Subterfuge

The following chapter is written in 3rd Person POV following Becca…

A couple of hours before the Grand Opening…

“Our first move is taking care of your father’s spy. Are you familiar with Elaine Montemayor?” Victoria asks Becca.

“Of course.” Becca answers.

“And are you familiar with who she truly is?” Victoria continues.

“I am.” Becca answers. Victoria raises the corner of her brow, a challenge to her daughter to prove that her answer is indeed true.

“Elaine Montemayor, second wife and widower of grandfather’s close friend Vicente. Like her late husband, she has become one of father’s most consistent donors. She was… also formerly known as Lainey Craig, the estranged sister of my boyfriend.” Becca answers, making Victoria smirk.

“She’s a nobody.” Victoria corrects Becca, unable to hide her vitriol for the woman. “A common whore elevated to our circle by the wiles of an increasingly senile old man before he passed.” Victoria adds.

“You’re telling me she’s one of father’s spies?” Becca asks, trying to sidestep whatever tirade her mother would go on if she dared correct her of her description of Jay’s sister.

“HA! Don’t make me laugh.” Victoria says with a scoff. “That woman can barely fend for herself, let alone manage a spy network.” Victoria tells Becca.

“I said nothing about managing a spy network, mother.” Becca points out, to the annoyance of Victoria.

“I was just cutting to the chase, my darling. That’s how your father is using her. A glorified secretary to give the reports of ‘his’ actual spies.” Victoria explains.

“And your delivery of ‘his’ spies suggests that even they aren’t truly ‘his’.” Becca observes.

“Of course not, darling. How do you think a once legitimate businessman like your father gains access to people in that trade in the first place?” Victoria smugly asks.

‘Of course. Why did I ever think she wasn’t the one who connected father to that part of the underworld?’ Becca thinks to herself, frustrated that she could have been so blind to the obvious connection throughout her time managing Dorsia.

“They never owed Father for giving them a space for their illicit meetings.” Becca says her revelation out loud. “They just owed you.” Becca surmises, and Victoria’s devious smirk returns once more.

“I can’t take all the credit, darling. Who they owe is my family.” Victoria clarifies, and her emphasis on the possessive only signals to Becca that she may be a member of their family by blood, but she is no Rehnquist by trade.

“So I assume what father has learned about my relationship and the people in it, you already know.” Becca surmises.

“They don’t know much yet. Just the usual reconnaissance for targetable weaknesses… of which you have many. However, what they’re really looking out for is to ensure that you haven’t contacted me.” Victoria tells Becca.

“But what do you know?” Becca asks for specifics.

“Jay Craig, divorcee, relatively successful writer… if you can call being a writer successful. Getting to him is relatively easy. You just go through the people he loves, with which he has many, and it’s a simple enough transaction. He has you now, so going after his career is pointless. And old Miranda seems fond of him enough that it would be too costly to convince her. Her subordinates on the other hand…” Victoria says suggestively, and Becca’s mind immediately goes to Jay's newly acquired writing assistant that just so conveniently appeared a few days ago.

“His daughter and your half-sister, just as simple. College students both with athletic scholarships… boring, but targeting that has proven to be effective in most cases. You pay off the Dean to replace the coaching staff with less savory ones, harass them to make them quit or bend while they’re miles away from ‘Daddy’. You get the picture. Even more boring is the fact that if you go after one or the other they’ll both bend.” Victoria shares, and with each word that comes out of her, Becca’s anger is equally mixed with fear.

“Brooke Taylor and Vivian Nguyen, entrepreneurs and business owners. Even thinking about dealing with them bores me with how traditional the tactics needed are. Threaten their business, turn them into whores to keep it… terribly uncreative.” Victoria continues, and Becca’s beginning to get sick to her stomach.

“Antonia Ramirez, mother of two fresh graduates, a ‘grabbed herself by the bootstraps’ kind of woman, etcetera, etcetera… again, relatively simple. Both her twins get jobs in companies under our control, some harassment and fear tactics to make them bend, ask them to have mommy take the harassment away from them… just another Tuesday.” Victoria continues, her nonchalance at the heinousness of what she’s describing just completely ruining any chance of Becca seeing her in any positive light.

