Bittersweet Read online

  Mona left out no detail, and when Annie produced the Memory Stick, holding the video that would offer the corroborating evidence, Tom shook his head.

  He watched some of the tape, fast-forwarding it to where Warner acted out Bruce’s alleged rape.

  “Wow,” he said. “Incredible.” Tom Colton’s case against Bruce Patman had just disintegrated. There’d be no selling Patman’s guilt to any jury, anywhere. It was over.

  “The real villain isn’t Bruce at all,” Annie told him. “It’s Rick Warner. I’m not trying to tell you how to do your job, but I think you should drop the charges. Your star witness was blackmailed and admits to making it all up. And I think she was coerced into sex, but not by Bruce. By Rick Warner, who is the real rapist.”

  Tom sat down and ran his hands through his hair. One of his biggest contributors for the fall campaign was also a blackmailer extortionist who had clearly forced a girl on tape to have sex with him. He had no choice. When his opponent got wind of this news, she’d have a field day in the campaign ads. The only way he could hope to come out of it would be to hit Rick Warner and hit him hard. But even then, his reelection bid looked grim.

  “What are you going to do?” Annie asked.

  “I’m going to issue a warrant for Rick’s arrest,” Tom said. “And the bartender, too.”

  “And Mona?”

  “No charges and immunity, providing she’ll testify for the prosecution,” Tom said, his face growing red.

  Mona’s face lit up with relief, and she sent a grateful look to Annie.

  “And Bruce?”

  “Dropping the case against him. He’s free to go,” Tom grumbled.

  Annie felt like jumping up from the table and shouting, but she managed to keep calm as she walked briskly from the room to tell Bruce the good news. Still, she couldn’t quite keep the smug victory smile from her face.

  Chapter Thirteen

  The next day, on the front porch of Bruce’s immense mansion, the paparazzi and reporters had gathered to get Bruce’s official statement. By now, they’d all reported the news that the D.A. had dropped the attempted rape charges against him and arrested Rick Warner.

  Beyond just the usual reporters and paparazzi, Bruce’s supporters stood shoulder to shoulder. It looked like a mini Sweet Valley High reunion, familiar faces dotting the crowd.

  Alice and Ned waited with Elizabeth and Jessica. They’d cut their latest trip short when they’d heard about Liam’s attack on Jessica.

  “Are you sure you shouldn’t be resting?” Alice asked Jessica. Both parents hovered near her, protective of their youngest daughter. Jessica had been checked out at the hospital the day before and had officially filed charges against Liam at the police station. Liam was in jail.

  “That’s what I told her,” Todd said. He was carrying Jake on his shoulders and holding on tightly to Jessica’s hand.

  “I just have a few scrapes, nothing that won’t heal,” Jessica said. “I’m fine. Thanks to Todd.”

  The two of them exchanged a loving look.

  “If only I’d listened to you sooner, Lizzie,” Jessica said, turning to her sister.

  “No second-guessing,” Elizabeth said, throwing an arm around her sister. “It’s not allowed!”

  Elizabeth had been shocked to hear the day before that her worst fears about Liam had come true. Even she hadn’t realized Liam could be dangerous. She’d never liked him, but she’d also never predicted he could do what he did. She was glad he was locked up and hoped he stayed there a long time.

  “Who could’ve guessed that such a hot and famous actor would be so crazy?” Lila asked. She stood nearby with her husband, Ken.

  “Not me,” Ken said. He wrapped an affectionate arm around his pregnant wife.

  “Well, I’m glad everyone is okay,” said Steven Wakefield. He was carrying little Emma in his arms. Aaron, his husband, stood nearby.

  “Me too,” Elizabeth said. She glanced at her sister and saw pure happiness on her face. Now that she was back with Todd, she was the old Jessica again. Liam’s attack was the furthest thing from her mind.

  Elizabeth smiled at her sister. As she stood with her friends and family, she realized she was the only single person there. Jessica had Todd. Ned had Alice. Steven had Aaron. Even Lila had Ken.

