"I really don't have time for your riddles today, Odette," Mac Rockwell tells his one-time lover, as she stands in his office as she just told him that she will get everything that she wants. He has no idea what she means, but now that he has Rockwell Mining back, he has a million things to do, so listening to Odette is not high on his to-do list.

Odette Williams smiles back to him as she looks at him and recalls how she recorded their night of love making, and this is now all part of her master plan. "Oh MacKenzie," she purses her lips together. "I'm not speaking in riddles. Not today."

"Then, please," Mac replies to her quickly. "What exactly is that you want? I told you the morning after we made love that we shouldn't see each other again. I'm a married man, and my wife and I, after a rough patch, have decided to make our marriage work. You seemed to be on the same page when I told you the other day."

"Isn't that nice for you and your wife," she snaps back to him. "So, you used me for one night and just want to throw me away? I see exactly how you work, Mr. Rockwell."

"We both agreed on this that morning at the country club that this is what we should do. I don't understand why you are here."

"Because, I want what is rightfully mine!" she yells at him as her plan comes into light.

"Explain yourself or get out of my office," Mac folds his arms across his chest, growing frustrated with her.

"Look at this ," she tells him as she turns the video on her phone of the two of them making love. "Do you see this?"

"You taped us having sex?" Mac asks her in shock and disgust. "Why the hell would you do that?"

"Because," she smiles to him. "You're going to give me a nice payout. And if you don't, I'm going to show this to the press. Imagine the headlines, 'Mac Rockwell Cheats on Wife with Local'. Oooh, the tabloids will love this!"

"You're unbelievable," Mac spits to her. "You are trying to blackmail me?"

"Call it what you will but I want three million dollars deposited into my bank account, or else, I will go public."

"Get the hell out of my office," Mac spits at her as Odette collects her phone and puts it in her purse.

"You have two days," Odette informs him as she arrives at the door, turning to glare at him once more. "Tick, tock, MacKenzie."

***

Lex Rockwell watches Jarek Williams as he pours two glasses of red wine before his husband moves back into the living room of their condo in the downtown of Kelsey Lake.

"Thanks hun," Lex says as he accepts the glass of red wine from Jarek. "It's been a whirlwind couple of days, hey?"

"Totally," Jarek smiles back to him. "The good news is that your family accepted us and the fact that we are together."

"I don't know why I was so worried in retrospect."

"It's not that you were worried," Jarek tells him. "I understand that you wanted the timing to be right. Your family and Rockwell Mining has been through so much lately. You didn't want to add more pressure to everything. And look, it's all worked out perfectly."

"You're right," Lex smiles as he leans in and gives him a quick kiss on the lips. "As usual, you were right."

"I try," Jarek smiles back to him as their lips part.

"I do have more good news for you," Lex tells him as he takes a sip of his wine.

"What's that babe?"

"I met with the Rockwell lawyer today," Lex reveals to him. "And, I had my will changed. I've left you everything, the same way that you have left me everything, just in case something happens to one of us."

Jarek's eyes sparkle as he realizes what this means for him and his plan. "I can't believe you did that so quickly."

"I remember what you said though, and that is if something ever happened to one of us, we shouldn't be without a will. We needed to do this. We needed this for us."

"I love you for doing this for us," Jarek tells him. "I really do."

"I love you too, Jarek. I hope I've shown you that."

"You have," Jarek nods back to him. "Now, how about another glass of wine?"

"I'd love that."

Jarek picks up Lex's glass and moves over to the bar. Before he pours the wine into the glass, he pulls out a small vile from his pocket and puts some of the liquid into the glass. He then pours the red wine and swirls the liquids together.

"Here you go," Jarek hands the glass back to Lex, his eyes have new intent in them. "Let's have a toast."

"What are we drinking too?" Lex asks him.

"To living our lives, as long, and as happily, as we possibly can."

"Cheers," Lex looks into his husband's eyes as they both take a drink of the wine.

***

"I thought I'd find you here," Marat Kafelnikov announces to Stacey Rockwell as he opens the door to her office at Rockwell Mining and moves inside. "Burning the midnight oil?"

Stacey looks up from the designs that she is working on her desk and smiles at Marat. While she is still getting over the fact that Houston Blackmore, her fiancé, has died, she can't help but be attracted to the Russian that took her out to dinner a few nights earlier.

"I am," she nods to him. "I have to get these designs done for Celeste tomorrow. What are you doing here so late?"

