"Oh my god, that sounds terrifying," Julie said, eyes wide as she looked at Margot.
Margot exhaled shakily, running her hand through her hair. "I didn't expect this to happen to me… I'm not even that big a star yet."
Julie leaned forward. "Oh, honey. You don't have to be famous to have a stalker."
Margot gave a nervous laugh. "Well, I'm glad we have good security. Honestly, I don't think I'd even have one if I wasn't dating Danny." She shivered a bit, thinking of that scenario.
Julie softened her tone. "You look really rattled. Don't worry about it. Like you said, you guys have top-tier security. This won't happen again."
"I hope not," Margot muttered, folding her arms across her chest. Her eyes drifted toward the window. "I don't even want to go back to the apartment today. Maybe we could get a hotel… or just go to Mary's."
Julie shook her head firmly. "Like I said, there's nothing to worry about."
Just then, Margot's phone buzzed with a text.
"Excuse me," Margot said quickly, unlocking it. Her brows lifted at the message:
Heard what happened with a stalker being caught near your home hope you are well.
So to make you feel better, some good news: Amanda Seyfried dropped out of Z for Zachariah, and they want you as the female lead.
Margot's lips parted in surprise, then curved into a smile. She had been longing to do an indie project. She had just wrapped her supporting role in Suite Française, and now this… an opportunity to lead.
Another ping:
Already sent the script.
She quickly typed a reply, then looked back at Julie, her face glowing.
"Good news?" Julie asked, catching the shift in her energy.
"Yes." Margot grinned as she stood up. "I just got a leading role in that movie I talked about the one that went to Amanda Seyfried." She glanced toward the door, excitement chasing away the earlier fear. "Is Danny back yet?"
Julie checked her phone. "Yeah. He should be walking in right about now, probably going to meet Paul."
"Perfect, I'm going to go down," Margot said, giving Julie a small smile as she excused herself and left the office.
She stepped into the elevator, its mirrored walls reflecting her red dress as the floor numbers lit up one by one. The doors slid open with a soft chime, and Margot strode out into the main corridor.
But then she stopped.
Just a few feet ahead stood a young woman with blonde hair so similar to hers that, for a split second, it felt like looking into a mirror. And, more startling still, the girl was wearing the exact same outfit, same dress, same cut, the same shade of red.
Margot blinked, then offered a polite smile. "Nice outfit," she said lightly.
The girl's face flickered with shock, then something more complicated surprise, nervousness, something else Margot couldn't quite pin down.
"Um… thanks," the girl stammered, her voice catching.
Margot tilted her head. "Did Daniel pass through here?"
The lookalike nodded quickly. "Yes… um, I… I have to go."
She brushed past Margot, heels clicking sharply against the polished floor, her pace quickening as though she couldn't get away fast enough.
Margot turned slightly, watching her, confused. Was she a fan? Maybe overwhelmed?
Just before turning the corner, the girl glanced back over her shoulder. Their eyes met, holding for a second too long, before she disappeared.
Margot shrugged to herself, then continued down the corridor. Moments later, she spotted Daniel ahead. Her smile returned as she walked toward him, ready to share her news.
.
.
.
Margot's gaze lingered on the three Oscars proudly displayed in the living room cabinet. All three belonged to Danny awards he had managed to earn before even turning twenty-four.
Was there a twinge of jealousy? Yes, but it was impossible to truly resent him. Daniel Adler wasn't just talented he was on another plane entirely. His pace, his vision, his relentless drive… it was almost frightening. She remembered how dangerously close he had come to burning out last year, writing scripts and books back-to-back the strain it put on their relationship but he knew when to pull back and put them first.
She stepped into the living room and saw the fresh script lying on the coffee table. She had officially landed the part the lead in Z for Zachariah. In just a few months, she'd be heading to New Zealand for filming.
Her thoughts wandered back. That breakout performance in Bonnie and Clyde had catapulted her into stardom, but The Legend of Tarzan, a project she had hoped would cement her status, had faltered badly at the box office. Daniel had warned her about it, and while the film didn't land, critics praised her performance, sparing her reputation from being tied too tightly to the flop.
