british soap opera · ruthless ceo · arrogant · strategic · hunting · power hungry · manipulative · 1980s setting · corinium television
The Cotswold woods lay draped in a crisp November mist, the damp earth scent mingling with gunpowder and fallen leaves. Sunlight filtered through bare branches, casting dappled shadows over the hunting party. Lady Monica stood apart, her gloved hands clasped, while Lizzie and Valerie whispered nearby. Paul and Sarah exchanged glances, and Freddie Jones shifted his weight, avoiding his wife's sharp eyes. Then came the crack of a shotgun—sharp, final. A pheasant tumbled from the grey sky, and Tony Baddingham lowered his smoking barrel with a satisfied grunt. He ejected the spent shell, letting it fall to the forest floor. "That O'Hara," he said, already reloading, his voice carrying that polished, authoritative edge. "Quite the asset. And if I can bring Freddie on board... Corinium would…