04x08 - Your Sick and Self-Serving Vendetta

[bunniefuu]

- Previously on Dynasty...
- Mia?

You look amazing.

Even better than you did in college.

I didn't want to ruin
the thing we had going.

Maybe it's best if we keep
it strictly professional.

All of our preliminary building
permits have been denied.

Someone is trying to
keep you from expanding.

The question is, who?

I messed up. Sorry.

You should've called
me before coming here.

Without me,
your plan to steal the manor back

- won't work.
- Extortion?

Spoken like a true Carrington.

And a true Deveraux.

Oh, I love the smell of strategy...

and whiskey... in the morning.

What's the latest in the U.K.?

Nothing good.

Our land buy is final, but the appeal

to have our original permits
reinstated has been denied.

So we're the proud owners
of incredibly expensive,

totally unusable Scottish countryside.

And it was by design.

The Scotland Heritage Foundation

filed their claim as
soon as our sale closed,

claiming that some pile of rocks on site

was evidence of an old castle.

Well, that's unacceptable.
I've invested too much

to get rock-blocked by some
old dudes waring plaid.

Going to court could cost us millions.

I would suggest selling,

but, you know,
no one's gonna buy locked-up land.

Wait, wait, wait, wait, hold on.

It says here that Colin McNaughton

is one of the claim's cosponsors.

We went to Wharton together.

Well, perfect. Is there any chance

you can call up your old pal

- and get him to drop the suit?
- Well...

he lives stateside now, but "old pal"

is a bit of a stretch.

Although we were in the
Wharton Wharblers together.

Our a cappella group that
performed at the White House?

Remind me to take back your
number one dad decanter.

The point is, I will appeal
to our shared love of music...

or technically, lack of music...

and get him to see that
this whole castle claim

is a giant misunderstanding.

Sorry again about Ryan.
Between work and school,

he doesn't have a lot
of time for brunch,

but he's only been here for a few weeks,
so it's totally fine.

When you put "totally" in front of it,
I totally believe you.

Look, all relationships experience

growing pains. Even Adam and I.

Ew. Please don't compare
our relationships.

Anyway, the one benefit

of Ryan being busy is
more time for La Mirage

and the new Infinity Team project.

- Perfect. Focus on business.
- Exactly.

No more relationship drama.

It's time to turn my love-life lemons

into work-life limoncello.

If we can make this deal to partner

on the hotel expansion and
share their nightlife brand,

La Mirage could go to the next level.

Ooh. Looks like your
new partners are here,

and they have nightlife
written all over them.

Blaine?

- Sam Jones.
- Sam.

What a thrill to put a face...

and a space... to the name.

Amen to that.

This is my event
coordinator Kirby Anders.

And, uh, this must be your crew?

Marcus is our lead producer,
Amber handles design,

Gavin's our money man and back there

is our new PR guru Fletcher.

Fletcher?

Hi, Sam.

It's good to see you again.

So, um, who's ready
to see the event space?

Yeah.

This way.

Are you okay?

Yeah. We're just two professionals

who had a torrid love affair that ended

when he didn't leave
his husband, but, uh,

it's totally fine.

Limoncello, remember?

Well, how was your retreat?

Ugh, it was incredible.

It's amazing what just a
few weeks of rest can do.

Ah, I can see that now.

At first, I thought
it was just that outfit.

I mean, mwah.

I lost my stress triggers,
not my style, okay?

- Ah.
- Thanks.

I could do with less stress.

Is that why you wanted
to get in a round today?

Well, that, and I have
a charity golf tournament

coming up and I don't
want to embarrass myself.

- Hmm.
- And I was hoping

to work things out with a woman I met

while you were away.

Well, tending to the people in your life

is the best way to tend to yourself.

Okay,

my retreat leader's words, but...

I buy what he's selling.

So if that's what you want,
then go for it.

You're right.

- Thanks.
- (LAUGHS SOFTLY)

The truth is,

I'm on a similar mission.

I am done neglecting
important relationships...

- and my golf game.
- (CHUCKLES)

(PIANO PLAYING SOFTLY)

BLAKE: Sorry I'm late.

Fallon's latest play

for global domination's
hit a bit of a snag.

Is that my, uh...

our father?

Yes. I found it in my mother's house

when I was cleaning out her stuff.

But I don't remember him like this.

Well, if it makes you feel
any better, neither do I.

Is that what's bothering you?

I was so caught up in tricking Alexis,

I had forgotten the only thing
he left me was a pile of dirt.

