A Masterclass in Manipulation

Power isn’t always seized in war rooms. More often, it’s whispered across candlelit tables.

A private dining room, cloaked in low light and quiet opulence. In the back, where curious eyes dare not wander, a table holds more than silverware—it holds unspoken rules. Here, deals are not proposed. They are decided. Loyalties are tested. Power is not demanded, only pressed into place with the weight of expectation.

DIANA, late 70s, commands the space effortlessly—a queen without a crown, her voice as smooth as the silk she wears. SELENE, early 40s, keen-eyed and calculating, leans into Diana’s presence, drawing strength from its shadow. ZARIA, mid-40s, sits poised but rigid, the only one here without the luxury of ease. She knew this was an ambush before she arrived, but she came anyway.

Peter is not here. But he doesn’t have to be. His shadow stretches over the table, a silent claim on Zaria’s fate.

SCENE ONE: “YOU PUT YOURSELF HERE”

DIANA
(swirling her drink, her voice silk-wrapped steel)
You put yourself in a very bad position, Zaria.

ZARIA
(sitting up straighter, voice tight)
I didn’t put myself here. You know who did.

DIANA
(smirking)
Oh, sweetheart. You allowed this.

ZARIA
(firm)
No, I didn’t—

DIANA
(cutting her off, leaning forward)
You allowed yourself to be backed into this corner. You had choices. You could have taken him back earlier. But you didn’t.

SELENE
(soft, reasonable, but with a quiet blade underneath)
And now look where you are. No cards left.

(Silence. ZARIA glances at the door. SELENE notices and leans in, eyes sharp, voice like honey laced with arsenic.)

SELENE
You’ve tried everything else, haven’t you? And yet here we are.

ZARIA
(scoffs, shaking her head)
Not working? Tell me, Selene—when has he ever stopped?

(Selene tilts her head, feigning amusement. Diana watches, amused but silent.)

ZARIA
You think if I just go back, everything resets?
He said he wouldn’t touch me, then he did.
He said he wouldn’t come near my family, then he did.
He swore it would never happen again—then it did.

(Beat. Selene’s smirk falters for half a second before she recovers.)

ZARIA
Every promise he made, he broke. Every chance I gave, he used against me. And you’re telling me to trust him again?

(Selene exhales through her nose, glancing at Diana, who smiles as if indulging a foolish child.)

DIANA
(smooth, unbothered)
It’s different this time, darling.

---

SCENE TWO: “JUST SAY THANK YOU”

(ZARIA shifts in her seat. She’s struggling to breathe under the weight of the conversation. SELENE refills her glass—without asking.)

SELENE
You know what I don’t understand? You haven’t said thank you once.

ZARIA
(scoffs, exasperated)
I have. I’ve said it a hundred times.

DIANA
(leaning forward, voice cool as glass)
Not loud enough.

ZARIA
(defensive)
I’ve said thank you. Over and over. But apparently, it’s never enough.

SELENE
(flat, no warmth now)
No. You thanked the wrong people.

DIANA
(mocking)
You’ve made some very public choices that didn’t align with us. Maybe that’s why you’re struggling now.

ZARIA
(tensing)
That’s not what happened.

SELENE
(cold)
No?

(Beat. ZARIA exhales, steadying herself. She won’t break. Not yet.)

ZARIA
You think that if you just speak louder, I’ll change my mind.

DIANA
(amused)
Oh, sweetheart. You’re not in a position to tell us what you think.

(ZARIA blinks. A sharp, controlled slap to the ego. DIANA holds the moment like a cat with a half-dead mouse.)

---

SCENE THREE: “NO GUARANTEES”

DIANA
So here’s the deal. You take the offer. You go back to Peter.

ZARIA
(low, measured)
If I agree… I need guarantees.

DIANA
(laughs, shaking her head)
Guarantees? Oh, honey. That’s not how the world works.

SELENE
You don’t get guarantees, Zaria. You know that.

DIANA
(flat, final)
That’s not how Peter works.

(A pause. ZARIA swallows. She already knew that answer, but hearing it aloud is different.)

---

SCENE FOUR: “WE GAVE YOU EVERYTHING”

(DIANA sighs, dramatic, as if she’s tired of this conversation.)

DIANA
You know, before me, they took you in, gave you shelter, whispered promises of safety. They called it protection. But did it keep Peter away? Did it stop him from waiting, watching, knowing you'd have to come back?

ZARIA
(surprised)
What?

SELENE
(casual, a flick of her wrist)
Hiding behind locked doors? That’s not a life, Zaria.

DIANA
(grinning, enjoying herself now)
Oh yes, they locked you away, whispered that you were safe. But deep down, you knew better. You always knew better.

(She leans in, her voice low, coaxing.)

DIANA
Before me? You had shadows, fear, waiting for the inevitable. But I—I gave you the only real choice you had left.

ZARIA
(swallows hard)
I—

DIANA
(cutting in, amused, shaking her head)
Two weeks, darling. That’s all it would’ve taken. But you already knew that, didn’t you?

(Silence. ZARIA’s fingers tremble. Her whole body tenses—she knows this game is rigged against her, but what choice does she have?)

DIANA
Now. Let’s drink to what comes next.

(ZARIA hesitates. Her throat is tight. Her hands feel cold. She lifts her glass—just slightly. DIANA smiles, victorious. SELENE smirks. The trap has closed.)

BLACKOUT.