quickly, to the bar in her office, where she pours herself a brandy. She takes a sip of her and lets the feeling of the liquid move down her as her moment of celebration. The previous evening, while she watched the storm unfold, she realized that she had to take care of Darryl Westin. She had hired him to kidnap Paola, which he did; however, since she bailed Alex out of jail, she was worried that he would spill the details her role in the entire situation. That's when she mad a call to one of her goons and he just called her to inform her that Darryl died in jail the previous night. Of course, she knows that he was killed, but they made it appear to be a suicide, so no one will ever know her secret.

"Between this news about Darryl and Alex agreeing that I will run Meccanica, I am having a splendid day," she chuckles to herself. "I will not be stopped; not now, not ever."

/\/\/\

Caramel Colby slowly pulls their Honda Civic into a parking lot of a rather luxurious set of townhouses on the northern side of Maui. The small community is relatively new, and they can tell that these townhouses would not have been cheap. As they finish parking their car, they can't help but wonder how Nate Meadows would be able to afford a home like this. They realize, however, that this is a mystery to solve for another day as they have to prove that Nate is working against their best friend, Rachelle Thornton. They can't place it, but they have had a bad feeling about Nate for weeks now, and they are determined to prove it.

Thinking that they do not want to be scene, Caramel goes to the backdoor of the townhouse. They open the small Gucci clutch and pulls out a bobby pin. They enter the pin into the locked door and wiggle it around. Within a few seconds, the door unlocks and Caramel gets a grin on their face. They enter the townhouse and, quickly, close the door behind themselves.

"Okay, I don't know what I am looking for," they whisper. "But I will know it once I see it."

The back entrance of the property opens into the kitchen. Caramel realizes that the kitchen would be of no use to them so they swiftly walk through. The small hallway leads them into the living room. Caramel, immediately, moves over to the bookshelves and starts looking at what books Nate has, as he doesn't strike them as much of a reader. They don't see anything that jumps out at them as odd, however, the lower half of the bookshelf has a door. They open the door and see more shelves with different books on them. They bend down and realize that one of the books appears to be a photo album. They pull out the album and start looking at the pictures.

Most of them are of Nate as a child. Caramel can see another man, likely, Nate's father. They turn the page and Caramel gasps out loud. There is a picture of Nate, his father, and a woman…the woman is a dead ringer for Orvilla!

"It…It can't be!" Caramel says in shock as they feel the blood drain from their face. "This is proof…Nate and Orvilla…they know each other…since he was a kid? Orvilla has Nate wrapped around her finger…My God, Rachelle…you're in danger."

/\/\/\

Sunlight starts to creep into Rachelle's hospital room at the medical clinic. The beams of light cause her to open her eyes slowly until she has adjusted to the light. She scans the room and sees Nate looking out the window. She, immediately, recalls how the previous night they had been cuddling in her bed when, suddenly, her memory returned completely. Not only did she remember that Nate kissed Caramel at Belview Academy but that she overheard her mother, Kymberlynne Thornton, and Orvilla talking about Kymberlynne's torrid affair with Carson.

Nate turns around and sees his girlfriend awake. "Good morning sleepy head," he chuckles to her. "You slept in today."

"Sorry, I guess I was tired," she replies to him as she wonders if she can trust him. She has no idea why he would have kissed Caramel, but something isn't making sense.

"You don't have to apologize," he says back to her. "You are recovering from an overdose, Rachelle. Rest is the best thing for you."

Rachelle uneasily nods back to her. "Have you heard from Caramel today?"

Nate arches his eyebrow back to her. "Uh, no? Why would I have heard from Caramel today?"

Rachelle gulps back to him realizing that she has to cover with him. She can't let him know that she saw the kiss. "I was just thinking that my best friend might have contacted you to get an update on me, that's all?"

"Ah, well, no, I haven't. Do you want me to call them?"

"No, no," Rachelle waves her hand in the air. "I am sure I will hear from my bestie soon. There…there is something you can do for me, however."

