Jennifer was stunned as she sat there reading the file. She could not believe what she was reading. Why would he want Hart Industries so badly? She could not believe he was responsible for the accident. Bradley was not the nicest guy; but she could not believe he would do something so cruel. She thought back to when they were dating. Everyone knew he was bad news. They warned her but she didn’t listen. She remembered wearing long sleeves and jeans everywhere she went. She had to hide the bruises. He did not hit her all the time, only when he drank and when she did something to upset him. He even forced her to have sex. Looking back she realizes it was probably a form of date rape but they really did not talk about things like that back then. She blamed herself for a long time. Wondering if she would ever find someone who loved her and who would never criticize her. Breaking up with him was the best thing she could have done. She remembered that summer very fondly. That was the summer she got to know her dad again. She never told anyone, not her dad and certainly not Jonathan. This was something she would rather forget and she thought she would take it to her grave. She thought that she would never find anyone who treated her nice until she meet Jonathan. He was so nice and kind and treated her like she was the only person on the earth. She kept pinching herself to make sure it was not a dream. Why after all these years would Bradley return? She had not seen him since a few days before Jonathan had proposed. The sound of the kettle’s whistle brought her back to reality. She got up and poured the water in to the teapot. She put the scones on the plate and poured the honey in a dish that belonged to her mother.

"Jonathan I thought you were at the office," Steven said.

"I was but I left the file on Bradley Chambers sitting on the table. We need it for the meeting. Where is Jennifer?"

"She is in the kitchen making some tea. Actually now that I think of it she has been gone for a while."

Jonathan goes in to the kitchen and looks all over for the file. He searched the entire kitchen but could not find the file. "Max would not have moved it," he thought to himself. He goes onto the patio and sees Jennifer at the table.

"Looking for this?" Jennifer says as he walks out the door.

"I wanted to know for sure that it was him before I told you."

"Why?"

"Well, you have been through a lot and I just thought that you didn’t need any added stress. I mean you use to date him, he was your high school sweetheart."

"You didn’t think it was important for me to know that a guy I use to date is involved in the take over and probably responsible for the loss of our daughter."

"I did not think it was something that you needed to know right now."

"I think you were afraid that there might be some underlying feelings there and that I would not believe you if you told me that it was him."

"You can not tell me that you really believe that?"

"I don’t know Jonathan! I really do not know what to believe. I have to get my father his tea."

As Jennifer walked towards the kitchen Jonathan grabbed her arm and made her turn around. Out of instinct she pulled her arm away from Jonathan and jumped back. The look on her face was pure terror.

"Oh my god, what did he do to you?"

"It is not important now. What is done is done. Why don’t you tell me why you had Max put all the stuff in the nursery away?"

"You are changing the topic."

"Am I?"

"Yes you are."

"I think we need to get through this before we can discuss anything about Bradley. He may be responsible for the accident and the large purchases of Hart stock, but you are keeping everything in and not talking about it is not going to make it go away. I am not going to break if you mention it."

Stephen walked in to the kitchen and overheard the discussion. "I think I am going to take a walk."

"That is fine dad."

Jonathan watched as Stephen walked out of the room. Jennifer poured herself a cup of tea.

"I really have to get to that meeting. I promise when I get back we will talk."

Jonathan walked into the living room. Jennifer was quick to follow.

"What are you afraid of? Why do you keep things inside and never want to discuss things that you think may hurt me? I am not a porcelain doll."

Jonathan just looked at her and never said a word. She bit her lower lip and shook her head. "Forget it! Forget I ever mentioned it." She turned her back and walked towards the kitchen.

"I am afraid that if I talk about it I will break down and I won’t be strong and I need to be strong for you."

She stopped and turned around. "I do not need you to be strong for me. I need you to talk to me. I am worried about you. You have not said a word about losing your daughter."

Jonathan put the file down on the desk by the door and walked towards the sofa. Jennifer followed and sat next to him.

"When you told me you we were going to be parents I was so excited. I never thought of us as parents and after the last few miscarriages I though it was never meant to be. If it happened then we would be parents and if not then I would be happy spending the rest of my life with you. You were so excited at the thought of giving me a child. Maybe it was because I never had a real family and was raised in the orphanage until I met Max, but when they told me that you had been in an accident… my first thought was is SHE OK? Not are THEY OK? I feel so ashamed for not thinking about my unborn child. My parents died in a car accident and I was afraid that history was going to repeat itself. I thought that maybe if I did not discuss it I would not have to go through the same feelings all over again. The thought of losing you scared me. You are my life and my life is nothing without you in it. I can not believe that I made a decision that has altered your life forever. That is something I will always regret. I am sorry that I was put in that spot; but if I had to do it all over again I wouldn’t change a thing."