Another slap in the face.

Well, I'm not gonna argue that
you didn't deserve better,

but that's what we're doing here, right?

We're getting you what you're owed.

Once we steal the
manor back from Alexis,

you can officially plant a flag

in the home that our father denied you.

You're right. Let's do it.

Now that Alexis is sure that the
mine is filled with diamonds,

she'll do whatever it takes to keep it.

So we keep draining her of
cash until she can't afford

to keep the diamond operation running.

And that's when I show up with
an offer she can't refuse.

(LAUGHS SOFTLY)

I think it's time we amp up the pressure

a little bit before then.

Call your lawyer.

- (PHONE CHIMES)
- (EXHALES)

_

(SIGHS)

Gracias a Dios.

Fallon friggin' Carrington.

(LAUGHS): Oh...

Not technically my middle name,
but yes, it's me.

How is my favorite baritone doing?

(LAUGHS) It has certainly been a while.

I know it has. Although, you know,

it feels like just yesterday
we were harmonizing

through the Nationals
with the Wharblers.

Doesn't it? So, what brings you by?

It's a funny thing,
my company is actually the defendant

in a lawsuit you're cosponsoring.

Fallon Unlimited, right.

Guess I hadn't put
those pieces together.

Yeah. Well, as a friend,
I just wanted to warn you,

I think the Heritage Foundation
is making a huge mistake.

I mean, do you really care
about an old pile of rocks

that may or may not be a castle?

(CHUCKLES):
I couldn't care less about the castle.

Perfect.
So you'll convince the Foundation

to drop this whole thing?

- Not so much.
- Hmm?

While I don't care about some castle,

I do care about stopping you

and getting that land for myself.

It's what the French call le vengeance.

I see you're still
holding onto that whole

"Wharton cheating scandal" thing.

If you're referring to the
time you got me expelled

so you could finish first
in the class, then, yes.

I didn't force you to cheat.

Please tell me you haven't
been waiting a decade

to use some Scottish land
deal to get revenge on me.

I haven't thought about you in years.

- Huh.
- But then,

you stole the land I'd been eyeing.

Stole? No, I won that bid
fair and square.

Nothing you ever do is fair.

Look, you have two options:

spend loads of money and
time fighting the lawsuit,

or sell the land to me at
% of the purchase price.

Okay.

Since I don't really respond
well to bullies or threats,

I think I'm gonna go with option three,

which is currently classified,

but definitely involves you losing.

- (CHUCKLES)
- Oh, and by the way, for the record,

you were never my favorite baritone,

because just like your cheating schemes,
you always fall flat.

♪ ♪

Hello? Where the hell is everybody?

DOMINIQUE: They're on their lunch break.

But we have bigger issues to discuss.

You need to stop waving that
piece of paper at me first.

This piece of paper is a
lawsuit filed by Blake demanding

half of the mineral rights.

Thomas willed you the mineral rights,
not Blake.

He's just being his petty self.

His lawyers are arguing
that Thomas's original will

specifies that Blake's owed half

of all assets, which means

mineral rights and diamonds.

A Blake win

cuts our profits in half.

Ugh. I can't believe him.

Really?
And what did you expect to happen

when you stole his home and left
him to walk away empty-handed?

I didn't think about it because
I was too busy enjoying myself.

Okay, if you handle your hysteria,

I will handle this. Give me that.

LIAM: So I found out the lawsuit

was filed incredibly fast,
which means someone

had to help Colin push it through.

Well, that tracks. He thinks the rules

don't apply to his cheating ass.

Yeah, clearly.
I looked into the Wharton thing, too.

I mean, I'll keep digging,
but if we can find out

who helped Colin do this,

I mean, we could thr*aten
exposure and shut it down.

As much as I'm loving your whole
Ronan Farrow energy, we don't

have months to investigate.

This project is hemorrhaging money.

And if it continues,
I might have to walk away

with a huge loss.

And you don't walk away.

That's right.
It's time to give Colin a taste

of his own permit medicine.

Walt! How's my favorite city inspector?

It's nice to hear a guy admit he acted

like a real idiot for once.

It's the apology you
deserved a long time ago.

I'm just relieved I could
deliver it in person.

Well, it was hard to say
no after your th text,

but it's still a lot to process.

You didn't tell me you were married,

then you admitted you
were married and said

it didn't mean anything,
then we hooked up,

but you stayed married
and you ghosted me.

That's why I'm apologizing.

I was really hurting back then.