"Anything," Nate grins back at her. "What can I do for you?"

"I need to see my siblings as soon as possible," Rachelle reveals to him. "Please call Lyzz and Liam and have them come here. It's…it's important."

/\/\/\

About ten minutes later, Nate is walking into the waiting room of the medical center. He can't place it, but the way Rachelle asked him if he had heard from Caramel is making him uneasy. His mind races back to the fact that he kissed Caramel, mostly to keep them from uncovering the truth about him feeding Rachelle drugs as per Orvilla's orders. There is no way that Rachelle could have known about the kiss; Nate doesn't believe, for one second, that Caramel would have said anything, and even if they had, Rachelle has memory loss.

"I need to get it together," he whispers to himself. "Rachelle's memory might never come back, and even if it does, she doesn't know anything. I am just being paranoid. I have to stay calm."

Once he feels his heart rate return to normal, he pulls his cell phone out of his pocket as he has to follow Rachelle's wishes and call Lyzz and Liam. He is curious as to what Rachelle has to talk to her siblings about as she made it seem very important.

He is about to push "dial" on Lyzz's contact when someone approaches him from behind.

"You son of a bitch," a voice calls out. "How could you do this? How could you hurt Rachelle this way?"

Nate slowly turns around and sees Caramel standing behind him. He forces a smile on his face as he, once again, has no idea what they are talking about.

"Uh, Caramel, what's going on? What are you talking about?"

"I know, Nate," they glare back at him. "I know that you and Orvilla go way back…to your childhood. I know that you've been working with her to ensure that Rachelle never becomes CEO of Meccanica….this is over, Nate. This little game you're playing, it ends today, because I'm here to tell Rachelle everything."

/\/\/\

Liam Thornton sits at a table in the Café Tropical with a cup of coffee in front of him. He had arrived to have breakfast, but the truth is, he doesn't have an appetite. His mind is racing over the previous night's events during the blackout. Before the power went out, he was having a romantic dinner with his boyfriend, Justin "Leaf" Matthews. During the dinner, Leaf shocked Liam by proposing to him. Liam was caught off guard and rushed out. He ended up at the Barracuda Blue, and then was trapped in an elevator with Marco Belli. The two men had a good conversation, which ended with them in a steamy kiss. Liam has no idea what to make of the kiss, but he knows that he will have to address it or it will fester into something much bigger than what it is.

"Good morning," a voice calls out from behind him.

Liam turns and sees Leaf standing next to him. "Can I join you?"

"Sure," Liam replies to him. "I wasn't sure you'd want to see me after last night."

"I wasn't sure either," Leaf admits to him with a chuckle. "I have to admit, I have a bruised ego. I propose to you and you run away? Not exactly how I imagined that would go down."

"I know," Liam nods back to him. "And for the record, Leaf, I am sorry that I ran out. I…I was just taken aback completely. The romantic dinner was a surprise already, the last thing I expected was for you to propose marriage to me."

"I know it came out of left field," Liam tells him. "The truth is, I like what we have, and I've realized that things can happen to change our lives quickly. I…I just don't want to lose what we have, that's all."

"This is all just happening very quickly for me," Liam admits to him. "I like where we are and where we are going…but…"

"I have an idea," Leaf reveals to him. "Something that may ease your mind about the idea of us getting married."

"I'm listening…what is this idea?"

"A prenup," Leaf says as Liam arches his eyebrow. "That way, if we don't work out, I am not entitled to any of your money. This should prove, Liam, that I want to be with you because I care about you, and not because I have ulterior motives."

/\/\/\

Arrow reaches over to his phone, which is resting on his nightstand, and grabs it. He looks at the screen and sees multiple missed called, and text messages, from Orvilla asking him to investigate the generator at the resort and to see why it didn't go on during the blackout. He groans slightly as he puts his phone back down as he doesn't feel ready to start the day just yet. He, then, looks over and realizes that there is another body in his bed with him. Immediately, he recalls how and Kelvin Jetter were in the locker room when the power went out; one thing lead to another, and they ended up having intense sex with one another. By the time the power came back on, they were both exhausted, so they came back to his place and crashed.

