Previously:

2 Cats Cocktail Lounge, King West, Downtown Toronto, Canada, April 2, 2017

"Nice to meet you," Rachel said, drawing her attention. Her face was lit up with anticipation. Anna looked at her curiously. She was a married woman, and yet here she was, eagerly waiting to leave the bar so she could have illicit sex with a man who wasn't her husband, with Green.

"You too," Anna replied politely. "Have fun."

"Oh I will," Rachel said, nodding confidently.

Anna watched Rachel step aside and suddenly Green was before her. She looked up at his smiling face, her lips parting as he leaned down to her.

"You're okay to get home, right? You can split a cab with us, if you want," he asked.

The idea of being in close quarters with Green and Rachel made her stomach lurch.

"I'm good, yeah," she said, nodding and smiling up at him. "Go on."

"Okay. I'll talk to you tomorrow?" he asked.

She nodded. "Sure."

"Good night, then," he said, pulling her into a hug and kissing her cheek.

She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him back. "Good night."

The next instant, he was gone, his arm around Rachel's shoulders, her hand on his ass, heading for the door.

"How much longer do you want to stay?" Gwen asked, coming to her side.

Anna kept staring at the door. "Not much longer. I don't want to get back to Mary's too late."

Chapter 7:

Apartment of Mary Crawley, Trump Residences Toronto, Downtown Toronto, Canada, April 2, 2017

Anna blinked several times, Mary's guest bedroom coming into focus. She lifted her head, slowly realizing where she was. She rubbed her eyes, sat up and stretched her arms, moving her head around in circles before getting out of bed, dressed in her camisole and panties. Thank God she hadn't drank more than a few beers last night. A hangover would be just perfect given how terrible she was feeling already. Her phone was on the nightstand and she picked it up, seeing a text message from her husband waiting for her. Frowning, she opened it.

'Hope you had fun last night. Lunch today?'

She sighed and shook her head. He was so sweet. Not a word about how she hadn't texted him last night when she got back from the bar. No messages or calls checking up on her. No demands that she come home finally. He trusted her, trusted that she was out with co-workers and everything was fine, trusted that she had a legitimate reason not to go home yet. His patience only made her feel worse.

Tossing her phone on the bed, she wandered over to the door, running her hand through her hair. Today was her day off. She really should see him, spend time with him, just the two of them. The thought of having sex with him scared her, but she wasn't in her fertile window yet, so that was a relief. They could make love without any expectation of getting pregnant. She would be off the hook for a few more days yet, and she had plenty to make up for.

Opening the door, she was about to turn towards the bathroom when she heard noises coming from down the hall. It was still quite early, and Mary wouldn't have woken up yet, especially not on a Sunday where she wasn't due on set. Perplexed, she wandered down the hall, the garbled sounds becoming louder.

Turning the corner, she entered her bedroom, at her house, saw her furniture, the art she'd picked out on the walls, her curtains drawn across the large windows. The plush duvet was pulled back and hanging down on to the floor, the pillows were scattered across the headboard. Her eyes widened and her mouth fell open as she stared at the two people grunting and moaning atop her bedsheets.

Green was fucking Rachel on her bed.

They were both sweaty, a lewd smacking noise filling the air as he thrust into her from behind. His one hand was fisted in her hair, yanking her back, his other clutching her hip, his fingers digging into her pale skin. He was overpowering her, her vain attempts to push back against him and match his strokes eventually abandoned as she arched her back and surrendered.

Anna's eyes moved from the small woman bent over in submission and looked at Green, the muscles of his legs, back and arms flexing with every plunge. She eventually looked at his face and was shocked to find his head turned towards her, his dark eyes finding hers, mouth open in an evil smile.

"Take it, Anna," he growled. "Take it like the stupid little whore you are!"

She gasped, looking at his leering face in horror. Tearing her eyes away from him, she looked back down at Rachel. Her hair wasn't the black pixie cut, but rather long and blonde, wound around Green's fist. Confused, Anna stepped forward, coming closer to get a look at the face of the woman who was now crying out and calling Green's name in grateful pleasure.

It wasn't Rachel that he was fucking. It wasn't Rachel who was writhing, panting, and shaking in the throes of passion.

It was her.


"Anna?"

Anna opened her eyes and shot up, breathing raggedly, her pulse racing. She looked around her empty bed, Mary's guest bedroom coming into focus. She frowned in confusion, placing her hand on her chest, her mind a jumbled mess.

"Anna?" Mary called again, knocking on the bedroom door.

Anna looked up, her mind finally catching up to her surroundings. She swallowed and took deep breaths to calm herself before answering. "Come in!"

Mary opened the door and entered, carrying a tea tray. She smiled as she approached and set it down on the bed, then sat next to her bewildered assistant.

"Good afternoon," Mary said, smiling as she began pouring tea for each of them. "Were you planning on sleeping the entire day away?"

Anna frowned in shock. She turned and grabbed her phone, staring at the screen anxiously.

It was 12:27 p.m. She had slept in all morning.

There were three text messages and two missed calls from her husband. She opened them with a feeling of dread.

'Hope you had fun last night. Lunch today?'

'Love, you awake?'

'Mary says you're still asleep. Must have been some party! Have a great day and call me later. Love you.'

She closed her eyes and shook her head in despair. Fuck.

"Alex called earlier looking for you. I thought I'd just let you sleep. I finished talking to Matthew last night at 1, so I imagine you got in pretty late," Mary said, handing her a cup of tea.

"Yeah, it was around 3, I think. Thanks," Anna said, putting her phone down and taking the tea. She took a long sip. Chamomile with milk and honey - just the way she liked it. As spoiled as people thought Mary was, with her servants and toff upbringing, she still could made a great cup of tea. The warmth filled her chest and relaxed her tense muscles, though just a small bit.

"Anna, why did you come back here last night?" Mary asked, sipping her tea, her eyes watching her closely. "I thought you'd have gone home."

"Alex was out with clients last night. I didn't know when he would be back. It seemed easier just to come here. Yours was closer to the bar," Anna explained, the excuse sounding lame to her ears.

Mary smiled patiently. "Anna, I know that these past few days have been disastrous, with the studios cancelling my meetings and the 16-hour days on set, and you've been wonderful, as always, really. But I don't want you to devote your every waking hour to me. You have a husband that you haven't seen for weeks. You shouldn't be here. You should be with him."

Anna swallowed and nodded, looking down at her tea.

"Anna? What's wrong?" Mary asked carefully.

"Nothing," Anna replied, shaking her head. "It's just been a long week, is all."

"What's wrong?" Mary asked again, looking at her with concern. "I may be a self-absorbed actress, but I'm not stupid. You hardly get any time with Alex as it is. Volunteering to be away from him for a week was a bit strange, but explainable, but not going home to him when I don't need you at all today is entirely not like you."

Anna closed her eyes and cringed, the tears gathering quickly.

"Talk to me, please," Mary asked earnestly. "You're my best friend. I love you and I want to help."