"I had a meeting with your father earlier," Marat reveals to her. "He is going to reinstate my 5% profits that Lydia took away when she took over Rockwell Mining."

"My Dad is that kind of business man," Stacey tells him as she moves to the bar and pours two brandy's. "Once he makes a deal, he likes to stick with it."

"I appreciate that about him," Marat admits to her. "My father is very grateful. Thank you for the drink."

"You're welcome," Stacey says to him. "Look, Marat, I'm going to be very honest with you about something."

"I'm all ears," he takes a sip of his brandy.

"I really did enjoy our dinner and the kiss we shared," she admits to him. "But, I am still getting over my fiance's death. I can't rush into another relationship."

"I'm not asking you to jump into anything," Marat tells her. "I, too, enjoyed our time together. And, I've made no secret that I find you incredibly beautiful. But we can move as slow as you'd like."

"I appreciate that," Stacey replies to him.

"Listen," Marat tells her as he takes a sip of his brandy. "I'm needed back in Russia. My father told me when we spoke that I have work piling up. I've been away from my mine too long. Why not come back with me? You can have a Russian holiday and we can see one another when I'm not at work?'

"Leave Kelsey Lake?" Stacey asks him, surprised by the offer.

"Don't make a decision right now," he replies to her. "Just think about it."

***

The following morning, Lydia Rockwell sits at a table at the country club and awaits for her breakfast to be served to her. She wanted to come and have the eggs benedict because she had missed it terribly while she was in jail. Now that she is a free woman, she wants to live life to the fullest again, and the extra hollandaise sauce is just what she needs.

She takes a sip of her mimosa and looks over at the bar and sees Vivian Blackmore sitting alone, nursing a bloody mary. She fumes at the sight of Kent Blackmore's ex-wife because she knows that it must have been Vivian who revealed to the police that years ago she provided Kent with the information to outbid Mac on the Kelsey Lake mine. Vivian had been plotting to prevent Lydia and Kent from getting married, so it must have been her, Lydia thinks to herself.

She stands up and moves over the bar, unable to hide away from confronting her rival. "Vivian," Lydia announces as she walks up to the bar. "Lovely to see you this morning."

"You too," Vivian smiles back to her. "And, you're not wearing your orange jump suit anymore. Pity, it was your colour."

Lydia uneasily chuckles back to her. "You're such a smug bitch, you know that? I know it was you whom told the police what happened all those years ago."

"Why on earth would I do a thing like that?" Vivian takes a sip of her bloody Mary.

"Because you didn't want me to marry Kent. In your twisted mind, you still want your ex-husband for yourself. I know the game that you're playing, only you won't win. Now that I'm out of jail, I will make sure you pay for what you've done."

"Oh will you know?" Vivian smirks back to her. "I don't think you have a clue as to what you're talking about."

"You want Kent back, but you won't get him," Lydia spits to her. "He loves me and we will get married. Mark my words."

Vivian laughs. "Oh, Lydia," she smiles. "So much has happened since you were incarcerated. I've moved on from my ex-husband. There's a new man in my life."

"Ha!" Lydia can't control herself from laughing. "What man would want a piece of trash like you?"

Vivian sets her glass down on the bar. "You better watch your words," Vivian tells her. "Because you may regret it."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm sleeping with someone you know," Vivian reveals to her. "Someone you love very much."

"Who?" Lydia arches her eyebrow. "Answer me!"

"Cole," Vivian reveals to her as Lydia's mouth opens in shock. "I'm sleeping with your stud of a son."

"You bitch," Lydia slaps Vivian across the fact. "You stay away from him."

"Or what?" Vivian holds her cheek to her face. "He can't enough of me," Vivian taunts her. "And, I love giving him everything he needs."

"This isn't over," Lydia warns her. "But you better stay away from Cole, or else."

***

"Cole? What are you doing here?" Celeste Rockwell asks her former lover and stepson as she sees him walking down the hallway of the Rockwell Mining building. She knows that he left the company a while ago, so seeing him back is certainly a surprise.

Cole Rockwell turns and looks at the woman who broke his heart. He was hoping that she would decide to be with him, not his father, but that did not happen. He has been trying to move on, which is why he is sleeping with Vivian Blackmore. "I am meeting Lex and Stacey for lunch today, and I thought I would just meet them here. How are you today?"

