Third POV
The next day.
Taylor glances at her wristwatch and it's almost closing time, she can't wait to get home and see Reign and spend the rest of the day with her. She had promised her days ago that she would cut down some homework so she could have a little time with the little angel and she plans on keeping that promise.
A few more minute to closing, her phone begins to ring and picking it up, the caller ID is Nancy, her personal assistant. Her brow furrow sceptically knowing Nancy had always called her office line and not her private cell but she answers the call and places it to her ear.
"Hello."
"Hello, Ms Taylor," comes Nancy voice in a somewhat dull tone.
"Yes, that's me," she says with a little frown now settling on her face.
"The Hand Of Hope just called, they have cancelled the charity event for tomorrow."
"What do you mean cancelled the event, why would they do that?" she asks, the frown on her face deepening.
"Well according to their report, what happened yesterday isn't what The Hand of Hope would call 'an act of love' so they decided to revoke every affiliation they have with you and the company."
Taylor brow crosses in confusion, there has to be a better explanation of ending their ties with the company other than what happened yesterday, especially since she has no idea what it is. "What happened yesterday?"
"It's been all over the E! News, even right now," she replies with an unsure voice.
Taylor gets up and walks to the TV and plug in the cord. She has never been a fan of the news or gossip even though she gets tempted once in a while, but she has to find out what the news on TV has to do with The Hand of Hope ending their ties with her company and when it comes on she switches it to E! Channel.
"While most of us called yesterday's rain a blessing, it was a curse to someone else." The blonde hair reporter on the TV begins to say.
"Rory John Gate, former CEO of Microsoft and other Gate's owned companies spent those hours in front of the gate of his previous home asking to be let in. Insiders told us that when the rain descended, he had nowhere else to go."
On the video playing on the TV, Taylor sees Keenan running towards her gate and then he tries to lift something, a body from the ground, but he fails then he goes and drag a young boy along who help him move the unconscious body of Rory into his car before driving off.
"Although the family of Rory John Gate have decided to be quiet about this and has shut all newsmen out of the general hospital while demanding the video be taken down the Internet. The reactions of the world are negative towards Taylor Snowfall, the woman responsible for all this."
"Oh god," she gasps out, is this even real? She thinks to herself, but as she begins to get lost in thought, she snaps out to hear.
"This is an inhumane act, I won't even do this to anyone even if he was my worse enemy and I may not know what he did, but this is too far gone." a young lady being interview says.
"The rain was so heavy and the weather cold that no one should be let in, most especially when they are sick." a man in his early forties says.
"This Taylor girl must be a mean bitter bitch to have the heart to do-" Taylor turns off the TV before the Lady can finish with her words.
She is beyond shocked and speechless, she had no idea he wasn't going to leave. She thought that he'd see the heavy condition of the sky and leave, she never imagined he'd risk his health to talk to her.
She should have known, Rory was as stubborn as they come and he wasn't going to leave. He told her those words yesterday.
Her heart beats rapidly in fear for Rory, yes she wanted him to pay and suffer for what he's done she still does, but she never planned this, she never did, but who's going to believe that now?
Now she understands and respects why The Hand Of Hope withdrew their affiliation. Who would want anything to do with a cold-hearted person like her? Nobody.
She picks up her bag from the floor and walk out of the office, the workers around her glances and make side and little talk to their partner, but she ignores them all and makes her way to her car.
Outside the company, building are tons of reporters and newsmen and on seeing her they surge forward towards her and she stumbles back, but Mark, one of the company security men who must have sensed this was going to happen after the media outburst, had arrived just in time to save her before she loses it.
"Ms Snowfall, what do you want to say about what happened to Mr Gate?" a female reporter throws in her question, stretching her mic towards Taylor.
"Why did you choose to lock him out of his house?" another yell out.
"Did you plan for it to happen or no?" yet another asks.
All these questions pour out on her, but she has no answer for them.
"Back off!" Mark warns the pressmen, "Ms Snowfall has no answer to give you." And with that, he leads her out of their mist and helps her into her car.
"Thanks so much, Mark." she thanks him gratefully as the driver starts the car.
"Drive safe, ma'am," he tells her and moves back from the car and they drive off.
She arrives home and she thanks heaven there was no paparazzi around and without stress, she makes her way into the house.
She closes the door once she enters and for a weird reason, the house is awfully quiet. "Rachel?" she drops her bag down on the couch and pulls off her black stilettoes "Reign?" the beating of her heart increases in fright and vulnerability when no answer comes.
"Reign," she calls out again, running up the stairs to her baby's room and when she opens the door she isn't in her room. "Reign?! Rachel?" Tears begin to fall from her eyes and she begins to run down to take her phone from her bag and call as many as she knows and ask them if any of them have seen Reign or Rachel.
She picks up her phone from her bag and she starts dialling the numbers when she hears Reign's voice with happy laughter from the playroom.
Calmness and peace wash over her and she walks over to the playroom where the noises are coming from opens the door. Reign is playing with Rachel and reciting her ABCs and identifying them.
"I, J, K, L, M-momma! (Mommy)" the little girl exclaims and gets up from the floor and runs towards Taylor and Taylor smiles happily at her and bend down to hug her.
"Come va? (How are you?)" she asks, hugging her and not wanting to let her go.
"Sto bene, mamma, (I'm fine, mommy.)" she replies and she lets her go, kissing her head.
"Friend says momma will come before we finished," she tells, looking a bit crossed with her admission.
"Friend?" Taylor asks, with a disarraying look.
"Hello, Taylor." a familiar voice says from the other side of the room and Taylor looks up and sees Mycole.
"Mycole!" she says, her face loosening and a smile appearing thereon.
She gets up and goes over to him and hugs him tightly. "I'm so glad to see you." her heart leaps for joy when she hears his chuckles. She did miss him, more than anything and knows she's to blame for being so damn busy to think about her friends and family.
"Me too." they pull apart and Taylor takes his hand and lead him out of the room to the living room.
She gives him an apologetic eye, "Josh told me Abby is pregnant and I'm sorry I haven't visited, I've just been so busy with work, I haven't even had enough time for myself-"
"Shhh" he hushes and he takes her hand into his and slowly rubs it like he normally does when he's trying to say something bad to her.
"Did something bad happen to Abby?" she asks before she can stop herself.
He shakes his head, "That's not why I'm here, Taylor." he says slow and quietly.
"Then why are you here?" she asks, curious and anxious to know his reason for coming. His blue eyes fixated on her last for quite a long time and she wonders if he's trying to read something from her eyes.
She pulls her hand from him and moves away from him when she realises why he is looking at her like that, "This is about Rory, right?" she asks, all emotions leaving her face.
"You saw the news." she rambles out uncontrollably, "Who put you up to this? Him? His mother? Keenan?"
Mycole walks towards her, but she moves away, "Taylor listen-"
She shakes her head stubbornly, "No, I think you should leave." she tells him, pointing to the door. She should have realised everyone was going to go against her after this, even her friends and family, Jack told her even before this happened that she was going too far and now this is the point of no return.
"Okay," he says in surrender and begins to walk to the door, but he stops and turn to her with a hurt and angry expression and Taylor has to admit she has never seen him this way before except for the time he told her about the death of her father. "No one put me up to this and although I never have before, I saw Rory, Taylor."
At his word, her heart clenches in terrible fear and pain and immediately she knows something terrible is about to happen.
"I saw him die."