"You can't! No one can!" Anna said, sobbing as she looked at Mary despondently. "It's me! I'm a failure, and I can't face him! I just can't!"

"Oh, Anna," Mary said sadly, setting the teacups aside and pulling her into a hug. "You're not a failure!"

Anna cried on her shoulder, sobbing into what surely was an expensive blouse. Mary rubbed her back, holding her tight until she was able to compose herself a little and sit back up.

"I just can't get pregnant! I don't know why! I've tried everything! I take vitamins, supplements, watch my diet, I've cut back on caffeine, alcohol, increased my folic acid intake, it's just not working!" Anna complained, throwing her hands up. "It's been nine months since we started trying and we have nothing to show for it. Usually, couples conceive within the first three months, but not me!"

"You can't compare yourself to everyone else," Mary said, rubbing her back. "What about Alex? Maybe there's something wrong with him?"

"No, there isn't," Anna said, sniffling as she shook her head. "I never thought there was, but he went to see a specialist to get tested and everything came back fine. He's actually supremely virile. His count is…"

"I get the point," Mary interjected gently. "You didn't mention this before."

"He didn't tell me about it," she said, rolling her eyes. "I found the report on his Google Drive when I was looking for the menu for our Chinese New Year party. He probably didn't want to tell me because he was afraid it would make me feel guilty, which was not a completely unreasonable fear."

"What does Dr. Ryder say?" Mary asked.

"She doesn't think I should see a specialist until we've been trying for a full year. My blood tests, ultrasounds, hormone tests, they've all been good. Nothing seems to point to there being a problem. She keeps saying to not think about it too much and keep to my schedule. She has plenty of patients who have taken longer than us, but that doesn't exactly make me feel better, really," Anna scoffed.

"That doesn't mean it isn't sound advice. Look, Alex loves you. He would hate to see you beating yourself up like this, I know he would. Whether you get pregnant or not won't change your marriage, I'm sure of it," Mary said.

"He's said as much, many times," Anna acknowledged. "That just makes me feel worse, really. He's too good about it all. If he would get angry and yell at me over it, that wouldn't get us any closer to getting pregnant, but it would at least make me feel better. I know that sounds mad, but it's to the point that every time I see him, every time I talk to him, all I think about is how I'm letting him down."

"It is mad, but understandable. You've had a lot of shit boyfriends, so you're used to being treated terribly. The fact that he's not a complete ass makes you think something horrible is coming. Your husband loves you. Let him. That's all there is to it. Forget about what might happen in the future and whether you're worthy of him and all that other nonsense," Mary advised.

Anna smiled weakly. "Lady Mary giving out love advice. Now that's a new one."

Mary laughed and shook her head. "I think it's along the lines of 'do as I say, not as I do', or not as I did, anyway. Get yourself cleaned up, get home to your husband and have some amazing sex. God knows I won't be for weeks still, so you can at least get some for the both of us."

Anna laughed and squeezed Mary's hand gratefully. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it," Mary said cheerfully, getting out of bed and heading for the door. "If we're counting the number of times we've whinged to each other, I'm probably still well ahead."

Anna smiled and nodded knowingly. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course," Mary answered, turning around. "What is it?"

Anna swallowed and looked down at her lap. "I ran into a…friend…of mine at the bar last night – Rachel – she's seeing this guy who's absolutely horrid. Doesn't really care about her at all, just wants one thing. The strange part is that she's fine with it. She says it helps clear her mind, helps her forget herself for a night and just let go. It seems as though she's almost addicted, like she needs to be with him every so often to deal with her real life. Do you understand that at all?"

"Do I?" Mary said, laughing and nodding her head. "Was he there last night? Is this guy good looking at least?"

Anna blinked. "Erm, well he's all right, I suppose. Not really my type, but she was all over him."

Mary smiled and nodded knowingly. "You remember Jamal, don't you? He was the first guy I went out with after Matthew, though I wouldn't call it dating. He was everything I usually never go for – a big, dumb, hulk of a man with no ambition and no interests besides sports, recreational drugs, and horrible music. He once told me the only reason he wanted me was because I was white and he liked my accent."

Anna blinked as she remembered the early days when they first moved to Toronto after Mary broke up with Matthew. "Right! Yeah, you met him at that club."

"Through Catherine, naturally," Mary said, smirking in recollection. "Anyway, I went out with him because he was exactly who I wasn't supposed to be with. He didn't care who I was, or what I did. He was the complete opposite of…well, of Matthew."

Anna nodded in understanding.

"It was exciting the first few times, the feeling that I was being daring, risky, doing something dangerous and something that my parents would definitely not approve of. Those early days were so stressful, you remember? Not knowing if the show would be picked up, getting used to a new country, working with Henry, all of it was so overwhelming at times. Being with Jamal was a wonderful release. I could shut my brain off and not think about anything, not care about anything, just enjoy being…bad. I gather that's what your friend Rachel likes about her guy as well. Sometimes dealing with life, living up to your own expectations, is too stifling, too maddening, and you'll do anything to get away from it, even if just for a night," Mary said.

"But you ended it with Jamal in short order, I recall," Anna said. "Why?"

"Besides common sense, you mean?" Mary joked. "Ultimately I always knew it would never last. It was just a phase, a thing that I felt I had to do, sort of making up for all the misbehaving I didn't do earlier in life. I suppose you could argue about whether I actually needed to be with a man like that to work out my frustrations. Maybe I could have just done yoga or more spin classes instead, but Jamal happened. Most women would have been far more sensible, but I can't say I regret it at all, really. That arrangement that I had with Matthew lasted much longer, but it was similar, and technically also ill-advised, but I don't regret that either."

"Especially since it's worked out quite well for you," Anna noted.

Mary smiled. "Yes, indeed it has. Well, don't ever tell Matthew this, but part of the problem with Jamal was he was actually worse than Matthew in bed. Much worse. There wasn't anything really wrong with him, but the thrill of being with someone so deplorable wore off very quickly. It didn't feel as exciting anymore, it just felt stupid, or probably more accurately, I always knew it was stupid, but the excitement made up for it. In the beginning, it was like a drug, a sort of sickness. Once I had it, even though I knew it was wrong, I couldn't stop myself. But eventually, when the excitement died, all I was left with was…something quite stupid."

Anna laughed. "I guess that makes sense, sort of."

"Well, you know that supposedly some of the more popular female sex fantasies are being with a stranger, being with someone completely incompatible with you, and being dominated or coerced. It's all ridiculous but I think we all do some rather foolish things in life for whatever reason, or lack thereof. Your friend will grow out of it eventually. If it starts affecting her real life, then maybe you should consider an intervention of some sort, but if she just wants some mindless sex every now and again without the complication of any emotional investment, that's rather harmless. No one needs to know, and no one gets hurt," Mary said.

"Yeah," Anna replied slowly. "I guess I'll just leave it and hope she doesn't do anything truly stupid."