She'd still managed to stay busy. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot was lined up for release later this year, and Suite Française had just wrapped, giving her three films in one calendar year. More than anything, she was proud of her supporting role in Birdman. That script had been magic at first glance, and Daniel had played a huge role in getting her attached to the project. She would have been disappointed if she'd gotten it only because Daniel forced the director's hand, but the man revealed she was one of the few actresses he had in mind anyway.
Her agent and publicist had been right: her career was gathering speed. There had even been a chance to co-star alongside Will Smith in a major film, but Birdman's lengthy pre-production schedule forced her to decline.
Though Daniel joked that if she accepted, Will Smith would try to seduce her, almost tempting her to take the role just to mess with him she didn't understand why Daniel had a problem with Will. In her eyes, and the world's, Will and Jada's marriage seemed ironclad; he didn't strike her as a man who would look at another woman. Daniel always laughed it off, once even tossing out the confusing quip,
Keep my wife's name out of your fucking mouth.
Daniel could be weird like that at times, she chuckled.
She didn't regret doing Focus with Will Smith. Birdman, with Alejandro González Iñárritu, was shaping up to be the kind of film that could change careers. If she nailed the part, it could even bring her closer to the Academy's stage one day. The thought made her chest tighten. She was proud and determined, but she was also putting pressure on herself. In a way, Daniel's three golden statues glimmering in the case weren't just symbols of his success they were a challenge to her.
Margot sat back on the couch and began to read, sinking into the role, when her phone rang. Julie's name flashed across the screen, and before Margot could even greet her, Julie's voice rushed through the receiver.
"Remember how we talked about that weird nepo hire Daniel made?"
Margot sighed, her tone flat. "Yeah the one you think has the hots for him."
She was used to it by now. Daniel had a lot of fans, mostly women who weren't shy about their crushes. She had her own share of fans, too; some speculated and obsessed about her the same way. They had even caught a person stalking her, after all.
Julie's voice sharpened. "Remember how I told you she tried to apply to be his new PA?"
Margot tilted her head. "Yeah… what, did she try again?"
Julie exhaled. "Yes! I think she slipped her résumé into the final list I made. Daniel and I were just going through it, and I spotted her name sitting there. Like what the fuck?"
Silence stretched. Margot's heart thudded once, hard. Okay. This was no longer just a harmless crush or a silly workplace fantasy. This was beginning to feel…
"Okay, okay," Margot said carefully, her mind racing. "We might need to take this more seriously."
Julie let out a bitter laugh. "Ha. Try convincing Mr. 'I don't have crazy fans' Adler."
Margot pinched the bridge of her nose. "Well, that and the fact that the person in question is the daughter and granddaughter of two very powerful executives Daniel wants to stay on the good side of."
"Oh, that too," Julie muttered. "I'll look into it more. Maybe it's nothing… maybe I'm being too paranoid."
Margot's voice lowered. "Yeah… let's hope so. But for now, let's keep this between us."
"Agreed."
The call ended, leaving Margot in the quiet of the apartment. She dropped her phone onto the couch beside her and sank deeper into the cushions.
"What the fuck," she muttered.
Her mind filled with the image of the woman the way she'd looked at Daniel, the way she'd looked at her.
Something about it didn't sit right. Not anymore.
.
.
.
Margot walked from the bedroom toward the living room, Haley's voice buzzing through her phone.
"So, I did some digging," Haley said.
"One moment," Margot whispered, lowering the phone.
She paused in the doorway. Daniel was there, deep in conversation with someone.
"So what I'm thinking," Daniel was saying, "is we make this a special presentation, an hour-long DC Netflix exclusive shot from the POV of some random Gothamite as Batman and Robin hunt them down…this will be the first of our partn…"
Margot gave him a fleeting glance, then turned away, padding quietly toward the office they shared. On the way, she spotted a plate of fries on the dining table. She grabbed the plate and ate a few as she slipped into the office.
Inside, she sank into one of the plush seats and shut the door behind her. "Okay," she said into the phone. "Tell me what you've found."
It wasn't just Haley on the line Julie was patched in, too. Margot had insisted on bringing Haley in, given her uncanny mastery of internet sleuthing.
Haley's tone was low but urgent. "Nothing good. Like, this woman? She's obsessed with Daniel. Really obsessed. You guys this is… very bad."
Julie's breath crackled through the line. "How obsessed?"
Margot's phone pinged with new images in the group chat Haley had started dropping receipts.