  Everyone was one-half of a perfect couple. All except Elizabeth. Would it be this way forever? Would it be just her, alone, in a sea of soul mates? Hers always just out of reach?

  Because, as of now, it was just Elizabeth and…

  Missy LeGrange.

  The socialite and Bruce’s old snobby friend snuck up on her when she wasn’t looking.

  “I’m surprised to see you here,” she sniped, her voice a low whisper. Missy was drenched in diamonds. As usual, she was sticking her nose where she wasn’t wanted.

  She stood close enough to Elizabeth for them to bump elbows.

  “I’m here to support Bruce,” Elizabeth said.

  “Better late than never.”

  Missy was referring, of course, to the day Bruce was arrested. Missy had been there by his side, a steadfast supporter, when Elizabeth hadn’t.

  Elizabeth wished Missy would just go away. She hated that Missy was a walking reminder of how she’d failed Bruce.

  Maybe it had been a bad idea for Elizabeth even to come today.

  When Annie had called her that morning to invite Elizabeth to the press conference, she’d almost said no. After all, she blamed herself for the case against Bruce dragging on for so long. If she’d seen things clearer earlier, if she’d never doubted Bruce, this case might have been over weeks ago.

  But in the end, it had been Jessica who had guilted her into coming. “I’m going. You can’t wuss out on me,” Jessica had said. “And this day is about Bruce being vindicated. He wants friendly faces in the audience and he deserves the support.”

  Elizabeth couldn’t argue with that. Showing up was the least she could do.

  Suddenly, Bruce’s front door opened, and Annie stepped out. Bruce followed, and they were together standing at the hastily put-together podium.

  “I’d like to get everyone’s attention, please,” Annie said into the microphones attached to the podium. A few boom mics danced in the air above their heads. “As you all know, Bruce Patman has been exonerated of all charges. And he’s here today to give his statement. I’ll now turn the floor over to Bruce.”

  Annie stepped back and Bruce moved forward. Elizabeth thought he’d never looked so handsome. Gone were the furrowed brow and slumped shoulders brought on by the months of worry over these trumped-up charges. He looked confident, energized, and unstoppable. His dark hair was perfectly combed; his blue eyes shone.

  Elizabeth felt a lump in her throat. She was proud of him. He’d weathered this storm and come out stronger than ever before. That took character. She loved him for it.

  Bruce nodded at the audience, seeing more supporters than reporters, the adoring looks of his friends, and began.

  “Before I get to my statement, I want to say that there are so many people I have to thank. People who cared for and helped me…”

  Next to Elizabeth, Missy LeGrange puffed herself up a bit, nodding to Elizabeth as if saying He’s talking about me.

  Elizabeth tried to ignore her.

  Bruce continued in a softer voice, a voice brimming with emotion. “But the one person who has done more to save me than anyone else, who has tirelessly worked to prove my innocence…”

  Elizabeth glanced over at Jessica.

  Is it possible? Did Bruce know she’d been the one to get Mona Thomas to confess?

  But how? The only people here who knew were Annie, Jessica, and Aaron. And she’d sworn them to secrecy. Elizabeth glanced over at her sister. It would be just like her to try to play matchmaker—promise or no promise.

  “You said you wouldn’t tell him anything,” Elizabeth whispered to Jessica, barely able to contain her happiness. Jessica shook her head and shrugged silently. Play d
umb, Elizabeth thought. It doesn’t matter. All that matters are the words coming out of Bruce’s mouth.

  Could it be…she’d been forgiven?

  Did Bruce love her again? If so, she would be the lone singleton in the crowd no more. She was meant to be with Bruce. She didn’t realize just how much she’d missed his love until this moment, when she would finally get it back. She would be whole again. She’d be with the man she truly loved.