Mary smiled and nodded before turning for the door. "All right, see you tomorrow."

Anna glanced at her phone again, biting her lower lip. Taking a deep breath, she left it where it was and got up to go shower, pushing the visions of her earlier dream to the back of her mind.

Home of Alex and Anna Lewis, Rosedale, Toronto, Canada, April 2, 2017

"Hey," Alex said, putting his headset in his ear. "What's up? You're not working today?"

"I am, but it's a night shoot. I just wanted to grab you before you got too busy with whatever it is you finance types do on Sundays," Matthew said.

"Besides saving the world and keeping all of you hopeless actors employed, you mean?" Alex shot back. "I'm just having a late lunch."

"Ah. So, Mary texted me this morning and mentioned that Anna stayed over at hers last night, and that she's been there for the past week," Matthew mentioned.

Alex rolled his eyes. "Yeah. With everything going on, she wanted to be close by to support her. You know, since her boyfriend isn't here."

"And we appreciate it, both of us," Matthew replied, undeterred. "Alex, is everything good with you two?"

Alex sighed. "Not really, but I'm hoping that it will be eventually."

"So she's still having problems," Matthew stated.

"Yeah," Alex said tiredly. "I don't know what else to do. I try to support her as much as I can, but she's shutting me out. I don't want to bring up the whole pregnancy thing because it'll just make her upset. Since I got back, we've been talking and texting all week, pretending everything's fine."

"But it's not," Matthew said.

"She's not working today. There's no filming. Why she thought she couldn't come home, I don't know. This morning I texted her to go out to lunch and she slept in, didn't get my messages. I had to talk to Mary just to make sure she was all right. I haven't been in the same room with her since London," Alex said.

"Did you tell her that you didn't want her to stay at Mary's?" Matthew asked.

"Obviously not. Come on," Alex snapped.

"Alex, you were away for two weeks and she left you for another week," Matthew said.

"I don't boss my wife around. Never have before and I won't start now. She'll come to me when she's ready," Alex said firmly.

"Telling her that you miss her and you want her with you isn't bossing her around," Matthew noted. "If Mary avoided me after we've been apart for the past few months, I'd go nuts."

"Yeah, well we're not you and Mary," Alex retorted. "Anna's under a lot of pressure right now, she's got a lot to think about. She's genuinely concerned for Mary's career. I don't want to pile on."

"All right. I'm just concerned," Matthew said.

"Well you're not the only one," Alex grumbled. "Anyway, how much longer do you have there?"

"Looking like until the end of the month," Matthew said. "They've added some extra pages for me, which is nice, but it means I'm here for a little longer than originally planned."

"Extra work is good though, especially in a movie like that. Has Joe found you anything else?" Alex asked.

"He's lined up some meetings for me while I'm here. I was looking for projects that will film in Toronto at first, but now that Mary may not be based there beyond June, maybe I won't be limited as much, so I'm considering a few different things," Matthew said.

"Right. What's she going to do after Paladin wraps if she doesn't find anything? Go back to England?" Alex asked. The thought came to him for the first time. He hadn't spoken to Anna about it before, or whether she would follow Mary if she were to leave town. Anything seemed possible these days.

"I doubt it. Sybil has given up her moving plans for now because of the uncertainty with Brexit and Robert's scandal. I think Mary would want to stay here, whether it be Toronto, New York or L.A., who knows? If she loses her apartment, she could always just stay at mine until she knows where she'll be," Matthew suggested.

"Moving in together finally, eh?" Alex joked.

"Shut up. I'm talking about a hypothetical, and for convenience only," Matthew said.

"For a man who planned an entire future with this woman, you are being remarkably short-sighted and practical," Alex said.

"Mary's career is on shaky ground right now," Matthew said. "The last thing I want is for her to think I'm trying to take advantage and tie her down. We talk about the future of our careers all the time. Eventually we'll get to talking about the future of us, too. Her whole world is changing. Our relationship needs to be the one stable thing she can rely on."

"That is remarkably mature. Being in New York must be doing wonders for you," Alex said.

"Yeah, well just trying to be great like everyone else down here," Matthew said sarcastically.

Alex laughed and was about to reply when he heard the front door open. Looking to the doorway, his pulse jumped as his wife came into the living room, meeting his eyes and smiling nervously.

"I gotta go. Bye," Alex said quickly, hanging up on Matthew and getting up from the sofa.

Creative Artists Agency, Midtown Manhattan, New York, USA, April 2, 2017

"All right, Rosamund, what have you got?"

Rosamund nodded and looked across the various video chat windows on the large boardroom television. It was always a bit of a risk to call a meeting on a Sunday, but she felt she had to devote every possible moment to saving Mary's career. The past week had been hell, every meeting she had set up before Robert's scandal broke had been canceled, and the prevailing feedback she was getting from the studios was that Mary wasn't employable. It was all the more frustrating with Shattered still going strong at the box office and garnering an outstanding 93% on the Rotten Tomatoes film review aggregator website. Unfortunately, the industry was always planning months in advance, and with June fast approaching, she was running out of time to get Mary anything to keep her going after Paladin wrapped.

"I wanted to canvass all the available options for Mary," Rosamund stated, sitting up tall and straight, her hands folded in front of her on the polished wood conference table. "I know everyone has heard the misguided opinions about her that have circulated recently, but her work speaks for itself. I believe if we can find an appropriate project for her, that will turn the tide. We just need to find it."

"All the major studios won't use her," one of the other agents stated. "Television is still an option since she's a proven commodity there, but no one is going to give her a lead in a series now, so that leaves guest spots."

"No," Rosamund rejected the idea. "I can pitch her going down in scale for a movie that has some pedigree, but she can't be anything less than a lead on television."

"So that eliminates television," another agent declared.

"If we're looking at midsize studios, you're talking about a smaller part, smaller than what she did in Shattered," a third agent chimed in. "The only way she's getting a lead role is either on an alternative platform, or with an indie project that doesn't have its distribution in place yet."

Rosamund frowned. She wasn't entirely up to date on digital media productions, but she didn't want Mary to do any direct-to-video projects or exclusively online content. That was helpful when she needed something to fill a hiatus to keep her trending, but now she needed an actual vehicle.

"Anything else?" she asked.

"Why not consider overseas? She started in England, she could go back and do theatre for a few months, or take on a film in France or Spain, even try Asia. The exposure isn't necessarily worse, it's just different. She gets noticed by a billion Chinese and Hollywood won't be ignoring her for too much longer."

"Yeah, she can pull a Kristen Stewart, not be known so much for blockbusters but for doing really good work on a smaller scale. She bounced back great from her scandal. They aren't nearly as judgmental over there. They care more about the story than who's in the movie."

Rosamund looked over at the glass wall of the boardroom, contemplating the suggestion. She didn't want Mary doing a Bollywood movie, but there was some merit in her leaving North America. Projects overseas had similar funding to Hollywood films, the ones that Mary would be up for, anyway, and international film festivals in Cannes and Venice were attended by all the major players, not just Europeans.

