Sealed With a Kiss

Eleven Part I

XI: Date Night Part I

DARCY PACED UP AND DOWN THE PARLOR WITH A DETERMINED LOOK ON HER FACE. In her hand was today's paper, my name on the headline.

"Daddy Scandal, really?" She murmured under her breath. "This just doesn't add up."

I sat fidgeting next to Felicity. She reached for my twisted hands and pressed them still. I sent her an sheepish look which she responded with a worried look.

"What do we do?" Felicity asked.

D.W. frowned and lunged the newspaper down on the table next to her. "Nothing for now. I'm going to get to the bottom of this. I don't believe for a second what this man is saying."

"You don't think my father went to the press himself like he claims?" Felicity and I shared shocked looks.

D.W. crossed her arms over her chest, "I believe what I believed the day I took you on as a client, Poppy. Someone is sabotaging you."

"You think someone had something to do with it?" Felicity said, nodding in understanding.

Darcy nodded. "He says he went to the press by his own accord because it was the only way he knew you'd be forced to listen. He claims he wants forgiveness, but I think someone is paying him to do this.

"But who?" She wondered aloud and continued pacing. "Maybe a greedy magazine who needs to sell a story. Poppy, do you have any enemies?"

"No, not that I know of."

"Well what about the Richmonds?" Darcy  asked. "You did inherit money and funds from the family. Specifically Cole Richmond. He was Wilhelmina's original heir."

"Who, Cole?" Felicity said with a grimace. "That's impossible. I've known Cole for a while, and trust me he's as nice as they come. He might act like a conceited ass but he wouldn't hurt a fly."

"Fine then, what about the rest of the family? Felicity, you know them best."

"Um okay let's see...My dad would never. He'd have no motive, the Prescotts have our own money. The extended family I'm not too sure about, they have business in oil and hedge funds outside of New York. We don't see them much."

"And the mother?"

Felicity's gaze darkened, "That bitch for sure I could see doing something like this. Greedy and ruthless, that's Olivia Richmond-Prescott."

"Hmm," Darcy said reaching for her phone. "I'm going to look into Olivia. I think we might be on to something."

I LOOKED LIKE A CRAZY PERSON. Walking past the double glass doors of the building at least half a dozen times, I knew I look awfully suspicious. So much so that the security detail eyed me with a menacing look when I finally mustered up the courage to walk up to the entrance.

"Can I help you...miss?" Eyeing the massive rock of a man, I gave a quick nod and twisted my fingers.

"Yes, I'm looking for Elle Chevalier's penthouse. I do believe this is it."

He shot me an unimpressed look. "Are you expected?"

"N-No, but I was rather hoping to find them in."

"Listen miss, we don't allow unsolicitors in this building, as well as paparazzi or reporters,  much less--"

"Oh, but I'm none of that. I am just here to visit a friend."

"Miss, I'm going to have to ask you to please leave the--"

"Poppy?" I turned around and sighed in relief. There Max stood on the curb next to a shiny black car. He wore a dark wool coat over what I assumed to be a very smart, very expensive suit and a brown leather briefcase in his hand.