Cordelia strutted up to Clay, sassily. "Aw, little birdie doesn't stray far from his grave, does he now?", she teased with his chin squeezed in her hand. Clay swatted her hand away. "I'm not a baby-",
"Then stop acting like one! What are you even here for, anyways?", Cordelia asked.
"To settle this bullshit. You weak links think that you're so superior. Can you guys stop being so petty and stop sending soldiers every single week to my mansion?! Face it! You're never going to win! The money is spent... Well at least most of it.", Clay muttered.
Cordelia groaned. "Just leave. I will stop with the soldiers, but this argument never withstands an end.", she declared. Clay left.
"Dean!", Cordelia screamed. Dean hurried over. "Get. Blade.".
Back at the Hickory Hill mansion:
"And what did you do when she told you you couldn't? Punch her? Ooo, please tell me you punched her!", Charlotte giggled as she's on the floor on her stomach, her chin in her hands. Everyone was gathered around Tobias, like in a kindergarten classroom.
"What is going on?", Clay asked. "Ah! Simple! Your boy is telling us stories.", Adira answered.
"Keep going, I want to know what happens! Does she get obliterated or not?!", Esma begged. "Yeah! Don't keep a secret!", Oliver joined in. Clay rolled his eyes.
"It's funny how I'm doing all of the work around here when you fools are the servants.", he mumbled then went upstairs. He walked through the long and narrow hallways of the mansion until he peaked into Esma's room and seen Darby scarfing through her drawers. Clay peered through the crack between the doorway.
"Kate Spade; Walk On Air. Mmm. This perfume smells so magnificent. Esma is such a rare individual. Hm? A journal?", Darby whispered to himself. Clay creaked open the door a little bit more.
"July 16th. I never thought I'd be able to make it. The scratching at my door, the crawling through my clothes. He brought me through hell and back and just didn't stop. I was a fool for loving him. The immense pain I had felt when he injected that serum in my freezing cold skin; the drapes weren't ever matching the curtains. I fear the day he would come back for me. He would come back for me and... touch my skin again and... breathe the new and fresh air I indulge in. He put a pain in my mind, like a headache. I wish I could cut my memories, somedays. And forget about him and all the stupid shit he's done to me. But he never relaxed a day to hit me. Every single hour was just a new plan for torturing me the next hour. I used to be so in love. Now, I realize my feelings aren't validated with anyone. Not even the man I fell in love with in the Hickory Hill mansion. That man would never love me anyways, as I'm just a stupid old deck of cards when he's a whole board game. There's nothing that anyone could ever do that would physically hurt me more than what my ex did. Every single night I was in panic and shambles only to find out that he was cheating on me with another girl that I can't even pronounce the name of. I have to go. Clay is calling me.", Darby read then sat on Esma's bed with his hands on his face.
"Poor birdie... she never even stood a chance to fight for her own will...and life.", he whispered.
Darby opened the journal again and started to read, "July 19th. I thought he would never see me again. But that's not what the scratches on my window say. He broke in. I didn't tell anyone. I don't want to cause any problems. He pushed me against the wall and then punched my stomach. I spit blood on him. At that point I couldn't breathe. He said so much stuff to me it was enough to break down a barricaded wall. The last thing I remember from that night was that he kissed me then went back out of the window. I don't love him anymore! He can't possibly think that I do! And if he does, he has a wrong pair of eyes.".
Darby looked at Clay through the doorway. Clay sprinted down the hall and into the bathroom. Darby went downstairs to the living room where everyone is gathered. "Has anyone seen Master Clay?!", he panicked. "Why?! Is he lost?!", Charlotte worried. "No, no! It's just that I need him for something highly important!".
Meanwhile:
Clay got a knock on the bathroom door. He opened the door. Everyone was there. "I can't fix my hair?", Clay lied. "I have to ask you a question. In private.", Darby demanded. Clay pulled him in the bathroom then shut the door. "What?". He crossed his arms. "Tell me, Darby!", Clay demanded.
"I was in a room of the mansion just earlier and I thought I seen you peering in from the doorway. Were you there, by chance?", Darby asked.
"No. Now stop this annoying meddling and come with me downstairs.".
In Chilly Meadows:
"Blade! Ah! You're finally here, darling!", Cordelia celebrated then put her hand on Blade's cheek.
Blade is that type of guy that you'd see in a dark alleyway, selling drugs and such to minors. The black hoodie, black hair. Vampire-looking.
"What do you want me for, my queen?".
"Well, I'd like you to kill Clay Adams. And if you don't, I will banish you to ever have more money than 10 dollars in your life.", Cordelia threatened. "Will do. You just need to pay me.". "P-pay you?! Blade! You already know that I pay you every time I see you! Ugh! Meet me in my room in 5.", she groaned.
In the hospital:
"No one has come to visit me except for you. Thank you, Ryder. How can I ever repay you?", Anastasia sighed. "Marry me.". "What?!". "Marry me! We can start an empire together! Instead of being with that Clay Adams, who doesn't even care about you, you can be with me. I have all the money you need. Not to mention, we could do anything we want!", Ryder persuaded.
"I-.... Fine. I have to tell Clay but...I will take your hand in marriage, Ryder. I swear to it.".
Hickory Hill mansion:
Esma and Darby sat on the roof. "You ok?", Darby asked. "Oh! Me?! Yeah, yeah, I'm fine! I'm just admiring the sunset.".
Darby put his hand on hers. "Esma. Who was your ex?".