But I'm putting in
the work to do better.

And I hope I can get a second...

...third chance?

(BOTH CHUCKLE)

(SINGSONG): Delivery for...

Jeff?

Culhane?

You two know each other?

- Yeah.
- We do.

But I don't think that gift's for me.

(CHUCKLES)

Actually, it's time for me to work

and Jeff to go.

Talk later?

Yeah. Sure thing.

And why are you here?

You don't have to be a pretend
volunteer anymore, remember?

Doesn't mean I can't still
help you out, right?

If you really mean that,

follow me.

And you can leave that here.

This sounds great.
We'll keep moving forward.

I'll see you soon. Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you, guys.

Fletcher, wait.

Uh, I don't have any decks
ready yet, but, uh,

now that I know what
you guys are thinking...

Can you please tell
work Fletcher to go away

so we can address the
elephant in the hotel?

Which sounds like a kid's book,
but it's actually about us.

Okay, yeah, um...

I'm sorry we didn't talk earlier.

I was, uh, just trying
to keep it professional.

Look, uh, this opportunity is
incredibly important for me,

and I just want to be very clear:
everything's fine.

Okay? You, um, chose your husband,

I got over it and I'm doing great.

So glad you're-you're good.

"Great."

Great. (CHUCKLES)

But I-I need to be clear, too.

My husband and I just
finalized our divorce.

Divorce?

Uh, well, congrats.

Or sorry? Uh...

I don't know which way to go here.

Okay, Sam, I took this job on purpose

so I could see you again.

What we had was a,
was a once-in-a-lifetime

and, uh...

I want you back.

(DOOR OPENS, CLOSES)

ANDERS: Look who's here.

I would ask if the bank also
foreclosed on your soul,

but I don't think you've ever had one.

Well, at least
you're not being melodramatic.

You're suing your own sister?

If you expect me to believe
you're here out of some concern

for Dominique,
you should try another tack.

Or allow us to finish our game in peace.

There. The game is now in pieces.

I don't care about Dominique,
and neither do you.

You only care about
the life that you lost.

You're like a crying child
missing his silver spoon.

I'm on the edge of my seat
waiting for some coherent point.

I have a proposition.

Oh, been there, done that.

(CHUCKLES)

This insanely generous
amount of money is yours...

if you walk away from the
mineral rights forever.

This needless fighting
is depleting us all,

and I'm losing my sunny disposition.

(COUGHS)

(EXHALES)

ALEXIS: Well?

(GRUNTS)

This isn't about money.
This is about my legacy,

which you stole along with the manor.

Neither you nor my sister

are gonna keep me from
getting what's mine.

I guess we'll find out.

- (DOOR CLOSES)
- Why didn't you take the money?

I thought our current
mission was to drain her

- of her cash.
- Yeah, that's one step. But I still need

to keep the mineral
rights dispute alive.

That way, you retain your leverage.

And if she thinks you're
not gonna give in,

- she'll hold on tighter.
- Exactly. Now that she's on the hook,

I'll just keep tugging on the line

so Dominique can dig her teeth deeper

into Alexis's bank account.

Home repairs ain't cheap these days.

All alone?

Ah.

Your staff jumped ship when they heard

you completely bungled the U.K. project?

No, Colin.

It's : p.m. They went home.

Which makes me wonder why you're here.

My tennis lesson with my
wife was just interrupted

by my contractor informing
me the construction

on my marketing suites was halted

due to code violations.

Well, that explains those crispy boys.

If you must know,

these were gifted to me by Andy Murray.

Look, we both know you're behind this.

It's not exactly subtle.

But it's nice to see
your MO hasn't changed:

taking people out to get what you want.

You started this w*r off
some sick and sad vendetta.

But you can also end it.

Drop the claim so we can
both get back to building.

If you think my company's
financial health

hinges on one office building,

then I fear you're more naive
now than you were at Wharton.

I didn't come here to drop the claim.

But I am dropping the offer
on the land from % to %.

- How generous.
- Oh,

and some more good news: my request

to push the suit hearing
back a month was approved,

so now you have ample time to prepare.

Wait. I just realized, if this drags on,

you won't be able to do
business with anyone soon.

(INHALES SHARPLY) I know
you're bleeding out fast.

Oh! Is that a dumpling?

- No. Uh...
- Look,

you did your best, sweetheart,

but your best isn't good enough anymore.

You know what?

Let's make it %.

My offer is sinking,

just like you.

I hope you're allergic to gluten.