"I'm fine," Celeste purses her lips together. "Everything is good."

"That's great," Cole replies to her. "I'm hearing really good things about your designs. They are the buzz of Kelsey Lake right now."

"Really?" Celeste asks him. "I guess people don't talk to me about that," she chuckles.

"I think it's the anticipation," he tells her. "They are excited to see what you have come up. It's a good thing, trust me."

Celeste nods back to him. "I want to thank you, Cole."

"For what, exactly?" he asks her as he arches his eyebrow.

"For being so understanding about my decision," Celeste replies to him. "I wasn't expecting Mac to make me choose but I'm glad that you are okay with my decision."

"I don't have a choice, do I?" he shrugs his shoulder. "At the end of the day, I want to have a relationship with my Dad. I want you to be happy. If that means you and he are together, then I have to deal with that."

"I appreciate that," Celeste smiles back to him. "I am sorry that I hurt you."

"You can't control who you fall for," Cole smiles back to her. "And, it's fine. I'm already on the rebound."

"Oh?" Celeste arches her eyebrow.

"It's nothing serious, but I have been seeing a new woman. It's good to get out and explore other options."

Celeste feels uneasy by what Cole is telling her, but she knows that she can't possibly feel jealous. She is back with her husband, the man that she loves. She cannot care that Cole, a young man, is out with other women. It was inevitable, after all. Still, the uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach is very present and she can't put her finger on why.

"Well," she finally replies to him. "I'm happy for you."

***

The Rockwell children, Cole, Stacey and Lex, sit at a large table at the country club, enjoying their lunch together. It was Lex's idea for them to get together so they could catch up, without the drama of Lydia, Kent or Mac around.

"I'm glad we were all on the same page about Mom," Stacey admits to her brothers, recalling how they all shut Lydia out after she got out of jail because of all of the horrible things that she has done to the family lately.

"What she has done is inexcusable," Cole tells her before he takes a sip of his beer. "We all make mistakes, but lying about Lex's paternity and forcing us to sign those proxy's to take over Rockwell Mining; she's out of control."

"I agree," Stacey admits to them. "I just hope her time in jail has made her realize what's important in life."

"Lex? Are you okay?" Cole asks his brother, who hasn't said much of anything at the lunch. "You've been pretty quiet."

Lex looks up from his salad and forces a smile on his face, trying to put a brave face on. "I'm okay, I guess."

"You guess?" Stacey asks him. "You look a little pale. Are you sure you're okay?"

"I guess I feel a little off," Lex admits to them, undermining how sick he really feels. "Sorry I'm being such a downer, guys."

"No need to apologize," Cole tells his brother. "We just want to make sure you're okay."

"I'll be fine," Lex tries to down play how he is feeling. "I probably just didn't get the best of sleeps last night. I'll be fine, I promise."

***

"Why did you call me here today?" Lydia asks Mac as she moves into his office. "I'm a busy woman, you know?"

Mac looks up from his desk and sees the woman who tried to ruin him. His only saving grace is that he was able to get his company back, and now he won't ever let her get her claws into Rockwell Mining again. Still, he wants nothing more than to see her pay for everything she has done to him.

"I'm glad you could make time for me," he says as he moves to the bar. "Would you care for a drink?"

"No," she spits at him. "I know you probably want some kind of revenge on me for what I did to you all those years ago, but Mac, I'm the mother of your children!"

"Yes, you are," he looks back at her. "And, for years, you lied to me about Lexington. What kind of mother are you?"

"I did that for you," she pleads with him.

"Save it, Lydia," he yells at her. "I don't want to hear your pathetic excuses, okay? You will never get away with what you have done to me. And, today, is the start of it."

"What do you mean?" she asks him as he moves back to his desk.

He picks up some papers and hands them to her. "Sign these papers," he tells her.

"What are they?" she asks him as she arches her eyebrow.

"I'm buying your shares of Rockwell Mining," Mac reveals to her. "You only have 6%, but letting you keep those shares after our divorce was the biggest mistake I've ever made. It allowed you to get your claws into my company. And, I refuse to allow that to happen again."

"My shares are not for sale," Lydia replies to him quickly. "Nice try, Mac."

"Very well," he tells her. "These are being sold at a very good price. I could also go to the board and have you voted out, if that's what you'd like to do."

"You wouldn't dare," she replies to him, knowing the board is only made up of Mac, Cole, Stacey and Lex. Considering how her children have turned their backs on her, she knows that they would vote her out of the company.