"All right, let's get her name out, spread the word that she would consider a foreign project and see who's interested," Rosamund stated.

"One thing first, though. International directors and producers have a different approach to doing things. They can be more demanding, especially of women. If we're putting her out there, it's implied that she's down for anything. Guaranteed it's not going to be as glamorous as what she's used to, and some of the conditions she usually insists on might not be acceptable. She'd be pushed, especially by some of these guys. They can be borderline sadists."

"Do it. We can worry about any issues once she's got a job," Rosamund ordered.

Home of Alex and Anna Lewis, Rosedale, Toronto, Canada, April 2, 2017

Anna breathed deeply, flipping her hair away from her face as she settled against her husband's chest. Resting her head on her hands, she looked up at his dumb smile.

"Stop looking at me like that," she said, grinning at him. "It wasn't that good."

"It wasn't, eh?" he joked, running his hand up and down her bare back.

"All right, it was amazing, but you shouldn't be acting like I did anything special," she clarified. "I should be the one thanking you."

"I'm quite sure it requires both of us to make it happen," he said, chuckling at her wry smile. "I'm just glad you're here."

"So am I," she said softly. "I love you, babes. I'm so sorry that I…"

"Don't say it," he interrupted her. "You don't have to apologize to me over and over. We talked about it and now we can move on. I just want you to come to me when you're stressed. I don't want you to be afraid of me."

"I'm not afraid of you," she said. "I just feel…lost…I'm usually always on top of things, and when I'm not, I work my ass off to get to where I need to be, and lately it seems that no matter what I do, I feel like I'm falling behind. Talking about it just makes me feel worse, so I don't. It seems easier to just put my head down and get on with it."

"Classic British stoicism. Stiff upper lip, right?" he said.

"It's how we're raised. Women shouldn't whinge, Mum always said," she replied.

"Now that's ironic," he noted, making her laugh. "There was a moment last night when I was sitting in a diner with five Chinese guys with a combined net worth of over a billion dollars that I wondered what the hell I was doing," he recalled. "We still don't have a firm deal from them for the entire project. I could have gone to all of this trouble for nothing, and that's stressful, but it's out of my hands. If I don't close that deal, it won't be because I didn't do something, because I know I did everything. I want you to feel that way too. You run Mary's life and what's happening to her right now isn't your fault. You couldn't have done anything to stop it or even seen it coming. Yeah, it sucks not knowing what her next move is going to be, but that's Lady Rosamund's job to deal with, not yours. You're doing everything you can to support her. That has to be good enough, love. There has to be a point where you accept that you've done what you can and what happens after that is what it is."

"That sounds well and good, but when have you ever not closed a deal?" she asked, looking at him intently.

He scoffed and smiled at her. "I lose deals all the time. It just doesn't seem like it because the deals I close helps people forget about the ones I don't."

"Exactly. Your wins far exceed your losses. I feel as if this is a crucial moment in Mary's career and we can't leave any stone unturned," she said.

"That's cool. Just remember me every once in a while in between stones," he said. "We don't have to talk about things if you don't want to, love, but don't think that you can't come to me, or that I don't want you around, because I do. I want you all the time."

"I will. Promise," she said, leaning up and kissing him before snuggling against him.

"So how was last night anyway?" he asked lightly.

She blinked, her head turned to the side. "Oh, it was fine, the usual April Fool's Night shenanigans, you know. We went to that 2 Cats place, on King near Bathurst? It was all right. The music was really good, actually."

"They play that 80's and 90's crap that you love," he joked.

"Excuse you, it's hardly crap. It's better than all that R&B drivel you listen to," she retorted.

"I seem to recall that drivel helped charm you years ago," he said pointedly.

"I just wanted you for your body and your money," she joked. "I put up with the music as a necessary sacrifice."

"Oh you do, huh?" he said, grabbing her and tickling her sides.

"Ah! Shit! Stop! Stop it!" she shrieked, laughing as she wrestled with him. He finally showed her mercy, kissing her deeply and settling back down with her lying against him. She hummed in satisfaction.

"How's Alex Green doing? He came out last night, right? Is he getting along with everyone?" he asked.

She swallowed at the mention of Green, images of her dream that morning coming to her mind despite her not wanting to remember them. "Yeah, he was there. He's doing all right. We're a pretty easy bunch to get along with, so he's fit in pretty fast."

"That has to be tough, committing to a new job, coming over here for a few months, then packing up and having to find another show," he noted.

'I'm only here until June anyway, so nothing wrong with having a bit of fun here and there.'

She shut her eyes, trying to will away Green's voice and face. "It's part of the business."

"Yeah, that's true," he said. "Here today, gone tomorrow. In and out and on to the next one."

She cringed, pressing herself against him. Did Green only have an arrangement with Rachel? What about those waitresses that she'd seen him flirt with and get phone numbers from? How many women was he hooking up with? How many women was he helping forget their problems with a night of hard fucking? She kept her eyes closed, trying to clear her head of the dark images invading her thoughts.

"Mmm," he groaned at her touch, shifting his legs beneath the duvet to tangle with hers.

Her eyes snapped open at the sound of his voice, drawing her back to the present. She reached down her husband's body, desperate for a distraction. He responded immediately. Turning her head, she breathed in his familiar, comforting scent and kissed his chest lightly.

"I love you, babes," she said against his skin, kissing him over and over. This was where she belonged. This was the man she vowed to love for the rest of her life. "I love you."

"Tell me what you want," he rasped.

She looked up at him, startled by his firm tone. Finding his dark eyes, her pulse jumped as she felt him swell in her hand.

"I want you," she whispered, her mind swirling with lewd images once more. "I want you to fuck me again."

He smiled devilishly and a shiver shot through her, lust and fear inflaming her arousal.

"How do you want it, love?" he demanded. "Tell me."

She slid up his body, kissing and licking his neck as she moved to his ear, her hand squeezing him intently, the feel of his firm body against hers arousing her even more.

"I want to take it from behind," she whispered.

She breathed heavily when he got up and moved her into position, putting her on her hands and knees and nudging her legs further apart. She closed her eyes as she felt his hands on her hips, her head falling forward when she felt him move in closer. Her blood surged with anticipation, her imagination picturing how she must look. Bent over, ready to receive a man, to be taken, driven to ecstasy by the power of his dominance. She threw her head back when he thrust inside, drowning in the feel of her husband and the images in her mind.

Pinewood Studios Toronto, Port Lands, Toronto, Canada, April 6, 2017

"It started out as a rather small project, sort of destined to be an independent film and nothing more, but then Sony got a hold of it and upped the budget considerably. The best part is that they kept Gareth as the director and he told me that they haven't changed his original vision. So it's going to be quite different from the normal sort of thriller/action film, but with plenty of backing behind it from the studio."

