CHAPTER FOURTEEN
"try not to kill anyone this time."

( episode seven ━━ dead calm )
tw: toxic parent

BEING ONE OF THE RICHEST families on Figure Eight, William Hall knew what being number one felt like. He liked the way others would look at him. Sometimes it was with admiration and others with jealousy. They wished they could be him — have his money, his success, his looks, his life.

Acting better than everyone else was a skill most people could fake, but there was something different about genuinely knowing you were better than everyone else. That no matter how hard others tried, they could never be you. He liked that feeling, it gave him a huge ego boost. That's why he never planned to let that go.

Ever.

He needed to get his hands on that gold. Only, there was one thing standing in his way.

Truthfully, William had no idea exactly how much his child knew, or how much her and her little friends were involved. These were questions he needed answered — and he saw his chance as Scarlett entered the kitchen.

She never bothered to greet him, William either thought she deliberately ignored him, or didn't notice him sitting three feet behind her (he chose to believe the second option) as Scarlett continued going about her day. Setting down his coffee cup and leaning forward in his chair, William watched her as she grabbed a box of sugared cereal from the top of the fridge and poured it in a bowl.

He cleared his throat loudly before saying, "Where have you been lately?"

"Where have you been the last seventeen years?"

Scarlett had mumbled it under her breath, probably thinking that it wouldn't have been heard. Unfortunately it was, and this only riled up William more.

He forced himself to keep his cool, chucking lightly. "And what's that supposed to mean?"

Scarlett spun around to face him. Based on the look on her face, it was clear she was over this conversation and was in no mood to spare her father's feelings. "I think I was pretty clear."

She stood there and waited, watching to see how her comment would affect him, but instead nothing happened. He just sat there in the same position, right hand on his chin and the left hand calmly tapping the table. It almost freaked her out how calm he appeared right now.

William held his hand out and gestured to the chair across from him. "Sit. I'd like to speak with you."

Reluctantly, Scarlett did as she was told. Grabbing her cereal and making her way over to him. "Wow, two father-daughter conversations in one week. What have I done to deserve this?"

"Funny."

"You always said I got my sarcastic side from you."

This time when William laughed, it was genuine. "Lucky you just got that and not my temper."

"Me being held back a year when I was five says differently."

"No, trust me, that's your mother. If you had gotten my temper, that kid would probably have been dead."

If there had been any way to kill the mood, that was it.

Scarlett had her spoon in the air ready to take a bite of her food, but instantly became uncomfortable. Dropping the utensil into the bowl and pushing it away from her, she knew there was no point in asking what he meant. It was pretty clear. What she didn't know was if he was joking or not. I mean, he had to be. He couldn't be serious, right?

Sure he was strict, would flip flop from mood to mood within seconds, but these were not reasons to believe he'd ever physically harm anyone. There was no way her father was capable of murder. No matter how little she knew him, Scarlett felt as though she could say that with confidence.

Scarlett awkwardly chuckled. "Is that your way of being funny?"

William had no clear answer at first. He only glanced around the room for a minute before putting a small smile on his face. "I'm sorry. For how I screamed at you back then. You were only a child, you couldn't have known better."

She shrugged, unsure of how to reply to his apology. "This is really unexpected, but thanks I guess."

"You know you can trust me, right?"

"Sure." responded Scarlett, though she said it more like a question.

William leaned forward, dropping both his hands on the table as he repeated, "I mean, you can trust me. With anything."

"Okay, I got it."

"Is there anything you want to get off your chest?"

"Is there anything you want me to tell you?" said Scarlett.

It was getting harder and harder for William to remain calm each second that passed. "Can you just answer my question properly? With less attitude."

"I really don't know."

"Nothing? Nothing even comes to mind?"

"Well I'm trying to think—"

William slammed his hands on the table. "THINK HARDER!"

Silence.

Scarlett sat there in shock and tried not to let the fear show on her face. She was truly at a loss of words. The blonde had seen her father angry before, (many, many times) but right now just felt... different. It was a feeling she couldn't even explain, there was a pit sitting in her stomach as she attempted to collect her thoughts.

Quietly, she managed to mumble out a soft, "... dad?"

William met her eyes, and Scarlett could have sworn she had never seen such darkness in them before.

"I'm tired of you lying to me."

"What am I even lying about?"

"I asked you." William paused, running his hands down his face before continuing, "I asked you, if you knew John B. You told me no. Only for you to leave my house with him minutes later!"

"He's Sarah's new boyfriend! What was I supposed to do? Besides, I didn't lie. I didn't really know him then."