"If anyone should be ashamed at their behavior it is me. I shut you out during a time when you needed to talk to someone. I know you Jonathan. The decision that you made was made out of your love for me. If the tables had been turned I would have made any decision to save your life because I did not have a life until I met you."

Bradley was on his way back to the hotel. He had to find a way to get to her. But how was he going to do it. A locked gate surrounded the house. He was going to have to find a time when Jonathan and her father where not there. They treated her like she was a little girl. Always cooing over her. Things were going to change. She has to realize that she won’t be that spoiled once they are together.

"Good afternoon Mr. Chambers. Here are your messages."

"Thank you. Would you please have room service bring some tea and crumpets to my room?"

"Yes sir right away."

Bradley headed for the elevator and pushed the button. Once on the elevator he entered his card that allowed him access to the Penthouse.

"Well what do we have here, an invitation? Jonathan Hart’s office called will call back. Well how did they know I was here? Well this is the invitation I need. I now know when I can get to the house without Jonathan being there. Being from out of the country I am sure he will fall for the jet lag excuse when I call I tell him that I am running late. "Wait a minute you fool, you do not even know what they want."

Bradley opened the door to his room. He turned on the TV and went in to the bedroom to change.

He picked up the phone and called the number.

"Good afternoon Jonathan Harts office may I help you?"

"Jonathan Hart please."

"I am sorry Mr. Hart is not in at the moment may I help you?"

"This is Bradley Chambers. I am returning a phone call that I received this afternoon. Although I am a little confused as to why?"

"Mr. Hart is having a meeting tomorrow morning with all major stock holders and seeing as you are now one of them Mr. Hart would like you to attend."

"Well that is very nice of Mr. Hart how did he know I as in town?"

"I called your office and they told me that you were on your way to Los Angeles."

"Oh I have not called in to check my messages yet. Tell Mr. Hart that I will be there. I look forward to meeting him."

Deann hung up the phone and immediately called Jonathan.

"Hello."

"Mr. Hart I just received a phone call from Bradley Chambers and he will be at the meeting tomorrow your plan is working."

"That is great Deann. Let the others know and tell them that something has come up and I will not be back this afternoon. If you have any questions call me here at the house."

Jonathan hung up the phone and looked at Jennifer. How did this become so complicated he thought to himself? A few months ago they were planning for a birth and now they were discussing the loss of their child. A little girl who probably would have had red hair just like her mothers.

He looked at Jennifer. "Now were where we? Ah yes we were discussing Bradley."

Jennifer sat there looking at her husband with tears in her eyes. She could not believe the he loved her so much. It was an unconditional love. It was something that everybody searches for in his or her life, and she had it. Why was it that she and the person she loved more than life itself could not discuss what they were feeling with each other?

"No I do not think that is what we were talking about. Who was on the phone?"

"It was Deann calling with some information."

"What card are you holding up your sleeve? What plans do you have for Bradley?"

"Now what makes you sure that I have something in mind for him?"

"Hello? Remember me? I know you very well. Better than you know yourself and I know when you have a plan, and you, my dear have a plan."

"Well I will admit that I do have something up my sleeve but I have not quite worked out all the details. As soon as I do I promise I will talk to you about it."

Bradley knows that Jonathan is at the house. He would not leave her side. She was not a baby. She needed to know which man loved her the most. She was always so headstrong. That was her problem. He had to put her in her place. He was not always mean with her, just when she needed a reminder who was boss. Jonathan must be a weak man to let her get away with the things she does. It is obvious that he does not wear the pants in the family.

Jonathan brought Jennifer her tea. "I am sorry that I had Max pack up the nursery I thought it would be one less thing for you to worry about. I was not thinking straight. I had him pack it up the night we lost the baby. I just wanted everything that would remind me, I mean us that we were going to be parents gone. You know what they say out of site out of mind."

"Jonathan I know that your heart was in the right place but it may have been better for us to do it together. We may have been able to deal with the feelings together. I guess what I am trying to say is it may have brought closure to it. If that is possible."

"I do not think you ever get closure with these kind of accidents." He said thinking back to his own childhood not really knowing what happened to his parents or why he was raised in an orphanage.

Jonathan was not sure how willing she would be to talk about her past. After 5 years there was still so much to learn about her. That was one of the greatest things he loved about her. There was always something new to learn about her but; they made a pact that they would never discuss the people in there past and especially the ones who they shared a bed with. He thought better of it and decided that when she was ready to talk about it she would tell him even if it did bother him that she probably slept with him.