“And the other one. Reading her file was pointless. I just took note that she’s a middle of nowhere bumpkin with no influence before I tossed it aside. I can call the dogs on her for all I care. No one of significance will miss her.” Victoria so callously summarizes, and Becca’s anger is boiling through the surface.

“Relax, dear. We’re in on this together now.” Victoria reminds Becca with a devious smile, and it makes Becca have to hold in a vomit. This is the person she decided to work with? Even worse… This was her mother.

“I am a bit disappointed that you surround yourself with these many weaknesses, darling. I thought your fondness for Marybeth was already quite the chink in your armor, but this…” Victoria adds coldly.

“Don’t you—” Becca starts to threaten, and Victoria only smiles.

“Don’t I ‘what’, darling? Dare? Please.” Victoria says dismissively, and Becca can only concede that she’s in no position to even make the threat.

“Still, I know that little list of threats wasn’t exactly what you were asking, was it?” Victoria continues, knowing she had silenced Becca with her obvious threat. “But just assume that I know everything you’ve been up to this past week and it’ll be simpler for both of us.” Victoria tells her.

“If you already knew all this, why did you ever think that Father and I were working together?” Becca asks.

“It’s classic subterfuge, darling. False flags, red herrings, you’re never sure of anything unless you see it for yourself.” Victoria answers.

“If Father and I were indeed working together, you thought it possible that Father may have used the spy network only to prop up the image of our conflict. A ruse to make you believe it was real.” Becca deduces.

“Precisely.” Victoria confirms.

“Which is why you didn’t come unprepared to bear your fangs.” Becca confirms to her mother that her threats have been understood. Victoria gives her daughter a more toothy grin this time, showing Becca her actual fangs.

“And what about today made it seem the most prudent time to visit me, mother?” Becca asks.

“Because you tripped up Elaine with your message. She personally went out to check who this person was that made you call in a favor to find.” Victoria answers, sending alarm signals to Becca.

“You’ve been in the city this whole time!?” Becca asks in shock. It shows her how much power her mother actually wields. For Becca not to have learned that fact, especially her father, tells her that her mother can work in the shadows better than she or her father ever could.

“I was only waiting for you to make a move. If Elaine thought that she had to attend to something personally, well, I daresay that would be troublesome for me. Especially if she keeps the information she finds to herself before telling your father.” Victoria explains.

“Because if that was the case, it wouldn’t be sourced through your spies. It would leave you in the dark.” Becca concludes, to which Victoria nods to confirm. “If father and I were actually working together and were aware of your plans, going after this person I was trying to find would have only revealed your position. So you went to me instead. You could meet me without them knowing, confirm my position in your game, and react accordingly depending on the answer.” Becca continues, and Victoria nods again.

Becca always thought little of her mother. A socialite who married into wealth so that she could maintain her gaudy lifestyle. She always thought she inherited her wit and cunning from her father — and maybe she was right in that regard. To play such a long game like this, and only making moves while necessary, it’s not the game that Becca was taught to play. She was taught to play aggressively, creating constant threats to **** her opponents to eventually make mistakes. Victoria, on the other hand, played a much slower game than Becca. Calculating every possibility first and only choosing the best move afterwards. Until she can finally **** you into losing positions where every move she makes will only lead to your defeat. All the while pretending she didn’t know what she was doing.

Becca’s reminded by Jay’s mention of the people who taught him how to play chess. The chess hustlers in the public parks who are no doubt skilled, but also aren’t in the professional leagues. Her mother is both. Victoria has the skills of a professional, but there is no doubt she’s also a hustler.

“You mentioned we deal with Father’s spy. How do you intend to do that?” Becca asks, her voice sounding defeated and submissive.

“Like I said previously, darling — I’d rather make an ally today than a sworn enemy in the future.” Victoria answers.

“You want me to convince her to turn on Father.” Becca more clearly states what her mother was getting at.

“No, darling. Not you.” Victoria surprisingly answers.

“Use your boyfriend.”