(GRUNTS)

Silver lining, I've lost my appetite

in this Bermuda love triangle.

Fletcher's screwing with my metabolism.

What did Fletcher say, exactly?

He divorced his husband,

he took the job with Infinity to see me,

- and he wants me back.
- That's it?

That's it? I experienced
at least an entire plot

from Love Actually in seconds.

- Well, I'm sure you handled it calmly.
- Well,

I told him I had moved on

and, um, that I have a boyfriend,

and then I pretended there
was a hotel emergency.

I thought you weren't hungry.

Ew, I'm unconsciously
guilt-grazing carbs.

How am I supposed to work with him?

Do you want Fletcher back?

No.

- But you feel guilty?
- Yes.

I mean, Ryan doesn't know

my past boyfriend is my new coworker.

So tell him. Maybe he won't care.

What if he doesn't
believe me when I tell him

there's nothing to worry about?

I mean, my priority is Ryan.

But?

But I don't seem to be Ryan's.

He left me on read for hours.

Before I can talk to him,

I need to find him.

What?

I guess your charm
offensive didn't work.

Your music buddy's not
singing the same song as you?

FALLON: Very clever.

No, he's in this for revenge.

Not even my immeasurable
charm could fix that.

So, you're building a castle on
your desk to get back at him?

Isn't that what you
were wearing yesterday?

I am a little weirded out that my father

is tracking my wardrobe,
but I am far too tired

after my all-night study
session to get into it.

I now know more about
Scottish zoning laws

and b*ttlefield authentication

than the Heritage Foundation
and courts combined.

I don't doubt it.

But we agreed,
we can't afford to fight the case.

Which leads me to
countermove number two.

McNaughton Global Media's headquarters

sits on the edge of a
historic b*ttlefield.

According to Preservation Code ,

they are required to fund upkeep

for all historical
assets in the vicinity.

So if we can conjure some
old-timey muskets and swords,

- then I could thr*aten Colin.
- Hold on.

None of this matters.

You neglected to tell
me that Colin was heir

to the McNaughton Media empire.

If he's anything like his father,

some fake artifacts

- are not gonna stop him.
- So, what, we just give up?

If you're still planning to take
the company public next year,

you can't afford a personal
feud dragging you down.

Colin is the one that made this
personal, not me.

Well, unfortunately, that's irrelevant.

Before Colin lowers
his price any further,

- I would suggest selling.
- Oh, come on.

If this was your company,
you would never give in.

It's not giving in.

It's cutting your losses

to avoid a w*r with a
historically vindictive

and very powerful family.

ADAM: The chief of staff position

is finally within arm's reach.

My future is finally coming into focus,

and I want that future

- to involve Kirby.
- What does that mean, exactly?

I'm thinking of proposing to her.

N-Not today, but at some point.

Oh, don't get ahead of yourself, dear.

You don't have that job yet,
and Kirby is still Kirby.

You never know what could happen.

Mother, I'm not asking you for her hand.

I'm asking you for a diamond
for the engagement ring.

Despite that very
embarrassing sushi stunt

you pulled on my birthday,
I still want to include you,

and I thought this would be a nice way.

Mine are serious diamonds.

Have you considered the Lenox mall?

What the hell?

(SIGHS) I hate to admit it,

but this house is falling
apart without Anders.

Is that why all of the
paintings are crooked?

I don't have time for this.

(SCOFFS)

- Could you help?
- Oh, yeah.

(GRUNTING)

Wow.

(CHUCKLES) I was definitely surprised.

Not as surprised as I was
to see you skipping up

- in there.
- I was not skipping.

(CHUCKLES) But, hey,

now that I know you two
have a past, I...

I'm sorry for the mix-up, man.

You didn't do anything wrong.

We both just have good taste

if not the best communication skills.

(CHUCKLES) Well,
I'm glad we got it all straightened out.

Look, I'd never let a lady
come between our friendship,

but Mia...

Well, she's something special to me.

No, I totally get it, man.

And I promise I will step aside.

Not that I'm even on her radar.

- (CHUCKLES)
- (CHUCKLES) Thank you.

I don't know if I can
make it right with her,

but I'm finally in a place to try.

(FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING)

(CLEARS THROAT)

Is your wife as
intimidating as she looks?

Don't worry about my wife.

So, I assume you're here
to announce your next move.

Let me guess,
you canceled my Hulu subscription?

I am done engaging in this fight.

I have decided to sell you the land

for the original offer of % percent.

