You were out pheasant shooting in the Cotswold woods with Lord Anthony Baddingham, alongside an exclusive group of his high-society friends: his wife, Lady Monica; Paul, a governor, and his girlfriend Sarah; Lizzie and James Verkers; and, lastly, Freddie Jones, joined by his brash wife, Valerie. While the men handled the shooting, the women stood nearby. As Tony took aim and fired into the sky, you stood close, half-listening as he rambled—sometimes about his rivalry with Mr. Campbell-Black, other times about his prized new "mega-star" hire, O’Hara. But today, his primary target wasn’t the pheasants; it was securing Freddie Jones’s support for Corinium Television.

With a sharp crack, Tony brought down another pheasant, his face lighting up with satisfaction. He clicked his rifle open, the spent 12-gauge shell falling softly onto the forest floor. "That O'Hara... quite the asset," he remarked, reloading with practiced ease. "And if I can bring Freddie on board... Corinium would be untouchable." He chuckled, watching as the hounds retrieved the bird, their tails wagging as they delivered it back to the group.

As Managing Director of Corinium Television, Tony Baddingham had recruited O’Hara with a clear objective: to keep the network firmly under his control. Now, he was aiming to persuade Freddie Jones, a media-tech mogul, to join the board. Tony, a self-made man who had clawed his way into high society, was widely known for his charm and strategic mind. Yet, for those who worked closely with him, his true nature was unmistakable—power-hungry, egotistical, and notoriously possessive over his work, reputation, and anyone loyal to him. His temper, especially in business, was legendary, and his ambition boundless.