enter by the back door*
Hey guys, remember me ? :)
Back here, trying something new for me : An alternative universe.
Special thank you for the three amazing girls who help me (and still do!) through that adventure, they will recognize themselves. This story wouldn't be there without you guys.
Hope everyone will enjoy the ride!
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Donna Paulsen was a well-known name among theater purists; one of Broadway's greatest actresses. The theater was her favorite playground. She was able to pursue her passion without being too exposed to the general public, make a living doing a dream job, and still have the ability to go to the grocery store. She could take the stage and still go for a jog in peace. She had all the benefits of the job without the downsides.
However, all that had drastically changed in recent months. Her name was becoming increasingly recognized in the industry, which led her to meet a film producer who cast her as the lead female role of his new film. From there, everything spiraled out of control.
People started recognizing her on the street, paparazzi began invading her private life, and she, who had always been so happy to meet new people, now avoided strangers and lived almost reclusively in her new property in the Hamptons, which she had acquired a few months after the film's release. Living in the city with so many people who knew her had become impossible for her.
This new property had its advantages. No nosey neighbors, lots of space, a pool, a huge yard, and above all, enough rooms for her team to live with her. Increasingly isolated, she needed her private circle to stay close to her.
Rachel, her personal assistant, had been reluctant to move in with her boyfriend, Mike, who happened to be Donna's driver. But keeping their small apartment in Manhattan and driving back and forth every day was unfeasible. Louis had been the easiest to convince, mainly because she didn't need to ask him. He had invited himself and was already trying to negotiate a weekly girls' night before Donna had even moved in.
The threatening and insulting letters had started shortly before she began searching for her new property, and even though Louis and Rachel were relieved that Donna was moving away from the city, it was still crucial that she agreed to have a bodyguard.
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"No, Louis, I don't need a bodyguard. Stop being so dramatic," Donna sighed.
"Donna, sweetheart, I am never dramatic." She shot him a pointed look that clearly indicated he wasn't fooling anyone. "Okay, maybe I overreact sometimes." Her look intensified. "Fine, most of the time, but Donna, I assure you, you need a bodyguard."
"Louis, it's sweet of you to worry about my safety, but everything is fine. Nothing can happen to me at home, and TV sets, shooting locations, and ceremonial places have their own security services."
"Donna, please, even Rachel agrees with me," Louis begged.
The actress turned to her friend who hadn't said a word during their exchange. Rachel was also aware of the reality of the situation and had reluctantly agreed not to mention it to her. Louis could be very persuasive when he wanted to be.
"Is it true? You agree with him?"
"I do, Donna. Now that you're in the public eye, we can never be too careful. You never know who you might run into," the brunette explained, sounding honestly worried.
Donna pressed her lips together. She didn't like this, she knew she wouldn't enjoy the situation. Having someone on her side, watching her every move, was going to be hell.
"Fine, but on one condition." She raised a threatening finger at Louis. "I don't want my life to change. I don't want to change all my habits or live differently because some penguin in a skinny tie ordered me to. And most importantly, I don't want any of this to disturb Max."
"Deal." He could sometimes be excessive, but he only wanted the best for his friend and employer's safety.
A few days later, Louis found himself in the office of Jessica Pearson, head of the largest private security company on the East Coast.
"Well, that's a lot," Jessica reacted, after Louis explained the situation to her. "Luckily, I've got my best guy lined up for your boss."
"Yeah, well, where the hell is that asshole anyway?! If he can't even be on time for a goddamn appoint-"
Louis's complaint was cut off by the opening of Jessica's office door, where a man in a suit, impeccably tailored to his body, walked in without knocking as if he owned the damn company.
"Jessica, you wanted to see me?" the stranger asked. And my God, he was already getting on Louis's nerves. Perfect hair, perfect suit, perfect fucking jawline.
"I need a favor, Harvey," ignoring the way he had entered her office.
"Anything."
"A new client. Actress," she said, pointing to a file on her desk.
Harvey stepped back, ready to escape the office. "Anything but that."
"Harvey."