The first picture made Margot's stomach clench: Cassandra, barely out of her teens, standing in the crowd at a Percy Jackson convention. Then another. And another. Different years seven, six, five years ago always there, always lingering at the edges of Daniel's orbit.
Margot zoomed in on one: Cassandra taking a picture with Daniel at a fan meet-and-greet, smiling brightly beside him. The casual fan picture now felt entirely different, sinister, even under this new light.
"Oh, that cunt," Margot hissed, the word sharp as glass.
"See? I knew something was up with her," Haley said. "Julie, remember I told you? She gave me a murderous look once. I remember now this bitch is crazy."
Margot's pulse was pounding. "Okay, what the fuck do we do? I don't want this cunt anywhere near Danny. She's a psycho."
Haley didn't hesitate. "Just tell Danny to fire her."
Julie's voice was softer, uneasy. "Not that easy."
"What do you mean, not that easy?" Haley shot back. "Why the hell not?"
Margot was about to weigh in when the office door creaked open. Her head snapped toward it.
Daniel stepped inside, his expression bright. "Okay good news."
Margot blinked, caught off guard. "Huh?"
"Remember that plot in Bel-Air? The one that seemed too good to be true?" Daniel said, grinning.
"Yeah…" she replied cautiously.
"Guess who just bought it?"
Margot's eyes widened as she rose from the couch. "Oh my god. How? Wasn't that place tied up in some lawsuit?" She walked quickly toward him.
Daniel nodded, smug. "Well, we got lucky. The family member who won the suit immediately accepted my offer. Fifteen million is a lot, sure, but that place… it's like we'll have a whole hill to ourselves."
Margot's lips curved into a wide smile as she kissed him.
"Now we just need to figure out what house we're going to build."
"A big mansion, of course," Daniel said casually.
Margot's expression softened. "I'd rather have a small, cozy place nothing sprawling or showy, just a warm little home."
Daniel groaned. "Fuck, we're not going to come to an agreement again, are we? It's like we're back to when we were looking for a house."
"We need to bring in a third party," Margot said with mock seriousness.
Daniel's eyes darted to the coffee table. "Wait… are those my fries?"
Margot turned, already halfway across the room. "Oh, I was hungry."
"Come on!" Daniel exclaimed. "I asked if you wanted any!"
Margot laughed as she looked at her phone once more, the moment of levity gone and the worry from her previous conversation returning.
.
.
.
"This is a very simple matter. I don't know why you dragged this out so long," Lucy's voice snapped through the line.
Margot, preparing to leave for the airport, barely registered the scolding. Her eyes were on the TV, where the news blared yet another update on the MeToo movement, this time involving an Australian celebrity.
She hated how Daniel's role in exposing so much of this still remained hidden. He was the one who had pushed it into the light, but she also understood why he couldn't come out and say what his part had been for his safety and hers. It was one of the many reasons she loved him, but it still gnawed at her.
"Ms. Wallace is right," Sophie, her PA and closest friend, cut in gently, pulling Margot from her thoughts
"You should've told Daniel about this last month."
On the other end of the line, Lucy's voice sharpened. "I'll tell him myself and get this thing over with."
Margot sighed, running a hand down her face. "It's not that easy, Lucy. I told you who she is—who her family is. Daniel can't just fire her."
"Yes, he can," Lucy shot back. "It's not like he's going into business with Disney, and Lester the girl's grandfather is practically on his deathbed. It's not like he's going to care about this now."
Her tone shifted, a little sly. "Do you want me to get Mary involved? She can make him do this instantly."
Margot stiffened. "No. I'll talk to him about it when I get back."
"Good. You do that." Lucy hung up without another word.
The room went quiet again, except for the faint hum of the TV. Margot looked at Sophie, who only gave a helpless shrug.
Then her phone buzzed. A message from Daniel:
Found someone to introduce me to all the new Fox execs at Disney.
Margot frowned, her thumbs moving fast.
Who? she typed back.
The reply came quickly:
Cassandra. Remember Lester's granddaughter. Her dad is one of Fox execs joining Disney, and he's exactly the person I want to talk to.
Margot froze. Her lip curled, and under her breath she muttered, "That cunt."
Her eyes flicked to Sophie. "Book me a flight to L.A."
Sophie's brows knit. "What about our week back home…?"
"Well…Plans change."