Mary nodded, closing her eyes and resting on the bed. She was on an hour break before the night shoot began and when she got back to her trailer, she managed to catch Matthew as he was leaving the set in New York. She asked him about his meeting yesterday on a project that he was considering for the summer.

"Who else is attached to it?" she asked.

"Felicity Jones and Rooney Mara are in talks to play the sister, and Sir Ben Kingsley is onboard as the antagonist, the leader of the cult," Matthew said. "It's quite a smart story, I think. The brother doesn't just show up guns blazing, or whatever. He has to be resourceful and intelligent, and the whole thing is set on this remote island, which gives another element to it. I was quite impressed, I must say."

"You'll need to decide soon if they're going to start in a few months' time," she noted, curling up on her side, her headset in her ear.

"They're pretty much ready to go. I would read for it next week and they'll come to a decision before I head back to Toronto," he said.

"Well, there's no harm in going out for it. You can then weigh the offer against any others you might receive," she said.

"Right. Erm…do you think it's something you might be interested in?" he asked.

Her eyes opened, her brow creasing at his suggestion. "Me?"

"Yes, you," he said, trying to sound casual. "They're in talks, but they haven't committed to anyone for the female lead. You could try for it."

She rolled her eyes. "Darling, that's a very lovely suggestion, but I think not. Sony already told Aunt Rosamund that they were passing on me for another film that I was looking at."

"Yes, but if I get the part, then I can nudge Gareth to consider you, since we've already worked together to great success," he noted. "We can sort of circumvent the studio if we just go straight to the director."

"And what if he tells you that he's been instructed not to work with me? Or, worse yet, what if he shares the same prehistoric attitude as the executives that I've heard from? No, I don't think it'll work out, sadly," she said. "Besides, don't be so eager to recommend me. It's great that you're taking meetings, Matthew, but that doesn't mean you have any actual pull. If you start making demands and are seen as being difficult, you'll be passed over for someone else who isn't nearly so picky. You have to be careful."

"I just wish there was something I could do," he grumbled.

"There isn't, but you mustn't let it trouble you," she said, trying to sound less annoyed.

"It does trouble me," he said firmly. "It troubles me very much."

"And I love you for caring, but focus on your own career, not on trying to save mine. Besides, how could I possibly play your sister? Going through an entire film watching you sweat and fight and only be allowed one hug at the end? Certainly not," she teased.

He laughed. "I was actually thinking of the benefit of filming on a tropical island together."

"Mmm, that does sound lovely," she agreed. "I'm considering going out for two French films, so a summer in Paris won't be so objectionable."

"Paris? Really? What are they?" he asked, surprised at the development.

"It's very early days, you understand, but they didn't reject me when Aunt Rosamund raised my name, so that's encouraging. One is a political drama, I would be playing the wife of a candidate who uncovers a corruption plot. The other is probably more of a challenge. It's called The Muse, about a woman who models for a painter who becomes obsessed with her. The interesting thing about the second one is that it uses monologues quite heavily, introducing each part of the story through first-person retrospectives, then re-enacting it through traditional scenes, so I would be on-screen for most of the film," she explained.

"I'm not very familiar with French films, but they both sound quite interesting, and you'd be the lead actress in both," he noted.

"In theory, yes," she confirmed. "They're both rather dark, not really pictures where the characters live happily ever after, and the directors are notorious for being quite hard on their actors, but I'm sure that I can handle it."

"Of course you can," he said encouragingly. "I guess French studios judge you by your work, rather than what the gossip is about you. How progressive."

"I'm sure they can be just as superficial as any other studio, but it's a perfect storm for them, really. I'm a relatively known name, I'm affordable, and they know I don't have many options. These films wouldn't make much from the American market anyway, so it's an easier decision for them."

"Well, regardless, hopefully you'll be in France this summer," he said.

"And you'll be on a tropical island," she replied. "How convenient. Aren't we the lucky ones?"


"You're leaving?"

Anna looked up from her phone and smiled as Green came over to her.

"I'm off, yes," she confirmed. "Mary's just got some voiceovers tonight, so she doesn't need me to stay."

"Ah, that's too bad. Here I thought we'd be spending the night together," he said, smirking at her.

She smiled and raised her eyebrows at him playfully. "Ah yes, Tony's here shooting overnight, isn't he? Well, that's a real shame."

He laughed and shook his head at her. "Yes, I can see that your heart bleeds for me."

"Always," she teased. "Well, I hope you can make it through."

"I'm sure I'll be fine. It would have been much more fun with you here, but I never have any problems going all night," he said, smirking at her.

"Especially if you're being paid for it?" she said, laughing as he smiled and wiggled his eyebrows playfully.

"What can I say? I'm just that good," he said cheekily.

"If you say so. Have fun!" she said, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek before turning and walking towards the exit, a smile on her lips.

He watched her go, his eyes drifting down to her ass. Smiling, he shook his head and turned to go to Tony's trailer.

Home of Alex and Anna Lewis, Rosedale, Toronto, Canada, April 6, 2017

Alex dipped the BBQ lighter into the glass vase and lit the candle wick. Pulling back, he watched as the flame grew, the vanilla scent wafting up and mingling with the sandalwood and lavender from the other candles. He put the lighter down and stepped back, breathing in the pleasant smells and trying to relax.

"That smells good."

He turned and smiled as Anna came into the bedroom. She wore red lace lingerie beneath her open silk robe, a gift he bought for her when they were in London.

"You look gorgeous," he said softly.

"Back at you," she teased, coming into his arms and kissing him lightly. She ran her hands from his neck, down across his shoulders and over his bare chest. "You look very fucking hot."

"Love, I don't want you to worry about…" he began.

"Shh," she said, smiling as she pressed her finger to his lips. "I had a bit of an epiphany today. Would you like to hear it?"

He nodded.

"Good. Come here," she said, taking his hands and leading him over to the bed. Sitting him down, she stood before him, placing her hands on his shoulders.

"When I woke up this morning, my lovely app reminded me that today is the beginning of my fertile window," she said. "I felt nervous, and scared, knowing that we'd be trying tonight and terrified that it wouldn't work again, that this would be the beginning of six days of useless effort."

"Oh, Anna," he said sympathetically.

She smiled and shook her head to silence him. "But when I got to Mary's, she was in a rather ornery mood. I mean, worse than usual, and it reminded me that she's been without Matthew for nearly a month, and it'll be another three weeks until he's back."

He nodded.

"I got to thinking throughout the day of just how lucky I am," she continued. "I get to go home to my wonderful, loving, sexy husband every night, and for the next six days, I can have you as often as I want."

He blinked, then his mouth opened into a goofy grin as he nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, you can, and not just for six days."

She laughed. "No, for far more than just six days. All that time in the beginning when we were dating and we were an ocean apart, I used to miss you so much, miss your arms around me, your kisses, your hands on me, all the amazing things that you can do to me…"

He groaned as she leaned down and kissed his cheek, then the other.