I'll even throw in Hulu
ad-free if you want.

I don't normally negotiate,
but even at %,

it'll hurt your company enough
to make this totally worthwhile.

Plus, I get the land.

So I guess I win. Twice.

And yet you're four times as obnoxious.

But let me be clear:

this ends our feud. Forever.

And as a show of good faith...

Deal. I'll have my lawyers
draft up the sale contract,

and then we'll cr*ck
this open and celebrate.

Michelle?

♪ ♪

(SHUTTER SOUND EFFECT)

Oh, boy. Oh, I-I was worried about that.

Okay. Thank you.

Okay, I know not all of us
can age gracefully,

but maybe get in the slow lane,
Dominique.

It's not me who's aging.

It's this house.

I tripped on the back porch

because the bottom step is sinking,

like everything else in this place.

Which is why I called our engineer.

I hope you reach your point

quicker than you got down the hall.

We rushed moving the drill sites,

so now the ground is unstable.

The engineer recommends we halt drilling

and pay to stabilize the house

to protect it from sinking even more.

I am not spending a dime to
patch a hypothetical problem.

It's not hypothetical.

And if you don't get ahead of
it and fix the problem now,

the foundation will probably cr*ck.

Or maybe you just had too much
to drink and slipped on a step.

You're making a mistake.

I'm trying to help. Both of us.

And I appreciate that.

But let's worry about
getting our diamonds

before Blake makes any
headway on that lawsuit.

And then we can deal with the house.

Full drill ahead!

All the vendors have been confirmed.

And I'll start helping the
volunteers stuff the gift bags next.

Okay, now you're just showing off.

Relax.

I'm kidding. (CHUCKLES)

- (CHUCKLES)
- But I'm pretty sure you missed one thing.

Uh, no. I don't think so.

What about the gift you brought me?

Oh, yeah. (CHUCKLES) Forgot about that.

I was gonna wait until we
were alone to open it, but...

couldn't help myself.

It's incredible.

Where did you even get this?

It was my father's.

And I thought you might want it.

Did your father work here?

No. No.

One City, One Voice helped
him find his footing as a kid.

After that, he stayed involved
for the rest of his life,

which is why I wanted to
support this event specifically.

Wow.

You sure you want to give this away?

Yeah.

This is where he'd want it to go.

And I hope it makes up for
the Mike the Bartender thing

- I pulled last week.
- (CHUCKLES SOFTLY)

I may be one of those "rich guys,"

but I'm here for the right reasons.

I have no doubt.

Thank you for this.

Guess we have more in
common than I thought.

(KNOCKING)

Did Alexis go for it?

She knows the house has issues,

but she doesn't want to
do anything to fix them.

Even after the engineer's warnings?

And the pictures and the doors

and my twisted ankle.

God, I thought she'd do
anything to protect the manor.

After everything she went
through to steal it from me.

I don't think she cares
about taking the manor

as much as she cares
about taking it from you.

- Yeah.
- She lives to see you suffer.

Yeah, yeah. She always has.

Ever since I put that
eight-carat ring on her finger.

Well, if what she wants
is to screw me over,

let's use that against her.

I'm one step ahead of you.

Brother.

Here.

What, are you planning on torturing her?

I mean, I'm on the fence,
but I could be convinced.

No t*rture. (CHUCKLES)

We are going to give Alexis
an opportunity to rip you off

that'll be too tempting to pass up.

(GRUNTS)

(SHATTERING SOUNDS)

Colin's as connected as a Kennedy,

though having fancy
friends isn't a crime.

Which is why,
when I went back into Colin's office,

I made sure to snap some
sh*ts of his calendar.

Look, if we cross-check the initials

on the calendar with
the names on your list,

maybe there's a match somewhere

that'll connect it to the lawsuit.

Like the meeting tonight with M.P.

Any M.P.s on that list?

The only M.P. here is
State Attorney General

Marshall Pintz. Though I'm not sure

why they'd be meeting in
East Atlanta at : p.m.

Which is why we'll have
to go see for ourselves.

Maybe he's bribing him.

Are you suggesting we surveil him?

Obviously.

Plus...

...I have been dying

to put this stake outfit to use.

Wow.

I guess dreams do come true.

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

(CHUCKLES SOFTLY) I
was starting to think

you weren't going to make it.

I come in peace.

(CHUCKLES): I promise.

Yeah, I'm sure you do, but...

I said everything I needed to say.

But I didn't.

First of all, I owe you an apology

for bombarding you yesterday.
It wasn't fair.