The last word had just slipped out of her mouth, and Scarlett began to internally panic. Arising from the chair, she grabbed her dish and rushed over to the sink where she emptied out the rest of her breakfast. Scarlett had desperately hoped her father didn't catch it — but it was too late. She knew he heard.

Willam slowly walked over to where she was standing. "Then? So what? You know him better now?"

"I guess—"

"How? How did you get to know him better?"

Scarlett attempted to change the subject. "Where's mom?"

"Out. Now answer my question."

"You're scaring me."

"I don't care. How exactly did you get to know John B better?"

Scarlett dropped the bowl in the sink and winced as it made a loud noise, not even bothering to be preoccupied with pretending to washing it anymore. "I... I..."

"My bad, do you need time to think of another lie?" said William smugly.

"Why are you being like this?"

"There are things happening around you, Scarlett. Important things, Scary things. I need to know what you are involved in, and I need to know it now."

There were two ways the next part of this conversation could go right now. Either Scarlett would come clean, tell her father everything which would betray her friends in the process. Or, she could continue hiding things from him.

"I'm not involved in anything."

She had chosen option two, and this was the final straw for William. "Go upstairs to your room and stay there. I don't want to see you for the rest of the day and you aren't leaving this house."

"Dad, I have plans—"

William held his hand up and pointed at his daughter while he shouted, "That's not my problem. You stand in front of me, and disrespect me by lying right to my face. For the second time."

"I—"

"I don't want to hear anything. Just go." William walked back over to the table and sat down in his chair. Taking a sip of his coffee before adding another thought. "Oh, and I'm putting the security team outside your room just in case you get any ideas about sneaking out."

Scarlett was able to hold in her emotions before, but failed now. The tears came flowing out and she was unable to stop herself from weeping. "What did I do to make you hate me so much?"

"Stop being ridiculous."

"Even as a child, you just hated me, and I could never figure out why. You never wanted to spend any time with me. I have barely any memories of us together. I used to cry to mom and ask her what I was doing wrong, why dad won't hug me, or play with me, or even just talk to me."

Scarlett stood there, waiting and silently pleading that her father would say something, anything. But instead, he just sat there. Spaced out and staring at the wall, not even having the decency to look at her. "So, can you answer my question? It's the least I deserve."

And all he could respond with was, "I said go to your room."

☆

Without so much as ringing the doorbell, William walked right into the Cameron household. His little chat with Scarlett earlier had gotten him all riled up to the point where he needed to leave before he ended up destroying everything in the house.

He marched straight up to Ward's office and strolling right through. "We got a problem." said William.

Ward didn't even bother glancing up from his desk. "Good afternoon to you too."

The Hall man continued to pace around the room, trying to calm himself down before speaking again. "Scarlett isn't telling me anything. She just stood there in the kitchen, eating food that I paid for and lied straight to my face."

"Looks like we're in the same boat. Sarah did the same thing."

William repeatedly shook his head as he ran his fingers through his short hair. "We can't let these damn entitled Pogues come along and ruin everything we've worked for, everything we've done."

Ward had never seen his friend fueled with such rage. In a way, he felt it was relaxing. It felt good to be the one who had their emotions under control for a change. "Calm down, I have a plan."

Seeing how Ward was so put together made William feel a little more at ease, like maybe he was in over his head. He sighed deeply and slumped down in a nearby chair. "Usually you're the one freaking out and I'm the rational one."

"I'm taking John B fishing tomorrow. We'll see what kinda information I can get out of him."

William chuckled. "Try not to kill anyone this time."

"Lucky for me I got the best lawyer in town on my side, so I know I'll never see a day in prison."

Willam looked down at his hands, flexing them and then playing with his fingernails. Glancing up and looking around the room, he asked a question that had been on his mind for the past nine months. "You don't really think that Big John is still out there, do you?"

Ward shrugged and leaned back in his chair, throwing his hands over his head. "If he is, if he isn't, it doesn't matter. We need to find out. That's not a risk I'm willing to take."

"He knows how to play dead fairly well then."

Growing uncomfortable with the topic of conversation, Ward quickly switched it. "Enough dead man talk, look at you! Your facial hair is getting out of control Willy, think you're way overdue for a shave."

"Oh, like you're one to talk. Look at you." William touched his face, laughing it off but beginning to feel insecure.

Without knocking, Rose Cameron entered the room. Waving at William and giving him a small smile. "Hello William."

"Rose."

