"A package for me? I didn't order anything"
"Well it says it's from.." The delivery guy squinted his eyes at the label "No Sender name no address…anyways I'll need to to sign here"
He handed her the scanner but Fidelia hesitated wondering who would have sent her a package with no return address. There was no harm in accepting the package and checking what was inside.
It couldn't be a bomb.
She stretched forward and signed. Just when she collected the package her phone rang.
It was Andrian calling. 'I guess it was finally time to meet up with him' she thought.
She handed the package to Sarah keep it aside for now "Hold this please"
Sarah's eyebrows raised but she only accepted it quietly.
"Where are you?" Andrian asked directly immediately she picked the call.
"I'm the Crawford Mansion," Fidelia replied straight forward too.
"What are you doing there again? I thought you said you weren't going to step foot there?"
"I had to settle things with my stepfather. Although things aren't good with us yet. They aren't bad either. At least he supports and approves of the marriage at least if he speaks with your Father then he can change his mind."
'I doubt that' Andrian thought. Those two were friends and Andrian was definitely sure Derek and Elijah were on it together
"Right. I don't need to rely on them, I have my plans. I just texted you the location to meet me there now"
"Okay but…Andrian what did you to do to Doctor Thompson I can't reach him on his phone"
"He will survive. It's time we settle our issues" Another straight direct response from Andrian.
"Look Andrian I'm sorry.."
"Save it. I don't want to hear just meet me there" Andrian interrupted her and said sharply before ending the call.
'Wait, why am I sorry? Me choosing to tell him about my personal life is my decision to make so he deserves no sorry..oh wait I did steal April and maximise a power usage today'
Fidelia smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head.
"Sarah let's go"
"Where to?"
She checked her phone and said Andrian's text. They were to meet at the Western Motorcycle Company (WMC). She informed Sarah but still wondered.
"Of all the places to be, why a motorbike company?"
She entered the car and Sarah ignited the engine and drove. That was when she remembered something.
After such a scene at the Crawford mansion there was no way they wouldn't all tell about what happened. This was an opportunity for her to check if what Derek said was sincere or lies.
Before she packed her stuff and left the house she had hacked into the security system and given herself access entry and exit when wanted.
Fidelia reached out to her laptop and turned it on swiftly moving her hands around the keyboard. In less than 2 minutes she had gained access to the surveillance footage. The screen was divided into a grid on her laptop.
The camera in her room showed her the empty room, the sitting was filled with no one and then she saw her father's study room.
"There they are!" It looked as if they were arguing. Fidelia couldn't hear anything they were saying but she solved that easily and turned up the volume adjusting the audio settings till she could hear them.
Derek was standing facing Alice as they spoke.
"How could you tell her about her parents yet you restricted none of us from mentioning it?"
"It was about time she knew. And I had to make her lower her guard."
"What if she goes searching for the truth?"
'The truth? So he lied?' Fidelia facial expressions changed instantly.
"Don't worry she can't find anything other than what I have told her. I made sure of that"
'He lied. He fucking lied!'
"That fool actually thinks she can defy me. Derek Crawford" He laughed maniacally "She will pay for it soon enough"
Hearing this Fidelia unconsciously gripped the laptop tighter.
"How would she pay..you already agreed to let her marry Andrian Richardson!" Alice spat out "What about the arrangement with Silas? We have spent months planning for the marriage and making sure the shares ends up with us"
"Silas? He is useless to me now" Derek waved his hand unbothered "let her marry whosoever she wants a poor guy a rich guy, I don't care as long as she signs those papers"
'I still don't get it. What shares are they talking about? My 5% shares…it can't be my shares.. they can't be trying to ruin my life for these little shares
"I've had my lawyers draw up an agreement. Very generous terms, very reasonable language. She'll think she's making a good deal." He smiled. "Instead, she'll be transferring complete control of Gregory's shares to me. Every single one of them."
'What? My father's share? So that's what they want' Fidelia full focus was on the screen, she couldn't even afford to blink
'They wanted every single one of the shares he had'
"Gregory was quite smart. The only way he could keep his daughter safe and made sure I protected her was the shares he'd left to her specifically, with ironclad legal protection, because he knew he'd always known that I or Elijah would try to take them"
'That..that was they all wanted me to marry Silas. They must have struck a deal with him. It was only only after I had married that I could be eligible for the transfer share. And Derek was trying to win me over so he can coerce me to signing the document.'
Fidelia's mind was in chaos right now as she was trying to put the piece together. While her heart kept racing and her stomach was being uncomfortable with disgust.
"And once you have the shares?" Alice asked quietly.
"Then she becomes irrelevant." Derek stood, pouring himself a drink. "All these years of raising her, Alice. All your patience, your little maternal act. It's finally going to pay off."
Alice smiled. It was the same smile she'd given Fidelia a hundred times warm, encouraging, smile when she had persuaded her to marry Silas and he had agreed in her past life.
"When will you present the papers?" Alice asked.
"At the wedding party. She'll think it's a deal I'll be making her to give her more shares" Derek took a sip of his whiskey. "By the time she realizes what she's signed, it'll be too late."
"And if she refuses?"
Derek's expression became ugly. "She won't refuse. I'll make sure of it."
"Sarah." Her voice came out strangled. "Pull over."
"What? We're almost—"
"Pull over. Now."
Sarah immediately parked the car at the side of the road. Fidelia barely got the door open before she leaned out and vomited onto the pavement.
Everything she'd eaten that morning came up in harsh, painful waves. When there was nothing left, she stayed bent over, hands braced on her knees, breathing hard.
'All these years of raising her would finally be fruitful.' The words echoed in her head
She'd known Alice didn't love her. Known it since she was eight years old and her step father remained nonchalant towards her.
But hearing it said out loud. Hearing it confirmed with such casual cruelty.
"Fidelia?" Sarah's hand was on her back. "What happened? What did you see?"
"They're going to take everything." Fidelia straightened slowly, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "Derek. Alice. Bridget. They've been planning this the whole time."
"Planning what?"
"The shares my Father left me. The ones that gives me controlling interest in Crawford Corporation and a large share in Richardson Corporation." She laughed bitterly as if she was mocking herself. "I thought…I actually thought he was starting to accept me. To see me as his daughter instead of just a tool."
Sarah's expression was grim. "What are you going to do?"
Fidelia looked at her laptop screen. Her father and Alice were still talking, still planning, still so confident that she was exactly where they wanted her.
In honesty she knew her stepfather that hadn't supported for years was now putting on a pretense because she had finally started to stand her ground and rebel against him.
Yes she knew but she just so craved the attention of a parent's love, support, care. Maybe she truly was desperate.
"I don't want to think about it" She shut the laptop and entered the car. "Let's go meet Andrian"
20 minutes later they arrived at The Western Motorcycle Company and it was huge. They were a large organisation that made the best model of motorcycle ever in the country.
Fidelia got down from the car and saw Andrian resting on the wall of the company waiting for her. When the finally locked eyes Andrian was walking fast towards her.
"You are late…c'mon let's go" Andrian appeared in front of her then he did something she didn't expect.
He locked his fingers around hers and pulled her toward the entrance.
Fidelia's breath seized for a second. What she had anticipated was Andrian to be angry, not a touch with his palm warm against hers, his griping her firmly
"We don't have much time."