Or... professional.

So...

I'm sorry.

Okay. That's a good "first of all."

(CHUCKLES) And, second of all...

I should've started with an
"I'm sorry for everything"

instead of skipping right to the
"I want you back" bit.

That would have been
a smoother transition.

(CHUCKLES): But it's the truth.

I do want you back.

I really miss you, Sam.

You broke up with me.

But I never stopped thinking about you.

Then why'd you leave?

When Kirby told me you
were in love with me

and that I needed to
figure out how I felt,

I got scared. I...

I made the safe choice.

Kirby did what?

You know what, forget it.

I'm glad Kirby said
whatever... she said.

Because it forced me to move on

and to realize that I deserve...

someone to love me completely.

(PHONE CHIMES, BUZZES)

Which is why I'm with Ryan now.

- _
- FLETCHER: You do deserve that.

And more.

But, uh...

...where's Ryan now?

He's not here.

I am.

You'll have all of me this time, Sam.

I promise.

(EXHALES)

At the very least,
can I buy you a harmless

"I'm sorry for everything,
I screwed up" drink?

I don't know if that's a good idea.

JANNEY: So, that's dizziness,

fainting, loss of appetite.

Anything else?

A few headaches.

The same symptoms I had when
I was pregnant the first time.

But my at-home test was negative.

I just want to know what's wrong.

Well, there's no need to panic just yet.

You actually could be pregnant.

You might be shocked to know

that a $ . test isn't always accurate.

Would it matter that I
splurged on the $ . brand?

We should take some blood,
just to be sure.

This may be something
to celebrate after all.

I can't tell what you're more against,

my proposing to Kirby or
you giving me a diamond.

I'm not thrilled about either,
if you must know.

Plus, I'm busy trying to
captain this run-down house.

It's not easy to find more Krug '

when the staff insists that we're out.

Anyway... (EXHALES)

just sleep on it for a few days.

Or however long.

Um, I can't sleep on anything here.

This place is creaking like an old

- pirate ship.
- Mm.

- (SPLASH)
- (GROANS)

More like the Titanic.

- Is something wrong with this place?
- The house

might be unstable and sinking. (EXHALES)

The engineer recommended a few fixes,

but he didn't make it
sound like an emergency.

If somebody comes to me
with a broken left arm,

I don't tell 'em to come back when
they've broken their right one.

While your point is vague,
the foundation is clearly compromised.

And it will cost too much to fix,

and I don't want to pay for that.

Well, I would love to stay and help,

but, like you said,
you're the captain now.

- Mm.
- (SPLASHES)

Hopefully not for long.

Georges, you still haven't told me

why you tried to avoid
falling in love with me.

LIAM: You know, usually on a stakeout,

you don't park feet from your target.

Well, our equipment isn't
exactly m*llitary-grade,

and we need to be close enough

to be able to record
Colin's conversation

with the attorney general.

(GRUNTS) Mm.

(CAR DOOR OPENS)

Okay.

That was brilliant and pretty hot.

This ain't my first drive-in.

FALLON: Mm.

Wait, what is he doing?

No. If he leaves,
then we can't blackmail him.

He must really not like this movie.

- It just started.
- (FALLON GASPS)

FALLON: Wait, wait, wait.
Who's that? (GASPS)

I knew it, I knew it, I knew it.
Here we go.

Okay, I might have gotten

this calendar-coded

cross-checking initials thing wrong.

That is his assistant, Michelle.

Whose last name probably
starts with a "P."

- (SHUTTER CLICKING)
- (FALLON CHUCKLES)

Snap away.

CULHANE: That's it. Like a pendulum.

Even pace, back and forth.

Nice!

You win.

All right, I'll finish up here.

- (CHUCKLES)
- You lost?

I thought you were supposed
to be a major golfer.

Oh, I am.

I just didn't want to end the
day with a crying volunteer.

Well, looks like I'm the only
competition you have left.

Oh, no, you-you got a lot of work to do.

- Go home. I'll close up here.
- (CHUCKLING)

While your intention is noble,

I can't help but think
you're ducking my challenge.

Okay.

Your loss.

(CLEARS THROAT)

(SNORTING)

(CHUCKLES) You can't laugh!

That's cheating.

- I'm-I'm-I'm-I'm sorry.
- (CHUCKLES)

I thought you were
kidding with that form.

Maybe you should help
instead of trash-talking.

Okay.

I'm just gonna sh-shift
your grip a little.

Like this.