"Hey Kelvin, are you awake?" he calls out breaking the silence in the room.

Kelvin groans a little before he rolls over and looks at Arrow. "I…I just woke up," he announces. "What time is it, anyways?"

"Almost 10," Arrow replies to him. "You better get up and shower or you'll be late for your shift."

"Oh shit," Kelvin jumps up in the bed. "Do you mind if I shower here?"

"Of course, not," Arrow nods back to him. "Just make it fast, because I have to get to the resort myself. Orvilla is already making demands of me with my day."

"Yea, I'll be fast," Kelvin says as he leaves the bed, exposing his toned, naked, body. "By the way, I really had a great time last night."

Arrow chuckles back to him. "Yea, so did I," he licks his lips at the sight of a naked Kelvin. "The listen man, I am still head over heels in love with Leaf, so I am not in a position for anything serious."

"Fucking doesn't have to be serious," Kelvin winks back at him. "Especially when we are both good at it. Just keep that in mind."

"I will, but remember what I said. I still care about someone else, and I'm not sure that will change anytime soon."

/\/\/\

Chloe Peller takes a sip of her herbal tea and then rolls her eyes. Since she is pregnant, she isn't allowed to have caffeine, so in the morning, she has started to have herbal tea, but it doesn't have the same punch that a coffee has for her. She takes another sip of the tea as she thinks back to a few days earlier; she and Alex had been talking at the Barracuda Blue on the pool deck. Once he left, Lyzz approached her and confronted her about her pregnancy. The two ended up in a fight and they fell into the pool. Marco had to break up the fight, and Chloe ended up leaving. She hates that Lyzz attacked her because she would have known that she is pregnant with Cole's child. The truth is, however, Chloe has no idea if Cole, or Alex, is her baby's father. She has told both men that he is the father because she wants to ensure that she can play all of her cards just right.

She takes another sip of her tea and then, suddenly, she moans out in pain. She puts her hand on her stomach and then rushes to the washroom. Within a few minutes she returns to the kitchen of her apartment with tears in her eyes.

She grabs her phone and dials a number as she covers her mouth. "Cole, it's me, Chloe," she says as a tear falls down her cheek. "I'm…I'm spotting…I…I think something is wrong with the baby….I'm going to the medical clinic….please…please meet me there?"

"Okay, thanks, I'll see you soon."

She hangs up the phone and puts her hand on her stomach. "Please be okay," she whispers to her belly. "Please don't let anything happen to my baby."

/\/\/\

About thirty minutes later, Chloe is laying in a hospital room with Cole sitting next to her. Dr. Cynthia Fong has already completed a series of tests on Chloe and they are waiting for the test results.

"Thank you for coming," Chloe looks back at Cole. "I…I didn't want to be alone."

"Of course I am here," Cole replies to her. "This is our baby; if something is going on, I want to be in the know."

"It just happened so quickly," she admits to him. "I was just having tea, and then I got a cramp; when I went to the bathroom, I was spotting, like I was about to get my period."

"What could have happened to trigger this?" Cole asks her in confusion. "When we spoke yesterday, everything was fine?"

"I thought so too," Chloe nods back to him. "But Lyzz and I did have a confrontation."

"Wait, what?" Cole asks her in surprise. "You and Lyzz, you had words?"

"More than words," Chloe reveals to him. "We fought on the pool deck at the Barracuda Blue. We both ended up in the pool."

"What the hell were you two thinking? You're pregnant!"

"She started it," Chloe hisses back to him. "She hates me!"

Before he can say anything else, the doctor emerges in the hospital room. "Dr. Fong…how is my baby?" Chloe asks her quickly.

"I am afraid there is no easy way to say this," the doctor says back to her. "But you miscarried, Chloe. That explains the spotting. I am really sorry."

"No," Chloe gasps as she covers her mouth in shock and horror. "No! Not my baby!"