"Instead of being scared, I should be grateful," she said softly, pressing light kisses all over his face. "Grateful for all the hot…rough…incredible…sex that I get to have with the man I love. Why should I worry? I'm really very, very lucky."

She found his lips and kissed him, her tongue jabbing into his mouth. His hands moved past her robe and cupped her bottom, pulling her against him.

"Mmm, I've been looking forward to this all day," she moaned moving down to his neck. She threw off her robe, then ran her fingers through his hair, tilting his head up so she could kiss him again.

"I'm feeling quite lucky, myself," he said, grunting when she pushed him on to his back and climbed into bed, straddling his hips.

"Quiet," she said sultrily, pulling her camisole up over her head and throwing it to the floor. "Tonight you do what I say, babes. Tonight, I'm the boss."

He grinned and nodded as she kissed her way down his body, pulling his pyjamas down his legs and off.

BOSK Restaurant, Shangri-La Hotel, Downtown Toronto, Canada, April 20, 2017

"We were very impressed by your performance in Shattered. It showed range beyond your television character, and that you can handle a different type of part."

Mary nodded and took a sip of her water. She smiled politely to both of the producers sitting across the table before replying. "It's funny that I'm known as Jade to most people now. I had a wide variety of roles back in England – theatre, musicals, television, and film. I've enjoyed my time on Paladin, however, I'm looking forward to new opportunities, and one thing that intrigues me about Alice is that she's not just a politician's wife. She's quite political herself, and that's always fun to play."

The producers nodded, seeming to be pleased with her answer. They kept eating their meal, trading comments on the film, the script, details on filming locations. She tried to assuage their concerns about whether she could handle a French production. Her character would be speaking English the entire movie, but most of the other actors and crew would be speaking French. She switched into her well-trained French accent and maintained a conversation with them in that language for several minutes, satisfying their concerns.

As she took another sip of water, she felt calm and at ease. She wasn't entirely sold on the movie, but it was a job, and she wanted to make sure she kept her options open, charmed these producers enough to keep her in consideration. They were speaking as though she already had the part, but she wasn't fooled. Producers, directors, and agents always spoke in tongues, acting as though they were her best friends when they were really breaking her down and comparing her to other actresses in their minds. She stayed on message, giving off a sophisticated and confident air, walking the line between seeming interested, but not desperate.

By the time the after-dinner coffees were served, she felt that she'd done enough to make a good impression. Aunt Rosamund would have to follow-up and convince them to schedule an audition, and perhaps move her up the queue. There was a bit less competition, being that it was an English part in a French film, but she still wasn't their first choice, so she'd have to fight for it.

"It has been most enjoyable meeting you, Mary. We will go back and share our findings with the rest of the production team, but I expect a decision soon, as I know you want to set your schedule."

"I'm eager to get on with my next role, yes. I don't do too well with sitting around," she joked.

"One last thing we wanted to discuss was to ensure that you're comfortable with the material. We like to think that our project is quite unique, presenting a story that is far from what has been done before, especially in the relationship between the politician and his wife. Do you have any reservations about the script?"

She paused to consider her response. "There are certainly several scenes that grabbed my attention. The arguments. The violence. The abuse. I thought they were edgy, even shocking, but not necessarily objectionable in the context of the story."

The producer nodded. "That's good to hear. We also know you have never done nudity on camera before, and just want to be sure that the demands of the role would not be a problem."

She smiled politely, her chest tightening. "No problem at all."

Home of Alex and Anna Lewis, Rosedale, Toronto, Canada, April 21, 2017

Anna brushed her wet hair, staring at her reflection in the mirror of her vanity. The television was playing in the background, the air still warm from the shower. The early morning sun shone in through the windows. She took her time, using slow, smooth strokes. The warmer weather could do havoc with her hair if she wasn't careful.

"Love, have you seen my phone?" Alex called from the bedroom.

"It's in here on the counter," she replied, not looking away from the mirror.

He came trudging into the bathroom, still wearing a towel wrapped around his waist, his hair still damp from their shower. Going over to his sink, he picked up his missing phone.

"Thanks," he said, shaking his head. "I thought I brought it out with me."

She continued to brush her hair, noticing that he frowned as he scrolled over his phone screen.

"You've got lunch today at Canoe at 11:30 and your first afternoon appointment is a call at 2," she said easily, still looking at her reflection. "I should be done by 7, so plan on dinner for around 8 as long as nothing comes up."

He looked up from his phone and smiled at her. She smirked as her eyes met his in the mirror.

"I'm your wife. It's my job to know what you're up to," she teased.

He put his phone down and moved towards her.

"Babes, I have to get ready for work, and so do you," she warned, recognizing that look in his eyes. "We already did it in the shower. You'll just have to wait until tonight for the next round."

He scowled at her petulantly. She grinned and stuck her tongue out at him.

Rolling his eyes, he went back to grab his phone. Taking off the towel, he threw it in the hamper and walked naked back into the bedroom.

She rolled her eyes and put the brush down, turning her head to check her hair. Her phone beeped and she looked down, blinking as she saw the timer read five minutes.

Swallowing in trepidation, she got up from her chair and stared across the bathroom at her sink, the blue and white plastic test sitting in its usual spot on the counter. The familiar shiver ran down her spine, the usual pending sense of frustration and anger pooling in her stomach. Taking a deep breath, she resolved to just get it over with and strode briskly over to the counter, picking up the test and flipping it over, a resigned look on her face as she sighed despondently.

"A…Alex! ALEX!"

He came into the bathroom, having changed into black trousers, his white dress shirt still unbuttoned.

"Yeah, love? What is it?" he asked casually, looking up at her.

She swallowed and tried to speak, but she couldn't. She just turned her head and looked at him, her mouth opening and closing, her eyes wide.

"Anna?" he asked, frowning slightly at her expression. He stepped towards her.

"I…I…" she managed, her voice shaky, waving her hand at him. She swallowed and cleared her throat, finally gasping out the words. "I'm pregnant."

His eyes bulged and he closed the distance to her in a flash. "What?"

A cross between a sob and a laugh burst from her lips. She handed him the test and covered her mouth with both hands, tears spilling down her cheeks as she dared not believe it. She watched his face light up as he looked at the test, then back at her, his smile wide and adoring. She felt his love wash over her, making her own suprise and delight seem all the more thrilling.

"You're pregnant," he confirmed, nodding his head.

He swept her up off the floor and sat her on the marble counter. She yelped in surprise, then wrapped her arms and legs around him as he kissed her hard, his tongue playing with hers, both of them laughing hysterically.

"I love you so much," he declared, kissing a trail down to her neck, her shoulder and back up to her lips. "You've made me so, so happy..."

She just clung to him and laughed, savouring every second.

"I need to see Dr. Ryder to make sure it's true. Home pregnancy tests say they're 99% accurate, but it's still early. My period might just be late and we could have got a defective test," she said, the glee in her voice betraying her.

