The First Domino Falls
Damon Sr. and his wife, Angelica, sat in one of their TV rooms in stunned silence. They were watching live news reports on three major news channels. All three were covering the breaking news about Carson City's zoning council's corruption.
Two had found Jessica's house and caught her returning home. The Lances watched their daughter get out of her car to run to her door as a barrage of questions were hurled at her.
"Ms. Lance, is it true that you bribed three council members to have Blue Serene Lake rezoned as non-commercial property?"
"Ms. Lance, please tell us. Is it true that your sister, Amber Ann Lance-Trace, actually owns the Blue Serene Lake Resort and Spa?"
"Ms. Lance, is Lance Ind involved in the rezoning scheme?"
"Ms. Lance, is it true that you had an affair with your sister's husband—the influencer Dan Trace?"
Jessica ran into the house and slammed the door—without ever saying a word.
Angelica Lance sighed as she stood, her eyes still fixed on the television and Jessica's front door. She didn't call for the steward. She couldn't handle the thought of a servant witnessing the look on her husband's face—the guilt she felt seemed to manifest as judgment on Damon Sr's face to her.
She walked to the sideboard, the heavy crystal decanters catching the light. She reached for the single-malt scotch—a rare, twenty-five-year-old bottle that Damon usually saved for closed-door deals. She poured him a heavy two fingers, neat, the amber liquid glowing against the cut glass.
Then, she turned to the silver shaker. With practiced, almost robotic precision, she began to craft her own drink. She made a bone-dry martini, adding exactly two olives. The clinking of the ice against the metal was the only sound in the room until she set his glass down on the mahogany table in front of him.
She took a long sip of her martini, the cold gin hitting her throat, before she finally spoke. Her voice was a whisper, thick with a regret and apology she hadn't dared to voice in decades.
"I did this, Damon. I spoiled her until she thought the world—and even her own sister's life—was just another thing she was entitled to. I kept supporting her, kept making excuses... and now, look at the muck she's dragged our name through. They are even asking if Lance Ind is involved in all this mess."
She took another sip of her drink, but Damon Sr. spoke before she could.
"It was both of us, my darling. You spoiled her and I bailed her out. Together we created something quite unbelievable." He swirled his drink, then took a long sip.
Angelica sat next to him, her expression becoming stern. Damon Sr's phone buzzed and signaled with two notifications; it was Jessica calling and Amber texting.
Text:
Amber Ann: "I am sorry about all this daddy. Do you want a family meeting to figure things out?"
Damon Sr: "Do not worry about it, My Princess. I will talk to the lawyers. Make sure Blue Serene stays viable."
Damon Sr. looked at the missed call notification. "Jessica will need to stay here. I want to keep an eye on her and I do not want her pregnancy to add another layer to all this."
Angelica nodded in agreement. "I am starting to hate the sight of my own child." She finished her drink and stood to make a second.
Damon watched his wife as she walked back to the sideboard. He used his phone to call up a light snack for them and he fell back into thought.
Meanwhile—at Villa 9—Dan sat numb. His body seemed frozen, his mind was blank, and he hadn't blinked in far too long as the reporters on his TV continued to talk about the Lances and the Traces.
His parents had already called him to ask why he was ruining his life and disgracing the family. When he said Amber was not there, his father commanded that he fix this and his mother began an ear-splitting, keening cry.
Now he sat there numb—not knowing how to help Amber through any of this—he shook his head at the thought. He needed to remember that Amber was not helpless. She did not need saving; she needed support.
He grabbed his phone and set up a group chat on his texting app: Himself, Amber Ann, Samuel, Calvin, Brandon, David, and Julia. And he began.
Text:
Dan: "Hello everyone. This is Dan. I made this group chat to help us stay informed and to strategize. Blue Serene belongs to all of us and we need to help each other and support each other through this. I added Julia because she can help us understand our financial concerns. Tell myself or Amber Ann if you want someone else added and we will do it."
Amber Ann: "Thank you for doing this Dan. I was going to call a meeting to clear the air, but this is quicker and this app is rather secure. Listen everyone, we already have a private detective agency on this and my brother will be providing security—in case we have people that get a bit overzealous and want to 'help' the community."
Brandon: "Good. You are already on top of things Amber. I have full confidence in you."
Calvin: "Exactly. I never doubted you. Both of the restaurants are fully booked and we haven't had any cancellations. On the contrary, our waiting lists continue to grow. As soon as this mess is over, I was planning on talking to you about expansion."
The texting went on in this way—more than once Dan was a bit annoyed by Brandon and Calvin praising his wife. He knew it was jealousy and annoyance with himself for not praising her enough, but it didn't help knowing. He frowned every time one of the men sent a text.
Then his phone notified him of a text, but it was a private message from Amber.
Text:
Amber Ann: "Thanks so much Dan. FR. I really appreciate you for this. My mind seemed to freeze for a moment and you came in and saved the day. 😊"
It took Dan a moment to respond. His fingers trembled as he hovered over the screen. In the end, he calmed and typed out a one-word reply.
Dan: "Anytime"
He sent it and looked at the one word with disappointment, frustration, and regret. He truly could not think properly when it came to Amber Ann.
Amber Ann looked at the reply with a smile. 'He really has changed. A simple reply, no gassing me up, or talking himself up.' Her smile broadened as she looked at the BonBons Sereins kitchens. 'I wonder if he has had dinner yet.'