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WAREHOUSE DISTRICT
PEAPACK, NEW JERSEY
Sweat rolls down Staciana Kardos' back as she mounts Christian Tak, allowing him to thrust inside her. She moans with pleasure, digging her nails into his biceps as she feels her knees buckle.
"Christian..." Staciana gasps, keeping her movements steady and rhythmic. "Harder."
They are oblivious as the warehouse doors fly open, and a stern woman strides in, heels clacking against the floor. She tosses a cigarette onto the ground and approaches the two, her eyes wild with anger.
"Cut!" the woman shouts. "What the fuck is this? Who said to start shooting with the goddamn director present?"
She turns to the camera man just opposite Staciana and Christian, pointing an accusatory finger at him.
"I was j-j-just following orders," he says, stuttering. "Boss said that you were gonna be late, so..."
"I wish he'd mind his own fucking business," she snaps. "This is not going to work. Strike everything, we're going to set up again and re-shoot. Now."
As crew members rush to complete her demands, Christian and Staciana climb off the couch and wipe themselves down.
"Julie," Christian says, addressing the recently arrived director. "I told them we shouldn't have gone ahead without you here."
"I know," Julie says, smiling. But her smile quickly turns to a frown as she sees Staciana eyeing her. "Can I help you?"
Staciana extends a hand, squeaking, "Hi Julie, this is all so exciting! It's my first porn shoot! I'm Staciana! But my friends, they call me Staci!"
"That's not my name. You'll refer to me as Miss Kim, like everyone else on the set."
"I'm sorry —"
"Get out of here," Julie snaps. "Now."
As Staci hurries off, Julie approaches Christian. She's careful not to touch him, however, with so many eyes present.
"Where were you? I was worried," Christian whispers.
"Getting the money," Julie says. "I had it wired. So we can finally leave. Tonight."
MARQUETTE COVE MEMORIAL HOSPITAL
THE PRESENT
"Rebecca, come on," Kane Li says, tugging at Rebecca's arm. "Rebecca...Rebecca...Julie!"
Hearing Kane call her by her real name, something he hasn't done in over a year, snaps her to attention. She turns away from Kyle Maddock's body and squints as she tries looking at Kane in the dark, smoky hospital room.
"That's not my name," Rebecca says softly.
"We've got to get out of here," Kane says. "Kyle is dead. There's nothing we can do for him."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, I'm sure! Why do you care so much? He's done nothing but make our lives a living hell since he forced us to come to Marquette Cove!"
"I know, you're right, but..."
"Come on," Kyle says, pulling Rebecca toward the door. "We've got to get the hell out of here."
As he finally gets Rebecca ushered out the room, neither are there to witness as Kyle's body begins to stir. His eyes fly open and shift toward the door where Rebecca and Kane once were.
They tried to leave him to die.
For that...Christian and Julie will pay.
Sighing, Ryan finally gives in and drops to his knees, helping Alexis fish Leslie out of the wreckage. They grip opposite ends of the brick chunk covering her legs, first attempting to lift it.
Ryan groans at the weight of the brick and releases his grip.
"We can't lift this," Ryan says, coughing.
"Ryan, you said you —"
"We have to push it!" Ryan snaps. "Stop screeching in my goddamn ear, already."
"We have to help her," Alexis says. "We have to...she can't lose this baby. She's a good mother."
MARQUETTE COVE MEMORIAL HOSPITAL
ALEXIS LOPEZ'S ROOM
"What...what are you saying?" Alexis Lopez says, raising her head to face Kyle Maddock directly. He stands in front of her bed, grinning from ear to ear.
"What I'm saying is...she's your mother," Kyle says. "Melissa Maddock."
Alexis shakes her head emphatically. "I had a mother. An alcoholic, who up and left when I was a kid."
"No, it's incredibly wonderful," Kyle says, crouching down to face Alexis' eye level. "You see...that means you're my niece. And you're Aaron's cousin. You were given away at birth."
"None of this can be true," Alexis says. "Why wouldn't she...I met her. I met her once. If she knew..."
Kyle speaks more rapidly. "She found out just before she died. Just before she died, Alexis. Don't you want to punish the people who did that to your mother?"
"I need some kind of —"
"No!" Kyle snaps. "All you need is revenge!"
THE PRESENT
Revenge.
It's the only thing consuming his mind as he climbs to his feet, fighting to keep his balance as the floor lurches forward. This entire hospital is about to collapse. He needs to get out of it as soon as possible.
Like those traitors.
He can't be in this room...he refuses to die in this room as karma would have it. Simon Holden's office, the former office of Dr. Aaron Li...the man he poisoned and killed for Rebecca to assume the identity of his widow.
When Kyle first ran into Rebecca in New Jersey, she was responsible for killing the man he loved in a senseless car accident. He had not had the chance to profess his love to Kyle yet. He didn't know that Elan existed. But he would.
He would have loved Elan if he had been given the chance.
But when he was killed in that parking lot, he never got a chance to know. But he has to know up in heaven. As Elan became Kyle. It was his ultimate profession of love for Kyle. Elan became him.
For all intents and purposes, he is him. And no one will ever...
Shit.
Kyle's body. It's in the hospital morgue.
"I have to get it out of here before it defrosts," Kyle gasps.
PARKING GARAGE
PEAPACK, NEW JERSEY
"Get in the car," Julie says, advancing on the car in the corner of the garage. "We don't have time to waste."
"Isn't your husband going to wonder where we went?" Christian demands, following Julie through a row of vehicles. "We just left in the middle of that shoot."
"I'm done with all of that," Julie snaps. "Done directing those films, done doing...done doing things he asks me to do. I should have stopped a long time ago."
Julie can feels tears welling in her eyes as she reaches the car, nearly taken over by the emotion of finally being free. Christian wraps his arms around her, kissing her neck gently.
"You never told me what it was that he did to you."
"You don't need to know," Julie insists.
"I'm in this as deep as you, Jules. If I'm not working, then I don't get a green card. I could be shipped back to Korea."
"That is never going to happen," Julie says, returning his kisses. "Never."
Julie's love for Christian is why she will never be able to tell him everything. He'd want to kill her husband. Julie wants to kill him herself, for everything he put her through. She should have known things would be awful the first time he made her do something godawful.
Stealing a child from a defenseless woman and handing it off to his lousy right-hand man, Victor Lopez. Julie is barely able to sleep at night, thinking about the child's cries as she was ripped from her mother's arms.
Julie is startled as her cell phone begins to ring. She opens her purse and looks at the Caller ID. Her husband is calling.
"Is that Hugh calling you now?" Christian asks.
Julie nods. "Yes. Don't worry about it."
"I'm driving," Christian says, snatching away her keys. "You're in no condition to be driving right now."
"You're...you're right," Julie says. "Who knows what would happen if I tried to drive now."
As she crosses around the driver's seat, Julie glances toward the end of the parking lot, wiping away the last tears on her face. She won't cry over Hugh Rogers anymore. Ever again.