"You are going to be the most amazing, wonderful, organized, loving, sexiest mother ever," he said, still kissing every part of her he could reach. "And I am going to be with you for every single moment. I'm not going to miss a thing."

"You better not, seeing how it took you long enough to knock me up," she said, laughing when he pulled back and frowned wryly at her.

"So, about what you said earlier?" he asked, kissing her again and pulling her to the edge of the counter, pressing himself against her intently. "About how I had to wait until tonight?"

She closed her eyes and grinned, tilting her head to give him full access to her neck. "Perhaps I underestimated how much time we have," she said lightly, grinning when she felt his arousal stir against her.

"It's safe, right?" he asked, his voice heavy with lust and anxiousness.

She reached up and took hold of his face, turning his head and kissing him heatedly. "Is it safe to fuck me when I'm pregnant? Definitely."

She laughed as he picked her up and ran from the bathroom, carrying her to bed almost dangerously fast.

Nobu New York, Tribeca, Manhattan, New York, USA, April 29, 2017

"The food here is absolutely incredible!" Sybil exclaimed, glancing across the restaurant. "I barely even know what I'm eating, but it's all been delicious! Did you know that Nobu is actually owned by…"

"Robert De Niro. Yes, I knew that darling, thank you," Mary replied, the tone of her voice over the phone indicating she was clearly rolling her eyes. "I've been to Nobu. I've eaten there, and yes, it's very good."

"I'm so lucky to have a dear friend in Matthew who is willing to take me and Tom to these wonderful places," Sybil said pleasantly, needling her sister. "Inviting us to his wrap party was ever so kind of him."

"I've taken you to plenty of parties and events, thank you," Mary said pointedly.

"He introduced us to everyone as his 'good friends'. He's so sweet," Sybil continued, ignoring Mary's jibe entirely.

"Yes, he's a real champion, that one. My, I was never told that in addition to morning sickness, another symptom of the first trimester is that the pregnant woman becomes insufferably annoying," Mary shot back. "Hopefully Anna won't be similarly afflicted."

"Just wait until my second trimester," Sybil said knowingly. "You haven't told Mum, have you?"

"Sybil, I haven't even spoken to Mum in weeks, besides over text. Why?" Mary asked.

"I don't know. I was talking to Granny today and she was asking me rather strange questions," Sybil replied. "I thought that maybe someone might have spilled to Mum, who would have told everyone."

"That's nothing. Even if Granny did know, she'll forget by tomorrow, so your secret is safe," Mary said dismissively.

Sybil sighed, knowing that her sister was trying to act far braver than she likely felt.

"All right, I should get back. I'm being rude, but I had to call and tell you how great this whole evening has been," Sybil said.

"Go on, darling. I do appreciate the call, though it only reminds me that you're having a fun night with my boyfriend while I'm stuck here all alone. You tell that boy that if he's not waiting for me when I get done work Monday night, he may as well not bother coming back at all," Mary warned.

"Will do. I'm sure that nothing could stop him from getting back to you. He'll probably be on the first flight out in the morning. Good night. Love you, darling," Sybil said.

"Love you. Night," Mary said, hanging up.

Sybil put her phone away and went back over to the table, smiling at her husband as she sat back down. She took a sip of water, glancing over at Matthew, sitting across the table, trading jokes and stories with the cast and crew who had come out to see him off and celebrate the end of his time on The Irishman. It was a small, but distinguished group, which was so Matthew. He didn't need to be celebrated or have more people come out just to play to his ego. He seemed so at ease, so relaxed, despite being in the presence of such Hollywood luminaries. Sybil's heart swelled at the sight. She loved him so much, and was so happy for his success, so long fought for and well-earned. In her field, she knew so many pompous assholes who thought they were gods because they were doctors. Over the years, she had met enough actors through Mary whose egos could fill an entire room. Matthew was so different. He had remained humble and kind from the very first day they met as children, and no one deserved a little time in the limelight more.

"What do you think about naming the baby 'Al' if it's a boy?" Tom asked eagerly.

She turned to look at him, smiling patiently. One hand went to her stomach, the other squeezed his hand. "Not a chance in hell."

He laughed. The two of them resumed conversation with the other guests as the next course in the chef's Omakase menu was served.

Optima Concord CityPlace, Downtown Toronto, Canada, April 29, 2017

'All right, I'm going to bed. See you on set tomorrow.'

Green smiled as he read Anna's text. He fired off a quick reply on his way to the kitchen.

'Good night. Sweet dreams. See you tomorrow.'

Opening his fridge, he grabbed a beer, popped the cap, then went through to the living room and sat down on the couch. He took a long swig, then reached over to the coffee table and opened his laptop.

Entering his numerous passwords, he opened up the hidden directory on his Cloud drive, scrolling through the files, a smile on his face. It never ceased to amaze him how reckless people were with their online security these days. Everyone had computers that were preloaded with special software that was supposed to protect them against hacking, viruses, security threats and identity theft, but no one bothered to put any real effort into the most vulnerable point of any system – their login passwords.

It was ridiculously easy to break into even somewhat sophisticated networks with just a handful of tricks. People were lazy. They never changed their passwords as often as was recommended, and more often than not, they used stupidly simple ones such as their telephone numbers or birthdates, the names of their children or partners. Information that was readily available in the public domain contained a wealth of possible passwords and answers to backup questions used to reset those passwords. Most login programs and email accounts allowed multiple attempts, again factoring in that people were too stupid to remember their basic information.

He scrolled over nude photos and private home videos that he easily downloaded from different women he'd met over the years and celebrities that he'd successfully hacked. He was able to come and go without being noticed because there was never any trace of unauthorized entry. He made a rule of never touching financial information, and never posting anything online. This was all for his private enjoyment only. Rachel had an entire collection that was quite raunchy, considering she was a policewoman. But then again, he didn't even need to break into her phone. She had been more than willing to pose for him when he simply asked her to.

Thinking of Rachel made him think of Anna, and he smiled and took another pull of his beer. The two women were of a similar height and size. He often pictured Anna when he was fucking Rachel, but luckily he hadn't slipped up and said her name out loud yet. Predictably, Anna's passwords were quite robust. His attempts to access her Cloud accounts had failed quickly, and he hadn't tried again. He wasn't really interested in sneaking around her files anyway. If all went according to plan, he'd have fresh content of her in due time.

The blonde personal assistant had been rather cheerful as of late, probably the result of her husband being back in town. Green didn't care about that. The better mood Anna was in, the more flirty she was with him. She spent far more time each day with him than she did with her husband anyway, so he was benefitting all around. His patient and careful steps were paying off now. When they first met, she saw him as a colleague, then as a responsibility, someone she needed to help transition to a new show and new city. By getting her to spend more time with him, he was able to establish an easy friendship, helped along by their shared experiences and just enough kind gestures to make her think that he cared. His failed attempt to seduce her infuriated him, but it was also liberating. With Tony and Mabel no longer interested in her, he could do things his way, turn her into exactly what he wanted.