"I'll give you two sometime alone," the doctor says before she exits the room.

Cole moves closer to Chloe and pulls her into a hug. "I am sorry Chloe," he whispers to her. "If I can do anything…"

"This is all Lyzz's fault," Chloe says through her tears. "She killed my baby! Lyzz killed our baby!"

/\/\/\

Arrow moves into the lobby of the Barracuda Blue and makes a beeline towards his office. He knows that he has million things to do because Orvilla is demanding answers about the generator not working during the blackout; he can't say that he blames her because he, too, finds it curious that the generator didn't come on the previous night during the blackout. He freezes, however, when he sees Leaf leaving Café Tropical.

"Leaf," Arrow says moving up to his former lover. "Looks like you survived the blackout?"

"You can say that," Leaf nods back to him. "I was at the Thornton mansion, and the power was only out for a few minutes. They have backup generators."

Arrow chuckles back to him. "Orvilla is asking me today why the generator here didn't come on. The power was out for, at least, an hour last night."

"I don't envy you today then," Leaf replies to him. "Orvilla can be a very demanding woman at times."

"She means well."

"Naturally, you defend her," Leaf winks back to him. "By the way, I have some news, and I, uh, I guess you should hear it from me."

"News? What kind of news?" Arrow asks him as he folds his muscular arms over his chest.

"I…I proposed to Liam last night," Leaf says as Arrow looks back at him in surprise.

"Wow, you're not wasting any time, are you?" Arrow nervously chuckles back to him. "But it's all good, I knew you moved on, Justin. So have I."

"What does that mean?"

"It means, I've fucked Cole Rockwell. And just last night, I fucked Kelvin."

"The bellhop?" Leaf asks him in surprise.

"Yup," Arrow winks back to him. "So, you can think that you're the only one over our relationship, but I am single and ready to mingle. Guess we both are moving on. See you around."

Arrow walks away from Leaf, who is left reeling from Arrow's admission about sleeping with multiple different men. He knows it shouldn't both him, but he would be lying if he said it didn't.

/\/\/\

Nate looks back at Caramel in shock as they just revealed to him that they know that he has a connection to Orvilla and that he has been working with her to keep Rachelle from becoming the CEO of Meccanica. Nate feels sweat start to form on the top of his forehead; he has no idea what he can say or do to get out of this, but he knows that Orvilla will be furious if their connection is revealed. To top it off, Nate, potentially, could lose everything as a result. Orvilla, Rachelle, everyone would be furious with him.

He closes his eyes and, for a moment, he can see his father, Augustus, standing in front of him. Tears steam down Nate's face at the sight of his father; he still misses him, despite him being gone for years now. The truth is, the loss of a parent, especially at such a young age, has shaped Nate into the man that he is today. Had it not been for Orvilla taking him in, he would have been an orphan, and God knows, where in his life. He owes everything to Orvilla.

Nate looks up at Augustus, who smiles back to him. Suddenly, Nate opens his eyes, and he is back in his reality.

"Kitty cat got your tongue?" Caramel glares back at him. "You have nothing to say for yourself?"

Nate turns around and takes a deep breath. He scans the room and sees a large potted plant in the corner. Covering the base of the pot are some large rocks. He finds himself moving towards the plant.

"You…You don't understand Caramel," he finally says something to her. "You don't know what I have been through."

"Nor do I care," Caramel replies to him. "All I care about is that you have been plotting against Rachelle! You're the reason that she overdosed!"

With a quick motion, Nate bends down and grabs one of the large rocks. He, then, spirts towards Caramel and knocks them out with a swift blow to the head. Caramel's body tumbles to the ground and Nate looks around, hoping that no one has seen him.

"Okay," he says feeling his heart rate pick up. "Now what?"

/\/\/\

After Nate knocked Caramel unconscious, he rushed to the hallway to ensure no one was around. When the coast was clear, he moved Caramel's body to a storage locker that he discovered was unlocked. Thankfully for him, the room was equipped with everything that he needed. He changed his clothing into some scrubs that were inside the room, including a surgical mask.