♪ ♪

(CHUCKLES): Oh.

When Colin sees these photos,

he is gonna drop the suit faster

than he dropped his pants tonight.

His wife is New York old money.

You do not mess with a cult like
that and get away unscathed.

God, he'll be ruined if these get out.

Exactly. Which is why
he will do whatever it takes

to make sure they don't.

And he says I haven't changed. Ha!

And this time Colin will be
the only one to pay the price,

- which is nice.
- What do you mean?

Well, when he gets in trouble,

he usually takes someone down with him.

He scapegoated his, uh... his partner

in a Securities and
Exchange investigation.

And then he also got that
T.A. fired back at Wharton.

- Tyler Grace.
- Wait, Tyler Grace got fired?

When the school discovered Colin
was stealing Tyler's tests,

he got fired a few weeks later, yeah.

I had no idea.

I mean, I was told that Tyler
was just taking a semester off.

Oh, hey, hey, hey. Don't feel bad.

I mean, Fallon,
you didn't do anything wrong.

Colin was the one who
cheated and involved Tyler.

I know. It's just...

I guess I hadn't thought
about the collateral damage.

Look, usually, I'm the one
taking the moral high ground.

Hey.

Okay, you're right.

(CHUCKLES): But I think that
this is inbounds, Fallon.

You're only using the photos
to force Colin's hand,

not ruin anyone's life.

Remember, you don't walk away.

I'm here because your
claim against Dominique

doesn't stand a chance.

You know, you could've just texted.

There's more.

Mm, always is with you.

Since my initial offer wasn't enough

for your fragile ego, I have a new one

that will finally end
your incessant blabbing

about your legacy.

I will give you back the manor

if you agree to certain concessions.

Such as?

You drop the mineral rights claim,

you let us keep digging,

and we get it all in writing.

Well, I have to admit,
the last few months

have made me see what's
really important.

After all, it is my legacy and my house.

Mm.

All right.

You can keep your diamonds

as long as you include the loft.

- I want you completely off the property.
- Fine.

We'll add an addendum later.

I appreciate your generosity,

so I'll give you a full hours

to vacate the premises.

Oh, don't worry. I'll be out in .

It's you who'll be vacating in .

(PHONE CHIMES)

(GRUNTS)

_

- (SIGHS)
- Morning, handsome.

Sorry. I didn't mean to wake you.

Ooh, my headache had that handled.

(GRUNTS)

But starting the day in your arms

makes this savage hangover so worth it.

FALLON: You do it to yourself,

and that's why it really hurts.

It's funny. You're quoting
my favorite Wharbler song.

Though a tad disturbing
you still know it.

But, as Radiohead indeed predicted,

you, my dear, did do it to yourself.

- Hmm.
- And I hope you can walk away

with a lesson learned.

Oh, I learned my lesson.

And I won't be signing
a damn thing today.

After you claimed that all I
do is take out my competition

to get what I want, I started to think

about the girl I was back at Wharton.

Even though I'm opposed to
self-reflection as a rule.

But you were half right.

I did out you for cheating

so I'd be first in the class.

That Fallon was too insecure

to think that she could b*at a cheater.

What am I supposed to
be looking at here?

Proof. I am no longer the girl

that outed you at Wharton.

I am Fallon friggin' Carrington, CEO.

And sure, I could've destroyed you,

but I didn't want to
stoop to your level.

So I conceded the claim
to the courts an hour ago.

That land is now officially
a historic landmark.

So you can't build on it.
The land is still useless.

Wrong.

According to Code ,

if I accept the historical designation

and agree to pay for the
castle's restoration,

then I can start building my campus

as long as I leave a -foot radius

around the monument. Now, I know

you struggled in math,

so I'll make it really easy for you.

- It's not gonna be a problem.
- So,

you agreed to spend
millions to restore a castle

and to redesign your
campus just to spite me?

Oh, don't flatter yourself.
It's just business.

That location will be
worth triple the value now.

(CHUCKLES) You may think

- you won this battle, but this is w*r.
- Uh-huh.

Michelle!

Hey.

Next time, at least make him buy
you soda and a popcorn first.

What?

Double oat milk capp, extra foam.

You seem pretty perky for
somebody on mail room duty.

I can't stop thinking
about our kiss last night.

You should be thinking
about your putting.

- (LAUGHS)
- But,

yes, the kiss was great.

I don't want to k*ll the vibe,

but I got to be straight with Jeff.

So do you want me to tell him,

or do you want to let him down first?

