S3 Ep. 7 | ELLA IN AMSTERDAM La Dolce Vita
Revenge is sweeter than good deeds
Mary Poros, the real estate billionaire in Los Hellas was losing control drastically with each day passing.
Her planted political candidate, Amy Huang, was now out of the race for city council leaving Ella with no competition for the position. Or so Poros thought. What Mary doesn’t realize is that Ella is the least of her worries as Sven, the husband to the still missing Nicolas Castis, was about to flip Mary’s world upside down.
After having called in favors to “get rid of” drunken and disgraced former DA Bogdan Brown, Poros was losing allies left and right and her problems getting harder to solve.
Sitting at her desk on a top floor of a building in downtown Los Hellas, Mary Poros receives a call she least expects: its Sven.
Poros: This is Mary
Sven: Hi…
Poros: And this is?
Sven: Take a guess
Mary upon hearing more of a voice pieces together who it is
Poros: Sven, hello darling. Have you called to tell me you are considering my proposition from last week? The city council deadline passed yesterday. Please do tell me you put your name in…
Sven: I have some even sweeter news for you, Mary
Poros: Oh, do tell!
Sven: Mary, you have until the election to pack up and leave town. I know that you had Nicolas killed, planted Amy Huang as your surrogate for city council and in general are just a nasty old hag who needs to go
Poros: Oh so charming, you are. Why would I leave a town where I hold a majority of the commercial offices spaces? You know I built this place and there’s simply too many favors I can still cash in…
Sven: First of all you are bluffing, no one wants to work with you anymore. Secondly you will be leaving town with or without your properties and you will be transferring much of them to my real estate developer uncle, Pieter.
At this point Mary is more confused than scared, not comprehending her loss of leverage
Poros: Oh I am? And why would I do that?
Sven: Because you are not the only one with connections, remember I grew up in Sweden which is not too far from places like, Italy.
There is an awkward pause. Mary has an idea but in denial until she hears more
Poros: Italy, beautiful country. Cheap Prosecco. Stupid people though
Sven: You might want to consider it a place to go. Because when the city election is over, it might be one of the only places you are still welcomed
Poros: Talking a lot of shit you are. Luckily I know better than to be baited by a gay, Loro Piana wearing—
She is cut off by Sven who means business
Sven: Mary stop. I know that you blackmailed Nicolas into meeting Ella in Italy to take Ella out, then had the nerve to send a three-man crew to take them both out. Nicolas is dead and while we don’t have his body, yet, we will. I already acquired CCTV from both the hotel in Italy and the hospital Ella was at.
They were American and your guys. You think you are so clever but really, you and your old ways and everything you are about is done and really done now
Unsure how Sven got the information or if he somehow crossed paths with Bogdan Brown, Mary writes down on a piece of paper “Bogdan” as a reminder to herself to follow up on getting rid of him
Poros: What you are saying is outlandish. Your husband was annoying but I had no reason to… kill him… or whatever you are alluding
Sven: I’m not going to negotiate further with you. This is not a brainstorm, nor a threat. This is a fact. You will be leaving Los Hellas by election time. On your own accord or…worse.
Mary adjusts her body language and sits up. Sven goes on,
Sven: I have submitted my information to run for city council against Ella to ensure no last minute candidate plants or distractions. If something happens to Ella I’m here. If you try to do something to me, well, you already know my uncle Pieter runs his mouth less than you and can make people go missing faster
Mary takes a minute to listen, still confused the goal or motivations of Sven. He can sense it, in a way that he can nearly read her thoughts
Sven: Obviously I married Nicolas for money but he was worth more to me alive than dead. Your terror is coming to an end. That’s all I’m going to say. Start packing your bags.
Poros: Alright Sven. You are really talking a lot for someone half my age. You simply don’t know or have what it takes to make it in real estate—
Sven: That’s it. This is my last warning, you get no more warnings
Sven Hangs ends the call.
Mary feeling a bit uneasy makes her own phone call after to get her rage out as she feels her reign of Los Hellas slipping through her fingers
Officer Sing: Officer Sing
Poros: Hello, this is Mary Poros following up per my lead from the other day. It’s becoming quite important that the person I inquired about recently is taken out of society. Mr. Brown needs to go ASAP
Office Sing: Understood
Mary hangs up the phone and looks out the window of her skyscraper to see the water views and boats which look tiny. This can’t be coming to an end, its impossible
Loose Lips Sink Ships
As Ella and team organize more campaign materials at their tiny little office in downtown Los Hellas, Chelsea who seems to get all the news first, breaks it to Ella:
Chelsea: duuuuuuudddddeeeeeeee! You do have competition, kinda
Ella: What do you mean? How is that possible?
Chelsea: Sven. Yes, Nicolas’ husband Sven is running against you. My friend from the elections office texted me a few minutes ago. He scans the candidate applications once they are submitted.
Ella: Huh? Why? Isn’t he like rich and in real estate? Can he even run with so many property holdings?
Chelsea: I guess so. He’s pretty known in the elite society of the city, he would be an actual competitor. In many ways more so than Amy Huang who everyone knew was a corrupt hoe
Ella: I just… I just don’t get... the why?
Chelsea: It doesn’t really matter. What does matter is that you no longer have this in the bag and for all we know he could be a secret plant from Mary Poros
Ella: This is confusing. So what are you saying I should do?