"Jessica, we agreed that I don't do celebrities," he recalled.
"I remember perfectly, which is why I'm asking for a favor. I really need the best." She knew how to flatter Harvey and didn't hide it.
"Oh, really, do we have to beg the guy?!" Harvey turned to the unfamiliar voice and observed the man who had interrupted them.
"You're the actress, aren't you ?" Harvey asked, with a mocking smile.
Louis smiled and bit his cheek to avoid retorting. "Her agent, dickhead." Harvey's smile only widened.
"Harvey, this is Louis Litt, Ms. Paulsen's agent. Louis, this is Harvey Specter, he's my best man," Jessica said, a hint of pride in her voice as she introduced her protégé.
The two men gave each other a curt nod, both agreeing not to shake hands.
"Louis has just explained to me the delicate situation Ms. Paulsen is in. I'll let you see for yourself," she said, handing Harvey the file.
Harvey opened it without a word and began flipping through the letters, leaning on Jessica's desk. Dozens and dozens of letters. Maybe even a hundred. All increasingly hostile: death threats, rape threats, drawings of dolls with the threats carried out, and drawings of weapons. Harvey had rarely seen so much violence directed at one person. The man behind these threats must have been meticulous, as he had taken the time to cut out each word from different newspapers and paste them together to form sentences.
"Did you have them analyzed?" Harvey asked.
Louis shook his head. "We don't want anyone to know. We're taking no risks of a leak. In fact, Donna doesn't know either," Louis admitted.
Harvey raised an eyebrow at the information and turned to Jessica. "Are you kidding me? How am I supposed to protect her if she doesn't even know about the threats against her life?"
"Find a way, Harvey. I wouldn't need the best if this were an ordinary situation," Jessica replied in a tone that left no room for discussion.
Louis took a letter from the inside pocket of his jacket and handed it to Harvey. "This is the latest letter we found. It was a few days ago."
"What do you mean by 'found'? You don't receive them by mail?"
"Most of the time, we do. But sometimes we find them in her dressing room, or on the windshield of the car, that sort of thing," Louis answered.
"What about this one? Where did you find it?" Harvey asked, opening the letter.
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"Donna, bitch, you have everything, I have nothing. When I get my hands on you, you'll beg me to kill you."
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"Donna lives in a property with many rooms. We had decorated one especially for a photoshoot. We found the letter on the bed," Louis gasped, recalling the discovery.
Harvey looked up at him, shocked. "Someone broke into the house?"
Louis nodded. "He broke in, masturbated on the blanket, and left this letter."
"And she doesn't know about this either?" Harvey guessed, raising an eyebrow.
"Are you kidding me? It would kill her to know that! The point isn't to make her paranoid!"
Harvey put the file back on the desk and rubbed his eyes, feeling a headache coming on. Nothing about this situation was right.
"So what do you say, genius?" Louis questioned.
"I don't know," Harvey declared, his tone taking on an edge of professional detachment. "Someone breaks into the house, jerks off on the bed, I'd say…I'd say there's a fucking security problem."
"Thank you for pointing out the obvious, asshole! Jessica, seriously, this is your best? What does he do that's so extraordinary?!"
"Keeping your boss alive," the woman replied with deadly seriousness, making it clear to Louis that he had crossed the line one too many times.
"I'll agree to meet her, but it's gonna cost you," Harvey warned.
"Jessica already told me it would be $2,000 a week, money is not an issue."
"Oh no, no," Harvey laughed. "Ensuring the safety of someone who isn't even aware of the risk she's facing means she's going to be a fucking nightmare to deal with and a giant pain in the ass. I want $4,000 a week."
"$4,000 a week, sure. What about the blowjob, too? What time do I give it to you, you fucking moron?!"
"Guys, please!" Jessica tried to calm their exchange. "Louis, I know it may seem like a lot, but trust me when I say Harvey is really the best, and that's not just to inflate his ego. Ms. Paulsen will be safe with him. And as I mentioned to you earlier, I still need to discuss some details with Harvey about the situation. It will take at least $4,000 a week to convince him to do it."
