“Willa Corp?” Cordelia sits, attempting to bring reason to the table. Only six minutes have passed since the perpetrator was removed from their property—very little time to process what had happened. “I’ve never heard of them—are they like the SF Unit?”

“Not exactly,” Her father sits in the chair, the leather relaxes against his back as he arches forward. “Instead of investigating private crime, they—" He places both hands on his desk, lowering his head in defeat. “—I should have told you when you were younger, but your mother strongly advised against it.”

“Now you have to tell me.” Cordelia grins.

“I suppose I do—especially if it’s not just him that’s pursuing the watch. You need to know—for your own safety. Cordelia—I never thought you’d be threatened by my work.”

“Technically, Mom slapped a prison sentence onto me, so technically your company is threatening—no—invading my life.”

“I’m not talking about FHS.” The anagram he commonly used to describe their family empire. “Willa Corp, they’re a group of passionate researchers who study different realms, realities, dimensions.”

“Oh, so like a hobby-group kind of thing. I get if you need a passion project, I’m sure even you get bored from time to time.”

“You misunderstand—it’s very real.” He clears his throat. “As wayward as it may seem, the young man might have been from another reality, although I can’t be sure.” Her father hands over his phone. “It’s not ready, but we’re getting headway. With this device, we might be able to travel dimension wide. He might be able to aid us.”

“Oh my god.” Cordelia buries her face in her hands, rubbing her forehead. Her father’s off his rocker, just like the perpetrator. “Even if you’re sure this man’s from a different dimension—or whatever—he told me you destroyed his. What makes you think he’ll want to help you.”

Her father frowns, “We don’t know if he will, but he’s our best lead.” Her father’s stern. “It haunts me to believe that I’d do such a thing—it must have been for a very important reason—but what good enough reason is there to destroy any dimension?”

Cordelia can’t help but roll her eyes—all of this was nonsense!

“I would encourage you not to judge.” He uncomfortably clears his throat. “Especially since you—rather—I’m afraid what you might have done with him if I wasn’t in the room.”

“I wanted the gun—I wasn’t going to sleep with him!” She says hotly. “I was trying to protect us.”

“It worries me that you’d resort to flirtation to get what you want—that man had an armed weapon.” He furrows his brows. “Maybe your mother’s right after all.”

“I didn’t flirt with him—he only wanted my name.” Cordelia huffs. “You really need to brush up on your Antillan.”

He raises a blond brow.

“What about your dimension rip thingy?” She didn’t want to remind her father of her current imprisonment.

“Rift, dear. It’s commonly referred to as a rift between dimensions, realities, any word works. But what’s fascinating is that the young man found himself here. I wonder how he did it?” Her father scratches his chin.

Cordelia raises her hand, then lowering it as she loses her words. Her father not only believes the man who had broken into their home, but backs up his claim?

“Dad, I think he knocked your head against the desk a bit too hard. You’re telling me you believe a psychopath—a man who demanded a watch that I’m guessing was the reason he “appeared” in the first place. God, now you even have me delivering reason to this ridiculousness.”

“I understand it all sounds bizarre and otherworldly right now. I promise you once I get clearance from the Executive Manager, I can bring you to Willa Corp myself. Even though you’re my daughter—they have strict rules allowing outsiders in."

Cordelia crosses her legs, arching her back in speculation. “Is that where “Willa Corp” brought the perpetrator?”

“Yes, they brought him into questioning—and will hold him in their facility until he spills every secret he has.” His steel blue eyes light with glee. “If what he claims is true, this might be a blessing in disguise!”

Don’t get your hopes up, is what Cordelia pines to say. She doesn’t. Squashing her father’s hobby—project—whatever wasn’t in her best interest. “Dad, just don’t get blindsided next time, alright? I don’t know what I’d do if you died and left me alone with Mom.”

Her father pats her hand. “I promise, I’ll be careful.”

“Miss, I was prevented from coming inside—all of the staff were ordered to leave the manor. I was scared stiff! I’m relieved you’re alright!” Sadie’s piercing concern floods the room. Cordelia leaps from her chair to greet the distressed girl.

“It’s alright—the good guys caught the burglar.” She doesn’t want to trouble Sadie with the details.

Her father cuts in, “I apologize, Sadie. I have protective measures in place—I had to activate the downstairs alarms. If there’s a break-in, I won’t risk your lives.”

Cordelia wasn’t aware there were such alarms—is that what he was doing on his phone? Just another secret he had kept from her—god knows what else he was hiding.

“No, it’s alright Mr. Firthe. I’m relieved the two of you are alright. I didn’t see Mrs. Firthe outside with us.”

“Don’t worry about my wife. After she takes her sleeping pills, she’s out like a light. Nothing will wake her up—poor woman needs it after all the hard effort she puts forth.” He laughs, yet there’s a hidden layer to his amusement. Cordelia rolls her eyes. The one time Cordelia’s life was in danger, and her mother slept through it all. Classic Merise.

Cordelia’s gloom turns to hope. If she played her cards right, she might even be able to escape her mother’s clutches—all thanks to this Willa Corp.

She’d use her father’s hobby to her advantage.