She turned her attention back over to her husband as she marched over to his desk. "Okay, I know that this hurricane is devastating, and a lot of people are hurting, but sometimes, you know what? After the rain, you get rainbows. New pocket listings. Forty acres, prime real estate. Some retiree tired of the dark nights, got robbed by some kids, wants to go into assisted living."

"Thank you, baby."

Rose quickly catches on to him not being interested in anything she had just said, finding his behaviour to be odd. "Hey, Ward, you'd normally be salivating over something like this."

"I'm sorry, sweetheart. Right now," Ward gestured to William and himself. "we are focused on something that's a little bit bigger than a pocket listing."

"Oh, God. You two aren't still chasing lost treasure, are you?" Rose looks over the both of them. "Ward, that is 40 acres in Vanderhorst."

William stands up, buttoning up his jacket. "I think that's my cue to go." As he quickly excited the room, not in the mood to hear the couple's upcoming argument.

☆

William winced as he ran the blade down his face, cursing silently after realizing that he cut himself again. Grabbing a piece of toilet paper and lightly dabbing the section where blood had started to spill out.

Your facial hair is getting out of control Willy, think you're way overdue for a shave.

That little comment had clearly gotten to him more than he wanted to admit. From the second he got home, William ran straight to the bathroom and glanced over his face. Lightly brushing over his moustache and sideburns at least fifty times before grabbing a razor to get rid of them. Finding peace in being alone with his thoughts.

His moment of peace was gone the second his wife entered their bathroom.

"Why are your security—"

"Our security."

Margaret rolls her eyes, not even bothering to say anything about him cutting her off. "Whatever. Why are those goons outside our daughter's room?"

"Those goons keep us safe. So I advise you to be more respectful of them."

"Keep us safe from what? What do we even need to be kept safe from?"

William moves closer to the mirror, inspecting his face more before running it down his cheek. "There are things you don't understand Margaret, and for good reason."

"Why are you shaving all of a sudden? I thought you liked your facial hair."

Frustrated, William turned to face Margaret as he frantically waved his hands in the air. "What— what's going on right now? What's your problem now?"

"I'm just trying to have a conversation with my husband."

"Feels like more of an interrogation."

It was silent for a few minutes. Margaret leaned against the door frame as the two of them just stood there glaring at each other, waiting for the other to speak first. Another minute passed by before William turned back to the mirror.

Margaret was the first one to break the silence, crossing her arms over her chest as she asked, "Are you going to answer my question?"

"Which one?"

"Scarlett's room. Security. Why?"

"She's grounded and they were placed there to insure she doesn't leave the house."

"Yeah because three grown men are needed to contain a five foot teenager." Margaret scoffed at how ridiculous the situation was. "Why is she grounded?"

"She talked back to me this morning, so she faces the consequences."

"Our seventeen year old gave you attitude and so you locked her in her room for the day? Some father."

William threw the razor down and gripped the edge of the sink, resisting the urge to raise his voice. He sucked in a breath before replying with, "She's been galavanting around God knows where with God knows who without so much of a phone call or a text so we know her whereabouts."

"You never cared before when she would go off and stay at the Cameron's for days at a time without checking in."

"Neither did you, mother of the year. So why don't you get off that high horse."

Margaret took a step forward, not feeling fazed by her husband's insult. "The difference between you and I, William, is that I would actually speak to Scarlett. I actually spent time with and knew things about her before you dragged me off exploring different places to move us to."

"Go ahead Margaret, blame me for you being a shitty mother." William commented.

"Just tell me, why the sudden interest in her life now? Did Ward make a comment and now all of a sudden you feel obligated to be involved in your daughter's life?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"What do you think it means William?" said Margaret.

"I'm not in the mood to play twenty fucking questions with you Margaret. If you have something to say, just say it."

And there the two stood again, seemingly having another staring contest. William waited for Margaret to speak, to get an explanation on her comment, but he'd never get one.

Instead, she just threw her hands up in defeat. "Forget it. I'm done here."

"That's what I thought."

As his wife left the room, William turned back and looked at himself in the mirror, staring deeply into his own eyes. He thought over all that had happened ever since he became involved with trying to find the Royal Merchant. Tension within his family had become more apparent, he'd gotten unbelievably aggressive with his daughter, and now was ill-mannered with his wife. Was it all really worth it?

Then, the image of the gold bars instantly appeared in his mind — four hundred million dollars worth and he chucked to himself. Picking up another razor and continuing on with that image in his head.

It was worth it.

author's note.
so i'm still not v happy w this but i can't keep sitting on this chapter and constantly re writing it bc that's how i ended up not updating this book for months on end fhsjsjsjs soooo oh well i hope you enjoyed william being horrible and his shadyness <3