Louis refrained from making any further comment and accepted the offer. "Deal for $4,000 a week."
"Perfect, Harvey will be there tomorrow at 8 am to meet your boss. Now, if you'll excuse us."
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Louis left after glaring at Harvey from head to toe one last time. "I think he's in love with me," the bodyguard joked, watching the agent leave with a rather peculiar stride.
"Harvey."
"Can you blame him? Have you seen me?"
"Oh I see you Harvey. Every goddamn day," Jessica sighed, exasperated by his arrogance.
"So, what was the detail you wanted to talk to me about?" Harvey asked, turning to her. He didn't like the way she was looking at him, it didn't bode well.
"Ms. Paulsen has a child. A five-year-old girl."
Harvey said nothing for a moment but then approached her and leaned on the desk. "I have three words for you: No. Fucking. Way."
"Harvey—"
"Damn it, Jessica," he cut her off. "I don't take on jobs involving children. It's in my contract. So is saying no to showbiz, for that matter."
"Harvey, I know all that, but please, for once in your life, listen to me," Jessica pleaded. He pressed his lips together but let her continue. "You won't be involved with the child, Louis assured me of that, and we'll put it in writing in your contract. I've checked it out myself, the girl is never with her mother on red carpets, in interviews, or other public events, and she's barely on set. People know she has a daughter, but no one has ever seen her appear publicly, so there's no need for protection. And if that ever changes, Louis commits to hiring an additional bodyguard for her."
Harvey sighed, lowering his head. This job went against all his principles.
"I'm just asking you to show up tomorrow and meet her. Nothing is signed yet, but you know how messy this situation is, and even if she doesn't know it, this woman needs you."
"Okay, okay, I'll go. I'll meet her," Harvey conceded quickly before he could change his mind.
When Harvey arrived at the gate of the large property, the first thing he noticed was the worn-out intercom and the absence of security cameras. Then he glanced in his rearview mirror and saw a black SUV a few yards from the entrance, reversing just enough to be out of his sight.
He rang the bell, and the voice of an unknown man asked if he had an appointment.
"Yes, I'm Tony Devaney for Ms. Paulsen."
He received no response, but the gate opened.
No need to break in, just ring the goddamn bell.
He quickly parked his car in the designated driveway and rang the doorbell at the entrance, where there were still no security cameras.
A middle-aged woman, probably the housekeeper, opened the door. "May I help you?"
"I have an appointment with Louis Litt. I'm Erwann."
The woman nodded politely and asked him to follow her to the kitchen. Harvey rolled his eyes at the lack of security.
When he heard Louis's voice and a few others in the kitchen talking about him, he decided to listen for a moment before making his presence known.
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"Once again, he's late. Damn it, I really hope Jessica is right and he's worth it," Louis grumbled.
"So why are we hiring him again? I told you I didn't need a bodyguard, you're the one who insisted," said Donna Paulsen.
He had Googled her name last night to see what she looked like, and while the photos did her justice, they were nothing compared to the real thing. She was stunning, Harvey could grant her that.
"What's he like?" asked a young man sitting on the counter.
"He's a cross between Marlon Brando and Superman," Louis sighed, clearly annoyed to admit that the bodyguard was very attractive.
"So he's good-looking ?" emphasized a young woman next to Donna.
"He's not good-looking. He's perfect, he's an Adonis. I hate him," the agent quickly exclaimed. This elicited laughter from the three other people in the room.
Harvey chose that moment to enter, once again, as if he owned the place. "I prefer Batman over Superman, too clean-cut, but I still take the compliment."
The four friends turned towards him, and although he was staring at Louis, he could feel the other three scrutinizing him, forming their own opinions.
"Nice of you to show up 30 minutes late and apparently dressed like a pimp," Louis remarked, eyeing Harvey's impeccable three-piece suit.
"Sorry Louis, I was out last night, and when I got up this morning, this is the suit your wife picked out for me."
"And that would be funny if I were married."
"You're not? Shocking," Harvey exclaimed sarcastically.