Near the back of the room, there was a stored away gurney; one of the wheels skips, so the center put it away. But Nate realized that he could use it. He laid Caramel's body on the gurney and covered them with a white sheet. Once he left the room, he realized that he only had one choice.

The elevator doors open in the basement of the medical center, and Nate emerges, pushing the gurney that Caramel is on. He moves closer to another door, which reads "Morgue". He peers inside the small window and realizes that the morgue is empty, so he pushes the gurney through the swinging doors.

Once he's inside, he locks the swinging doors and he looks around. He quickly sees multiple free freezers. He opens one of the morgue freezers and then removes the white sheet that is covering Caramel. He, then, lifts their body and lays them down on the metal bed. He pushes the bed into the freezer and closes the door.

"If the blow to the head didn't kill them, they'll die from hypothermia within three hours," he tells himself. "Now, to get back to Rachelle and act like nothing has happened."

Nate rushes out of the morgue, leaving Caramel to die in the freezer.

/\/\/\

Cole moves into the waiting room of the medical center and sees Lyzz waiting for him. He had been with Chloe, who told him that she wanted to get some rest. In the meantime, Cole had texted Lyzz and asked her to come to the center. Seeing her, however, is a punch to his gut, as he can't get the words Chloe said out of his mind, "Lyzz killed my baby."

"Hey, I got your text. Are you okay? Why are you at the medical center?" Lyzz asks him as she moves up to him.

"I'm fine," he tells her. "It's Chloe…she…she miscarried."

"What?" Lyzz gasps back to him. "That is awful."

"No thanks to you," Cole looks back at her. "She told me, Lyzz. How you confronted her on the pool deck and how you two fought and ended up in the pool. That's the reason that the miscarriage happened!"

"I know I should have told you what happened last night," Lyzz admits to him. "The truth is, I was embarrassed by my actions. Two grown women fighting? That's my not jam."

"Only it did happen and it was your fucking jam! And as a result, Chloe lost our child!"

Lyzz looks back at him in shock and surprise. "I see. So, Chloe told you half the story, huh? And now, I'm the bad guy? I see how this is going to be played out."

"What are you talking about?"

"I confronted her because when I got to the pool deck, she was with Alex," Lyzz explains to him. "They were talking about the baby. Alex was the father, Cole. You weren't going to be a father again. So, I didn't kill you baby."

Cole feels the blood drain from his face. "Are…are you sure about this?"

"You can believe whatever you want," Lyzz shrugs back to him. "I regret my part in what happened, but the truth is, Chloe was lying to everyone around her, including you."

/\/\/\

Liam paces back and forth in the living room of the Thornton mansion. He is thinking about what Leaf suggested to him: they draw up a prenup, which would prove that Leaf wants to be with him and not his money. If Liam is honest with himself, he never thought that Leaf was after his money until he suggested it, but the prenup idea, does make it seem like he wants to marry him because he has fallen in love with him.

"Leaf is right about the fact that things in life can change on a dime," Liam whispers to himself. "Maybe this marriage idea isn't the worst idea in the world. Lord knows, we could all use some happiness right now."

Before he can think of anything else, he hears the front doorbell ring. "I'll get it Sonja," he calls out to the maid as he leaves the living room and moves to the front door.

On the other side of the door stands Marco. "Marco?" Liam asks in surprise. "This…this is a surprise. I wasn't expecting you."

"Hopefully a good surprise?" Marco replies as he moves into the foyer of the mansion. "Wow, this place is incredible. I don't think I've actually ever been inside of your home."

Liam chuckles back to him. "It's not really my taste, but my mother has refused to change anything since my Dad died. And honestly, I was so young when that happened, I haven't really thought about asking to change anything."

"I get that," Marco locks eyes with him. "Thanks again, by the way, you really helped me when we were in the elevator."

"Ah, that was nothing," Liam licks his lips back to him. "You also helped me, remember?"