Chelsea: I don’t know exactly yet, but it means we will actually have to campaign. I’ll double down on Facebook ads and Instagram and try to buy counter SEO. Although with a name like “Sven” it will be hard to bury his results the way I have been for Amy
Ella: Ok. I don’t know what else to say. I guess we keep moving forward?
The girls feeling perplexed continue packaging mailers and whatever else is needed for the campaign that day. As Ella opens some mail from fans and voters she finds an envelope from Chibuzo and motions to Chelsea she’s opening it
Ella: Whoa look at this. It’s a check and card from Chibuzo. Why would he Mail us something?
Chelsea: Read it. What’s he saying? That is weird…
Flipping open the card from Chibuzo, Ella reads it aloud:
“Dear Ms. Ella. You are already a winner in my heart. You really helped me with the Amy situation and my office. Besides considering yourself rent-free for the rest of year, use this check to help pay for anything you need.
I’m sorry I could not give this in person as its time I say goodbye to you and retire to Africa. You will be missed. I’ll pray for you for the rest of my life. Love Chibuzo”
The girls stare at each other —the Chibuzo check is for $20,000 made out to Chelsea. Chelsea puts her hands on it
Chelsea: I guess I’ll deposit this and use it for our office rent and online ads? Its weird that its in my name but I suppose that is to skirt around campaign rules?
Ella shrugs. She is trying to process why Chibuzo would mail a card versus call. Still sad and caught off guard she thinks to herself, what is going on?
A Love Scorned Lover
Before Sven has a chance to announce his running for city council a different type of news hits Los Hellas and international media outlets:
“American body found in Italian forest 15 kilometers outside the Lake Como area. While experts are awaiting a DNA confirmation, given materials found nearby and CCTV footage the body is believed to be that of Nicolas Castis of Los Hellas. It is unclear why Castis was in Italy. More to come”
Mary Poros watches the news from her office TV “shit” she mumbles to herself.
Chelsea and Ella discover it from links texted to them. Sven finds out while running on a treadmill at the gym. Bogdan, still drunk on a bender sees the news from his apartment that he hasn’t left in days. “ha, I knew it bitch!” he mumbles to himself.
Gianni, the hotel guy who befriended Ella in Italy calls her
Gianni: Buongiorno Ms. Taylor
Ella: Hi Gianni, before you say anything I wanted to tell you I saw the news
Gianni: Yes my dear. I called to tell you that and also to tell you goodbye. It really was a pleasure to have your presence at our hotel. I must now let go and let you go onto your next phase of life…
Ella: Gianni, what a weird thing to say. Are you okay?
Gianni: God will protect you Ella in your next steps. Its also time too you must let go of the things we cannot change
Ella: Gianni? Stop it! You are freaking me out! I’m here in Los Hellas, everything is fine. Really, are you okay?
Gianni: Goodbye signora Ella. It was a pleasure serving you.
Gianni hangs up the phone leaving Ella further puzzled.
Why is everyone saying goodbye to her?
Turning Lemons into Lemonade
Upon hearing that his husband’s body was found in Italy, Sven is no longer shocked and coming to terms that Mary Poros was behind it. He can’t fully prove it, yet, in court but he doesn’t need to. Sven will push Mary out of town whether or not she is behind the death of his husband as he is over her shit.
Mary’s evilness has been in the city of Los Hellas long enough.
Leaving the gym after seeing the sad news of his husband’s death on TV, Sven decides to shower at home and prepares himself for his first TV appearance which was already scheduled to announce his city council candidacy.
Although now he needs to likely address the public about his presumably dead husband.
Sven signs some papers at his condo that move most of his properties from his holdings to his real estate uncle, Pieter. Sven scans the signed papers and emails them to Uncle Pieter before putting them in a paper envelope on the table and heading out of the door for the TV station.
Feeling numb and not exactly sure what he’s doing, Sven is filled with a sense of peace in that whatever this is that he’s doing is the right thing.
Arriving at the Los Hellas TV station, they mic up Sven on stage who is wearing an out of character more political look of a suit jacket and light blue business shirt. It looks odd on the Swede, who normally prefers sweaters.
TV producer: Sven, we will be live in four minutes are you ready?
Sven: Yes
TV producer: Again, sorry about the recent news…
Sven doesn’t say anything, instead using a small mirror he double checks his hair and outfit asking for more makeup on his face for the shine.
The cameras begin to roll and Sven, like the natural top and leader that he is faces the main camera
TV producer: And this morning we are joined by real estate mogul Sven Douglass-Castis. Who as it appears, and I am sorry to say this, recently lost his husband.
Sven did you want to share any thoughts?
Sven: Yes, hello and thank you for that, introduction.
Today is a sad day for myself and for Los Hellas. While not 100% confirmed I do believe it to be true that my husband was found dead in Italy. My beloved husband Nicolas Castis, a third generation Los Hellas resident has likely left us in this physical world.
I wanted to use today to announce my campaign for city council and now even more so in the memory of Nicolas—its what he would have wanted.
I hope that the fellow residents of Los Hellas join me in the mourning of a cherished, loving person and in voting in the upcoming city election. We should all use Nicolas’ life as an example and continue to build OUR city.
The cameras cut to a commercial shortly after. Sven takes off his mic meticulously and leave the TV studio as quietly as he entered it.