Rachel was beginning to enjoy the sight of Sarah feeding Fara her food. Predictably when it started Fara was well behaved, but as the food diminished and Sarah egged her on they began their usual cute bickering. As she settled down to watch the show she got a text from a rarely used number, the one to her office.

Rachel was at the head of a subsidiary of Wollingtech. One she was given by her father to help hone her business skills, and in a short time she proved that she had just that as her small subsidiary grew to be one of the larger forces in the company. That being said Rachel had things organized in such a way that she could spend most of her time at home or focused on her classes and still have the company do fairly well. Very rarely she would have to be called into the office to handle something, and apparently this was one of those time.

The text she got was vague but alarming.

“Visitor in office. Blackmail attempt. Please hurry.” Sent from one of her more loyal employees. It was surely a dire situation, but Rachel was used to it actually. Any amount of success can lead to these sorts of problems.

“I’m sorry dears, there’s an emergency at the office that requires my attention,” Rachel said quickly standing up from the table. Sarah and Fara looked at her in a bit of shock.

“Is everything ok?” Fara asked concerned.

“Oh I’m sure it is sweet pea,” Rachel was calm despite the seriousness of the situation. “Nothing your mommy can’t take care of.”

“I didn’t even know you had an office to go to,” Fara said confused. “You spend all of your time here.”

“She’s very good at her job,” Sarah said pridefully. “It’s very rare that she has to go in, but it does happen from time to time.”

“Despite how good I am at my job, having a degree is important in the business world.” Rachel said calmly. “But I do need to keep things running while I get it, so I will be back in a flash. Sarah watch after the baby while I’m gone.”

“What!” Fara complained shifted nervously still stuck in her high chair.

“Watch it little lady. You will be a good girl and listen to Sarah while I’m gone.” Fara pouted in defeat, and Rachel continued as a smirk began to form on Sarah’s face. “And Sarah I expect you to care for the baby responsibly and do nothing else understood.”

“Yes mistriss,” Sarah sighed in defeat.

Rachel quickly made her way out of the house. The car to take her to the office was already waiting. Thankfully it wasn’t a long drive. She climbed into the back seat of and it took off without a word. Rachel hoped she could wrap this up quickly, she hated to think of the cute moments she was missing between her pet and her baby girl. Whoever was doing this was in for it.

It wasn’t long before Rachel was at the office. The employee that sent the text was waiting for her. She was a small slender Latin woman dressed in a form fitting but intimidating black skirt and blouse. She walked with Rachel as they made their way inside the office. Rachel’s office was a minimalistic two story affair. She didn’t require a lot of personnel at her main office so there were very few offices in the two story building and they were all fairly spacious. Doors to all of them circled the central room which only had a small receptionist desk and some simple chairs, though both were unoccupied. A set of stairs was on the wall that led up to the second story, where Rachel’s office was.

“She’s got all of the video files from your little Colorado trip,” The employee explained as they walked up the stairs. “Threatening to leak it all if you don’t give her what she wants.”

“And what is that?” Rachel questioned flatly.

“She wouldn’t tell me, it’s something to do with your father I believe.”

“Isn’t it always,” Rachel stopped just outside of her door. Though it was spacious it actually wasn’t the largest office in the building, as she rarely used it. “I trust I don’t need to tell you to inform our cleanup crew of our disappointment.”

“I already have, though I’ll be sure to give them another earful in the morning. Good luck ma’am.” The employee waited outside the door as Rachel waked in.

The most dominant feature of Rachel’s office was the impressively large dark wooden desk, with an equally imposing leather office chair to match. Most of the other furniture was fairly minimal. A small bookshelf with only a few manuals on it, and two smaller chairs on the other side of the desk. A lamp was in the back corner, and currently provided the room with a sinister dim light. This was an intimidation tactic Rachel used frequently. It was surprising just how effective sitting at an imposing desk in dim lighting could be. Though her current guests seemed unperturbed by the whole thing.

Samantha and Riley were standing off to the side of Rachel’s desk, though Rachel didn’t recognize Samantha. Riley’s presence there, and what her employee had said was almost enough to piece the whole thing together. How else would this stranger know about the location of the trip, and details about what happened, if Riley hadn’t of told her. Rachel did have to admire her friend’s determination. She clearly went out of her way to try and help Fara. How much help it would actually be remained to be determined.

“Well let’s get down to it,” Rachel said as she confidently sat at her desk. “This is not my first rodeo as it were, you’d be surprised how often someone comes to dig up dirt on the Wollingworths, though it’s very rare that it comes from a friend.” Rachel directed this at Riley.