The way she behaved around him now indicated that she was beginning to see and think of him less as just a friend and more as a man. He had carefully reminded her every so often that he had needs, was someone who didn't care for commitment, and who kept women satisfied, very satisfied. She'd seen the waitresses who flirted with him and tried to win his attention. She'd noticed women approach him when they went out together. Most helpful of all, Rachel's firsthand account of his prowess from a few weeks ago had likely had a profound and lingering effect. Anna was curious, he could tell. She wondered just how he could turn a strong, independent, married woman like Rachel into an adulteress.

It was ironic, really, how Anna thought she could play with him and remain safe. She could laugh and flirt with him, tell herself it was all completely harmless and would never lead to anything. He was exactly where he wanted to be, seen by her as someone she could behave just a little bit improperly with, but never actually reach the point of betrayal. With about two months left to go in his stay, he had more than enough time to push her closer and closer to the breaking point. That seed of an idea – that he was good in bed – was almost as powerful as the stimulants and drugs that he would use on her to seal her fate.

His arousal grew as he contemplated all he had planned for her. Returning to his laptop screen, he contemplated which of his two more favourite videos to watch tonight. The Lord Grantham movie was more a comedy than anything else. He had to admit that Cora Crawley in her younger days had been quite good looking, and whatever she lacked in her body, she made up for in sheer enthusiasm. Americans could be so filthy. Similarly, Jane Moorsum, the quiet and seemingly shy housemaid, while ordinary in appearance, was shockingly vocal when aroused. Green didn't know if he liked this video more because of the sex, or because it was so funny that he had so easily cracked Lord Grantham's password and stolen it from his Cloud account. Either way, it was good for a laugh, and highly entertaining.

Changing his mind, he touched the other video instead, opening the media player program to full screen mode and taking another sip of his drink. Tony would probably kill him if he knew he had this, but the fool didn't know the first thing about computers, so his secret was safe.

It was taken by a camera that only one person knew was even there, a camera that had very sharp resolution and decent audio pickup, considering it was recorded nearly seven years ago. It had taken some doing to track it down, a very lucky stroke being that the man who set it up, the same man who starred in the video itself, had transferred it to a digital file and backed it up to his Cloud drive more recently. It had taken Green months to find it, and weeks before he successfully snatched it, but it was entirely worth it.

The video started with Mabel sitting on a couch, facing the camera. She had no clue she was being filmed. The camera had probably been placed behind one-way glass or something, Green surmised. Mabel's hair was shorter back then, but her high cheekbones, her pale skin and her sharp eyes were still the same. She had never really been Green's type. He didn't find her attractive. He liked this video more for what it represented than what was actually on it – the easy manipulation of a greedy, ambitious young actress desperate for approval.

'Take off your shirt.'

Mabel looked past the camera to the man directing her. She hesitated, the conflict obvious on her face. She didn't reject the order immediately, and was contemplating it, though she was clearly disgusted by it.

'Take off your shirt.'

Her fingers slowly moved to her neck and began undoing the buttons, one, then two, then three. When her black bra became visible, she hesitated again, then undid the rest of the buttons but left the shirt on.

'Are you wasting my time, Miss Lane Fox? Are you not the right woman for this role?'

She shuddered at his cold voice. After a slight pause, she quickly removed her shirt and set it aside, now sitting in just her bra and a skirt that just reached her knees.

'You know, Mary Crawley was far easier to work with. She took direction much quicker. She understood what I wanted, what was expected of her, and she gave it to me without hesitation. That's the kind of actress I'm looking for. Someone who knows her role. Someone who is willing to push herself to give me what I want.'

Mabel seemed to recoil at the mention of Mary's name, her eyes widening for a moment. The voice continued, taunting her.

'But I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that you can't measure up to her. She told me as much. She said you weren't half the actress she was, that I was wasting my time considering you for this part. She then proceeded to show me how much better she was than you, in all areas. I decided to give you an opportunity all the same, but I'm beginning to wonder if she wasn't right? Maybe you can't compete with her. Maybe you're not in her league.'

Mabel swallowed nervously, then raised her chin in defiance. She reached behind her and undid her bra, removing it and placing it neatly on top of her blouse. Rather than cover herself, she placed her hands at her sides, holding the man's gaze. Green smiled. Mabel had a deceptively nice rack.

'Very good. Now, I expect complete obedience. Show me that you can be a star, and I will make you one.'

Green couldn't really blame Mable for what she did. The man in the video was a heavyweight producer. He had the power and the authority to do what he said. Mabel reluctantly consented to all that followed. The old man was a dirty bastard, but he knew exactly how to play her, exactly what he needed to say to keep her meek and compliant, go along with every command until he sated himself. There were times where Mabel seemed almost detached and indifferent, no longer caring what he was doing, just wanting to get it over with and receive her reward. The asshole even dared to pet her on the head when it was all over, making her all manner of promises that would never be fulfilled, then leaving the room before she could get dressed.

Green kept this video to ensure his job security more than anything else. He didn't think that Tony would ever sack him anyway, but it was nice to hold this guarantee nonetheless. He never would have known of its existence until Tony told him about why Mabel hated Lady Mary so much.

There were times when Green looked at Mabel, or the rare occasion when she would talk to him, that it was all he could do to not laugh in her face. She suspected that he didn't respect her, but she considered him beneath her anyway, so she didn't care for his opinion. If she knew precisely why he found her amusing, she would certainly care then.

He closed his laptop and got up off the couch, finishing his beer and bringing it to the kitchen to put in the recycling bin. Stretching his arms, he went to the bedroom, lurid dreams of a petite blonde awaiting him. As he began undressing to go to sleep, he laughed to himself, shaking his head at how life could be so cruel to some, and funny to others at the same time.

Once he found Mabel's video and watched it, he had to track down Lady Mary's audition tape as well. Initially, he was disappointed when he found out that Lady Mary hadn't said or done any of the things that the producer had bragged to Mabel that she had, but he soon found the humour in it all. How poetic it was that Mabel had not only never won the role she was promised, the role that went to Mary instead, but that all of her sacrifices had been based on a lie. Years ago, Green had debated revealing the truth to her and Tony, but he dismissed that idea rather quickly. Mabel hated Mary, was so jealous of her and wrongly blamed her for so many perceived injustices that she would have found another excuse to proceed with her scheme regardless. The woman was a bitter, manipulative bitch, and knowing the truth only amused Green all the more as he watched her proceed with her obsession. She was even willing to let Tony go in return for his aid in bringing Mary down. How could he have any sympathy for someone so twisted?

Stripping naked, he turned off the light and slipped under the duvet. Mabel and Tony's work was essentially done. Lady Mary's career was teetering, already derailed from the rise that Shattered ought to have given her. He closed his eyes and stroked himself, smiling as he forgot all about his superiors and focused on Anna instead.

"I'm going to make you scream for me, you sweet little slut," Green whispered.