The Serpent's Choice
Angelica sat next to Jessica and looked at her other children.
"I see genuine remorse in you, Jessica." She sighed, her eyes continually roaming the room. "Do you know why you are my favorite?" She sipped her martini, looking toward Virginia as she did so. "You are my favorite because you are just like me. You do what you need to do to get what you want."
Jessica looked down at her hands. The entire family knew this, but for the first time, Jessica felt the weight of just how different she actually was from her mother.
"But we are very different, aren't we?"
Jessica heard the slight tremor in her mother's voice. She had hurt her, and that made her heart twist painfully in her chest.
"Are those babies my grandchildren in any way?"
Jessica looked at her mother and gave the slightest of nods.
Angelica Lance sighed and sipped her drink, her finger expertly keeping the olives out of her way.
"If possible, ensure that I can be in their lives." She stood and whispered a final phrase that crushed Jessica: "They will probably be the only grandchildren you ever give me."
Jessica watched her mother walk over to Virginia and her sisters-in-law. Once again, she felt alienated from her family—like she was a puzzle piece from a completely different box. She had always felt close to her mother, but she had kept so many secrets that the closeness felt hollow - to her - like a beautiful lie. Now Jessica realized that while the secrets were hers, the love that she had always felt had been very real to her mother.
Damon Jr. sat next to her, watching her over the rim of his drink. "How are you, sis?"
"Do you actually care?"
"You know me, Jess. Would I ask if I didn't honestly want to know?"
Jessica sighed. "I am a bit conflicted, and maybe a little stressed." She put her hand on her stomach; she had noticed the small bump forming yesterday. "It's probably just them."
Her eyes moved to their mother. "One annoyance is all me."
Damon Jr. looked at their mother with a nod of understanding. "I know. Listen. Amber Ann is okay with things. I don't think Dan is right for either one of you, but Amber truly seems done with him." He looked at his sister knowingly.
Jessica smiled. "I still want him, but for the first time ever, a man doesn't want me." She let out a dry giggle that sounded fake and forced to both of them.
Her brother nodded again as he sipped his drink. For the rest of the evening, Jessica actually enjoyed herself. Everyone treated her normally—as if Amber speaking to her had given the family the green light to be civil again. She kissed her parents goodnight and drove home with a light heart and a guilt-free conscience. She drove the entire route without remembering a single turn, her mind already shifting back to her own desires.
As the lights of the estate faded in her rearview mirror, the brief flicker of remorse she'd felt in her mother's presence began to cool. By the time she reached her own driveway, the "remorse" had been repackaged into a more comfortable justification. She wasn't the villain; she was simply the only one with the vision to see how things should be. The guilt didn't vanish—it just reorganized itself, tucking away into the dark corners of her mind where she kept all her other unpleasant truths.
She entered the house and began stripping out of her clothes. Her cell buzzed—it was Karen Sanns. She hit speaker and continued changing, her heart racing. She had briefly wondered why she had been so "crazy," but now she realized she hadn't been crazy at all. This was who she was. She knew what she wanted and she got it—no matter what—and now she wanted happiness, money, and travel. Dan could give it all to her.
She refocused, trying to catch what Karen was saying.
"It's true that everything is already operational except for part of the boutique hotel and the secluded villas, but this new zoning can hinder new guests and stop the spa altogether. I am sure tomorrow's vote will come out on our side—we have 'invested' sufficiently."
Jessica smiled. She didn't want Amber to die—she had jumped the gun with that—but she still wanted her ruined. She wanted her miserable. She wanted Dan, and she wanted her sister's success for herself.
"Good, Karen. Thank you for the update. Call me as soon as you know the results tomorrow." Her voice was all business - like she was speaking to an underling during a high-powered meeting.
Her phone buzzed as she was ending the call—an email from Renee Davenport.
Jessica's eyes went wide with excitement. The lawyer had found legislation from the 1920s that designated certain areas as national parks due to specific environmental and territorial conditions. With the right legal maneuvering, Blue Serene Lake could be seized under the legislation. Jessica smiled and shook her head as she looked at the fee Renee wanted. She knew Renee had two very bad habits—drugs and gambling—and her debts were always overwhelming. It didn't matter; Dan would save the day, end up owning the property, and Jessica would finally have Dan.
The doorbell rang, pulling her out of her sense of victory. She looked at her security feed on her phone. Just as she recognized him, Anthony Shaw looked directly into the camera and flashed a wide, seductive smile.
"Open the door, my love. Your brother is rather good at what he does."