“Friends don’t trick friends into being their weird baby pets,” Riley shot back indignantly.

“Please dear there will be time enough for that later,” Rachel calmly shushed Riley. “I know what you want I’m more interested in your friend here. Perhaps we can settle that issue first.”

“Samantha,” Samantha said seriously. “I want info on operation airlift. I know this company was involved. I want records of who was responsible for recapturing the products after they were released from little land.”

“Ah yes,” Rachel looked away. “Well unfortunately for you I had nothing to do with that. That was well before I had become established and also not something I’m particularly fond of taking part in.”

“Well that sucks for you,” Samantha said with a smirk. “Because if I don’t leave here with that …”

“Then you’ll tell everyone about my weird fetishes and all my evil little contraptions to fulfill them.” Rachel said calmly as she began to rifle through some files in her desk drawers. “Like I said I know how blackmail works I’ve been here before. Thankfully for you you’ll find I’m rather sympathetic to your cause. Though I am unable to do much about it myself while still a subsidiary of daddy dearest. He’s always watching you know. I don’t think he’s a fun of just tenacious his little heir is. I cannot give you the data you’re after, though I do know how you can get it, and I’d very much appreciate it if you did.”

“That’s not good enough,” Samantha spat back.

“I’ll also advise you against making me your enemy here. We very much want the same thing, and I suspect that we may be similarly invested if that collar on you neck is anything to go by.” Samantha grabbed the collar on her neck and eyed Rachel.

“It may surprise you to know that my own mother was in a similar situation as your own,” Rachel admitted. The air was heavy with the revelation. Samantha and Riley were silent waiting for Rachel to elaborate. “Well my father wanted an heir, but he didn’t want a wife that might take half of his things, or worse run off with someone else and make an heir that could challenge his own. And he got just that. I don’t know who my mom is, I doubt she’s even still alive.” Samantha continued to eye Rachel, not sure if she really believed her.

“What does this mean for me?”

“It means I’m more than happy to give you the information you need to find your own mother, and take down my father for taking part in this whole thing as well. There’s a manifest in the archives at the main Wollingworth building. I can give you the exact location. It’s not very secure, meant to be hidden in plain sight forever. I just can’t get it myself. They know me, and they’ll hide it from me if I try to get it myself. You broke into my cabin though you should have no problem getting it yourself.” Rachel slid a file across her desk that Samantha grabbed quickly. Samantha was visibly uneasy but she felt confident she could handle whatever trap this was, if it even was a trap.

“Thanks,” Samantha said warily.

“Thank me when you find what you’re looking for, and when you do find it tell everyone. My father has profited off of this for too long I want you to bring him down.”

“I’m sure you’re well poised to seize that opportunity,” Samantha said cynically.

“And what if I am?” Rachel questioned. “Does it matter? He still deserves it, and I know you want to because I want to just as bad?” Samantha’s silence betrayed her answer. “Despite our hostile first impressions I hope we may become friends. It is very rare to find someone who has what we have in common. You never know we may even be sisters.” Samantha squinted angrily. “Maybe we can talk about that later.” Samantha just answered with a huff and left the room leaving Riley and Samantha alone. “And now it’s just you.” Riley gulped. This was a new side of Rachel she had only seen tiny pieces of. The seriously intimidating business Rachel that secured a strong company before she graduated high school. And she was facing down this Rachel now. She didn’t back down though, she knew Fara deserved the truth.

“Well don’t think your sob story is going to stop me,” Riley said antagonistically.

“Oh I wouldn’t expect it to, and I never asked for you sympathy,” Rachel spoke quickly. “Well let’s just get down to it,” Rachel quickly scrawled on a piece of paper “This is a check for two million dollars that I will give to you in exchange for never contacting Fara again.”

“What?” Riley was shocked. Rachel really got to the point shockingly quickly. “Do you think you can just …”

“Riley do you know how much two million dollars is? It’s a lot even for me. I doubt you’ve ever seen this much money in one place and I doubt you ever will again. You should think about that before responding.” Riley’s words got caught in her throat. Rachel was right. Riley couldn’t even really fathom how much money that was. Enough to pay for her school, and get her a nice house at the least. She loved Fara deeply, but this was a life changing amount of money. “While you are coming to terms with that I want to pose a question to you. Does it really matter if I tricked Fara into being my baby girl if she is truly happy?”