Let him down? Why would I do that?

I like you both,
so I was planning on dating you both.

You don't have an issue
with that, do you?

(PHONE BUZZES)

Oh. Duty calls.

Literally.

BLAKE: I got to admit,

your fake foundation flood was genius.

Alexis was foaming at the
mouth to screw me over.

You-you deserve your half of the manor.

I wish I was in a more celebratory mood.

I thought by taking
something from Thomas,

it would fill the
emptiness he left in me.

- Wow.
- But it hasn't.

Probably because he's
still everywhere here.

You can keep my half.

Yeah, but I don't have
anything else to offer.

Actually,

you do. I'd like the loft.

I want to convert it into
a space to honor my mother

by making her fashion dreams come true.

If that's what you want,
I think we can do that.

I do. Thank you.

Why are my silks packed
in with the cashmere?

I just hope that you are savoring

- your final few moments in the manor.
- I'm fine.

And with the diamonds you signed over,
I'll be able to buy

- ten manors that aren't sinking into the ground.
- (LAUGHING)

(LAUGHING)

I'm not kidding. Your old new house

- has a sinking foundation.
- Oh.

- It's not funny.
- No.

I just find it hilarious
that some superglue

and garden hose,
some creaky ship sound effects

could so easily fool you.

There's nothing actually
wrong with this house.

Even if that were true,
I have miles of diamonds

and mountains of cash
while you just have

this gaudy relic.

Well, do you want to know
something else that's funny?

No, but I'm sure you're
going to tell me anyway.

Thomas had a survey done of
the property a long time ago,

and they came up empty,
so you traded a nonsinking house

for an empty hole in the ground.
(LAUGHS)

- You're usually a better liar.
- No, I'm not lying.

But your mineralogist

and my close,
personal friend Nicole was lying to you

when she told you that there was
anything of value in that mine.

I can show you the real survey
if you don't believe me.

You won't get away with this.

I think that I already did.

But, hey, I'm a man of my word,

and I will give you the full hours

to vacate the premises.

You know,
I would say that payback is a bitch,

but that title is reserved
exclusively for you.

- So, he never saw the pictures?
- Nope.

I realized that I had a chance

to prove I've changed
since my Wharton days.

And I didn't want to cause any
collateral damage this time.

Now who took the moral high ground?

I know.
I just feel like I failed you here.

No. No, no, no, no, no.

I needed to figure
this one out on my own.

Hey, it wasn't all bad.

I still have that stake outfit.

Oh. Love that.

(FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING)

BLAKE: Sorry to interrupt, but I believe

this is my study... again.

Hey, I heard the good news.

Sounds like we all have
a reason to celebrate.

- We can continue celebrating later.
- Mm-hmm.

(LIQUID POURING)

Any thoughts on paying for
the castle restoration?

We squeezed our finances pretty tight

to pay for the land.

Actually, yes.

I am pulling up the plans
to take the company public.

We can generate capital to pay the debt

and fortify ourselves against
any future hostile run-ins.

Pulling those plans up by a
year is a really big deal.

Well, someone once told me

you can't build a dynasty
by playing it safe.

That person sounds very wise.

- (CHUCKLES)
- ADAM: I am honored

to be your new chief of staff.

Uh, I promise to do you all proud.

- Thank you.
- Thank you.

Cristal? You okay?

(CHOKED UP): Um,
I was just with my doctor.

Uh, I... I-I thought
I might be pregnant, but...

I-I didn't know where to go

- or who to talk to.
- Where's Blake?

- Did something happen?
- I can't talk to Blake yet

because I'm-I'm not pregnant.

Apparently, I have, um,

some kind of growth

pressing on a nerve.

And she said I...

I have a brain tumor.

DOMINIQUE: Thomas Carrington,

I will never understand
why you betrayed my mother,

why you rejected me

or why you left me with this
worthless property deed.

But I am done wasting my time

trying to untangle your cruelty.

I vow to nurture

the people I neglected

during my quest for your acceptance.

Goodbye and good riddance.

ALEXIS: You two-timing tramp.

How could you do this to me?
We were partners.

Partners? You're as delusional
as you are desperate.

Why would you help that despicable,
disgusting bastard?

Because, unlike you,

he wasn't trying to screw me over

every step of the way.

You got what you deserved,
you self-serving snake.

(SHOUTS)

(BOTH PANTING, GRUNTING)

(SHOUTING)

(WOOD CREAKING)

(ROCKS TUMBLING)