He heard the young man on the counter whisper, "I love him," and saw Donna smiling at him out of the corner of his eye.
"Anyway," Louis continued, "Harvey, this is Donna Paulsen. Donna, meet Harvey Specter."
Donna finally approached the new man in the room and extended her hand. The least he could say was that something happened. Their hands entwined, their gazes locked, and it was as if they were alone in the room. They studied each other simultaneously and made no secret of it.
Donna was a breathtaking natural beauty. Here in her kitchen, without an expensive dress, no makeup, and her hair tied up in a messy bun, she was even more beautiful than in all the photos and videos he had seen last night.
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On her part, the young woman looked Harvey up and down and couldn't help but agree with Louis, this guy was a Greek god. Impeccable haircut, square jaw, deep gaze, and that vein on his neck would be the death of her, she knew it. Not to mention his good taste in suits. Louis was wrong on this one, the three-piece suit worked perfectly.
"You don't look like a bodyguard." Donna quickly pulled herself together. She couldn't lose face in front of a guy she didn't even want in the first place.
"What did you expect?"
"A muscle man."
"I disguised myself," Harvey whispered, leaning towards her.
Donna gave a discreet smile at his repartee and turned to the two other people in the room.
"This is Rachel, my personal assistant, and Mike, her boyfriend, who is also my driver."
Harvey quickly greeted the young couple before Donna continued. "This is all Louis's idea, a sudden obsession to protect me."
Before Louis could shout again, Rachel defended him. "He's right, Donna, you need to be more careful."
"I know, relax, I said I'd do it and I will." Donna turned back to Harvey. "You see what I deal with every day? I'm willing to cooperate as long as you and I understand each other." Harvey shot a quick glance at Louis, indicating that the conversation wasn't going to go smoothly. "It must not change the way I live and it absolutely must not disturb Max. Anyway, I'm safe here, so the main problem would potentially be when I'm out."
"I'm going to stop you right there, Ms. Paulsen—"
"Donna."
"Donna," Harvey resumed. "Even here, things have to change. There are no security cameras anywhere. I rang the bell and gave a fake name, saying I had an appointment. No one checked my identity, and the gate was opened. Then I got to the door and met another person, to whom I gave yet another different name. Still no identity check. This place is a security nightmare, so if you want to be safe at home, and I include your child in that safety, then yes, inevitably, things will have to change."
Donna huffed, shaking her head. She knew she didn't live in a fortress, but she didn't want to feel like a prisoner in her own home. This was exactly what she had dreaded in the first place, that her life would change drastically, that she would always have someone in her space, and that she would be told what to do like a three-year-old.
"You're even more paranoid than Louis if that's even possible."
"It's my job to be paranoid," Harvey said.
"I'm not a baby."
"Never said you were. But don't think you're a tiger when you're just a kitten."
They stared each other down for several minutes, each holding their ground, the tension in the room palpable to the point that the three others didn't know where to stand.
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It was a little redhead who broke the silence by storming into the kitchen. Donna was the first to break the boss-lady stare, exchanging it for a loving gaze towards her daughter in the blink of an eye.
"Hey monkey, you're up early today," Donna greeted, catching her daughter in her arms for a morning hug.
Harvey couldn't deny the girl was cute. As redheaded as her mother, with freckles dotting her cheeks and a little turned-up nose.
Having her daughter in her arms brought Donna back to reality sharply. Although she wasn't afraid for her own safety, nothing was ever too much for Max. She already made sure to keep her out of the public eye and be very discreet about her, but who knew what kind of maniac could start a fixation ?
"Max, I'd like to introduce you to a new friend of mommy's," Donna conceded, locking eyes with Harvey. "This is Harvey. He's going to be staying with us for a while."
The little girl turned around and, though clinging to her mother like a rock, she flashed a bright smile at Harvey that lit up her face and made her eyes sparkle with mischief.
"Hi, Harvey," greeted the small, delicate voice.
And all Harvey could think was how damn screwed he was.
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This first chapter lays the groundwork. We'll really get into the story in the next one.
What do you think so far?