It was late afternoon when Stephen returned. He opened the door and walked in to the house. He had not realized how long he had been gone and was wondering if they were going to send out a search party to find him. He had a long time to think about his daughter and the relationship they had. She had been through a lot in her lifetime. She had carried herself better than any one could have. She lost her mother when she was 12. He always regretted not letting Jennifer see her mother before she died. He thought it best that she thought her mom had died instantly and he would always stand by his decision even if he now thought otherwise. He knew in his heart that there was more to her relationship with Bradley than she was willing to talk about. In all the years that had passed he never pressed her for any answers and he knew that she was with a man who really and truly loved her and would make sure she was always safe.

As Stephen opened the back door he was surprised to see Jonathan and Max at the table playing a game of gin.

"Where is that beautiful daughter of mine."

"She was tired and said she missed her afternoon nap that she is used to taking at this time in the hospital. I told her that I thought it was a good idea for her to go lay down for a while. I do not want her to over doing it."

"Mr. Edwards are you in the mood for a good game of poker tonight?" Max asked.

"Well I think I could manage to go for a while. What did you have in mind?"

"Freddie told me that there is a great game tonight at the Tower’s. I thought that I might go and was wondering if you might want to come with me?"

"Freddie? Who is Freddie?"

"Bookie!" Jonathan said with half a chuckle.

"I like to think of him as a business associate!"

"Well Max I would love to go with you I might even win a few."

Jennifer woke up as Max and Stephen were leaving. She could not shake the feeling that something was wrong. She did not have a good feeling in the pit of her stomach and she could not believe the dreams she was having. She felt like she was a teenager again and the thought of Bradley scared her. He always said he would come back for her and that thought scared her.

"Well where are you two off too?" she asked as she walked down the stairs.

Stephen looked at his daughter. He knew that look all to well. He saw it frequently when she was dating Bradley. He knew that Bradley scared her but he did not let on that he was aware. Maybe his mind was playing tricks on him. He was older and she has been through a lot. Maybe she was just tired and not really sure what she was feeling.

"Max is taking me to a poker game. Apparently Freddie has a great game lined up."

"Well have fun, and Max try to bring my father back in one piece and not broke."

"Ok Mrs. H. I will."

Max looks at Stephen as they are driving to the game and tells him, "You did a great job raising her. She is a great lady and really knows how to take care of herself."

"You really love them don’t you Max?"

"They are great. They are not only great together but they are great on their own as well. I have to be honest with you Mr. Edwards she is the best thing that ever happened to us. I have never seen Mr. H so much in love. He would give up everything if it would make her happy. I knew the minute that I meet her she was quite the lady."

"Yes she is. Very much like her Mother. Suzanne would be very proud of her if she were her today."

Stephen relished at the thought of Jennifer’s mother being there to help her through her terrible ordeal. Maybe she is with her in her own way he thought quietly to herself.

Jonathan was fixing something for Jennifer and himself to eat when the phone rang.

"Hello. Jonathan Hart."

"Mr. Hart. This is Warren Mackenzie."

"Yes Warren is there a problem."

"Well yes that is the reason for my call. It is the strangest thing. A man arrived and said he had a meeting with you tonight and was very insistent that he had to see you tonight. I explained to him that you were not here. When he went to start his car it would not start. He is saying that someone here tampered with his car and is demanding to see you."

"I see. I will be there as soon as I can. Thanks for calling Warren."

Jennifer over heard the end of the conversation as she walked in to the kitchen. "Is there a problem at the office darling?"

"I am not sure but it sounds a little fishy and something just does not sit right with me. I am going down to check it out."

"Well I would love some fresh air so I will go with you."

"I would feel better if you would stay here."

Jennifer reluctantly agrees. She does not want Jonathan to know that she is scared to be on her own for the fear that Bradley might try something.

"Very well done Mr. Mackenzie. It is a pity you will not stay alive long enough to tell Mr. Hart who I really am."

Bradley aims the gun at Warren Mackenzie and one single shot hits him in the chest.

Bradley hurries out of the building unaware that there is a hidden camera behind the mirror that has him on camera shooting the security guard.

Jonathan thought to himself all the way to the office that this is a set up to get Jennifer. He is unaware what is waiting for him at the office.

Jonathan walks into his office building and heads for the security office. He is stunned at what he finds.

He starts to shake Warren and then feels for a pulse. He immediately picks up the phone to call the police.

"Darling is that you? You are back early. Jonathan where are you? Jonathan I am not enjoying this. This is not funny. Please stop it now!"

Jennifer’s heart began to beat a little faster. "Jonathan!" Just then someone came from behind her and put something over her mouth and then all went dark.