“Of course it matters!” Riley answered quickly. “You took away her choice. She didn’t choose this for herself you chose it for her. Her happiness is based on a lie. She probably is only into this stuff because of what you did to her.”

“Oh please Riley. That girl is as little as they come. I didn’t force anything on her I’ve only shown her what she was inside.”

“Yeah that’s a real biased way of putting it.”

“But not an incorrect one. Are you really going to stand there and tell me that she doesn’t like what she’s become? That she hasn’t been reveling in the carefree little lifestyle I’ve provided for her.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Riley shot back, tacitly admitting that Rachel was right. “She should have found that out for herself. You forced it on her, you robbed her of her own self-discovery.”

“Nonsense I didn’t rob her of anything. I gave her a great gift. If not for me she would have gone her whole life without knowing this part of herself, or worse would have come to resent it when she did discover it. And I doubt you would have been a very helpful figure in her life if she had come to you about it. Or should I remind you why she stopped being interested lolita in high school?”

“Because your pet tortured her.”

“You are just as guilty of pressuring her out of it Sarah is, and Sarah at least apologized for it. Another thing to consider. If you do tell her and she does leave me then she is basically excluding herself from a life of luxury. As long as she’s with me I’ll see to it that she is cared of, loved, pampered, and free to live the lifestyle that makes her happy for the rest of her life.”

“Are you really trying to get me to think that living her life as your baby slave is a good thing?”

“I don’t expect you to understand it. If you don’t have the same desires then you can’t understand how it can make someone happy, but even beyond that you have to see that I can give her a life free from want and worry. She’ll never have to stress about life ever again, she can spend the rest of her days in a happy bliss. Even if something happens to me I can see to it that she is left with enough funds to live her lifestyle without me. I even have a few servants on payroll that have already agreed to take care of her should something happen to me. Wouldn’t you agree that’s a better outcome than having her struggle in the real world?”

“You trying to say she couldn’t handle it by herself?”

“Not at all. I’m sure she could, but life isn’t easy. Why condemn her to a hard life when a blissful easy one is there for her.”

“It’d be a life based on a lie.”

“Still a good one though. One that she still may decide to pick even if she learns the truth. Imagine that. You throwing away two million dollars just for your friend to remain where she is.”

“She wouldn’t.”

“Oh? You think so? I promise you Riley I’m the best mommy there is, and not a bad girlfriend to boot. Despite what you may think of me, she knows that I want the best for her. Sure it may be hard when she first learns, but I’m fairly confident that she will forgive me, and that just leaves you out of two million dollars.”

“So what if it does? I’d never take money over my friend anyways.”

“Oh really? Well if that’s the case why don’t you just leave that check on my desk here and walk away to tell her?” Riley froze and stared at the check in her hand. She was physically unable to let the thing go. “Didn’t think so.”

“Fuck you!” Riley cursed more at herself than at Rachel.

“Mmmhmm,” Rachel confidently sat down in her imposing chair, feeling that the conversation was almost over. “Lexie dear please tell me you caught all of that?” Rachel spoke into an intercom on her desk.

“Yes ma’am,” answered the employee that had met Rachel earlier. “I have a rudimentary form drawn up.”

“Excellent please bring it in.” Riley stood silently staring at the check as Lexi confidently strode in and set a one page contract on Rachel’s desk. “Here’s what I’ll do Riley.” Rachel gestured to the small contract. “What this says is that the second you cash that check, you are no longer allowed to contact Fara. Sign this, and go home and think about what we talked about. Think about what Fara wants, and what she stands to lose if I’m not in her life. If you still want to tell her the truth then do it, but that check becomes void the moment you do. Or you can walk away, leaving Fara happy and you two million dollars richer. I think the choice here is pretty obvious.”

Riley cursed herself in her head as she almost automatically signed the small contract. All she could do was leave the office as soon as possible. She couldn’t say anything. Her body betrayed her, physically wouldn’t let her walk away from that kind of money that kind of security. She felt weak, almost violated as she walked away staring blankly at the check. A small piece of paper capable of changing her life forever. All she had to do was give up her best friend. Was Fara really worth two million dollars? A considerably loud voice in Riley’s head told her no she wasn’t, she was worth significantly less than that.

Rachel sighed and leaned back as soon as Riley left. Despite her outward appearance the negation was rather tense for her. She wished she had brought Sarah along to guide her on what best to say. Even though they had gone over some high points earlier, Rachel was still concerned she may have pushed too hard or said the wrong thing.

“Ma’am?” Lexi asked standing in Rachel’s doorway.

“Take me home Lexi.”

“Yes ma’am.”