"What are you doing here?" Oliver asked Laurel as he entered Iron Heights with Thea to see his mother, her lawyer and Adam Donner and Laurel waiting for them.

"I was just informing your mother that Ms. Lance will be joining me on this case." Adam said.

"What?" Oliver asked, looking at Laurel, who shrugged apologetically.

"This is a conflict of interest. Miss Lance practically grew up in the Queen house, not to mention she's currently in a relationship with the defendant's son, which has only gotten stronger after spending 5 years on an island with him." Jean said.

"I think you're overstating matters." Adam said, though Laurel looked like she agreed with Jean.

"Oh, we'll see when I move to conflict Miss Lance off this case." Jean said.

"Maybe there won't be a case much longer. I come here not just with Miss Lance, but also with a plea offer. Life, with the possibility of parole." Adam said.

"No. We are not pleading out. Mrs. Queen is innocent." Jean said.

"She aided and abetted 503 homicides." Laurel said regretfully at the look on her boyfriend and his sister's faces.

"Under duress from a homicidal maniac named Malcolm Merlyn. She also withdrew from the criminal conspiracy prior to its execution." Jean said.

"Five minutes prior. With Malcolm Merlyn dead, a jury's going to want to have to blame someone. If she doesn't take the deal, then she's facing the death penalty." Adam said.

"Sounds a lot like blackmail." Thea said.

"Try reality. And here's some more- we've subpoenaed over a decade's worth of phone messages, phone records, letters and emails. I'm willing to bet I find something that crushes your duress defense to powder." Adam said.

"Mr. Donner If you don't mind, I'd like a few days to consider your offer. Of course." Moira said.

"Of course." Adam said as he and Laurel got up to leave.

"I'll be right back." Oliver said as he went to follow them.


"Laurel." Oliver called out after the 2.

"Can you give us a minute Adam?" Laurel asked, dreading the conversation that was about to happen.

"Yeah, sure." Adam said, not wanting to have to listen to this relationship implode.

"So, what, you're doing my mother's trial now?" Oliver asked her angrily.

"I didn't ask for this case Ollie, I was assigned to it." Laurel said.

"Then say no." Oliver said.

"It's a new job and I don't have that type of pull yet and what pull I do have, I used to get your mother that deal." Laurel said.

"Wait, the death penalty was your idea?" Oliver asked.

"No, the sentence was. The DA's office wasn't kidding about the death penalty." Laurel said, right as something occurred to Oliver.

"No offense, but why would the DA's office place the one member of it who had more history with my mother than anyone on her case? It's like someone is trying to sabotage the trial." Oliver said and Laurel realized he was right.

"You're right, but why the DA would do that is beyond me. It's almost like someone is trying to use the trial to get between us." Laurel realized.

"The question is, who?" Oliver asked.

"I don't know, but I'm heading back to the DA's office now, maybe I can get some answers." Laurel said and Oliver nodded.

"I'll try and calm things down with Thea, since she's bound to be pissed off about this." Oliver said.


Tommy was exhausted, trying to find a way to save his company, since opening the clinic had not been enough to turn the company around after the Undertaking and right now his newest competition had just entered his office.

"Mr. Merlyn." Isabel Rochev said.

"Ms. Rochev to what do I owe this visit?" Tommy asked.

"Just thought I'd give you a heads up to start cleaning out your office, since at the end of this week, this company will be mine, since my company has been buying up the shares of yours and once the final shares are bought, this company will be mine." Isabel said.

"Not likely, I will find a way to save this company Ms. Rochev, so please, get the hell out of my office and do not come back unless you have an actual appointment." Tommy said.

"Suit yourself. But this will just make it all the more sweet when I take your company." Isabel said as she walked out right as Sara walked in.

"Hey, wasn't expecting to see you here." Tommy said with a smile to his girlfriend.

"Well, I wanted to come check up on you, but after seeing that woman, I think I should be asking if you're slipping into your old habits." Sara asked with a smile and a raised eyebrow.

"Relax, that was Isabel Rochev." Tommy said.

"The Ravager." Sara said, using the nickname that Tommy called her by at home.

"Yeah, she's convinced that she's going to take this company by the end of the week." Tommy said.

"What do you think?" Sara asked.

"I think that unless I get some sort of black lamb or something, she's right, I have not been able to do as much to save this company as I needed to." Tommy said.

"Why don't you ask Ollie to help? You know he'd be more than happy to." Sara said.

"Sara, if I went to Oliver, what message would that send? I need to prove that I can be a competent CEO on my own." Tommy said.

"All I'm saying is, don't let your pride cost you your company. Since after all, it might also put me out of a job if you lose your company." Sara said, since the clinic was owned by Merlyn Global and she was pretty sure that Rochev planned on closing the clinic down as part of her takeover.