"After everything you have done to me, you can't really expect anything less," he tells her. "In fact, you're getting off pretty easy, don't you think?"

Lydia rolls her eyes. "Fine, I'll sign these damn papers, but if you think this is over…"

"It is over!" he yells at her. "It is finally over."

She finishes signing the papers and he grabs them from her. "Now, get out of my office."

Lydia looks at him before she turns around in a huff. "Oh, Lydia," Mac stops her from leaving the office. "Never step foot in Rockwell Mining again, or I'll have you arrested for trespassing."

***

"Mom, I got here as soon as I could," Jarek announces to Odette as he moves into the living room of Odette's house. He hasn't been at his mother's house in sometime, so he is surprised to see that she has a lot of boxes laying around with some of their belongings inside them. "What's going on? What is all this?"

"I'm going to be moving soon," she turns and smiles to her son. "I am going to get the money that is owed to me. I told you I was going to."

"I was under the impression that you were counting on me to do this?" Jarek shrugs his shoulders. "Which is some news that I have; Lex has updated his will."

"Oh darling," Odette pulls him into a hug. "I'm so happy to hear this! Now, have you been giving him that drug I provided you with?"

Jarek nods back to her. "I have," he reveals to her. "And, this morning he didn't look so good. I think it's working."

"It is working," Odette tells him. "It's a very fast working drug, Jarek. But you have to be ready for this. You will kill Lex by giving him this drug. Are you prepared for that?"

Jarek sighs heavily and knows that it will impact him by killing his husband. But, after everything his mother and father went through, this would be justice for them. "I am prepared," he whispers back to her. "I will get us what is ours, mother," he tells her. "And, if that means Lex's fortune, so be it."

***

Mac sits at his desk and tapes his pencil against his desk. Now that he has dealt with Lydia, he knows that he has to deal with the woman that is a throne in his side right now and that is Odette Williams. He can't believe that she taped them having sex and is now trying to blackmail him into giving her three million dollars. He knows that he will not give her a dime because she will always come back for more.

"But how am I going to get out of this?" he asks himself, as the door to the office opens.

"Is everything alright, Mac?" Celeste asks her husband as she comes into the office.

"Yes, darling, I'm fine," he stands up and kisses her on the lips. "How are you?"

"I'm fine," she admits to him. "I was hoping you'd look over some of these designs. But, you look like you have your mind on something else."

"I do have a lot on my mind," he reveals to her. "I'm sorry, can I take a rain cheque?'

"Of course," Celeste smiles. "I just hope you know that you can talk to me about anything. I'd like to be there for you if you need help with something."

"I appreciate that," Mac tells Celeste. "I love you so, but this is something I need to figure out on my own."

"Very well," she nods to him. "Let me know when you have time for these designs and I'll come back."

"I will my love," he tells her. "I'll see you later."

"Yes, you will."

Mac watches her leave the office before he moves back to his desk and he immediately picks up the phone. "Get me Larry Frondall on the phone," Mac tells his secretary. "Larry, It's Mac Rockwell…I'm good, how are you?...That's great, I'm glad to hear it…Listen, Larry, I need to pull up all the information you can on an Odette Williams for me…yes, she's here in Kelsey Lake. And, I need this ASAP!...Thanks Larry."

"God, I hope this works," Mac says as he hangs up the phone.

"I have a question," a voice calls out at the doorway, as Mac looks up and sees Lex standing there. "Why are you investigating my mother in law?"

Mac gulps and stands up to see his son. "Lex, I didn't know that you were here."

"Obviously," he replies to his father. "But that doesn't answer my question."

"The Williams', Jarek and Odette, they are new to the family," Mac tells Lexington. "I just want to ensure that they are good people, Lex. You can't blame me for having them looked into."

Lex uneasily nods back to him. "Yea, I mean, of course you'll do that. That makes sense."

"Are you okay? You look rather pale," Mac observes to Lex.

"I'll be fine," Lex tells him. "I just think I didn't sleep well last night."

"Why don't you go home and get some rest," Mac advises him, as he comes up to him. "I want to make sure you're as healthy as possible."

***

Lydia fumes as she moves to the bar at the country club, desperate for a drink. She's had a brutal day, with Vivian revealing to her that she is sleeping with Cole and then Mac buying her completely out of Rockwell Mining. She had no idea this is what would be waiting for her when she got out of jail.

