“Great. I’ll be there by six thirty. Take it easy.”
Now all Charlie had to do was divert her anxiety until Rosie arrived. Since she still had a few episodes to go before she finished the third season ofThe Hidden Forest, she put the DVD back in the player. This time, she paid attention to the credits, where Mac Iverson was listed, along with his writing partner, Evan Girard. Mac had also received the sole story credit for the final episode of the third season—one of the swooniest hours of television Charlie had ever watched. An episode written by the very guy who’d claimed romance was a crock.
Oh, Knox. Who hurt you?
* * *
By the timeRosie showed up carrying a bag of Thai food, Charlie was frantic to find out more about Mac Iverson. She didn’t want to overwhelm her friend, so she kept things casual at first, asking Rosie how her Monday had gone. She followed up by describing her evening with Knox and emphasized the way he’d taken care of her.
“I can’t believe this is the same Knox,” Rosie said. They’d finished their curry and were seated on the couch, drinking ginger tea. “Or maybe I can. I’ve always thought he had a soft side, but he only shows it when you’re around.”
Charlie took out Knox’s letter. “He was so sweet last night. I fell asleep watching the movie, and he cleaned up everything. Then he left me this note. It’s kind of personal, but basically, he told me he used to be a writer.”
“A writer? Huh. I wouldn’t have guessed that, though I’ve never peeked at his employee file. I wonder if he mentioned it there.”
Somehow, Charlie doubted it. “He might not have, since he wrote under a pen name. Have you ever seenThe Hidden Forest?”
“The fantasy show? I tried watching the first few episodes, but it wasn’t for me. You know I prefer car chases and explosions, and it was sadly lacking in both. Why?”
“Brace yourself—it turns out Knox McIntyre is also Mac Iverson, one of the writers who created the show. He’s credited with writing a bunch of the episodes, but only for the first three seasons.”
Rosie stared at her in disbelief. “Our Knox? Are you sure it’s the same guy?”
Charlie was glad she wasn’t the only one shocked at his big revelation. “I’m positive. He told me to look up the name online, but I’ve been scared to do it. There has to be a reason he left the show and ended up at the Gilded Lily.”
“Yeah, that’s kind of a hard pivot.” Rosie set her mug on the coffee table. “If you want to go down the rabbit hole, I’m here for it. I know Knox isn’t on social media, but have you looked up Mac Iverson yet?”
“Not yet.” Once Charlie followed this path, there would be no going back. But her trepidation was no match for her curiosity. “Let’s do it. If he’s not online, we can look up his writing partner, Evan Girard.”
Heads bent over their phones, they started searching. Rosie held up her screen first. “Did you see these images of Mac? If I hadn’t known it was Knox, I might not have recognized him.”
“Same here. He looks so much younger without his beard.” But when Charlie enlarged one of the pictures, she could see the resemblance in his warm hazel eyes.
Other than a few photos, Mac barely existed online. He wasn’t on any platforms, not even LinkedIn. No TikToks, no posts, nothing. His name was only mentioned in reviews of the show’s early seasons.
“Whoa,” Rosie said. “Mac might be a ghost, but his writing partner is everywhere. Parties, events, all kinds of shit. And his wife looks like a model. Oh, wait, Evan’s married to someone from the show. Lila Winstead.”
“She plays Princess Elodie.” Charlie pulled up Evan’s Instagram feed, but it was too overwhelming. She didn’t want to scroll through years of photos just to find one with Knox in it.
Rosie continued her search. “I’m googling Lila now. There are a ton of photos and videos. I also found a link to an interview she did withStar Stylemagazine, just before she got married four years ago.” She started reading it, only to let out a yelp. “I’m sending you the link.”
Charlie scanned the interview. In it, Lila gushed about her upcoming wedding to Evan, whom she’d met when she was an aspiring actress. They’d grown closer while filming the show and were tying the knot at Hycroft Manor, an Edwardian mansion in Vancouver. When Charlie reached the middle of the interview, a chill passed over her.
Star Style:I understand you were once engaged to another one of the show’s writers. Mac Iverson.
Lila:I was, but I broke it off. He turned out to be too controlling, and his temper frightened me.
Star Style:He left the show after you broke up, right? After the end of the third season?
Lila:Yes, but I’d rather not talk about him. Can we move on?
“Fuck.” Charlie spat out the word. “Knox was engaged to Lila Winstead?”
Rosie barely looked up from her phone. “I found another article. A think piece inVulture—‘Why Season 4 Muddied the Forest.’ It suggests Mac Iverson’s departure as the head writer is one of the reasons the scripts went downhill in the fourth season. And why the show’s most popular romantic storyline took a dark turn.”
Charlie’s stomach churned. “In her interview, Lila said Knox’s temper frightened her. That’s a major red flag.”
“It might be, but I’ve never known Knox toactuallylose his temper. Sure, he’s a grouch, and he has no qualms about confronting aggressive male patrons if they pester our female guests. But the few times things have escalated, he’s called for security rather than dealing with it himself.”
