A Triple Shot of Karma & Platinum Fury Focus

Marlena Christie and Edgar Allan 'Poe' Starkes have lived an exciting corporate couple lifestyle during ten months of reunion. They're jetting to LA Friday for a poolside celebration at Kelcie Montalco's, the Playmate-soap opera starlet who bought Eddie's script for her first big screen role.

Before LA trip, Eddie brings Marlena a 'redemption' novella, featuring 1-1 talk and Do Over promise from God, one that fixes his previous personal sacrifices for Terri. He has no idea about ex-boss Brickmann Greiner's brutal vengeance on Terri, but kidnapping is a massive shift in Universe's favoring of Marlena's plans.

Post-party romancing, and a return-flight seduction as beach volleyball icon
'The Platinum Fury,' her confidence in the Universe's favor is blasted by Terri Espinoza's call from Eddie's phone: "I'm sure his buddies will be bummed Eddie can't make it to the bachelor party," just hours after being dropped off in Charlotte.

An identical double for Montalco on her soap, Terri is a smart, highly sexual, results-focused antagonist. She believes in same karmic power of Tower card in tarot reading as Marlena did before re-entering Eddie's life. Way beyond blackmail with highly sexual video, "You guys stole artwork from fat cat friends, and it sounds like you killed and buried a guy named Rommel," is a real threat.

In rallying Eddie's friends (The Nine), Marlena relies on local legend Rahim Maxwell, agent-best bud Davey Ollerstein, and advice from Silas Randson about making ransom counters 'more desirable than opposite number asks for.' Montalco accepting the risk of violent negatives in a showdown with Greiner's goons - and delivering a terror-stricken performance to sell a double cross - comes from a deep belief in paying karmic debts.

"Poe," Marlena explains post crisis, "A wedding I've wanted for ten years is Saturday, but I'll want a LOT more mansplaining of your one-on-one with God when we're on island time."