"I'll have a double bourbon, please," she tells the waiter, as she sits at the bar.

"Rough morning?" Cole asks his mother as he comes up to her. He had stayed behind from the lunch with Lex and Stacey to do some reading, but he came up to see his mother when she arrived. "It's early to be drinking the hard stuff, isn't it?"

"I've had a long morning," Lydia admits to him. "And, part of the reason is because of you."

"Me? I haven't seen you all day. What do I have to do with your mood?"

"Is it true? Are you sleeping with Vivian Blackmore?" she asks him as she looks at him. She can tell by the look on his face that it's true. "My God, Cole, what the hell is wrong with you? You know what that woman is capable of! She's the one who threw me into jail!"

"Correction," Cole comes closer to her. "Your actions put you behind bars. Had you done nothing wrong, the police wouldn't have been able to arrest you in the first place. You need to take ownership for what you've done."

"How dare you speak to me like this! I'm your mother!"

"Oh please, Lydia," Cole spits at her. "You drop that card when it suits you and your needs. The rest of the time, you just walk around and do whatever you want."

"Cole, please…listen to me. Vivian Blackmore is no good."

"Whom I choose to spend my time with is none of your business," Cole replies to her quickly. "Now, enjoy your drink. I've had enough of this."

Lydia watches her son walk away from her. She turns to her drink and finishes it all in one gulp. "I'll have another," she tells the waiter.

"Cole certainly put you through the ringer," Lucinda Rockwell announces to Lydia as she comes up to her former daughter in law. "He made me very proud right now."

"I don't have time to deal with you right now Lucinda," Lydia spits back to her, as she prepares to get off her chair and leave.

Lucinda grabs Lydia's arm and forces her back on the chair. "You're not going anywhere, not until you hear what I have to say," Lucinda whispers to her. "How many times did I warn you that the truth about Lex can never come out? And what did you do? You let your bastard of a fiancé let Mac know the truth."

"Are you going to pull another knife on me? This secret was bound to come out sooner or later. Secrets always have a way of coming out," Lydia replies to her. "And look, Mac and Lex, they have made amends. It's like nothing ever happened."

"Don't you dare try to justify this," Lucinda snaps at her. "I've warned you; you hurt my family, and I will hurt you. So be warned, Lydia, I'm watching you. And, when you least expect it, I will come for you with everything I have in me."

***

Mac sits at his desk, thinking about Lex and how his health is. He hopes that his son is okay, but when he was at the office earlier, Lex didn't look so great.

"I hope you're okay, Lex," he whispers to himself as his telephone rings.

"Mac Rockwell," he says as he picks up the phone. "Oh, Larry, thanks for getting back to me so quickly. What did you find?"

"Mac, are you sitting down?"

"Yes, I am, why? What is it Larry?" Mac asks the investigator.

"Odette Williams is the widow of Bernie Williams," Larry tells him. "Does that name sound familiar?"

"It does, but I can't place it," Mac admits to him. "Who is Bernie Williams?"

"He was the miner that you had your eye on to be the next foreman at the Kelsey Lake mine," Larry refreshes his memory. "Before the explosion that killed Bernie. Do you remember the Kelsey Lake explosion?"

"Yes, of course I do. This all makes sense now."

"I thought it would," Larry tells him.

"My God," Mac whispers in shock. "So, Odette is doing this as an act of revenge. She thinks I killed Bernie."

"It would seem so," Larry replies to him.

"Thanks for this Larry," Mac tells him as he hangs up the phone and runs his hands through his hair. "It all makes sense now," he whispers to himself. "And, you won't get away with this, Odette. Because, I did not kill your husband."

***

"Lex, you're home early," Jarek says to his husband, as he comes into the condo and sees Lex laying on the sofa. "What's wrong?"

"I'm not feeling so great," Lex admits to Jarek as he lays with his eyes closed on the sofa.

"Still?" Jarek asks, pretending to be concerned. "Do you want me to get you anything? A tea or a water?"

"Yea, some water would be great."

"Okay, just rest. I'll be right back," Jarek tells him as he scurries off into the kitchen. Once there, he grabs a glass from the cupboard and smiles to himself. "It won't be long now," he whispers to himself. "And you'll be dead. But just in case," he says as he pulls the vile out of his pocket and pours some of the drug into the bottom of the glass. "I'll give you another dose with your water."