"Yea, I do," he chuckles. "And then…well, we kissed. I haven't been able to stop thinking about that, Liam."

"It was a nice kiss," Liam nods back to him. "But…"

"No but's," Marco cuts him off and moves closer to him. "I want it again, Liam. And I think deep down, you do too."

Without hesitation, Marco leans in and kisses Liam on the lips. Liam responds with passion and they continue to kiss one another.

/\/\/\

About twenty minutes later, Liam is back in the living room of the Thornton mansion. He is feeling even more confused than before following his unexpected visit from Marco. He can't help but be attracted to the lifeguard, but he knows that he and Leaf, also, have something special going on. What he will do with his romantic life, he has no idea, but he knows that he also has other things to worry about.

"There you are," a voice calls out from behind him. He turns around and sees Lyzz entering the living room. "We need to talk."

"Is this about Meccanica?" Liam asks his sister as she nods back to him. "Good, because I was thinking the same thing. Besides, I need a distraction."

"Ugh, you and me both," Lyzz admits to him. "Anyways, we agreed that we will be co-CEO's to the company. Are you still in agreement with that?"

"I am," Liam nods back to her. "I think it is the best solution for everyone."

"Me too," Lyzz pulls him into a hug. "I think it's time brother. I think it's time we go to Meccanica and get our company back."

/\/\/\

Cole slowly opens the door to Chloe's hospital room and moves inside. Once he is sitting next to her, she opens her eyes, awaking from her sleep.

"Hey," she says back to him. "How long was I asleep for?"

"About an hour," Cole replies to her. "The rest is good for you, though, Chloe."

"I…I still can't believe that my baby is gone," she admits to him. "This seems surreal."

"I saw Lyzz," Cole reveals to her as their eyes lock. "I texted her and asked her to come her. I wanted to hear her side of things since you two had your fight."

"She's a cold-hearted bitch," Chloe spits at him. "I hope she rots in hell for what she has done to my child."

"She admitted that you two fought," Cole continues to tell her. "But she told me something else, Chloe. And I need you to, finally, be honest with me."

"Oh God, I can I only imagine what lies she is saying about me now."

"She told me that when she saw you at the pool deck that you were with Alex," Cole explains to her. "And that he, not me, was the father of your baby. Is that true? Was Alex the father of the baby? Have you been lying to me this entire time?"

"All I know," Chloe glares back at him with intent. "Is that Lyzz is the reason for our child being dead, Cole. And for what, I am going to make damn sure that she pays. She will live to regret the day she killed my baby."

/\/\/\

Kymberlynne Thornton moves up to the fireplace mantel in the study of the Thornton mansion. She picks up a picture of herself, Samuel, and their three children. They are on their yacht, the American Buoy, and they all have smiles on their faces. The children are still young as this was, obviously, taken when Samuel was still alive and well. Tears flood Kymberlynne's eyes at the sight.

All she has tried to do since she has been back was to rebuild her relationship with her children. However, they have all pushed here away at every turn. And because of Orvilla's blackmail, she continues to feel like she is between a rock and a hard place; if she lets her children take over Meccanica, Orvilla will expose her affair with Carson, but if she lets Orvilla run the company, she knows her sister is getting away with all the horrific things she has done to her and her family.

"You are a woman of your word," Carson's voice says as he moves into the study. "You are ignoring me with every fiber of your being."

Kymberlynne puts the picture frame back on the mantel and then quickly wipes her eyes dry before she turns around to face Carson. "I have told you that we are over, but you keep coming around, Carson. What do I have to do or say to get through to you?"

"There is nothing you can say or do, Kymberlynne," Carson admits to her as he moves closer to her. "I know you're only pushing me away out of fear. But I am not scared. I have enough belief in us for the both of us."

"I need you to leave," Kymberlynne insists. "Please, Carson, just go."

"Stop pushing me away, Kymberlynne," Carson demands from her. "Whatever is going on, we can get through this together. I have proven that by helping you uncover all of Orvilla's secrets. Just…just let me in."