  “Without her tireless work, day and night, this travesty of justice never would have been uncovered…” Bruce looked out to the crowd. For a second, his eyes lighted on Elizabeth. Her heart leaped. This was happening. It was really happening. She felt overcome with emotion. Her hands shook.

  “…and the real criminals punished. And I would have lost everything…. Not just material things, but more importantly, my name, my reputation, and the respect and love of people I love.”

  A small smile played on Elizabeth’s lips. Happiness lighted her eyes, and she felt like she was glowing. This was the moment when she would finally be redeemed. Could it really happen?

  Elizabeth looked at her loving sister, Jessica, who had the same hope in her eyes. She squeezed Jessica’s hand and mouthed the words “Thank you.”

  Her heart, bursting with emotion, felt like it was going to explode.

  “There is no one to whom I owe more…” Bruce said.

  Elizabeth held her breath. She saw grateful tears glinting in Bruce’s eyes and immediately her throat closed up. All the suffering, all the pain—it would all go away in this next moment. She felt like the luckiest girl in the world.

  “I would like to thank the woman I love…”

  Tears of joy and happiness slid down Elizabeth’s cheeks.

  “…Annie Whitman.”

  Also by Francine Pascal

  Sweet Valley Confidential: Ten Years Later

  SERIES

  Sweet Valley High

  Sweet Valley Twins

  Sweet Valley Kids

  Sweet Valley University

  Fearless

  YOUNG ADULT NOVELS

  Hangin’ Out with Cici (My Mother Was Never a Kid)

  My First Love and Other Disasters

  Love and Betrayal

  Hand-Me-Down Kid

  The Ruling Class

  ADULT NOVELS

  Save Johanna

  If Wishes Were Horses…(La Villa)

  Little Crew of Butchers

  NONFICTION

  The Strange Case of Patty Hearst (with John Pascal)

  THEATER

  George M! (with Michael Stewart and John Pascal)

  About the Author

  © Ben Asen Photography, 2010

  Francine Pascal is the creator of Sweet Valley and is one of the most popular fiction writers of all time. As a theater lover and Tony voter, Ms. Pascal is on the Advisory Board of the American Theatre Wing. Her favorite sport is a monthly poker game. She lives in New York City and France.

  This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

  THE SWEET LIFE #6: BITTERSWEET. Copyright © 2012 by Francine Pascal. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.

  Sweet Valley® is a registered trademark of Francine Pascal.

  www.stmartins.com

  Cover design by Elsie Lyons

  Cover photographs: Peter-John Freeman/Getty Images

  e-ISBN 9781429958394

  First Edition: August 2012

  Everyone wants a taste of

  THE SWEET LIFE

  New this summer from FRANCINE PASCAL, get ready for the exciting SIX-PART e-serial, THE SWEET LIFE, publishing every week!

  Follow the continuing drama of Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield, the beautiful, blonde twins from Sweet Valley in this new adult series…

  Three years after the events of the New York Times bestseller SWEET VALLEY CONFIDENTIAL families have been made, hearts have been broken, and a scandal of epic proportions will rock Jessica and Elizabeth’s perfect world.

  Don’t miss a moment of this brand new chapter of Sweet Valley—to sign up for email reminders and to get the insider scoop visit:

  WWW.THESWEETLIFESERIES.COM

  On Sale Summer 2012

  Everyone wants a taste of

  THE SWEET LIFE

  Originally published as a six-part e-serial, this hardcover edition of THE SWEET LIFE combines all six episodes in the continuing adventures of Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield and all your favorite SWEET VALLEY CONFIDENTIAL characters.

  All the scandal with none of the wait…

  Three years after the events of the New York Times bestseller SWEET VALLEY CONFIDENTIAL, families have been made, hearts have been broken, and a scandal of epic proportions will rock Jessica and Elizabeth’s perfect world. Don’t miss a moment of this brand new chapter of Sweet Valley!

  Get the insider scoop on everything Sweet Valley Confidential:

  WWW.THESWEETLIFESERIES.COM