With that, an emotional Kymberlynne collapses into his arms and she starts to let her tears flow. "I am so scared," she whispers to him. "I am so very scared."

"I am here," he comforts her. "And we will get through this, together, Kymberlynne. You have my word."

/\/\/\

Nate takes a deep breath as he stands outside of Rachelle's hospital room. After he put Caramel's body in the morgue freezer, he went for a long walk to clear his head. He can't believe the lengths he went too to keep his secret, but he realized that he had no other choice; it was Caramel or him, and he chose himself. And, he believes that the vision he had of his father is a sign that he made the right choice. While he was on his walk, he through the rock that he used to knock Caramel out with into the river, so no one will ever find the object that gave them the blow to their head.

He, finally, gets the courage to open the door. He moves inside and Rachelle, immediately looks over at him.

"Where the hell have you been? I asked you to call my siblings hours ago!" Rachelle asks him in a worry. "Is everything okay?"

"Uh," Nate gulps heavily. "Just as I was about to call your siblings…I…I…uh…I…I got a call that my townhouse was flooding," he lies to her. "I had to head over there and deal with some clean up. I'm…I'm so sorry."

"Your place was flooding? What happened? Is your place going to be alright?" Rachelle asks him quickly.

"Everything will be fine," Nate continues to lie to her. "I am sorry that I didn't let you know what happened. You know, with water, the longer you wait to deal with it, the worst it becomes."

"Of course," Rachelle nods back to him. "I am just glad that everything will be okay."

Just then, two police officers enter the hospital room. "Rachelle Thornton?" one of them asks her as she nods back to him.

"Yes, that's me, what is this about?" Rachelle asks him as Nate feels his heart start to race.

"Can you ID this individual?" he asks her as he holds up a picture of Caramel.

Rachelle looks at the picture. She, then, gasps back in horror. "That's…that's Caramel … my best friend! Where did you get that picture?"

"It appears that she was knocked unconscious and then left in the freezer in the morgue."

Rachelle lets a tear fall down her cheek. "What are you saying?"

"Your friend," the office explains. "She's dead, Ms. Thornton, I am so sorry."

Nate rushes over to Rachelle, who breaks down into tears, and hugs her. She weeps into his arms as guilt starts to creep into his mind. "No, not Caramel! This can't be happening, this isn't true! Please God, not Caramel!" Rachelle cries into Nate's arms.

/\/\/\

Lyzz and Liam step off the elevator on the third floor of the Barracuda Blue. Once they are in the hallway, they look at one another and nod together in unison. They, then, make a beeline towards Orvilla's office. They open the door and see their Aunt behind her desk, typing into her laptop. Orvilla glances up and rolls her eyes.

"Well, what do I owe this, sincere, pleasure of my niece and nephew showing up to my office, unannounced?" she asks as she stands up and looks at Lyzz and Liam.

"We have an announcement to make," Lyzz announces to her aunt. "We have reviewed the details of our father's will; there is a stipulation that once all of his children are 18, we could take over the company."

"Ah, yes," Orvilla claps her hands together. "I am well aware of this. I am not sure what relevance that has currently."

"Lyzz and I have decided that we will be co-CEO's of Meccanica," Liam informs her. "We are taking over our father's company, and, legally, we have every right to do so."

Orvilla chuckles back to them. "You have reviewed every last sentence of the will, I hope?" Orvilla asks them back as they nod back to their Aunt. "Great, then you know that, if, there is any conflict about which child will take over, that it will automatically resort to the oldest child that your father had?"

"That would be me," Lyzz tells her, proudly. "I could do that, but I want Liam with me. I think we will be a great team together."

"Only, you're not his oldest child," Orvilla reveals as Lyzz and Liam look at one another in surprise. "You see, your father, the little cat that he was, he had another child. And that child will, gladly, take over Meccanica, with my help, of course."

"What are you talking about?" Lyzz asks quickly.

"Hola," Alex says as he emerges from the side room. "You're looking at your older half-brother. What? Aren't you going to welcome to the family?"